#hi if you see this don’t leave you’re cool I just have caterpillars where my brain should be

[moonstonecockatiel]

An artist I think is cool now follows me on here ough. I have to get a good grade in tumblr mutual, something that is both normal to want, etc etc.

[archergrid]

<< Chapters 1-5 Chapters 6-10

Chapter 6

The brewery was an unassuming stucco building a few blocks from the university. One of Lear’s murals covered the east wall—a massive, dynamic figure carved with intricate geometric textures. An article once described his work as Klimpt meets Basquiat, but Lear’s murals were mathier—frenetic, for sure, but playing more with geometry and dimension. He used clay and wood to give the paint and figures a kinetic, blocky depth, painted gold and carved with reticulated patterns. Even amidst Valpo’s cacophony of street art, it stood out. 

I checked my phone. 2:04 PM. Lear’s been to jail, I thought. I could ask him what it’s like. If the gang does have something nefarious planned, I could just offer to turn myself in. I’d get swept off to the US federal prison system, and they’d never see or hear from me again, as good as dead. After a few more shaky breaths, I marched my badass black boots through the graffitied steel door.

The brewery proper was a maze of stainless steel metal vessels, lined up like redwoods on either side of the cavernous back room. It was like walking into a grand estate, or a prison. Squat windows near the ceiling drained light in, casting the brewery in sleepy, afternoon blue. Every step echoed. I was almost at the opposite end of the building when Lear popped out from behind a brew kettle. I nearly shot out of my shoes.

Lear looked like an arrow—rail-thin, sharp features, long gray hair puffing out from under his beanie. The wrinkles of his drawn face pointed up towards his high forehead, so he always looked like he was pitying you. “Whoa, whoa!” He checked his watch, then spread his balsa-wood arms, snapping his fingers like jabs. “Don’t be so jumpy-y-y.”

There was a dark spot under his linen shirt where he kept his gun. A deep breath balmed my frazzled nerves. “H-hey, Lear. The crew around?”

“Might be. You got your computer?”

I hugged my laptop bag and nodded.

“Cool. Let’s jam.” Lear swaggered into the shadow between the back 2 brew kettles, checking his wrist and whistling Ennio Morricone. 

I didn’t follow. “Lear, p-please tell me what this is about.”

Lear’s tight shoulders slumped. He pursed his heart-shaped lips. “Come on, now, don’t make this hard on me.” His voice was flat. Panic reached up from my stomach and choked me. I backed up, but bumped something solid and warm. I spun, twitchy as prey. Cat raised her wooly-bear-caterpillar eyebrows at me.

Cat was the muscle in the crew, a big woman with a strong jaw, long silky hair, and a manslaughter rap Lear helped her out of. Her grease-stained tank top showed off meaty arms holding a tall baking dish with a lid on it. “Hey, Dom.” 

“You’re late!” Lear scolded, jutting his knobby chin out at her. “Jig’s up, I guess.” Throwing an arm around my shoulders, Lear pulled me with him around the corner towards a black shadow between cylinders. My heart hammered my ribs. The dark alcove in front of me, Cat behind me blocking the exit. There was nowhere to go. 

“Lear, please, just wait. You don’t have to do this.”

“Oh, I think I do.” Lear clapped his hands once, the sound shuddering against the stainless-steel kettles.

“No, really, I promise, I’ll leave and you’ll never-”

Overhead fluorescents blinked to life over the picnic table we used to look over blueprints, count money, and eat greasy takeout. It was Jackson-Pollucked with every color of sticky acrylic paint. Unfamiliar paper cones were stacked on it. Inscrutable chalk-scrawls covered an ancient, wheeled blackboard situated beside an equally antique television, also on wheels. Paper streamers hung haphazardly off pipes and valves. A few feet back, U.H. stood beside the fuse box in skinny jeans and a pornhub hoodie, their phone in one hand. “Um. Surprise?”

Behind me, Lear crackled out a raucous chorus of cumpleaños feliz. I twisted around in time to see him elbow Cat, who grudgingly joined in. U.H. pointed their fingers at me as they ran up, hooked an arm around my neck, shouting the song in my face.

“Wh-what?”

“Well, you wouldn’t tell us when your birthday is, so I thought we’d pick one for you,” Lear said. “September 18th. One hell of a surprise party, right?” One hell of a surprise party was right. September 18th wasn’t my birthday of course, it was… January, definitely January. The 27th, maybe? The 23rd? “Look at her face, Cat! Told you she’d never see it coming.” 

“Yeah, Boss, you made up a birthday for her,” Cat said flatly, bumping past Lear to set her ice-white dish down on the picnic table.

“Why did you tell me to bring my computer if you were just throwing a party?”

“You’re so paranoid, I had to pretend it was for work. Plus, I want to talk over your idea.”

“It’s not an idea, Lear, I’m just curious.”

Cat lifted the lid of her baking dish. The cake was a puffy cloud of chantilly cream drizzled with caramel. A rum-colored puddle covered the bottom of the plate. U.H. sat down across from us, smoking weed from an electric-green vape pen.

U.H. was an adrenaline-junky from a young age. By the time their rich parents gave up on them, the teenager had accrued 10 charges for driving without a license, 8 for reckless endangerment, 13 for destruction of property, 6 for grand theft auto, 24 for drug possession, and 1 for public nudity. U.H. was a gearhead with an obscene knowledge of cars and no slouch when it came to gadgets either. They once escaped from a Hyundai they crashed by fashioning a high-powered laser cutter out of the CD player, but beyond working Tinder, they weren’t very good with the software side. 

Cat slid a slice of cake my way. The yellow sponge glistened with rum, bifurcated by a layer of icing and dulce de leche in the center. U.H. promptly reached across the table, dragging the plate towards them with a single finger. Cat flicked them behind the ear. “That’s for Dom, you gremlin.” U.H. flinched but took a bite anyway. 

Lear passed us 4 unlabeled beer bottles, each one foaming at the mouth. “You tell her about the bike?” 

“Oh yeah,” U.H. said, hopping to their feet as they licked their plastic fork clean. “Cat ’n me stole you a bike. It’s out back, wanna see?”

Still gobsmacked by my fake birthday party, I followed Cat and U.H. in a daze, unable to process this new piece of information. We took 2 lefts through brew kettles and mash tuns to the loading bay doors that led to the brewery’s gravel back lot. Cat slid the garage-style door up.

When U.H. said they stole me a bike, I assumed they meant something with a basket and some tassels. I didn’t expect the sleek-black paint job, angry headlamps and chunky engine. I should have—Cat and U.H. didn’t run a chop-shop for bicycles, after all. 

“I know the 400 is baby’s first bike, but I didn’t know how much experience you had with motorcycles,” U.H. said (none was how much experience I had with motorcycles). “They had this moronic turbo setup—because, y’know, let’s strap a rocket to a tricycle—but I fixed it for you. We figured you don’t come out much because you must live real far away, right?”

It was less than 2 miles, but I didn’t have the heart to tell them that. I couldn’t explain why it wasn’t safe to be around me; that if I get caught, the crew will too. Besides, trying to drive a motorcycle through the roller-coaster hills of Valpo sounded like the definition of a death wish. 

“Anyway,” U.H. went on as we walked back inside, “buy a helmet, not a shitty one, spend half a mil at least, otherwise your head’ll be-” U.H. made a wet noise as they scraped the palm of their hand across their skull. “Can’t let you die until we kill your new job.”

“It’s not a job,” I said as we walked back to Lear at the table. “Is that really why you called me down here?”

“Nah, nah nah,” Lear protested. “It’s about the party, a rowdy row wrapped in ribbons. Job’s just the bow on top. After what you said about the campaign I confabbed with a few folks around town who might be in the know. You weren’t kidding about this law and order angle.”

“The kids are out of control!” U.H. mocked. “They’re delinquents, they’re violent, they stole my 1984 Pontiac Firebird and crashed it into a Starbucks!”

“So, I took your advice and sent Cat and U.H. in. Told ’em to push the mayhem angle.”

“Yeah. I threw a brick through a window,” U.H. bragged. 

“That was you?”

“Oh yeah. Didn’t even get yelled at. I might quit boosting cars and just do this now.”

“You got in no trouble at all?”

“No,” Cat said. “They said to keep up the good work.”

“My god… He’s really doing it, he’s paying people to be violent to validate his message.” 

“And when U.H. is already validating his message so well already,” Lear japed. 

“Fuck yeah I am!”

Chile had seen fascism. The right-wing dictator installed by the CIA in the ‘70s “disappeared” thousands of Chilean citizens for protesting his “presidency.” If Godoy played dirty like this, he could go full Pinochet once elected. What would happen to Valparaíso, Chile’s bastion of bohemian revolt? “You’ve sent all this to Teresa, right?”

“Nope,” Lear said, checking his watch. “In fact, it’s imperative she doesn’t find out.”

“Lear, there’s no score.”

“Oh, but there is,” he said, walking to the ancient TV. “See, I did send Teresa one tidbit from the whisper mill. It was just a rumor to me, but she did her multiple sources thing. She said it’d break at 2:30.” Lear switched the TV on.

There was Teresa’s scolding gaze and severe haircut. She leaned over a glass desk, oversized and gleaming with studio lights. A picture-in-picture of the Ek building was up on the screen beside her. “In an unexpected move,” Teresa told the camera, “presidential candidate and television personality Adalberto Godoy is holding his campaign fundraiser in the city of Valparaíso instead of Chile’s capital, Santiago. Ek Inc., the tech company best known for its Ekko mobile phones, plans to host Godoy’s gala in its newly-constructed and controversial office building in Valparaíso’s historic district. Godoy’s pro-business agenda is expected to attract corporate donors from across the globe who use Chilean copper and lithium in a broad range of electronics. Sources close to the campaign report they expect up to $20 billion pesos in donations the night of the gala.”

Lear whistled, muting the TV. “I’ve been to plenty of charity blowouts. Small donations go into envelopes on the tables, but the big stuff gets entered into a tablet.”

My job. $20 billion Chilean pesos—about $20 million USD—donated through a piece of technology. “You want to rob the fundraiser,” I realized aloud. 

Lear grinned, all graveyard teeth. “No, you want to rob the fundraiser. This was your call, D-zero, and you called it. It’s only right that you manage it.”

“Me? I-I just wanted to see what Godoy was up to.”

Lear lowered his voice as U.H. chatted to Cat. “Exactly. You’re in it for the right reasons, D-zero, just like I am. The money isn’t what you’re after, that’s just icing.” Lear dipped a knobby finger into his slice of cake, popping the wad of chantilly cream in his mouth. “We want to even the odds. We want these bastards out of Valpo. What do you say?”

What a stupid, sloppy idea, I thought. The last time I went up against Ek directly, he ended up acquitted and I ended up here. I’d be risking detection, capture, federal prison, or worse: another 4000 white-knuckle miles of static. Yet, how could I sit back and watch Ek and Godoy take over Valparaíso, the town that had sheltered me for 4 terrified years? How many more times would I let Julian run me from my own home? Lear, as off-kilter as he was, took care of me when I arrived in Valpo in a broken down car, delicate as an exposed wire. Paula too, who gave me a dark and quiet place where I felt safe. I loved Valparaíso, with its crooked streets you couldn’t help but get lost in; never be found in. I felt safe cradled between the mountains and the sea, holding me in cupped hands with paint-stained fingers. 

He can’t just get away with it. Not this time; not your thumb; not this scale. If the law can’t stop Julian Ek, I’ll black his eye for them. “I’ll do it. I’m in.”

“Good,” Lear said. “I’ll take care of staffing, you just figure logistics. U.H. and Cat will keep looking for limits on hell-raising. I’ll drag for contractors.”

“We should get someone in the campaign staff.”

“See? You’re bossing me around already.” Lear’s smile went soft around the edges. “You’re a peach, Ms. Mysterio. Sorry to do this on your birthday.”

“It’s OK. It’s not my birthday.”

“Oh, you about to tell me when it really is?”

“No.”

“Then far as I’m concerned, it’s September 18th, baby.”

“Don’t call me ’baby’,” I said, rolling my eyes while trying to decide between 1/23 or 1/27. Lear set an occupied brown paper bag on the table. Whatever was inside was the mass, volume, and density of a textbook. “What’s this?”

“What’d I just say? Sept-tem-ber 18th, baby.” Lear tapped the bag with each syllable.

“And what did I just say?” Reaching inside, my fingers found something solid and poly-smooth. It was heavy, and I needed both hands to pull it up and out of the bag. The sturdy frame had hinges drilled into one side, attaching a small, squat door. A dollar-store lock held the door shut, covering whatever painting the frame was framing. With a bit of digging I fished the small, notched key from the bottom of the bag. The lock clicked open with spring-loaded satisfaction. I unhooked it from the latch, then opened the door like a book.

It was me. Bands of butter yellow and daubs of ultraviolet chiseled me out from the black canvas. Gold geometric patterns marched along the seams of my jacket and zigzagged through my textured hair. It still smelled like turpentine. In the painting, I was laughing, my sunglasses in my hand and my eyes wet with molten gold. Looking at it was uncomfortable. The girl in that painting wasn’t a big, bad cyber-revolutionary. She was small and jagged, laughing through her tears. That girl couldn’t do what I’m about to. That girl was an open wound. “It’s beautiful, Lear,” I said, and meant it. “How is it meant to be displayed? With the door open or closed?”

“Suppose that’s up to you, D-zero.” Lear smiled, but barely. “That’s not my name, y’know.” He tapped 4 sweeping, capital letters in the bottom-right corner. L-E-A-R. “It’s Reyes. But you knew that already, right?”

Yes. You were arrested by Pinochet’s military police after one too many avant-garde acts of vandalism. After that, the Universidad de Chile’s art program revoked your admission.

“Why do you think they call me that?”

“Seems obvious. You’re the king, and…”

“And?”

“And you’re a little crazy.”

Lear nearly fell off his seat, howling with laughter. “Nah, that ain’t why. It’s because I let little girls like you push me around.”

You treated jail like the university you couldn’t go to. You learned; networked, and not just with the other political prisoners. You graduated from avant-garde to direct action. “I’m not a princess,” I said.

“Don’t I know it. So? I showed you mine, you show me yours.”

You have a real daughter in Santiago that refuses to see you. I know what kind of soap you use, what kind of porn you watch, what kind of emails you write but never send. I know everything about you, and you don’t even know my name. “I think it’s better if you call me Domino,” I said as I shut the door on the painting, “and I call you Lear.”

“4 years and you still don’t trust me.” With a heavy sigh, Lear stood up from the table. “Guess that makes you a good criminal.” 

I couldn’t process any kind of answer to that. Had 4 years turned me into a criminal, or did my chemical makeup fundamentally change the moment I opened that video? It seemed like a lifetime since I’d gone on the run, that 2-month road-trip panic-attack, screaming south until no one knew my name. 

A strange revelation hit me then—a bug in my code. What was my real name again? I hadn’t used it since I left, and the news only referred to me as “Former Ek Inc. Employee.” It was on the tip of my tongue. My brows pressed together, as though the information could be folded back into my brain. My thumb was running down the stained wood of the painting’s closed door when the syllables floated up from a dusty corner of my mind, like a piece of trivia. 

Lia. My name is Lia.

<< Chapters 1-5 Chapters 6-10

[upsidedownwanderer]

Howdy!! I don’t know how you found this account, but pretty cool that you did! Here’s my main if you’re interested

I am Astrophel—commonly known as Astro or Xurkit—and this is a side blog where I talk about The Upturned! Yeah I already do that on my main blog, but this digs into the stuff that I feel too embarrassed to share to the population! which is just. “hey what if I made my own story off an already canon one”

#wandering rambles - off topic posts

#upsidedownwanderer - story stuff. I am too lazy to put it all into separate tags

Below are character descriptions! Ocs included </33

Mr. Me Avi - The Traveler (he/they)

A lone soul who found the Upturned Inn by luck. Although their face is always unemotional, they’re easily irritable. Their mood consists of passive aggressive muttering or screaming at the nearest moving thing from fear. His anger is never sudden, instead it build ups over encounters—he’s actually quite polite at first. A few years in the apocalypse does that to you.

Ikabod Kee - The Receptionist (he/him)

A chipper snake-like soul that is stationed at the front desk of the Upturned Inn. He’s always in a good mood, and it’s hard to crack the smile on his face! A bit loud from time to time, but that’s out of excitement over seeing another face.

Shrimp - The Anomaly (it/he)

A soul locked away in one of the asylum rooms. Doesn’t show much emotion either, only reacting to toys or food. Ik occasionally calls it “Artie.”

Sobbergritch - The Inventor (he/him)

The current owner of the Upturned Inn. Hasn’t been seen or found in a long time, as it’s been told he’s in the deepest parts of the hotel. Rarely will he interrupt conversations between Avi and Ik, and the reason why is unknown. It’s hard to tell if there’s malicious intent.

The Horseman - Death (they/he/it)

A myth to many, a man to few. Guests of the inn speak of a glowing figure on horseback guiding those out of the rain, therefore out of the afterlife. They have many titles: “Death,” “The Lone Rider,” “The Morning,” but we don’t know his actual name.

OCS!! Because they’re fun and this is MY story /j

The Widow (she/her)

A soul that sulks in her own room day and night. According to guests, she still mourns over the loss of her husband, stating that “although he left me for another woman, I still love him..” When she’s not sobbing over a man, she’s very comforting to be around. A motherly figure despite having no children.

Critter (he/him)

A lil chuckler that prefers to follow the crowd. Even when showing clear excitement about something, he seems to stay quiet, as he’s afraid of bringing attention to himself. Calls Ik quite often—the two apparently see each other as family.

Flauna (they/them)

A caterpillar-like soul that’s trapped in a floor overgrown by flora. The vines of roses seem to not let anything in or out unless you’re using the elevator. A kind soul even in loneliness. If they aren’t talking about flowers, they’re probably talking about their husband. (❤️ - Sobbergritch)

Ides (any/all)

A mysterious figure that trudges through the forest outside of the Inn. Critter and Widow have found a way to leave their floors without being caught, and have met with xim before. It’s hard to fully tell what xey look like, as her body is constantly shifting into different silhouette, but you’ll always manage to find his looking eyes.

Lars (they/he/it) (belongs to @fiowersfield)

A bug like humanoid that has been lost in the afterlife for a while! they dont have a specific place where they stay at and keep wandering around, mostly following lights that they see. they are interested in the stars and usually look up at them sometimes when they get too lost in the woods. as a hobby they "draw" ( doodles in dirt ) as a way to spend some time. usually pretty nice but mostly confused because they dont think a lot. (❤️ - The Horseman)

[kiridarling]

𝐐𝐔𝐄𝐄𝐍 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓.

request | Can I have royalty au (soon to be king bakugou) (and soon to be queen reader) , katsuki and reader are supposed to be getting married (not to eachother) but they end up sneaking around and doing IT with eachother so top!kats , exhibition , begging , dumbification and spanking THANK YOU💞💞

this lovely request was submitted for the kissing booth event (the rest of the drabbles come out soon, ahem :)) so, if this was your request, um...hAHA whoops.

katsuki bakugou | f!reader, royalty!au, infidelity, nondescript!fiancés, angst (gasp), fingering, exhibitionism, dumbification + more! minors dni!

— 3.7k words

“C'mon, princess...can I make you feel good once last time?

You're getting married.

No more ignorance is bliss, no more I didn't know any better—this is when you put all your childish antics to the side and fucking woman up, now in charge of the safety of your kingdom and its inhabitants and whatnot. So yes, you must snuff all your adolescent tendencies, and that includes sleeping with the Crowned Prince of the neighboring kingdom behind your fiancé's backs.

But, boys are stubborn. And stupid.

Ding ding ding!

"Excuse me, Everyone!" Your fiancé announces to the crowd in your dining room as he stumbles to his feet, spoon clinking against his glass. He nearly trips, but no one sees except yourself. "I would like to make a toast."

You frown. This wasn't a part of the rehearsal dinner.

"First of all, I would like to thank you all for being able to be with us tonight," he says, shoving the glass higher in the air. As red wine splashes over the rim, you think to remind him that isn't a toast, it's the beginning of a speech, but your comments have rarely deterred the man in the past. "As you’re all aware, this marriage is vital. Not only for our kingdom, but for the neighboring kingdom as well."

Your fiancé regards the Bakugou’s with a lift of his chalice. In the coming weeks, two arranged marriages will melt the four most influential kingdoms into two, and your fiancé and his family had the genius to throw a massive Gala to celebrate it. You wouldn’t be surprised if they got off to the idea of stretching themselves so thin their hair falls out at age thirty; they won’t even allow you to choose the type of dress for your wedding.

"I would also like to thank my lovely, lovely wife, for just being so... lovely.” Your fiancé chuckles, accompanied by an uncomfortable massage to your shoulder. The guests find amusement in how whipped he is as he gazes your way expectantly, conceivably wishing to see you swoon at the compliment. All you give him is a blank face. His elation falters.

"You know, when I first met this woman, I knew she was going to be the love of my life," your fiancé shakes your glare off. You purposely block out the rest of his story in favor of folding and unfolding your napkin again, puffing under your breath at the cheesy comment.

"Sap," you grunt to yourself, obviously. You don't expect anyone to hear, but there's a snort to your right. Your eyes lift from your lap—and straight into Katsuki's smug blood red ones. He winks at you from across the table and your eyes roll at that, though there's a small smile playing on your face that's impossible to hide.

"Isn't that right [Y/N]!...[Y/N]?"

You blink yourself back to life, eyes reluctantly leaving Katuski's hypnotic ones for the pair that make you nauseous, "Oh—u-um, yep!"

The place bursts in laughter and there's even a little smile dancing on Katsuki's face. He catches you staring so your eyes divert to your lap, but his remain a physical force against you for the rest of the night.

*selene — the greek goddess of the moon

The balcony is much nicer than the ballroom.

For one, it's the farthest place you could have gone from the commotion, all the way on the opposite side of the castle. It's a solid five-minute walk when you aren't in heels and a heavy petticoat, but it provides a lovely view of your front yard, subjecting you to watch the early-sleepers leave in their carriages to call it a night. Meanwhile, *Selene watches you from her telescope the moon with a sigh and a sad smile, because she's the only one who knows how completely and utterly alone you will be.

You glare at her—the goddess doesn't waver.

Bitch.

It's no secret that Gala’s like these get overwhelming—especially when you're the center of attention. You see Lord Shinsou (Earl) stuff the eager Lord Kaminari (Baron) into his silver-plated carriage before looking around to ensure no one saw, and blanche upon seeing your figure stood on the balcony. You salute so he knows his secret is safe with you, and relief washes over his face before he too hops into the carriage. What a scandal, you giggle.

Plenty of couples resign home after that; it makes you uneasy. You're unsure as to why, but you have the ever-increasing urge to nip at your fingernails until you don't have them anymore, and jamming the sharpest point of your heel into the concrete seems like the only proper way to release enough kinetic energy before you explode.

"He loves me."

He does, embarrassingly so—so what's the issue?

There isn't an issue; there shouldn't be. He reminds you how pretty you are and you compliment his influence. Neither of you are marrying down. You look good together. The kingdom's future power couple if you will, where you two supposedly mold the great future in your peculiarly young hands. There isn't an issue. You're the one for him, and he's the one for you.

The balcony door whines open. You don't turn around, praying whoever it is will see that it's occupied and turn the other cheek. Yet, the stomp of whoever's boots only grow louder until you’re adjacent to a shadow of a being, his chin lifted towards the stars. You catch a glimpse of blond hair, though dyed a pale white by the silver moon, and you two stand in a strangely comfortable silence, watching carriages roll out of your driveway.

The silence doesn’t last for long, though. It never does.

"D’ya always go disappearing like that?"

You frown. "What?"

"I don't fuckin' know," Katsuki grumbles—he has yet to look at you. Seems like Selene captures more than one person's attention tonight. "Blinked and you were gone."

Your frown only deepens, and you return your attention to the courtyard. "I didn't know you were paying attention."

The ash-blond presses his forearms against the railing for support. "I wasn't. He was."

Oh.

"Said he wants you to come back, so," Katsuki clicks his tongue, carmine red eyes finally flicking your way through the darkness. You don’t dare look at him. “You run off often, or what?"

"Tell him I'll come back in a second," you sigh, balancing your face in your hand. Katsuki says nothing, but he doesn't leave, and you hate that you don't mind.

Until he points towards a couple crossing the lawn and says, "Oi, that's the Duke from my fiancé's kingdom. Fucker tried to poison my dad for the throne—straightened him out real quick.”

"Why are you talking to me?" You snap like a cornered animal. Katsuki lifts an eyebrow.

"What? I can't have a goddamn conversation?"

"I—" your chest rises and falls with a reason to why he can't, but you can only come up with one—and you don't want to think about it.

"Listen. I don't like these things either, alright?" He huffs defensively, so defensively that you have to take a step back. "If I have the opportunity to get some fresh air, I'm gonna fuckin' take it."

You shrug, supposing it makes you one and the same. The wind blows, not harsh, but harsh enough to ruffle your gown, and make the gold jewelry decorating Katsuki's tunic jingle.

“So. I guess this is it, ain’t it?”

You sigh, “Katsuki, you know we—“

"Yeah yeah, that's all you fuckin' say," he growls bitterly, and you blink in a poor attempt to find where the animosity came from. His face twists in an ugly way as he sits his hands on his hips, nose scrunched to mockingly pitch his voice that doesn't sound like yours at all. "We can't, we shouldn't—"

"Because we shouldn't!" You nearly shout, and Katsuki jumps from how quickly you raise your voice. "Because—because if we get caught, we're fucked. And I can't go to sleep terrified that I'll wake up to an exposé tomorrow morning and get beheaded by the afternoon. So...please. Just stop."

Katsuki clicks his tongue.

"You don't love that asshole."

Your throat feels tight—much too tight to be comfortable, and your chest rises and falls with disbelief as you search for the words before you can talk again, eyes never dropping from the stars. You've had this conversation, fuck, you have it too often; often enough to know that he would say those exact words, and enough to know precisely what you'll say in response.

"I love him, Katsuki."

"No, no you fuckin' don't," the ash-blond chucks a laugh and it's nothing short of acrid, his words eating away at your skin more than you'd like them to. You sigh, resting your forearms on the railing too.

"I'm not having this conversation with you."

"Always gotta be so goddamn emotionally unavailable, huh?" He growls, glare set on the mountains presented in front of you. You feel his suit jacket hit your freezing shoulders, unaware of the cool temperatures until you feel the cloth brush against goosebumps. It’s your turn to laugh bitterly.

“Careful. People might think we’re getting married to each other.”

“One day you’ll let me fuckin’ live,” he grunts, and your eyes meet for the first time. His usual red is dyed a deep purple by the moonlight, their usual hardness traded for something much softer. “Can’t even give you a jacket when you’re shivering like a goddamn leaf in the wind.”

You give him a look of utter exhaustion because you’re tired—tired of all this running around and hiding, the secrecy. It eats at your insides like a caterpillar does a leaf, knowing that you go to sleep every night to a man who’ll barely touch you, but at the same time, feeling guilty that you don’t need nor want him to.

“Why are you here?”

Katsuki clicks his tongue. His warm body settles behind yours, close enough to feel the warmth but not close enough to feel him. “You looked lonely.”

“I thought my fiancé told you to get me?” You ask, raising a suspicious eyebrow. Katsuki rolls his eyes, his arms settling on both sides of yours.

“He did. But I didn’t refuse the damn request either.”

“You saw my loneliness all the way from the ballroom. What an eyesight,” you scoff. Katsuki’s eyes narrow, but it’s clear he’s fighting a grin because you’re a little shit who loves giving him a hard time. The ash-blond’s chest rises and falls, and he bites the inside of his cheek.

“You know what I mean.”

You snort, tilting your head to the right. You suppose you do.

“And I’m marrying a bitch,” he adds to his list of grievances, his hands finding yours to gently play with your fingers. You nod in agreement. A bitch she is.

“And...I’m really going to fuckin’ miss you.”

It might as well pass for nothing but a breath, eyes trained on your held hands. His chest suspends like he has more to say, but his teeth tear at the inside of his cheek before he can. “I—fuck, I get it, okay? I’m a selfish asshole—“

“This doesn’t have to do wit—“

“And I really, really need to get my fuckin’ priorities straight. I mean, they are, just not in the way they should be.”

“Hey,” you chastise, shaking his hands for his attention. “You can’t control who you love, okay?"

Katsuki grumbles at that but you refuse, turning around to look him in the eyes.

"And neither can I.”

You let go of his hands in favor of pulling him down via his cheeks and giving him a big fat kiss on the lips. It’s peckish and brief, but it’s sweet and gets your point across. It's comfortable.

“The hell was that for?” Katsuki asks once you pull away. Though you see him struggle to hide a grin, eyes squinting more than they should.

“Easy,” you say, stepping forwards (as if there’s any space for that), “You looked lonely.”

Katsuki snorts, dropping his head, “Bastard.”

“And I’m being married off to an asshole,” you lament, pulling his face so close to the point you’re sure the strain on his back has got to be anything but sexy. He accommodates anyways—Katsuki always has; and night seems to suspend along with his baited breath as he waits for the next line, eyes shining with a painful hope you’re about to confirm.

“And I’m really, really going to miss you,” you say, shaking your head at how utterly true that statement is. Fuck.

The vulnerability slowly fades from his eyes at that, and Katsuki hums, clammy hands finding their rightful place around your hips.

“You shouldn’t call him an asshole, you know,” he says, face inching so close you can smell the champagne on his breath. “He means well.”

“I didn’t know you cared,” you quip back, raising an eyebrow. Katsuki shrugs, and you don’t realize he’s backing you up until your back kisses the cool railing.

“Well. I can’t help but feel a little bad,” he says cheekily as he inches closer, “‘Cause I make you feel so good, don’t I, Princess? Last time I checked, better than he ever could.”

You scoff at his audacity though it’s all good-natured, eyes preferring the moon over his heated gaze as he turns you around to face the courtyard.

“Ah, ah,” he tuts, redirecting your attention using a finger on your jaw, “Eyes on me, Princess. You look really fuckin’ pretty under the stars, y’know.”

You snort at the compliment, rolling your eyes.

“‘M serious. A fuckin’ goddess,” he growls, leaving wet kisses up the column of your neck. Your breath hitches as he reaches your sweet spot and sucks, and you’re swatting him away before he can leave a mark.

“I sai—“

“One last time, Princess,” he bargains lowly as his hot hands slide their way from your waist to your breasts, taking their sweet time. Katsuki hooks his chin on your shoulder. “Lemme—Can I make you feel good one last time?”

You’re nodding with a whimper before you can berate yourself for being so fucking easy, the thought of not being able to indulge yourself with this, with him, any longer tosses any and all resistance out the window.

“Good,” Katsuki hums, tweaking your nipples through the bodice. “‘M gonna pay you back for being so good to me, yeah? For puttin' up with all my shit."

You scoff, mouth dropping to tell him you weren't putting up with his shit, but then a warm hand lands on your thigh—somehow, he's found a way under your dress. The hand slides up inner thigh and you feel Katsuki's chest shudder against your back as he finally reaches where you need him most.

"K-Kats—"

"Shhh, you don't want them to hear us, do you?" He grunts, pulling your panties to the side. You shiver from the change in temperature, watching another Duke and Duchess of half-drunkenly stumble into their carriages for the night, before there's a crack of a whip and hooves beat towards the exit. It's only a reminder of how painfully exposed you two are—one glance towards the balcony and any onlooker would know exactly what's happening. You hate it.

You hate that you don't.

"Atta girl," Katsuki purrs, groaning as he inserts a finger. You shiver, the weight of his being practically trapping you against the railing. "Always so fuckin' tight. I swear that asshole never fucks you right."

Katsuki's never been an impatient man and fills you with a second finger awfully fast, chuckling when you bite into the meat of your palm to hold back a whimper. His hips start to grind against the puff of your dress and he groans as quietly as he can, carelessly shoving down the sleeve of his suit jacket to bite into your shoulder.

You let out a broken moan much too loud for this time of night and it prompts Katsuki's free hand to stuff an equal amount of fingers into your mouth. "Y'know, something tells me you wanna get caught. You want the whole world to know how much you fuckin' hate that bastard, huh?"

You choke as Katsuki slides in a third digit next to the second, the slap of his palm against your pussy becoming nothing but obscene as your slick accentuates the sound. His hips speed up against your ass and that's enough friction to have the ash-blond groaning, along with the spit that drips down his forearm.

"So dirty for me, Princess," his hips stutter when you push back, tongue laving over the bite mark you'll probably have to conceal in the morning. Asshole. "You wanna cum like this, don't you? You're gonna cum all over my fingers in front of the entire royal court. Dumb little girl, can't even keep her mouth shut to keep us from gettin' caught."

You jam your heel into the balcony concrete so hard you positive it cracks before you're coming all over Katsuki's fingers, nearly choking on the ones in your mouth as you release the loudest broken moan you have that night. Katsuki's hips stutter against you and you're positive he's filling his boxers from the airy moan that follows, and his hand goes limp in your mouth before it slides out completely.

Your chests balloon in unison, his body draped over yours, and as you two catch your breath under the moonlight, you can’t help but think how much you’re going to miss this.

"Run away with me."

"I—" he does this. He always does this. He makes you feel on top of the world, acting like everything's fine, and then he pulls this shit on you. You look everywhere but him, nearly scoffing in disbelief. "Katsuki—"

"C'mon, Princess," Katsuki scrambles to flip you by the waist until your back is flush against the railing again and he’s cradling both your hands in his semi-damp ones. There’s a look in his eyes you don’t like, and it makes your chest burn. "Across the sea, people are movin’ over there and I—I know someone there, okay? Someone we could stay with, maybe help us get back on our feet an-and I found a fuckin’ ferry guy to take us across, and I can even pay him a little extra, o-or you, or—"

"Katsuki," you give him a sad smile, squeezing his hands tight. There's hope, too much hope in his eyes and it's fucking blinding. "Running away? I—this is—we have an obligation, we can't jus—"

"It'll be fine," he insists, stepping forwards and squeezing you back twice as hard. You sigh."I—the two kingdoms can merge or whatever the fuck they wanna do and then we'll be—"

"Katsuki."

"I—fuck Princess, I don't beg but goddammit, I'll do whatever you fuckin' want, get on my knees, I ca—"

"You really want to know what I want?"

Katsuki freezes. It's the first time you've ever seen some semblance of emotion in him that isn't anger or lust, with carmine red irises swimming in unshed tears—and fuck, you hate the sight. You want to shoot yourself in the fucking foot for what you’re about to do, but it’s for the best. It always is.

"Love her."

Katsuki looks at you, and his face drops, chest shuddering.

"I can't."

You drop his hands in favor of holding his face, thumbing at the hot tears running as they fall. God, Katsuki’s pretty—too pretty for his own good and he doesn’t even know it. His unsteady hands find themselves massaging your ribs and your foreheads knock together. "You need to try. Love her as much as you love me, yeah?"

"'S fuckin' impossible," Katsuki says with a wet snort, shaking his head with eyebrows raised. You giggle, throat impossibly tight.

"Almost, then? For me."

Katsuki’s red eyes stare at you through the darkness. You have half a mind to look the other way, but you figure you owe him this if nothing else, and as he lovingly absorbs your being under the moonlight for the last time, you really wish you could take your words back.

"I'll...fuck. Fine. I'll try." Katsuki resigns with a shrug, shaking his head. You two sniffle in unison and you suppress the strange urge to pinch him. "'M not gonna try to get over you, though. Sorry, not sorry."

You roll your eyes at that but it's all good-natured, followed by a choke you struggle to hide as his arms coil around your waist, "Then I won't either."

A genuine grin spreads across his face, and it’s borderline giddy—and a stark contrast against the waterworks. "She finally fuckin' admits it."

"Figured it was about time," you give him a wobbly smile before your eyes flicker to his, red blurring from being so close. Selene looks upon both of you with a reminiscent sigh.

"I love you, Katsuki Bakugou."

Katsuki sniffs before he laughs; it's wet, and near bitter, and he pulls you so close your face nearly shoves into his chest. "Fuck. Fuck, you're an asshole, you know that?"

"This is when you say it back," you bargain, squishing his cheeks. Katsuki presses his forehead deeper into yours.

"I love you too, Asshole."

He speaks with a softness you've never heard and it's like a gunshot to the heart, and as his lips inch closer to yours as your hands slide to thumb at his ears. One last kiss wouldn't hurt, would it?

Until there's a whistle and the click of footsteps. You and Katsuki jump a mile apart.

"Oh, [Y/N]! You're still out here in the cold?" Your fiancé asks with a raised eyebrow, but it seems like that's only an afterthought as he turns to Katsuki to say, "Your wife’s found the alcohol."

"Great," the ash-blond groans, understanding the translation—your fiancé is piss drunk in the ballroom.

"I do recommend you take her home. She's making quite a mess of the eclairs. And her face."

Katsuki heads inside without giving you a second glance, and your fiancé gives him a solid pat on the way in before turning to you halfway through the doorway, "Are you coming inside, Darling?"

"In a moment," you say with a smile. Your hand never leaves the railing. "Just getting some fresh air."

"Alrighty, then. I'll be in the bedroom. Waiting~" he winks, and with that, he's spinning on his heel, and you're alone with the moon again.

You watch Katsuki guide his inebriated fiancé into the carriage lovingly, with a smile on his face that isn't quite the one he wears with you but close enough, whispering whatever pleases her at the time with a chaste kiss on the cheek. You feel comfort in knowing that he has someone to love and someone to be loved by. He doesn't look your way—not once.

It's not until they drive away that you realize you still have his suit jacket draped over your shoulders. You don't doubt he did that on purpose, either.

Asshole.

[bitchwhoreofastorm]

[based on a headcanon by @nemenalya ]

The boy with no name has died. A stiff wind's blown over High Hrothgar and swept him right off the edge of the cliff.

The other students are alerted by the screaming. The boy with no name's only friend in the world, a shy little lad who's been here only a year, stands by the cliff and screams and screams and screams. Since nothing fun ever happens in High Hrothgar the others are quick to gather around the normally-unpopular child. He's screeching something that goes beyond language, pointing frantically at the cliff and wailing bloody grief all the way to Sovngarde, and he keeps on screaming while his cohort gathers curiously around him.

There is a minute, a single minute, where all the students of Hrothgar stand  around, and nobody says a word but for the lad who's screaming. There's a rule on High Hrothgar that speaking is strictly forbidden-- never adhered to, of course, except when Custodian Lundga is around-- but the boy is making such a racket that, after said minute and by unspoken consensus, it is agreed upon that the silence has already been broken. So, excited for a change of pace, they all together immediately start chattering, in loud voices to be heard above the wind and the screaming, of course.

"Why is he shouting?" asks Nhemakhela of Winterhold. "Are you alright?"

"You should slap him!" urges Telmo of the Reach.

"Why should I?"

"Make him shut up."

"My gods!" shouts Hoag of Morrowind, who's gone and lied down on his belly at the place where the rock opens into sky. His head hangs over the edge of the cliff, his thick black hair being tossed moppishly around his head. "Someone's dead down there!"

And at once every student of Hrothgar is on their bellies peeking over the side of the cliff.

"Gods!" cries Nhemakhela. "Is he alive?"

"With his neck at that angle?" asks Telmo.

With a sort of retching sound, Chemua of Morrowind, Hoag's sensitive second-hand, hauls himself off of the ice and staggers away.

"Do we go down?" asks Telmo.

"I call dibs on the corpse."

"Eeew."

"What was his name?"

"He was the mute one, ent got no name."

"Nay, he had a little friend, though. He'd know the name."

"Well? Bhag? What was his name? Bhag, quit screaming! What was his name? Bhag...?"

The conversation ends there, unfortunately, because Lundga Custodian of Hrothgar arrives with a large stick in hand and a mind to crack every noisy Tongue that's broken the mountain's vow of holy silence. Sensible woman, she tells them to leave the body where it is, she has Nhemakhela slap some sense into Bhag, she makes Chemua scoop up the sick off her nice white snow, she sends everyone scurrying off to go meditate on this experience. And she smooths down her fur cloak, sighs into the stiff wind, turns and shares a meaningful look with Paarthurnax, who's flown over to observe the scene with his mild drakeish curiosity.

"Didn't learn his feim," Lundga remarks to the dragon, which earns her a coarse reptilian laugh.

And then life returns to normal on High Hrothgar...

...

His throat is raw to burning, his fingers frozen stiff, but the boy still takes his careful sweet time hiking back to the cave. It's a sorry little hollow, near-uninhabitable as it faces right into the howling wind, which makes it perfect, for nobody but him would ever think to go there. He pauses at a ledge, looks carefully behind him, tip-toes across and around a large granite outcrop, to the entrance of the miserable niche. Pressing hard to the rock-face so as not to slip, he pushes aside the thick curtain of hides hanging over the cave entrance and moves into the warm space beyond.

"Well?" asks Bhag, the moment he enters. "Did it work?"

The boy no longer without a name gives his friend a sort of dazed grin. Not known for his speaking, voice still sore from all the screaming he's just done, he can do little more than nod vigorously.

Bhag-- tall for his age with his blond hair in braids, face ruddy-red from spending hours in the heat of the cave-- breaks into a wide smile. He rushes forwards and embraces the boy whose beaming face is the spitting image of his own. "So it worked!” he cries, with a hearty thump on the back. “What did I tell you, eh?"

"They called me Bhag," the boy says, voice muffled in Bhag's shoulder.

"You are Bhag," replies Bhag with a voice also muffled.

"I'm Bhag."

"Both, we both are. Now we’re both--”

"Bhag?"

The intrusive voice breaks them apart like cleaved rock and they turn to face the cave entrance.

Quite unannounced, Hoag of Morrowind lets himself in through the hide-door and brushes some snow from his chest.

"Bhag," Hoag says again, looking between the two. "And... Bhag. Huh! Now that's one more Bhag than I'd thought."

For a moment neither Bhag, not even the Bhag accustomed to talking, can think of a response to that.

What follows is a whole minute of awkward staring between them and Hoag.

And at the end of that minute Hoag goes, "Bah!", and shuffles over towards their fire to thaw his cold hands.

"How'd you know?" utters the boy now known as Bhag, face flushed red.

"I've seen corpses," replies Hoag. "I know corpses. And that wasn't a corpse of a man, was it?"

Neither Bhag can think of much of a response to that, either. They stand there, guilty, pressed tightly shoulder-to-shoulder, watching as Hoag thaws his hands over the fire. Hoag is much older than them, nearly at the end of his stay at Hrothgar, and despite his short stature he cuts an intimidating figure, what with his harsh face and his thick black caterpillar eyebrows.

"It's okay," whispers Bhag to his friend now also called Bhag. "Steep out there. We ought to kill him-- I'll push him--"

But Hoag, of course, hears, and Hoag barks out a laugh. "Save it," he says. "Nobody saw me come. And I shan't blab this secret of yours."

Neither Bhag can think of much of a response to that, either.

Hoag shifts on his feet. “Is that the thu’um?” he asks. “Makes you look like each other. Never seen anything like that… you made it up?”

“Bhag did,” says the boy now known as Bhag. “He made it.”

Bhag makes a modest snorting sound. “Ah, he made it. Taught me how to understand the words, like.” 

“So, what’s the plan, then?” asks Hoag. “Now you’re both Bhag? Why?”

The boy now known as Bhag looks down at the fire, at Hoag’s dirty fingernails flickering in the orange light. He feels Bhag look at him, and he looks back at Bhag, and, having reached a mutual decision, Bhag speaks on his behalf.

“I don’t like talking,” says Bhag. “And I don’t like people.” 

“I’m different,” Bhag adds. “I’ve always been different from others. Why they sent me up here. I’m a changeling, they said-- like a spirit?” 

“I get tired,” Bhag complains. “Tired of your world that makes no sense. It hurts my head to try and work out why you do the things you do.” 

“So we decided to share,” says Bhag. “Share the burden.” 

 “So we don’t understand them,” says Bhag. “Let them not understand us!” 

“We’re not like you. Not nobles. Nobody’d miss either of us.”

“They’d be sufficed with one.”

Hoag listens to the tale attentively, watching them both close. Both Bhags find it impossible to imagine what he’s thinking. 

“... Well,” says Hoag finally. “Bhag Two-Tongue.”

Bhag snorts out a flattered laugh. 

“Bhag Two-Tongue,” Hoag repeats himself. “I’m leaving here soon. Me and Chemua are going back to Morrowind in a month’s time. Cause it seems to me that we have a problem much the same-- these Cyrod-worshipers, these dragon-faithful, cannot be understood by us.” With that famous cool aloofness that makes him the envy of all the boys, he turns away from the fire. “If you survive this mountain, if you don’t fall to your doom, come find me in Ebonheart. I could use more men with eyes enough to see what a farce this world is.”

And then, cool as frost, he slips out of their warm cave and into the tempest beyond.

“Religious, ent he?” asks Bhag, staring after the elder boy. “What’s all that talk about Cyrod? Well, they say he’s going to be a king one day.” He turns to his companion. “Morrowind, huh. East with the elves. We’d not be the strangest ones there, not with those two for competition... But what do you think?”

And the boy no longer without a name smiles. “Let’s go there.”

[kaaytea]

HI 🖐🏽 I read some of your work and it's so good. I love it. Especially 'Oikawa with braces' UwU and 'Getting rid of bugs for you' that was my fav reminded me of when I had a run in with a bunch of cockroaches at 3AM 😅😂 Would you mind doing a 2nd part for it with Kuroo , Oikawa , Terushima and Yaku THANK YOU 💖

Hello anon! Thank you for the kind words, I had the dumbest smile on my face reading this 🥺 Bro I feel you on the roach thing, I've had my fair share of roach encounters..it's not fun😔 thank you for requesting, I had a blast writing this!

Getting rid of bugs for you pt.2

⤷Includes: Kuroo, Oikawa, Yaku, and Terushima

Warnings: Roaches, centipedes, wasps, and crickets

----------------------------------------------------------

Kuroo

He's so smug about it

"oh you want me to get rid of this bug? Give me a kiss first"

If he can actually tell that you're really shaken up tho he's very serious about it

He hates seeing you scared, it just doesn't sit well with him

He'll probably requests a kiss after he gets rid of the bug tho

It was a cool summer evening, Kuroo was in the kitchen starting to cook dinner and you were lounging on the couch with a novel

You were just about to flip the page when something landed on the book

Oh

O H

So uh big wasp, that will probably get angry if you try to kill it, is crawling around towards your hand

Great......just peachy

Thank God Kuroo was In the kitchen bc he probably wouldn't have heard you whimper out his name if he was anywhere else in the apartment

"T-tetsu"

"What's wrong, (y/n)?"

"help me....please"

Ah...now he understands

He grabs a glass from one of the cupboards and swiftly makes his way over to you

He's VERY careful when trapping the wasp bc that last thing he wants is for you to get stung

He somehow directs it to crawl on to the cover of your book and traps it under the glass. He then quickly goes to release it on the balcony of your apartment

Immediately goes to check on you. He pulls you into his chest and kisses the top of your head asking if you're alright

"You alright, Kitten? Not hurt?"

"no I'm okay. Thank you for saving me for the hundredth time"

"I'll always make time to save you.....Now, I think I deserve a kiss, I risked my life to save you from that wasp."

Yaku

Yaku's a bad bitch nothing scares this guy

Will always get rid of bugs for you no matter the size

He likes feeling needed and LOVES protecting you; you are his baby and he'd do anything for you 💖

If you text him saying there's a bug in the house he will actually drive home and leave what ever he's doing to come save you

You had just finished washing your face and went to reach for the small towel that was hap hazardously tossed on to the bathroom counter

As you lifted the towel a large roach scUttLeD from under it

You let out the loudest shriek, dropped the towel and bOoKeD it out of the bathroom

Yaku was already running to find you when he heard you scream so he entered your bedroom just as you slammed the attached bathrooms door closed

He was really worried so he was in front of you in seconds grabbing on to your hands and asking what was wrong

"shhhh calm down calm down, what's wrong?"

"There's a roach in the bathroom!"

".....huh?"

"A ROACH MORI!! THERES A BIG, CRAWL AROUND THE SUBWAYS OF NEW YORK ROACH IN THE BATHROOM!!!"

Ok so there's a roach locked in the bathroom

This is new

He peeked into the bathroom and yep you weren't kidding, there was the roach sitting in the sink

Damn it is pretty big

Yaku didn't really know what to do. He was kinda iffy about killing the roach bc he didn't want to deal with..Uh.....cleaning the remnants of it, but what would he do with it after he trapped it? Where do you take a live roach?

He decided to just kill it, carrying a live roach around the apartment would send you into cardiac arrest

One good thwack! Later and thoroughly washing his hands in an attempt to get rid of that creepy crawly feeling, the bathroom was officially Roach free

You really snuggled up to him after the roach fiasco, giving him a tight hug and a kiss

"Thank you so much Mori, you're the best!"

"Anything for you :) 💖"

Oikawa

Ok so Oiks doesn't despise bugs, he's best friends with Iwa so he's seen his fair share of giant beetles and caterpillars, but he's not completely comfortable around them

If it's a tiny spider? Sure he's got this, just get him a paper towel

But if it's big? Yeah no he's just as freaked out as you are

He masks it very well tho

On the outside he's all: "don't worry babe I've got this, let your big, strong boyfriend handle it 😌✨"

But on the inside he's like: "oh fUck it's huge! Ah um ok... This is fine...wHy iS iT mOvInG sO fAsT?! Don't touch me don't touch me don't touch me!"

Looks cool, calm, and collected but is an actual disaster

You were tidying up your bedroom, nothing too fancy just putting away some clothes, dusting here and there

You were just about to go celebrate your hard work with some ice cream and your favorite movie when you spotted a hair tie on the floor

Huh....How did you miss that?

You were jUst about to pick it up when you realized something

Hair ties don't have legs

UUUUUUHHHHH

WOW COOL YOU ALMOST PICKED UP A CENTIPEDE WITH YOUR BARE HAND HA HA SO FUN!!

Apparently the centipede didn't like you much as it started rUnnInG out of the bedroom and into the living room

You followed it so you could see where it was going

That's when your wonderful boyfriend came home 🥰

"Tooru! Get it, quickly!"

"what am I doing?"

"THE CENTIPEDE YOU FOOL!!"

He kinda panicked bc you were yelling at him and you were scared and wOW does that thing have a lot of leggys!

He slipped off the shoes he was wearing and just yEETED one at the bug boi

The both of you were just kinda staring at the shoe like 🧍

You turned to go thank him for dEmOlishing the centipede but stopped when you saw that pout on his face

"What's wrong?"

"I just bought those shoes, now one of them is tainted with centipede bits :("

Terushima

Will he laugh at you? Perhaps, but it's not to make fun of you, he just thinks you're really cute~

He’s not bothered by bugs at all, he actually thinks they’re super cool

Refuses to kill them bc, “They’re living creatures babe....plus look at how funny it walks! Why would you want to kill something this dope!”

It was movie night so you were on snack duty while Teru looked for something to watch on Netflix

you decided to just pop some popcorn and call it a job well done, plus all of the chips you had went stale bc Teru NevEr closes the bags well

You grabbed a bowl and threw some popcorn into the microwave 

You sat on the counter and scrolled through your phone as you waited for the microwave to go off

Did...something just move right next to you? 

Just as you glanced up you saw something jump into the bowl next to you

hElLO?! wHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?! 

you were too scared to look into the bowl so you just called Teru to come investigate

“Yu?...Yuji there’s something in the kitchen!”

Teru is very used to this behavior and found it particularly amusing when you hid behind him as he stepped into the small kitchen

you watched from the entrance of the kitchen as Terushima placed a glass over what ever had jumped into the bowl

He was absolutely BEAMING as he watched the mystery creature in the bowl

“Babe come look it’s a cricket!” 

 “What? are you crazy? I’m not going anywhere near that thing!”

“But its soo cool! You have to come look at how high it can jump, this lil guy has mad hops” 

“I don’t care if it can jump to the fUcKing moon and back, just get it out of the kitchen!”

:(( ok he’ll get rid of the cricket, he really thinks you’re missing out tho

He lets the bug go outside and comes back to find you vigorously washing the bowl it had jumped into 

 He chuckles at your paranoia and goes to give you a back hug, pressing a kiss to your neck as his arms wrap around your waist 

you really were adorable to him 

[kpop-zone]

A Good Place To Start | Irene

Hogwarts AU | childhood friends | “You had no idea, did you?”

Wordcount: 5,331

“Joohyun! Hi, my name is Soeun. You can come wait with us.”

“We also have a spot left in our group.”

“I like your hair clip!”

You watched with amusement how the other first years competed for Joohyun’s attention as you were waiting for the sorting ceremony in the Great Hall to begin. You couldn’t blame them for it. She was a beautiful girl and something about her was simply addicting. No matter where she went, Joohyun never had any trouble finding new people to talk to. The only problem, however, was that she never wanted to talk to anyone. Except for you.

Therefore, you watched with even greater amusement how Joohyun dodged all the advances of the other kids with a polite smile on her lips while making her way over to you. You chuckled when you saw the discomfort on your best friends face and quickly grabbed her hand as soon as she was standing next to you. The jaws of the other students dropped in an instant as their eyes wandered to your intertwined fingers and you immediately knew what they were thinking.

What was this mesmerizing girl doing with this tiny, unremarkable kid in the front?

---

Now, 5 years later, not much had changed. Maybe the reactions of the others weren’t as drastic anymore because everyone already knew that Joohyun and you always came in a double pack. Nevertheless, till this day no one really understood why. Joohyun was the most sought-after girl in school. Not only because she was beautiful, but also because a certain mysterious aura surrounded her that made everyone interested in her. You, on the other hand, were a wallflower. You weren’t particularly unpopular, but you were content with your small group of friends and didn’t long for popularity. For that reason, most people thought that you weren’t the right company for Joohyun. They thought that she should spend time with people with the same potential as her.

Therefore, you earned yourself some jealous and disapproving looks as Joohyun sat down beside you in the Great Hall for breakfast. But like always, your best friend didn’t seem to notice or chose to ignore them.

“Good morning, Y/N. Did you sleep alright?”

Joohyun greeted you with a soft smile that you reciprocated.

“Morning. Meh, I couldn’t fall asleep for a while. You wouldn’t believe what happened in the common room.”

You mumbled while chewing on your porridge. Curiously, Joohyun neglected her own breakfast to give her undivided attention to you.

“Felix asked me out for the Yule ball.”

The moment your statement left your mouth, Joohyun’s eyes widened in shock to the extent that you almost spit out your porridge in laughter.

“W-what?! Did you say yes?”

Your best friend asked, sounding almost panicked to your surprise.

“Whoa calm down. I know my looks aren’t quite stunning, but don’t act as if the fact that someone actually asked me out is that impossible.”

You pouted lightly, causing Joohyun to shake her head vigorously.

“No, no, no. That’s not what I meant. You are stunning, Y/N. I-I...it’s just that I- um...I-I didn’t know that Felix was into you.”

Joohyun’s behavior was extraordinarily weird, but you chose not to address it.

“Well, I didn’t know either. But apparently he is.”

You shrugged nonchalantly, seeing from the corner of your eye that Joohyun was nervously biting her lip.

“So...are you a couple now?”

She asked so quiet that you almost didn’t hear her, nevertheless, the question almost caused you to choke on your breakfast.

“What!? No, of course not! Felix is nice, but...I don’t know, I don’t like him that way. I won’t even go to the ball with him.”

You explained quickly and it seemed like you had just told Joohyun that she won the lottery. Her face lit up in an instant and she sighed in relief. When she noticed that you were looking at her in confusion, however, she contained herself again and put a straight face on.

“Um...I think that’s a wise decision. There is something shady about Felix...”

She mumbled, making you wonder whether Joohyun had sniffed the wrong kind of potion before breakfast or got hexed by someone. Felix and shady? He was a literal ray of sunshine and no one had ever said something negative about him. Right when you wanted to ask her what she meant by that though, Joohyun suddenly leaped to her feet.

“Oh no, I forgot my Herbology book. I have to go, see you later Y/N!”

With that, Joohyun sprinted away, leaving you behind with confusion written all over your face.

What was her deal today?

Intently, you thought about whether she had told you about something that could cause her weird behavior, but before you could come up with an answer, someone patted your shoulder.

“What’s up?”

Jiwon asked as she sat down with the rest of your friends, including Felix who glanced at you sheepishly.

“Um...nothing, it’s just way too early for my taste.”

You lied with a smile and the others seemed to buy it. Excitedly, they started to chat about random things as they gulped down their breakfast in less than five minutes before all of you rushed to your first class of the day. During the entirety of the breakfast and on your way to the classroom, however, you didn’t engage in the conversation as you were deep in thought, thinking about Joohyun until a light tug on your sleeve brought you back to the real world. Confused you turned around and saw Felix smiling at you sheepishly.

“Are you sure you’re alright? You’ve been awfully quiet.”

He looked concerned, causing you to feel guilty for turning him down the day before.

“Yeah yeah, don’t worry.”

You smiled, feeling lucky that you had friends that you could count on. Wherefore you were even more perplexed when the friend that usually cared most about you gave you the cold shoulder when you sat down beside her after entering the classroom. Confused, you cleared your throat, thinking that she perhaps didn’t notice you yet.

“Did you find your Herbology book?”

The question was rather dumb, because you could clearly see the book in front of Joohyun on the table, but you thought it would be a good conversation starter. Instead of a real answer, however, Joohyun only hummed in response and decided to ignore you for the rest of the class. No matter how hard you tried to get her attention, she always turned her back to you or dodged all of your advances to get her to talk with a one-syllable answer, leaving you completely frustrated. Never in your entire life, Joohyun had behaved like this and you didn’t know how to handle this situation now. Helplessly, you watched how your best friend packed up all her stuff after the professor dismissed the class before walking to the door without sparing you another glance. Wanting to try one last time to get her to talk, you sprinted behind her and interlinked your arms like you often did.

“Are we getting lunch together later?”

You smiled at Joohyun, but your gesture wasn’t reciprocated. Her expression was stern, and she instantly wiggled her arm out of your grasp.

“No, I’m eating with others.”

In complete shock, you stopped dead in your tracks and watched how Joohyun walked away unbothered. Your question was supposed to be rhetorical; the two of you always had lunch together ever since you could remember. Always. Even when you had been nauseous after eating a carrion flavored bean of Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Bean or when Joohyun could only eat puree after getting her wisdom teeth removed. Lunch was the time of the day that you came together, no matter what was going on in your lives. And you couldn’t believe that Joohyun would just break your ritual like that. Therefore, you watched in utter disbelief how she disappeared out of sight with your feet glued to the ground and your mouth wide open, completely forgetting about your own class that you had to attend.

“Come on, Y/N! What are you doing? We only have 15 minutes to get to the third floor and you know that’s nearly impossible with those darn stairs.”

Jiwon gladly ripped you out of your trance and grabbed your arm to drag you to your next class. Although you didn’t even know why you bothered to attend the rest of your morning classes. Mentally, you weren’t present in the classrooms anyways and couldn’t listen to a single word of your professors; not even after Professor McGonagall yelled at you for accidentally transforming your pen into a snake instead of a caterpillar. The whole time your mind showed you a replay of the Herbology class, especially of the part in which Joohyun wordlessly left you behind. That was just so untypical for her.

“Maybe she was just messing with me?”

You mumbled under your breath after you had survived all your morning classes and were making your way to the Great Hall to have lunch.

But unfortunately, everything wasn’t just a joke, because when you entered the Great Hall, Joohyun was indeed sitting at another table, surrounded by some of the other “cool kids”. You glared at her in disbelief as anger started to bubble inside of you and slowly drowned out the sorrow that you had felt the whole morning. Did she think that you would run after her? Definitely not! Instead, you headed for your usual table where your other friends had already gathered and plopped down sulkily, much to the confusion of the others.

“Why is Joohyun not sitting with us?”

Hyerin asked hesitantly, sensing your bad mood and following your death glare with her eyes.

“You would have to ask her that.”

You gritted through your teeth, having had enough of Joohyun’s weird behavior. You hadn’t done anything wrong, why was she punishing you with ignorance today?

“Did you fight?”

Felix probed carefully and you huffed annoyed.

“No! I don’t know why she is behaving like that. I’ve done nothing wrong!”

You whined while sulkily shoving your plate away from you.

“Don’t rack your brains about it. I mean...Joohyun and you are really different. She never really seemed like she enjoyed our company...”

Hyerin got quieter with every word that she uttered as you directed your death glare at her now. How dare her saying that Joohyun didn’t enjoy your company? But apparently, she wasn’t the only one who thought so.

“She could have gotten bored of us... Wasn’t it just a matter of time till she gave in to them? You know that everyone always tried to get between the two of you. Maybe they finally managed to do that.”

Panicked, your gaze snapped up following Jiwon’s comment and you looked at Joohyun who was mopishly picking at her food at the other side of the hall. For a split second, your eyes met when she looked up from her plate and you wondered whether it was sadness that you spotted in them. Weren’t the others too quick to judge her? You knew her better than everyone else and she would never replace you with someone else. Therefore, you shook your head vehemently, instantly banning the doubts from your brain.

“No. Joohyun and I are inseparable.”

You retorted while crossing your arms defensively. No one and nothing could ever get between the two of you; not after everything that you had been through together.

---

“Y/N, I have to talk about something important with you.”

When your dad came into your room with a stern expression on his face, you immediately stopped drawing and looked at him with wide eyes. Had you done something wrong? Had your homeroom teacher called to complain about you? It was your very first week of elementary school and you really didn’t want to be in any kind of trouble.

“Don’t worry, you’ve done nothing wrong.”

Your father reassured you immediately when he noticed your panicked expression and gestured you to come to him.

Relieved, you ran to him and climbed into his lap, curious to hear what he had to tell you.

“Do you still remember what I’ve told you about that evil magician that is trying to seize power?”

Your father started and you furrowed your brow, trying to recall what your father had told you the day that he had the first serious conversation with you.

“I think so... You said that he is dangerous and that he is attacking innocent people which is why I have to be more careful.”

You muttered deep in thought and your father nodded in agreement.

“That is right. Well unfortunately another attack has happened which is why... we’re going to have an addition to our family.”

He explained hesitantly, much to your confusion, because you didn’t really know what that meant. You tilted your head to the side pensively, trying to make sense of his statement until your eyes suddenly lit up.

“Are we buying a dog to protect us?? Or a dragon?”

Excitedly, you squealed and clapped your hands, thinking that you had cracked the code. But your dad shook his head and chuckled sadly.

“No, unfortunately that’s not it. Honey?”

He turned his head and called your mother who stepped into the room a few moments later, leading a girl by the hand. You didn’t know who she was, but she seemed to be around your age.

“Baby, this is Joohyun. She’s the daughter of Mr. and Ms. Bae, you might remember their names. Mr. Bae is...was working with me in the ministry. From now on, Joohyun will be living with us.”

You didn’t understand why this little girl would be living with you from now on; a girl her age should be living with her family. But the sad expression in your parent’s faces told you that it was better not to ask any questions right now. Therefore, you simply nodded before jumping off your dad’s lap and walking up to Joohyun. You didn’t know why, but you had the feeling that this girl could really use a friend right now. Therefore, you smiled softly and put out your hand.

“Hi, I’m Y/N. Do you want to be friends?”

---

Joohyun couldn’t understand a single word that the others at the table were saying. She felt that your gaze was glued to her and if she was honest, she couldn’t care less about anyone else right now. She never liked any of those arrogant “cool kids” around her anyways. She would love nothing more than to walk over to you and sit close by your side as if the two of you were attached at the hip. But she couldn’t do that. You had caught her off guard this morning and she needed time to recollect herself. Time to sort out her feelings that were dangerously close to exploding for the first time in her life. After pining after you for as long as she could remember and finally having the courage to ask you out, Felix decided to shoot his shot? Joohyun had just not been able to hide her frustration when she saw you walking into the classroom beside him while flashing him one of your beautiful smiles. Why would you smile at him like that if you weren’t interested like you had told her? She couldn’t even blame you if you were interested in him. Felix was good-looking, a good student and an even better friend. He owned all the traits that Joohyun would never be able to obtain. Charm, kindness, a warm aura...

Why would you ever choose someone like her if you could have him?

Frustrated, Joohyun stabbed the piece of chicken on her plate with her fork before quickly stealing a glance at you. You were still looking at her and your eyes met for a split-second. You were visibly upset, causing Joohyun to avert her gaze in shame. This situation was a mess that she needed to clean it up as fast as possible. Although she didn’t know how. It seemed like she had hidden her feelings for far too long to be able to suppress them anymore.

---

“Hi, I’m Y/N. Do you want to be friends?”

Skeptically, Joohyun looked at the extended hand in front of her. She didn’t understand anything that was going on. Why was no one telling her where her parents were? Why would she be living with this family from now on? Everything was just so confusing. But despite all her unanswered questions, she couldn’t shake the feeling that her live would never be the same from now on. And if she hated one thing, it was change. So maybe it would be quite practical to have a friend that would help her getting through this. Therefore, Joohyun slowly lifted her gaze and looked into your eyes before grabbing your hand. Nervously, she looked back and forth between you and your parents, feeling all the expectant gazes on her. It seemed like something was blocking her ability to talk and she wordlessly stared at you. But apparently, you didn’t seem to mind. Her gesture was enough to conjure a wide smile to your face and you squeezed her hand lightly.

“Great, so we’re friends now! Do you want to see what I’ve been drawing?”

Gladly, you didn’t expect her to answer, but dragged her to the table where all your drawing utensils were scattered instead. Like you had known her all your life already, you started babbling about your day at school and other random things, causing Joohyun to subconsciously scoot closer to you. For some reason, you managed to make her feel a lot less nervous. There was something about you that caused a warm feeling to spread inside of her that eased the violent storm that was raging in her head. Joohyun didn’t know why you could influence her so easily, but she knew that she didn’t want you to ever leave her side again.

---

It had taken Joohyun quite some time to figure out why you were able to make her feel the way that you did, but after you had started attending Hogwarts together, everything was starting to make sense. At one point, she had realized that as a friend, she wasn’t supposed to die of jealousy whenever someone was trying to get close to you. She also realized that it wasn’t normal to wonder how it felt to kiss your lips. It was a realization that hit Joohyun like a truck, but her crippling fear of losing you forced her to lock away her feelings in a small, distant place in her heart. Until she could no longer hide them. It was in her fifth year when someone had asked you out for the very first time and Joohyun felt the green monster inside of her taking over. She couldn’t watch you being with someone else. So for one whole year, she gathered all her courage to finally be able to confess to you. And after hours of research on how to declare one’s love and countless practices in front of the mirror, Joohyun was ready.

But then Felix happened.

Joohyun could still feel how her heart dropped when you told her that Felix had asked you out for the Yule ball. How was she supposed to confess to you now? You had quashed his advances, why would you choose her? And then she saw you smiling at him with that glint in your eyes. Had she really been foolish enough to think that you could resist his charms? She knew better and so did Felix. After Joohyun had given you the silent treatment for a day, you were basically glued to your other friends the days that followed. Especially Felix was more than willing to cheer you up. There was not a single moment that you were alone and Joohyun definitely didn’t have the courage to talk with you with all of your friends around. It seemed like you were playing Hide and Seek and you were winning.

Day after day passed and the only memorable interaction that the two of you shared was when you accidentally bumped into each other as you ran to your class. It was pure torture for Joohyun. You had never been apart for that long and she began feeling like a piece of driftwood in the ocean. She wasn’t a person who liked to open up to others; she didn’t need a big group of friends around her. You had always been enough for her. But now that you weren’t by her side anymore, she was all alone. Of course, there were other people that would be more than willing to fill your place, but little did they know that they would never be able to. You knew things about her that no one else knew and you always knew how to make her happy even in times when she had thought that she could never be happy again.

She needed you.

But the question was: did you need her? Because judging by the way you were strutting through the hallways with Felix, you didn’t.

---

“I just don’t know why she doesn’t talk to me.”

You sobbed as you collapsed on your bed at the end of a very exhausting school week. The week hadn’t been exhausting because of your soul crushing amount of homework or the nearing finals though, no, it had been unbearable because your best friend seemed to have grown tired of you.

“Why don’t you just talk with her? Maybe she feels the same as you.”

Jiwon sat down beside you on the bed and patted your back encouragingly. But you were inconsolable.

“Does she look like she misses me? She seems to be perfectly fine with her new friends.”

You spat out, feeling how your own words were cutting deep into your heart.

“Well then you shouldn’t be sulking here! Come on, it’s the weekend! Let’s go downstairs and spend some time with the others.”

Jiwon tugged at your arm, but you clung to your pillow, wanting to cry for the rest of the night.

“Nope, we’re not doing that. Get up!”

This time your efforts to stay in bed were in vain, because Jiwon gave you a hefty push, causing you to fall off the bed with a loud thud. Perplexed, you sat on the floor and rubbed your butt while staring at your roommate.

“Oh good, you’re up. Now come downstairs with me.”

Jiwon grinned and you scoffed in disbelief but decided not to disobey your friend another time for your own sake. Therefore, you got up from the floor and reluctantly walked downstairs to the common room where nearly your whole house was gathered to enjoy the weekend. Some were playing magical chess, others were trying new transformation spells on their pets and others were simply relaxing on the comfy armchairs. Usually, you loved this room and you loved the people in it. But today you just couldn’t get yourself to smile. Everything seemed to be so dull. Nevertheless, you didn’t allow yourself to ruin the weekend of the others. Therefore, you tried to look a little less sad as you sat down beside your friends in front of the fireplace.

“Y/N! What an honor.”

Hyerin joked and you stuck out your tongue.

“Hush Hyerin, we have more important things to settle, remember? We were just deciding whether I should go with Kyungmin to the Yule ball or not...”

Sunghee interrupted your teasing session and started a heated discussion among your friends. You tried your hardest to stay focused and participate, but after she had mentioned the Yule ball, you automatically thought back to the morning that Joohyun’s weird behavior had started. Was that the trigger for her alienation? But why? You didn’t get to finish your thought because someone suddenly nudged their elbow into your ribs causing you to flinch.

“Talking about the Yule ball... I think someone is coming over for you right now.”

For a split second, you were hoping that Jiwon was talking about Joohyun, but then you saw Felix making his way over to where you were sitting, causing your heart to drop. Your instincts were instantly telling you to run away, but there was no time, Felix was already standing in front of you with a shy smile playing on his lips.

“Hey Y/N.”

He greeted you sheepishly and you mumbled some incomprehensible words in response that were barely audible over the excited whispers of your friends beside you.

In an attempt to escape this situation, you sunk deeper and deeper into the armchair, but Jiwon was having none of your allures and pulled you off your seat. Nervously, you were standing directly in front of Felix now who seemed to be feeling the same way as you, only for other reasons.

“Listen, I know that you’ve turned me down before but I’m not one to give up so easily.”

He started while shyly fidgeting with his fingers. You wanted to interrupt him right there, but before you could, he already continued.

“I don’t know if I read the signs wrong this week, but I think we’ve been getting along pretty well, haven’t we? So I wanted to ask you one last time and I promise after that I will let you live in peace. Will you go to the Yule ball with me?”

You could suddenly feel the eyes of everyone in the common room on you and your cheeks were beginning to glow bright red as Felix smiled at you sheepishly. You couldn’t say no to him now, right? He was a good guy and didn’t deserve to be embarrassed in front of the complete house. Even if you couldn’t shake the feeling that it was wrong, you just had to say yes, right? Therefore, you reciprocated his smile and cleared your throat to give in to his wish. But you didn’t get to give him an answer as you could suddenly feel yourself getting spun around before an electrifying sensation started to spread from your lips into your whole body. What was happening?

---

Joohyun didn’t know what had gotten into her. She had made her way to your common room to apologize to you for her weird behavior in the past week. It was time for her to stop acting all jealous, because she had no right to. But then she heard Felix asking you out again and her good resolutions were lost in a heartbeat. Her jealousy came rushing back stronger than ever before, blocking the last bit of reasonability left in her body. Her brain seemed to be on standby, leaving nothing but her instincts to guide her. And they were telling her to walk up to you and claim you. So she did.

Her lips crashed into yours, causing all air to be knocked out of her lungs. Although the kiss lasted less than three seconds and you were unable to react in any way, Joohyun’s body still felt on fire when she pulled away. For so long, she had wondered whether your lips would be as soft as they were looking and now finally, she knew the answer. Yes, they were. In complete astonishment, Joohyun stared at you, but unfortunately, there was no time to dwell on the kiss as the whole room suddenly erupted in agitated whisper. Heat rose to Joohyun’s cheeks and she looked around in embarrassment. Everyone was staring at the two of you, including a very confused looking Felix. Therefore, Joohyun cleared her throat and looked at him calmly.

“I’m sorry, but Y/N will not be able to go to the ball with you.”

She declared and Felix nodded understandingly in response, still looking like he had just seen a ghost.

Consequently, Joohyun couldn’t suppress the victorious smirk that was tugging on her lips, feeling like she had managed to bring her point across pretty well. When she realized that you were looking just as puzzled as Felix, however, she quickly pulled herself together again. She had a lot of explaining to do now. Therefore, she took your hand in hers and quickly pulled you up to your bedroom where she sat you down on your bed. Silently, she stood in front of you for a while, not knowing how to begin until you piped up eventually.

“Care to explain what that was all about?”

You asked, sounding slightly irritated, causing Joohyun to gulp. You knew that she wasn’t good with words, why did you need her to spell it out of you? Shouldn’t you know what was going on by now?

“Isn’t it quite self-explanatory?”

Joohyun chuckled nervously, but you still seemed to be lost.

“No it is not! I have absolutely no clue what grudge you hold against Felix. I just know that the Yule ball is inching nearer and nearer and that I don’t have a date yet. Not everyone has the whole school whipped for them, you know? And Felix would have been an acceptable option. I don’t know why you hate him.”

You rambled, causing Joohyun to sigh. How could you be so oblivious?

“It’s not about him!”

She responded frustrated and you threw your arms up in desperation.

“Then what is it about?”

You leaped to your feet and stepped closer to Joohyun, causing her heartrate to pick up. She just had to get it off her chest now.

“You! It’s about you, Y/N. I love you; more than anyone else on this planet and more than a friend should.”

Joohyun’s voice cracked as her whole body started to tremble in nervousness. You, on the other hand, looked at her in a state of paralysis with your mouth agape, causing her to chuckle.

“You had no idea, did you?”

You shook your head almost in slow-motion as you kept wordlessly staring at her in shock.

“Since when?”

You eventually choked out, causing Joohyun to sigh.

“Honestly? Probably since the first time we met, but it took me a while to figure out my feelings.”

She smiled, remembering all the beautiful memories that you had made together.

“And you’ve never told me?”

You sounded almost hurt, causing Joohyun to avoid your gaze in shame.

“I’m sorry, but I was afraid that you’d hate me if you’d know.”

She mumbled as tears welled in her eyes, but then she could suddenly feel a hand gently cupping her cheek.

“I could never hate you, Joohyun.”

You whispered causing her to look at you again. The same soft smile that had managed to calm her down the first day that you had met, was making her heart feel at peace again and she leaned her head against your hand.

“But you really shouldn’t have kept secrets from me for that long. That’s quite upsetting.”

A pout formed on your lips and Joohyun could immediately feel panic starting to spread in her body. Her biggest fear in life had always been to accidentally upset you. She wanted to apologize to you but you pressed your finger on her lips to shush her.

“I think to make up for it, you should ask me out for the Yule ball.”

You uttered and this time, it was Joohyun’s jaw that dropped. Did you just say what she thought you did?

“You want me to take you to the Yule ball?”

She assured herself and you nodded with a wide grin on your face.

“Yeah, I mean we have a lot to figure out, but it would be a good place to start, wouldn’t it?”

Relief washed over Joohyun and she wasn’t able to contain her happiness any longer, causing her to fling her arms around your neck. Tightly, she squeezed your body, feeling how your chest vibrated as you chuckled in amusement.

“Yes, it would be a good place to start.”

[blankdblank]

Poke pt 2 - Attack on NY

“Kneel!” The word echoed through the world and to the open of the sky a swarm of Chitauri flooded the skies over the city of New York.

All around Stark Tower to the explosion of yellow mist a body racing up from the ground in a beam of light stirred elated gasps and cries from those down below as Venom leapt from your back to the nearest glider craft to devour the creature on top of it. 93 stories above at the top of the tower the confused raven haired Prince watched as the powerful duo and a young teen in a spider emblazoned red and blue body suit diverted as many creatures as possible between blasts from the Avengers.

“Mr Stark, she’s really not that bad you know!” The teen shouted in Stark’s repeated shout to have the duo leave this job to the ‘professionals’ only making her send a small swarm of caterpillars who wriggled their way against his better efforts inside his suit to make him land and have to get them out.

Clouds of bees soon blocked out the city below forcing the creatures just one direction, up. But not just them as now the armed Princes dueled and you avoided another arrow that Clint below fired off to the rapidly swerving hover crafts that the swarms buffered.

All of a sudden Nat was on one of them and a sudden bullet had you shriek out and grab at her knee in a panicked try to catch yourself in the collapse of your stairs that had her groan and strain to keep steady as you muttered, “Damnit Widow! So help me call off your pistol man or I will crash this ship.”

Her head turned to follow your glare at the metal armed masked man and she said, “He’s not one of ours,” to a stunned and uncertain tone.

“Oh you got to be fucking kidding me!” you said slamming a hand into the ground to grip a groove there as she used her free hand to help you onto the craft she turned sharply to avoid being in the view of the man below who raced to get back into line. “Alien portal in the sky let’s shoot at the teenager.”

“Teenager?” Nat asked in a glance at you behind her asking, “How old are you?!”

“Well I was fourteen the last time you aimed your pistol at me. Fifteen that star spangled moron dislocated my shoulder the first time. And Stark’s been the one with the oldest grudge, not that he could hit the broad side of the barn without blowing up the county!” you shouted the end of the last sentence flying past the Billionaire who flew by in a try to lure another swarm of aliens into a trap. “Oh ya I’m dangerous, why sell the bombs to other countries when you can blow it up yourself.” Her brow ticked up and you said in a huff, “My Therapist said it was good for me to vent. Or I clench my jaw and give myself migraines, which lead to insomnia and nothing good comes when I don’t sleep. I’m eighteen. Not that it really matters. Oh well, happy flying, off to see the Wizard.” You said and leapt off the craft. Just in time she turned to swerve from hitting another glider. Off of which she shot the rider in a split second grab of her gun while you raced up another staircase of glimmering bees.

Finally your foot hit the open helipad of the tower and another shriek left you in your body’s collapse to all fours in the sharp sting of the bullet that went through a gap in the armor on your thigh and sent the blonde Prince through the glass wall as the bullet lodged in his shoulder. Sudden rage had the raven haired Prince turn to fire off his scepter behind you at the building where the shot came from scattering those bees a moment to not take the hit. A diversion that covered your race over to the machine powering the open portal that allowed more Chitauri through. Down from a swing at your side Spiderman sped asking, “You ok, Bumble? Heard you shriek twice.”

“Other than the crazed metal armed gunman shooting at me, just peachy Peter.”

“Oh, well that’s um,” after a moment he stammered out, “Who’s Peter?”

“Convincing, very convincing. Just steer clear if that suit of yours isn’t bullet proof. Apparently aliens aren’t reason enough to wait in line to kill me today.” You said sliding to a stop as he swung off to help Nat on her glider at her call to take out more riders. Meanwhile Venom had used his webbing and a clever swing around another to fling one up and blow up seven more a mile above your heads that in a quick glimpse of the machine you bobbed and weaved to avoid falling debris.

“What are you doing?!” the green clad Prince shouted as he strode out of the inside after another check of his brother’s condition. Past the bubble barrier you stepped at the flickering blue pulse around the tesseract powering the portal machine for a pause worthy sight at its allowing you inside the field against Dr Selvig’s programming. Though Loki wouldn’t be fast enough as in a growing pulse of glittering yellow light your hands rose to circle the inner orb where the conductor above the tesseract rested sparking up brilliantly between your palms. And in a sudden jolt like a fired slingshot your bees shot upwards around the Avengers, Spidey and Venom sending all the whales and riders up into range of the portal again. That with the triggered implosion of the conductor between your glowing palms sucked them back into the portal.

Open mouthed the Prince watched helpless as the machine let off a blue pulse that knocked you into the air timed moments before the machine around the glowing cube exploded. And your adopted brother sped on his webbing as fast as he could with Spidey after him at the smoking trail following your body’s being fired off to the center of Central Park.

“I’m a Nurse!” muffled in your ears to the sound of dirt shifting and into the pit you had created in a woman and two firemen behind her slid to dig out and check the sporadic vitals of the young woman a kit was tossed down to aid. Tourniquet for your leg and a neck brace helped to keep the unconscious patient from the pit. Down at the edge Venom and Spidey used their webbing to hoist the board now holding the strapped down savior of the city who War Machine and Iron Man hovered above in their drop down to see where the girl had landed.

Tony said, “We have a medical wing in Stark Tower, she can be taken there.”

To which Venom stated, “In an aim to kill or imprison our Little One yourself no doubt.”

Tony said, “There’s a gunman on the loose, my tower is the safest place for Queen Bee at the moment.”

Venom said, “We will not go to Stark Tower. We do not trust you with our sister.”

To which Tony scoffed and the larger of the firemen stated, “St Herman it is. Next of kin beats money Mr Stark.”

And the duo simply flew overhead as Spidey remained fixed at your side holding your hand, “You’re gonna be okay Bumble. We’re right here,” Inside him and Venom climbed into the waiting Ambulance that had just arrived, with him hushedly talking to you even when you were taken into the hospital. Blankets were brought over by him as Venom helped to remove your layers and armor while leaving your mask on to protect your identity.

The slowing of the thunderously fast heartbeat replayed on the monitor was the music that flooded the room. Soon accompanied by orders from the attending Trauma Surgeon Dr Christine Palmer who took notice of the gunshot graze wounds and the broken Chitauri arrow lodged in your shoulder blade they rolled you into a private room with blinds drawn so the people from off the streets with more minor injuries couldn’t see your condition. Venom refused to leave and ended up in a gown and mask off to the side while the people in the halls caught sight of Spiderman pacing there in panic, soon joined by the Avengers who all grouped around him.

“She’s got an arrow in her back,” eyes shifted to Clint who swallowed dryly to Spidey’s adding, “Two bullet graze wounds and they put a neck brace on her but she couldn’t straighten her leg.”

“She’ll be fine kid. been trying to kill her for years now. She’s resilient.”

“Like children are,” Nat said turning her head, “On the hover craft she said she’s only 18. We’ve been trying to kill her for years. She’s 18.” Then she went to lean against the wall crossing her arms letting those words sink in.

“She knows my name, how does she know my name?” Spidey asks himself.

And Loki in Thor’s grip to support himself in his staggered limp from an earlier stab to his thigh heavily bruised here for his own checkup said rather casually, “Perhaps she heard about it in the halls, as school children do.”

And Peter scoffs, “No upper class men know my name.” Then he paused and asked, “What if she is? What if she’s like really cool and wanted to be my friend and I blew her off?!”

And coolly Loki said being pushed to an exam room, “Unless you pushed her off a roof I am certain those bonds will recover.” A Nurse came over to the green clad Prince with a cut on his nose and stated, “Your efforts are futile, these wounds are superficial at the least. My brother was stabbed and then shot with a projectile however,” in a hissing inhale he flinched to the sting of the alcohol swab being tapped to the cut on his nose. “Thank you,” he grit out and listened to his brother being wrangled to another bed where the second surgeon helped the bullet already wiggling it’s way out of his shoulder free to a metal tin and cleaned the wound that on its own began to scab over.

Thor stated in their move to clean the wound on his bloody thigh, “Our people are strong you should focus your efforts in the mortals.” A press of a swab to a tiny cut behind his ear by a nurse however had him trying to squirm off the bed to get away.

Meanwhile through the wall one of the nurses said in her try to pull splinters from the back of your legs and at the least fractured forearm from the crash through a tree’s branches in your crash landing, “They’re wiggling out on their own.” The surgeon glanced away from the arrow her long grippers released and she said, “The splinters.”

Another glance over the numerous wounds sealing on their own and in the silence they swore they could hear the faint sounds of bones resetting their own fractures. Enough to make their skin crawl until the flinch triggering thunk of the arrow that forced itself out of your upper back for a gradually scabbing wound for them to gawk at a few moments then get back to sanitizing your other wounds. “Ok, let’s wash these wounds to be certain we got it all and get a portable x-ray in here.” At her order the portable X-ray machine was brought over to hover and scan all across your body except for your head due to your mask.

“Stay still Little One.”

Venom hissed and you groaned as the Doctor eased the X-ray machine away stating, “Good news, Miss Misique,” her voice awkwardly in a forced sense of calm when stating your code name to make this seem like she’d treated a super powered being before. “Your fractures are healing and with a few bandages and some bed rest you can be back up on your feet again.”

“Oh that’s nice, I do have a novel I’ve been meaning to finish for about two years now.” With a careful hand she helped you to sit up as Venom did from the other side as your hair rippled to glimmering yellow again and in the open of your eyes their shimmering sea of an altered shade expanded to hide their true purple shade. “Good, thought I might get some resistance with that.”

“We just had aliens fall out of the sky. I’m good for a week.” Making her smirk and help you down as Venom kept the gown you were in closed across your bruised and scraped back with sporadic bandages taped across it.  “Thank you.”

“The Avengers are here as well waiting for you.”

And you sighed heavily eyeing the hall they turned you down to get back to your intensive care room, “So much for rest.”

“They seemed concerned, the small red and blue one especially with the spider on his chest.”

“Spider-Man, newest recruit looks like.”

You said and at your room when you moved for your clothes the Nurse said, “You need to rest,”

“You need the bed. I’ll be fine. No need to waste more attention on me. Thank you though all the same.” Reluctantly they stepped out to let you get dressed saying for the bill they knew where to mail it like any other who wished to contact you. And within minutes other Nurses in the hall watched the group stiffen at your stiff stroll out at Venom’s side after he’d handed over the gown and little cap they gave him to a Nurse who said she would take them.

“Bumble! You’re walking!” Peter said excitedly.

With a nod you exhaled flexing your sore scabbed fingers in the snap of the strap of your left glove into place around your wrist. “I’ll be fine. Off home now, I have a bowl of chili cheese tots and a pizza and a stack of movies calling my name.”

Natasha asked, “You sure you should be up? We could call your parents to get you.”

“They don’t have land lines in graveyards or trust me I’d be living on that line.” Around the group you strolled as she lifted off the wall eyeing the arrow you had grabbed from the table you slid into the pocket on the side of your thigh with the face mask full of the bloody splinters to not leave any blood samples here if possible to be traced by Stark. Who you saw send a drone back to check the rooms in the hall you had left.

Stark said, “So, baby bee, who lets you out of the hive at all hours of the night?”

To his harsh tone Rhodey whacked his arm he waved a hand to focus merely on the answer. “I’m not the one who destroys half the city every time I suit up there Sparky.”

“Sparky, cute. Answer the question.”

“I’m an orphan,” you said turning your head to catch his gaze, “Like you.”

“Now that’s just cold,” he said to your back as you continued walking on facing forward again.

“No depending on if you managed to track down where Star Boy ran off to it’s cold or just fighting fair. Since you only give a damn about yourself and your toys.” He scoffed and you said in another glance up at him, “Or did I miss the day you took that shielding tech to coat the rest of the city around your precious tower just in case of attack?” He was silent a moment and you said, “Thought so. But no, you go ahead and keep building bombs for that suit of yours and I’ll keep using my ‘little hive’ you keep mocking in the press to protect the city you keep blowing up while spouting that I’m the evil one.”

“You kill criminals, just because they are bad guys doesn’t make it better leave it to the government.”

“Like you did when you became Iron Man?”

Rhodey chuckled and at Stark’s glance his way he said in a chuckle, “She’s got a point.”

Tony said louder this time, “Who takes care of you?! Who lets you do this?! Who trained you to do this?!”

And in a other turn you said to his face, “Perhaps you should get to know Black Widow a bit better. We are sisters in arms after all. She can answer that, though unlike her I’m not perfect, I killed them after they put me in the Soldier’s Tomb. I left them lined in rows in the Red Room.”

That had the trained assassin cover her mouth and had Tony turn and ask, Soldier’s Tomb? Red Room? Can we not talk in code?” He asked at your step through the door Venom opened for you.

“Bumble!” However the grip of his hand around your middle to Peter’s near tackle of you out of the doorway had Tony’s body at the bullet that bounced off his armored suit turn to face the metal armed assassin who cocked his gun again.

“I am gonna tear off that bastard’s arm and beat him to death with it.”

“Language!” Steve said.

To which you fired back shoving the door open you strolled through already with a baton in hand, “Oh fuck off, Propaganda Man.” In your other hand when you released the door you grabbed your other baton, now with the other you dropped at your side saying, “Let’s see what you got Star Boy.” Out of your jacket you shrugged and from his hand the gun moved to be holstered on the harness he unsnapped to drop on the ground behind him. “I’m warning you, I won’t pull my punches for trying my patience.”

And in the removal of his facial mask he said in thick Russian, “You will submit to your orders, White Dove.”

And at that you laughed aloud with an amused squeak at the end while Steve muttered the name of his previously assumed dead friend.

“They did not send the Winter Soldier after little me. I must have really pissed them off.” You crossed from the walkway to the parking lot where you faced one another as he squared up ready to fight, “And just think how pissed they be when I bring you down like the others they’ve sent after me.”

Loki hummed curiously to the amused tone in your voice he understood thanks to the Allspeak, “She seems amused to be hunted.”

Nat muttered, “She shouldn’t be. Not if they sent him.”

Steve turned to her, “You knew they were using Bucky?! All this time and you said nothing?!”

“That’s not Bucky anymore. No one is the same after. Not after what they did to make them obedient.”

His try to walk out and cut the fight off had Thor restrain him with a grip of his shoulder stating, “There are rules of engagement they have agreed to hand to hand combat you must respect that.”

Steve tried to fight only to find himself magically bound in a glowing green set of chains thanks to Loki who watched as Bucky advanced in the first blow. Barely visible to the mortals around them his fist jut out and with ease your head eased to the left and the dance began. Blow after blow missed with leg raises from him that were the only form of contact with your body shoved away quite effortlessly by your tiny self who even with the mask seemed to not break a sweat in the several minute stand off as the older assassin grew more enraged. Bruce lowly asked in your boot shoving his next kick away to spin him around, “He’s had the Super Serum, right?” His eyes trailing the growing crowd of spectators on the other side of the glowing barrier your hovering wall of bees provided in case he did draw one of his remaining weapons.

To which Nat answered, “So has she,”

“What?!” Tony and Steve asked in unison.

Nat, “I heard they wanted to try it in a girl, he was the only male who survived the serum, I didn’t think they’d give it to an actual child, I thought they’d wait till she was grown. But that would make her impossible to suspect, the White Dove Project. All my intel said it was marked a failure, not that she was rogue. I guess they grew impatient when I didn’t come back.”

“Tell me what the Red Room is!” Tony demanded as in his try to sneak a spare blow in a standing split your leg rose to tangle around his arm to drop backwards using his arm for support and in one move jerk his legs out. A hold you flipped out of as he fell to his back and for a few minutes was a flailing turtle of sorts until he swept a kick you hopped away from enabling him room to whip himself up in an arch of his legs and back to start a series of missed punches and tries to reach the arms you tucked behind your back between kicks you dished out to his chest and shoulder sending him back several feet to have him rush back again. A slow path to find his weakness as you avoided and paid attention before your oncoming barrage to send him painfully to the ground in an unlikely yield or his death.

Tony said in a glare at the woman analyzing your speed and strength clearly surpassing the Super Serum users around her who were fully grown showing your growth spurts and aging meant increased power, stamina and speed, “Nat!”

“It’s where they sterilize the girls they train, make us perfect. No chance to have a weakness.” And his jaw fell slack as she said, “Soldier’s Tomb is what they use for the serum. Only they survived going inside it.”

Tony muttered, “Just great, let’s dope up a kid then let it loose through puberty.”

A clear growl of frustration came from Bucky in the kick you gave to his back that sent him flying for the second blatant attack following a wince inducing roundhouse kick to his face when he tried to bend to get an attack at your legs for a try to throw you off. Sudden and hard his foot charged after yours and in a smooth plant of his foot and weight. His intention was a sudden left hook that with a raised palm his fist was caught mid air for a stunning halt of his attack that jeers and cheers to stunned gasps and even a strained squeak of an exhale from him was the response before your pivot and fling of the assassin hard into the lot again. It was clear this was your finishing blow as you charged and with a strained finger reach from Steve he set off a smoke charge from Tony’s arm control nearly into his thigh that freed his arm from the flickering chain enabling him to hurl his shield at his endangered friend. “Buck!”

Out of reflex the weary assassin caught the shield and groaned to your sharp pained squeak in the muffled cracks you heard of fractures spreading through your forearm and finger bones. The sound of that didn’t worry others as open mouthed everyone saw your fist cave in the shield that in a stagger back with a bite of your lip it hovered in a cloud of yellow mist. The force of the blow that broke Bucky’s fleshy arm dead in the center and flung him backwards in an awkward tumble ending on a sloppy knee top grimacing stance. His tear filled eyes watched as you shouted, “Steven Gingerbread Rogers! What the fuck?! He was doing fine before you interfered!”

Wide eyed the open mouthed first Avenger in a stunned squeak of a whisper replied, “You dented my shield?” Then looked from his friend to you again as you tried to hold back the tremble of the arm you wished you could remove to Loki’s doubling of the chains now entangling him once again tighter this time. “Gingerbread?” He squeaked to the Prince sealing the new lock on the chains then watched as you sent off the shield far into the distance out of anger.

From Tony’s shoulder a set of drones charged after it to prevent it being stolen to Rhodey’s comment of, “I think she heard your puberty comment.”

To the extension of glimmering lines of a brace that formed around your fingers to your elbow the same spread along Bucky’s that had him glance at that then to you again. Sharply you inhaled then muttered, “Fine. They want Star Boy they get Star Boy.” A couple steps closer you moved locking your eyes on his that rippled a flash of glittering yellow that overtook his iris’ and you said, “So, Bucky, I’m going to show you who they’ve made you forget.” Silence fell as confusion took hold at what you were doing until you blinked and turned leaving the kneeling assassin to shake his head as you turned to rejoin Venom at the group who wanted to scoop you up and carry you off right away seeing how tired and in pain you were.

To Nat you said, “Get the man a therapist, I erased his command words from his memory and unlocked everything else.” And your eyes shifted to Tony, “Get ready for the test of a lifetime on those defenses of yours. I just stole Hydra’s golden goose for your star spangled buddy.” And you said to Steve, “You interfere in my fight again you won’t live to regret it. Don’t let Stark rub off on you.” Venom as you spoke walked closer. Just a lift of your foot and his palm took hold of it lifting you against his chest to spring off the ground and swing you back off to Queens. “I’ll leave the press to you Sparky. Just how you like it. See ya Monday, Spidey.”

“Bye Bumble! See you then!” And to himself the teen muttered, “Monday, what’s Monday?” Behind you Peter said after his few paced steps and drew out his phone as it chimed with a reminder, “I’m gonna head back home now. I’ve got plans with my friend and a lego Palpatine.”

Stark nodded in his spring off and watched as Steve was freed to race over as Nat softly conferenced with Clint at her side and Rhodey asked Bruce, “How much force can Vibranium take again?” That had the Scientist let out a puff of air for the unimaginable force it would have taken to dent the shield as Bucky was helped up and shouts from Steve had them ushering him off to the Tower Medical Wing to have his injuries looked over. “It doesn’t like, wear out? It is old…”

When Steve was within earshot of the golden haired Prince Thor he heard the Prince say, “The very next time you see the Lady you owe her your sincerest efforts to remedy the insult you issued upon her honor.”

Steve, “Her what?! She was-,”

“Facing off against a formidable foe in one on one combat. The rules of which you are in breech. It was dishonorable to have provided a shield to him and not to her as well. You are heavily in her debts young Steven.”

Steve shook his head and helped the still confused Bucky who was taking in the city around him as if he’d woken up for the first time in decades now fully seeing it outside of its prior haze. “Let’s get you to the tower Buck.”

Loki glanced at his brother, “Tell me again why you wish to remain here?”

Thor stated, “Father had shared Midgard bears bonds of the soul for every creature upon it. I have met mine and I wish for you to discover your own. Even Mother bore curiosity as for whom her favored child might be bonded to.”

To which Loki replied as they settled inside the second car Tony had called to fit the whole group, “Mother may be curious however Father will never accept a Midgardian Princess.”

“That depends entirely upon the maiden and you know it. Have faith you shall find quite the incredible rush and bond in locating your Mate.” He said scooting over to allow Bruce to sit with the brothers while Clint and Nat rode with the reunited besties and Tony and Rhodey flew overhead. With a smile Thor turned to ask Bruce, “How did you come across your Mate, Banner?”

“Oh, um, we worked in the same lab, I went green and almost killed her. I went back to apologize after and it sort of clicked. Bit odd, at first, but we stay in touch.”

Loki, “You did not marry?”

Bruce replied, “She has a wife. And well, I go green. She wants babies, not a very safe choice anyways. Especially with this new team starting up.”

 *

Down in the usual back way from this part of town to your street you snuck into the same abandoned building to change out of your costume with Eddie’s careful help after Venom hid himself again. “Let’s get you changed,”

“He threw him the fucking shield!” you whimpered in your shrug out of your long sleeved shirt soon dropped on top of the coat and batons Venom had collected on your way out of the lot. “Who would do that? At worst I shatter my arm, best? What’s the positive he takes the shield and bludgeons me to death with it?!”

“I don’t get it,” he said careful to remove the armored pads as you moved the brace you had made underneath it. “No benefits other than his buddy doesn’t get his ass beat any worse by you.”

“I hope Stark has strong controls on his drones I sent his shield halfway to Florida if they don’t cut off my bees.”

“Love to see him get that dent out. Wasn’t even your dominant hand, could have punched a hole through it with the other one.” From his back he eased off his large blue flannel shirt he guided around your tank top to help hide your bruises and scrapes, more importantly your braced arm after you’d tucked your bell bottom jeans over most of your boots. Braids were next to be let down to have your walls of raven unruly curls help the disguise along with your favorite bolero hat he settled lovingly on your head then hoisted up the duffel bag of spare clothes and the costume and ticked his head to the side in a loop of his hand onto your back. “Tots and pizza await.”

It would be a long ride home from here to Queens on the subway. And the whole while you listened and chatted with others about the aliens and now viral video of the fight between Misique and her latest attacker that had most amused by the notion she had been going easy on Iron Man and his crew all this time.

Like always when you were roughed up it was his place you stayed at that had the neighbors talking at first until they started to hear his blatant use of the word ‘Sister’ around the block and made it clear he was just adopting a fellow vagabond. You still lived apart but he kept the round couch loaded with pillows and blankets at your refusal to make him buy another bed just for you. “In your nest baby bird,” he said with a chuckle and watched you ease off your boots and go to painfully plop into the mess of blankets, amongst them the heated blanket he plugged in and switched on so you could cocoon away your pain.

“Now if they could make one that massages without feeling like someone’s dragging stones across your skin it would be perfect.”

“We could get one of those water tank massagers, like at the mall.” That had you giggle and watch his path to heat up the oven and return with a pair of drink pouches he added the straws to and handed you one and tapped his to. “Bottoms up, you got the last grape,” that had you groan and he chuckled in his plop back into his favorite chaise lounge, “I don’t know why they put so many fruit punches in the big boxes. Might as well just load up on the smaller grape and cherry boxes.”

After your sip you said, “But they only ever have one box of grape. They’re gonna stop selling it soon, always do when I like something.”

He switched on the tv and from the image of Stark talking to the press at a conference inside his still smoking tower with a crater on his former helipad where you had been blow off it he changed the channel to an action film marathon. “This is the fourth one, right?” He asked in Venom’s ease out from the side of his head at the film.

You answered, “Gotta be the third he blew up that car in the start of the fourth and cried about it the last half.” He chuckled and again took notice of your hand traveling to the pouch that held the small box, no bigger than an eraser in matte grey a couple of inches across and barely half an inch high that had a single button in the center of it in a pale mint.

“You should give your Mate a poke.” He said showing he lifted his own button to give his worried ex a tickle to let her know that he was safe, fully aware as always when he was on the news it could get deadly with Stark after him and you.

“Doesn’t even know me,” you said easing the box out that rested in the curves of your fingers to allow a smooth of your thumb around the button it dipped onto and gave it a result free tap, at least on your end.

 *

And in the Stark Tower elevator Loki’s brows furrowed and he practically growled to those around him, “Which one of you just poked me?”

They shook their heads and Bruce asked, “You sure it was a poke?”

“I am not ignorant of the meaning-,”

Bruce lifted his hand, “N, no, not what I meant. Our Mate boxes, you can either poke or tickle your Mate. We didn’t poke you, had to be them.”

Nat said as the doors opened and she walked past him, “Congrats.” Heading for her computer to delve more into things to plan ahead as the old friends were already settled in the medical Wing and Rhodey was tasked with showing the Princes their new apartments here in the tower.

“Who would choose to poke their soul mate?” Loki asked exiting the elevator.

And Clint asked with an amused grin, “Would you prefer to be tickled?”

“Certainly not!”

 *

“Wasn’t so bad, was it?” Eddie chuckled making you groan and stash the button in its pouch you set back on the couch beside you where you had left it.

“I just poked a complete stranger. It’s right up there with waving at a stranger who you thought was waving at you but wasn’t.”

That had him chuckle and reply, “Oh it will be fine.”

“I’m going to sound weird if I have to describe myself.”

“You will not,”

“I talk with an accent when I’m not killing people and I have a practically non-existent date life. I’m going to seem like I am putting all my eggs in my Mate’s basket.”

“Well we’ll just have to find you a few dates then. And what about that Jeremy guy?”

“The one who hooked up with his cousin’s girlfriend while he was supposed to be with me at the movies?”

“Yes, you have that moron and that other guy who asked you to the dance your freshmen year. So you’re just waiting for a more mature partner.”

“Now I sound like a sugar baby.” You said taking another sip of your drink making him give you a challenging glance.

“There’s a million people on this death trap of a state we can find you a couple guys to have shakes with.”

“Why don’t we find you a nice lady out of this death trap first?” That had him chortle and you said, “You have not been on Twitter in a while there’s tons of women who have the hots for Venom.”

“Whoa, what?” You nodded and he said, “That will be a topic we get back to in a very long time. I don’t need to date. I have a baby sister to look after.”

He said on his way up to answer the beeping oven now ready for what he aimed to cook first. And he simply shook his head to the grip of a bag of tater tops from his freezer as you said, “Which the ladies will love. So much better than a puppy, an actual living person makes you super domestic. Just post a picture of you in an apron and that cozy tan sweater you hardly wear and you’ll have them flocking in for cuddles and suppers in.”

“What we have here is a cupid stand-off. Let’s just let fate take its course.” The chime from your pocket had his head turn after adding the tray of tots to the oven he twisted the stegosaurus shaped timer you had bought him and set it down watching as you scrolled through the messages from the classmates you had shared your number with. “Something big? Your school phone, right?”

“They’re sharing with the local Viking that two real life Asgardian Princes are on earth.” With the easy slide of the screen up to reveal the keys you grimaced through the pain of typing back excited messages to video clips from the internet that you couldn’t wait to hear more about them one handedly. “We can only wonder at what Stark has in store for them.”

“Hey, why don’t you date that Spidey kid. You know who he is. Seems a bit jumpy but it could work, shared secrets and all that.”

You shook your head, “Peter’s a good kid, and a girl his year hasn’t made her move yet. Waited through his whole debacle with that Vulture guy who tried to break into Stark’s warehouse last year. Ruined his chance with the guy’s daughter. He should have something simple, plus if he found out who either of me are then he’d be hurt. He doesn’t kill people.”

Your eyes sank and then rose at his lean over and tap on your arm that had you smile as he said, “Hey, I love you. Stingers and all.”

“I love you too, man eater.” That had him laugh and sit up again and turn to face the screen as you continued to pretend through texts to be enthralled with every detail you heard. Food soon had your attention at the table loaded with trays and plates you both devoured to full your aching muscles and bones while you relaxed a bit at being able to bend your still stiff fractured but no longer broken fingers while your forearm was mending its lingering fractures under the brace made of linked bee shaped metal pieces.

.

Painfully under his pile of covers sprawled across his body he laid out eventually as you did across the round couch in your nest of pillows and blankets only to have your eyes open an hour to sunrise at the muffled explosion.

“I’m not going they can’t make me.” You muttered making the groggy Eddie chuckle and roll over as you did ignoring whatever it was going on outside your painful bubble. An alert from your printer hooked up to a mounted tablet had you groan and hunch yourself onto your knees to accept the printed sheet a glowing mechanical bee that woke up beside the printer in its usual job of passing you the news when you were here. “Not even twelve hours,” you muttered and then groaned in a lean over the side of the couch you pulled a laptop out from underneath it you powered up once open and linked up to your database. Across the screen following the blips of disturbances your eyes followed the names of the prison inmates who were still remaining in the prison that had just been blasted open by someone according to the footage who was stealing the vulture guy.

“What is it?” Eddie called from the other room.

“Prison break. I got it.” You replied with a sigh and to the type of a few keys you were in the security footage system and through the internet and electrical systems your swarms flew and around the prisoners they latched into every alarm system was set off to have every cop on duty to apprehend them.

The Vulture guy however had you get a bit more creative and send a glowing bee to latch onto his leg and set off a ping that had Stark up out of bed and suiting up to follow the ping in his system that one of his inventions had been taken. Confusion didn’t come close to the frustration that somehow his nemesis had broken into his system and back out again without a trace that he could manage to find. Enough to spoil the press conference after he called to state the city was safe again as you laid back down to the dim of your eyes and hair and got some more sleep until your and Eddie’s bellies decided it was time to get up again to make breakfast.

.

Halfway through your omelet you grumbled around a mouthful of food in another glance at the printer that went off, “no.”

Eddie smirked as he cut off another slice of his own stack of pancakes he added the slice of omelet to and shoved it between his lips while you swallowed and accepted the sheet from the mechanical bee that chirped gladly as you said, “Thank you, Buster.”

In his flight back Eddie asked, “What is it?”

“Post office, I have a package.”

“Ooh,” he said and you both smiled widely saying, “Super suit!” Both of you hurried to eat and he helped you pull your armor on you layered with a t shirt and flannel from him as your sweater was being washed to be covered by your usual jacket that had been soaked and hung to dry overnight you had to patch up some holes. Out the covered alleyway you both hurried and sprung against the groan worthy strain of your muscles. As he swung from lamppost to lamppost you raced and slid across the stairs and ladders you usually used of glowing bees overhead to waves and shouts from below. Peter along the way having foiled a car thief swung up to your side asking, “I thought the news said you were on bed rest?!”

To which you called back, “We have mail! Got to go fetch it!” Winning chuckles from those down below to his own chuckle.

“Ooh,” he said hearing a smoke alarm a couple blocks over and said, “See ya later, Bumble, bye Venom!” Swinging off to see how he could be of use as you both slid down the slide you made to the front of an old post office you had for your mail for Misique and Venom.

Inside the owners lit up with smiles as you spoke to them in their native Greek and signed for the large trunk that Venom hoisted on his shoulder and you took the bag of mail for yourselves and headed out past the surprised duo who entered behind you on your way out. The younger of which snapped a quick picture of you three for their social page you both waved for since your mask covered all but your eyes and the teen seemed to be bothered by Venom’s twisted tongue extended from his mouth he traded for a wide smile.

The way back was smooth and once safe back in his place you eyes the trunk from Wakanda, the King T’Chaka who owed you according to his own self after you had helped with the poaching problem in the continent and replenished more than twenty dying breeds of animals in your last summer trip there. You had run into them by chance in their own tries to aid in the problem and complimented by their tech yours had kept the reserve boundaries secure and lush with plentiful populations of animals to dwell happily there since you had left.

Out of the box you used the usual password they had given to you on the spinning dial lock the case lit up in its opening. Trays inside and a bottom drawer that sprung out of the side you squeaked wiggling out of your layers and usual armor to accept the honeycomb zigzag bracelets in rose gold that snapped in place on your left wrist for elegant decorations paired with a ring for both your middle fingers.

Folded to perfection in small squares you eyed the matte grey pants to the suit with pale yellow honeycomb patterns etched across it you lifted and stepped into. And eased up to cover your chest and arms that rippled closer to your skin you layered with the stunning bright yellow sleeveless hooded jacket with black wing designs across the back just like a yellow jacket’s. Already close to squeaking a wiggle of your fingers had the suit bond together as one piece and then ripple out higher to coat your neck fully that would match the new mask laid in one of the trays you lifted and eased to snap into place over your face. Securely with the metal woven section that would weave between your usual braids to keep the mask in place unlike your current ribbon secured style you had to repaint soon anyways.

Using the booklet of instructions you learned to control the mask so that if you wanted your mouth could be exposed to eat and drink, which had been a trouble when you had visited last as well as how to have the whole suit hide back in the bracelets entirely to be stealthy in your getaway. All based on your wish to be more modest compared to the pinup suits most of the female heroes wore in comics a belly panel disguised your bust. With zigzag patterns and honeycombs around a subtle two by two inch tall shimmering pale golden crown the panel stretched from your collarbone to the v belt to cinch at your waist. Not baggy or in a poof but almost like a chest plate, seen only detached at the belly from the side with your jacket removed. Details with coloring to match the leaf accents on the sloped skirt panels under the jacket that hung from that belt to mid thigh where they connected to there that in the front facing slit worked as both pockets and cover for another set of holsters for more weapons to carry around more comfortably.

“I have so many pockets!” You said dipping your hands into the hidden pockets in the skirt panels bouncing from foot to foot making Eddie chuckle. Loudly you gasped at the slip of your hands into the front panels sides across your belly, “It’s a pouch!” Many more pockets and holsters were down the inner flaps of your jacket you started to add your ridiculous supply of weapons to it and their usual spots across your legs and back while making use of the pockets for some more of your throwing wasp shaped daggers.

Off the table along the wall a unique ring sounded from your bee communicator Buster. Who flew over and hovered in front of trying both of you as from its back two folded bars popped up to form the holographic screen between them to the light of its eyes in a bright green to show you were being displayed on the other end. Venom when it flew over popped out to cover Eddie’s face to hide Eddie’s identity and you turned to see who was calling your private line from your short list of allies.

Shuri and her father’s faces popped up on the screen with a group of teen guards in training behind them, both who smiled widely at your elated squeak and statement in Xhosa of, “I love you guys so much! I’ve got so many pockets now!!”

T’Chaka laughed with his daughter and said, “Well after hearing your love of pockets we could not resist allowing Shuri to work her magic on the design.”

“Shuri I could just kiss you it’s more than I could have ever imagined!” You said giving yourself a hug making her chuckle again, “Huge virtual hug your way!”

“Thank you, and one for you as well.”

Her father asked, “We were also wondering. Did you get your box for your Mate?”

“Ooh, yes,” you said moving around the bee to grab your pouch that matched hers in a burnt orange box with a hazel button similarly hues to those of the guards behind her of the same age. The lot of you pressed your buttons to check if you were soul mates at the agreed upon thought shared when you had first met. “No pokes?”

“No,” rippled around the room and T’Chaka chuckled saying, “Fair start to the search for your young selves.” Then said, “And in consolation for not being there to offer our congratulations for your step into adulthood we have made certain to gift you a car as well.”

That had you gasp and say, “You did not get me a car!”

“The yellow keychain in the top tray.” Down you bent to collect the small box the size of a lemon you slid the top out to bring out the miniature car that you squeaked at the sight of the adorable miniature coupe sports car in a holographic pale gold and black paint scheme.

“Oh my gosh! I love it! I’m probably gonna be crushed by it but I love it!”

Shuri chuckled and explained how to control the expansion features and explained where the miniature holographic run through of the safety features on the car including the vibranium exterior to match your suit. T’Chaka said in the conclusion of that, “For your efforts to aid the recovery of our endangered species and the depleted forests of our continent this pales in comparison. Yet it is what we are able to accumulate to offer in return. Perhaps when you visit us again we might be able to discover more to share.”

“Thank you, again, really.”

“And you are well after the alien invasion?”

“Oh ya, fractured a few bones and got blasted across the city. Still sore, but I’m good. Still don’t know what the two Princes from the planet of Asgard are up to. But I’ll figure that out soon enough I’m fairly close to their newest Avengers member I can weasel it out of him with a few loose questions.”

“Very good, well we shall let you enjoy your new suit, car, stun blaster and daggers. We shall pass on news of the Princes and invasion we had been monitoring online.”

“I have a blaster and daggers too?” You said in an excited squeak and dropped to the fold of the screen as they ended the call to let you search the open trays to find the giggle worthy sight of the taser like gun you put in the clear holster for it on your hip under the jacket that would recharge itself and fire out tiny charged pellets you could easily make more of by use of the diagram they sent you. Soon added by the spare daggers you added to the inner liner holsters of your jacket and across your back underneath it.

Much like Spider Man had his own official YouTube account you had yours and with a video once you braided your hair and lit up you used to broadcast your new suit to spread the word. Keeping the source of which mum to simply a friend in gratitude of your aid in recovering animal and nature reserves. A gift that had Stark seething as he glared at the video on a play back on one of his holographic screens in his lab to discover what it might be made of and the spare layers and flaps could be hiding. Then got upset even more at seeing Spidey’s account complimenting the new outfit and saying he couldn’t wait to see it in action on one of your usual runs together.

From in front of you to its resting home again the hovering bee moved and chirped with glee to a second well earned bit of praise as you retracted the suit and mask containing all your weapons to easier fold the old suit and armor into the trunk Eddie helped you to carry over to your apartment.

“Come on, let’s celebrate with a film,” he said offering his hand you accepted to walk down with him to his garage to climb onto the back of his Harley for the drive to the mall.

The entire time you sat back against the back rest with fingers smoothing across the mistletoe decorated silver oval locket with a mirror and symbol of the Goddess Frigg inside of your mother’s with the twin silver owl face rings with sapphire eyes the killers had taken from your parents. Small things that meant the world to you as you felt your loose flannel and long braid whipping around to the wind that danced across your bared legs in the stretch of your sore legs in the sun thanks to your denim shorts and wedge booties to fit your usual style after having changed from your clothes from the day prior. Thoughts on them were painful but as you had crossed into adulthood the aching need for them didn’t seem to wane and as you recalled the small bit of years you had with them you hoped they fared better in the afterlife than you had found yourself, even with your new armor to help protect you from whatever was coming. And now that aliens had dropped from the freaking sky that could be a whole hell of a lot.

Pt 3

All –

@sherala007​, @mariannetora​​, @jesgisborne​, @knitastically​, @catthefearless​​, @theincaprincess​, ggbbhehe4455, @lilith15000​​, @alishlieb​​,

Not nsfw(smut) - @otakumultimuse-hiddlewhore​

X Loki - @pastelhexmaniac

[foragergnome]

Something with wirt and greg pre-unknown, kinda showing how their relationship changed before and after the series

Ruined

Summary: Wirt asks his little half-brother, Greg, for advice, and unexpectedly receives the answer he was looking for.

I was so excited when I got this request! i love looking into Wirt and Greg's brother relationship, and have many headcanons about their family. in this, Greg's last name is Petley and Wirt's last name is Lee. just a little fun fact LOL

Word Count: 1,282

you can find this on ao3 here!!

    With a frustrated grunt, yet another crumpled piece of paper was thrown to the ground.

It had been several attempts, a hopeless endeavor that would seemingly last for ages until Wirt found the right string of words that would make its way onto the paper. He knew that the weight of his mother’s requests is what seemed to create this writer’s block, for it lingered in his head in a way that created a pallor among his face, a grimace of realization. If it weren’t for knowing that he had a little brother to babysit tonight, he knew his creativity would flow freely and pour from the interior of his perpetual mind. It was a simple thought, of course, that allowed the dread to fall heavy on his shoulders, and remain there for seemingly eternity. 

    The teenager would like to say he got along with his brother, and tried very hard to-- but his mind seemed to forbade this from happening. He had always thought about how one-sided his family seemed. It had already wormed itself into his head that Gregory had both of his parents, and Wirt only had one. It was an envy that made the older brother loathe himself, which in turn seemed to create a loathing for Greg. And for good reason, he had thought. Greg’s father practically ruined his life. And by bearing a child with Wirt’s mother, the anger had begun to be directed towards both of the Petleys that had made their way into his life without question. It was a selfish thing to think about, and yet, Wirt could not help himself. He blamed his own father for these thoughts, who had left them so long ago. Yes, there was so much accusation in Wirt’s mind, so much self-loathing, that it burned itself into his brain. 

    He sat back in his chair, thinking over the repressed anger and words that he wished he could tell his mother. Yet he knew he could never muster up the courage to do so, and knew of the punishment that would make its way into his already horrible teenager life. 

    And knowing that his mother and step-father practically disregarded both boys, especially Wirt, he was to pause and mull over his anger in his mind until his heart pounded furiously and he wished he were busy to keep himself occupied. So perhaps it wasn’t Gregory that made him mad, rather the parents that raised the both of them, and yet focused more on their work than their little six-year-old son.

    Wirt kept this in his mind as he rose from his chair, left the room, and departed down the stairs where he found himself in the kitchen. The house was comfortably quiet, and it seemed to calm him down. He filled a tea kettle with water, and set it on the stove to boil. His mind turned to elsewhere; The project that was due at the end of the week had proved to be troubling to him. Perhaps he should find someone to help him with it. The first person to come to mind was Sara. Oh, how he wished he could be with Sara at that moment. She was a very cool person-- so chill, and so laid-back. She didn't give a hoot about what other people thought of her… which is why Wirt admired her so much. If only she saw him the same way….

    "Hi home!" 

    Greg's words made him jump, jarring through his daydream so unexpectedly that he almost knocked over the kettle on the stove. His head whipped around to see his brother, appearing in the doorway. The small child practically brightened upon realizing Wirt was home.

    "Hi Wirt!"

    Wirt didn't smile, but he let out a soft breath. "Hi, Greg," he mumbled.

    "Oh, are you making hot chocolate?" He pulled his stool out from beneath the counter, and stepped up onto it so he could see the kettle on the stove, beginning to simmer and breathe with the gathering heat.

    "Tea, but I can make you some hot chocolate, if you want." 

    "Ok. Thanks, Wirty-o!"

    Wirt grimaced. "Don't call me that."

    "Aye aye, cap'n!" Greg gave a small, fake salute, and then stepped down from the stool. He kicked it out of the way, leaving room for a long, uncomfortable pause of silence that Wirt could not stand. It reminded him of the awkward silence between him and their Mom, when she was upset with him after a long, unforgiving day. Perhaps this pause was his fault.

    Greg climbed onto the chair at the small island in the center of the kitchen, grunting as he kicked his feet up and onto the seat. He drummed both fingers on the table surface. "So," he said, "Do you want to go to the funny pet store later? The one with the parrots?"

    "Uhh… not today, Greg." 

    "Oh. Ok."

    There was another pause of silence, and Wirt took that moment to daydream again. He thought for a moment, depressing thoughts, until he couldn't stand the silence any longer. He then finally mustered up the courage to talk. "Greg, how would you tell someone that you liked them?" He asked, and then turned to face his brother, leaning against the counter.

    The little boy blew out a small breath in thought. "I would give them a caterpillar." He responded.

    Wirt grimaced. He wasn't sure if Sara even liked bugs or insects or anything of the sort."Other than that," he said, and turned back around to take the kettle off of the stove. He knew how much Greg didn't like the loud sound.

    "I would sing them a song!" 

    Wirt thought this over, though he let out a frustrated sigh. He wasn't much of a singer-- he wasn't terrible, but it wasn't something he did very often. And he wasn't confident enough to bust out into song. He picked up the kettle, and poured the water into two mugs-- one with hot cocoa powder, and the other with a tea bag: vanilla black tea, to be precise. 

    "You play an instrument, don't you? You can play a song!" Greg suggested, as Wirt handed him his mug.

    Wirt nearly dropped his own mug. Of course! Clarinet! Why didn't he think of that before? His mind began to run, and he set down his mug so fast that tea sloshed to and fro. "Greg, you're a genius!" Yes, that was it. He could sit down, and record himself playing clarinet. And then, something else hit him: the mindless poetry about Sara scattered across his floor in crumpled messes. Clarinet and poetry. Two things he was especially good at, or so he thought at the time, and two things he was actually comfortable doing. Now he just needed a way to record it….

    Greg had smiled from ear to ear, clearly pleased that he gained a compliment from the brother that usually tried his hardest to avoid him. "I get that a lot," he assured, "But now we have to go frog-hunting together, to make up for my genesis idea." 

    "Genius," Wirt corrected, and then huffed, "Ok, fine. I promise I'll go frog-hunting with you. Later. Not right now. Before the cold weather comes." 

    "Deal!" Greg was quick to hop up in his chair, and reach forward to shake Wirt's hand with both of his-- like what he saw those business guys do in those cartoons. Then, he looked at the hot chocolate in front of him. "Umm… can you also put marshmallows on top of that deal, actually?"

    Wirt reluctantly agreed, but only because he loved his brother at that moment. Perhaps his life wasn't ruined, after all.

[asukaskerian]

I WANT to keep reading Girl Genius but it's just. Twenty years. TWENTY YEARS. TWENTY YEARS OF SLOW BURN AND WE *STILL* DON'T HAVE HARD YES CANON RELATIONSHIPS AND THEY"RE SEPARATING AGAIN ORZ ORZ ORZ *cries*

well today’s page isn’t bad about canonization ! (even if once again gil’s is treated like the one that gets more build-up and plot energy but that’s another matter entirely... in-universe agatha herself is pretty pro-ot3 apparently hohoho)

but yeah, the story benefits a LOT from archive binging, otherwise it feels like everything is taking too damn long and there’s too many useless detours. when you’re bingeing it doesn’t feel that way imho because you don’t have to wait two months for the story to come back to the part of its sprawling cast you’re interested in and to adress the “oh btw agatha was avoiding romance and lust because that’s her brain mom’s thing and she didn’t wanna give her a toehold but now she’s out!!” and... ok this one might be more my thing but like, FOR EXAMPLE today A Thing happened. so. we only had to wait five months. (or idk how long actually, i didn’t keep track of the date XD)

i’ve also lost a lot of my enthusiasm because i keep checking for updates three times a week out of habit and not having other things to do online, and then i’m like “hey alright, this is a thing” and not getting much emotional investment into it. so if i was smart i’d stop checking for idk how long and then binge, advancing through the plot like an OT3-seeking caterpillar, but! i’m not. but maybe you are? and i promise to holler if you need to catch up NOW, so maybe it could work for you like this?

on the whole i think my issue was that i caught up in the middle of the castle arc i think (? idk anymore) and there was SO MUCH energy building up between agatha and everyone else, her beaux and her minions, and that energy buoyed me for a while and then..there was a ... timeskip.. where everyone was apart AND i had to read things page by page three times a week. corbettites felt cool but slowing down because she was only with minions whose character arc with her is finished (even if they still have other plot hooks like zeetha and skifander, they’ve reached the best friends loyal forever status) and the biggest evolution was her relationship with martellus of all people, who’s a surprisingly entertaining douche with unexpected layers but still a douche a the end of the day, paris arc was alright because colette was fun and had her own character growth arc... england arc was... agatha achieved things and she technically also grew as a person via removing her mom but. it was such a huge obstacle and it didn’t feel spectacular at ALL. it should have been si vales valeo levels of WOW for all that build up and i don’t even remember anything about how it happened. the one thing i really liked was that gil and tarvek were the ones still working on their relationship, because CHARACTER AND RELATIONSHIP GROWTH, but...

you’re right that agatha is finally at a place where she CAN reciprocate, aaaand that means the guys have to be shipped off.

plot-wise it’s logical because leaving the empire was already a stupid decision by GIL, THE CURRENT DE FACTO EMPEROR, but.

agatha’s bonds with violetta and the jaegers and zeetha are also pretty damn static. and martellus can add layers as much as he wants, i’m not seeing him actually be sorry, he’s just adjusting his tactics and like, maybe he WILL actually change and become a real friend? but i’m not super invested in that either. maybe zeetha will finally have good development though! i’m hopeful about that.

but yes long story short this is probably a story that benefits immensely from reading it in batches and then wandering off for another six months. if you want to move on for a bit i promise to shine the bat signal if anything really wow shows up.

[votederpycausemufins]

I... don’t know what comment to make about this chapter. Oh, uh? i got like maaaaybe an hour of sleep last night? not even? I read fanfics.  @petrichormeraki

Grian ignored the other smp members as he tried to get through the portal. Stupid watcher form and stupid small portals! He just needed Tommy. Tommy needed to be safe. Mumbo wasn’t leaving so he would be safe, but Tommy was through this portal. That wasn’t safe.

He went through the portal himself, just leave him. No, obviously Philza pulled him in there. We are going a little crazy though, maybe it’s safer? No way!; We were protecting him, not Dadza. Should we even be calling him dadza? Watcher.; Release them from the portal. Is there any way to get smaller. I take back what I said about the 6 wings being cool, they’re just in the way now. Make one of the bots go there for him? If Jrumbot goes, he won’t be coming back. Lol yeah, he wouldn’t.

There were a lot of good suggestions, though two similar ones stood out. He could send someone through to get Tommy. Grian started to make another watcher portal to pull someone out, but then shook his head. No, why grab one of them? That wouldn’t be safe for Tommy. He closed the portal again, then looked around and grabbed Mumbo. The redstoner didn’t expect it and had no time to resist and now could only rest helplessly in Grian’s talons.

Grian plopped down on the ground to get better movement of his legs. For a moment things got even fuzzier. What did he have? Was it food? He moved it closer. Oh no, that’s Mumbo! That is not food. Why did he have Mumbo?

You idiot we need Grumbot. Is Grian okay? Guys, what if this is our fault? Mumbo can probably get us to Grumbot. DO NOT EAT THE MUMBO! Guys, it’s obvious why he thought Mumbo was food. Dude, say it and you might get banned. Watcher.; Release them from the portal. Lol I’m only joking. What if he just uses Mumbo instead of the bots? He can rebuild Grumbot if he dies. Dude, not cool. Noooo what if grumbot diesssss!

Grian briefly thought about opening the portal again. Grumbot wouldn’t like it if he got broken and Grian didn’t want to send Mambo there. Mambo. Mambo is a fun type of music. Is there any music around? That would be nice to listen to.

Aaand we’re losing him again. Is Zloy going to come fix this or what? Pixlriffs might instead. Guys, Caterpillar rave! Oh no what have you done! Boo chee boo chee boo chee bu.

Grian started dancing. The voices were making nice music. Oh and what was that? Mamb- Mumbo was saying something. “Grian? Are you okay? What’s going on?” That’s right, he wanted someone looking for Tommy! And Mumbo could do that, couldn’t he. So Grian put Mumbo through the portal. No the infinity portal. Why did he almost put Mumbo in the watcher portal. In fact, why was that there? He was supposed to get something from there right? Why did his head hurt so much?

Grian stopped thinking about that when Mumbo came back through the portal, but he didn’t have Tommy, so the Watcher pushed him back. But again he returned. And again and again and again! He couldn’t get Tommy back if Mumbo didn’t get Tommy. Wait, he was talking.

Grian focused on Mumbo as he spoke. “Grian, that portal that keeps appearing, did you put Xisuma and Tubbo in there? Yes or no.” Oh he was always so nice. He knew just what to do. “Yes. And. No.” Mumbo’s own voice came back.

“What do you mean yes and no?” Oh wait, how do I put it so you can answer. Hmm… Oh, maybe one at a time? Is Xisuma in there?” “Yes.” “Is Tubbo in there?” “No.” Mumbo rubbed his chin. “Okay, well, we still need Xisuma back.” Why did he need Xisuma back, he would just keep letting these enemies in. “Your form is a bit dangerous right now, and if you somehow killed one of us, there’s the chance we couldn’t come back.”

Grian scoffed at the idea. He wouldn’t hurt his friends. They were his friends! How could Mumbo suggest such a thing! But… Tommy probably had that fear. Maybe he had gone willingly because he was scared of that. Oh no what had he done! Grian opened the portal again and then flew into it.

Crumb had curled up on Iskall’s back and started to sleep. None of them had any idea how long they had been falling, just that slowly they had gone from one to two to four and now to seven. Iskall was projecting a game of checkers with his eye which two smp members were playing with to pass the time.

There was a noise, and everyone paused to look up, expecting to see someone new falling in to join them, but they were surprised to see Grian. The lack of gravity proved a problem as some smp members drew their swords and axes with enough force to actually start them spinning around. The Watcher stared down at everyone before speaking. “What is going on? I thought, well last I saw there were only four of you!”

“Grian?” Xisuma spoke up, hopeful about his lucid state. 

“Right, this is a watcher plane!” He ignored Xisuma for the time being. I wish I could remember what I was doing before I came in here.

“Maybe you were here to get us out?” Xisuma spoke up again, getting Grian’s attention.

“Oh X, I’m so sorry. I don’t know what I was thinking. I mean I literally don’t know since I can’t remember what I was doing just a minute ago. But yeah, getting you all out of here does seem reasonable and… oddly familiar. Probably just me trying to remember.

“Are you doing okay?” Xisuma asked, really taking in Grian’s form.

“Yes and no? I don’t know what’s happening. The other Watchers pulled me away to help me sort of figure out what’s going on, but it’s not the perfect method to let me know what’s going on. For all I know the moment I leave, I’ll try to throw you all back in here.”

“Woah, dat’s a giant bird man!” Crumb exclaimed, waking up from her nap. Grian looked down at her, cocking his head to the side.

“Hello there. I don’t think I’ve met you.”

“Oh! I’m Crumb! My dad is Sprinklez!”

“Sprinkles?”

“Jordan Sparklez. One of my friends from the vault days.”

“Right. Vault gods.” Grian frowned. “Never were a fan of them. Freaked me out when no one could see where you three went.” He then chuckled. “You know, if all of you were here, I would have thought it was their fault.”

“Yeah, well Antonio didn’t make it, though H did.” Iskall pointed to Hbomb, who waved.

“Well, that might do it. I can’t be sure but… once you’re out, before I can do anything more, you’ll need to shout out about it possibly being Vault gods. Zloy should see.”

“Zloy?” One of the smp members asked, making Xisuma look over at them.

“Grian Is a Watcher who just resides in Hermitcraft. There are Watchers, normally multiple, that watch every world. Grian’s told me that one named Zloy is a Watcher of Hermitcraft.”

Grian nodded. “Yeah, you guys have a number of them, but the one in charge is Gxrgeous.” Grian shook his head. “We’re getting off topic. I’ll grab onto some of you and the rest hold onto me.”

After everyone was situated, Grian flew them up and out through the portal he came in through in the first place. The sudden change of energy affecting him made him crash, sending most of the rescued people flying. Immediately, Xisuma was shouting into the air the message Grian wanted sent and just as he finished, he was grabbed again by Grian.

This was good. He got Xisuma out. Mumbo would be very happy. But wait, there are more people out. Why are they out too? They are supposed to go in the portal. They must have escaped when he was grabbing Xisuma. That wouldn’t do. 

Grian tried to grab the others that were rescued from the portal, but a few of them followed Mumbo’s guidance to the infinity portal and escaped that way. Grian was upset, but ultimately it was fine. They were still gone. There were just two left to get rid of. This cat thing and one other person. 

Isn’t that thing a shapeshifter? Oh, what if she turns into a giant cat? Small brain: Godzilla vs King Kong, Big brain: Grian vs shapeshifting cat. Cat vs bird will not go well. If grian is tweety and the cat is sylvester, he’ll be fiiiiiine. Hey, if it’s really Tommy’s friend, maybe it’ll also leave.

Grian stopped listening to try and grab Crumb before she could do anything more. Just before his talons could wrap around her, a form moved in front of her, holding a sword of some purple material. “Stay away from my kid.” They spoke. For a moment Grian was upset at the new opponent before realizing it would be much easier to get rid of these people with them now in the same place.

A portal formed behind Crumb and Sparklez. Grian could see as the cat noticed it and panicked, though her dad refused to talk his guard down. When the watcher attempted to push them in, he was stopped by Xisuma. “Grian, you need to stop.”

“You need to stop.” Grian replied, wanting the admin to get out of the way.

We kinda did just try to save X, so we don’t want to get rid of him again. Maybe these two are fine and we can just leave them. Why does that guy look familiar? Watcher; Tubbo. What kinda sword is that? Ah yes, I too call my cat my child. Again, isn’t she a shapeshifter?

Grian was trying to figure out why the voices thought this person was familiar. And why had someone mentioned Tubbo. Suddenly one idea popped in his head. “෦႑፩㍘¹١₁𝟘 ꘠❶᱑⓿౸۰༳๑ ႐Ⅰ㍘〇¹႞٠१ ౦Ⅰឱ꣠༠৴០߁” He asked, but no one seemed to respond well, most of them covering their ears. A few people cried in pain, but one stood out. Grian looked at Mumbo and immediately regretted saying anything. The mustached man looked like he was in agony.

Right now everything else could wait. Grian moved and grabbed Mumbo. Grian heard someone try to stop him, but this was important. He took to the air and let magic swirl around him until he was suddenly back at his mansion. The watcher ignored whatever Tubbo was saying to focus on the redstoner, hoping nothing too horrible would happen to him. “M-Mumbo…” Grian mumbled, worried about what might happen.

Tubbo moved closer and immediately Grian was ready to attack them. How dare he try to get closer to Mumbo! But then Grian saw how terrified he looked. Tubbo was Tommy’s friend. He cared for Tommy as much as Grian cared for Mumbo. Or almost as much. Grian… Grian should bring them back together. He needed to. Why did he need to? He didn’t question it and just grabbed Tubbo. The teen seemed to yell in fear, but the Watcher didn’t listen, just took the two of them back to the infinity portal.

Grian put Tubbo through the portal before sitting down in front of it. If anyone could bring Tommy back, it would be them. Their world wasn’t safe and Tommy would want to come back. So he would. It was just a matter of time.

Zloy mumbled as he looked at the documents Pixlriffs had brought. Vault gods weren’t common to deal with, but it would help explain why none of the Watchers could figure out what was going on. Zloy sent for someone to find Pritt since they had the most experience with Vault gods in recent times. The biggest event had been when three of Zloy’s hermits were taken by the Vault gods, but smaller events had occurred after that. 

In an accident, they had tried to make claim to Grian, not recognizing his Watcher status. Immediately after that, they tried for Mumbo, but that was also shut down. He doubted they were attempting to go after Grian again, but at the same time, he knew there was some truth to their claim on him. Vault gods were powered by the voices that were channeled through a person. Everyone had the potential for that, some more than others. The three hermits had taken days to recover from the sudden silence that met them on their return. And Grian had always been hearing them. He had learned to block them out, but maybe that wasn’t enough anymore. And if it wasn’t a Vault god, what could do all this?

Dream got the notification of Tubbo’s return. Everyone was back. He could close the portal. But an idea crept up from the back of his mind. What if they tried it again? What if one of them built a new portal and it led to somewhere else. Using a Watcher was helpful, and Dream didn’t want to give that up.

The former admin turned to look at the still unconscious form of Tommy. He could try and use the connection to convince the Watcher to come here. Then he could close the portal. It would be perfect.

[pinkittwice]

Linked Universe Headcanons who?

It’s been a hot second since I’ve done one of these but now I’m on tumblr on my computer so I might as well throw my thoughts out into the universe, right?

So- the outdoors.

Something every Link has experience with so it’s not even a question. I started thinking about the creepy crawlies that exist in the grass. Ya know. Like snakes, spiders, bugs, small lizards, ect... and their tolerance to such things. In the end, this list came into existence! So! Let’s go down the rabbit hole!

Time!

Has no issues what so ever. He grew up in a forest, was raised by a tree, traveled for many years and lives on a farm. He welcomes them, treats them as friends. Would not care if they decided to start crawling all over him in his sleep. 

Wild!

He likes to collect things and since they’re needed to upgrade some of his gear and make potions and such, he’s gotten used to them. 

Hell, he’d eat them.

I’d keep an eye on him. A far cry from his past self for sure.

Hyrule!

He didn’t get his nickname The Traveler for nothing. He’s seen all kinds of things- eaten all kinds of things. He’s on the same boat as Wild. Just tad bit less chaotic though. He knows what won’t kill you at least.

Four!

Also at piece with the creatures. Mostly.

He’s been small enough that half of the crawlies would have had him for dinner, so he’s not particularly threatened when he’s back to normal size and they’re next to him.

He’s not at the same level as Time where he’s cool with them on him. Nah. Keep it at arms length dude.

They can exist in the same plane of existence- in the same space in time and on earth, but the minute they land on him- dead.

No hesitation. No mercy. No regrets. Don’t crawl on him, thank you very much.

Sky!

Hates Snakes.

Skyloft, doesn’t have a lot of biological diversity but he knows spiders and bugs. Frogs and and lizards took some time to get used to. But. Snakes. Snakes!

They don’t have any legs! Just plain freaky in his eyes. 

(Psst. Don’t tell him about worms.)

Legend!

Hates bugs- but not for the reason you’d think.

In fact, he wouldn’t give you a reason. He’s mostly just annoyed by them and the multitude that are literally everywhere- the only exception is caterpillars. And only caterpillars. They remind him of one of his boss battles once so he avoids them on principle. No. It’s not being petty. I don’t know what you’re talking about.

But other than that, he’s got the experience to drown out any other discomfort, and he’s gotten used to everything else.

Wind!

He lives on an island where most of his Hyrule is under the ocean. Creepy crawlies in the grass just... aren’t there....

They are there of course but it’s more so he hasn’t really noticed how many there are. Compared to the other places he’s been visiting and everyone else’s homes, there so much. He wants to see it all! He wants to know all about them and how different they are!

Maybe or may not takes some little critters home to prank his sister.

May or may not also be immediately stopped when they see him stuffing a small bag full of spiders for reasons.... I’d keep an eye on him too.

Twilight!

He grew up on a farm so bugs and spiders alike don’t bother him. He’d rather not be near them, less of all have them on him, but he can tolerate their existence and can live peaceably with them.

Lizards are out of the question.

Nope. Nuh- uh. Not happening.

Literally everything else is fine.

But Lizards? Can’t do it. That’s where the line is drawn.

Warriors!

Nothing.

He can’t stand any of it and it kills him inside a little each time someone like Wind or Time show him a cool bug they found or when Wild holds a small fireproof lizard from Death Mountain, or when Twilight is looking for worms to use as fishing bait or when Hyrule has a frog in his hands and it nearly jumps on him...

He’s a city boy through and through.

But he’s also trying to be the cool older brother for this lot and not lose it because more often than not they’re outside where all this stuff lives so it’s not avoidable but he’d really rather not have anything of the sort near him so he’s having somewhat of a hard time.

Luckily, he’s a good actor.

Wind and Time take that as a personal challenge since they know how he really feels and want to see him crack.

It’s going to be a lot harder to keep his cool if Wild finds out.

And when Legend finds out- when not if- well... I’ll leave at that.

[undercoverwizardfanfiction]

With You When You’re Down: A ROTTMNT FanFiction One-Shot

I’m dedicating this one to @jadethest0ne​ who also helped come up with the title. Its also dedicated to anyone who ever battled depression or any other mental illness

Summary: It’s ok to feel sad sometimes, and right now Donnie doesn’t even have the will to get out of bed. But thats ok, why? Because he has a amazing family whose going to help him feel better.

Characters: Donnie, Leo, MIkey, Raph, Splinter

Pairings: I am NOT even kidding this time. You look at this fic with anything but ‘oh aren’t they a nice family’ feeling in your heart i”m going to sic my new pet Dragon Reggie on you. He loves eating t**st shippers and he’s hungry.

“Has anyone seen Purple?”

Raph tried to answer but apparently forgot he had just been trying to fit three burritos in his mouth and let out a loud choked noise but managed not to actually die. He bit through the burritos to clear his mouth and  shook his head, “No Pops sorry,” before resuming his task of fitting as many burritos in his mouth as humanly  possible.

Splinter frowned, “Red, I’ve told you this before. Small bites please, you’re too big for me to give the heimlich to anymore.” Even though Raph gave him a pained look and his shoulders sagged, he instead began to work  on two burritos at once. “I’m going to check on your brother, no one dare Raphael to put anything bigger than his head in his mouth.” Before looking directly at Leo who was already using breakfast fixings to fill an abnormally large tortilla shell. The blue turtle gave him a nervous smile before leaning back in his seat with a pout. Splinter went over to the coffee maker, knowing it was safer to approach a possibly sleeping Donatello with a peace offering than just running in and expecting him to be cool with it. Last time he had tried that, he had been three feet taller.

The rat dad took Donatello’s favorite mug and stepped to Donatello’s room, tapping the entryway, “Purrrple? It’s almost two, you may be tired but I brought you a treat.” He sang. When he didn’t get  answer he frowned, normally Donnie would give a loud shriek followed by ‘DADI’MBUSYITSSCIENCESCIENCESCIENCELETMEINPEEEAAAACCCCCEEEE!’. It wasn’t like Purple to not answer. He could still be asleep but even then he would have woken up in a rage and thrown something at him. While he normally respected his sons privacy’s enough to go to their rooms without permission (except to ‘borrow’ Mikey’s shirts), he  called, ”Purple I’m coming in.” he ducked under the curtain. The room lacked normal hum that would come from Don’s inventions and instead left the small space in silence. He almost thought Donnie was still asleep.

Til a small sob reached him.

Splinter went into the small connecting room that was Don’s sleep nook. Even in the darkness he could see Donatello was still curled up on his bed, wrapped up in his blankets like a cocoon, “Purple? Its Dad,” out of the corner of his eye Splinter could see the shattered remains of Donatello’s phone on the ground, considering Donnie once had a meltdown when Leo joked about touching his phone without permission, that wasn’t a good sign, “Purple?”

The form on the loft bed twisted around, rolling over like a caterpillar forming a cocoon to look over the edge down on him, a pair of blood shot swollen eyes peered down at him, a small sniff escaped the small confides of the cocoon as Don rubbed his face against his blanket again.

Splinter could already feel his heart ache, “Aw, Purple.” He set the mug on Don’s desk as he climbed up the loft ladder, “Can I sit?” He asked the turtle, without lookin at him, Don’s head dipped in a nod. Splinter sat on the edge of his mattress, rubbing his sons shell over his blanket, “Are we not feeling ourselves today?” He knew he wasn’t going to get an answer, but instead heard a small sad noise come from him again. Splinter remembered seeing a box of tissues sitting on his desk, snaking his tail down underneath the bed and pulling the box up to his level, “Here my son.” He set the tissue box by Donatello’s head who didn’t hesitate to take several tissues in his hands and wipe at his face. Splinter placed a soft hand on the back of Don’s head, “It’s ok my Purple Plum. We all have days like this. I’ll tell your brothers to not bother you and let you rest your soul.” Splinter moved his palm from the back of Don’s scalp to the side of his face, using his thumb to wipe a stray tear that escaped Don’s eye, “Is that alright with you my son?”

Don gave him a weak, if appreciative, smile as he nodded. Splinter held his sons face for a few more seconds before climbing down from his bed. He remembered the coffee mug he had brought it and carried it back up the ladder, “Here my boy.” He held out the mug for him, “Pure Black, just the way we like it.”

Don took the mug, squirming to a upright position, giving Splinter another appreciative , if small, smile before resting his face over the warm drink, “I’ll be back in a  few hours to check on you.” Splinter promised before climbing down the ladder one last time before leaving the room.

(#)(#)(#)(#)

Splinter had explained to them that Don wasn’t having a great day. A feeling Raph understood too well, but that didn’t make it easier to know one of his brothers was suffering too. Of course, his first reaction to finding out had been to go check on Don, at least before Splinter caught him  and made him promise not to go in there with the purpose of asking him a ton of ‘are you ok’ questions and draining his mental health more than it already was.

So, for the first part of the morning, he focused on his rubix cube. Though it was second nature at this point to twist it in the right shape, it did nothing to distract him. He had considered maybe getting his other rubix cube and go challenge Don to a rubix cube race, but Splinter hadn’t thought it was a good idea. He said they shouldn’t stress Don anymore then possible (and if they did, he would ground them to the moon and back). The big and beautiful turtle let out a sigh, setting his rubix cube down as he absentmindedly looked around his room. It was hard knowing his brother was in such a state without a way to help him, but then his eyes fell on a certain pink caboodle and a giant smile encompassed his face.

Raph snatched it up and jogged out of his room, making a beeline for Don’s. Leo, who was doing a handstand on his skateboard, saw where he was heading and looked like he was going to try and stop him til Raph held up the caboodle for him to see. The red slider narrowed his eyes before giving him a nod of approval. Raph had to stop from bursting into Don’s room and take a moment to knock, “coming in buddy!” He said ducking under the curtain. The form on the bed twitched before Don looked towards the entrance with a look of surprise on his face, “Oh, sorry” Raph apologized weakly, “I should have asked permission,” he said as Don’s gave him a slight frown and laid back down on his bed with his shell to him. Don’s bed was covered in used tissues and an empty tissue box lay on the floor as though Don had tossed it aside when it lost its usefulness to him. “I’m sorry,” Raph apologized again in a softer voice. He sometimes forgot his loudness could unintentionally set off Don’s headaches and sensory issues. “I didn’t come in here to stress you out if that helps,” he started. “The last time I was depressed, Dad did my nails for me. So, I thought I’d see if you wanted me to do yours!” He held up his caboodle, ‘“Mikey’s been giving me lessons too so I won't mess up so bad!” Raph took a moment to check the volume and tone of his voice, he didn’t want Don to feel like he wasn’t giving him a choice, “I mean it's up to you.”

For the first time since Raph entered the room, Donnie looks at him from over his shoulder, his expression is softer this time, as though forgiving Raph for coming to his room so loud. A few months ago, Donnie told him that Raph reminded him of a large dog that always forgot it wasn’t a puppy anymore, but he had said it with a smile so it couldn’t be an entirely bad thing.  He looks to the caboodle then to his nails and gives a nod so slight Raph almost misses it. “Ok cool!” Raph sets the caboodle on the desk under Don’s bed, “I think I have just the color, I saw it the other day when I was shopping with Mikey and it made me think of you.” He pulled out a thing of purple nail polish, “It’s glow in the dark,” he holds it up. In the dark room the purple contents give a soft glow, “And there’s glitter in it. It kinda reminded me of space so I figured you’d like it. Do you want me to use this?”

Don studies it for a moment, but then nods again, “Ok cool times two!” Before he starts, he notices Don doesn’t have his telltale hoodie, a source of comfort for him, “Hey if you want, while your nails are drying, I’ll do a load of your laundry and bring you one of your hoodies back. I’ll ask Leo for help so I don’t accidentally use the wrong fabric softener. Is that ok?” He once again gets a soft nod and sets to work. He also makes sure to clean the tissues off Don’s bed and bring him a new box before leaving to do his promised laundry.

(V)(V)(V)(V)

Mikey slid his spatula underneath the newly formed toasted sandwich before setting it carefully on a plate with a few cut up carrots on the side and a cup of oyster crackers. He takes a moment to check the tray for everything he was going to need - Mikey’s phone, a meal, a box of hand wipes, and a water jug of sugar free sports drink. With a nod of satisfaction, he picks up the tray and makes his way to Don’s room, using his foot to tap the outside of Don’s room before ducking in. “Hey Donnie!” he says with his trademark large smile. The softshell turtle was propped up on a few pillows wearing a purple hoodie with the hood up and looking at his nails when he looked at him with a nod of greeting, “I brought you something to help you feel better.” He practically skips over, “Last time I was sad, Raph made sure that I had water and ate something. Even if you’re not hungry now.” He almost laughs at the suspicious way Don was studying the sandwich, “Don’t worry it's not a Leo sandwich, it’s toasted mustard and ketchup. Your favorite.” Don nods at him, but sets the food aside. Mikey made a mental note to check later to make sure that Donnie actually ate. He did feel better to see Don drink out of the water jug before the hand wipes caught the soft shell turtles attention, “Oh that’s something Leo taught me too. It’s a good way to clean yourself without having to take a shower. I know you don’t like feeling dirty, so I figured you’d like it. There’s also some gum to clean your teeth”

Don blinks at him before opening the container. Its only then Mikey notices the soft purple glow coming from his nails, “Aw! I see Raph was here too!” Don nodded, he was already using a hand wipe to clean his neck and face. Mikey picked up the trash can and pulled Don’s chair around so it could rest it on it. Giving Don a closer vantage to it. He figures Don will finish his ‘hand wipe bath’ when he’s got privacy. “Hey dude you remember that AMV I was making for Jupiter Jim the Musical? The one made like a silent film??” He paused, thinking for a moment, “wait, actually how is it a musical if it’s a silent film?” He looks to Don for the answer, as he usually does, but Don just shrugs. “I was thinking of using a StarSet song, and since you basically listen to them all the time I thought I’d ask you for help picking one out. Is that ok?”

Honestly he wasn’t sure what he was expecting, maybe having Don roll away. He should of asked Leo if this was a good idea but instead Donnie scooted away from the ladder, patting the spot he had been sitting in. With a smile that can barely be contained by his round naturally happy face Mikey climbs up the ladder taking out his phone and pulling up the StarSet playlist he had made. He nearly jumps out of his skin when Don rests his cheek on his scalp but makes sure to give him a smile before starting the playlist.

(#)(#)(#)(#)

Leo honestly hates it when the Lair is quiet. Even though it’s barely evening, it feels almost unnatural for a home that had seen so many fires that he was sure the fire department would condemn them. Hours earlier, Splinter had told them that Donnie was experiencing a depressive episode and that they should respect his space and privacy as much as possible. But of course, had he been told his favorite Donnie was in such a state a few months earlier, he would have run through the wall and trapped Donnie in a death cuddle from which there was no escape. But at this point he knew better, so even though he watched Splinter, Raph and Mikey go visit Donnie at different times during the day, he stayed his distance, staying close enough that if he heard anything he could interfere.

So now he sits at the kitchen table, drumming his fingers on the surface. If anyone had been in the room with him, they would tell him to take a breath and stop feeling so anxious. But he can’t help it. Anxiety was a nasty devil who lived in your brain reminding you of all your mistakes you’ve made and all your mistakes to come.

Leo leans back in his seat, and takes a deep breath.

The anxiety feels further away.

The turtle stands up and stops by his room long enough to pick up his favorite blue hoodie. He makes sure to take a deep breath before knocking on Don’s door (I think you should specify which door), “Your favorite Leo’s coming in.” He calls gently before ducking under the curtain. He’s almost surprised to see the room still so clean, he can see clean clothes hanging from Don’s closet and a trash can situated on a chair by Don’s bed is filled with tissues and wipes. It fills his heart to know his brothers cared so much to come in here and to do little things to help him.

But Don doesn’t even roll over to acknowledge him, he can barely see Donnie scrub at his eyes again before curling up under his blanket. With a soft sigh, Leo walks over and climbs up the ladder, “Still not feeling ok buddy?” He asks crossing his arms over the top rung and resting his head on them as Donnie nodded in agreement. ”It's ok,” he drummed his fingers over the surface of Don’s mattress, picking up a few stray crumbled tissues and dropping them over the side of the bed. “Remember when I had my bad day a few weeks ago? I went to my room and refused to come out. I was a little angrier than I think you are now. But you came in and just hung out with me? You set up a projector in my room and we watched Jupiter Jim movies all night and you did that JJ impression that always makes me laugh.”  He couldn’t help but smile softly at the memory. Eventually his room was full of their small family all curled up on his bed watching a low budget sci-fi movie series, even Splinter (who had some beef JJ he didn’t understand) joined in. Mikey sat on Raph’s shoulders doodling on his mask as Leo laid his head on Donnie's lap and laughed himself silly.

Leo blinks out of his memory and smiles up at him “You know what? Give me a sec.” He leaps off the ladder and hurries to Don’s lab. It feels almost eerie to see all his inventions shut down, but he snatches up Donnie’s tablet from its charging station and comes back to Don’s bed. “I’m actually kinda bored, wanna hang out and watch Ted Talks?” At first Don doesn’t look at him, his eyes were so swollen that Leo wasn’t entirely sure he could see anything. He was prepared to leave if Don wanted him to, but is relieved when Donnie nodded. Leo beams as he scrambles up the ladder. He gathers the pillows around to make a makeshift seat for the two of them, snuggling into his spot. “Not to sound too humble, but I can basically make the best pillow throne ever right Donnie-Dee?” He smiles praising his naturally humble nature before he scoots over enough to give Donnie space free of him but is again surprised when Donnie curls up next to him and rests his head on Leos’ shoulder. At first, he thought Don just wanted to see the screen better. But then his immediate brother begins to tremble, pulling down the rim of his hoodie down to to cover his face as he began to sob softly.

The blue masked turtle immediately wraps his arms around his brother, resting his cheek on his brother's scalp. He is unsure what he could say to comfort him, but when he felt Don press his face into his shoulder, he knew this would suffice.

He wasn’t sure how long he sat there rocking his favorite weeping Donnie in his arms. But slowly he felt Don’s sobs fade away with his trembles, and eventually he pulls his face away enough to pull his tears tainted hoodie away from his face. Leo, without releasing his hold, pulls the box of tissues closer. “It’s ok to feel sad sometimes,” he says rubbing his cheek against Don’s temple to give him the space to wipe his eyes. “Just don’t forget that we love you Dee. We’ll always be here to take care of you. Your big brain knows that right?” He said peering at his brother's face. Donnie gave him a shaky smile and a nod, “See? That’s why you’re the smart one buddy.” Leo says with a smile

A soft noise escapes Donnie that Leo realizes is supposed to be a laugh, and he rubs his scalp. He settles back to hold the tablet up when Don reaches over to a plate Leo hadn’t noticed and tore a grilled sandwich in half, before pausing and stuffing one of the sides with some few remaining carrot sticks. Leo grins. “Aw see? You know me so well,” he says taking the carrot sandwich half with one hand and holding up the tablet with the other so Don could see it. Later, when Don was obviously getting annoyed with the flawed logic behind the Ted Talks, Leo would mute the screen and give his best impression of what he thought the ‘experts’ were saying. Even though Don laughed, it wasn’t so much Leo’s humor it was the horrible jokes that had him drag a hand down his face and succumbing to giggles. Later that night, they would be joined by the rest of their family. There wasn’t room for a projection screen, but Mikey brought in several of his favorite board games and they made a circle that would include Don’s bed. Sharing stories and telling jokes long into the night. Though Don didn’t share any stories, he laughed louder than everyone else, and at one point had to escape Leo’s ‘tickle torture’ when he rolled his eyes too many times at his jokes.

But nothing could keep the smile off his face after that.

[thiswasinevitableid]

11. Centaur Indruck (maybe specifically Duck) rating up to you

Here you go! I went with SFW, and a western theme just for fun.

It’s only May, but the desert air is hot and dry, will only get more so as the summer spreads across the mountains. The sun drives Duck to the stream running down the hill, it’s banks shaded by cottonwoods. Pa Newton sent him in search of flowers for the table; it’s Ma Newton’s birthday, and her husband is determined to make it perfect. 

“I only get so much time away from the mines, best make the most of it.”

Duck knows just what to pick. Lupines and Daisies will make the perfect bouquet. He spies a clump of daisies, lowers himself to the ground, taking care not to crush too many as he sits. There’s a scuff of rock as grey-brown dust lands on his shoulder. He looks up, expecting a jackrabbit or maybe even a deer, and finds a human staring down at him. 

The boy must be about his age, his pale hair falling about a face that’s as skinny as the rest of him. His clothes look fancy, which is at odds with the tear in the knee and smudges on his cheeks. Brown eyes are watery as they stare back at Duck, and he suspects his hands are over his mouth because he was crying and didn’t want Duck to hear him. 

“Uh, howdy.” He waves. Instead of waving back, the boy seems more alarmed. 

Maybe he’s never seen a centaur before?

Duck tries again, “You lost? I’m goin back up to town real soon, and if I can’t help you, my folks can.”

The boy sniffs, “I’m not lost. I’m hiding.”

“From what?” Duck gathers up his daisies, spots lupine near the rock where the boy is perching. 

“Other boys in town. I hate it here, hate how hard it is to breathe, hate the dust, hate how there’s odd things like centaurs and cactus cats out here-”

“Hey!”

The boy winces so intensely Duck regrets yelling, “Apologies. I just, I wish we’d never left the city.”

That explains the clothes. Duck, at eleven years old, knows very little about the town economy. But he knows that while the silver is found in the mines around his home, the money runs down hill to Carson City.

“How come you did?”

“Father got a new job at the bank. Why are you here?” He cocks his head. 

“‘Cause my family’s lived in these parts for six generations.”

“No, I meant by the water.”

“Oh. Uh, pickin flowers for my mama.”

“Don’t let the other boys see you. If they broke my glasses for drawing flowers, I don’t think they’ll be too kind to you.”

Duck shrugs, “I ain’t scared of them. And there ain’t nothin wrong with drawin flowers.” Bouquet finished, he stands, the boy’s eyes widening as he registers the differences in their shapes. 

“You wanna walk up the hill with me?”

“Yes, please.” 

As the trek back to the dusty streets of Virginia City, he learns the human is called Indrid, and that he’s much more talkative than his initial reticence implied. They’re mid discussion of the caterpillars Indrid is raising when they reach a fine, three story house. Indrid bids Duck good afternoon. Duck asks him to wait, takes a lupine from the bouquet, and tucks it safely into the buttonhole on his jacket. 

------------------------------------------------

“Want some?” Duck holds out a biscuit from his lunch pail. Indrid takes it, scarfing it down in one go.

“Hungry?” Duck teases, sipping from his canteen. 

“Enough to eat a horse.” Indrid grins as his friend clutches his sides, laughing. He’d used the turn of phrase accidentally two weeks ago, then tried to cover it with a joke about only if the horse was willing, which only made his friend guffaw and wheeze harder. Now, whenever one of them needs to crack the other up, they mention eating horses.

They’re fourteen, and have spent the better part of the summer working on the Newton Ranch. Duck’s father, after a very close call in the silver mines, decided to extend his time above ground by running an egg and dairy supply for the town. Indrid convinced his father that it was good for a young man to earn a living with his hands during his youth, as it would make him strong and healthy. Mr. Cold, with a little assurance from Mrs. Newton that she would make sure the boys didn’t loaf about, agreed.Mrs. Newton is a woman of her word. Here he is wind-burnt and tan, sweat running down his back and callouses forming on his hands. 

He’d do double the work if it meant staying near Duck. Duck’s parents seem to suspect this, and some combination of them wanting their son to be happy and wanting to earn the good graces of a wealthy family leads them to give the boys time to rest or wander about the farm after dinner before sending Indrid on his way. 

It’s during one such evening circuit, on the far edge of the property, that Indrid finds a chipmunk burrow with his foot. The pain in his ankle sends him to the ground. 

“Ow.”

“Shit. Can you stand at all?”

Indrid tries it and sits right back down, “No. I guess we’ll have to go very, very slow on the way back so I can hobble, and pray another hole doesn’t take out my left foot as well.”

Duck flicks his tail, “I mean, if you wanna take all night, sure. But, uh, what if I give you a ride?”

Indrid blinks at him in the twilight. Riding a centaur is Not Done; the centaurs find it insulting, and humans view it as scandalous. 

“You won’t get in trouble, I promise, and I’ll go slow.”

He nods and the centaur kneels, the human clambering awkwardly onto his back. 

“Duck? Where do I put my hands?”

“Huh. Around my shoulders, maybe? Yeah, that don’t mess up my balance none.”

Indrid presses himself to Duck’s back, marveling at the strength in the muscles moving beneath him.

“You know” he murmurs into Duck’s hair, “I’m awfully tempted to say giddyup or some such nonsense.”

“You do and I’ll buck you off and leave you for the coyotes.”

“You can buck me anytime.”

Duck calls his bluff by giving the world’s smallest buck. Indrid yelps, then cackles into his shoulders as Duck trots forward, the two of them laughing into the desert night. 

-------------------------------------------------

“Blasted mosquitos” Indrid waves his sketchbook in the summer air. At sixteen, he’s taken to wearing red spectacles and black clothing. This style, combined with the sharp angles of his face, leads more than a few people in town to say he looks sinister. 

Duck thinks he’s dashing. Not that he spends much time looking, not at all. Indrid is such a constant in his life that he hardly notices the changes as they age. Except when Indrid smiles at him in a secretive way or when, as he did yesterday, he strips down to nothing for a swim in the river. 

“Maybe they’re mad you ain’t drawin them.” Duck reaches into the cool water, picking up several stones just right for skipping. 

“But I have. I used my magnifying glass to make a detailed sketch of one last week.”

“Jesus, ‘Drid, is there anythin you ain’t drawn at this point?” The stone skips five times

“Well….I haven’t drawn you.”

“You’ve drawn me plenty.” Six skips this time, not bad.

“I mean in the, ah, traditional sense.”

Ker-plunk

The stone sinks in one as Duck looks over at his friend. 

“You already have your shirt off. Even with the wrap gone, I, ah, I couldn’t see, that is, only if you want to.” He sighs, “I’m not expressing this well. What I mean is that you have the finest form of any human or centaur I know. I would like to capture it, try to do it justice. If, if you’ll let me?”

Duck stands, grabs the strap of the wrap covering his lower, “You’re hard to say no to, ‘Drid.”

“You can if you...need...to.” Indrid follows the fabrics path to the ground, then fixes his eyes on Duck as he lowers himself into a comfortable position. 

“This good?”

“Extremely.” The human’s gaze fights to stay clinical as it scans him, rough outlines of his body forming on the paper. Soon, Indrid is engrossed in the illustration, though whenever they lock eyes or he glances at Duck’s chest or hindquarters, he goes pink. 

Duck whistles, tracks the songbirds hopping from tree to tree. His friend doffs his jacket, rolls the sleeves of his white shirt up as sunbeams scatter through the trees.

“You really are handsome.” Indrid murmurs, “you know that, right?��

“Heard as much from folks now and then. But you sayin’ it is a, uh, interestin development. Almost like you’re tryin to tell me somethin.” His voice catches between teasing and earnest, afraid moving too far one way or the other will scare his friend away.

“I...I need to get closer, to capture some details.” He slides off the rock to sit on his knees near Duck’s chest. The half-finished drawing peeks out from the paper, it’s perspective too far away for Indrid’s current examination to be of any use to it. 

“What details are you hopin’ to capture?” Duck pushes pale hair out of Indrid’s eyes.

“I, ah, the dapples just here, and this line, oh to hell with it.” He lunges into a kiss, so eager he nearly knocks Duck sideways. The centaur snickers, cups his face as ink-stained fingers thread into his hair. Indrid licks into his mouth, messy and unpracticed. Duck holds him there tames the frantic exploration down to something more refined but no less hungry. By the time they separate, Indrid’s face is bright red and Duck’s lips are sore. 

“‘Drid?” He brushes their noses together, runs his palms soothingly up and down a rumpled white shirt. 

“I’ve wanted that for so long.” Indrid sighs, curling closer in spite of the heat. Holding him like this, able to inhale his sweat and aftershave and feel his heartbeat, Duck understands there’s no going back. There is no pretending not to know, not to see the way Indrid looks at him. Which is fine by Duck; he loves Indrid Cold, and he doesn’t plan on stopping any time soon.

-----------------------------------------------

Duck is twenty years old when he learns that joy and heartbreak can exist in one body without ripping it apart. This is a pity, since he’d prefer bifurcation to the sorrow on Indrid’s face. 

“I’m sorry, Duck. I have to stay here and take over the bank, even though following you west is all I want to do.”

Two months ago, a friendly man stopped while Duck was tending the garden outside city hall and chatted with him for the better part of an hour as the centaur worked. The man turned out to be a millionaire with a massive estate mid-way up the California coast, including parts of a forest he wished to maintain but keep wild. He offered Duck the role of head gardener and arborist, and the contract was signed a week ago. The centaur assumed, from his active encouragement and celebration, that Indrid was coming with him on this once-in-a-lifetime chance. 

“I’ll send a wire, tell ‘em I gotta back out.”

“You will do no such thing.”

“Seems to me you don’t get a say in that.” 

“Duck, please” Indrid sets his left hand on his shoulder, right clenched at his side, “please do not cast your future aside on my account. Just because I have to stay here doesn’t mean you do.”

“Why do you have to stay at all?”

“I’ve been groomed to take my fathers’ place for years. I’m not sure there’s a way out of that, not one that I can see. Sometimes, fate is not in our favor.”

“Fuck fate.” He stops his front hoof.

“Here, you might need this out in California” Indrid lifts his fist, intending to give what it contains back to Duck, as the centaur placed the item there not even five minutes ago. 

Duck stops his hand, wraps his own around it, “No. I know the man for me is right here.”

“As do I” Indrids voice is tight. When his face drops against Duck’s chest, it’s damp with tears.

“Then he better write to me to let me know how he’s gettin on. And if he” Duck swallows around the painful possibility in his throat, “if he ever changes his mind, all he’s gotta do is send it back to me in a letter.”

Indrid slips his hand into his pants pocket, “Understood.”

--------------------------------------------------------

“Duck!” Leo, one of Mr. Greenbanks two bodyguards, hails Duck from the mansions’ patio, “come on in a second, someone Mr. G wants you to meet.”

The centaur wipes his hands and trots briskly up the path to the house, droplets of fog strung through his hair. Most days he likes the peace and quiet of his work, but today he’s not in a contemplative mood; Indrid’s last letter was two weeks ago, when they usually come once a week if not more. Illness doesn’t stop him, he simply asks a friend in town to take down and post the letters. 

Once he’s certain he won’t track mud into the house, Duck makes his way towards the voices in the parlor. He must be more heartsick than usual today, because that voice sounds like-

“Ah, Duck, here you are. This is Mr. Indrid Cold, a talented young artist who will be illustrating my various scientific writings. And,” Mr. Greenbank winks, “will have the honor of being in charge of any artistic endeavors at the Academy of Sciences.”

Indrid extends his hand. Duck kisses it out of habit, notes his employers' perplexed expression an instant too late. 

“It’s a, uh, an old, uh, centaur custom--no, fuck, it’s-”

“We are well known to each other.” Indrid smiles his most genteel smile.

“Splendid! I’m hoping to draw up extensive records of my arboretum, so it’s good you two get along.”

“Indeed.” Indrid tips his head, then turns his attention away from Duck, “where would you like me to unpack my things?”

Duck leaves them to their logistics, stunned. Indrid not only being here, but acting distant after six months apart raises so many questions that he wants to lay down in the flowerbeds and holler until someone answers them. 

He busies himself among forest wildflowers instead, wondering why Indrid never mentioned he was applying for that position. 

“I hope this explains the gap in my communication.” Indrid, shivering near a tree-trunk, pulls out a handkerchief and wipes his glasses, “I didn’t want to tell you my plans for fear they’d fall through and make you all the more disappointed. Also, the journey here was rather chaotic due to an attempted train robbery. All that is to say I’m sorry if I caused you any distress.”

“Yeah, you did” Duck sets down his tools, “but it was so fuckin worth it.” He yanks the human into an embrace, kisses him until his glasses are all askew. Indrid moans, slipping his fingers under the hem of his work shirt to stroke the band where skin meets fur. 

“What happened to fate?” Duck nips his jaw.

“As someone I know so eloquently put it: fuck fate.”

“Smart fella.”

“He is.” Indrid pulls back, mapping Ducks’ body with his hands, “And I also have something for him.” The human tucks a sprig of Lupines-- weighed down with a silver engagement ring--into Duck’s shirt pocket.

“You said sending it with a letter meant the end of things. By that same token, delivering it in person signals their beginning, yes?”

“Yeah.” Duck kisses him, soft as the lifting fog, “guess we better tell Mr. Greenbank he can just let you stay in my cottage.”

“Indeed. May I, ah, see this lovely abode?”

“Right this way. You want me to give you a ride.”

Indrid shakes his head, simply takes Duck’s hand and falls into step beside him, “No. I suspect there will be plenty of opportunities for, ah, riding later. After all, I’m here to stay.

[invisibleinorange]

Chapters: 7/? Fandom: Bridgerton Rating: T Warnings: Presumed Character Death Relationships: Colin Bridgerton/Penelope Featherington,  Eloise Bridgerton/Penelope Featherington(besties),  Bridgerton Family Dynamics, Simon Hastings/Daphne Bridgerton Characters: Colin Bridgerton,  Penelope Featherington, Eloise Bridgerton, Anthony Featherington,  Benedict Bridgerton,  Portia Featherington, Violet Bridgerton Additional Tags:  Bridgerton, Polin Summary:  Unexpected bad news arrives for the Bridgerton Family (and friends) regarding Colin's travels. This will be a series that is set after "The Duke and I" or season one of the show. It is a companion piece to "Goodbyes". (#I’mHereToKillYouAllWithFeels)

Furious didn’t begin to cover it. Penelope was practically shaking with rage as she made her way into the cool of night.   It was almost nice to feel something other than heartbreak though.

She couldn’t quite put a finger on who she was mad at. It was more a general anger that had been building up for some time.  The proposal had just been a triggered that sent it bubbling up.

She’d had to leave her home or she knew she would have done far worse than raise her voice or walk away from a proposal.  She had spent years dreading the moment she came of age to become part of society.

She’d been a particularly normal child and she knew that once upon a time her mother had treated her much the same she treated her other children.  Her sisters had always been naturally thin, perfectly average but she had always been softer.  Her mother had assumed she’d outgrow the baby fat but it never happened and the older she became, the more her mother saw fit to constantly insult her.

It was a nearly daily battle attack of her appearance and when it wasn’t that, it was something else.  At some point, she’d stopped thinking she’d ever amount to much of anything.  She never quite felt enough. Her mother had ensured as much. When her mother all but deemed her ineligible, she believed it to be true.

That was why she became skilled into camouflaging into walls.  If people didn’t notice her, they couldn’t hurt her.  Only part of her plan had worked.  The problem was that she did care.  She wanted to be the person who got asked to dance. She wanted someone to deliver her flowers. She wanted to be enough for someone.

She had been.

Her mind couldn’t quite believe the words that Colin had written her though. The last words he would ever write her.  There wouldn’t be any romance from Mister Bridgerton.

The fact that Benedict thought that he could just come, propose to her and everything was going to turn out okay was preposterous.

Sure, she knew he was a good guy. That wasn’t her problem though.

She’d spent half her life praying that one day she’d wake up and just be part of the Bridgerton family instead of her own.  She couldn’t do this though; She refused to accept a proposal borne of grief or sympathy.

She wouldn’t curse someone to the misfortunate of being stuck with her, especially when she knew that they weren’t in love with her nor she them.  Her mother would have found it foolhardy to even care about such things but for Penelope Featherington there was nothing more important.

Penelope wasn’t sure that anyone actually loved her. Even Colin had called her a friend.  She project her own feelings into his words a million times over but they didn’t make them his. She wouldn’t have believed them even if he uttered them to her.

That didn’t change the fact that Colin Bridgerton was the only man that she’d ever loved and in the depths of her heart, she wasn’t sure there was room for anyone else.

Colin had been there since he was a boy and even he would never be an old man, he’d be there in hers until her time came.

Perhaps that was why her feet carried her through the streets almost absently until she found herself pushing past a gate and into a darkened graveyard with an adjacent church.  It was almost eerie with the silence.

She made her path through the graves, not even stopping in her own family tomb where she knew her own father laid.  Instead she moved, not settling until she saw the Bridgerton name.  Without a body, Colin would never be placed there amongst his family members.

--

A gloved hand touched her back from behind and it was enough to startle her, made her turn in panic.  As childish as it was, she half expected to see a ghost. Instead she saw something far scarier: Violet Bridgerton.

The last time she’d seen the matriarch of the family, she’d been crumbling but the woman before her seemed back to her usual strength, though clearly sad.

“I apologize for startling you,” Violet said before her eyes seemed to access the situation and concern spread across her features.  “It’s not safe for a Lady such as yourself to be wandering after dark alone, improperly covered for the night.  You’ll freeze, My Dear.  What are you doing out here?”

“I – was,” Penelope stammered, mildly afraid and unable to really formulate an excuse in her head.  A part of her wondered just how much Violet knew of everything. She wasn’t about to ask.  Instead she recovered, nodded politely and said, “You’re unaccompanied yourself, Lady Bridgerton.”

“Violet, Dear,” she told her with a sad laugh, urging the informality. “I suppose that’s fair. I always sneak out when the children are distracted or asleep, especially when I wish to visit with their father.  I wasn’t aware he already had an audience tonight. Has he been much help?”

Penelope felt relief wash over her in a way.  She felt she had been let in on some really important adult secret.  She couldn’t help but wonder if any of Violet’s children knew about their mother’s habit.  There was something weirdly comforting in knowing that the woman still sought out her husband even though he’d been dead for so long.

Violet’s devotion to her husband was so endearing that Penelope couldn’t help but feel safe to speak openly.

“Sadly no,” Penelope told her.  “Though, I suppose the fact that you’re here could be an answer in itself. I’m sorry if I’m intruding on your time.”

Was this a sign?  Had Colin directed his mother here from Heaven to show her that even if he was gone it was okay to love him forever?

“It’s not an intrusion.  I’d be remiss to not side with you and say that this meeting was kismet,” the elder Bridgerton told her.  “Please unburden yourself on me.  My children think I’m so delicate that they’ve taken to keeping everything from me, forcing my convalesce instead of letting me attend to them and they’re the ones who need their mother most right now.”

Never in her life had she wanted Violet Bridgerton to be her mother more.

“Funny,” she started with a light smile. “They’re treating me much the same. Less mothering, more thinking I need to be … taken care of.”

“Do you not wish to be?” Violet asked, almost disregarding that there could possibly be more questions to ask before that for context. There was something in the look in her eyes that told Penelope that somehow the older woman knew far more than she was saying though.

“Not like this,” Penelope told her honestly.

“I take my role as mother very seriously. I’ve always known my children and the things that make them who they are.  I’ve known that you fancied my son for far longer than probably even you are aware. I’m also aware that of his many gifts, being quick on the uptake isn’t one of them,” Violet started in, leaving Penelope to awkwardly shift on her feet.  “Colin is – was – remarkable and I have no doubt he could have made you very happy but as his mother, I have to urge you to not miss out on life mourning him. Graveyards are lonely places to spend one’s time sneaking away to.”

“It’s not-“ Penelope started, wanting to protest a little and perhaps explain.

“No, you listen to me. When my Edmund died, the world ceased spinning on its axis. It took a considerable amount of time to find my footing again.  I had to learn to navigate life again. My children are who restored me. They healed me and every day I strive to heal them.  Grief doesn’t fade but you learn to live without those who leave you. My children are the living, breathing proof of a great love that exists only in my heart these days. They give my life meaning as they grow and begin their own lives. You must find what gives your life meaning. You do not have to let Colin go from your heart to leave room for others to enter it.”

“I don’t think anyone is exactly fighting for room in my heart,” Penelope finally managed to say. She still wasn’t completely sure how much her older companion knew. Would she be speaking to her in such a manner if she did.   “I don’t think I’m meant for a great love like yours. Not now.”

“Honestly Penelope Featherington!” Violet said with a motherly tick.  “You’re a delight. I’ve known you since the day your mother birthed you.  I won’t hear this because it’s simply not true. You were always destined for greatness. You’re just a caterpillar who hasn’t quite transformed into a butterfly yet.  Someone was always bound to see you for who you are.  I would have loved to have you as a daughter but even if you were never meant to be a Bridgerton, we’ll always be there to remind you of your worth. ”

[spaced-out-imagines]

The Mentor’s Child (a multi-chapter Shinsou x reader fic): Chapter 6

First Chapter | Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

Warnings: none!

If you like my stuff you can buy me a ko-fi here!

Taglist: @universal-imagines​, @lucio-the-beautiful-goat​, @lostgirlheart​, @katsheen​, @estrellitaaart​, @complexhouseplant​, @vinaios​, @ale-the-jedi​, @ewwis​

A/n: hey guys sorry for the late update. I was just hit by a really bad slump and I couldn’t write at all for a couple of weeks. I hope you enjoy this chapter anyways!

“Oh god I hope this wasn’t a big mistake,” was the only thing running through your head. You and Shinsou were walking down the sidewalk, making your way to the cafe. Shinsou matched your pace which made the trek a little less awkward thankfully. However, you were still panicking slightly on the inside.

Shinsou hadn’t said anything since you left the school and the only time you spoke was to give directions. The air was a bit tense but both of you chose to ignore it. You hoped that when the two of you arrived at your destination then a conversation would naturally occur. But, you also had a sinking feeling that you would have to carry said conversation, simply because Shinsou wasn’t the social type. 

Luckily the cafe wasn’t too far away from the school and soon enough the building came into sight. You let out a sigh of relief and you pointed at the sign out front. “There it is,” you told Shinsou. He simply nodded and you walked up to the door. You opened it, a bell chiming as you did, and held the door open for Shinsou behind you. 

You were about to walk up to the counter, already knowing what you wanted as you had been there before, but stopped when you remembered Shinsou had to check the menu. Glancing at him, you said, “I’ll wait until you know what you want before I order, I’ve been here several times so I already know what I want.”

Shinsou met your gaze and he shrugged. “I’m just going to get a black coffee so we can just go up now if you want.”

“Oh um okay,” you muttered. You went up to the counter and placed an order for your favourite pastry and drink. The cashier swiftly inputted it and you handed him the money before giving your name. He gave you a smile as he passed you your receipt. Shooting him a small grin back, you stepped aside to let Shinsou place his order. You went to stand by the pick-up counter and Shinsou joined you after a minute or two. 

The two of you waited there for a little while before both your names were called back-to-back. You went up and grabbed your pastry bag along with your drink in one hand. After a quick internal debate, you also took Shinsou’s cup and turned around to hand it to him. He nodded in thanks and began to walk towards a free table by the windows. The two of you sat down and settled in, putting down your bags and cups. Shinsou wrapped his hands around his mug while you took out your pastry. As you took a bite of the sweet treat you couldn’t help the hum of delight that came from your vocal cords before quickly covering up the sound by clearing your throat. Shinsou simply looked at you in amusement as he took a sip of his coffee.

Silence filled the air as both of you drank your beverages. As the minutes passed, you felt the tenseness leave your shoulders and you allowed yourself to lean back in the comfy armchair. Drumming your fingers on the round wooden table, your eyes moved up to look at Shinsou. He was looking out the window, watching as people walked around. The sun shone through the window and onto his face. It turned his indigo hair a shade lighter, making it almost a violet colour, and it caused his eyes to shine. However, it also made those dark eye bags stand out more on his pale skin and you couldn’t help but frown in concern.

‘“So how do you like the training so far?” you asked, breaking the silence, “is it tiring along with all your other schoolwork?”

Shinsou turned to face you and he hummed, thinking for a moment. “It’s not that bad. I’ve gotten used to a certain routine at this point. The training itself is difficult for sure but I have a lot to catch up on if I want to get into the hero course so I’m prepared to work hard,” he replied.

You nodded in understanding. “I was just wondering because you always look so tired. Those are some heavy eye bags after all,” you said and touched the skin under your own eyes.

He snorted and smirked slightly. “I’ve had these long before high school, the training with Aizawa-sensei has nothing to do with it. At this point, I think they’re going to stay for the rest of my life.” This statement caused a chuckle to escape and you took a sip of your drink. Shinsou then asked, “are you planning on trying to get into the hero course?”

This question caught you off guard and you almost choked on the liquid going down your throat. You roughly swallowed and coughed slightly. Shinsou looked at you, a little concerned, but you waved your hand to signal you were fine. After taking a moment to compose yourself, you replied, “...no I’m not planning to.”

“Why not? I thought since you’re Aizawa-sensei’s kid you would want to follow in his footsteps,” he said, raising an eyebrow.

“I’ve honestly considered it many times before but the hero life just isn’t for me,” you said with a bitter smile, “I would have to use my quirk a lot and I’m just not comfortable with that… as you could already tell. Even if it would be cool to follow my parents’ footsteps I just can’t see myself doing it.”

Shinsou stared at you for a moment before nodding. The two of you then sat in awkward silence for a few minutes, not knowing what to say to each other. You timidly nibbled at your pastry and stared at the table, avoiding his gaze. Just as you were about to say sorry for making things tense Shinsou spoke up again.

 “You know I meant what I said during that training session,” he said. You raised an eyebrow at him which he took as a signal to continue, “I’m referring to when I said your quirk is useful. If you catch your opponents off guard with it, as you did with me, it really gives you an advantage. In a more furnished or full environment, you could also use it so they couldn’t hear you. It’s a good quirk for stealth missions.”

You couldn’t help but stare at him in surprise. “I didn’t expect you to think about my quirk that much. I’m a little shocked,” you told him.

He sipped at his drink and looked out the window, almost like he was trying to hide his face. “Well I felt bad that I made you upset and I’m just telling the truth,” he replied, “I might not know what happened to you in your past but I just want you to know that I don’t think you should be ashamed of your quirk.”

A smile crept onto your face. Even if you couldn’t bring yourself to believe his words quite yet it was nice of him to try and console you. From what you saw in class, you had seen Shinsou as a blunt and cold person. However, it seems as though you were wrong in that assessment. “Thanks, Shinsou,” you said. You then paused for a second but decided to say what was on your mind. “You shouldn’t let what others say about your quirk get you down either.”

His eyes widened slightly but before he could say anything you continued. “I’ve heard about what you’ve gone through in the past and I know how you view your quirk. But your quirk can honestly be really heroic in its own way. You can stop a fight almost instantly, and you could prevent a lot of collateral damage since you wouldn’t have to physically fight the villains. It’s powerful in a different way and it’s really useful. You almost beat Midoriya at the sports festival for crying out loud. Sure your quirk could be used for evil actions but I don’t think you would use it for that. You’re too determined to be a hero, there’s no way you could be a villain.”

It was his turn to look at you in shock and you couldn’t but look away slightly, a small blush on your face. You hadn’t meant to go on a tangent like that but you wanted to make sure he knew you were being completely honest. After a few seconds, he muttered a quiet “thanks” and then cleared his throat before changing the subject. “So are you Aizawa-sensei’s biological kid? Did he have you before marrying Mic-sensei or something?” he asked.

Involuntarily, you felt your body tense up a bit at the mention of your family life. “No he and papa adopted me when I was younger. I was probably about nine when I began to live with them,” you said stiffly.

Shinsou watched as you drummed your fingers nervously. He seemed to pick up on your sudden shift in demeanor because he didn’t push further and instead asked, “I see. What’s it like being his kid anyway?”

Grateful for the change in topic, you allowed your body to relax again. You let out a snort at his question. “In general he’s a pretty normal dad I guess. He’s caring and loving in his own slightly gruff way. You could say papa and I have long learned how to understand what dad truly means when he says stuff,” you replied, “although there are times where he does some interesting things. Like how he brings stray or injured cats back home all the time. I’ve basically grown up nursing cats back to health and a lot of the time we visit certain spots to leave food for the ones who need it. It makes me happy to help them though since we can’t exactly take all of them in.”

“That definitely sounds like something Sensei would do. Before meeting him I never would have thought Eraserhead’s weakness was cats,” Shinsou said.

You giggled, “right? He can be so intimidating at times but really he’s a softie. Another thing that’s a bit strange I guess is that I constantly have to make sure I don’t trip over him when he’s in his sleeping bag. Dad can honestly sleep anywhere and I have tripped over him while going into the living room more times than I can count.”

Shinsou chuckled at this, “sounds fun. How do you not notice a big yellow caterpillar bag on the floor in the first place?”

“Sometimes I’m distracted okay? I swear I’m not that oblivious to my surroundings,” you replied with a slight pout.

He simply smirked at you before hiding it behind his cup. The two of you continued to make idle conversation even after you long finished your drinks. It was actually quite nice to talk to Shinsou and while he was blunt and honest he wasn’t an unpleasant person to be around. You came to the conclusion that he simply had some walls up, and with what he had gone through as a kid it was understandable. Everyone had their fair share of demons and you weren’t one to judge.

About forty-five minutes had passed by the time you checked your phone again. Your eyes widened as you saw the time and you began to stand up. “I’m sorry to cut this conversation short but I have to get going. My dads might worry and I have some school work I need to finish,” you said.

Shinsou glanced at his own phone and nodded. “I have to get going as well honestly, so don’t worry about it.”

“Okay cool,” you replied. Both of you grabbed your bags and any garbage that sat on the table. On your way to the exit, you tossed out your trash with Shinsou following suit. As you walked out, you shot a grin at Shinsou. “Thanks for coming with me. It was probably really weird when I just suddenly invited you out,” you said with a sheepish laugh.

“No problem. It was nice getting to know you anyways. Plus the coffee here is actually pretty good,” Shinsou replied.

“Right? I found it when hanging out with some friends one day and now it’s my go-to spot,” you told him, “also I’m glad you enjoyed yourself. I think it was nice getting to know you as well.” You were right about to take your leave when you realized something, “oh we should exchange numbers! That way we can contact each other outside of school. If that’s cool with you of course.”

Shinsou hesitated for a moment, thinking about it, before he said, “sure why not.” You grinned as you took out your phone. After you opened a new contact page, you handed it to him and he quickly inputted his information before giving it back. 

“Awesome thanks,” you said, “let me just send you a quick text so you have my number too.” Fiddling with the device, you sent him a simple greeting text and a ping was heard from his own phone when he received it. He checked the screen and gave you a thumbs up, signalling it went through properly. “Thanks again Shinsou, I had a lot of fun talking. I’ll see you at school tomorrow,” you said.

“See you tomorrow Yamada,” he replied with a wave. The two of you then began to walk in two different directions, away from each other. As you began to make your way home the smile on your face never faded.

“Well that went better than I expected,” you couldn’t help but mutter to yourself, as you walked down the streets to get to your house.