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stephaniebrownslover · 4 months

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HI HI HI I'M FROM FBI AND I MUST TAKE YOU TO JAIL FOR BEING AN AMAZING WRITER-

...

It was really a bad entrance but WHO CARES???

I came to place 'cause I want to learn Creepypasta's close friends/friends in your main AU, really I don't know why I feel so curious for this..

UM I THINK THIS IS GOING TO BE A LONG ASS POST, SO I'M SORRY IF I WILL MAKE YOU TIRED OR SOMETHING-

Have a good day/night sweet person <333333

HIIIIIIII LOVELY PERSON AND DON'T TAKE ME TO JAIL PLS, I CAN'T GO BACK THERE!!!!!!

NOOOOOOO IT WAS CUTE DON'T WORRY WHATEVER ANYONE THINK BECAUSE I LIKED IT REALLY

Omg I'm about to cry. Amazing writer???? You guys really want to give me a heart attack. I got so excited whenever someone asks me something and you can't even guess what I feel when someone says they like my writing.

I think you asked this because of that relationship chart but I also want to assume you read some of my posts because I always end them with saying "long ass post" lol

And my AU is mostly a BFF universe and lol don't worry you're not making me tired or something and I'm more than happy to write for your request!!

AND HAVE AN AMAZING DAY/NIGHT SWEETEST PERSON<333333

Ps: If you guys need elaboration on any of this friendships, let me know so that I can make a short post about it!

Also I want to apologize for the delay but I had no energy or motivation because of my upcoming finals. I wanted to write for the other 13 normal friends but I didn't want to postpone this request more. So I apologize for lack of writing!

It may seem short but actually this is almost my longest work for this AU

Frindships in my main AU

Year: 2014

Close friends

Toby and (Eyeless) Jack: In general, it can be said that they have a close relationship. If Toby is still conscious when he is injured, he refuses to go to another medic that is not Jack, and although it is actually a bit dangerous situation, Jack likes it. Jack generally listens to Toby's conversation about the newest topic of his interest and asks him what he is curious about. Toby often visits Jack's cabin because he really likes his company and knows that Jack is very lonely and doesn't want that. Jack shouldn't be alone unless he it is necessary. And Toby is volunteered for this. Despite the occasional arguments, they have a really friendly and close friendship relation.

Jeff and (Eyeless) Jack: They have a one-sided close friendship, mostly in the form of Jeff seeing Jack as a close friend to himself. Of course, they're friends, and they hang out and talk together sometimes, but if it's up to Jack, Jeff is just an annoying friend to him. Jeff, on the other hand, considers Jack as one of his closest friends. Despite the fact that he made fun of him countless times. However, Jeff never makes fun of Jack's past because he knows his limits and truly respects the eyeless demon.

Ben and Jeff: Close friends that causes a terrible headache. Together they are determined to make everyone else crazy, and everyone hates their relationship. They constantly play games, make fun of each other and others, talk about silly topics and do a ton of other stupid things. Actually, even though Jeff is 20 years old and Ben is 12 years old, Ben generally has a mixation of adult and child mentality, and they can get along because Jeff's own mind is normally like that. Even though it sometimes doesn't seem like it from the outside, they really value each other as friends. Still, it's better if they're not friends.

Sally and Ben: Sally was a pretty angry ghost at first, and that's why, unlike Ben, she was acting younger than her own age, 13. When Ben came to the mansion, she refused to talk to him because she did not want the attention to shift from herself. However, Ben did not give up on his goal to talk to her, and eventually Sally overcame her hatred for him. They're pretty good friends now, and even though Ben is the younger one, he's being incredibly protective of Sally in general. When Ben sees something nice, he takes it and gives it to Sally, and Sally makes gifts for him with her own hands. It's a relationship that Slenderman approves of because he thinks it's good for Sally.

Ann and Dina: Actually, they don't really have a friendship at all. Dina hates Ann, and Ann believes that they are the closest friends. And she thinks that the reason Dina attacks her every chance she sees is because of a big mistake Ann made, and since Dina has a forgiving mindset anyway, Ann doesn't mind dealing with her. The reason Ann believes this was because Dina, who thought Ann was still alive when she came back to life, tried to help, but when Dina found out that she was a zombie, she hated Ann because of her hatred towards supernatural things. Ann thinks that she is someone from her previous life that she does not remember, except for medical information.

Jane and Liu: Jane actually never hated Liu. She even felt sorry for him. Moreover, since she thought that the right to revenge belonged most to Liu, but she still wanted it for herself, they made a deal. The first person who found Jeff was going to kill him. Their relationship, which began when Liu visited Jane in the hospital and told her what had happened, was strengthened by their desire for revenge and eventually turned into a real friendship. Liu is a writer known by an anonymous name, and Jane is a secret agent working for the government. Since they both want to stay hidden from the public eye, they can easily understand each other, this is their common denominator. In fact, Liu is one of Jane's few friends.

Tim and Brian: They don't have exactly a friendship anymore like they used to. It's more that they have a relationship like two lonely souls who understand each other in endless suffering and do their best to alleviate this pain, with understanding each other. Even though too many events have come between them to allow them to be friends again, they have managed to overcome it. It's just that their new life doesn't allow them to have fun the way they used to. However, this does not mean they are completely unhappy, they feel peace from each other's partnership, and Tim, in particular, is ready to sacrifice everything for his last remaining friend Brian. They understand each other better than anyone since they are on of the few of the proxies who still have their memory.

Nina and Clockwork: They have a pretty good relationship that started with Clockwork helping Nina out of pity, and then developed with Nina not letting Clockwork go because of her dream of having a girlfriend for the first time. Their relationship is quite intimate and sincere. They really care about each other, and although Clockwork has trained Nina in self-defense, she still instinctively tries to protect Nina in every dangerous situation. They are both each other's first girlfriends as people who have only been bullied by other girls before, and therefore there is a special bond between them. Even though Nina sometimes bores Clockwork with her excessive energy, the bond between them is too strong to be deconstructed by such things.

Nina and Toby: Nina actually met Toby through Clockwork and immediately felt close to him. On the other hand, although Toby was quite cold to her at first despite Clockwork's words to be nice, Nina managed to melt the ice of Toby's heart over time. They definitely have a very chaotic relationship, and when the two of them get together, it becomes a complete nightmare for other people. Especially during the manic periods when Toby's energy is high. Nevertheless, Nina, who knows that this period is dangerous, and tries to distract them both with activities that will not harm Toby. Toby then brings her random beautiful items he found from the forest as a thank you. Nina has a growing collection of fancy stones.

Kate and Toby: Since Toby is the first person who doesn't act like a monster to Kate, Toby is the person Kate feels closest to as a friend. In fact, they have a twin siblings style relationship more than a friend relationship, they hate each other, but actually care about each other quite a lot. Toby is constantly makes fun of Kate, and Kate, who knows that he doesn't feel pain, responds in a way that is not physically extreme. They constantly do arm wrestling tournament challenges and something like this. Kate definitely doesn't let anyone hurt Toby but herself, and Toby is trying to help Kate communicate more people by introducing her to his friends.

Toby and Clockwork: In addition to being two lovers who care about each other more than anything, they are also each other's first friends, and they met even before everything. Both lovers and best friends. From time to time, they may be jealous of each other from others, and then they can make a top 10 celebrity list that they would like to date together. Toby always puts Clockwork at the top of this list, and Clockwork also says that she's not a celebrity, but actually she finds it very stupid and cute. They spend time together in a friendly way, except for romantic affairs, because they are not only lovers, but also friends to death.

Toby and Cody: Although Cody is only 17 years old, he is mentally able to adapt to Toby, who is 19 years old wonderfully. Cody's intense love of science combined with Toby's endless curiosity are not very pleasant things, but Cody incredibly enjoys teaching him. Cody is happy that he has finally found someone who listens to what others consider impossible nonsense and really tries to understand, even if Toby does stupid things. And Toby is happy that he can show off to everyone what a smart friend he has. Also, when Cody first arrived, Slenderman gave Toby the task of observing Cody. They have more of a two stupid brother-style relationship.

Cody and Ann: Although it's a relationship that seems surprising, there's a solid foundation of respect between the two of them. Ann found Cody annoying at first, but later decided to keep him with her because his being so curious evoked strange feelings in her. She thinks that these feelings belong to her previous life, and she thinks that a child with whom she feels close can help her remember her past. At the same time, Cody is Ann's assistant, and Ann taught him important medical knowledge. Cody and Ann understand each other and know how to respect the other person's boundaries. Besides, it's nice to have a silent partner once in a while.

Zero and Dina: Although they are two people who met through Helen and Puppeteer and their personalities are quite opposite to each other, they usually get along well. In fact, they can almost be called better friends than Helen and Jonathan. One of Dina's few friends is surprisingly Zero, even if their personalities don't match up much. Zero is constantly chasing after Dina and dragging her from there to there. Dina, on the other hand, enjoys it because Zero is the person who cares about her the most after her lover Helen. Even though they do the activities that Dina likes from time to time, they usually do Zero's suggestions since Dina fits into almost every plan. Zero is an extremely rip-roaring person, and Dina is usually a calm person, but they get along well.

Zero and Clockwork: It could literally be the most dangerous and crazy relationship in the world. When the two of them get together, something definitely goes wrong for someone. Even Toby and Nina are afraid of the relationship of those two. They tried kissing once before when they were drunk. Even if it doesn't look like it, they both really care about each other. Although their personalities are compatible, no one knows how two such difficult people met and Clockwork and Zero are determined to keep it a private secret between them. They are also among the few people who know each other's real names, and despite this, they use the names they want to be called because of their respect for each other. Truly a terribly chaotic friendship.

Helen and Jonathan: Although others sometimes wonder how they put up with each other, they mostly get along, and that's reason enough for them to be close friends. Helen hasn't been able to get along with anyone except Dina since high school, and Puppeteer is a good exception for him. Even though Jonathan takes incredible pleasure in annoying him. They've even introduced other friends who are the most important to each other, and every now and then the four of them hang out together. Although the two of them have big arguments from time to time, usually the cause of this argument, Jonathan, somehow manages to make amends to Helen. He is lucky that Helen doesn't hold a grudge against his friends.

Rouge and Kate: Although they have a strange relationship, more like Rouge acting like a mother to Kate, Kate prefers to characterize their relationship dynamics as friends. Rouge, on the other hand, puts Kate in the place of her own daughter and acts overprotective and maternal towards her at every chance. Even though such familial love bothers Kate because that makes her feel confused, she knows that Rouge has no bad intentions, so Kate cares and respects her. Also, it makes her feel better to know that Rouge acts like a mother not only to her, but also to Toby. She knows Rouge's real name, but prefers to call her Rouge instead of Heather unless they are alone.

Rouge and Toby: Similarly, Rouge also puts Toby in the place of her own unborn child, and of course Toby likes that she is ready to kick everyone's ass, including Tim, to protect him. It's nice to know that he has his own bodyguard, he just wishes Rouge wouldn't angrily take him to Ann when he's injured since he's old enough to make his own irresponsible decisions. He likens Rouge's attitude to the style of the woman named Connie in the memoir fragments in a way that he doesn't remember exactly why, and in a strange way, a feeling of both love and emptiness occurs in him. However, Toby has a lot of respect and love for Rouge.

Zero and Kagekao: They have a relationship that no one knows why they are friends, but everyone understands why they are friends. They both like a sense of fun that pushes the boundaries to the fullest, and sometimes they go hunting victims together. Since Zero and Kagekao's fashion sense is similar, they also get along better than others in this regard. Both of them are extremely annoying to each other and death threats are flying around, but they definitely wouldn't try to kill the other. After all, they are two cool friends with similar personalities to each other, and no one can be better than them.

Jeff and Nina: Actually, Nina was madly in love with Jeff, but she eventually cooled off from him because of Jeff's bad attitude to her, and they never spoke until Jeff made amends by apologizing on the anniversary of Liu's death. Although Jeff doesn't remember that night, he gets along better with Nina because he's trying to be a less terrible person, and Nina appreciates his effort. Now they have a relationship more like brother and sister, and Jeff is protective of Nina against others, which Nina really likes. The common desire of both of them is that Nina's new girlfriend Kate tries to kill Jeff less. Although they don't usually hang out when Kate is with them, they meet up from time to time and spend time doing random things.

Total: 20

Friends

Jeff and Clockwork

Liu and (Eyeless) Jack

Kate and Clockwork

Lulu and Dina

Lulu and Jeff

Nina and Jane

Nina and Liu

Dina and Jonathan

Mary and Liu

(Laughing) Jack and Jill

(Laughing) Jack and Kagekao

Rouge and Brian

Zero and Jonathan

Total: 13

Sum of all: 33

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limeleviathan · 4 months

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introducing traumatised lesbians: part 2!

meet Cerulean

yes im using the same second image as i did with AVIAN, sue me

anyway, this is Cerulean! she goes by she/her and is AVIAN's beloved girlfriend

her speech indicator will be C, for example (C: do you need a hug?)

she is one of the few members of the group who is not a Subject of Operation Vanguard, however she bore witness to what caused AVIAN to become part of it, and was most supportive of getting her the help she needed. she is incredibly compassionate, but fiercely defends her friends, drawing her blade if she believes any of them to be in danger

she is the quietest member of the group by far when around people she doesnt know, but around her closest friends, or especially her girlfriend, AVIAN, she is able to talk for hours

while she has no special abilities herself, the sword she wields does grant access to Blinking, a low-distance, electrified teleport, and the sword itself is capable of chaining lightning in exchange for a large amount of energy

BACKSTORY (Sunset Beginnings)

its an even longer one than the other two, 3000 words this time :3

I’ve never been the extroverted type. The fact that some people are able to talk to new people easily just doesn’t make sense to me. Whenever I see someone cool, someone who I want to get to know better, I’ve tried talking, but for some reason, when I began the conversation, it quickly ground to a halt.

Naturally, this made school difficult. Where others were in bustling circles, each group intertwined through a person or two, I sat alone. Whenever I tried to change that, people just moved on. I felt like no one wanted me. I felt like no one cared. A few other kids tried to stick with me out of pity, but I just couldn’t handle the group environment of most friend groups.

It wouldn’t come as a surprise that group projects always filled me with dread. Usually, when I see everyone else’s results, I see them all standing together, sharing together, enjoying each other’s company. My groups, however, are never that cohesive. While the rest of the group is always just talking and being happy, they leave me all the work because I don’t talk much, and then when my nervousness prevents me from sharing, they just take all the credit! I was considering just leaving school altogether, and I was only 10!

This all changed one day, though. As I walked into class, hoping I wouldn’t get too screwed over in the group project I knew we had today, the teacher gestured for me to sit at the table at the back of the room. Not a great start, considering the kind of kids that usually sit there. At least for now, though, the table sat empty, and I waited anxiously to find out who I would be with.

And then she walked in. I saw, coming through the door, the vibrant orange of Tangelo, known for assisting anyone with any troubles whatsoever. Whether just a confusing homework question or even losing a family member, she always put others first, and always made sure that the problem was managed before she left. I had always been hoping that someday I may be able to talk to her about my inability to make friends, but just being in her vicinity made the words get caught in my throat.

She followed the teacher’s gesture to my table, her face glowing with excitement. She was my opposite in almost every way imaginable: while I was reserved and kept to myself, she had an expansive circle of friends and talking to others was second nature to her. While I was always shy and scared of others’ perception of me, she was proud and uncaring of any criticisms anyone else has. Not that they have any. She had never made an enemy, as far as I knew.

Ever since our first day in this class, she had caught my attention and I wished I could be closer to her. The way she always smiles when anyone compliments her, the way she fervently defends anyone being bullied or even just insulted, the way she lights up the room just by entering it. Unfortunately, she made me more nervous than anyone else at first, so I was simply hoping that she would someday approach me.

Now, as I sat right next to her, I hoped that it would finally happen. And it did. About a minute after sitting down, she started talking. I still love how she is able to talk for hours on end, even when she has a sore throat and it physically hurts. She just loves the company of others, and being able to listen to her ramble on about her interests still warms my heart.

Wait, I’m getting sidetracked now. Where was I? Oh wait, she just sat down. Yeah, as she started talking, I immediately felt nervous, but unlike with anyone else, I was still able to talk relatively comfortably.

“Hi!” she exclaimed, her permanent smile still as bright as ever. “Hey,” I responded quietly, not sure how to approach a conversation like this. “Sorry in advance that you have to work with me… you probably know that I can’t present too well, so I think I’m going to have to leave that to you…” “Hey, don’t apologise. I didn’t just get put into this with you, I wanted to work with you. You’ve always been alone, and when you haven’t, you’ve always been thrown with the… less mature kids. Anyway, I asked Mr. Saffron if I could work with you, and he let us!” “You… you actually wanted to work with me? I… I’ve never actually had anyone want to spend time with me, let alone work with me.” “Well, that’s their loss! From what I’ve seen throughout the year, you’re a really cool person, and I probably would have approached you a little sooner if it weren’t for how you often seem kinda uncomfortable when talking with people.” “Wait, you noticed that? I’d always thought I’d kept that a lot more hidden…” “It is actually hidden fairly well, it’s just that I’ve always been able to tell when people don’t feel comfortable. Hey, if you want, you could hang out with me and my friends at lunch! We’re usually in the games room, you could meet us there!” “We have a games room?! Why did no one tell me about this sooner?!” “I take it you’re interested, then!” “Absolutely! Video games are my favourite!” “Well, I’ll see you there! Also it’s good to see you being excited, I haven’t seen that too much this year and I’m glad I’ve been able to help!”

She was right. I couldn’t remember the last time I was excited to do something social at the time. Usually I’d thought of it as a chore, but that time? Between spending more time with Tangelo and getting to maybe meet more people who love gaming, I was genuinely excited to meet someone for the first time in years.

We kept chatting as we worked on our poster, and when class finished, Tangelo led me out and towards the games room. As we stepped into the room, I was amazed. The whiteboard that stretched across the room was glowing with the light of a screen I knew well, coming from a projector at the back of the room. I looked around and saw a long table with bags and lunch boxes scattered across. In the centre of the room lay patches of beanbags, with 2 couches at the back. There was a group of sticks gathered around the front, where they each connected their controllers before they all turned to us.

“Hi guys!” Tangelo said, cheerfully. “We’ve got a new player here! Cerulean, say hi!” “Hey…” I murmured, not expecting to encounter so many people here. Tangelo noticed my hesitation, and turned to me, face warm with compassion. “It’s alright to be nervous. I know you struggle with talking to new people, especially so many.” How did she know? “Maybe it’d be better if we introduce you through the game. You know how to play Smash?” “Do I?! Of course I do!” “Well then! Grab a controller and let's play!”

I ran excitedly to the front of the room, and a tall purple stick handed me a pro controller. That stick came to be known as ARACHNID, Tangelo’s adopted sibling and fellow Subject later on. They have expressed wishes for their former name to not be disclosed, so I’ll just refer to them as ARACHNID from here on out. Anyway, I grabbed the controller, thanked them, and flopped onto a beanbag. Tangelo sat down with me shortly after. Then, we began.

These sticks were a lot better than I was expecting, but I think I held my own fairly well, especially considering that this was my first ever 8 player game. They were all so welcoming, and when I won game 3, they had an idea.

“Let’s all go random!” a green stick called out. Another stick I got to know better later on. Her, although at the time it was his, name was Forest, now known as LEVIATHAN or Lime. The reasoning behind that last nickname was an interesting one. One day, a while later, she would just pull a lime out of her backpack, mid-game, and just… take a bite out of it. Skin and everything. It was… certainly an interesting thing to witness, and distracted us just long enough for her to just get two free kills in that game. We never got distracted like that again, but we called her Lime from then on out.

Anyway, we all went random, and chaos ensued as almost everyone groaned after seeing their fighters, and then proceeded to target Tangelo who allegedly got one of her best ones. She still won. Her skill was admirable, and although the gap has closed slightly, it’s always impressive when she manages the impossible.

We kept playing until Lime checked her watch and declared that this was the last game. Upon its completion, we packed the switch into the drawer at the front of the room, which contained many more games and controllers left unused. I thanked everyone for letting me play and being so kind, and they let me know that I could return every day if I wanted to. Now, fast forward 4 years, me and Tangelo still go daily, with her whole friend group, although Lime and ARACHNID have both moved on to high school. Allegedly they also have a gaming group there, and also play Smash, so I expect that when we arrive next year, Lime will be ready to take us on in a school environment once more.

Anyway, that's enough about Year 5, time to talk about the next big moment. In Year 7, Tangelo invited me to her house for a sleepover, and her being my bestie, I accepted immediately. Here’s the difficult part, though. I had realised I was actually a lesbian a few months prior, when I began to develop a crush on her. I knew that I would probably get rejected, since she was probably straight and wouldn’t feel the same way, but after all that time, I thought I might as well tell her.

I thought of an amazing idea as to how: Truth or Dare. Never have I heard of a sleepover where Truth or Dare was never played, and you are bound to speak the truth there. So I decided I would try and slightly manipulate the game to the point where someone, hopefully Tangelo, would ask me about my crush.

As I arrived, I greeted Tangelo with the standard hug and bonk on the head that we often did to each other. She welcomed me inside, and showed me around. I saw ARACHNID just sitting in the living room on their phone, and they waved when they saw me. I waved back. When we got to Tangelo’s room, we heard the doorbell, and both sprinted back to the door to welcome Lime in. We all went back to Tangelo’s room, and I actually got a chance to look at it this time.

It was a fairly cosy yet chaotic place that reflected Tangelo very well. The bed was vibrant blues and oranges in a sunset, completely unmade. The corner of the room housed a large bookshelf, filled to the brim with many different series. Her bedside table held a stack of books seven high, all from one series. A desk in the corner held her laptop, and there was an external keyboard and mouse connected to it, all glowing a pale blue. I felt at ease in her room. I felt calm.

Another knock at the door, and Tangelo ran back over to let Scarlet in. As they both returned, we all sat on Tangelo’s bed and continued chatting. Eventually, Tangelo suggested we play Truth or Dare to spice things up. Considering that I was hoping for it, I accepted immediately, and Scarlet began.

“Tangelo, truth or dare?” she asked. “Let's start with a truth.” Tangelo replied. “Have you ever wished you could kill anyone?” “Nope! I try not to make enemies if I can avoid it, and besides, messing with them in every way imaginable is a lot more fun.” “...How would you know that it’s more fun?” Lime asked curiously. “Doesn’t take much thought to know that messing with someone is more fun than murder,” Tangelo responded. “Fair enough.”

I went next.

“Scarlet, truth or dare?” I asked. “Truth,” she responded. “Lotta truth already, huh,” I responded. “Anyway, have you ever had a crush on anyone?” “Yeah. There’s this one guy in my math class, you wouldn’t know him though. His name’s Turquoise.”

Next up was Tangelo.

“Forest, truth or dare?” “Truth,” he responded, sounding… nervous? Also I’m using he because that’s what he was at the time. That wouldn’t last much longer. “Hmmmm… What is your biggest secret?”

He took a deep breath, clearly mentally preparing to let out something big. We all waited anxiously, wondering what could be making him so nervous, especially considering that he very rarely got nervous at all, let alone THAT nervous.

At last, with a deep inhale, he finally began. “I… I’m…” He sighed, and, with a sudden burst of energy, announced “Ya boy’s a girl!” We all sat in silence for a moment, shocked by the sudden announcement, before Scarlet began chanting “One of us! One of us! One of us!”

Me and Tangelo immediately burst out laughing, before both flopping forwards to hug Lime. Scarlet joined us a moment later.

“I’m so glad you were able to tell us,” Tangelo told Lime, slightly muffled by being mid-hug with 3 other sticks. “And managing to keep your usual energy? That would have been tough with how stressful that must have been. We are all so proud of you” “Damn right we are!” Scarlet added, her voice filled with her usual fervour. “We’ll always love you, girl!” I exclaimed. In a much softer tone, I added, “we’ll always be here for you, you can come to us if you need it.” “Thanks guys,” Lime responded, “I’m so glad you all are so supportive. It means a lot to me.”

We all sat there for a few minutes, hugging each other like there was no tomorrow, before Lime sat up once more.

“Well, the game’s still going,” Lime announced, “and it’s my turn! Cerulean, truth or dare!” We all returned to where we were sitting, eager to return to the game. “Let’s mix things up a little. Dare!” “Slap ARACHNID with a fish.” “What?” “You heard me.” “Why?” “Why not?” “Hey, sorry to burst your bubble, but there aren’t any fish in this house right now,” Tangelo stated, sounding… regretful? Why was everyone so intent on me slapping Tangelo’s sibling with a fish? “I’ll deal with that,” Scarlet said, eyes filled with determination, “nearest supermarket is only a couple minute walk if I’m fast enough. I’ll have your fish soon!”

With that, she left the room. I was still confused on why everyone wanted me to slap Tangelo’s sibling with a fish, but hey, a dare’s a dare. In the meantime, we opted to continue our game without Scarlet until she returned. It was my turn once again. I decided to continue my plan.

“Forest, truth or dare.” “Truth.” Perfect. “Who is your crush?” “Don’t have one right now.”

I hoped that Tangelo would continue the cycle. This question frequently began one.

“Cerulean,” she asked, seeming surprisingly hesitant, “truth or dare?” I hoped this would lead where I thought it would. “Truth.” “Who… who is your crush?” This was exactly what I was hoping for. And it was incredibly nerve-wracking. But I wasn’t going to back down now. Nervousness be damned, I was going to confess! “My crush…” I began, nervousness near overwhelming. “My crush is… it’s you, Tangelo. But I know you’re probably straight, so I haven’t told you… until now.”

Lime went silent, turning to Tangelo. Tangelo seemed even redder than usual.

“That…” she stuttered, clearly nervous about something. “That was… This is… I can’t believe…” She stopped, as though words were failing her, and then simply jumped forward and hugged me. As I sat there, about to hug back, feeling my face burning up, she whispered “I had a crush on you too.”

Lime sat there for a moment in awe, then finally let her excitement show, letting out an incoherent string of words, clearly excited that her friends had found love, and that she was there to witness it.

Now, to this day, that was still the greatest day of my life. Me and Tangelo are still together, two years later, and have really been through thick and thin. I mean, yeah, we did both explode in a car crash that one time, and it was easily the most terrifying moment of my life, since while me and her mum had recovered quickly enough, she was still completely unconscious, and had to have cybernetic replacements to save her life.

She made it through completely fine, especially due to Lime, now also known as Subject: LEVIATHAN, and her newfound mechanical abilities. ARACHNID went into the Operation that saved her life as well, which is where they got the name of Subject: ARACHNID. Now, me and Tangelo, who is now also known as Subject: AVIAN, like to make use of her new abilities of flight to fly around the sunset, me in her arms, away from the rest of the world.

I am so glad I was able to meet her, and I love her with all my heart. She was my only friend when I had no others, and then as I got to meet her friends, I finally had a group I felt at home with.

Oh yeah, Scarlet did get back, she did get a fish, and I did slap ARACHNID with it. They were confused for a moment, but found it very funny as well. Good times!

#lime's idiocy #lime's ocs

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summonerscenarios · 3 years

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So, mc adopting at least one of each of the Child mobs, how would that go?

IT MAY BE 4AM BUT THAT'S NEVER STOPPED ME BEFORE LETS DO SOME MF HCS.

Sadly I was only able to work on two of the mob kiddos as I didn't want this to get too long but I still hope its okay~!

Also just a heads up a lot of this is a pure waffle of information based on my own interpretations of the mobs so here's hoping I did a good job with them lmao.

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It wouldn’t have been the first time you’d ended up inadvertently adopting someone, nor will it be the last knowing your luck. It’s not like you intentionally do anything to draw people to you, it just so happened that the things that you did and situations you got wrapped up in led to you getting to know all kinds of people in the process. And those people saw you in all kinds of ways - most saw you as friends, others saw someone else in you, more than a few made no attempts to hide their blatant flirting - and, rarely, a few would even see you as a role model,a mentor or parental figure to look up to.

You honestly have no idea why, after all, it’s not as though you go out of your way to make particularly responsible decisions (if anything, you get yourself in enough trouble that you’d imagine you’re anything but a role model) but a lot of the younger transients and students seem to flock towards your presence, looking for comfort, advice, or just someone who respects them. At first it was just the younger members of your guild that you technically took under your wing - as the Guildmaster you assumed it was only natural to look out for them, and you’d long gotten used to protecting Agyo and Kijimuna, wanting to make sure that the only thing they had to worry about was having the chance to be kids rather than getting dragged into the Guild’s app-based affairs. It’s not like responsible parental figures are easy to come by in this world of app-battles and fighting, so that’s perhaps why when you start taking a more protective, nurturing role with the younger ones that more of them begin popping up.

Surprisingly, the ghosts are some of the first mob children that you noticed began flocking towards you. Roaming spirits are unusual but certainly not rare, and it honestly breaks your heart a little to see so many young ghosts lingering around in the unexplored corners of the city, searching for one thing or another. Things feel...off, for a while before you can pin down the issue - you start feeling as though you’re being watched when you’re in the guildhouse by someone other than your teammates, and when your attempts to shake off the uneasy feeling doesn’t work, you decide to bring it up to your fellow Guild members in case it’s someone trying to spy. You want to make sure it’s not someone who can bring danger to the guild, but you don’t have much of a chance to set up a search of the building when the D-evils come tottering into your field of view, screeching up a storm and motioning towards an otherwise unassuming corner of the window.

Turns out you weren’t the only one noticing the other presence, as Shiro’s D-evils seem to have picked up on it to - and when your attention snaps over to the window to see what they’re pointing to you barely catch a glimpse of the flickering figure of a ghost child as they disappear from view. From that point on you start spotting the child more often - he’s shy or wary, always lingering someone just out of the corner of your eye but never getting any closer almost like he’s afraid. He seems to have taken an interest in you though, especially whenever the younger guild members come around to spend time at the guild, and it isn’t long before you notice that he’s intently watching the way you watch over and care for the kids of the guild - he looks almost sad in these instances, but never dares to get any closer and disappears as soon as you turn to look at him. Over time it becomes almost normal to have a resident ghost at the guild (though Agyo still shudders at the mention of ghosts despite having seen the kid plenty of times since arriving). He seems to be more at ease after a while of watching you, and things finally come to a head one day when you’re playing videogames with Hanuman and the other kids, noticing that the little ghost has wandered far closer than he’d ever done in the past, watching the small screen setup on the floor with an avid interest that seems far happier than the forlorn looks he’d had before. Taking a chance you tilt your head to look over at the ghost child, motioning him to come over and join; he disappears for a moment, startled, but right as you start to worry you may have scared the kid off he rematerializes, inching hesitantly closer and closer till he’s hovering beside the rest of your group, eyes fixed to the characters on screen with a child-like wonder.

You aren’t quite sure how this ended up with you adopting the ghost child yourself. It’s just one day you were talking about how you were pretty much adopted by the teachers at school and how you’d like to pay it forward some day, and the next you were talking about ‘son’ this, and ‘might as well take the kid under your wing’ that - you were practically acting like an impromptu parent for like a fifth of the people you knew anyway, so what was actually adopting a child? Toji had just about choked to death when you’d made the unfortunate decision to announce that fact mid-drink, and Shiro spent more than his fair share of time probing you with the legal questions surrounding a student adopting a child, ghost transient or not. Ryota seems incredibly excited by the idea however, gushing about being an uncle and wondering if your new son can eat and if so what his favorite food is - plenty of questions for a later time.

Ghost is certainly the most clingy of the children you end up adopting, and it’s clear from the get go in the sense that the poor little one is essentially glued to your side from the moment you take the venture to actually adopting him. With few things remaining in the physical world to cling onto, the familial bond is something that the little one cherishes and he absolutely refuses to budge on letting it, and by proxy, you, go. For a while he actually fears you’re going to leave him and take back what you said about protecting him and being a good parent. He of course had parents once, and their lack of presence at his side now paints a tragic picture no matter what way you look at it, so the kids got more than a few attachment issues you need to work through. Ghost doesn’t really talk too much, instead relying on gestures and interacting with things around him to talk to you and others - it takes a little bit to get used to if you’re unfamiliar with some of the gestures but it’s easy to pick up as time goes on.

Definitely one of the more well behaved children of the bunch, given that once you’ve convinced him that you’re not abandoning him he’s dead set on making you proud. He gets antsy when you’re not around, spending most of his time at the guild when you're at classes, but he takes to following Agyo around instead during these times. Agyo’s more than a little startled at first, and is a bit awkward about the whole situation as he processes it, but before long Agyo’s not only getting along with your ghostly son, but he’s also teaching him the ‘lion dog duties’ that he’s been teaching you - you’ll never quite forget walking in to Agyo giving the poor kid a detailed rundown on the upkeep of the guildhouse and all that it pertains.

It was supposed to only be the one child, you swear, but damn if you haven’t got a bleeding heart and a knack for attracting trouble. Word travels around fast about your adoption, and as more people learn about your impromptu push to parenthood people start coming to you for help - namely, kids with nowhere else to go. Maybe it’s your bleeding heart or savior complex, but before long one kid becomes two, and then two becomes three, and soon enough you’ve got four kids on your hands.

There’s no denying that things get a little bit rocky when you start taking in other children. Despite the other kids in the guild, Ghost has technically been the only child up to this point, and with your attention shifting from both him and the other children at once it’s a sudden change - one that you thankfully discussed with him first to make sure he was okay. Even with the okay though, Ghost is more than a little anxious when you bring the second child, a nether sprite, ‘home’, especially because of how loud she is by comparison. Nether sprite is an absolute ball of energy and mischievous to boot, so she more than makes for an interesting parallel to the otherwise quiet Ghost you’ve been taking care of the past few months.

She’s a handful, especially during the first few weeks that she’s settling in - it takes her a while to really start seeing the place as home, and even longer for her to even consider you a parental figure (she’s seen you as more of a babysitter till you proved you were willing to stick around and put the effort in to be a good parent). Once she does settle in however she takes to the place quickly, and, to your surprise, your two kids become thick as thieves. The Nether sprite catches on quickly to how Ghost communicates, and given his penchant to linger around those he’s close to and follow them around she’s more than happy to drag him all over the shop from one activity to another - it’s a surprising development but one you actively encourage. Unfortunately as I mentioned she’s still mischievous, though tones it down from anything too troublesome if it’ll cause you too much grief.

However that hasn’t stopped the amount of times you’ve gotten calls from someone about the kind of trouble you two little ones have wound up getting themselves into - looks like they both picked up your knack for getting intentionally and unintentionally dragged into the weirdest events (sure, it’s fun when you do it, but having your kids doing it only serves to give you grey hairs from the stress.) And things only get crazier once the other kids end up coming along, for both better and worse - but that’s a story for another time.

#tokyo afterschool summoners #housamo #housamo mob #housamo ghost #housamo sprite #housamo lantern #housamo nether sprite #request #ask #gzgs222-blog #first post in....hooo boy #a WHILE #i think im a little rusty so please bear with me while i get back on track #i will probably do one for the ciramantep and jiangshi in the future #but for now we got the ghost and the lantern #a fitting combo lmao

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waveypedia · 3 years

Text

The Real Deal

Ao3

Lena comes to the Nine-Tailed Diner just often enough for the waiters to know her face, but not often enough for them to know her name. She prefers it that way. The anonymity is comforting, but she knows in her gut it’s just an illusion when the waiters give her familiar smiles as she slides into her usual spot in the corner.

There was a time, before she met Webby, when Lena would scowl and duck her head away from the waiters’ friendly greetings. Where the mere notion of being noticed would make her gut churn and blood boil.

Not anymore.

Lena taps her carefully manicured nails against the smooth table as she waits, watching the cozily bustling diner. She’s not usually one for nail polish, but Dewey was just so excited when he saw the color that perfectly matched her magic, and despite her snarky exterior she couldn’t say no to Dewey’s infectious excitement when he bounced up to her with the bottles of nail polish. She smiles at the memory.

If Lena from a year and a half ago could see her now, she’d be unrecognizable. That’s not such a bad thing, Lena muses.

She pulls out her phone and quickly scrolls through social media, smiling when a picture of Webby pops up on her feed. Webby doesn’t post much, but when she does, just seeing her face never fails to make Lena smile.

The noise of the city and the harbor outside eventually fades into a calming white noise in the back of Lena’s mind. She’s used to the city. It was her home for fifteen years. But the sound of a particular car pulling up to the curb jerks Lena out of her thoughts, and she presses her face to the window, filled with an almost childlike glee.

A familiar car, light green and blocky and just as eccentric as its owner, putters at the curb. Lena can only see into the drivers’ side, but she snorts as she spots a familiar stupid-looking hat and chuckles to herself. Soon enough, a familiar face pops out from the other side of the car, looks to the corner window expectantly, and waves enthusiastically. Lena grins and waves back.

The bell on the diner door jingles, right on schedule, and Lena’s friend nearly sprints over to her booth.

“Hi, Lena!” Boyd chirps, and Lena grins.

“Hi,” she responds, significantly less energetic but with the same sentiment behind it.

Every month, Lena and Boyd meet at the Nine-Tailed Diner, just the two of them. It started one day when it was supposed to be all of the kids, but the McDuck kiddos were called away on an adventure, Violet had a school project, and Gosalyn was busy in St. Canard. It doesn’t take a genius to recognize how similar Lena and Boyd’s unique situations and backstories are.

Lena didn’t realize how lonely she was until she had someone who shared her experiences.

Boyd rubs at his elbow. It’s a nervous stim, and Lena’s attention is piqued. If Gyro said something insensitive to him again, well, he may be tall, but he’s a skinny twink, I can take him—

“Lena?”

Lena bites back a swell of nervousness and feigns casualness. “Hm?”

“How… do you feel about Webby?”

Lena blinks. “Well, I like her. You know that, dummy.”

“Yeah, but… how does that feel? You know… liking someone?” Boyd won’t meet her eyes.

Lena frowns. “What do you mean? Doesn’t everyone feel that way?”

Boyd stares at the table, lip trembling, and Lena ponders.

She doesn’t entirely know how to describe how she feels about Webby. Before Webby, it was just her and Aunt Magica. The two of us against the world, Lena always told herself, but it was always the world against Aunt Magica, with Lena sandwiched in the middle. And then she grew to hate Magica as well, like she always should have. For so long, Lena only knew hatred and apathy, whoever it may be directed to.

And then she met Webby.

And then she met Webby, and everything changed.

Webby was—is—a literal ray of sunshine. When Webby’s smiling face pops up in Lena’s view, when her bubbling laugh or high voice makes Lena’s heart sing. It’s stereotypical and cliché beyond belief, much to Lena’s chagrin, but that’s how she feels . If Huey offered her a thesaurus he must have stored in his Junior Woodchuck Guidebook somewhere (that thing has everything — it’s kind of ridiculous, honestly) she wouldn’t change it. There’s no other way to describe it.

“I… don’t know,” Lena hums. “Just… whenever I see her, I instantly feel better. It’s free serotonin, y’know?”

Boyd hums in acknowledgement, and after a moment of semi-awkward silence Lena continues.

She’s never been all that good about putting her feelings into words. She’s not particularly wordy like Huey, and she doesn’t have Violet’s extensive vocabulary (although she’s picked up quite a few words and phrases from the Sabrewing family). Not that she cares about it. It makes these kind of conversations difficult, though. But for Boyd, she will try.

“She was the first person to ever care about me,” Lena muses, fidgeting with the hem of her oversized sweater under the table. She’s had it forever. It feels like home, in the same way Webby does. “She has a special place in my heart. She was my first friend, but it’s different than my relationship with the boys, or Vi, or you.”

Boyd nods and avoids her gaze. He’s unhappy with that conclusion, although Lena can’t fathom why.

“So… by that logic,” Boyd begins, “I should be in love with Huey, right?”

Lena shrugs. It is true that Huey directly parallels Webby in their respective situations. “However you want to define it, dude.”

Boyd flexes his fingers. He’s still unhappy.

“Look, I’m not gonna judge you,” Lena says, snorting slightly and raising her hands placatingly in front of her. “I know homophobia is A Thing, but I literally just talked extensively about how I’m head over heels for another girl, so…”

“Homophobia is terrible,” Boyd responds finally. “I genuinely do not understand how people could think such a thing! How does one act so cruelly to another just because of something so trivial as sexual orientation?”

Lena presses her lips together. “Beats me, dude.”

After a moment, she adds, “So what’s your problem, then?”

Boyd’s head jerks up. “Huh?”

“You’re clearly disappointed about something ,” Lena says, gesturing with her arms and raising her eyebrows. “I know you well enough, ‘cause of these dumb meetings. I’m just gonna point out they were your idea.”

Boyd smirks, ever so slightly. “You love them, though.”

Lena looks away and crosses her arms pointedly, but allows the smallest of smiles to slip through her mask. Boyd cackles at that.

“But seriously. What’s botherin’ you?”

“By all accounts… I should feel that way about Huey. I don’t care about genders, and I feel differently about him than I feel about you and the other kids. But saying I love him, it just doesn’t feel right.” Boyd rubs at his arm.

“Hey, that’s fine!” Lena replies. “That’s kinda how I feel about labels, y’know? Webby likes ‘em, but I don’t.” She narrows her eyes and leans forward with her elbows on the table. “Is Huey pressuring you? ‘Cause if he is I’ll—”

“No! Nononono, Lena, it’s fine,” Boyd chuckles nervously, raising his hands placatingly in front of him. “If anything, I guess I’m pressuring myself. Logically, based on all accounts I have consulted, I should be in love. But…”

Lena gives an exaggeratedly frustrated sigh, making Boyd chuckle despite himself.

“Look, Pink tells me aaaaalll the time that my magic isn’t logical. Especially friendship magic. It follows its own rules, and it’s about looove and the power of friendship or whatever. So cheesy. But I guess your love might be the same thing.”

Lena takes a deep breath and leans back in the diner booth. “Stop pushing your feelings into dumb little boxes they don’t belong in. They won’t fit.”

Boyd smiles at her, small but not muted. “Thanks, Lena.”

Lena glances away, staring pointedly out the window. “Whatever. Don’t expect it to happen again.”

Boyd just giggles at that. His laughter is frustratingly infectious, and after a moment Lena finds herself chuckling alongside him.

The rest of the afternoon flits by, and for the life of her Lena cannot recall what they talked about. But their first topic of conversation, and Boyd’s worry, sits heavy on her mind for a while to come.

When Doctor (unofficially, shh, if the news got out that he had never finished his doctorate because of those ridiculous geese Gyro would be ruined ) Gyro Gearloose secured a job with McDuck Industries, he did not expect his precious lab would be run afoot by small children. Not even by Fenton, who acts more like a small child than some of these literal small children sometimes.

It’s almost closing time, but that has never mattered to McDuck Industries’ research branch. Even if Fenton and Manny go home eventually, Gyro has spent weeks on end in the lab. He will outlast them all.

Well, he used to. Before his team and his boss dragged him out to see the sunlight. And before Boyd.

For the record, Gyro did not forget about closing time. Not this time. He was working with that infernal little rodent, who, along with the blue nephew, had somehow wormed Mr. McDuck into allowing her to take some freelance work in the research department. Gyro’s department.

...He did have to admit that Gadget Hackwrench was frustratingly proficient at mechanics and machinery. Especially since she was so small. She was a great help to Gyro’s newest project, which required a lot of rough mechanical know-how.

Gadget, unlike the rest of them, was not incredibly self-sacrificial and actually liked clocking out when she was supposed to. She had to go home to her Rescue Avengers, or whatever they were called. Gyro couldn’t wrap his head around her way of thinking.

So they were tinkering away at the panel of the machine when Gadget glanced at the clock and reminded him of her obligations. She was packing up when Boyd came in.

“Dr. Gearloose!” Boyd, chipper as ever, entered the lab and bounced up to Gyro’s workstation. He was a bundle of energy, reminiscent of the blue and pink children. His hands darted around him like a hummingbird, never quite staying in one place long enough for Gyro’s tired brain to process. After a minute of unconsciously trying to watch and comprehend it, Gyro glanced away and rubbed at his forehead under his glasses while Boyd greeted Gadget with the same enthusiasm.

Wait. Was it really enthusiasm?

Pushing his glasses up his nose, Gyro watched carefully as Boyd flitted around Gadget, mentally comparing his movements and stims with what he knew of happy Boyd. And yes. It was off.

Gadget packed up, and Gyro slowly but carefully placed his wrench down and turned to face Boyd, leaning against his desk in a facade of casualness.

“So.”

“Can you fix me?”

Gyro pinches the bridge of his nose. “What did you do?”

Boyd clasps his hands nervously in front of him. “No. No. Nothing! I just… I know how I’m supposed to feel, but I don’t feel like that! So I must be broken!”

Gyro stares at Boyd like he’s grown a second head —- which, with Gyro’s robotics, is actually plausible. “Pft, you’re not broken. You think you could be broken?! I made you, kid. I fixed you up after Akita tampered with you. The great Gyro Gearloose does not make mistakes.”

Manny taps something unsupportive, and Fenton and Gadget both —- purposefully badly —- hide their laughter. Gyro screeches something incomprehensible at them. It doesn’t matter what he says; the point gets across.

Boyd is still staring up at Gyro, with that hero-worship puppy-dog look in his eyes that he wears so well, and he looks so scared that Gyro’s heart twists. His body sags, and he sighs and rolls his eyes and gestures for Boyd to follow. He perks up, and is immediately at Gyro’s heels with a characteristic grin, but his hands are trembling. Did he teach himself to do that?

Gyro kneels in front of Boyd, behind his desk, and stares into his eyes. Not in a symbolic way —- if he focuses just right, he can see the circuitry in his head.

Gyro purses his lips. “Everything looks fine. I told you I don’t make mistakes.”

“But—- But Lena’s in love with Webby and Dewey’s had three crushes in the past month and I don’t feel anything like that, ever! Lena says it’s fine but she’s had one girlfriend and that worked out for her perfectly and I’m happy for her and Webby, I really am, but I don’t know how to make it work for me and it must be some sort of error in the programming and I—-I just want to be a real boy!”

“Whoa, whoa!” Gyro shoves his hands in front of him reflexively. He pulls them back, out of Boyd’s face, when he processes and realizes how overwhelming that gesture could be. Boyd buries his face in his hands. “You are a real boy.”

Boyd gives him a tiny nod and doesn’t respond. Gyro’s throat feels tight and constricting, bile building up inside. He wants to say something and break the tension and silence, but he doesn’t know what or how.

“Love isn’t everything,” he says lamely after a minute. “I didn’t fall in love until Fenton, honestly. Not for real. Della said something about ‘demiromanticism,’ whatever the hell that is, and she says Mr. McDuck is the same way, but honestly I don’t really care. I don’t need to compartmentalize and hyper-analyze every aspect of myself that way. But if you want to, you could talk to her. Or the red nephew. He’d know.”

It’s weird, being this open and honest about his thoughts and feelings that aren’t inventions and blueprints. A part of Gyro is screaming at himself to close, shutter the windows and pull the walls back up and raise the prickly spikes to defend against anyone who dares get close. But he doesn’t. He doesn’t know why he’s doing this, really.

Strike that. He knows why. It’s Boyd . He’ll do anything to bring that kid’s sunny disposition back. And he knows why he’ll do that, too.

“Demiromanticism?” Boyd places a finger on his chin and tilts his head ever so carefully to the side, testing out the feel of the word. “What’s that?”

Gyro shrugs lazily. “I dunno. Some fancy way of saying I only want a relationship with people who get close to me. Which is a very exclusive circle.”

Boyd pauses. Blinks. Gyro can nearly see the wheels turning in his head. “If there’s a term for that, do you think… there’s a term for going all the way? A term for never wanting a relationship?”

Gyro raises his eyebrows. “Probably.” He reaches for his phone. Boyd could search for it in his internal search engine (proudly programmed by Gyro two months ago, since search engines didn’t exist twenty years ago, but for the record if he had thought of it Akita hadn’t had him on such a tight schedule he could have done it. For the record.)

“Aromanticism,” Gyro muses, reading out loud. “The lack of romantic attraction. Does that sound about right?”

“Hmm,” Boyd puts his finger to his chin again. “It fits! I like it!”

Gyro smiles, that soft and gentle smile reserved exclusively for Boyd (and Fenton, sometimes). “Perfect. Now get out of my lab. It’s past closing time.”

Boyd sticks out his tongue, playful. “Like you care. Don’t stay up too late!”

Gyro just smiles in response and resolves himself to not make any promises he won’t keep.

Boyd gives him a quick, tight hug goodbye. He always gives hugs, to say hello and goodbye and everything inbetween, and Gyro is never quite prepared for them, although he certainly doesn’t mind them. Gyro isn’t very comfortable with touch or affection in general when it doesn’t come from a select few people, but he never protests. Boyd is one of those “select few people”.

If today’s hug is a bit tighter and longer than usual (but still brief, since Boyd knows well how Gyro clams up with physical affection, even if it’s from him, and he respects that), neither Boyd nor Gyro say a word.

Boyd says his goodbyes to the rest of Team Science (Gadget is long gone by now) and skips out of the room. “I can’t wait to tell Huey about this! He probably knows all about aromanticism! It’s probably in his Junior Woodchuck Guidebook!”

Gyro leans against his desk, the cuffs of his shirt catching on the corners. “You do that, kid.”

“And Lena! She’ll be happy to know I figured it out, even if she won’t say so!” Boyd chirps. “Thanks, Dr. Gearloose!”

Gyro’s wry smile turns into something monumentally more sincere and real. “No problem, kid.”

The elevator dings and Boyd is gone. Gyro used to revel in the lab’s silence, but even with the background noise of Fenton, Manny, and Lil’ Bulb tinkering away at their respective projects (and decidedly not saying anything), it feels uncomfortably quiet without Boyd’s incessant chatter.

He hums softly to himself and picks up his phone to call Della before she hears about this from Huey and berates him for not telling her right away. He puts on a new pot of coffee for when he comes back, and lets Fenton know he’s going on his break.

“You know the workday technically ended half an hour ago, right? You don’t need me to clock you out,” Fenton replies, grinning. He can read Gyro like a book.

Gyro rolls his eyes and grumbles under his breath, but waves his former intern off.

As he walks out, he pictures Boyd. He would be sitting in the limo, brimming with excitement, tapping his fingers eagerly on his legs with barely contained enthusiasm. Launchpad picked him up for a sleepover at Mr. McDuck’s, so by this point he should be almost home. He’ll burst into the mansion and spill his discovery to Huey before he catches his breath, and he, Huey, Webby, and Violet will make a board and a list of thoughts and information on aromanticism while Dewey tries to catch popcorn in his mouth and Lena and Louie add snarky comments. They’ll all chime in with their own experiences and eat lots of sugary snacks until they eventually fall asleep in a pile of pillows and blankets and each other on the living room couch. Boyd will come into the lab on Monday and tell him all about it, and maybe Huey will as well.

Gyro smiles fondly to himself as he steps into the hallway outside of the lab and leans against the wall, pulling up Della’s contact on his phone. The tab on aromanticism is still open on his phone, and he scrolls through it idly, taking note of all the information and how it could relate to Boyd.

He’s not fit for this role in Boyd’s life. But he loves Boyd, so he’ll do his best. And Dr. Gyro Gearloose’s best is a feat they tell tales of.

Across town, in the mansion, sitting on her sleeping bag in her pajamas and sneaking handfuls of gummy bears behind Violet’s watchful eye, Lena shares a similar sentiment. Boyd explains what he’s learned, bursting with excited energy in the form of overenthusiastic gestures, and Lena wonders why this little, enthusiastic kid decided to choose her as a sister figure.

But she’s not complaining.

Lena sneaks another handful of gummies and wraps her arm around Webby, who makes a bright, contented sound and snuggles into her side. No, she’s definitely not complaining.

i wrote this almost a year ago actually, for the Because We're Family LGBTQuaranzine! (@ducktaleslgbtquaranzine) This is a nonprofit pay-what-you-want zine, with all of the money going to DirectRelief, a charity dedicated to Covid relief in countries that have been hit hard by it. I had a lot of fun working on this zine and this particular piece, and I worked with a lot of great people. The zine is chock-full of amazing pieces and really talented, skilled people, and all the proceeds go to a reputable cause. I cannot recommend it enough!

this piece is pretty close to my heart because it encompasses a lot of my favorite things - weblena, lena & boyd friendship (they have SO many parallels i think they would get along so well!), and gyro being a father to boyd! in all honesty, this was my very first zine and i was really nervous, but i had so much fun writing this and i'm grateful it was such a good experience!

a lot of boyd's confusion about aromanticism is taken straight from my self-realization process. that's some good ole projection, baybee! i didn't have anyone like huey, but it's certainly difficult to figure out what romantic love really is and how that affects you and your relationships. it's like a puzzle. it's not explicitly mentioned in the fic, but i'm autistic, and boyd is pretty heavily autistic-coded (and god i could go on for hours about that, and i have before, but i'll spare you all the tangent, although i'll happily talk about it if you want me to), which adds this whole other obstacle when figuring out aromanticism, because we struggle with social relationships and fitting them in boxes. sometimes labels feel really comforting and satisfactory, but sometimes it's a real puzzle to fit into these boxes that weren't always made for us. sometimes they fit, and sometimes they don't. it was pretty fun exploring that from a slightly different perspective, as well as putting some of my own thoughts and experiences into words.

if you ever wanna talk ducktales, writing, these amazing characters, or really anything hmu here or on my twitter! thank you for reading, and please leave a like/reblog/comment (i read tags) if you enjoyed it!

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incorrect-ikevamp-quotes · 4 years

Note

hi I'm back again. Anyways; as always you don't have to answer if you don't wish! How do you think the residents would react to a young Pureblood MC? (I'm talking about young like a minor.) With that Gen Z in a nutshell personality. Obviously no romantic feelings, just in your opinion how do you think they'd react? all of my questions are just "coincidentally" oddly specific aren't they, totally

Oh shit whaddup I love the idea of Gen Z MC!!! Young pureblood it is, here we go! I’m going to be moving from the assumption that they’re like Comte/Leo; very sympathetic to humanity and sometimes have existential crises (trauma babeyyyyyyyyy). As such, I’ll also be assuming she’s not super close to her family given she rejects the larger vampiric hierarchy/superiority paradigm, memes and modernity, all that jazz

I hope this fits the bill! c:

Under a cut bc is a lonnnnnnng boi~ Click after Napo to see everyone else’s! No explicit triggers that I’m aware of, but if anybody sees anything I missed feel free to let me know

Comte’s reaction:

Absolute baby, he has decided this is his grandchild--no he will not change his mind or take constructive criticism. Get’s ESPECIALLY concerned when he starts to see signs of that “nothing in life matters 😎” nihilism, but doesn’t pester them about it or becomes naggy. Growing up he had similar issues with the prospect of eternal life surrounded by creatures with a mortal lifespan, so he doesn’t judge. He’s more like nah we all hit that vibe, let’s see if we can get their mind off it c: I feel like Gen Z really understand and appreciate the importance of culture and art, so I feel like they would bond a ton over trips to museums/plays/concerts! Invites them to tea time if he ever sees them particularly silent (ah yes, repression) or particularly tired, and does his best to ensure their safety without being intrusive (has briefed the men to escort/accompany her as needed, though Sebas usually does it).

If he sees fangs out around baby he will thrash the shit out of the perpetrator--unless it’s an accident. No excuses. That’s a child. Doesn’t give a FUCK if they’re another pureblood even with all the arranged marriage bullshit. He said what he said. (Remember that biting between vampires or vampire + human relations is considered something that’s only done between intimate partners, so he is having none of that for a minor)

Leonardo’s reaction:

Also certified granddad, but he’s the one that enables shenanigans and is just like “oh worm” when it comes to the existential dread (it’s a Tuesday). At first though Leo is basically that meme like: (Stupidman = Leo, Maddie = MC)

Not all purebloods are necessarily dangerous, but most are either incredibly indifferent to the plight of others (especially humans) or actively range from like playing social mind games to being sociopathic murderers/etc. the list goes on. As such, Leonardo is suspicious to no end until he sees that the kid really doesn’t have any ill will in her. She jokes with Sebas (they quote vines on the daily) and works with him normally; even when Leo asks Sebas he’s just “????? bro she’s just my kouhai, thanks for worrying tho”. One day he’s tasked with escorting her to grab groceries and assorted things for the mansion, and she freezes in place before bolting across the street. Turns out she saw a kid trip in the road and fall, and a carriage was moving fast from the other side--it likely wasn’t going to be able to stop. She scoops up the kid and holds them close, and when the parents try to thank her profusely she just seems more uncomfortable with the praise than triumphant. She didn’t want the kid to get hurt. If she could do something about it, it was as simple as that.

From that point on they’re hella chill and hang out together, usually just bonding in silence. If they’re an artist, he’ll offer them pointers and technique manuals--will help however he can. If not, they’ll just be reading together in the library now and again. If she falls asleep, he’ll tuck her in and watch over her (cue red eye meme when the door opens, but then it’s just Vincent so he c:). He’ll often pay close attention to her eating habits to make sure nothing’s amiss with her health since she’s still a growing pureblood. If she struggles with what she is a lot (given she’s sympathetic to human beings) he’ll synchronize his Rouge drinking with hers to make sure she doesn’t starve herself ;-;. Even if she’s just forgetful about drinking/eating, he’ll do what he can to make her life easier (that’s how he shows his affection uwu)

He will, of course, also tease her about being a baby until she kicks him in the shin while Comte sighs and tells him to knock it off with a smack upside the head

Napoleon’s reaction:

Not granddad energy, but you better believe he’s in a weird territory between sheer admiration and “I am your older brother now, eat your vegetables” “But I don’t even need vegetables” “Eat your vegetables and I’ll take you to a crepe shop” “............deal”

Basically it’s unlikely MC is super close to her siblings or even has any (pureblood children are a rare feat) so she’s like......wary, but then she just ???? this is.....kinda nice? Just having somebody that cares in a chill way, but still fully encourages her to throw men across the street if they’re hurting women/children (high fives her every time). He’ll often invite her to the swordplay lessons with the kids alongside Isaac’s teaching; she’s free to join in the learning, or honestly just hang out with people closer to her age (he’s v concerned about her having friends that she can relate to and talk to freely).

Protective in a subtle way, like Leonardo. Escorts her places and helps her carry groceries without fail when Sebas is running other errands. She becomes his crepe shop cover buddy whenever he has an intense hankering for sweets: “wanna go to that crepe shop around the corner” “you’re just too chicken to go alone, fool” “do you want crepes or not nunuche” “............BOKBOKBOK” “aight that’s it **gives her a noogie**” (they go anyway and have a marvelous time rating the crepes from best to worst, they got a whole list goin’)

Glares Arthur down if he so much as LOOKS in her direction

Mozart’s reaction:

Mozart is just the “what is with this sassy, lost child?” meme. Doesn’t dislike them, but they are just not remotely threatened by his haughty disdain by any extension. And he HATES IT. The MC is always just “Okay, boomer” and he just ?????? He doesn’t know what it means but it’s openly dismissive, so he mad.

Like idk if y’all know this meme, but it’s the same energy as:

It’s only when he notices she’s always punctual and careful with his requests that he starts to warm up. For example, she makes him a mocha by combining the way he likes his coffee and hot cocoa to perfection when he falls asleep at his piano. (She feels bad for him after Comte explains because--though he’s got a stick up his butt--he’s clearly distressed in his new surroundings ;-; Plus, the kind of perfectionism Mozart exudes is an extension of internalized shame, and when she begins to see that she really shifts her approach.) As such, he begins to soften to her presence. He begins to see that she isn’t indifferent to his existence, it’s more that she sees no need for intimidation and believes admiration is earned (basic respect isn’t a privilege, it’s a right). When he figures that out, he stops being so barbed and terse--starts to relax. Offers to let her stay and listen to his pieces if she wants, and she’s honestly touched given his clear struggle with vulnerability. Cuddles with Schelm at the window as he plays, and they become good friends.

As a result, Mozart becomes fiercely protective despite her sturdier nature as a pureblood and has hissed venom at Arthur about the fact that she is off fucking limits. Doesn’t leave her alone in the same room as the other men unless it’s with Jeanne or Comte; he don’t trust like that.

Arthur’s reaction:

Sweating a lot at the sudden collection of baleful eyes sticking to his back everywhere he goes, but figures he brought it on himself to an extent. That being said, he can’t really get a word in edgewise given she just walks away when he tries to engage in conversation or compliment her.

Tough nut to crack this one, but he doesn’t let it discourage him. The only way she’ll give him the time of day is to play chess--and she kicks his ass soundly every single time. He’s fascinated by her extensive analytic ability, but she keeps silent about her strategies and thinking. Dazai and Theo always love to watch him get his ass handed to him, but he considers it a really interesting experience; it gives him insight into her mind, no matter how much she tries to hide. Patient, efficient, brutal--this kid has seen some shit, probably.

It’s after that point he just concedes she probably won’t let him in, though it doesn’t diminish his curiosity about the future; and perhaps traces of dread. What does the future look like for both her and Sebastian to be that stoic and aloof? It worries him...

Vincent’s reaction:

Vincent is v v impressed by her sense of self, and honestly sees a lot of Theo in her. She’s a little more reticent than Theo, but she has this same commitment to protecting the vulnerable and penetrating through the lies/shitty convictions of others. She is not a person who bends easily, but even so there’s a quiet kind of gentleness to her: she always chats to him v calmly, asks if he needs anything and is doing okay, doesn’t get impatient when he drops things or forgets his apron for the laundry. I think he would respond very positively to her presence, even if it wasn’t intentional. He just brightens up like a little sun and asks her out to picnics for fun; he has no greater intention than enjoying her smile and silly antics (he doesn’t always understand the references, but the way she executes it with so much dry wit--like Theo--makes him laugh). He just feels the warmth of family/familiarity around her ;~;

Ironically, they’re both exceedingly concerned for the other because they’re too self-sacrificing jkashlgdks like this is 100% a case of “I can’t let a young lady risk getting hurt” “Vincent I’m literally indestructible please just let me do this” “But it still hurts” “But I don’t want you to scar--” (This conversation extends so long that the author felt it would be more beneficial to add an etc. here).

He admires her and trusts in her abilities more due to the nature of her maturity, treats her like a cherished friend and sometimes younger sibling (not condescending but very indulgent; gives her the last of his sweets for example, or pats her on the head when she’s feeling gloomy--more of a wholesome puts her first). But make no mistake, he will throw hands in milliseconds if she gets ganged up on or can’t handle a threat--he just lets her handle most things bc she’s capable~

Isaac’s reaction:

Torn. Because on the one hand, she’s very serious and conscientious about her work--doesn’t want to inconvenience or trouble anyone--and he relates to that heavy.

HOWEVER.

She’s also got insanely chaotic energy when the mood strikes, so when Dazai starts doing his random shitfuckery you better believe MC is upping the ante. (I’m talking AH. ENSLAVED MOISTURE. levels). So Isaac essentially oscillates between thankful for her fortitude to bashing his head against a table for every second he knows her.

In all seriousness though, I would see Isaac as being pretty concerned. Like Vincent, they’re both self-sacrificing to a fault--and he doesn’t want that for her, especially given how young she is. Often tells her not to overdo it or to ask for help if she looks overwhelmed, though it’s not condemning; he says it softly with a neutral look on his face. (He considers it a Certified Mood^TM). He just wants to give back all the care she puts into helping around the house. He doesn’t feel right watching a kid work so hard without reminding her that she should find time to have fun and live for herself too. There will be plenty of time when she’s older to get serious.

He has a fairly easy time interacting with her because of his experience with kids; he takes her seriously (when she’s not clowning) and treats her autonomy with respect. If anything, she’s probably the protective one. She knows he’s an aberrant so she pays laser attention to when he’s suffering and brings him Rouge (not scared because she’s stronger than him and not human lmao, and she sees no need to put Sebastian at risk). When that uni pres pesters him, she goes cold and angry and asks the man to step off when she sees him start to downspiral. They’re essentially on equal footing (he has more life experience, she has more bodily strength/confidence). They're just chill and kind with each other (babies of the mansion, beloved by all).

Theodorus' reaction:

Because he is a manchild, he will be chill/generally indifferent until Vincent starts being indulgent with her (bro-con). He won't be violent or anything like that, but he will pout a storm and try to verbally shoo her away. Because she's a woman, intelligent, and likely a feminist--this will become hilarious because she will not remotely take him seriously. She will just ignore him or roast him in seconds before moving on with her day. Otherwise he doesn't care much because he doesn't have time to play babysitter (unless there's no one else to help).

At the most, he'll make sure she's safe and use the excuse that Vincent would be upset if he did anything less. If she likes/loves dogs and plays with King while she's there, he'll soften up and thank her for taking care of him. If she makes hella pancakes, he'll be the proudest about it--ruffling her hair. If she protects Vincent in any capacity, he'll be torn between jealous, grateful and impressed; he likes a kid that can hold their own and take responsibility within their abilities.

So their relationship is v much like a chill uncle with their niece; fond, but not necessarily super close or spend a ton of time together. He has his priorities, but he won't be an asshat (mostly).

Jeanne's reaction:

Jeanne is confused on so many levels. He doesn't dislike her spunk he's just staggered by her level of sheer reckless, righteous rage. (And he's a bit wary in the face of another pureblood as a potential enemy) but after a bit more time around her he relaxes. She's fairly simple to understand when you get to know her; cares about others to a fault, existential dread, overworks herself. Stays watchful, but he just treats her like the younger kids that Napoleon brings by the weapons shop when they need armor for practice. It can get a little funny because he’ll just be like “uhhhh uh kids like sweet stuff right? Here have some of the macaroons somebody brought by earlier, I don’t like ‘em that much anyway.” And she just “??? Thanks???” He doesn’t mind being around her, just doesn’t really know what to say so they often fall into comfortable silence after exchanging small talk. She likes that he isn’t complicated; what you see is what you get with Jeanne. It’s nice not to have to keep her guard up every second of the day,

When he sees her feeling particularly down, he’ll take her to that little field of white lilies behind the mansion during a full moon night. The silver light seems to make the petals emit an ethereal glow, and she makes him a flower crown in thanks. He listens kindly if she wants to talk, and if she doesn’t--that’s okay too; he’ll just give her a head pat.

Honestly he finds a lot of relief in the fact that she's a pureblood, because he feels less nervous about her being fragile or her getting fatally hurt when he’s not around. Will still be very gentle with her and protect her when she’s in proximity

Mission Status: Fucking Wholesome

Dazai’s reaction:

Big brother time? It’s big brother time!!!! He instantly makes it his subtle mission to look after her, though he’s v lowkey abt it. She takes one look at this depressed mofo climbing in through the window and just goes “aw yeah, this guy FUCKS” and they become besties at a glance. They basically make a game out of who can be the most absurd whenever they’re in the same room. Comte and Leo find it utterly hilarious, Napoleon is digging a grave for Isaac in the backyard (we all know his heart won’t be able to take it. Mozart is probably next. A moment of silence for our fallen.)

I just imagine them like that one post (@/acoolguy):

Dazai: You ever have to shake your leg because there’s a rock in it? MC: That’s your bones Dazai: Every day I learn some more

He’ll always share treats with her and brings her along for walks if she’s feeling wanderlust; he knows how hard it can be, how restless the heart becomes so far from home. He does his best to distract her with their ongoing jokes, but one day it starts raining very suddenly while they’re out. He rushes her under the nearest tree with broad, broad leaves and settles his haori/overcoat over her head. He looks incredibly serious as he looks to the sky--almost glowering at the dark clouds gathering, He doesn’t look at all like his usual fun-loving self in that split second, even though he’s back to his good-natured chirping “Guess we’ll just have to wait out the downpour. MC, are you cold? I should have been more careful.” She shakes her head and shares the coat with him, holding it out insistently until he relents. Their hands brush and she notices they’re freezing, but she doesn’t say anything. She seems to sense he has a lot on his mind, and leans her shoulder against his. The silence feels fragile; she doesn’t want to risk shattering it--shattering him. It is often said that it is an act of great courage to wipe away someone’s tears. But it can also be an act of great gentleness to turn away, to pretend one cannot see them fall (whether visible or not).

One day, after MC returns to her own time, Dazai returns to his room to find two shadows hanging from his window. Though a little crude--they’ve obviously been made by a beginner--it’s clear what they are. Rain ghosts. (Sebastian later explains it was MC’s wish that he have them, and Dazai only smiles very, very gently in response.)

Shakespeare’s reaction:

MC gets one look at him and knows something’s off. She can’t quite tell what it is, but he doesn’t feel like the rest of the family. She can sense something behind him, something lurking; but she can’t quite place it. (Comte has mentioned before that purebloods can sense each other, so I imagine MC knows right off the bat he isn’t a normal sired vampire--she just doesn’t know enough to identify exactly what it is.)

That being said, she is sus. He keeps talking like some kind of weird ass court jester/fae, and she hated his work when she had to do it for school (only enjoyed the Hamlet memes because, let’s be real, that shit is uproarious). When he tries to coax her to see Vlad with him, she says “'Sblood, do you think I am easier to be played on than a pipe? Call me what instrument you will, though you can fret me, yet you cannot play upon me.” And he just freezes in place before he starts laughing. Considers their battle of wills well-played, and warns her not to go out alone--doesn’t bother her again. Though sometimes enjoys listening to her conversations with others for good roast material. (No he is not taking notes, no this new chara is just fire and feral for no good reason--nothing to do with MC)

Sebastian’s reaction:

The l o r e, MC. Give him the forbidden pureblood lore. Will be incredibly curious and ask about what vampires are like outside of the mansion, for science of course. If he senses discomfort though his questions will die down completely--it’s not his intention to make her uncomfortable. He’s just curious!

Despite his stoicism he’s actually a very, very understanding and warm person. Will listen to any teenage jadedness or hopelessness with fond patience, recalling the days he was similar. He’ll offer what advice he can. He’s not one to be preachy, but if he sees someone at a loss, he’ll offer what he thinks might be a productive direction for them. Given her removal from her home and parents--even though she’s already well into high school--he’ll sympathize deeply with her position. Will be a firm but gentle guardian (hello Mansion Mom #2), offers her candy every time she does a chore exceptionally well or offers assistance without prompting. She’s sus and takes it reluctantly at first, but after she tries one in private secretly loves them. Sebas is just silently “you like krabby patties don’t you, squidward”. If she’s honest, she’s comforted by the sense of normalcy and care he gives, the harmless joking and easy respect for others (unless otherwise provoked).

When she finds out about his hobby considers him to be a Fucking Nerd^TM and wants to shove him into a locker, but in reality is endeared by how much he genuinely cares about the men. She thinks it’s a harmless fascination, and she senses the oddest...ephemerality about him. Because of this, she becomes pretty protective; he’s a human and he’s too nice for his own good. While she identifies in one sense, she worries in another. Pureblood are sturdy, but humans can’t necessarily sustain that kind of constant self-giving for long...

Also bc my tag game too strong adding it here: #i love the prospect of pureblood MC trying to bring Sebas and Napo together #MC: bruh i got this #Sebas, full of gay panic: wait, MC nO--

Meme tl;dr in the tags also for your enjoyment! I’m sorry this one took a little longer than most to finish!

#asks #ikevamp #ikemen vampire #ikevamp headcanons #ikevamp napoleon #ikevamp mozart #ikevamp leonardo #ikevamp leo #ikevamp arthur #ikevamp vincent #ikevamp isaac #ikevamp theo #ikevamp jeanne #ikevamp jean #ikevamp dazai #ikevamp comte #ikevamp saint germain #ikevamp shakespeare #ikevamp sebastian #gen z pureblood mc #i had a lot of fun writing this! I hope this met your expectations friend! c:#comte and leo: uwu grandparents #mozart: okay BOOMER #napo: HAHAHA shithead siblings i love it #arthur and shakes: wouldn't you like to know weather boy. 'where are your parents??' (parts one and two)#vincent and isaac: BRUH S A M E S I E S #theo: **meme voice** 'is there anything worse than a rapist?' BOOM 'a child.' 'N O!'#jeanne: endearing but out of touch uncle while dazai is WOOOOO LET'S DRINK BLEACH uncle #sebastian: ah yes ty for the modicum of brain cells and competence that also shatters gender norms my good bi bitch #**Gilligan's cut to MC and Dazai wearing sunglasses and matching hats that read 'i put the (me) in disappointment'**

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lizaloveslevihan · 4 years

Note

if you have some angsty writing energy rn: hc where jean notices that hange hasn’t fully grieved or come to terms with erwin and moblit’ deaths, so he gets over his fear of levi to ask him with how to help hange because he’s so concerned for her

Title: Hange-san

Ao3 Link: Here

Notes: I also got some inspiration from this beautiful art I saw on Twitter.

They weren’t really close by any standards. Thinking about it, they probably just had two or three conversations the entire time Jean had known him. But his utter devotion was enough to catch anyone’s attention. If he wasn’t screaming at her to take care of herself, he did it silently by running each tiny errand and sticking with her like glue. He always walked by her side — shoulders hunched from obvious stress, hair a little unkempt, but hazel eyes as bright as ever, taking in every word she said despite the obvious dark circles underneath them. It was almost as if her personality and lifestyle were being injected into him, giving him life.

Jean hadn’t really understood the nature of their relationship before — couldn’t comprehend the idea of someone so willing to put up with Hange-san’s eccentricities and borderline craziness, day in and day out, especially given their slightly above average wages. It hadn’t seemed romantic at first glance by any means (he would have gotten a different vibe from them if it were the case) but rather, it was fueled and strengthened by a strong sense of loyalty and attentiveness. Those in the Survey Corps had dedicated their hearts to fighting titans and ensuring freedom for humanity, and though vice-captain Moblit Berner essentially did the same, it was as if a large chunk of his heart was dedicated only to Hange-san.

Jean paused, taking that new idea in. He stood outside the newly-appointed commander’s office, the journal he found tucked securely at his side. He had been hesitant to see her, especially after yesterday. She had asked him privately, eyes devoid of any emotion, tone full of anguish, if he could clean and clear out the former vice captain’s room. He understood her pain and had somehow expected this request — they were all grieving, having lost all those people — but he didn’t expect to feel pain over the task given to him.

His room was neat enough when Jean entered it yesterday morning. The bed was made, the shelves free of dust, and each article of clothing folded neatly inside his small closet. The only thing out of place was his desk which had mountains of paperwork that still lay on top of it.

He didn’t know him that well. They weren’t really close. But as Jean shuffled through and organized every piece of paper, every work of art, each sketch of an unfamiliar face, he felt his chest tightening. He vaguely remembered the vice-captain being an excellent artist, but he didn’t realize just how talented he was.

For some reason, he wasn’t surprised to see Hange-san’s face more so than the others. He had drawn her messy hair and wild eyes so perfectly that Jean felt as if he wasn’t worthy to even touch those pieces of paper. Some of them were hastily drawn, some with exquisite detail. He also saw sketches of her with captain Levi, and his eyes widened at one particular portrait where he was drawn gripping his teacup and smiling at her tenderly.

Damn it, Jean thought as he gingerly placed those papers back down on the desk. He would have loved to take lessons from the vice-captain if he only knew just how amazing he was. He had always been passionate about making art and drawing things he saw in his dreams back when he was younger. But of course, he had buried it in the face of reality. Seeing these sketches lit up a fire inside him. A fire that both consisted of his long-lost passion and the grief and sorrow he had tried to conceal ever since they returned from Shiganshina. He had looked around the room and let out a deep breath. No, he couldn’t allow himself to linger too much on those thoughts. He knew if he kept thinking about the warm, artistic vice-captain, he would be plunged into a deep abyss. He knew he wouldn’t be able to stop seeing every single face that they lost, especially him. Especially that warm, freckled face full of joy and compassion. That face which had looked at him with so much respect and admiration.

Shaking his head, he forced his mind to turn blank. He started to stack all those papers neatly on top of one another, finally freeing the desk of its mess. However, that was what exactly led him to find the dreaded journal whose contents would continue to haunt him for the rest of the day.

Jean shook his head and looked up, staring at the door to her office. He had been plagued by those thoughts since that task. The commander had ordered him to drop all of his things in her office and so far Jean had made two trips without her being in there. He had a feeling, however, she was behind those doors this time around. He internally debated with himself if he should enter now or wait for her to go to town, seeing as she had a meeting with Zackley later today. However, before he could even decide, the door swung open. Jean jumped up, a little startled, and was met with captain Levi’s usual impassive expression.

“What are you doing here, Jean?” the captain asked, raising an eyebrow. He crossed his arms and lingered at the doorway.

“I, uh,” Jean started, scratching the back of his neck and trying to keep eye contact as much as possible, “I’m here to hand the commander some of—”

“It’s Hange,” the captain cut him off, now closing the door behind him. “I know you’re obligated to call her by that title, and that’s fine for formal occasions, but I want you to keep calling her what you and the other brats call her as much as possible, alright?”

The captain didn’t elaborate any further, which made Jean a little uneasy. He gripped the journal tighter and nodded. He already had a good feeling as to why he would ask such a thing.

“At ease,” the captain spoke quietly, placing a hand on Jean’s shoulder. “You and the brats did well.” Jean looked down and saw… pride? relief? emotions that weren’t normally seen behind the captain's light gray eyes. He allowed himself to briefly recall what had happened on the rooftop. How the captain kept moving forward despite all the pain and loss he endured was unbeknownst to Jean. But then again, that’s what all of them have been doing ever since they joined the Survey Corps, wasn’t it? Is this how his life would always be like? Taking in loss after loss and moving forward from each friend? Forced to kill others with no hesitation? Valuing certain lives and sacrificing others? Clearing out each empty bedroom after every mission? As he was nearing that dark abyss, the captain pulled him out by saying: “Don’t blame yourself with what happened with Reiner, alright? If I only had killed him before he transformed, maybe we wouldn’t have been in this goddamn mess.” the captain recalled briefly, shaking his head and scrunching his eyebrows, “Hange’s inside. Don’t linger too much. She still has a lot of things to do.” and with that, he made his way past Jean and went off across the hallway.

Jean couldn’t help but stare after the captain. He had already come to terms with the fact that it was him who let Reiner get away. That it had all been his fault. But here was the captain, who, the same as Hange-san, took the blame and responsibility for letting the armored and beast titan escape. He felt that it came from more than their positions as superior officers but from their genuine kindness. Their desire to look over everyone. He felt both comforted and pained because of it.

He also couldn't help but think of what the vice-captain had said about captain Levi in his journal...

He shook his head once again. They needed time. He needed time. He already had enough things to deal with because of the damn journal. With a deep sigh, he walked towards the commander’s office and knocked thrice on the door. After he heard a small, muffled “come in,” he pushed it open and was surprised to see her not behind her desk, but standing by the window, looking out at the training grounds across them.

“I’ve brought the last of his things, Hange-san,” Jean said as he closed the door behind him. When she didn’t respond, he shuffled his feet nervously and looked around the office. Bookshelves were covering both sides of the wall, a large desk pressed at the very back, littered with numerous paperwork and books, and the two large windows on either side of which. It felt a little stuffy if he were being completely honest. He had been to Hange-san’s lab before where things were much more chaotic and disorganized, but much more full of life. This place, well, felt like it didn’t belong to her at all.

Which was pretty much a given, considering she had just moved in. The place still embodied the late and great Erwin Smith.

After a few seconds passed, she finally turned around and flashed him a small smile.

It was obviously forced.

“Thank you, Jean,” she spoke, walking up to him and gently taking the journal from his outstretched hands. Her lips pressed into a thin line as she inspected the object. “I… forgot this existed.”

Jean simply nodded, not really knowing what to say. He still felt incredibly awkward.

The commander kept looking at the old, worn-out book as she took a seat behind her desk. She still hadn’t removed the bandages that covered her damaged eye. “This was what he always carried around whenever we did the experiments on those titans. Even if we weren’t doing them, actually. I remember him telling me how his life’s work was here, should he die in the field. How I should inherit it, on the assumption that I’d live longer than him…”

Jean would have had no problem with this conversation if only he didn’t open the book and flipped through the pages himself. Yes, he would be pained, but not as pained if he didn’t read through the long letters that the vice-captain had left in that book. If he hadn’t digested every tiny sketch and word. He had no business in doing so, perhaps he could even get punished should Hange-san find out what he had done, but he couldn’t help the curiosity that sparked within him. Only if he could turn back time. He wished he’d never read those letters. It was just too much.

“He… saved you, didn’t he Hange-san?” Jean muttered respectfully, his body incredibly stiff. She looked up at him, her face just so tired. “When Bertholdt transformed, he pushed you to safety…?”

“I knew it would come to that one day.” the commander said both wistfully and solemnly, “I’ve always been a handful. Careless. Absentminded. Reckless.” she listed off, drumming her fingers on the wooden desk, “I keep getting too close to the mouths of titans. I was more than okay with dying. Especially if it meant I had contributed one way or another to humanity’s freedom. There was this myth I had read before, you know? It was in a storybook meant for children to warn them to never leave the walls.”

At this, she stood up and started walking around the room. “It was a tale of this child who was given wings by his uncle, or was it his father? I couldn’t quite remember. They were trying to escape and leave this tower by flying away. The older man had warned him not to fly too close to the sun, but the boy, being this curious little thing, didn’t listen. Thus, his wings were burned and he fell to his death.” the commander laughed bitterly, her fingers trailing the bookshelves on the left side of the room, “He had always warned me not to fly too close to the sun, Jean. But I still did. Instead of me, it was him who suffered the consequences. It makes me wonder… what if one day, I’ll have this chance again? What if I fly, soaring through the clouds, and my recklessness or heroism or whatever the rest of you would call it, would cause me to fly too close to the sun?”

Jean wanted to leave. He didn’t like the words that were coming out of the commander’s mouth. He wanted to shut himself in his room and maybe sleep this whole thing off. He didn’t want to think about her dying, or anyone for that matter, especially after the loss they were still trying to deal with. That story upset him more than he realized, especially since it didn’t seem too far-fetched at this point, considering all the gruesome deaths he had seen. He knew it was the grief talking and the pressure from her new position, but still, it unnerved him to see someone he always knew was filled with life looking so dead inside.

“You meant a lot to him, Hange-san,” Jean replied, trying to keep the emotion from his voice. You meant a lot to him more than anyone in this world, if he were being completely honest. “We always want to keep the people we care about safe, sometimes even if it means sacrificing our lives. He will always live on, in you — in us. You don’t have to carry this burden alone.”

Jean didn’t really know what he was saying — the words he uttered felt meaningless in the grand scheme of things — but he knew they were words that needed to be said. After reading those things, well, he felt as if he needed to give her as much assurance as possible.

The commander gave him a tight-lipped smile, her remaining eye tearing up. She approached him, and it was only then Jean finally noticed how she had a slight limp in her step. How her shoulders were tight and slumped forward. She placed a hand on his shoulder and nodded at him. “Thank you, Jean. You don’t know how much that means to me. You’re a great kid and I hope you know that you’ve proven to be an invaluable asset to not only the Survey Corps but to humanity as well. And,” Jean met her eye and his chest tightened once again in seeing it glimmer with a sense of pride, “thank you for cleaning Moblit’s room. I could have done it myself but…”

“I understand, Hange-san,” Jean said, his voice surprisingly reassuring despite the overwhelming amount of emotions he felt. She finally said his name. “I really do.”

The commander smiled a little brighter this time — the most genuine one yet, “Thank you.” and Jean felt that statement didn’t only apply to this situation. “Once we settle everything with Zackley, I’ll let you kids take a much-needed break. You mentioned your mother lives in Trost, is that right?”

“Yes, along with the rest of my family,” Jean replied, the prospect of seeing his mother again warming him up. He still wasn’t able to visit her due to the situation at hand, but he was eager to finally do so. He had always been reluctant in the past due to his embarrassment, but now he understood how superficial those fears were. He was so lucky, luckier than most, that he still had a family to go back to at the end of the day.

The commander nodded before squeezing his shoulder. “Make sure the rest of your squad finishes up their reports, alright? I want them on my desk tomorrow morning.”

“Understood, Hange-san.” Jean nodded in return, offering her a small smile.

She finally stepped away and Jean took this opportunity to carefully walk to the door. However before he could open it, the commander called him once more.

“Don’t blame yourself over anything, alright?” she said, crossing her arms, her voice now laced with a sense of authority, “It was always my decision. It was always my responsibility. I hope you remember that.”

He felt a knife pierce at his heart from her words — the same words the captain had told him no less than twenty minutes ago. He recalled the letters he had read from the vice captain’s journal and Jean couldn’t help but smile at the thought. He wondered briefly if he should get Hange-san to leave for her meeting with Zackley first before opening up the book and reading through everything in it, something Jean was sure she was going to do once he left her alone. But how could he possibly tell her without causing suspicion? How could he possibly tell her that whatever she was about to read could potentially break her? More so than she already was?

He couldn’t, because he shouldn’t have read those things in the first place. He shouldn’t have let his curiosity get the best of him. So instead, he simply nodded and quietly muttered a “thank you” before leaving.

He went down the other hallway to make sure he wouldn’t come across captain Levi. He needed to clear his thoughts before he could face them anytime soon. Jean wondered what his reaction would be if he read those letters as well. He let out a large sigh. Either way, it couldn’t possibly be as bad as Hange-san’s.

*******

The next couple of days had been surprisingly normal enough. They had filed reports, went into countless meetings after the other to discuss the situation regarding what they had found in Shiganshina, all the while still sending letters to each family who had lost a member in the battle. He didn’t see much of the commander other than the times they had to present themselves to Zackley, during which she acted completely fine — delivering each line with that of a smooth and authoritative manner. Other than that, she was gone — either in her office or delivering each letter of condolence personally. When he heard of that, his respect for her had grown even more immensely. She was an unbelievably kind and compassionate leader, and Jean felt even more honored to be working with her.

The promised day-off eventually came. Hange-san could only give everyone three days, seeing as recruits were going to be entering the Corps soon which meant Jean and the rest of his friends had to work on training them. Either way, he was glad to be getting some time to spend with his family. His mother was for sure going to dote on him to no end, but surprisingly, he was looking forward to it.

Already dressed in his civilian attire with his carry-on pack by his shoulder, Jean made his way to the commander’s office once more to inform them of his departure. He had visited Sasha earlier at the hospital and was pleased to know that she would be discharged later today and would be going to her family straight after. He offered to wait for her and drop her off himself, still wary of her injury, but Connie had offered to do it in his place. Eren, Mikasa, and Armin having no place to go opted to go around town for the day, and Floch had already left to visit his own family which basically meant Jean was the only one left in headquarters.

He finally rounded the corner and was about to knock on the old wooden door when he heard a loud crash followed by a screaming match. He immediately stepped back, feeling his blood run cold at the sounds. Only two people could possibly be behind those doors, and he didn’t like that he was hearing any of these things right now. He was lucky that the doors were thick enough to muffle the details of their conversation or their screaming match, but he still picked up on certain sentences.

“He would know exactly what to do next!”

“You’re not supposed to be him! Don’t you understand that?!”

Should I just leave? Make a run for it? Hange-san would surely understand, Jean thought to himself, panic building up in his chest. He recalled that time in his childhood where his parents would fight over food or jobs or whatever adults had fought about. He always felt uncomfortable and disheartened, thinking his parents hated each other and would never get along again. He didn’t like seeing the ugly things that had transpired between them. However, before he could even decide, the door suddenly slammed open, but this time, instead of captain Levi, Hange-san came out, walking briskly and angrily. She didn’t even notice Jean standing there and moved past him, shoulders scrunched together, a frustrated hand running through her already messy hair.

“Oi! Hange!” captain Levi exclaimed, suddenly appearing by the door frame, running a hand through his hair as well. The bags under his eyes were deeper, as usual, his cravat loose around his neck. His cheeks were slightly flushed, but it was obvious it was not in a good way. He was about to kick the door frame when he finally noticed Jean.

“What the fuck are you doing here?”

His voice was a little hoarse, and a chill ran down Jean’s spine as he took all of it in. This was too personal, this was none of his business, and so why was he getting roped in again?

“I was just about to report my departure to Hange-san—”

“Well, she’s obviously not here anymore,” the captain cut off in frustration, his eyes narrowing up at him. Jean didn’t like how he was seeing a new side to captain Levi, didn’t like seeing him so frustrated and lost. “Goddamnit what have I done…” he muttered to himself.

Jean could have just told him he was leaving. He could have just nodded and excused himself, headed straight to the stables, and made his way back to Trost. They would eventually forget about this incident as it would cool down, and all would be well.

But Jean remembered the letters. He remembered those words. He remembered her tired, broken expression from days ago. Jean knew what it was like to be a leader — to have people look up to you and count on you. He knew how it felt to think you weren't good enough, to think you weren’t special and how people shouldn’t trust you because you lacked certain skills or that you weren’t perfect enough. He looked at the captain, stared right into those intimidating gray eyes, and felt a surge of confidence within him.

“Captain, you know her better than anyone else,” Jean spoke, reiterating the Moblit Berner’s words, “What can I do to help her?”

The captain was slightly taken aback by Jean’s words. He raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms, studying him carefully. “Why are you—”

“Because I care about her.” Jean said firmly, “And I respect her. And I want to help.”

Captain Levi simply stared at him. Jean would be lying if he said he didn’t feel awkward. They were still soldiers, after all. Captain Levi was still his superior officer, and having heart-to-heart conversations was something they didn’t essentially do. There wasn’t any room for sharing feelings — it opened up vulnerability and that was something you couldn’t have out in the field. Especially since the battlefield they now had was much wider than before.

Jean was prepared to get shrugged off. He was prepared to leave without getting any answers. But the captain had sighed, fixed the cravat around his neck, and spoke softly: “Come inside.”

It was now Jean’s turn to be taken aback. Nevertheless, he followed the captain inside and was even more taken aback by the sight in front of him.

The commander’s desk and seat were turned upside down, forcibly, he presumed, with books and papers scattered around it. He stopped in the middle of the room and heard the captain sigh as he closed the door behind him. “Help me fix this shit, Jean. I can’t have this lying around here.”

Jean didn’t ask any more questions. He already knew the answers as to how this had happened. He wanted to know why, of course, to satisfy his curiosity, but at the same time, he didn’t. He dropped his satchel on the floor and proceeded to pick up the scattered papers and books, making sure not to step on them as much as possible. The captain also did the same, kneeling down and gathering everything in his arms. Once they were finished, they placed everything on the corner of the room, underneath the right window, and started to turn the desk upright once more. Jean took one side, the captain taking the other, and together they lifted and placed it back where it had originally sat. After which, Jean took the chair and pushed it back against it while the captain took the books and paper and placed everything neatly the desk. They worked in silence the entire time — the friction from their fight or whatever had happened in here a few moments ago, still lingered and Jean was afraid to pierce through it.

“I had served under two commanders,” the captain said suddenly as he filed through each piece of paper. Jean looked up and stared at him. “Shadis was alright — you already know most of his story anyway, but he was still a good leader. He had the drive, but still lacked some of the talents. And then Erwin came along…”

Captain Levi let out a deep sigh as he started inserting some of the papers in between the pages of a book. “Erwin... was a special man. He was one of the greatest assets to humanity. I don’t think I really need to tell you any more now, do I?”

He was right. Erwin Smith had been a special man. He was one of the greatest minds Jean had ever seen. He was an incredible strategist, an inspirational and respectable figure — all that and more. He had a feeling, however, that it wasn’t really about that. Jean was sure the captain just didn’t want to talk about him in general, at the moment. And really, who could blame him? Especially after what had happened on the rooftop?

Jean shook his head and looked down. A few tense seconds passed before the captain continued: “He never made any miscalculations. We all had a feeling Hange would be next in line and we had been right. Hange was the only one who had stood up to him, the one to push forward ridiculous and extreme ideas that could have gotten all of us killed. She thought differently and wanted to look at things from a different perspective. Hange…” at this, Jean looked up to see the captain’s expression light up, “was always the best choice. All of us knew this. All of us but her.”

He sighed and started to mindlessly look through some of the books now. “It’s not easy, being in her position. She thinks she doesn’t deserve it. But she does. I’ve been with Hange for a long time now, Jean. I know you brats are there, but we’re the only ones who just… have each other left. She was there when I had first entered the Corps and had been with me ever since. But Erwin and Moblit? They had been with her way before I was ever in the picture.”

It was the first time he had mentioned the vice captain’s name, and Jean had to stop himself from thinking too much about the letters again. One would think he’d get over it at this point, but it was much harder than he thought.

He continued once more: “Anyway, I’ve never been good with this shit, Jean. But you brats are just real nosey, huh?” he said, and Jean couldn’t tell if he was being serious or playful — maybe both. “The truth is, you being concerned and sticking your nose up to where it doesn’t belong is already helpful. You being here, following each command, and being the leader that you are is helpful. Just by staying alive, you’re already helpful. You, well, you’re already fucking helpful if you ask me. Hange knows this, and it may not look like it, but she’s thankful for all the little shit you and the brats do.”

It had taken him a few seconds to fully understand what the captain had meant, but he eventually did. Jean didn’t know what kind of answer he was expecting, but those words flowed through his heart and made him feel good inside. He didn’t realize he was already doing enough. He was just doing the bare minimum, wasn't he? But the captain had a point. If he continued to stay by their side, to stay by Hange-san’s side and follow her wherever she had lent them, then it could help erase the doubts she had regarding her position. Just by staying alive, he was helping her feel better. Just by being there for as long as possible — just like Moblit and Erwin, like captain Levi — was enough.

But he also had a feeling that the captain didn’t want him, or any of his friends, to worry about their situation. He couldn’t explain it, but those were just the sort of parents did for their children. And though Jean would probably never admit it, Hange-san and the captain were quickly stepping up to be parental figures to them already.

The captain finally took out a single piece of paper from the stacks and held it up slightly. Jean saw it had been the sketch of him and Hange-san, and he couldn’t help but smile at the sight.

“Vice-captain Moblit was really talented, wasn’t he?” Jean finally spoke up. The captain nodded in front of him and traced the outline of Hange-san’s smiling face on paper.

Captain Levi’s lips twitched a little upright. “He really was.”

*******

Though the journey back home was a long and tedious one, Jean was grateful to have had the time to himself to ponder on his thoughts. Captain Levi ordered him, or was it a friendly suggestion? not to speak about this to Hange-san. He then parted to look for her which enabled Jean to finally leave.

He thought a lot about the letters, about the myth Hange-san had told him days ago, about the captain’s words, and even about the late commander Erwin.

The sun was setting when he had arrived home. As he passed through the neighborhood he grew up in, he couldn't help but feel both excited and terrified. The threat of the titans was now over, right? But now they were facing an even bigger menace. Would his home be safe? Would the people they had fought so long to protect inside the walls be safe?

“Jean-boy!”

He turned and saw her face. She stood at the front of their house which surprisingly looked the same after all this time. She was excitedly waving her hand, and once he got closer, he saw that tears were falling from her eyes. Once he stopped in front of her, he quickly dismounted his horse and enveloped him in her arms.

“You’ve grown so big! Oh my boy!” she exclaimed, clutching the back of his shirt and pressing her face against his chest. Jean hugged her back eagerly and tried his best not to let his emotions take over. But it had been a long couple of days. His body still ached from the battle, his brain was consumed by too many thoughts, and his heart still grieved the lives of all of the people they had lost. He couldn’t believe he had taken her warmth and comfort for granted so many times. Who did he think he was, trying to shove her out of his life because he didn’t want to be embarrassed?

“I’m home, mom,” he said, finally closing his eyes and inhaling her scent. She laughed happily before disentangling herself a little, looking up at him to study his face. Her eyes were watery, the lines around them having deepened. Her hair also started to have gray streaks and Jean felt his heart ache at the sight of her much older form. “I have your favorite already waiting for you in the kitchen. I also cleaned your room so you better change and wash up before we eat dinner, alright? I’m so glad you’re here my Jean-boy.” she said, hugging him again.

He truly was home.

*******

A wave of nostalgia hit him the moment he had entered his childhood room. True to her word, everything was neat and tidy. His bed was made, desk free of any clutter, and the window was left a little open to let some of the breezes go in. He exhaled, closing the door behind him and moving to lay on his bed. He was both physically and emotionally exhausted and wanted nothing more now than to close his eyes and sleep. He wondered what the others were doing at this very moment. They had been through together so much that it felt weird not to have any of them near him. It was probably the first time in a long time he was going to sleep in his bed, in his own room, without anyone else around. Letting out a deep sigh, he willed himself to stand up, grab the satchel he had brought with him, and place the contents atop his desk.

As he rummaged through his things, he wondered if there was something he still could do for Hange-san. Though he took the captain’s words to heart, he couldn’t help but feel like doing something for her either way. Something that wasn’t too outrageous that would give her the wrong idea. Something that he himself would do, something that was uniquely his. Afterall, the captain said that just by doing what he did, he would be able to help. He eventually found his answer when he opened one of the drawers of his desk and found his old sketches and art supplies from long ago.

He immediately stopped what he was doing and gingerly took out his old artworks. The passion he felt was still there, tingling the back of his neck as he stared at the portrait of the woman he had seen in his dreams. His lips tightened as he realized that the woman he had drawn resembled Mikasa so much. He really only had eyes for her from the very beginning, huh? Shaking his head, he looked through some of his old work and realized then and there exactly what he needed to do.

He may not be as good as the vice-captain, but it was the least he could do. Besides, maybe once he went through with this little project, he would finally be able to release all his thoughts about this matter. He was relieved to see there was still some paper and pencils left. Nodding his head, he closed the window, placed the papers back down, and proceeded to change into a cleaner and much more comfortable shirt. He’ll have time to do this later after dinner. But for now, there some much-needed time to be spent with his family.

*******

He found himself back in front of the commander’s office once again, days later. This time, he carried with him two scrolls of paper. He stopped and listened intently, making sure no one was arguing behind the doors before knocking.

He let himself in the moment he heard Hange-san’s voice. She was seated behind her desk, finally sporting a dark patch on her injured eye. “Ah, welcome back, Jean. Did you need anything from me?” she asked as Jean closed the door behind him.

“I just came by to drop some things off for you, Hange-san,” he spoke lightly, feeling incredibly nervous. He scratched the back of his head as he approached her quietly.

She looked so much better this time around. She had discarded her military coat and her bolo tie was tied securely around her neck for the world to see. Her glasses were impeccably clean and gleamed when she looked up at him, her hair nicely framing her face. She seemed much more relaxed, and it didn’t feel like when she was going through meetings and such where she acted fine. This time, she actually did look genuinely alright and at peace.

Jean wondered how she and the captain had spent those three days. He had a feeling, once again, that they had spent it together. He could tell that the captain had something to do with the improved state she was currently in. Either way, Jean was happy to see her like this.

“I… had seen vice-captain Moblit’s sketches,” Jean started right off at the bat, not wanting to make a bigger deal out of this than it already was. He saw more than the sketches, of course, but she didn’t need to know that. The commander didn’t look upset or surprised, which made Jean continue: “And I had been sort of an artist too, you see, but obviously not as good as him.”

He carefully handed her the two scrolls of paper, and she raised an eyebrow before taking it from his grasp. “When I returned home and saw my old work, I realized that I wanted to do something for you, Hange-san. No one put me up to this, and I hope, for my sake, you don’t tell the others.”

He added that last part, a light blush dusting his cheeks. If any of his friends found out about his old hobby, they would tease him to no end and demand to see some of his old work.

She carefully inspected the two scrolls before putting down the second one and gingerly opening the first. She gasped, her hand flying straight to her mouth as she looked on and stared at the portrait in front of her.

“Oh Jean…” she said, her voice cracking with emotion, “I can’t believe you did this.”

Jean had a pretty good memory of things. He remembered the vice captain’s worried, concerned face. He remembered the former commander’s authoritative expression. And of course, how could he forget captain Levi’s tiny smirk or Hange-san’s bright eyes?

It felt awkward, putting those visions on paper. He felt his heart clench at the sight of his portraits. But he powered through, and Hange-san’s expression made it all worth it.

She traced her fingers over the etched lines. She lingered, he noticed, over commander Erwin’s and vice-captain Moblit’s face. She smiled and laughed brightly as tears now streamed from her remaining eye. Jean had drawn them all together, side by side, arms around one another. It had been a product of his imagination, but he had to admit it wasn’t as bad as he thought.

“Why? How?” she said, her voice breaking. She placed down the paper and gently removed her glasses to wipe some of the tears from her face.

Jean looked down and shuffled his feet, “He never really had any portraits of all of you together. I thought well, that shouldn’t be the case.”

“Do I even want to know what’s in the other one?” she said teasingly before clearing her throat and putting her glasses back on. Her smile was absolutely infectious, and Jean was happy it was seemingly etched permanently onto her face.

“I think you do,” he said, clearing his throat as well. That particular portrait was the first one he had finished, and he loved how it had turned out. He was also grateful for the creative outlet. He had to admit, he missed indulging in these kinds of things. Who knew when the next time he’d be able to do something like this again?

Hange-san laughed — a bright and beautiful melody that continued to light up the room. She shifted her attention to the unopened scroll, picked it up, and proceeded to unroll it. However, unlike the first one, she remained silent, her eyes widening at the sight. A few minutes had passed before she pursed her lips, her fingers shaking a little, before rolling it back up and setting it back down on her desk. She studied Jean carefully, and he could tell that perhaps she was picking up on the idea that he may have read those letters. Nevertheless, she stood up, shook her head, and quickly strolled to him and hugged him.

“Thank you, Jean,” she said after a few seconds, and Jean allowed himself to snake his hands behind her and hug her back. He closed his eyes and a small part of him reprimanded himself for being so soft, for sticking his nose into other people’s business, for doing all of these rather embarrassing things. But life was short. He needed to express his feelings to others before it was too late. He needed to tell people he cared about them before it was too late. He felt the magnitude of her gratitude from those small, common words. From the way she had tightly clutched the back of his shirt. They pulled away — the hug being a rather brief and short thing, just as captain Levi entered the room.

“What are you two doing?” he asked, closing the door behind him and crossing his arms. Jean turned around to see a curious and wary expression on his face. Hange-san laughed behind him, and Jean then and there witnessed how the captain softened at the sound. His shoulders relaxed, his lips parted slightly, and his eyes gleamed in wonder.

“Nothing,” Hange-san sang as she approached him. “Are you ready to go?”

“The horses are already waiting for us,” the captain said gruffly, but Jean could tell he was pleasantly surprised by the commander’s tone and attitude. “What are you and Jean—”

“I’ll tell you later, okay?” she spoke heartily, moving to grab her civilian coat from the coat stand by the door. “We’ll be meeting with some of the press, alright Jean? We’ll be back later tonight. I believe Levi over here is planning on cooking for everyone.”

“Oi! That was supposed to be a secret!” the captain exclaimed, his eyes sneering at her. Hange-san shrugged before approaching Jean and laying a hand on his shoulder. She smiled at him once again which Jean reciprocated. She whispered another “thank you” before patting his head affectionately. “Please don’t tell the others, Hange-san,” he spoke quietly, only for her to hear.

“I won’t.” she assured, “But you have to know that I can’t keep anything from this grump right here,” she said, her head tilting towards the captain’s direction.

“What are you idiots talking about?” the captain eyed suspiciously, moving to approach them.

“I know.” Jean scoffed, his eyes gleaming. Hange-san nodded before swiftly looping her arm around the captain’s and dragging him out the room. “Come on! We’re going to be late!”

Jean followed them out the door and saw their figures moving down the hallway. Captain Levi stopped her suddenly as if asking her once again what she and Jean had been doing. The commander laughed before patting his head affectionately which then made the captain gently kick her leg. He then started to inspect her coat, straightening it out before buttoning the front. Jean shook his head at the soft and sweet gesture in front of him. He looked back inside the office to where the drawings he had and quietly went back in and approached the desk.

He carefully lifted the second scroll and opened it. He didn’t really know what kind of reaction he was expecting from Hange-san, but so far she didn’t really give away anything obvious. He was certain that she had read those letters. But it felt as if she just wanted to move on from them, and thinking about it, that would be the best course of action wasn’t it?

He stared at the portrait. They weren’t really close by any standards. Thinking about it, they probably just had two or three conversations the entire time Jean had known him. But his utter devotion was enough to catch anyone’s attention. Jean hoped he was able to catch them and had translated it properly on paper. There were hundreds of sketches of Hange-san and everyone else, but there weren’t any of just them together. He had drawn him the way he knew him — face scrunched up in concern as he looked onto her. He had a hand placed on her shoulder, and Hange-san was laughing at whoever was in front of her.

Slowly, with his other hand that wasn’t holding the portrait, Jean placed a fist over his heart in a salute.

Thank you for dedicating your heart.

*******

Dear Buntaichou,

I’ve decided to start writing to you like this in the event I should get a heart attack and die from your irresponsibility. I also needed to let out my frustration through a healthy matter. I really don’t understand as to why you would charge headfirst into a forest, all by yourself, and try to capture a titan. How you managed to get away with screaming at the commander and still having all your limbs attached today is a miracle. I’m glad Captain Levi and his squad were able to intervene and help stop you from getting eaten. I’m glad you’re okay. At this time, you’re currently locked in your room, devouring whatever is inside the notebook you found. Maybe you’ll finally be able to convince commander Erwin with your discoveries? Still, you could have died. No matter how much I try to stop you, you always try and go at it, huh?

That was so very stupid of you. How are you so brilliant and stupid at the same time?

— Moblit

*******

Dear Buntaichou,

DID YOU REALLY ALMOST FALL OFF THE WALL?! I’m so glad my grandmother forbade me to curse because I would have exclaimed a variety of colorful language at you during that entire situation.

It was our first test run of your titan capturing method, and all would have been well if you weren’t leaning too far and, I don’t know, SLIPPED?

It was a good thing captain Levi had incredible reflexes and had gotten to you just in time. He seems very attuned to whenever you put yourself in danger, isn’t he? I could have sworn he was just waiting for something bad to happen. I also could have sworn I was going to get a heart attack then and there.

Why are you so reckless and stupid? Great, now I feel bad for calling you that. But hey, I need to let it out, okay? Don’t take it personally. But then again, captain Levi pretty much calls you that daily and you seem to find it endearing.

I’m also so worried about when we start experimenting on titans. By the walls, you’re not going to make it easy for me, are you? Just please don’t die.

— Moblit

*******

Dear Buntaichou,

I knew you weren’t going to make things easy for me. I have to admit, you giving names to those titans was pretty strange — but it was still rather cute. Only if you weren’t going crazy about it.

I feel like I say that as if it’s a new thing. But then again, back in our training days, you were relatively calm. You always indulge yourself in books and go out of your way to try and learn new things. Those were nice and calm days, weren’t they? You’ve always piqued my interest from the very beginning especially since you were the only one who pronounced our instructor’s name wrong.

Why am I bringing this up? Anyway, if this is the last letter you read it means that I was eaten by Albert or whoever that other titan was. We can’t afford to lose you, you know? That’s one of the things I’ve learned so far anyway. That some lives in the Survey Corps matter more than the others, and I would gladly get eaten by a titan if it means you’d live another day.

I don’t mean to make you feel guilty or anything of the sort. This is just how I feel.

— Moblit

*******

Dear Buntaichou,

How do you do it? It seems you’re the only person (besides commander Erwin, well, it’s a given) who has full control over captain Levi. You’ve managed to persuade him to capture a titan for you, and though he complained about it, he still did it anyway.

Since you’ll never get these letters while I’m still alive, I can probably be as honest as possible.

I think that he has feelings for you.

Now, I hope by the time you read this, he’s made it obvious to you by then. And I know it seems like a stretch, cause well, he’s captain Levi and everything and he doesn’t seem like he’s capable of those types of emotions, but I’ve seen the way he looks at you.

I think it started when you ran off to the forest and he followed you. I read the reports of what had happened, and it seemed he was really shaken. We also work a lot with their squad, so there’s a lot of room for things to blossom then I suppose.

I know I sound incredibly foolish. And I’m telling you right now, I’m completely sober as I write this. But it’s just something I can tell, something that doesn’t seem too far-fetched. He cares about you a lot.

Now I need a drink. I don’t know what’s going on with me.

— Moblit

*******

Dear Buntaichou,

I think you have feelings for captain Levi.

This is an even more outrageous claim than the one in my previous entry, and because I’m always glued to your side, I feel like I know more than others do.

It’s been a while since I wrote my thoughts on here. It’s been a rough couple of days? Weeks? I forgot. So much has happened. I don’t want to delve too much into the details but essentially, we had engaged with the female titan outside the walls, then inside Stohess district, then the armored and colossal titan. I also finished investigating Ragako — Connie Springer’s village. I haven’t had enough rest these days. A lot of us haven’t. And though I feel incredibly exhausted and want to make use of these couple of days of peace before we head onto Trost, I felt like jotting some of the things I had witnessed between you and the captain.

I know this is really silly of me. But forgive me again, this is the only outlet I have. Don’t worry, I’ve already jotted down the important findings in the middle pages of this journal/sketchbook. But I’m starting to feel things myself. Feelings I didn’t know I could feel either.

Anyway, you had visited him when he was still in the hospital, getting some treatment for his injured leg. You had dismissed me that day, saying you were going to him.

I also had caught you lending him one of your jackets. And though he had protested, he still eagerly wore it.

Not to mention the number of times I had caught you making tea for him. How did I know? Well, no one else touched the tin of black tea in the mess hall but Captain Levi. So it had been an easy assumption.

There are a lot more instances, but I can’t seem to bring myself to put them on paper. I don’t know why — maybe there are just too many, maybe I just don’t want to recall them. I think maybe both.

Either way, it seems as if you two have feelings for one another now. I’m glad. I’m also glad that you’re okay, that you’re alive, that you’re still here. Hopefully, that will continue to last long.

— Moblit

*******

Dear Hange-san,

I think… that this will be my last letter.

I know it’s been a long time since I last updated this series of letters (we haven’t exactly had a lot of free time) and as we are preparing to return to Shiganshina, I felt the need to address everything here and now. Seeing as there’s a high probability I might not make it back.

The moment I first met you back when we were cadets in the Training Corps, you had captured my attention almost immediately. Your hair had been way shorter back then so there wasn’t any need to tie it up into a ponytail. Other than that, your eyes always remained bright, your laugh was always infectious. When you had told me back then how you wanted to see the world beyond the walls, I had thought you to be crazy. My family had always wanted me to enlist in the Garrison, especially since I had a lot of relatives there. But the moment you started talking about what life could be like, about different plants and trees, about different types of animals — the way you had smiled up at me and used your hands excessively to discuss your points — I knew then and there that I would follow you wherever you went.

Going into the Survey Corps was absolutely terrifying. But being with you, helping you, and staying by your side had made it worth it.

The amount of times you almost died, the amount of times you had put yourself in danger is just too much to count. The number of times you had made me worried — well, let’s just say I’m glad my heart didn’t suffer any complications. Or maybe it has and I just don’t know.

Seriously, you’re too reckless sometimes, you know? But I can’t help but admire you still. You do it because you desire to change because you want to understand our natural enemies. You’re the only one I’ve met who thinks that way, and people have mentioned more than once that you’re really crazy, and perhaps they’re right, but you’re also the most brilliant of all of them combined.

And because of this, you have captured my heart.

I’m sure there are more reasons, but I can’t find it in me to talk about all of them. I don’t know why this happened, how this happened, or if I was too obvious. But knowing you, you probably wouldn’t know if someone had romantic feelings for you even if it hit you straight in the face. After all, this is exactly what’s going on between you and captain Levi.

I know for certain now that he loves you. I had a hunch before, but I know now. I could tell by the nicknames he gave you, from how angry he was when you fell during our battle, how he went to visit you, multiple times, after that incident. How when he sees me alone in the corridor or something, he always asks about you. How in every mission we go, he always looks at you, as if he’s engraving your image into his memory should one of you not make it. How he captured a titan for you. How he knows how you take your tea and how he always goes to your side for comfort. How he basically forces you to take a bath. How he just knows you and understands your entirety as a human being.

It all makes sense now. I suppose, if you didn’t pay attention much to it, you’d think it was something else entirely. Just a comrade looking out for another comrade. But his eyes, oh his eyes always say otherwise. He loves you and I hope by the time you read this, you’re well aware of that fact.

And I also hope you’re well aware that you love him too.

I could tell by how you tease him almost to no end. By how you always talk about him, either positively or negatively. How you just know when he's around as if you have a keen sense just for him. How you translate his words for others (he’s not very good at those). How even when he’s fuming angry or irritated, you seem to be the only one who can get him to calm down. How you had visited him multiples times after his injury. How you just knew all that information about him living with Kenny the Ripper as if you two had discussed the life he had led before. How you know exactly how he takes his tea. How you always make it a point to celebrate his birthday despite our lack of funds. How you just know him and trust him so well.

You love him, Hange-san. You love him so much. Dare I say you love him as equally if not more as your titans and your research. What you two have is something so special I doubt anyone inside the walls has the same kind of bond.

I wanted that with you.

You both deserve happiness together. But I know that’s not possible. Especially with the world we live in.

I just wanted you to know this before it’s too late. I want you to know that should I never come back by your side, that you always have him. That he treasures you. Perhaps… even more than I do.

Enclosed in this journal are all the findings in research we collected through the years. And so are these letters. And so are some… portraits I had done myself. I hope you like them.

If you’re reading this, then that means you have survived and may or may not be the new commander. Hange-san, I hope you remember that you are life itself, that you are so brilliant and amazing, and that you continue to give others an inexpressible joy. You have enriched my life (despite almost killing me multiple times). I know you will do a fantastic job as commander. That’s because, well, you’re you. You’re Hange. I wish I could elaborate more but it is what it is.

There’s so much more I want to say. So much more I want to tell you. But there isn’t any time nor can I bring myself to put any of it on paper. You also should be expecting me on the training grounds in a couple of minutes from now to continue Eren’s experiments. So I suppose, I’ll just leave you with this:

… I love you.

Sincerely, Moblit Berner.

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kitkatwinchester · 4 years

Text

Today On “Over-Analyzing Television Shows”

Okay actually, while I’m on this topic, here’s my interpretations of the family dynamics in the OG Ghost crew. <3 <3

Kanan and Hera: Mom and Dad

This one is pretty obvious. They’re the leaders, mentors, and instructors, and they even call the rest of their crew “the kids” all the time (as they should, because they are all children. XD) Not only do they lead, but they also discipline and scold, teaching their kids right from wrong and showing them the ropes in their respective skillsets. These particular parents definitely follow the stereotype of Hera as the mature, responsible mom and Kanan as the immature, cool dad, with Kanan often expressing his childish side--especially with his kids--and Hera having to keep him in check. Ultimately, though, they’re both great parents and very responsible when it comes to taking care of their children. Plus, they’re an adorable couple. <3

Zeb: The Oldest

Of the four children (and yes, four, because I’m counting Chopper), Zeb is the most responsible and most mature. He’s less likely to cause trouble for Kanan and Hera, often siding with them and working to please them, and he can step into a leadership role much more easily. When it comes to his relationship with his siblings, he likes poking at them and teasing them, often re-iterating that he’s older and the one in charge. As such, he often tries to be the logical one when it comes to his younger siblings’ chaotic plans, telling them not to do the terrible ideas they come up with. However, in many cases, Zeb can become just as childish and reckless, often causing problems and a ruckus right alongside them, letting out his loving relationship with them. In the end, though, despite often blaming his younger siblings, he’ll always be the first one to clean up the mess, and, ultimately, he’ll do anything to protect them.

(I don’t know who made this artwork, but I love it, and clearly, someone agrees with me. XD <3)

Ezra and Sabine: Middle Children

To me, this is another obvious one. For starters, Ezra and Sabine are pretty close in age to begin with, and right from the start of the show, they bond really quickly. Within seconds, they’re playing off of each other’s chaos, and it’s this chaotic energy that puts them in this spot. While Zeb tries to be responsible and please his parents, these two don’t care one bit. They have their own ideas and incredibly sassy attitudes, and while, deep down, they respect their parents and the things they’ve been taught, they’re much more likely to do whatever they want whenever they feel like it just because they can, which leads to all kinds of chaos, mistakes, and recklessness that Kanan and Hera constantly have to get them out of. As they grow older, they do get more mature and learn how to be more responsible; however, they definitely still have an air of rebelliousness when it comes to their parents’ orders (Sabine helping Ezra make his final sacrifice in the last episode is a good example of this). In terms of their actual relationship with each other, Ezra and Sabine have the closest sibling relationship on the show. They connect on a lot of levels, and they play off of each other really well. They constantly tease each other, especially Sabine; as the oldest between the two, she has an air of the “I’m older than you so I know better than you” complex, and she uses it to her advantage with Ezra a lot, especially in the first two seasons. However, more often than not, they do see each other on the same level, and as such, they also constantly help each other, and when one of them needs something that they don’t want to go their parents for, they go to each other. They always have each others’ backs. No matter what the other one needs, they’ll be there, and it just proves how strong their middle sibling bond really is. (Yes, I know Sabezra is a ship, but I much prefer them as siblings. <3)

Chopper: The Youngest

Last, but certainly not least, is the youngest: Chopper. He’s the little sibling that gets the most attention and gets away with the most when it comes to Hera and Kanan (especially Hera), which annoys the heck out of all three of his older siblings. As such, they’ll tease him and make fun of him the most, often all ganging up on him. Oftentimes, he has no problems tattling and crying to mom and dad about it, usually even sassing and fighting right back until it gets so out of hand that their parents notice, knowing that his mom and dad will side with him; more often than not, they do, which only annoys his older siblings more. In addition, since he’s often so babied, he takes advantage of it, running away, complaining, and being lazy whenever he can, because he knows he can get away with it. However, at the same time, as the youngest and supposedly least capable, he still often has something to prove, so when it comes down to it, he’ll join in on the fight and show everyone who he can really be, surprising even his parents with his skills. That said, despite all of his sass, attitude, and constant whining, he’s the most loyal of any of his siblings, and everyone in his family knows it, which is why, as much as they hate to admit it, his siblings really do adore him and would do anything for him.

All in all, this family unit is amazing. As much as they fight and tease each other, in the end, they’ll all be there for each other, and their love for each other is so strong--which is exactly why I love them. <3

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firewoodfigs · 4 years

Note

Hey Friend, I know I'm a bit late with this but how about - "an answer to the prompt ‘fevered forehead kisses’" Thanks. :)

here you go, friend!! this one’s for you and @brucestephenbucky, who both requested an answer to the prompt ‘fevered forehead kisses’ :)

[also, this turned out to be longer than expected (~3k words), so it’s on ao3 as well! for easier reading, all that stuff xD]

Summary: In which Riza is down with a cold, and Roy is both anxious and painfully oblivious. Also, Roy has to conquer his greatest nemesis yet: carrots. (young Royai)

~x~

Riza Hawkeye always woke up by sunrise. This was an immutable fact of life; as unchanging as the fact that the sun would rise every morning from the east. Not once had Roy seen her sleep in — not even on the weekends.

But today was different.

The sun had already risen long ago, and the roosters were back with their awful crowing. And even the morning dew that embraced the paltry patches of yellowing grass outside with timeless regularity was starting to evaporate by now.

Still, Riza was nowhere to be found.

Roy’s first thought was that she’d gone on one of her routine grocery trips. But Riza Hawkeye was the human incarnation of efficiency, if nothing else. Unlike his sisters, who had an uncanny tendency to get distracted by other things along the way (because apparently every girl loved shopping on a biological level, or so they claimed), grocery shopping was something she could easily complete in about a half an hour or less.

And it had been nearly two hours since he’d waited idly by the fireplace for Riza to come in through the front porch with that shy, contented smile that she always wore in the morning.

Believing that this might’ve been a rare, life-changing occasion where Riza wanted to experience the wonders of sleeping in, Roy therefore took it upon himself to prepare breakfast for the both of them. Typically, this wasn’t preferable, as he was only capable of making two things that were remotely edible: toasts, and eggs. (Not even fried eggs. Boiled eggs, because those were impossible to screw up.) To make up for the slightly burnt toast, Roy brewed a sweet, soothing mixture of chamomile tea with cinnamon.

Then he laid everything out on the dining table and hoped for the best.

Fifteen minutes passed. Breakfast was beginning to cool down. The mugs were no longer steaming; in them only a lukewarm stillness that reflected his lonely, worried expression.

Roy bit into the burnt edge of a piece of toast, consulting the grandfather clock down by the inordinately large hallway.

The empty hallway.

Ten-hundred hours.

Roy sighed into his tea. Ten more minutes, he decided. Ten more minutes. If Riza wasn’t down by then, he’d go upstairs and check on her instead.

In the end, Roy found himself dragging his feet up the old, creaky stairs. He balanced the tray delicately on one hand, and knocked at her door gently with the other.

“Miss Riza?” Roy called softly, deciding against dropping the honorific. (Riza might’ve given him permission to call her by her first name, but she still was not taking the liberty of addressing him as such.)

Silence.

Roy knocked again.

The tray wobbled precariously.

“Miss Riza?”

A groan resounded from the other end, before he heard footsteps padding softly towards him. Then the door opened to reveal Riza in all her pale, half-awake glory.

To say that she was a mess was a bit of an understatement. Her hair was uncombed and completely disheveled (very much unlike her usual self); cheeks flushed a deep scarlet — a stark contrast against the sickly pallor of her countenance.

“Mister Mustang,” Riza rasped weakly. But her demeanour was quick to shift once she caught sight of the tray in his hands. Instantly she straightened like a soldier standing at attention, back straight and shoulders tense. “I’m so sorry — what time is it?”

“You have nothing to apologise for,” Roy reassured hastily. “It’s about ten —“ Riza’s eyes widened, and her mouth opened like she was about to admonish herself for not getting started on her endless list of chores earlier, “— but don’t worry about it. Are you sick?”

A shiver wracked through her petite frame, one that she tried miserably to conceal by wrapping her thin arms around herself. “I’m not,” Riza lied unconvincingly. “I —“

“Have a lot to do, I know,” Roy interjected, biting back a sigh at her stubbornness. God, the girl really needed to get her priorities straight. “But you’re obviously unwell. And besides, I already made you breakfast. I didn’t do such a bad job, see? I even managed to make you your tea just the way you like it...”

“I — thank you,” she muttered, turning away to sneeze daintily into the crook of her elbow. “But really, it’s just a minor cold. You didn’t have to...” Riza trailed off as another shudder assaulted her.

Roy pursed his lips, somewhat bemused by her insistence (and poor attempts at deceit). He cleared his throat and straightened, imitating the tone that his indomitable sisters used whenever he was trying to wriggle his way out of drinking some weird, medicinal concoction. “It clearly doesn’t sound like a minor cold. You should rest before it gets worse.”

“But...”

“No buts, Miss Riza.”

Roy set the tray down on her bedside table, then strode back to where she was. Gingerly, Roy put a hand on her shoulder. When she didn’t flinch from the contact, he gently guided her back towards her bed. Riza didn’t protest. Instead, she was quick to settle back down, clutching onto her blankets for dear life — as if the short walk to her door had sapped her of all her energy.

“Just rest, okay? I’ll take care of everything else.”

Evidently too weak to argue further, Riza nodded and coughed into a fist. “I’m really sorry for the trouble —“

“You have nothing to apologise for,” he nearly exclaimed, a little frustrated by her self-deprecating logic. In what universe was it someone’s fault for falling sick — something that was not even within one’s realm of control? “Just let me know if you need anything, okay? A doctor, medicine, whatever. It’s what friends do for each other.”

“Friends...” she mumbled, eyes averted — in embarrassment? He couldn’t tell. Despite the remarkable progression in their relationship, Riza Hawkeye was still very much an enigma.

“Friends,” Roy affirmed, fluffing the coverlet a little before leaving hastily, his own heart pounding in his throat.

~x~

Roy spent the rest of the day dusting the window panes, sweeping the carpeted floors and drying the laundry in between studying for his upcoming test. More than once he’d spotted Riza coming down the stairs, meandering around the hallways aimlessly like she was inspecting for non-existent dust under the guise that she was just about to pour herself another glass of water.

Roy was quick to see through her excuses, however, and had ushered her back into her room with a full jug of water instead. Every hour or so, he’d go up to check on Riza, a warm cup of freshly-made ginger tea in his hands (a remedy that his aunt swore by, despite its repulsive taste) and constant reassurances that he was doing just fine with the chores.

When evening-time came around, Riza appeared in the kitchen, eyes bleary and nose pink. Roy withheld the urge to roll his eyes.

How stubborn could one person get? And was there — no, would there ever be a point where she’d come to spare a thought for herself? To put herself ahead of others?

Probably not, he thought wryly.

“I’m a lot better, really,” she sniffed, huddling an old, tattered shawl around her for warmth. (Roy made a mental note to get a new cardigan for her — one that was thicker; more suited for unfortunate days like these. Maybe a pink, fluffy one that matched her secret femininity.) “I should start making dinner.”

Right. He’d completely forgotten about that.

“I can take care of that,” he said. Riza quirked a brow at him, unconvinced. Roy shoved his wounded ego back down his throat and tried again. “Really. I’ll just make up a simple stew for us.”

What could possibly be so hard about throwing a few ingredients into boiling water, right? He’d just have to wait for the ingredients to work their magic. And if they didn’t, then he’d have to trust in the mythical powers of sesame oil and salt to save the day. Or so he’d gleaned from his sisters’ numerous mishaps in the kitchen and Riza’s incredible cooking.

“... Please don’t trouble yourself, Mister Mustang.”

“Nonsense. You’re always troubling yourself for my — for our sakes,” he insisted, guiding her towards the living room. Riza opened her mouth like she was about to protest. And Roy scrambled for a better argument. Something that might work on her desire to avoid causing trouble to others at all costs, perhaps? “Think of it this way. You’ll be - um, it’ll be worse if you pass out in the middle of the kitchen while cooking.”

After a long, contemplative moment, Riza relented and stepped back hesitantly. “Try not to burn anything down.”

This was a remarkable challenge, but Roy Mustang was not one to back down from challenges. Instead he nodded, solemn. “I won’t.”

Riza nodded, settling herself on the old rocking chair by the fireplace for warmth. The evening was remarkably chilly tonight, however, and so Roy tucked his coat securely around her, ever thankful that his reclusive hermit of a teacher did not choose to grace them with his presence at that moment.

Then he scurried back into the kitchen like a mouse and began rifling through the lower compartments of the fridge.

To his dismay, Roy found the following items: corn, cabbage, and carrots. Naturally he despised them all, since they belonged to that vile, disgusting category of food known as vegetables.

But carrots. God, carrots were the worst of them all. Those malicious sticks of bright orange clearly hated him with a deep-seeded passion, and so did he. Things never turned out well whenever he was forced to work with them in the kitchen.

Unless one considered multiple cuts and band-aids ‘well’.

Still, he was determined to make Riza a decent, hearty meal tonight. (Or maybe not ‘hearty’ -- that implied that he was a good cook, which was a little ambitious. More like edible, perhaps.)

Inhaling deeply, Roy rolled up his sleeves and set about to work once he found Riza’s little recipe book. But determination soon melted into frustration after he’d chopped up cobs of corn and sliced potatoes and had to face his greatest adversary in the world: carrots.

And after a lot of groaning and grunting and wheezing, Roy somehow ended up peeling more of his own skin than the carrot’s; a feat he hadn’t even thought possible until now.

… Like he said, they really hated him.

“Damn it,” Roy cursed softly under his breath, not wanting to wake the sleeping blonde. He quickly rinsed them under running water, then rummaged through the cabinets for a box of band-aids.

Torn between mild amusement and self-pity, Roy stuck them over the numerous cuts decorating his poor fingers and sighed.

Well.

Nothing like a few lacerations to prove his gallantry, right?

Still, Riza’s fitful, shuddering frame was all the motivation he needed to conquer the menacing abomination. At least most of them were chopped up by now, even if they looked nothing like the neat wedges that Riza usually managed to cut them into.

But it was all the same in one’s stomach, he reasoned.

Mindful to not set the kitchen ablaze, Roy got back to work and began dumping everything into the pot.

~x~

By some miraculous stroke of luck, the kitchen was still intact about an hour later. Roy popped back into the living room with a wooden tray holding two bowls of vegetable soup, billowing clouds of steam curling around his face.

“Hey,” he called gently. Riza cracked an eyelid open, still semi-conscious. “I made us some soup for dinner. Think you can get up for some?”

“I - oh,” Riza mumbled. Her face fell slightly as she adjusted herself on the seat.

Roy got the nagging feeling that she was about to apologise once more for not helping.

“I mean, it’s not the best, but it tasted… edible,” he cajoled. Barely edible, actually. It’d tasted bland, sort of watery; but Roy had been too afraid to add in more salt or seasoning for fear of screwing the whole thing up entirely.

One could only hope that the cold had muffled her taste buds.

“Thank you,” she said softly. They ate together in companionable silence; metal clinking gently against ceramic as the fire crackled.

Roy resisted the urge to scrunch his face up at the blandness of it all.

Riza, on the other hand, did not appear to have any qualms about the simple fare; she made no comment on his ostensible lack of talent in the kitchen. Instead she flashed him a small, grateful smile that warmed his heart immensely.

“How are you feeling?”

“A little better, I think.” Almost inaudibly, Riza added, “Thank you. For all of this, I mean. I really appreciate it.”

Roy beamed. “It’s no problem. Like I said, you’re always doing so much for our benefit. It’s the least I can do.”

Roy got up to clear the dishes before she could, once they were done with dinner. By this point, however, Riza was clearly too tired to argue. She waited by the fireplace as he rinsed the bowls; a shivering cocoon of blankets and soft sneezes.

And like a panicked mother hen, Roy started fussing. Without warning he helped Riza up, bringing her close so that she could lean on him for support. She was dangerously warm to the touch, he realised. It seemed her fever hadn’t broken yet, and he could feel the goosebumps trailing up her skin as they walked.

“Mister Mustang,” she called feebly, flushing scarlet.

“Hm?” he asked, oblivious to the heat crawling up his own neck.

Gently, he led Riza up the stairs and guided Riza back into her room.

“Are you sure you’re alright? I can go get a doctor or something, if you need…”

It’d be hard to get one at this hour, especially out in the isolated countryside, but the boy was willing to do anything to help his friend feel better.

“N-no. I’ll be better once I get some rest, really,” she said, almost pleadingly as she nestled underneath the inviting coverlets.

Catching sight of her wide and frightened eyes, Roy instantly swallowed his earlier words. “A-alright,” he said worriedly, caught in a bit of a dilemma himself. “I’ll stay with you, then. Just rest, okay?”

Feverish and utterly enervated, Riza offered him a tiny, hesitant nod and drifted back to sleep.

~x~

For the rest of the night, Roy stayed by Riza’s side like he was holding some sort of sad, long vigil, changing the damp towel on her forehead every hour or so. But her fever did not subside. If anything, it only got worse. Delirium was starting to kick in. At some point she’d started muttering imploringly for her — mother?

Roy’s heart shattered.

How many ill, lonely nights had she endured aloneafter her mother’s passing, all because she wanted to avoid inconveniencing her negligent father? Riza was strong, yes, maybe even almost to the point of being invincible. But she was still very much a child. She was only thirteen, for heavens’ sake! Yet the girl always carried herself with an independence and maturity that far exceeded their peers’ — the sort that could only have been derived from hardship and misfortune. And Roy found himself feeling something akin to guilt and sympathy and admiration, for a girl who’d been forced to grow up far too soon because of her predicament.

Overcome by some profound, unknown emotion, Roy leaned forward and brushed her damp, matted fringe aside to press a chaste kiss on her forehead.

“Get well soon,” he murmured.

Riza fidgeted slightly. For a moment, Roy thought she was about to regain consciousness. And all of a sudden he became acutely aware of what he had done: he’d trespassed some unspoken boundary and kissedher.

Roy recoiled sharply like he’d been struck. He leaned back into his seat, running a hand over his scruffy hair and crossed his arms decisively over his chest; an exercise of self-restraint. What was he doing, anyway? Taking advantage of his friend in her sleep?

God forbid he do so! Roy had grown up learning that women were to be treated with utmost respect. The importance of chivalry had been indoctrinated in him from the time he’d learnt how to walk, and he was not about to engage in any sort of funny business. Nope. Definitely not.

(He would be lying, however, if he said Riza wasn’t adorable while she was asleep like that.)

Fortunately for him, Riza was sound asleep. She was still shivering, though, so Roy drew the blankets up and readjusted the towel on her forehead. A soft sigh escaped her lips as she rolled over on her side.

Content that he was able to bring his friend some comfort, Roy lolled back into the seat to take a short nap, not seeming to mind in the least the inevitable stiff neck that awaited him.

Beside him, Riza let out a small smile as she tugged his coat closer around herself.

#royai #royai fic #royai fanfic #young royai #yesss I'm back with my young royai corniness... sorry not sorry...#what about it!!! uwu #also Roy Mustang vs carrots L O L

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wiltingpierrot · 4 years

Text

Gem Glow: Part 1

Welcome! Well, this isn’t really made to entertain. I’m just doing this to recover from trauma and get a good grasp of the show’s lore while having my girls react with me. Feel free to tag along.

We’ll be watching four episodes a day and react only to the major events as tackling all of them is a toughie.

Sharpie: “I want to see real tears, Wilt.”

Wilt: “Tears? At the very first episode?”

Sharpie: “Yes. Otherwise I’ll make you cry by some other means.”

Wilt: “I have these tear marks. Those count, yes?”

Sharpie: “Real tears, I said.”

Wilt: “Ahh, how iconic.”

Spinel: “The area around the lighthouse is lacking a lot of flowers. That’ll change someday!”

Sharpie: “Yes, after a lot of blood, ink and tears had been shed first.”

Spinel: “Here we have a shot of the show’s hero, lamenting the discontinuation of a certain ice cream snack brand.”

Sharpie: “Is this triggering your PTSD yet?”

Wilt: “Not really. I thought it would but surprisingly I’m still okay.”

Lars: “Well, if you miss your wimpy ice cream so much, why don’t you make some with your MAGIC BELLY BUTTON?”

Spinel: “Hey Sharpie, let’s make foodstuff with just the energy in our gem.”

Sharpie: “And you still owe me 86 years’ worth of happiness.”

Wilt: “What is this civil conversation you’re having? That’s not how I wrote you two.”

Sadie: “Uhh Steven? Do you want to take the freezer with you?”

Spinel: “Think what would’ve happened if Sadie didn’t let him take that freezer home.”

Sharpie: “Does… does the cat’s face looked different to you?”

Spinel: “I love the lighthouse. The view up the top is always so breathtaking.”

Sharpie: “I’m not so happy with our roommate though.”

Wilt: “…I might have to draw this someday.”

Spinel: “Don’t you just love it when your pets greet you as you enter your house? I wish you would greet me whenever I fall asleep.”

Sharpie: “You’re just my nightmare.”

Amethyst: “’Sup, Steven.”

Spinel: “AME!!!!”

Spinel: “I AM IN LOVE.”

Sharpie: “You can stop replaying this 5 seconds worth of Pearl now.”

Spinel: “It’s 4 seconds worth of Pearl, you heathen.”

Spinel: “HOOO MAMA. Remember when Garnet kicked our ass?”

Sharpie: “She kicked your ass. She kicked your ass so much I had to start a switch to intervene. Now that I think of it, I shouldn’t have done that.”

Sharpie: “Being sliced open is one thing. Being pulled apart is another.”

Spinel: “It’s good that we’re stretchy.”

Sharpie: “I can disable that function and tear you apart like that, actually. Ever wondered why it doesn’t hurt when others pull at you like taffy but I can?”

Spinel: “I can do the same and prevent you from escaping my hugs.”

Sharpie: “*sigh*… I hate you.”

Spinel: “Ahaha! Pearl is so cute!”

Sharpie: “Ahaha! I love this technique.”

Wilt: “It’s good for breaking a hole through walls in maximum security prisons, yeah.”

Amethyst: “Uhh you guys, these things don’t have gems.”

Garnet: “That means there must be a mother somewhere nearby.”

Sharpie: “That’s a fascinating thought.”

Wilt: “It’s similar to how Pearl can project figures that can maintain itself while independent of the source. In this case, the main centipeedle can project independent but smaller versions of itself.”

Sharpie: “How come 2nd Projections aren’t like that, I wonder. Like we can’t have separate bodies or anything…”

Wilt: “Probably because the 2nd Projection has a personality of its own and it stems from the original gem, while Pearl Projections and mini-centipeedles are pre-programmed projections that would act accordingly to the original’s commands. Like, if Spinel makes a projection separate from her, it wouldn’t be you.”

Sharpie: “Fair enough.”

Spinel: “Speaking of Pearl Projections…”

Sharpie: “No.”

Pearl: “Steven, until you learned to control the powers in your gem, we’ll take care of protecting humanity. Okay?”

Spinel: “I want Pearl to snap my neck like that.”

Sharpie: “As if impaling you wasn’t enough.”

Spinel: “PFFFTT-“

Amethyst: “We went out and stole a bunch!”

Spinel: “That’s my Ame.”

Pearl: “I went back and paid for that.”

Sharpie: “That’s…. that’s very Pearl of her.”

Steven: “He left his family behind!”

Spinel: “AHAHAHAHAHA”

Sharpie: “What’s so funny about that?”

Sharpie: “Oh my stars. I hope we don’t have to bear another one of those.”

Wilt: “It’s catchy. I like it.”

Sharpie: “What a happy little family. It’s a shame that they’re doomed to a life of madness onwards.”

Amethyst: “Quick! Try and summon your weapon!”

“Awww, no weapon.”

Wilt: “He’s struggling. A sign of a well-rounded character. The progress is dramatic if we compare this episode to the last ones. And it only took him a few Earth years.”

Sharpie: “And it took us like what, 86 years to get this far and we’re still inferior to most we meet in our travels.”

Spinel: “God I love Pearl.”

Sharpie: “Can you even pay attention to anything that isn’t Pearl?”

Spinel: “I’m capable of paying attention to a lot of things and to nothing at the same time, Sharpie. Be amazed.”

Steven: “Can one of you just explain how to summon a weapon?”

Pearl: “Oh! I’ll go first.”

Wilt: “I love Pearl.”

Spinel: “I love Pearl.”

Sharpie: “…”

Spinel: “AUUGH! Pearl is so beautiful.”

Wilt: “This is so anime.”

Spinel: “This scene makes me wanna stand underneath a cherry blossom tree with her in a Friday afternoon and confess my love.”

Sharpie: “God both of you disgust me.”

Pearl: “Pay attention to these petals, Steven.”

Pearl: “The petal’s dance seems improvised, but it is being calculated in real-time based on the physical properties of this planet.”

Wilt: “HELL YEAH, I LOVE PEARL.”

Pearl: “With hard work and dedication, you can master the magical properties of your gem, and perform your own dance.”

Pearl: “Like so.”

Spinel: “HELL YEAH, I LOVE PEARL”

Sharpie: “So… Pearl’s approach is tuning into the technical reality of the universe to tap into her gem’s energy,”

Amethyst: “Listen Steven. All that practice stuff is no fun. Whenever I need to summon my weapon, it just happens.”

Sharpie: “And Amethyst’s approach is just winging it. Considering Ame is a gem made for war, of course summoning a weapon is natural instinct. Pearl however… She had to learn serious fighting, something most Pearls aren’t made for.”

Spinel: “We’re the same, ain’t we? Spinels ain’t made for violence but we can whoop butt just fine.”

Sharpie: “We just got lucky… and incredibly unfortunate at the same time.”

Sharpie: “Gems are such nuisances. So much that in other places of the world, a group of humans actually built little Distortion Bombs capable of disorienting corrupted gems to a point of repelling them away. Unfortunately those things are powered by tiny bits of gem shards, which is obviously not an easily obtainable source of power. The project was discontinued.”

Spinel: “The invention worked on us, too, which is kind of impressive!”

Sharpie: “The best those little bombs done to us were to irritate us, or temporarily disable our senses. Corrupted gems have warped sentience I think, so they would rely more on instincts and run away from the source of irritation as much as possible.”

Sharpie: “They say if enough energy is given into the device, it’ll have high enough amplitude to potentially dissipate a gem’s physical form. But this is just a fever dream. There’s no way they have access to that amount of energy without slaughtering a Diamond first. Still, props to the engineer who thought that was a good idea.”

Spinel: “So instead of using gem shards, he decided to use us by writing the function into Springy. If we poof, we can give bad gems nearby a head ache and make them go away. We can protect people even if we die in battle! He basically turned us into heroic suicide bombers against corrupted gems.”

Sharpie: “Necessary, considering every time we poof we somehow cause part of a building to catch on fire, killing the people we’re supposed to protect in the process.”

Spinel: “Uh huh… yeaaahh….. I mean, where else is the excess energy supposed to go?”

Sharpie: “I dunno. Some other harmless form of energy apart from heat? The sparkly dust clouds were already perfect and you just had to change it into something deadlier. Thanks to you, seven people that stood close to us turned into soup.”

Spinel: “Well, there was that one time where the fire storm actually saved us from a meanie who wanted to crush us. We can’t just ignore that.”

Sharpie: “Seven people died, Spinel. Seven people that happened to be our allies.”

Wilt: “Please stop. We have to finish this episode.”

Steven: “So I’m supposed to work really hard and not try at all at the same time?”

Garnet: “Yes.”

Garnet: “Or…”

Garnet: “You can link your mind with the energy of all existing matter, channeling the collective power of the universe through your gem.”

Garnet: “At least that’s my way of doing it.

Spinel: “C’mon, kiddo. It’s not that hard to understand. It’s how Springy lived for the past 40 years. If she can do it, so can you.”

Sharpie: “I bet this makes the most sense to you, huh Wilt?”

Wilt: “It does. Considering we are all just ripples of energy on the surface of the large lasagna we call the observable universe.”

Sharpie: “What a nerd. Also we’re half-way through the episode. You better cry, Wilt.”

Wilt: “I’m saving this shot for reference.”

105 notes · View notes

sanababes · 4 years

Text

Golden Child (I)

= fem!reader x twiceblackvelvet

《 A/n: so this is the bnha inspired thingy, I just got some ideas from it and just created stuff from my imagination lol. Please don't expect too much I just made this series for fun :>> feel free to express your opinions about this 》

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

On the prevailing modern generation, possessing a superpower or also know as a "quirk" is nothing uncommon. It was first witnessed a few centuries ago and it continued to cultivate with different combinations until it became normalized in the society. A person is also determined if he's light or dark (aura), this benefits the user whenever he uses his quirk. Acquiring a quirk comes around 5 to 8 years old of age. Fundamental hero courses were then introduced and applied in academic institutions. If a child is quirkless or so as called as a "vigilante", general studies are provided.

However, many individuals began to dwell in desire and selfishness due to the rivalry of being a powerful mortal. This made the villains emerge from their own shadows as they try to surpass the good and take over the federal civilization.

Noble families (pure-blood heroes) are assigned to ensure the safety of their municipality. This became a standard law, though it is required for them to pass from the hero course to use their quirks freely. Your father, Kang Haneul is one of the nobles too. He's an exceptional hero and always protected the people from the bad. His Ice whip (light) quirk allowed him to generate ice trendils from his arms and command it on his will.

He went on with his job until he encountered the "Mistress", her quirk was unknown but it was said to be so powerful. They both fell in love and kept their relationship secret because it was forbidden since the Mistress was a well-known evildoer.

They both got into a conflict when Haneul married another woman unbeknownst to the Mistress. He even had a daughter with his wife kept it from her too.

You were then conceived from an affair that was frowned upon by your father's household since they are nobles. After the Mistress gave birth to you, your father took you away immediately then raised you with his real wife and daughter. Even though it took time for them to accept your existence, they noticed your potential to become a hero when you attained your quirk at the age of 6.

About your quirk, it was incredibly potent, Half-cold Half-hot. As they predicted your aura was also half-light half-dark. You were a unique combination, rumors started to spread about the youngest Kang and then you earned the title of being a "Golden Child" due to your extraordinary power.

It was rare to get a dual quirk, this allowed you to generate ice and fire from your right and left body correspondingly. For your auras, you have light in your right then dark in your left.

(A/n: lol todoroki much 😂)

You were home-schooled at your father's mansion while simultaneously trained to control and use your power with accuracy. You hated unnecessary attention that's why you're contented at being isolated.

On the other hand, your (half) older sister Kang Seulgi is very enthusiastic and outgoing if she's compared to your composed and calm behavior. The two of you get along just fine, you appreciated her as a family but you couldn't withstand her persistent nagging. She would always tell you to go out and have some fun which you find it absurd. You're fine by yourself and you'll continue to mature like that.

At the age of 11, you got invited into a summer camp which is formulated to strengthen your skills in combat and to enhance your quirk as well. There were several pupils who you trained with at the time, but you got close to a particular blonde though.

"Hi! I'm Lisa, can we be friends?" You remembered her saying.

The other kids discreetly avoided you since your aura was pretty intense, but Lisa did the opposite.

"I-I'm Y/n..." You uttered merely.

"I see, so you're the shy type huh? Don't worry, I'll be your best friend from now on!" she told you, her voice filled with confidence.

Practically the two of you became close after that. She would come over every now and then since the mansion settles in the countryside neighborhood which is pretty far from Leiden (downtown area).

As time passed, you became stronger than before. Seulgi would even team up with Lisa as they challenge you into a match. Honestly, they don't work well together but they managed to win against you many times. Seulgi's quirk is permeation (light) while Lisa has whirlwind (dark).

The two of them studied at a school unlike you, sometimes you felt a little envious but it would go away eventually. Your father had told you numerous times that it was just to ensure your safety. You just understood that and concentrated on studying and increasing your ability.

----

It's been a few years now and you're currently stepping inside the most renowned Leidenschaft University in the land of Roswell. By your side, your sister Seulgi had a cocky smile on her face as you both walked along the hall. Bunch of students murmured endlessly when they recognized who you are, it was in the middle of the term so transferees are rarely accepted into this hero school. They guessed that you probably entered through recommendations since your father is a famous hero. Nonetheless, you didn't care and just continued to walk to wherever your sister is going.

"I think they're starting to like you, Y/n. You should've come with me during the first day," Seulgi chuckled while teasing you purposely.

"Whatever... Just send me to the principal's office or something."

You rolled your eyes out of annoyance, you wouldn't even be here if you didn't lose the deal that Seulgi made.

~ Flashback ~

You're just sitting peacefully behind your desk as you played with your ice, making random shapes on your hand while Seulgi sat across you. She suddenly banged the poor table and stood up with her eyes lit up playfully.

"Yah! Since you're starting high school this year, why don't you study at my university? I'll speak to dad about it," she said.

You just shrugged ignorantly, deciding to play her own game.

"And what will I get from it?"

"Hmm, okay let's settle this out. If you win against me in a fight then you don't have to go, but if you lose..." She smirked.

"Fine, let's go to the yard then," you wore your metal mask and followed your sister outside.

You're not really optimistic when it comes to fighting against Seulgi. Even though you're quite hard to beat, you know that she's a little tougher than you.

Seulgi positioned herself at the opposite of the open lawn as you went ahead and prepared your stance. You huffed through your mask while thinking about your strategy to gain a victory from the latter.

"Siwon-ah can you infer whoever falls to the ground first?" You asked your servant who's standing below a tree to get some shade.

"Will do, young master." he bowed politely.

"I'll strike first!"

Seulgi instantly went under the ground and suddenly appeared from behind. You dodged her kick then filled your right arm with glaciers as you tried to jab her abdomen. Unfortunately, your hand went through the girl, she took advantage of it and quickly punched your face which made you trip a bit.

"Fuck..." You cussed mentally.

She scoffed at your situation, Seulgi clearly wants you to wield your fire ability.

"Come on, use your left side. It's not really a big deal."

You blasted multiple ice balls towards her direction, whilst thinking about using your flames.

"You can't defeat me with ice Y/n, I'm sure you already know that," she added.

You activated your dark aura instead which made Seulgi feel the chills. It made her suffer from your dominant ambiance since she's a light, the girl went pass through you again when she aimed to make you slip. You were caught off guard from her speed as she swiftly locked your left ankle.

"Ouch!" She yelped.

You knew she was very naive to start on. You secretly activated your flames into its minimal energy, maybe a little surprised too that Seulgi didn't saw you emitting some fumes on your left body.

"Oops! My bad."

Your sister looked at you unbelievably, like she saw something scarcely credible. You chuckled at her reaction as you immediately attacked by shooting your flames to her direction. Seulgi hissed from the heat that you granted, she absolutely want to end the fight soon.

"You smart-ass! You're going to regret that Kang Y/n," she whacked your guts out harshly that made you groan and fall on your knees.

"Yah! You didn't have to overdo it so much!" You whined lowly.

Seulgi's pissed off face turned into a smile when she realized that she had beaten you.

"It's been decided. You're going to my school young lady."

You let out tons of complaints before deciding to remove your metal mask. The steam of vapor came out from your mouth as you breathed heavily. Your sister walked towards you and fixed your disheveled hair. (u can have da same hair like todoroki’s 😉)

“Aigoo, stop sulking already. I promise it's going to be fun studying there.”

On the other hand, Siwon just shook his head in disbelief as he knew you were alright. The three of you then entered the mansion once again as you dwell upon your loss.

"Tsk, be thankful that I didn't go all out this time..." You said.

Seulgi just laughed at your childishness while planning to discuss your application form with Mr. Kang.

~ flashback ends ~

So that happened which is why you are inside this massive academic establishment.

You and Seulgi were about to enter the principal's office when a familiar voice called for your attention.

"Y/n!"

Lisa jogged towards you as she left her group of friends confused.

"You didn't have to shout like that..." You utter awkwardly.

The blonde did not seem to care and hugged you instead.

"I'm sorry I just didn't expect to see you here, why did you keep this from me? I thought you're going to be home-schooled again," Lisa whined while tugging on the blazer of your uniform.

"I wanted to see your reaction, but I think it wasn't a good idea. Now all the students are looking at me because of you."

What you said was certainly true, your tall appearance is really eye-catching if your asking. (I also want you to know that your left eye is blue-)

"Fine, I hope we'll be classmates then. Now go get your schedule and see you later boy."

Lisa finally left as you both entered the office. A man in his 40s greeted you with excitement, you glanced down at his table and saw a name in the metal placard which said 'Mr. Park Jinyoung.'

"Good morning, Seulgi-ah. I see, so is this your sister?"

"Yes sir. She will be staying with us from now on," she answered.

"That's great! Hi Y/n, I'm JYP and this is your schedule. I'm happy to have you here in Leidenschaft University," he said.

"Thank you sir, I'll do my best."

You and Seulgi bowed politely and left the office. She showed you around the school then told you about some specific areas and such.

When you both arrived in front of your assigned homeroom, Seulgi knocked on the door which had 'Class 1-A' engraved on it.

The door opened as a teacher came out with a gentle smile on his face.

"Oh? Seulgi, what are you doing here?"

"Ahh Mr. Ok, I'm just here to drop off my sister. Please take care of her for me," Seulgi said.

You learned that your adviser's name is Ok Taecyeon which is presumably the man in front of you. Your sister gave you a warm pat on the back then went to her own class since she's a 2nd year.

Mr. Ok guided you inside the room that is filled with other students. Their eyes are also fixated on you which made you feel a little anxious.

'Is she really the golden child?'

'Damn, I didn't know she was that hot'

'I heard she's Seulgi sunbaenim's sister'

'Ugh she's pretty and handsome at the same time'

'I think I'm whipped'

You heard some chatters from your dear classmates, you just let them be and found yourself sighing at relief when you saw Lisa sitting at the back as she waved her hand discreetly.

"Uhh hi, I'm Kang Y/n. Please take care of me," they acknowledged your presence.

Mr. Ok then told you to sit beside someone named Sana, you glanced through the students when you saw an orange-haired girl raising her hand cutely. You assumed that it was her so you walked towards the girl and sat on the vacant seat by her side.

"Hi I'm-"

"Minatozaki Sana" you finished her statement.

The girl looked astonished but then realized that their uniforms had name tags on them.

"A-Ahh yes that's right, you're cute ya know that?" She flirted with ease.

You gave Sana a tiny smile and looked away from her intense stare. You felt someone looking from the side, then you sensed a familiar aura coming from that person.

"Dahyun unnie?"

~ to be continued ~

(a/n: just corrected some grammatical errors that bothered me after re-reading this story again 😂 i'll probably update this soon when i have time ;)

#kpop imagines #twice imagines #blackpink imagines #red velvet imagines #kpop #twice #blackpink #bts #2pm #JYP #series #bnha

86 notes · View notes

glacecakes · 4 years

Text

Alchemy Lullaby (2/?)

Of all the changes that came with living in the castle, becoming a father was not one he anticipated. When Eugene encounters a small child suffering like he did, he gives them the opportunity to grow up the way he never did... helping them both heal. (AU where Varian is 4 and gets adopted by Eugene)

Chapter 2: Varian meets Rapunzel, Cassandra, and a special friend.

I have decided to give this thing a plot, because I hate myself! I'm committing to a new multi-chap fic right before school starts! This will in no way backfire! :) Fic will be posted both here and on ao3! See previous chapters here

Varian wasn’t very chatty during the walk to the castle. He seemed almost nervous, hiding his face into Eugene’s shoulder whenever someone looked their way. The cracked cobblestone gave way to paved brick as they entered the grand gates. The sun gleamed off brass gates, reflecting the sun onto Varian’s face. It prompted him to peek out from his hiding spot.

He gasped. “It’s pretty…”

Eugene chuckled. “It is, isn’t it? Nice place to live, if I do say so myself.”

“You live here!?” Varian shouted directly in Eugene’s ear. He nearly dropped the child as he flinched. Sheesh, this kid could be quiet as a mouse one second, and loud as a lion the next.

“Yes, I do, I’m dating the princess, ok?” He whispered. “We gotta be quiet though, we’re going inside a fancy place and we need to act fancy.”

Varian nodded fervently, making a zipping motion to indicate his mouth closing. “What’s the princess like?” He whispered. Well, it wasn’t really a whisper. More like a quiet yell.

The man couldn’t help the lovestruck expression. His eyes softened as he stared ahead. At the end of the hallway stood Rapunzel, in all her blonde glory. Her hair seemed to catch the sunlight as it filtered through the window. “She’s wonderful,” Eugene said.

Rapunzel looked up, and her eyes brightened when she saw him. “Eugene!” She called, walking over. Her grin was infectious, and Eugene felt his own face lifting up. It fell pretty quickly when he saw Cassandra behind her.

“They seem nice,” Varian whispered, squirming a little in Eugene’s hold to get a better look.

Eugene grumbled, shifting his hold on the child. “One of em is,” He muttered.

Rapunzel’s bare feet barely made a sound on the floor. She stopped in front of them. “Hi Eugene, welcome back! Did you get everything you needed?”

“I did, and I even had time to get a little extra.” Varian blushed.

Cassandra gaped, unable to comprehend the child in front of her. “I’ll say.”

The princess leaned down. She stayed at Varian’s eye level, keeping her face kind and welcoming. Why Eugene brought a kid to the castle she wasn’t sure, but she trusted him. He had a reason, and whatever it was, she’ll help out however she can.

It didn’t help that the kid was terribly cute, it’s like Eugene went out and found the cutest one he could! She resisted the urge to coo at his big blue eyes. “My name is Rapunzel. What’s yours?”

She got a grin back. “Varian!” He sang, swinging his feet in Eugene’s grip. “Your hair is suuuper long, and pretty!” His eyes lit up in wonder as Pascal climbed into view. He wiggled out of Eugene’s grasp, landing on the floor with boundless energy.

“That’s a chameleon!”

“It is! You’re very smart!”

Varian giggled. His ragged clothes scraped against the clean floors. “Did you know they can change color?” He glanced over to Pascal, and the reptile began to shift colors, prompting excited squeals.

Oh, Rapunzel was head over heels for this child. He was so precious!

Cassandra, on the other hand, marched straight up to Eugene. “Why is there a child in here?” She hissed. She didn’t care how cute this kid was, that was all Rapunzel’s field. Let the princess distract him so she could figure out why the child was here and get him back home. Eugene’s stolen a lot of stuff, but a child? Would he really do that? He’d been clean in the 6 months he’d been here, so to steal a child seemed a bit out of character for him. Wait, he technically stole Rapunzel back from Gothel, right? Did that count?

“He needs a place to stay,” Eugene responded coolly.

“And his parents are....”

A dark look took over Eugene’s features. “No. He’s not going back.”

Ah. Thief with an impulsive heart of gold. Great. Cassandra pinched the bridge of her nose, rolling her eyes. “If he has no parents, he should go to the orphanage.”

“Are you kidding?” Eugene hissed. “That place will just chew him up. Look at him, Cass,” He gestured to where Varian was rapidly describing how the sun was a star, like all the others in the sky. Rapunzel nodded as if she understood every word.

“I can’t send him back.” Eugene sighed. “I just can’t.”

She raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. “You? Taking care of a kid? Puh-lease. You’ll last a day.”

Eugene huffed. He knew it’d be a struggle to convince people to let Varian stay, but he was not willing to debate this with Cassandra. The king, the captain of the guard, maybe, but her? No way.

“I will watch him all of today, and when I’m done,” He hissed. “You don’t get to judge me for letting him stay with me. Got it?”

Cassandra stuck out her hand. “One day. Till bedtime. You’re on your own. But when you get overwhelmed and send him to the orphanage, I don’t wanna hear it.”

He took her hand. “Deal.” He looked over to where Rapunzel had taken Varian into her arms, swinging him around.

“Come on, Varian,” He called. “We gotta get you checked out by the doctor. And a bath.”

Varian gasped. “No! No bath!” He gripped onto Rapunzel like his life depended on it. The princess took it as an invitation to wrap him in a tight hug, and the little boy stuck his tongue out at Eugene.

Cassandra’s smirk grew. “Good luck, Fitzherbert.” And with that, she sauntered off.

He rolled his eyes. How hard would it be to take care of Varian? The kid was a delight.

The kid was no longer a delight.

Eugene groaned, rubbing his face in frustration. The doctor check-up had gone smoothly, with Varian sitting in his lap for the duration. But once it was over, it was bath time. The kid really needed it, too, he was covered in months worth of dirt and grime. Without anyone looking after him, it’s a miracle Varian didn’t die of pneumonia or some other disease.

“Come on, Varian, this is not up for debate,” Eugene said. He pointed his finger at the now lukewarm tub. “Get in the tub, young man.”

Varian hissed from his spot on top of the shelf. “No!” He cried.

“Varian, get down here now!”

“No! You can’t make me!”

The little kid may not have known much love in his short life, but now that he had it, his true personality was shining through. And that personality was sweet as pie to strangers, and a little shit to his family.

Though to be fair, Eugene wasn’t sure if he counted as family yet. Did Varian see him as an uncle, a brother, a dad? He couldn’t deny that he sort of hoped for the last one. How weird. Yesterday he hadn’t even thought about being a father, he had just failed at getting engaged. And now he was taking care of a small child he hoped to call his own.

Though, with how he was acting, Varian was more like a small raccoon than a child.

“Varian, come on. If you don’t get clean you’ll get sick, or worse, ugly. Get in the tub now .”

Varian simply glared. Why did he need a bath anyway? He’d been sick before, and that was when his mom was taking care of him. He’d been clean then. Clearly, Eugene was wrong in that baths = not sick. Baths were cold, and wet, and the towels were rough and painful!

Eugene sighed. He wasn’t getting anywhere with yelling. “Look, let me reheat the water, and then you need to get in the tub, ok? You need to get cleaned off before dinner, otherwise you won’t be allowed to eat with Rapunzel and I. Do you want that?”

“No…” The little boy bit his lip in thought. He liked Rapunzel, she didn’t wear shoes, like him! And she had really long, pretty hair. Maybe if he asked her, she would let him eat dinner without getting a bath?

The fire under the tub flickered to life, hot embers scraping the bottom of the wooden barrel, but didn’t ignite it. Eugene was paying full attention to the flickering light, letting his shoulders sag in relief. Man, Varian was just like him at that age… full of spunk and awe at the world.

His awe got crushed and snuffed out. His job was to make sure Varian’s wasn’t.

“Ok, Varian, let’s try this again.” He turned around. The shelf was empty and the door swung on its hinges.

“...Varian?”

The toddler fumbled down the hallway, taking delight in watching the sun dance through the windows. Maids stared in shock as the small child made himself at home in the spacious castle. Some cooed, others tried to call out to him, but he paid them no mind. The mission of finding Rapunzel disappeared from his mind. Now, he was taking in all the sights, pretty lights and fancy vases, the likes he’d never seen before. It was all so new! Can you blame him?

He turned a corner, and discovered this hallway was much grander than the ones before! In front of him was a massive double door. Its brass handles were far out of Varian’s reach, so that room was sadly off limits. But that’s ok! There was plenty of stuff to explore.

Man, wait till Eugene hears all about how incredible this castle is….

….where is Eugene anyway?

Well, Varian knew he was still in the bathroom, but he didn’t know where that was. He didn’t know where to find Rapunzel, either. This castle was enormous, she could be anywhere! What if he never found her? What if they never found him?

Where was Eugene? He wanted his Eugene! He’d promised Varian he’d stay with him! He said he and Varian would be together for as long as he wanted! And he wanted him now!

A few tears budded in his eyes, and before he knew it, he had sat down on the carpeted floor, crying small sobs. Soft hiccups escaped his throat.

“Oh, hello there. I almost didn’t see you.”

Varian looked up through blurry eyes to see the tallest man he’d ever met. His legs were skinny, but his arms were massive, covered in dark metal armor. He wore a red cloak, pinned in place by a circular pin. The man’s eyes were kind, but steely. He leaned down, pinning his gaze on the child. Varian was so surprised he nearly forgot why he was sad.

“Hello, little one. What’s your name?”

Varian blinked. “Varian…” he murmured, fiddling with the hem of his shirt.

“It’s nice to meet you, Varian.” The man smiled. “Now, what’s a fine man such as yourself doing here?”

“Eugene said this is my home now, and it’s really nice here! But I got lost…” The tears began anew. “I sorry, I didn’t mean to run off, I just really hate baths!” He wailed.

Quirin reached out, an armored thumb brushing away the tears. “Hey hey, no need to cry. I’m sure Eugene understands. Baths can be scary, but if you add soap, they can be a lot of fun! You can make shapes!”

Varian cocked his head. “What’s soap?”

“Varian!”

The boy turned around and brightened considerably at the sight of his new caretaker. “Eugene!” He cried, reaching his arms up and happily accepting the hug he was swept into.

“God, you scared me kid, gonna give me a heart attack,” The young man joked. He stood up, the tall man following suit. “Thanks for finding him, uhh…”

The man laughed. “Quirin. I’m a friend of the king’s. You must be Eugene? Varian has something to say to you,” He looked expectantly at the child.

Varian focused his big baby blues on Eugene. “Sorry for running… I take the bath now?”

“Sure kid, any requests?”

Varian looked back at Quirin, who gave him an encouraging nod. “Soap?” He asked. “You can make fun shapes with it.”

Eugene laughed. “I was fully planning on dowsing you in soap, you little trash possum, you.” Varian giggled. “Thanks again, Quirin, really.”

The man gave a final wave, before turning and opening the doors to the throne room.

“Come on Varian, let’s get you clean so we can eat dinner. Rapunzel asked the cooks to make you a real treat. You ever had pasta?”

“No!” Varian gasped, and they walked back down the hall.

Behind the grand oak doors, Quirin bowed for the king. “Your majesty, I am honored to return to Corona,” he said.

Frederick smiled. “Ah yes, Quirin of the Dark Kingdom. You have been tracking the black rocks, yes?”

“Ever since they left the Dark Kingdom’s borders, yes.”

“Good, then I assume you know about our… situation?”

Quirin nodded. “I have a plan, your majesty.”

The king leaned forward. “I’m listening,” He said.

After Varian let Eugene bathe him, the leadup to dinner went off without a hitch. He’d need to buy Varian his own clothes, but for now he gave Varian the smallest shirt a maid could find. He was drowning in it, but it was better than nothing.

Since the king was busy with formal affairs, dinner was just them, Rapunzel, and the queen, with Cassandra standing by.

They entered the dining hall, and Varian’s face lit up like a rocket. “Punzel!” He cried, letting go of Eugene’s hand and flying into the princess’s waiting arms. “Hi Varian!” she said, rubbing their cheeks together. “Ooooh, you are just the cutest thing ever! Look at you!”

Arianna looked mildly surprised. She’d been informed of Eugene’s new ward, but to see him in person was a whole other thing. “You must be Varian,” the queen said. “I’m Rapunzel’s mom.”

Varian gasped from his spot in Rapunzel’s arms. “Woah! You must be so old!”

Eugene choked on his breath, racing over to grab Varian out of Rapunzel’s arms. “Ok, bud, none of that, please and thank you. You’re gonna get me killed, I swear.” Honestly, this kid was a riot. Arianna, thankfully, seemed more amused than anything. “What makes you say that?” She prodded, curious as to the child’s reasoning.

“Well, hair grows when you get old, and Rapunzel has a lot of hair.” The boy spoke as if he was an ancient professor bestowing sacred knowledge to his pupils. “So if she’s old, you must be super old.” Anything else he was going to say was cut off by Eugene covering his mouth.

“Bud, lemme tell you from experience. Don’t call ladies old, they really don’t like it.” He whispered. Varian’s eyes widened and he nodded, taking those words very seriously.

They all sat down as dinner was served. For Varian, it was a simple spaghetti and butter, but to him it was a steak dinner. He’d only been allowed the food his mother didn’t eat, and once he was left behind, getting meals became even harder. He called having bread a good dinner. But now, it was as if it was a million loaves of bread, and butter! He’d only ever heard of butter! Momma had butter, but he wasn’t allowed to have any, she said they could only afford enough for one.

After that first bite, he was off to the races. He shovelled as much food as he possibly could into his tiny mouth. Spaghetti flew off his fork and into the napkin Eugene put in his lap, and butter smeared his chubby cheeks.

Eugene could only watch in shock. He knew Varian was living off the streets, but… wow. This kid could really eat. Here’s hoping he puts on a little weight now that he lives here. But he’s going to make himself sick!

Cassandra started laughing in the corner, and that snapped him out of it.

“Woah kid,” Eugene grabbed onto the fork. “Slow down or you’ll choke.” Varian let out a noise of complaint. “I won’t choke!” He cried through a mouthful of spaghetti. Some of it fell out of his mouth. Those words caused him to choke, though, and he coughed, sending spaghetti flying. A strand landed on the queen’s face.

Eugene winced. Ooh, he was in so much trouble.

Rapunzel covered her mouth to hide her own laughter. She’d only seen him a few times, but now she understood why Eugene was doing what he is. It warmed her heart that Eugene wanted to help a child, make sure he had the childhood Eugene had dreamed of. So much so that she’d asked Cass to give him the benefit of the doubt. Her boyfriend was totally capable of handling a child. But this one was a whirlwind, and a funny one at that.

Sure, they were both a little young, and not planning on getting married anytime soon, but if this child needed a place to stay and people to look up to, she was more than happy to do so.

Gracefully, she stood up and walked around the table to where Varian was still hacking. She grabbed a spare napkin. Carefully, she began to wipe off the tyke’s face.

“Do you want some water?” she smiled. Varian nodded, greedily drinking when the glass was handed to him.

“See, Varian, this is why I asked you to slow down,” Eugene chided.

“Sorry…”

“Hey, it’s fine, it was an accident, no one got hurt.”

Varian frowned. “Momma used to tell me I was an accident.” It was more to himself, trying to connect the dots and understand what the word accident meant.

The room fell silent. You could hear a pin drop.

Finally, Eugene found his words. “No, you’re not an accident. An accident is dropping a cup, or coughing up spaghetti onto the queen. You being here was destiny, ok? You belong here. As long as you want to, you’ll have a home with me.”

Varian beamed. “Thank you, Eugene.”

The man wrapped the kid into a hug. “Anytime, kiddo.”

In the corner, Cassandra watched silently, thoughts racing a mile a minute.

They’d be setting up a proper bedroom for Varian within the week, but for now he was staying in the guest room next to Eugene. After stuffing his face, he was exhausted, falling asleep in Eugene’s arms as he carried him to bed.

“Goodnight, Varian,” Eugene whispered, raising the blankets up around the toddler. His heart melted at how cute Varian looked all bundled up and snoring softly. He blew out the candle and slowly exited the room.

Only to come face to face with Cassandra.

He frowned. “I’m not sending him back, Cass. I can’t. I won’t.”

For a moment, Cassandra gave him an unreadable look. Then, she sighed.

“Did you know I was adopted?”

Eugene startled. “Really? You and the captain sure have a lot in common. Like the stick up your asses.”

Cassandra rolled her eyes. “In fact, I was his age. Varian’s,” She said.

“I don’t remember my birth parents, the trauma of it all, I guess. My dad saw a kid in need and… he took me in. Sure, there are some things we disagree about but… Sometimes, I wonder. What would’ve happened to me if I stayed with my parents. Or if I ended up at an orphanage. Would I have ended up like you? On the streets? Or worse?” She folded her arms. “I guess what I’m trying to say is… I’d be a hypocrite if I judged you for taking Varian in. You’re doing a good thing. And… if you ever need help, you know where to find me.”

Eugene smiled. “Thanks, Cassandra. Have a good night.”

“You too.”

“Are you sure this is a good idea, Quirin?” Frederick sighed. “The last time you were in Corona… it didn’t work out well for you, did it?”

Quirin sighed. “No, it didn’t. But that was five years ago, I’m sure the people have moved on.”

“Let’s hope for everyone’s sake you’re right. Alright, you have my permission. I’ll have a room set up for you.”

Quirin bowed. “Thank you, your majesty. Rest assured, I will find the source of your kingdom’s rocks.”

#tangled #tts #tangled the series #varian #tts varian #tts eugene #eugene fitzherbert #tangled eugene #team awesome

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aarafox · 3 years

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super detailed oc questions for at least em, bella, robin, freylic: 5, 4, 9, 15, 22, 38 (u can answer for others too if u wanna but i wanna know at least for those four!! ^^)

Ahh, fun!! I’ll put it under a read more bc it’s gonna be long ^^ thanks so much for asking! ❤️❤️

OC asks

Emily

4: What is their relationship with their parents? What’s a good and bad memory with them? Did they know both parents?

She has a good relationship with her parents! They’ve always been close and can talk about pretty much everything. She has a few really good memories of her parents helping her figure out her powers; since she has so many, it was always a wild ride discovering how each one worked. Some really fun things happened when they helped her, like she accidentally splashed water in her dad’s face and accidentally created a small pit that her mother fell into. She never actually hurt them though, which is why she can think back to those moments with fondness.

However those powers came with a downside: because there were so many, her energy level was always really high. She fainted several times as a child, immensely worrying her parents. When they brought her to the Tree of Healing they were told that Em’s body just needed time to get used to the energy, but knowing there was nothing they could do to help her made them feel really bad. The last time it happened was when she was ten years old so it’s been a while, but her parents will always be afraid that something happens that’ll make her faint again (which may or may not happen in the story…).

5: Do they have any siblings? What’s their names? What is their relationship with them? Has their relationship changed since they were kids to adults?

She’s an only child!

9: Do animals like them? Do they get on well with animals?

I guess they do! Em really loves animals though she doesn’t engage with many. But she finds them cute and lovely and they enjoy her company and attention.

15: Are they good at cooking? Do they enjoy it? What do others think of their cooking?

She doesn’t cook very often, usually only with her family or friends (which she loves doing!!). She’s not particularly good at it but she has a few recipes that she’s absolutely owned. On top of this she’s always willing to learn more, and when she receives instructions on how to help make something she’s certain to follow them without fault. People generally like what she makes. ^^

22: What are their favourite insults to use? What do they insult people for? Or do they prefer to bitch behind someone’s back?

She doesn’t often insult people, but when she does she probably only uses “idiot” or “stupid”. She only insults people when they are being absolute morons or just plain assholes. She doesn’t shy away from a fight though she doesn’t enjoy having them. She’d only bitch about people behind their backs when they truly deserve it.

38: What do they admire in others? What talents do they wish they had?

She admires people really quickly! But not in a jealous kinda way. She’s truthfully excited when someone’s good at something and will support them a lot. Her best friend Lucy is a master in a particular martial arts form and Emily wishes she could fight as well as her friend! But mainly she’s just really proud that Lucy’s such a great fighter.

Bella

4: What is their relationship with their parents? What’s a good and bad memory with them? Did they know both parents?

She has a good relationship with her dads (I don’t really like writing family drama so most families I write are close or at least somewhat loving). She inherited her bubbly character from one of the two, which is why they vibe really well. Good memories were made when her dads took her and her sister to the annual feasts held in the city! Her dads know a lot of things and were great storytellers, so she loved listening to everything they told her about the city. Once she was old and independent enough, she went to those feasts with her friends.

One particularly bad memory happened when she was pretty young. She got angry and accidentally used her powers, nearly hitting her dads. Though no one was hurt that day, she’ll never forget the terrified expressions on their faces. She’ll always feel guilty about it, but they reassured her many times that it was alright and so she’s learned to let it go.

5: Do they have any siblings? What’s their names? What is their relationship with them? Has their relationship changed since they were kids to adults?

She has an older sister named Zellány. Though she has an alright bond with her sister, the two girls don’t always completely see eye-to-eye, and this is purely because they’re very different. Bella has magic, Zella doesn’t; Bella is extremely extroverted, Zella is way more introverted; Bella doesn’t really like stuyding, Zella loves it, is good at it and can be a bit of a know-it-all bc of it; Bella can be a scaredy-cat while Zella doesn’t get what she’s afraid of sometimes. They used to be closer as kids but their differences became a bit too big for them to get along too well. Though they care for each other a great deal!! Zella expresses her worries for Bella’s wellbeing and when Zella is hurt in one of the battles Bella can’t stop crying.

9: Do animals like them? Do they get on well with animals?

Bella LOVES animals herself, but her excitement can chase them away sometimes :’)

15: Are they good at cooking? Do they enjoy it? What do others think of their cooking?

She’s… not that good at cooking haha, she’s screwed up several recipes in the past but there are a few small things she can make well. It’s safer when she isn’t the one in control of dinner lmao, but when she’s assisting someone things won’t go wrong, probably.

22: What are their favourite insults to use? What do they insult people for? Or do they prefer to bitch behind someone’s back?

She loves to use “piss beetle” lol. Bella doesn’t shy away from confrontation and can be really fiery especially to people who hurt her friends. She also won’t mind bitching about someone behind their back as long as she isn’t friends with them. Bella’s strength when it comes to standing up for herself or her friends is pretty admirable, though she can go a bit too far sometimes and say things she doesn’t really mean; her friends need to calm her down when that happens.

38: What do they admire in others? What talents do they wish they had?

Bella doesn’t really think about it very deeply, but in insecure moments she can wish she had her sister’s intelligence or her friends’ bravery. She doesn’t really specifically admire certain aspects of people, but she does admire people generally.

Robin

4: What is their relationship with their parents? What’s a good and bad memory with them? Did they know both parents?

Robin also has a good relationship with his parents! His moms are incredibly king and basically taught him how to treat the world with kindness (though it would’ve likely come naturally to him as well). He looks up to his moms and greatly admires them. He has great memories of strolls through the city during which they played with him and taught him about the world, and of course the birth of his little brother was a great memory too.

One bad memory was when one of his moms was working so hard that she was barely home, which greatly saddened his other mom. When the first mom came home at some point and basically collapsed from exhaustion, it was up to Robin and his magical power to make her better. From that moment on his mom took it more easily and it didn’t happen again, but he doesn’t like remembering that day.

5: Do they have any siblings? What’s their names? What is their relationship with them? Has their relationship changed since they were kids to adults?

He has a little brother named Piag. He’s an adorable little shit haha, and is so good at deciphering Robin that it can annoy his older bro. The two generally get along well, but Piag is pretty stubborn and can be really outspoken about his opinions, sometimes treating Robin a bit harsher than necessary. But Piag has the power of Emotions and can accurately sense when his words actually hurt Robin, so he can make it up to him immediately. Robin isn’t easily hurt by Piag’s words, though, they’re good for each other! But Robin can be a bit too concerned about Piag’s wellbeing; when the little boy feels too many negative emotions, he can fall really ill. That’s why Robin is a bit overprotective, which annoys Piag to no end.

9: Do animals like them? Do they get on well with animals?

Probably! He’s a kind fella. But he doesn’t really engage with animals a lot to know for sure.

15: Are they good at cooking? Do they enjoy it? What do others think of their cooking?

He’s good at cooking, but he’s better at baking! Since they were young, Robin and Piag have baked many kinds of pies so he’s become a really skilled baker. You can be sure though that whenever he cooks something, it will turn out well too.

22: What are their favourite insults to use? What do they insult people for? Or do they prefer to bitch behind someone’s back?

He doesn’t really insult others, though he can get really mad at people when they hurt his loved ones. In those cases he’ll bring rhetoric to bring people down. He also rarely bitches about someone behind their back, unless it’s 100% deserved. He’s prone to get a bit upset with his loved ones when they don’t take good care of themselves; his behaviour can come across as anger but it’s really pure concern.

38: What do they admire in others? What talents do they wish they had?

Like Emily, Robin admires others easily! He doesn’t usually wish he had other people’s talents; he knows he’ll likely never be as good at things as others and he has peace with that. Though he probably wishes he was a better singer :D

Freylic

4: What is their relationship with their parents? What’s a good and bad memory with them? Did they know both parents?

Of all the OCs you asked me, Freylic probably has the least close bond with his parents. This is because he’s the prince of the planet and his relationship with his parents has become more professional than personal. He doesn’t really mind it, though I can imagine he sometimes wishes it were different. His good memories come from the times they travelled together and met many subjects. Bad memories were formed when meeting his pushy family members who wouldn’t leave him alone. His upbringing was a bit restricting so he often tried to escape the palace or family gatherings, which led him to meet the two people he became closest with: his best friend Lucy and his to-be boyfriend Din.

5: Do they have any siblings? What’s their names? What is their relationship with them? Has their relationship changed since they were kids to adults?

He’s an only child!

9: Do animals like them? Do they get on well with animals?

Animals LOVE Freylic, like seriously. But he’s an angel so he attracts people as well as all kinds of creatures. They love following him everywhere lol. Maybe I should give him a majestic pet of some kind! It’d suit his character!

15: Are they good at cooking? Do they enjoy it? What do others think of their cooking?

He doesn’t really cook much! But when he does, it’s probably alright. He prefers eating other people’s cooking so that he can compliment them on their culinary skills and make them happy that way.

22: What are their favourite insults to use? What do they insult people for? Or do they prefer to bitch behind someone’s back?

He doesn’t insult people fjshbd I wonder if he even knows how! If he were to insult anyone, it’d be his teachers in the past or his parents, but his insults would be really lame and not hurtful at all haha. Now he doesn’t even think of insulting anyone, let alone bitch behind their backs.

38: What do they admire in others? What talents do they wish they had?

Freylic has a lot of admiration for basically everyone he meets, because everyone has a story to tell and their own struggles they need to overcome or have overcome. There’s not much he wishes for, though (and this isn’t really a talent) he sometimes wonders what it would be like to not be the prince and be a normal Neflora like the others. This becomes especially strong when he falls in love with Din and wonders whether it’d be easier to be together if he wasn’t the prince. (Everything works out perfectly though!)

Oof, that was a long one ^^ hope you like the answers ❤️ I accidentally deleted them the first time and had to start all over again D:

#Story Talk #OCs #jyrs-kuur #Dorigens askbox

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lantern-inthenight · 5 years

Text

Pregnancy HCs

I wrote headcanons about the boys finding out you’re pregnant. Here is the sequel to that :)

Eternal thanks to @sparrowof-thedawn for beta-ing!!

Jake

Is known for being The Cool Guy ™ but he cried when he found out you were having a girl. He would have cried either way tbh

He insisted on going to every doctor appointment and reading every pregnancy book he could get his hands on

One day, Jake can’t decide between two versions of a guitar riff that he came up with

You happen to be sitting next to him as he plays, and the baby kicks for the first time

Jake chooses the version of the riff that he was playing when your daughter kicked, stating, “the baby has spoken.”

He’s beaming and there are tears in his eyes

Your kid was a daddy’s girl before she was even born

She kicks particularly hard in the evenings, and Jake’s voice is the only thing that calms her down

Sometimes he mumbles to the bump, telling the story of how the two of you met

When he does this, he smiles up at you, and kisses your belly between sentences

Other times, he just sings. Sometimes it’s with lyrics, other times it’s just a vocalization of a Clapton or Hendrix guitar solo

Tells your baby goodnight every single night

Whether he’s on the phone, or there in person, your daughter will always hear a soft, “Goodnight, sweet girl. You’re so loved. Daddy loves you, always, no matter what.”

bitch i made myself cry with that one

Captain of Team Foot Massage

Your feet tend to ache really badly toward the end of your pregnancy, so Jake will sit on the couch and pat his lap for you to prop your feet up on it

He rubs your feet and talks with you quietly about your day

One thing Jake excels at is being attentive

No matter what you need, he’s on it

He’s the calm opposite to his older twin

Josh

Is absolutely thrilled. Like over the moon, beside himself, with glee. Like you’re pretty sure he’s more excited about the baby than you are

With that in mind, his Crackhead tendencies are amplified tenfold

He’s incredibly high-energy, always buzzing around you

Pulling up a chair so you can sit more comfortably, running to get a specific food when you’re craving something weird, excitedly talking to anyone who will listen about the details of your latest sonogram

“He looks just like me! Well, actually, he kind of looks like a blob. But the most beautiful blob I have EVER seen!”

Sometimes you catch him just staring at you, smiling to himself

Upon questioning him, he just sighs and says, “You are luminous.”

Josh was hesitant at first to have sex with you while you were pregnant. He kept mumbling that the little bean would get shaken up

However, after much reassurance that that’s not how it works, he took absolute pleasure in taking care of you

I’ve always said this boy invented body worship, and your pregnancy is no different

He can’t fall asleep at night without singing to you and the baby. It’s as comforting to him as it is to you and your son

Anywhere you go, he’s constantly got a hand on your bump

You’re not sure if he’s assuring you and the baby that you’re safe, or himself

Because as excited as he is, he frets over you like crazy

You’ve never met someone so fussy over a pregnancy, and he’s not even the one that’s pregnant

“Are you comfortable?” “What do you need?” “Is loud music bad for the baby?”

Every time you make the slightest wince or grunt while you’re in your eighth and ninth months, he loses his mind

“IS IT THE BABY, IS HE COMING??”

“He’s not due for another month, babe.”

“Okay, just checking.”

Danny

Danny has always been protective of you, like physically wanting you to be safe

But when he finds out you’re with child, that becomes even more apparent

He’s super hands on in every aspect of the pregnancy

He’s still a sweet, quiet guy, but there’s a strength about him that you never noticed before

He always stands near you, eyes flitting around to make sure no one bumps into you

When you’re conversing with someone you don’t know very well, or someone who makes you appear uncomfortable, Danny is there

With a hand on your bump, smiling pleasantly, silently reassuring you

Also gives you foot massages at the end of the day, telling you stories and jokes to make you laugh

The first few weeks of the pregnancy, before you even started showing, he kept kneeling in front of you to kiss your belly

“I can’t believe it. There’s a baby in there.” You smiled down at him, holding his face as both of you grinned.

“I can believe it. I’ve peed four times this morning and I’ve only been up for an hour.”

And honestly, with the two of you pouncing on each other the way you did, it’s no wonder you got pregnant a month after the wedding

Danny loves to sit up in bed with you between his legs, so he can sing to you both and hold the bump at the same time

You fall asleep there sometimes

The first time your baby girl kicks is when he’s singing to you like this

When you both started singing, it was like she was excited to hear her parents, and gave a definite kick

You and Danny both nearly fell off the bed, laughing and crying a little too

Sam

Sam is protective as hell, in contrast to his usual goofy self

Like the moment he finds out you’re pregnant, his sole mission is to Protecc and Serve

Like if someone bumps into you, he’s immediately shielding you and checking on you and possibly chastising the person for not looking where they were going

Sam overhears someone in a restaurant comment on how many times you’ve gotten up to pee during dinner, and turns around

“That beautiful woman is growing my child, so she caN PEE WHENEVER SHE WANTS”

You appreciate the back-up bc Sam being overprotective is actually so hot

That being said

Sammy is the most likely to indulge your physical needs while you’re pregnant

Specifically, the horniness

You tell him that you feel bad about constantly pawing at him, and he responds, “I have to give my beautiful wife what she needs,” as if he’s not thoroughly enjoying the nonstop sex

When he’s feeling low, or just not particularly great, he’ll snuggle up to you

Arms around your waist, face nuzzled into your shoulder. And he’ll listen as you sing to him and the baby

Eventually he’ll join in, and you can feel him smiling into your skin

One time Sam was trying to get a jar of pickles open for you and accidentally smacked himself in the face

You were laughing so hard you almost didn’t feel the baby kick for the first time

“See, he knows it’s mean to laugh at people!” Sam responds indignantly when you tell him

You have a bet with him about the sex of the little one. Sam says boy, you say girl. Secretly, you’re pretty sure he’s right

#gvf #greta van fleet #josh kiszka #jake kiszka #sam kiszka #danny wagner #pregnancy #fluff #hcs #writing

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dayseternal-blog · 5 years

Link

A Hanahaki AU -

Summary: She knit a red scarf for him. She never gave it to him. Days turned into months, months turned into too late.

Naruto starts dating. Hinata decides to move on.

A sickness takes root in the heart.

Inspired by SasuSaku fanfic “Medicine” by @grimmjowkurosakidrake

Rating: Mature

Read Chapter 1: Smoke on her tongue

Read Chapter 2: He’s not a ghost

Read Chapter 3: Weeds

Read Chapter 4: Leave himself behind

Chapter 5: She’s always (still here)

The pale of her cheekbones, to the small of her chin, the deep rich of her lashes to the curve of her neck. Every line of her figure flows soft, the change in her expressions drawing all feeling out of him, centering and settling about her.

She’s always looked like she was cut from the edges of clouds and morning light. Her voice has always sounded of gentle humming as the village awakens.

So why does she make his chest tighten, his breath lock...?

When he still doesn’t reply, she takes a careful step closer, then another, until she sits down in the chair beside his bed. His eyes never left her, watching her, and so she waits, even as her worry steadily grows with each passing, silent second.

Like the push of high tide, grains of longing expectations inexplicably build within him. She’s here, just her, that guy is gone from beside her, and it’s just them.

“You needed...to talk to me about something?”

And just with that, the tide recedes, farther, drier than before. He’s reminded that she’s here because Sakura told her to come. He wills the burning sensation at the base of his throat down, he breaks from his thoughtless staring. He nods.

His silence is unsettling. Why is he here in the hospital? Why does he need to talk to her? Is something really wrong with him? Dread shortens her breath. “What is it?”

He glances back at her and feels her light gaze focused entirely on him, overwhelming him, like his heart is liquifying, flooding his airway. Just tell her, but... Her countenance is too delicately fair, as beautiful as dreams rooted in him, and he’s awfully, terribly aware. Now.

He can’t go on if she never looks at him again.

Sakura said he just needs to tell her, right?

She whispers uncertainly, “Why are you here? Is there anything I can do to help?” She studies him, notices every wavering flicker of light in his eyes, the furrow in his brow, the drawn up tension in his jaw and neck. She’s never seen him like this before.

As if his very body is locking down his voice.

He can’t breathe.

The weight in his chest grows and grows the more he tries to speak. Tight pain twinges beneath his collarbone.

Just tell her, just tell her, just tell her.

But what if she turns away? (Her expression refusing him, words unnecessary, she’s always spoken louder with her actions.)

There was a time, once, she said “I love you." So long ago now, (maybe he’s too late now). Too much, too late, if she really did love, (she already looked away).

He tries to swallow it down, he doesn’t want to be sick, he doesn’t want this feeling, he doesn’t want to be afraid, he doesn’t want her to see him like this, but it’s no use. He turns over, desperately trying to hold everything back, but somehow the pain is so much worse.

He blinks back tears. (He knew it, somehow, that she was special to him).

Large, fully bloomed lilies surge from his throat. (Ever since back then, maybe even before, he knew she was supposed to be his something special.)

Sharp leaves scrape along his esophagus. (He knew, but at the same time, somehow he didn’t know- didn’t- did nothing-)

“Naruto-kun!”

He struggles for breath as he feels her fingers firmly pressing chakra points along his back, neck, shoulders, chest.

She watches the shuddering of his body marginally lessen as she loosens chakra points and seals others. The twisting of his chakra in his chest is violently thick, appearing almost astonishingly solid, with a web of chakra branching across his lungs, piercing throughout his body, up to his brain, down to the weakened fire in his core. The color in the abnormal pathways is not quite right, its natural blue streaking a warped, flashing, blinding white and florescent green. She sees the edges of the stalk in his chest fray, weaken, but not quick enough. She pulses her own chakra into his, hoping to disrupt the connections.

She gasps, eyes widening even more at the unusual sight. Knots of hard chakra peel and split apart, the numerous webs in his abdomen diffuse back into the main streams of his network, specks of white and green melding to a healthy blue in his system. The thick branch in his respiratory tract thins into a peculiar string with feather-like extensions intricately stretching over his lungs, all rooted in a stubborn ball of chakra the size of a pebble in the base of his chest.

He takes a large breath, the sudden circulation of air shocking him from the momentary, though all-encompassing, warmth of her chakra.

“Naruto-kun!” she calls again, kneeling lower, trying to see his face. “Naruto-kun, are you alright?” She studies him for any discomfort and unseals the chakra points she closed.

“Yeah,” he manages to pant out. He nods once, and realizes his mind suddenly feels clearer, too, as if a fog in his head dissipated. Her chakra…? He feels incredibly lighter, physically and mentally. No longer sick to his stomach, the sense of impending doom he didn’t realize he felt now a distant, unfamiliar thought.

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” she breathes shakily. She checks his system over, panic unsubsiding.

The pebble of chakra is growing. The web throughout his chest gradually elongating, thickening. She tracks the stretching ends of his illness, steadily piercing up his spinal cord. It’s nowhere near the mess of threads that angrily knotted throughout his network from before, but over time…

“It’s getting worse again,” she whispers, shaking her head in disbelief.

And he can sense it, too. Her focused attentions filling him with an indescribable self-consciousness, an anxiety that she can see more than just right through him.

She unthinkingly presses her fingers to the growing mass of chakra in his chest and floods the pressure point with her own energy. She watches her chakra mix with his own, disrupting the vivid green coloring, the pebble flaring under her onslaught. Immediately the roots and unnatural webs retract, returning to earlier. But it’s somehow not enough. The pebble still sticks inside him, rooted, strange. Faint lines of chakra trace along his respiratory tract. It all almost resembles a tree or plant.

She relaxes her sight and tries to gauge his expression on his downturned face, then notes a shine along his hand...from tears or saliva, she doesn’t know.

And she’s reminded that he was choking; something large was coming out of him. She turns to the wastebasket, but he grabs at it.

“Don’t- don’t look.” He’s breathing hard again, his chest heaving in panic against the metal. He frantically pulls the plastic closed, its sour smell sealed within. Somehow, for some reason, he can’t stand the idea of her seeing them. The disgusting evidence of his wrongs.

She frowns, wills herself to look him in the eyes and hold his gaze. He’s obviously ashamed, likely also embarrassed. He’s always been too independent, too self-reliant to ask for help. But he needs to know that he has nothing to be ashamed of in front of her. “I can help manage your symptoms as much as possible while Sakura-chan finds a cure.”

He moves the basket to the other side, away from her. “Hinata…” Just her name is painfully warm. Uncomfortably soothing like her chakra. “That’s not-”

“I can easily track your illness, and so I’ll be able to effectively repress its growth whenever necessary,” she continues, intent on convincing him. “I’m sure Sakura-chan is busy, that’s why she suggested me, right? And I still haven’t used this year’s personal leave days. I’ll do anything I can to help you, Naruto-kun.” She pauses, realizing belatedly how she somehow can’t stop herself from showing him how much she still cares. However now is not the time for her to regret her words.

Her sincerity leaves him speechless. His senses numbing like when she first entered his room. A yearning for more.

But she stands.

“I’ll go tell Sakura-chan that I can help.”

He straightens, instinctively trying to stop her from leaving.

“It’s okay,” she reassures, resisting self-consciousness. Maybe he doesn’t want to use her... “Don’t feel bad,” for me.

He’s left sitting there, watching her leave, wondering why he couldn’t stop her from misunderstanding, why he didn’t try to correct her.

Why he could hardly speak at all to her. He’s hardly himself, hasn’t felt like himself in a long time.

His emotions feel haywire, like any little thing about her tips him off-balance into anxiety.

Practically fear.

Fear of…

Her chakra felt like a hit of bliss to his system. So warm, so calming, a satisfaction and peace that simultaneously revitalized him for those few seconds. He missed it as soon as she stopped. Sensed that he needed it. Her.

Dread fills him, the weight not unbearable like before, but steadily, surely pooling within him. This temporary period of relief, obviously thanks to her intervention, just further proof to him.

He gets it now. But he can barely acknowledge it.

It’s not going to be enough to just tell her. Nowhere near enough, and that’s...that’s why he couldn’t do it.

She exhales, a long breath.

Yes, she was fine.

When it comes to him, she’s always been able to put everything else aside. In truth, her unrequited love never used to be a problem for her, she never, never expected anything from him.

She’s not sure when that changed, when she started to truly hope...well, it doesn’t matter anyway.

She slides the door to the office open.

Sakura immediately looks up. She stands abruptly. “Did he tell you?”

“He didn't tell me about his illness, but I can help him,” she reports. A determined resolve fills her. She follows through on her promises. And this is one she knows she will not fail.

Yet strangely, Sakura’s brows furrow, her mouth falling open in a silent exclamation, her entire expression asking a very confused, “Huh?”

Sakura’s reaction pulls her off-guard, but she realizes that she should report the information she found while using her kekkei genkai. “His illness seems to respond well to chakra interruption. I checked and could see his illness significantly receding whenever I shared chakra with him, but it doesn’t go away completely. It starts growing back almost right away. I can make sure to repress the worst of his illness until you find a cure.” She steels herself for what she wants to ask. “Can you tell me? How bad is it? I want to do my best to help him.”

But instead of answering, the medic-nin’s cheeks pull up in disbelief. She shakes her head slightly as several thoughts apparently rush through her mind. “Hold on a minute.” Her voice almost sounds...upset.

Hinata doesn’t have time to question her as Sakura rushes past her and disappears down the hall.

He sits up quickly as the door pulls open, but it’s not who he expected.

Sakura’s eyes are wide, livid. She pushes the door closed firmly. “Why didn’t you tell her?!” She marches up to him, her very stance demanding his obedience.

His mind flashes through everything he’s been figuring out. It’s hard to put into words. He shrugs, shaking his head. “I couldn’t.” He points at the trashcan, hoping that explains everything.

Sakura opens a drawer, pulls out a new bag. Grabs his mess away for disposal elsewhere, undeterred by his stink body fluids. “Do you want me to do it for you?”

“No!”

“Well I will if you don’t!”

“No, I don’t want you to do it!”

“Why not? All of this will be over the sooner you do it!”

“You don’t know that! What if she hates it?” He knows “hate” is a strong word, he’s almost certain Hinata would never “hate” anything, but that terrible doubt is still there, stronger than anything he’s ever felt before, an anxiety that he’s never had about anything before. “Sakura-chan, if I tell her, and she...she…, I think it really will be over for me.”

Sakura calms, lips pinching into a sympathetic frown. “Hinata wouldn’t hate it.”

“I know that.” Logically, he knows. “But she could still…” Reject me. Itchiness crawls over him, stress grabbing at his muscles, the weight in his chest doubling, bearing down like he’s going to have a heart attack.

“She won’t.”

He squints at her. It’s hard to focus, the pain in his chest, in his heart, aches, pinches acutely.

And Sakura stares back, her brows furrowing intensely. She breathes out in a decided rush, eyes piercingly locked onto his. “Hinata loves you.”

Jitters rush through him, expectations growing, hopes stretching higher. Only to be slammed back down with an image of her with him. Even if they broke up, that doesn’t mean… “She was just in a relationship with someone else.”

“And so were you,” Sakura points out, brow arched.

“But that’s because-!” He stops. It feels impossible. He can’t tell her, after all, he was just in a relationship, too. She wouldn’t believe him. She wouldn’t accept him on principle.

“Look, I know how it sounds, but it’s the truth. She was trying to get over you because you were dating Rumi.” She pauses, frowning. “Hinata will hate me for telling you that, but it’s really the truth, and you need to know it. I think Hinata would forgive me if she knew you were going to die.”

She loves me? It doesn’t sound real. She still loves me? Even after he dated-- “She doesn’t even know I broke up with her.” It’s really all impossible. Too many “if”s for a success rate. He has no idea if Sakura’s telling the truth. It sounds too incredible anyway.

“So tell her everything. Or I will.” Sakura stares at him until he nods. “I’m going to bring her back in here. I want this all cleared up by the end of today, Naruto! Honestly, if you were in my position, you would see how simple this all really is.”

Is it that simple? Does Hinata really love him? Still? For how long? Why? Really? Is Sakura lying to make him feel better?

Sakura lets out a long sigh. “Are you sure you don’t want me to tell her? At least about your illness? She was asking when I left her in my office.”

“No.” He doesn’t want Hinata to know about any of this, he wishes this disease had nothing to do with her. “Don’t tell her anything.”

“Then you really do need to tell her, Naruto.”

He feels like he’s been hearing that all day, all night, for a long time, even since before. He’s been needing to talk to her, talk to someone, tell someone something, and he’s tired.

He’s so tired.

Exhausted.

When Sakura barged back into her office, she stepped right up to her. Hinata was about to step back, but Sakura grabbed her hands, holding her in place. “Hinata, I’m sorry.”

“Sorry?”

“You believe in Naruto, right?”

She nods, trying to follow along.

“No matter what he says today, you need to believe him, okay?”

“Oh-”

“Okay?” Sakura repeats.

She nods, anxiety rising. “Okay.”

“He really needs you.”

Sakura’s words make her stomach flip, but she tries her best to ignore it. “How bad is it?” she asks instead.

She shakes her head. “Naruto doesn’t want me to tell you anything.”

“It’s that bad?” she whispers. If Naruto doesn’t want her to know, then...

“The solution is easier than it seems. But it’s up to Naruto.”

She tilts her head in a question.

Sakura doesn’t elaborate. “It will work out. Go to him, okay? If you need to leave for any reason, let me know before you go.”

She nods, fear steadily rising. There’s no reason she can think of that would possibly keep her from leaving now. How bad is it? It’s so bad that he doesn’t want her to know. She rushes to his room faster than any feelings of self-pity could possibly stop her, finds herself at his bedside much more easily than the first time, and hears herself asking her unanswered question once more. “Tell me how bad it is, Naruto-kun.”

But her question hardly registers. Suddenly, she’s before him, and he doesn’t feel tired at all. She loves me? It’s the only coherent thought he holds, staring at her again. He feels himself falling into her gravity, his awareness of her hyper-sensitive, as if he can feel her presence pressing onto his skin without even touching her. He looks away, unnerved. “You broke up with-” that guy. “...Susumu.”

She’s jarred away from her thoughts. He already knew? “Yes,” she murmurs, wondering why he should concern himself with that now of all times.

“Why?” And he’s looking at her again, this time, his gaze searching, and she feels compelled to be honest.

“It wasn’t meant to be,” she answers softly.

He tried to tell her so. He knew it wouldn’t work out, but now he wonders how much of that judgment was colored by his own feelings. “...Why?” he asks, unable to stop himself. “Why did you try with him?” Was she really trying to get over him by dating someone else?

“W-why?” She blinks. “Because he was nice, and…” She’s told him this before, why is he asking again? Now, of all times? “Because he asked, and I...I was trying to-” She doesn’t need to say it, Doesn’t he already understand?....from that time outside his apartment?...or does he really not know that...? “I was trying to find love,” she explains quietly.

Her whispered words don’t give him any relief. It’s sudden, the onslaught of questions that rises in him. It’s overwhelming, how desperately he wishes to know every detail, how awfully aware he is of his own jealousy, how disgusted he is in himself. He wants to repress his reactions, he wants to control himself, he wants to listen to the voice of reason he knows he still has. Yet there’s no relief from any of it. His emotions drag him under, and he struggles to deny them.

Why didn’t she--? If I had asked first--? Just anyone could--? Because he was nice? Because I was dating--? If she loved me, then why didn’t she--?

She watches his glare, a rotten expression directed at the far wall, with increasing concern. His prolonged periods of silence aren’t like him at all. “Naruto-kun,” she calls, hoping to bring him out of his thoughts. “I know I made a mistake, a really stupid mistake, but I’m doing fine. It’s okay.”

Her calm voice aggravates his nerves, makes him feel sharply that even if she’s okay, he’s not okay. He hasn’t been okay for a long time, and for her to brush everything off like it was just a...just a mistake?...somehow, it’s not fair…

“I wasn’t okay before,” she murmurs. She notices how he’s watching, listening, with an intensity that makes her want to shy away, but she forces herself to continue. If only to affirm herself. In front of him. “I made a poor choice when I wasn’t ready. I know that now. But I’m learning from my mistakes, and now I know not to rush. Otherwise I’ll hurt others.” She steadies herself under his stare. “And myself. But I’m doing better now. Every day is better than the one before.”

He understands that if she’s fine, then he should be glad for that. He thinks he knows how he should feel. But his unjustified anger continues to simmer, bubbling over. To put words to it would be wrong. It would be wrong, and he tries to swallow it back, but he feels his temper flaring under his skin. He doesn’t know if he wants to yell or cry, or just…

He feels sick.

The color in his cheeks flush red. Then pale white. She grabs his wrist and pushes her chakra into his skin. She’s shocked by how quickly his illness reformed in the ten or fifteen minutes she was away, and how quickly the unnatural chakra pathways clear once more with her energy. “Naruto-kun, are you alright?!”

It’s a wonder. So close to what he wants, needs, desires. Her chakra is a medicine that cleans him up, purifies his mind, and soothes all the pains in his body. But even if she gave him all of her chakra, it would never be enough.

“Naruto-kun?” she repeats. His blue eyes, usually so lively, appear dull now. She’s never seen him look so tired.

“Sorry,” he mutters.

“No,” she negates quickly.

He breathes deeply, trying to calm himself, exhaustion settling bone-deep. He buries his head in his arms, bent over his knees. He stares at the white sheet, finally finding words to his frustration. “What about me?”

She leans forward, unsure of his mumbling.

He shuts his eyes tightly. His hands clench into fists. He looks up and finds her eyes wide, surprised, at meeting his so suddenly. “I broke up with Rumi.” He watches her lashes lift, her eyes widen even more. “I made a mistake. I should have never dated her. I tried to rush things. I hurt her. And now look at me.”

She holds his intense gaze, all feeling leaving her. Like he pulled the floor from beneath her, her body suspended mid-air.

“What if Naruto and Rumi-chan break up. What would you do?”

She doesn’t know. She hasn’t known. Her mouth opens, she thinks to offer her condolences, I’m sorry to hear that. After all, isn’t that what he wants from her? Her listening ear, the endless patience she holds for him?

And she’s said that, before. When he told her that he broke up with Kanae. She latched down on her feelings and listened to him describe the situation with his new ex-girlfriend.

He shrugged and frowned. He said he “didn’t get it.” She nodded sympathetically. She told him that if he wanted to talk about it more, she would listen. He described Kanae and everything he didn’t understand, and she realized that though he was sad about breaking up, he wasn’t really sad about losing Kanae. For a time, it gave her misguided hope. She wanted him to see that she would be there for him. A part of her wanted him to see her, but she didn’t want to take advantage of his wounded self-esteem. She didn’t ask him out, she didn’t want to be another Kanae, another girl to date...she didn’t want to be just a friend either.

In the end, here, it seems like it was exactly that--he took her constant companionship for granted.

So she’s not sorry. Naruto didn’t seem sorry to hear about her breakup. Not for one second. If anything, his questioning sounded like an “I told you so.”

He not once supported her efforts, rather he seemed to actively try to discourage her. Really it’s no wonder that it never worked out with Susumu. If she had received Naruto’s support, even just once, she would’ve tried harder. She wouldn’t have kept looking back at the boy she promised herself to move on from.

So she’s really not sorry, either.

It feels hotly wicked of her to even consider. She knows she should feel sorry for Rumi. She knows she should feel sorry for Naruto. But she balls this rare, secret feeling up and holds it close.

And for how contemptible her disinterested feelings are, she can’t really find any fault with it. After all, she just went through a breakup. Is it really so wrong of her to not mourn his?

She looks directly into those eyes that used to unnerve her so easily. His usual bright strength isn’t there. Whether due to his breakup or his illness, she isn’t sure which is more at fault, but both at the same time would wear anyone out. Even Naruto. She understands... “I see you,” she replies. “I’ve always seen you, Naruto-kun.” She pauses there, just to feel the impact of her own words. She keeps that hurt close, too. It’s her own. She takes a deep breath. “I can’t offer you my sympathies this time, and I hope you understand.” She gives him a small smile, pained. “You know how I...felt about you, right?”

He stills, every small motion that she unconsciously tracks frozen. She realizes he stopped breathing, that he’s waiting.

Her heartbeat slows, a dull thud, like time itself is pulling around this one moment. If not sympathy, she can at least give him honesty. Maybe if she had just confessed, laid her feelings bare a long time ago, been rejected outright, she wouldn’t still be hung up on him. Maybe she owes this to herself, too. Everything she’s held on to, she’s always wanted to give it to him. Just finally let it go, even if she didn’t plan for this, even if the timing isn’t right or special for either of them, even if it won’t lead to anything, she might not get to hold his attention like this again in private before he moves on to the next girl. “...You know that I loved you. I still do.” Tears shoot up unexpectedly, her throat thickens, and she swallows it down. “And I know you don’t see me that way. But I’m not perfect. I’m still working through my feelings. So I hope you understand that I can’t listen to you this time. But I’ll always be your friend no matter what.”

She expects him to nod, at least, in reaction.

His shoulders rise, his face neither upset nor sad, instead rather blank, almost as if her words went through one ear and out the other.

For how focused he seemed before, she wonders if he was listening at all.

His jaw drops, his expression openly processing her words. “You-” His gaze centers on hers for a second. Then enlarge, shuttering panic shocking his eyes, he turns away.

He’s burning.

“I still do.”--trembling words raging in a fever beneath his skin as he empties himself. His stomach is tight, twisting, turning itself out. His throat is on fire as he hacks out stiff stems, scratching leaves and long petals unfurling heavily into a soppy puddle soaking through the sheet into his lap.

Vaguely he hears Hinata’s panicked cries, more prominently he feels her soothing chakra seeping into the corners of his being. A trickling, tickling sensation starting from his back, up his spine, running through him like the sun against his skin in the spring, hot, cold, hot, cold. It spreads, he can see it behind the dark of his eyelids, glowing brighter, whiter, warmer, until he feels essentially himself.

There’s no question that it wasn’t a disease inside of him--it was a hollowness, an emptiness, that’s finally been filled.

He passed out. His system is completely clear. No knots, no webs, no stubborn balls of green and white chakra.

She ignores the pile of sticky lilies over his lower body, intent on watching his lungs expand and compress rhythmically, easily with breath. From what she can tell, he appears to simply be sleeping.

A nurse ran in, then rushed back out to get Sakura.

Whenever her mind tries to make sense of Naruto’s behavior, she shakes it away to refocus on his physical health.

The rolling of the sliding door and footsteps alert her.

“How is he?!” Sakura rushes up next to her, freezing at the sight and sickly sweet smell of the blooms over the blanket.

“He’s breathing regularly, his chakra system appears to be clear of the disease, I don’t see anything out of the ordinary,” she breathes out in a rush. Although he seems completely undisturbed, the obviously unordinary lilies covering him baffles her to the point that she can’t even question it. She’s never seen such a phenomenon, and it nags for her attention. “After he threw up...um...the sickness seems to have disappeared.”

An audible breath leaves Sakura. She wraps up the mess, tying the blanket together in the corners and dropping it into a waste bin. Her glowing, green hands hover over his torso, then the pit of his stomach, then up to his forehead. “He’s clear,” she declares. She lets out another sigh. This one of apparent relief. “Now we just have to wait for him to wake up.” She turns around to her, a gentle smile on. “So?” She tilts her head in a question. “He must have told you?”

It takes her a moment to focus on Sakura’s question, the sudden change in topics. What about his vomit? He’s really fine? So suddenly?... She slowly nods, remembering how he told her that he broke up with Rumi. “I tried...but...I couldn’t sympathize with him.”

Just like earlier, Sakura appears openly confused, biting down on her bottom lip, brows furrowing. “What did you two talk about while I was out.” An authoritative demand for information, not a question.

Hinata blinks, coming to the conclusion that she’s missing something. The pieces are here before her--Naruto’s strange behavior, Sakura’s impatience, the mess of lilies, the fact that she was called to help Naruto-- “He, um, told me he broke up with Rumi-san.”

Sakura nods, urging her on.

“And then, then I told him that I couldn’t offer him any condolences. Because I...I told him that I love him.”

Her green eyes widen, brows raising high enough that wrinkles form on her forehead. “Hinata, you told him?”

She nods. “I felt like I needed to tell him so that I can finally move on, and I didn’t know when I’d get another chance to say it.”

Sakura turns away and stares at the sleeping boy, chin pinching upward in a small frown.

“Sakura-chan, is Naruto-kun really okay now? What’s going on?”

But Sakura just bites her lips and shakes her head. “I really wish I could tell you, but I don’t have Naruto’s consent. He should be fine now. His vitals are normal. Ask Naruto when he wakes up.” She turns back to Hinata, a secretive smile now curling her lips and cheeks. She opens a cabinet and spreads a new blanket over him. Stretching her arms high above her head, she heads out of the room, little smile still on. “I should’ve locked the two of you in a room a long time ago.”

“Wha-”

“Don’t leave without notifying me first!” And Sakura shuts the door.

Unwilling to bother the busy medic any more than she already has, she huffs out her confusion in an agitated sigh. She can only wait. She glances back at Naruto, who’s peacefully sleeping, completely passed out.

He probably won’t wake up for awhile if he exhausted his chakra.

She checks Naruto’s system once more.

All seems well, indeed, his core already burns stronger than before.

What happened? One moment he was so sick. The next, it was as if he threw up his disease, and Sakura hardly seemed surprised at all.

And his reaction to her confession?

He threw up in reaction? Or was that just a coincidence of timing?

She frowns once more, brows furrowing. She really chose a terrible time to confess. Of all the times to confess again, she decided now, while he was obviously extremely sick in the hospital, was the time to do it, and he threw up right after, then passed out…

Maybe Naruto wasn’t ready to hear it directly from her, after his breakup, and the sudden confession literally shocked the sickness out of him in a pile of...flowers?

It’s too late now, useless to regret the complete lack of passion and meaning in her confession...Why lilies?

Maybe it was all for the best? If that means he’s better now...Lilies?

There’s no making any sense of it. She just has to wait for him to wake up.

So she fixes the corners of the blanket, smoothes it out across his body.

Then sits there.

Trying not to look at the golden shine of his lashes and brows. Trying not to follow the strong line of his jaw to his neck. Trying not to admire the birthmarks across his skin.

She closes her eyes, sits back, and lets the long morning seep out.

The chair next to his bed is empty.

He sits up and finds her, curled up in a more comfortable armchair against the wall, asleep.

She stayed with him.

She still loves him.

She really said that.

That same tickling, warm feeling rises to his face. Hinata. She loves him. How deeply, how meaningfully, he doesn’t know, but it’s there. Those words are still inside her, just like Sakura said they were. That...love...is still there, for him. She’s here, with him. And he couldn’t tell it to her before, but now he can. He can.

Whatever twisted him up before is gone. That blockage of the mind, that physical confusion in his gut, that solid fear in his chest, gone. The haze before his eyes, in his heart, in his memories, completely clear.

He hasn’t felt this good in ages. Focused, capable, purposeful.

And Hinata...he’s been making her wait for...a long time.

“Hinata.” He clears his throat, trying to find his voice. “Hinata.”

She stirs, eyes scrunching for a second, flying open the next. She startles upright. “Naruto-kun. You’re okay!” A relieved smile lights away any dazed remnants of sleepiness.

She really still loves him.

It’s an incredible miracle. He’s been making her wait, yet, somehow, he’s not too late. And he doesn’t want to ever be too late. With the beams of strong sunlight coming in through the window, a few hours passed while he recovered. He doesn’t want to make her wait a minute more. “Hinata, I love you.”

She doesn’t say anything. Her smile hardly changes except for a slight raise of the brows.

He’s not sure if she even heard him. “I love you.” The words hold more meaning to him than anytime before.

She looks down at her lap, sorting through her sense of reality, that she’s truly awake. She blinks, finding the smallest functioning of her body too detailed for a hallucination or dream. She looks up again and finds his gaze intensifying.

“I love you, Hinata.”

She realizes he’s really saying that. “Um.” She looks at where Sakura disposed his mess. Someone cleared it away while she slept. “Um.” Something is very wrong, but she can’t quite name her discomfort. Somewhere between his disease and this confession, this doesn’t feel quite right.

Her response has him wishing he could pull off his monitor, get out of bed, and close the distance. But that would set the alarm off. And an interruption right now is not what he needs. “I know you don’t believe me.”

Her eyes settle back on his.

“Hinata, I’m telling the truth. Is that okay? Can I love you?”

She studies his expression, searches for dishonesty or deceit...but everything about him is real. Logic of circumstance tells her that this isn’t real at all. “You..you mean it?”

“Yeah.” He watches her move to the chair beside him, determination solidifying stronger with her now closer. “I want to be with you.”

“Naruto-kun.” Is this how he started dating Kanae and Rumi? With sweet words any girl would want to hear? She knows he would never mean to lie. She knows he would never, never ever mean to hurt her. But… “You’re not just saying that because I confessed? Please, if you’re just saying that out of a feeling of indebtedness or sense of duty...”

Indebtedness? Duty? “No!” He grimaces at the implication, that she would assume that of him-

“Or because you don’t want to make me feel bad-”

“No, Hinata!” He fists the sheet in frustration. “I mean it! I love you.” Not just to say it back, not just to fulfill his wants, not just to be nice or do “what he’s supposed to do.”

She quiets, still unsure. She wants to believe him. Of course she wants to. “I’m sorry, I’m just having a hard time understanding...with how sudden all of this is. You were just very sick, and you weren’t well, and I, I don’t know why...why you’re saying this? You just broke up with..with Rumi-san, and...”

Naruto averts his gaze. He didn’t want to explain his disease to her. It’s mortifyingly embarrassing. He couldn’t control his emotions. He was insanely jealous. His body started attacking itself. His power, his chakra, was making him sick. “Hero of the Hidden Leaf.” “Saviour of this World.” All just words, but he never quite realized how seriously he took them. His pride, his dignity…

If there is anyone he wanted to be cool for, it was always her.

But what is his pride if he fails her in this?... He nods, acknowledging her doubts, disbelief he already knew she would have. “...You told me that you still love me.” His heart burns at the memory. His face heats up at voicing it aloud. A giddiness clamors within him that he wants to revel in. If she’ll let him. “That healed me.”

Hinata’s expression squishes into the most confused he’s ever seen her.

And he knows he’ll need to explain more than that. “My chakra illness was related to my emotions. I couldn’t handle seeing you with that guy.” He still can’t handle thinking about it. He didn’t admit it to himself before, but now he clearly sees that he hates Susumu. He hates that that guy was with Hinata, he hates that it wasn’t himself. “I was really mad for a long time about it. I couldn’t do anything, and I didn’t understand. And I got sick because I was so messed up.”

She stares at him, his story processing. He’s really saying all of this. That he was jealous? Because she was dating Susumu? She thinks maybe she should feel pleased, but, “You got sick because of me?”

He pauses at her worried tone, her eyes widening in panic, in guilt. “No, Hinata, no, it wasn’t because of you!”

She’s not at all convinced. Because didn’t he just say that seeing her with Susumu made him messed up?

“How do I say this...I got sick because…” He remembers Sakura telling him that he needed to express his feelings toward her. He remembers realizing that just confessing to Hinata wouldn’t be enough. From Hinata’s point of view, she would blame herself, but that wasn’t it. “I got sick because I have this intense feeling for you.” He blushes, finding that way more intimate to say aloud than he realized. “And if I kept holding it in, it had nowhere to go. I couldn’t talk to you or see you. I couldn’t act on my feelings. It made me feel empty. So it wasn’t your fault. It’s just that I...” He bites his lip. How many times has he said it by now? And she won’t believe him? Yet each time has been so freeing. “...love you.”

She’s breathless. It’s too much. His sincere words, his shy expression. And he loves her? “Naruto-kun…” You really…? Her hands come up, covering her mouth, her eyes. She curls her fingers together just to find some grounding in herself. She finds his watching gaze again. She realizes he accepted her feelings, and she realizes that he really does want to be with her. It’s unbelievable. But she believes him. “I love you.”

Whispered words, but they’re loud enough to make his heart bear down. “Yeah?”

“Mm.” She nods, memorizing his lopsided smile. “I do.”

He reaches his hand out, and she takes it unhesitatingly.

The warmth of his hand, only outmatched by the brightness of his blossoming smile, spreading across his features into something wonderful. She’s seen it before. Last year, on his birthday. It’s not new, it’s been there, between them, and she felt it back then, too.

So she didn’t imagine it?

She blinks rapidly, willing back the heat behind her eyes. “Naruto-kun…”

“Hinata?” he answers, only to realize that she didn’t call for his attention.

She’s gazing at him with so much...so much...it makes him feel antsy, impatience clambering beneath his skin, a need to do more, more, more, yet all he can do is hold her hand tighter.

He needs to get out of this damn hospital. “I...can’t do much here. I need to get cleaned up. And I need to catch up on mission hours. But I swear that I’ll start proving it to you as soon as I get out of here.”

She shakes her head. He really does seem better. Remarkably so. But he doesn’t need to prove anything to her. “You need to rest.”

He sits up straighter, vehemently shaking his head. “No, no, you have no idea, Hinata. I’ve been resting for almost a month.” Just the thought of lying around any longer makes him feel like vomiting. Metaphorically. He pulls the monitor off from under his shirt.

The red light starts flashing, ringing.

“Naruto-kun!”

“I’m done here,” he explains. He climbs out of bed, looks at her, and smiles.

So she stands, too amazed to be the focus of that warmth to argue, and follows him out.

He’s smiling at her, his eyes so bright and alive, just like before.

Like before, a year ago, when they’d pass each other in the village, and he’d stop to talk to her. Or before, when they’d eat ramen, sitting with friends, or with just each other.

He’s warm. He’s inviting. He’s easy.

He loves me?

“You can’t leave, yet!!” A scolding voice. A nurse, hands spread wide open before Naruto’s shoulders, stopping him. “Haruno-san may have said you can be discharged soon, but you didn’t receive your final official screening! Now turn around! Get back in there! Go! Go!” The nurse is shooing him back into his room much to his complaints.

And she makes to follow him back in.

But left in the hallway with his back to her, with his muted voice within the walls of the room, she takes pause.

He...loves me?

That’s what he said just a minute ago. That’s what he said… He said he broke up with Rumi. That he never loved her. He said that he was sick. That he hated seeing her with Susumu. That he was jealous...and he was sick. Until she told him that she loves him.

It sounds untrue.

But Naruto doesn’t tell cruel lies. He’s always been straightforward, someone to tell things the way he sees them.

He’s also always seen things in his own way. Worked things out on his own time. And she supposes this could be such a case?

So what makes her not believe him?

It’s just… She doesn’t know if it’s the suddenness of it all, or if she...just...can’t trust it. And why. Why can’t she trust his words? She used to think, after all, that they had something special. And here Naruto is, telling her that what she thought was right. They...do?...have something special…?...

She stares at the floor, emotions of joy, confusion, and worry jostling for space.

Sakura told her to believe him. No matter what he says today. And she knows now that this is what Sakura was waiting for her to hear all morning.

It really is too good to be true. She’ll wake up soon, all of this a fever dream. Maybe she passed out in front of Neji’s grave. Maybe she’s living in a genjutsu. The God Tree grew back. She knows she’s being ridiculous, but this whole situation has felt ridiculous since she woke-

“I thought maybe you left!”

She looks up from the floor, looks directly at him, and his anxiety settles just that quickly. When she didn’t follow him back into his room, he thought maybe she went home, maybe she changed her mind, maybe she didn’t want him anymore...but, he can breathe. She's not looking away. She's not pushing past him. She's not ignoring him.

He can breathe. She’s still here.

#white lilies #naruhina fanfic #naruhina angst #romance #canon divergent au #hanahaki #no the last #merry christmas #naruhina fanfiction

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