#i owe you the world 💛

[potionpeddlerpatchy]

Patch i’m so excited. you’re such an angel delight, and I, for one, am over the moon that you’re here, you’ve been here, and you’ll continue to be here. you’re a wonderful friend and person, happy anniversary darlin 💛💛 i am so greedy and want one of EACH, but we can start with an alluring charm :) or perhaps a book…. :) or even….. a palm reading :)

(basically you go nuts and i will go insane no matter what i love you i’m so happy to have met you and i am so grateful for your friendship)

Oh Kasey, how I find it serendipitous that we have met. You were just so openly kind with your words when it came to my many potions I have brewed that I could not help but wish to seek a friendship. And I am so happy that I did. Your presence gives me such warmth and elation that I feel as if we have been friends for many a year let alone only a short while. I do hope that this will continue, and I shall treasure all the time with you to ensure that it will 💛

Now, as what you wished to have from my little rummage sale, I am more than generous to gift to you everything your heart desires - as I would with any patron in my shop.

So, let me see what I can do for you, hm? 🔮

“Oh my aren’t we excited to gather all my rummaged wares, hm?” The peddler teased at your eager and sweet response over the news of her sharing such trinkets as a way of celebration

“I just like everything here,” You admitted, a little bashful, as your eyes gazed over all the many shelves that held so many interesting bobbles and books – all with an incredible and historic story you were sure “Though, you already know that, why I keep visiting you”

“And I very much enjoy the company” She responded, her usual gentle smile peeking from beneath her large, brimmed, hat before she gestures to a pair of plush chairs “Please, have a seat. Suppose it’s best for us to start with a palm reading, don’t you think?”

You nodded your head with enthusiasm as you moved to sit in the chair opposite of her, hand already outstretched so she could read the many lines that decorated your palm. You knee bounced, though you were unsure if in excitement or if it was anxiousness, as you watched her patiently as her fingertips danced delicately across your hand; her small hums made your heart skip a beat wondering what she saw.

“Interesting…” she finally muttered, as her fingers came to a halt, though the stillness in her entire being made it clear she was lost in thought.

“W-what is?” You finally whispered back as you leaned closer to her. Though you had to jolt your head away when she abruptly stood, you followed in kind, though you found it difficult to navigate the cluttered space as she did “What did you see?”

The peddler did not stop as she continued to rummage through the many items that littered her cozy shop; opening drawers and scanning many shelves to try and find whatever it was that caused her to become lost in such a seemingly mindless trance and active search.

“Is there something wrong with the person my palm matched me to?” You asked, a slight breathlessness to your tone as you grew ever more nervous.

“No, there is nothing to fear over what I saw.” the Peddler mumbled, her eyes still scanned the old books, overed in dust and wed, upon her more private shelf within her shop – though the way she chewed at the finger nail at her thumb, an action you never saw her do, one that almost made her seem nervous did little to quell your own feelings brewing withing your stomach.

“Then what is it? Please just tell me?”

You watched as her shoulders slumped downward slightly, as if she finally noticed the tension not only within the small room but within herself as well before her eyes casted back over to you. Her small smile was only a little reassuring, as she placed a hand upon your own to squeeze it gently.

“The man I saw within your palm, if you will, is one that was haunted – cursed even – by a soul of his past” The peddler began, before her eyes once again left yours in favour of searching the shelves once again “His name, that of Yuuta, and such a story to cling to his name made me recall a book I had and read of a similar man.”

“And, is that what you are looking for…?” You reasoned, eyes never leaving her form as you watched closely to any change of expression – both good or bad – that would cross her face

“It is,” She nodded her head, her nails dragging along a row of books “Something called out to you, I could feel it, when you first walked it. Now I know what, and I wish to find it for you.”

You wished you could reply, to find anything to saw to her in response, but your body could not form a word. This world, the one you enter in with such wide eyes, was so much more than you could ever comprehend and at that moment in time left you at a loss for words. Perhaps you could find it exciting, even comforting, that a book within her shop would call out to you and claim you as its rightful owner. But at that moment it just left you uneasy and you followed her hand as it ran across the many spines of the books of old she had in her possession. You swallowed a large lump that had formed in your throat when her hand finally stopped upon a of faded silver as she delicately removed it from where it had rested for lord knows how long.

“Please, have another seat” She gestured once more to a comfortable looking chair for you “I think you may find this rather enlightening”

Though uneased still filled you, it dissipated rather quickly once you sat back down; you felt a strange warmth fill you once the book was placed gingerly within you hand. You wished it could be explained, though you doubted the Peddler would be so kind as to do so, but your desire to open the book to read it became almost overwhelming as it took you by a similar trance.

“Go on, open it love.” She encouraged gently as she stood nearby to search in her many small drawers for something else “I will be right here, nothing to be worried of.”

With that small added sense of reassurance, of knowing that someone will be there to comfort you should something go awry and you felt even more dread and unease fill you to point of becoming frightening. With a deep, quiet inhale, you take the plunge and open the worn book gently.

~

A rush of water overcame you.

A sense of alarm followed alongside it as you rushed to breach the surface of the sea, to take in finally take in a deep breath and free your lungs of the painful ache that overcame them. You felt the tug and pull of your friend, his bright yellow body, did provide some reassurance to you that you will survive this ordeal, as he helped you to leave the sea.

Though it wasn’t always this way. You wanting to leave the water. It once filled you so full of life, how each roll of the sea, each wave you broke through, each tide you swept yourself up in, invigorated you and left you with a rush of feeling that filled your spirit so fully that you couldn’t imagine a life better than that. One where you were free to explore all the depths the ocean had stored away, all the creatures you would meet and befriend as they bashfully introduced themselves, and all the splendor you would come to home to; that of your fathers love and all the gifts he would give to you and your sisters. It was all so fulfilling, that you did not mind the one rule set out for you. How you followed it blindly as you obeyed for you could not fathom that breaking it would gift to you even more splendor than your life already had.

Truly, when you were young, you had no desire to see, or meet, any of the humans who passed by overhead in their ships.

But, on fateful day, you had stumbled across one that had sunk and from then on your desires and wants within your life had changed. All the trinkets and bobbles, the art and written histories you had found as your searched through everything upon that vessel made something within you called and yearned for more. From that moment on, you wanted to see, to learn, to hear, and to know anything and everything about the humans and their way of life.

An obsession, everyone called it. A delusion, a dangerous one at that, one that would fade over time and simply become a distant memory. That was what your father told you, a notion he believed and hoped in with all his being, for he knew firsthand how dangerous the humans were to your kind. Yet despite all the warnings, all the added rules, and the punishments that befallen upon you, your still wanted to be apart of a world not your own.

Your heart had never pined for something more than that. And despite your best judgement, and even the judgement of your closest friends who had come along with you on your excursions, you went up to the surface to follow a ship that had dazzled with the many bright lights it threw into the vast sky.

There you met a man, one that seemed so sad amongst all those singing and happy people, though he hid it well as he pretended to join in on their merriment in celebration of his birthday. Your heart ached as you watched him, you wanted nothing more than for him to smile with true genuine at you. And once he did, upon that sandy shore you swam him to after saving his life when his ship crashed, you knew you wanted to see it more. At that moment, more than ever before, you wanted to be human. Not only to enjoy the different way they find happiness in their lives, but to be with him more.

And that is how you ended up where you were. As you struggled to breath where you once could do so freely, as you tried not to drown where you once called home. The new legs you were given in a deal with a sea witch did not propel you as easily as your beautiful tail could. But you were determined to see this new life, even if for a few days, you could not let it end there before it could even begin.

With a deep gasp you broke through the surface of the water, sputtered and coughing as your friend continued to help tug you to shore. Once there you collapsed upon the warm sand to rest, as you took in painful breaths in to fill your aching and angry lungs.

Once you had adjusted to your climate, to the new way your body had changed, you finally were able to marvel at the beautiful set of legs given to you. And though you wobbled, barely able to walk upon them, the smile that graved your face – one large and full of elation – could not be taken from you.

It was a smile that continue to grow once you heard him, the man you had saved the other day, as he called out to whoever had become stranded and struggled upon the shore near his home. You found whatever you could to cover your newfound modesty before he could see as your heat pounded in excitement as you waited for him.

“Is anyone there!? Please, if anyone is there say something! ” He called out, the sound of his rushing footsteps louder and he hastily approached you. Though he stumbled to a stop, as did his voice that rang so loudly, when he finally found you.

“Oh.. um..” He cleared his throat before his footfall began to gingerly approach you, your heart swelled over his clear concern over your well being and wish to not startle you further “Miss? Are you alright? Are you hurt?”

“My name is Yuuta, may I ask yours?” He quietly asked once he was within an arms length to you. You perked up once he was so close, the rock you has perched yourself on gave you a perfect view of his kind, warm, dark blue eyes; ones that could not help but remind of your home.

You opened your mouth to say your name, to finally let him know who you were and how you saved his life. And yet, nothing came forth, not even an utterance of a single note of sound. It was then the reality of your situation finally sank in, the gravity of it all. The sea witch took you voice. She left you complete unable to communicate in the manner you best at, and now you were at a loss of how you could get him to see and know you for who you were.

You motioned to your throat, tapping it gently to try as you leaned closer to him. He could tell by your sad eyes what you had meant as he helped you stay upright “Oh, you cannot speak?”

Yuta watched as you nodded your head, before he looked out towards the sea “And you washed upon the shore. Were you in an accident?”

He found it adorable how you nodded your head once more as you sought some kind comfort from him, at leas that was what he thought you were doing as you tucked your hands into his own to squeeze them. With a gentle smile he returned the small gesture, as he began to gently coax you down from your perch; he wrapped his arm around you in support as you struggled to walk with him.

“Easy there!” He chuckled warmly, a noise that made your heart swell “Come now, I’ll help you back to my home. I’ll take - !”

~

“Here is it!” You heard the Peddler cry out as she held in triumph a small trinket within her hand – one the gleamed with the same kind of silver that was decorated upon the bindings of your book.

You gasped at the sudden intrusion, heart racing as you were pulled from the soft and sweet scene that you were just within; such a sudden shock, of change of juxtaposition, made your head spin as you tried to come to terms with what was real and what wasn’t.

“Easy there, love” the Peddler cooed as she gingerly took your book out of your hands “It can be quite the shocking change when the world around you pull you out.”

You placed a hand over your heart, in an attempt to sooth your racing heart as you took in a few broken deep inhales of breath before your eyes shifted over to hers “W-was it real?”

“As real as you wanted it to be.”

Her response made your brows furrow as you tried to comprehend it all, but you did not have a chance to dwell on her words long before she placed within your hand a silver charm. You took a moment to allow your fingertips to brush against the intricate, beautiful, details it held before your curious and questioning eyes landed back upon her.

“I found this charm alongside this book, many years ago” She explained, closing your hand to keep it secure “They should never be separated, understand?”

You nodded your head, as your voice stuttering as if it had been taken away from you completely a few minutes ago “W-why?”

“I would fill him with such sorrow if you did.”

“Him? Who is he?”

“You know who he is.” She smiled knowingly at you before giving your hand a small squeeze before she stood “And should you wish to see what a life with him would be like, merely place that charm around your neck and you shall see.”

You wished you had a chance to ask her further all the questions that rang in your mind, but she merely shushed you as she placed before you a warm cup of tea. “Whenever you are ready, you may do as you please. I can assure you, that he will wait an eternity for you.” With one last nod she left you to serve another who had been curious to what wares were within her shop.

Ah yes, your charm! You need not worry over it just yet Whenever you feel the courage to want a peek, you may, and if you wish me to as well to help you through it, you need only ask.

Until then, suppose it will just be a pretty trinket to sit upon your lovely book~ 🔮

I do hope you wish to keep what you found, for all 'sales' are final

[superblysubpar]

masterlist | the music

4.2k words | This is an 18+ NSFW series

epilogue warnings: see that fun little e word? yeah you're missing a whole bunch, and I strongly encourage you to head to the masterlist linked above and read their story! I had fun writing it (most days), I hope you have fun reading it | there's a hint to a lovely little thing @rebelfell wrote for Eddie on Halloween Party night and I am not only incredibly touched that something I wrote inspired her to write, but I am grateful for the blessing to leave his story open for more exploration using her story 💛 | mentions of the holiday Christmas being celebrated by reader | minor descriptions of PIV smut, but ultimately it's some good old fade to black movie shit

Steve’s hands cup the back of your head, tilting you open for him as he ducks down, mouth hovering above yours as he speaks like you’re the only two people in the world. 

“But right now? Right now I’m gonna kiss you.”

“Which bad 90s rom com you steal that one out of, Harrington?” You whisper against his lips. 

Steve smiles, gaze tracing the curve of your lips then meeting yours as he takes a deep breath. 

“You liked it.” 

And maybe the marquee lights twinkle above you a little brighter as you finally meet in a kiss. Maybe snowflakes start drifting down from the clouds lazily, covering everything in a fresh start right at the moment his hands wrap around your waist and pull you impossibly closer, your back arching from the passion of his kiss. Maybe a terrible top forty song blares out of someone’s car as it drives past, your foot popping off the pavement a little when he pulls away for a breath only to lean and kiss you deeper and slower. 

The universe can’t guarantee anything for you and Steve, but it is giving you a chance. There is nothing, not even love, that can keep away the inevitable struggle, heartbreak, or loss life will be sure to throw at you. Which is scary, but doing it together, his hand in yours, makes it less so. Yes, it won’t always be easy, but the hard work you’ll both put in when it isn’t, means it’s real. There is no one other than yourselves who can decide if your relationship could be like the movies. The two of you are the only ones that can calculate if there’s still time for a happy ending in your story. Only Steve and you can be certain that the fear of heartbreak or pain is worth taking the risk, because if you don’t, if you let the chance slip away, you’ll never know if one day you could have called it love. 

Eddie’s nose presses into your navel, fingers adjusting on your hips as you squirm. 

“Eddie!”

“Hold still!” He laughs, your green plastic shamrock hanging from your neck knocks against his forehead as his arms move to wrap around the back of your thighs. 

“We’re on the other side!” Robin screams into her phone. A boy with a jug full of nauseating lime colored liquid brushes up against her, smiling with green tinged lips. She wrinkles her nose as he hiccups, liquor and kool-aid sloshing from the jug out onto the sidewalk and narrowly missing her shoes. 

“I can see-Fuck!” You shout, arm raising to wave but body hunching, falling over Eddie’s head as he adjusts and almost drops you. 

Fingers grip his curls at the sudden balance issues, eliciting a quiet “Ow,” from him and a soft “Sorry,” from you. 

Robin huffs into the phone, craning her neck and hand hovering behind your back like she alone could prevent Eddie dropping you over the railing and into the river. “I’m wearing green - well light green!”

Eddie snorts a laugh into your hip as he pushes you higher, your fingers wrap around the cement and you pull yourself up, waving your arms wildly to bring attention to your group as Eddie holds your lower half up, bracing his back against the railing.  

Just on the other side of the bridge, you see him clinging to a light pole, body slowly circling it, head swiveling in all directions with the phone pressed to his ear. His hair has gotten darker from the lack of sun, longer too, and it curls slightly behind his ears and at the nape of his neck, blowing in the light breeze. 

When he makes his final turn, he sees you as your arms drop. His grin widens, bright even from this far. You watch his mouth move as he speaks into the phone without taking his eyes off of you. 

Robin calls up, rolling her eyes, “He says you’re really pretty.”

Your head throws back in a deep laugh, the movement causing Eddie to panic and adjust his hands holding your legs and you both topple to the ground, taking Robin with you as your leg bangs against the cement railing at just the right angle, hard.

The people of Chicago simply walk around the three of you, as you lay on the cold and dirty sidewalk moaning. 

“Your foot is in my spleen Edward, get off,” Robin whines, shoving at his shoulders.

“Don’t get mad at me, I’m not the one who decided to fall!” He rolls, but freezes as you wince.

You sit up, rubbing at your knee, closing your eyes with a choked off whimper, willing the tears that want to spring out from the sharp pain away. 

“Shit, uh, ice? I can go see if someone has ice?” Robin asks, eyes wide and blinking down at you when you open yours.

Eddie’s nose scrunches, head tilting as he asks, “Why would anyone have ice just walking around?”

“I don’t know, it’s St. Patrick’s Day, people need it for their drinks! Oh! I can call Nancy, she’s still sleeping, but-”

“Robin,” you laugh, cutting her off, “I’m fine. Just give me a sec.”

As you press your palms to the cement and brace yourself to stand, you wince again and his voice is suddenly right in front of you.

“Hey, hey, hey, stop.” 

Looking up, Steve is crouching down, hands reaching toward your leg. Light jeans and a deep, hunter green sweatshirt revealed to you under his now open gray peacoat. Dark strands of hair fall over his forehead, slightly covering the lines of worry deepening as he frowns at your knee. Something inside your chest swells, like thousands of butterflies are waking up and migrating to your stomach and causing dumb and unfiltered words to fall out of your mouth. 

“Do you have a band-aid? I think I scraped my knee falling for you.”

Steve snorts out a laugh, eyes bright, the sweater making the moss in them outshine the brown as he looks at you with amusement. Robin and Eddie boo in tandem behind your shoulders.

Steve’s hand curls around your ankle, gold ring on his middle finger glinting as his thumb brushes the skin under your pant leg as he shakes his head, “Honey, I’m gone for two days and look at you. How am I gonna be able to leave for three months?”

“They said yes?!” Forgetting your pain, you lean forward, hands grabbing his cheeks as he nods, bottom lip fitting between yours as he kisses you with a sigh. 

Steve's hand curls around your neck, thumb sliding down along your jaw as he kisses you like you are very much not in public, your stomach swooping as his tongue traces the curve of your top lip. 

“You're both sick,” Eddie gags.

“May I remind you,” Robin starts as Steve and you part, breathless, his eyes rolling and mouth fighting a smile as she keeps going, “That the sidewalk is probably covered in piss and puke and who knows what else and we are not that far from the spot where Dave Matthews literally dumped shi-”

“We know!” The three of you call out in tandem, interrupting the story you all could recite with the same inflections and punchlines she does. 

“Steve, I'm so happy for you. Those kids are gonna have the best time,” speaking quietly to him, your fingers curl the hair around his ear that's turning pink and he dips his head, bashful. 

“I hope so. I think it's cool that these players are gonna take breaks in their schedule and donate their time to teach them. I mean, they're gonna get experiences and lessons that they would never have gotten if not for this program and…sorry.” He shakes his head, biting back his excitement.

You lift his chin and give him another soft, and chaste kiss. The thundering of your heartbeat in your ears is worse than it’s ever been, the words sit ready on your tongue, but just don't come out. 

His eyes bounce between yours, like he’s waiting, before he finally looks down, clearing his throat as he gestures to your knee. “Can I?”

Feeling warm from the missed moment and under his concern, all you can do is nod silently. Steve’s thumbs slide over the sides of your kneecap, pressing gently and you wince. He tilts his head, fingers moving up to prod at the spot again and you grab his wrist with a whimper. 

“Well, I think bar hopping all day is out of the question,” Steve smiles sadly at you, “I think we should get some ice and heat on it. Prop it up.”

“But-” you start to protest and Robin interrupts.

“Already called an Uber, we can head to Nance and I's, have a chill day and then head to Murray's later tonight like originally planned.”

Sighing because you know you'll never win against the two of them teamed up, you nod. Steve’s arm curls around your waist as he helps you stand, both of you looking around with a frown.

“Where's Eddie?” You ask, head swiveling. 

Robin shrugs, gesturing behind you. “I don't know, he just took off running across the bridge when he got this look on his face. He was gone before I could ask.” She punches Steve’s shoulder, smiling, “Congrats Dingus.”

He smiles and lets you go, fingers slipping from your side as his arms wrap around her in a tight hug. As they squeeze each other, you take the opportunity to glance up at the circular, familiar towers. The stream of green clad people entering and exiting the House of Blues and you smile to yourself, thinking about the first time you were here and how far you’ve all come in just a year. 

Eddie rounds the corner, coming off the bridge then. His hands shoved in his leather jacket’s pockets, dirty sneaker dragging and kicking a pebble as he shakes his head, shoulders dropping in disappointment. 

“What’s the matter, tough guy?” You pout, tilting your head.

He waves it away, shrugging, “Nothing,” and your eyes narrow as he claps Steve on the shoulder, “Congrats, man.”

“Thanks.” They both hit each other’s shoulders in a hug and you make eye contact with Eddie over Steve’s shoulder, arms crossing and eyebrows raised at him. 

He rolls his eyes, knowing you know it isn’t nothing and he will not be able to run from you. 

“Uber’s here!” 

Steve’s nose buries itself deeper into the crook of your neck, his chest rising and falling even with deep breaths. You brush the hair from his forehead and kiss his temple. 

Smiling against his skin, you look up to see Eddie staring at the two of you. A deep frown pulls his lips down, his thumbs dragging against the label of the beer in his hands, shredding it slowly. 

“Sorry,” you whisper, hoping the sudden movement of your chest and noise of your voice doesn’t wake Steve. “I just missed him. I know the PDA is gross.”

“Hmm?” Eddie hums, like he didn’t really hear you, blinking at you confused. 

Gesturing with your free arm to him you explain, “You look kind of upset about our cuddling. And you were all grumpy at the river.”

He was fairly silent during the ride to Nancy and Robin’s, letting you prop your leg up on his thighs with your back against Steve’s chest as he stared out the window. Robin disappeared into their bedroom an hour ago, claiming to go wake Nancy who’d gotten in after midnight from chasing a story on the east coast, but you’re certain she’s asleep next to her. Steve had helped you to the couch, gingerly rolling your jeans up, mumbling his diagnosis around a wince at the sight of your swollen knee. He set you up with ice and a pillow, and you couldn’t blame him for also falling asleep after his busy weekend of meetings and flights. 

And Eddie was silent through it all, the only sound in the apartment being Charlie running around on screen trying to catch a Leprechaun in an episode of It’s Always Sunny. He just shakes his head, avoiding the question. 

“Come on Eddie, spill the beans. Open the door.” Prodding him with a smile and a small shrug of your shoulders. 

He smiles around a sip of beer, but shakes his head again. Eddie stands, punching the mantle lightly, before he turns and looks at Steve, then you as he blurts, “How’d you do it?”

Your brows pinch together as you question, “How’d I do what?”

“Fall in love again after…after being so hurt. What was the first step?”

His question surprises you, palms sweating as your skin prickles from a familiar burn. Glancing down at Steve before you stumble over a response, “We’re not…I’m not…I haven’t…”

Eddie gives you a look of disbelief, like you’re really trying to lie to him and he sits down on your other side. His eyebrows furrow under his bangs as he looks out the window seeming to be looking at something much further away.

“Okay, fine, easier question. Do you believe in soul mates?”

“What?” Blinking at him and wondering where he is going with all of this, your body squirming under the weight of Steve growing heavier. 

Eddie waves his hand around, searching for the words. “You know destiny. Help from the universe. A plan for everything. Fate and shit.”

Cocking your head to the side, you ponder his words. Steve’s arm sits curled around your waist and a soft snore leaves him, breath hitting your chest and you smile. “Yeah, I think I do. Never used to…but I don’t know. I think it’s nice to believe in those kinds of things sometimes.”

Eddie nods, the last of the label ripping and he swallows harshly before looking back up at you. His big, brown eyes blink at you seriously, full of more hope than you’ve ever seen in a person before. 

“Do you think you’re not supposed to meet them until you get your shit together? Like you’re meant to meet them at the right time? And how do you know it’s the right time? What if the right time passes you by?”

“I think,” you start, careful with your words as they come out. Your fingers brush through Steve’s hair carefully, whispering your answer as you stare at his cheek, “I think that sure, when you know, you know about someone. But that doesn’t mean admitting it to yourself, or anyone else for that matter, is easy. And maybe there is a plan, a person for everyone, but it’s up to you to decide when the time is right. Because,” you laugh quietly and Steve adjusts against you, his legs sandwiching your thigh and you look at Eddie, “Your shit is never gonna be together without that person, if they really are the one, right? Because wouldn’t your life not be perfect, whatever that means…or not on the right track, without them? Does that make any sense?”

“Yeah,” he smiles sadly at his bottle, brows furrowing even deeper, “Yeah it does. Thanks.”

He looks at Steve and then back at you, shaking his head. “Sweetheart, you really haven’t told him?”

Swallowing loudly, your heartbeat picks up as your mouth parts to blurt out an excuse. Eddie only raises his empty beer bottle with a smirk, and stands, leaving you alone with Steve. 

It’s just not that simple. 

You’ve wanted to say it so many times over the last year, but the words never come out. Despite the work you’ve put in with yourself and your relationship, despite knowing it’s better to say it than spend your life wondering what if, saying that is still scary. 

Love is a powerful emotion and word not to be thrown around, but you also know the words are never just going to come out on their own. You will have to actively decide to say them, to take the leap into the unknown and leave your heart open even more for Steve. 

“Oh no,” Robin laughs around a moan. 

Nancy and your shot glasses hit the table, tart lime releasing over your tongue to counter some of the sting of the tequila flowing down your throat. Robin shakes her head and gestures to the stage and a cackling laugh leaves you as Steve winks at the table, tossing the microphone in the air from his spot waiting on deck for karaoke. 

“Oh, god, we need more tequila,” Nancy laughs, fingers covering her smile as she hiccups. 

Robin points at her. “No more tequila.”

“But, babe, this is going to be bad,” Nancy whines, “You’ve heard him-”

“Oh no.” You bury your head in your arms on the sticky table as the name of his song choice flashes on the screen. 

Robin starts laughing uncontrollably and Steve clears his throat, looking directly at you where you peek out from behind your hands. “This is for you baby.” He points to you as the beginning notes of Rocketman by Elton John begin to drift from the speakers and the crowd cheers and whistles. 

“Here, you’re gonna need this when he hits the falsetto,” Eddie hands you a beer, distributing more drinks around the table, shaking his head. 

You can’t help but have a smile so wide that your cheeks hurt as Steve sings to you, dramatic facial expressions and pressing his hand to his chest, winking at you as he declares he’s a rocket man. You can’t help but cheer, and feel hot under his stare, can’t help but think about saying those words right then and there, what if you just screamed them across the bar for everyone to hear. 

“Holy shit,” Eddie sputters on his beer next to you. 

“What?” You turn, confused, worried you actually did blurt them out. 

“She’s…she’s here. I thought I saw her at the river, that’s where I went, and l lost her, and she’s here. She’s…”

“Who, what?” You step closer to him, leaning in and he spins your shoulders and points to a girl at the bar.

“I met her at that disastrous Halloween party a year ago and she was perfect and awesome and you and Steve had to go and pretend like you weren’t in love and fuck it all up.”

“We weren’t-”

“Please, who shows up in a couples costume accidentally. Boy loved you then and he loves you now. But none of that matters because she’s here.” His cheeks are pink, staring at her and gulping. “That’s a sign right? What do I do?”

“Go get her.” You shove his shoulder with a smile and his eyes widen, but he nods, taking a step towards the bar. 

He pauses, and you wonder if it’s his moment, his what if, his leap. You smile as he squares his shoulders and keeps going, stopping in front of the girl who looks at him surprised. She smiles as he extends his hand, ears red and talking nonstop. She takes it, shaking it and nodding. 

Steve is bowing to cheering from Robin and Nancy as he approaches the table and Murray clears his throat in the microphone. 

“Well, uh, that sure was somethin’ huh?” He frowns at Steve and deadpans to the crowd, “We’re gonna take a break now.”

You hide your laughter into the beer as Steve drums on the table, smiling at you, leaning in close. Lips brushing over your ear as he teases, “I cannot believe you have a thing for Elton John.”

Your head throws back in a laugh as he kisses under your ear, his smile sticking to your skin as you nod. “You got me, Harrington.”

Steve and you stand close together and he smiles at something over your shoulder and clears his throat, “Hey, um, how’s your knee? Feel like sitting for a little?”

His fingers tangle with yours, his voice soft, and something in you melts under his gaze as you nod.

“Great,” he kisses you lightly, pulling away and guiding you across the room, coming to a stop in front of the vintage photo booth. “I think we should try this again.”

As he pulls the red curtain back and sits, this time, you don’t hesitate when he pats his thigh. Your heart hammers inside of your chest, the metal armor around it clatters to the floor with one final knock. 

Steve’s arms wrap around your waist easily, fingers slipping together as he clears his throat and leans forward, looking at you as he asks with a smile, “Ready?”

In that moment, you wish there was a photobooth to capture every moment of the last year - every memory. 

You nod, the machine whirring to life as you smile at each other for the first photo. As the flash happens, Steve lets out a shaky breath, your hands moving up to his jaw without really thinking about it. Your fingertips trace over his face, eyebrows, his nose, the pair of freckles on his cheek and his cupid’s bow as his hands squeeze up your waist and sides. 

You wish there had been a camera when Steve surprised you with dinner that first week together. Your favorite food, a bottle of wine, and then he slow danced with you to ‘It Had To Be You’ in his living room. You could have said it then, a week of barely dating, but it felt so easy. 

Steve leans into your touch as the second flash happens. You twist in his lap, breath coming sharper as you straddle him, your nose brushing up his as you smile. 

If only there had been a camera when Steve came over to your apartment and found you crying over your phone screen, the animal shelter page was brought up and he went with you the next day. Why didn’t you blurt it out then, when back at his place, he was on all fours, a small black lab’s head tilted at him curiously. Steve held a plush sword and whispered in a terrible voice “Your name is Inigo Montoya, I killed your father, I’m prepared to die,” and pretended to be impaled by the sword when the rescued puppy pounced on him. 

Steve’s hand moves up your spine slowly, his other cupping your jaw as your lips just brush when the third flash goes off. 

If you’re being honest with yourself, it’s been an active fight to not say those three little words to him since Christmas. You had a fight, and of course it was about money. How you had seen the package with European stamps and he said it was a present for you and you yelled about how he can’t just buy expensive things because he can and what were you supposed to do, how were you supposed to get him a gift of equal value. That’s when he ripped open the brown shipping package, lifting out of packing peanuts, a glass blue dish - just like the one that shattered. He held it carefully, shaking his head, apologizing for breaking the original, for knowing that he couldn’t replace it, but he searched and searched and found this one. Nobody had a camera, and you didn’t say it, because that’s when you knew. That’s when it got really scary and really real. 

Steve’s lips press to yours as the fourth flash happens, your stomach dropping like a roller coaster as his breath exhales into your inhale. 

Easier than breathing. 

“Will you move in with me?”

“I love you.”

Both questions asked in sync and you blink, shocked. Steve keeps going, eyes closed as he speaks, “I know it’s a big step, but I think we’re ready and…”

“Yes.”

“Wait, what did you say?”

Steve’s eyes shoot open, your response and his question leaving you both at the same time again. 

Your eyes are full of tears, laughing as you cup his cheeks and exhale, repeating the words. 

“I love you.”

The fifth flash goes off as Steve smiles, thumb holding your chin as he gulps around the words. “I love you too.”

Steve’s fingers fumble with his keys, refusing to separate his lips from yours until you’re speaking into them, an ache in your gut as your fingers scratch at the back of his head.

“Baby, hurry.”

He whimpers into your lips, “Not fair.”

It’s a mess of keys hitting the floor and shoes and coats ripped off, easy laughter as he attacks your neck with hot presses of his lips, frantic as he speaks around them, “Fast enough for you, huh?”

“Steve,” you stutter over your laugh, toes curling against the carpet as he sucks on that spot he found just below your ear.  

He’s smug, speaking into your neck as his hands on your hips guide you backwards until your knees hit his bed. He gasps out a desperate plea as you both fall. 

“Say it again.”

Your fingers curl the hair around his ears, swallowed whole by the forest in his eyes, you want to be buried there as you raise your head from the sheets. 

“I.” A kiss to the corner of his mouth. 

“Love.” He exhales as your lips skim over his jaw. 

“You.” Lips dragging over the two moles on his neck and he melts against you. 

He lifts himself, palms pressed to the mattress next to your head, saying it right back like it’s a promise. 

“I love you.”

He unbuckles your jeans, carefully removing them. Kissing your ankle, your knee, and then the crease of your thigh as he murmurs into your skin, “I love how you slap my shoulder when the colors in a sunset change. And that you mouth along the words to your favorite movies.”

His fingers drag up your shirt, lips and nose grazing up your stomach as you squirm beneath him. 

“I love the way you dance in the kitchen as you burn anything you touch and sing so off key into your shampoo bottle in the shower.”

He keeps going, telling you every little thing he’s grown to love about you, only stopping when you start to interrupt him and do the same. Soft touches and lingering kisses between words whispered to each other that replace your breaths, because it’s not easier than doing so, it’s what gives you the ability to be able to. 

When his hand flexes on your waist, a slow thrust in and your back arches, his head dips into your neck and he pauses his movements. Steve’s nose drags along the gold chain that rests between your collarbones. He props himself up, free hand grazing up your side as your hips roll once slowly, and he lifts the little gold ‘S’ hanging from it. 

“Mine,” he whispers.

You nod, body shivering with the word and the gentle tug he gives the necklace. 

“Yours.”

Lips meet desperately, as your bodies melt together, declarations of devotion spoken between sweet kisses and praise. Steve’s fingers lace with yours as you both climb higher and higher. Gripping each other’s hands, pushed above your head and into the mattress, as planets align, euphoria breaks over you like waves crashing, flames burning hotter, stars exploding, and you finally meet each other where you’ve always been meant to - calling it love. 

WCIL Taglist: @loveshotzz @myobmaya @sweetsweetjellybean @pastel-pillows @littlesubbyflower @johnricharddeacy @freezaz123 @selfdeprecatingnerd @big-ope-vibes @manda-panda-monium @hellkaisersangel @yogizzz @soulmatecashton @happytimeunicorns @mandyjo8719 @lunarxeclipse @buckleylips @beckkthewreck @differentdeputyfishpaper @supardupar @micheledawn1975 @imjuststeddietrashatthispoint @sagelittleplace @totally-bogus-timelady @steves-babysitter @fallinginlovewithqueue @aftermidnightwriting @omgshesinsane @pootcullen @definitionwanderlust @nostalgiafool @palmtreesx3 @scoopshxrrington @live-the-fangirl-life @eddiesguitarskills @mannstarkey @keepingitlokiii @silkholland @redbarn1995

[lov3m3darling]

Apple of my Eye (Obsessed!Wally Darling x Short!Reader) Pt. 2

Heyyy 😊 So I'm really glad a lot of you seem to like what I'm doing here. You're all very kind ❤️

I woke up feeling pretty good today so I figured I'd be at least a little productive and write another part ✨️ How long should this be?? I'm totally down to make this a long fic if ya'll would like that. I would still write oneshots and headcannons in between chapters of course 🤗

Idk, lemme know

!!!(TW: obsessive behaviors, eye imagery, slight blood/injury, mention of a kn*fe)!!!

💙🍎💛🍎💙🍎💛🍎💙🍎💛🍎💙🍎💛🍎💙

Wally spent that evening thinking of nothing but you.

Your smile, your eyes, your laugh...

It was like his world finally had color again. He imagined the date vividly...bringing you flowers when he arrived at your door, showing you around town while you held his arm, picking a nice grassy spot in the shade for your picnic.

Would you dress up just for him? Would he hear your charming laugh when he made jokes? Could he...kiss you?

Wally covered his blushing face at the idea, and Home rolled their eyes, creaking mockingly.

Wally sat up from where he was laying across his chair.

"You don't understand, Home! (Y/n) is...they're so..."

He tried to describe you, but could only manage a happy, dreamy sigh. Suddenly, he heard a record player start up.

A love song.

"HOME!!" Wally exclaimed, his face now entirely red. Home knocked quietly, almost like a sly snicker. Wally sighed again.

"Oh, but...I could just imagine asking them to dance with me to a song like this. Wouldn't they look divine? ...Home, what on earth is wrong with me?"

The music stopped, and Home creaked.

"Lovesick? What are you talking about? I'm not sick, I feel fit as a fritter!"

Home's eyes rolled yet again, and the front door swung open with a squeak.

"You're right. Frank can explain it to me, I'm sure. He's very smart!"

With that, Wally set out towards Frank's house.

Meanwhile, you were in your own house, fussing over your clothing options. Clothes were strewn across your otherwise tidy bedroom as you dug through your closet and rejected nearly every article of clothing you owned.

But then, hanging at the very back, you spotted the miracle you were hoping for!

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

(Option 1: a multicolored striped blazer and pants combo with a white dress shirt underneath and some red sneakers to keep it from being TOO dressy!)

(Option 2: a white, knee-length dress with multicolored polka-dots and a pair of red ballet flats. and for a cute little accessory, some red apple earrings!)

(...orrrrr any combo of the two! Up to you! Doesn't really matter, I just wanted to give some visuals here. Reminder: ya dress like a cartoon character because ya ARE one!)

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

Oh, it was perfect! You'd been saving this outfit for a special occasion, and if a date wasn't the perfect situation, you didn't know what was!

You carefully hung it up for tomorrow, then made your way to the kitchen to pack the picnic basket.

As you sliced up an apple, you couldn't help but think about Wally. You'd only just met him that morning, and yet you already had a massive crush on the guy.

But who could blame you? There was just something so charming about him. And strangely suave, too. He seemed like the type of guy to bring you flowers and kiss your hand...a gentleman.

"Ow! Oh dear.."

Maybe cutting an apple wasn't the best time to be daydreaming...

"Tsk..."

You sighed, setting the knife down to go grab a bandage for the small cut on your finger.

But suddenly, there was a panicked knock on your door.

"Who in the world..?"

You settled for wrapping your finger in a tissue, and went to answer the door.

Wally stood, wide-eyed, on your stoop. He seemed worried.

"(Y-Y/n) I was walking by and heard you yelp!"

Your face felt a little hot. You didn't realize you'd been so loud...

"Oh, I'm sorry to worry you but I'm alright. I was slicing an apple for our picnic and...well...I suppose my mind was somewhere else. And silly me, I cut my finger a little..."

Wally's eyes shifted past you and looked at the knife on the counter, and his pupils grew and shrank again in a matter of just a second. You barely noticed.

"Thank goodness, I thought something terrible had happened. I don't know what I'd do if-...ah, would you like me to help you? I have bandages at Home.."

You were about to decline, when you realized something. You didn't have any of that stuff! You'd only just moved, after all.

So, you had to agree and let Wally lead you to his house.

Home's eyes fixed on you when they spotted you approaching with Wally. The door opened, but the squeak it made sounded like a question.

"(Y/n) is coming in for a moment so I can tend to the cut on their finger, if that's alright"

Home said nothing else, but the door remained open, so Wally nodded and brought you inside.

He had you sit on the couch while he retrieved a box of bandages and a cotton ball soaked in something that smelled like a hospital.

Carefully, he removed and threw away the tissue you'd wrapped around it, and looked it over. A tiny drop of blood trickled out and you winced, feeling like a little kid with a scraped knee again.

But Wally just smiled and brought your hand to his lips, gently licking away the drop as he gazed up at you lovingly. His pupils grew just a little, and you felt as if you would combust at any moment.

Wally chuckled and cleaned the cut with the cotton ball before wrapping a blue bandage around your finger and giving it a kiss.

"You've turned red, (y/n). Feeling alright~?"

"I-I don't...w-why did you...?"

He laughed.

"You're so silly, (y/n). It had to be wiped away, what was I supposed to do?"

You couldn't answer him. Your face was entirely too flushed and any nervous jumble of words your brain could think up just wouldn't come out no matter how hard you tried.

"Hey, I know! I'll sign your bandage. People do that with casts, I think! Barnaby says it helps the person feel better faster"

Suddenly, he was back to normal. Acting just as he did when you first met him.

Wally left the room for a moment and returned with a red crayon. He took your hand and gently wrote his name and a smiley face on the bandage before helping you up from the couch. He smiled at you.

"How's that? Does it feel better?"

"M-Much better. Thank you, Wally.."

You excused yourself so you could continue to get ready for tomorrow, and left, waving to Home as you went.

You shut the door to your own house and slid down it, finally being able to breathe and think.

What WAS that?! He licked your cut! Why?!

After a few deep breaths, you collected yourself and stood up, returning to the kitchen. You went to pick the knife back up, only to realize the blade had snapped off of the handle and was in several pieces...

"How did that happen..?" you wondered aloud. For some reason, looking at it gave you a nervous feeling in the pit of your stomach and you hastily threw it away.

As you did, you glanced at the bandage on your finger again. You weren't sure where the thought came from, but his name written on it almost felt like a claim over you more than a nice gesture.

And...why were you strangely okay with that...?

💙🍎💛🍎💙🍎💛🍎💙🍎💛🍎💙🍎💛🍎💙

Too much? 😅 That was a little intense, I know. But I promised yandere, and I keep my promises. Of course it's never gonna be a downright lemon 🍋 🚫 but who says it cant be just a liiiiiittle spicy? Just a dash of pepper, am I right?

Anyways, hope this was good 😊 more to come!

[bleach-your-panties]

babe! H, J, & K for Kuroo and Bokuto please!!! I have a need and I am dying 🫣

This is so fun, thank you in advance!

You fed me with this, because I missed my man Bokuto!🤍🖤💛

❥⋱Koutarou Bokuto:

❥⋱H - Hickey: Nibble nibble nibble… how big or little, the redness, where it is, etc

Bokuto loves giving you hickeys and he highly encourages you to give him hickeys as well! He wants everyone to know that he’s a happily taken man with a very healthy sex life 🤭

He loves to leave hickeys on your neck- trailing from your neck down your collarbone and down your shoulder. They vary in shape/size because he's constantly changing the tempo of his kisses, bites, and sucks. They will all be a bright to deep red, though, because he suckles on your skin like he's trying to eat it.

When he returns to his team after a heated night with you, he’ll intentionally walk around in just gym shorts and a wife beater so they all can see all the marks, hickeys, and nail indents that you've left on him!

❥⋱J - Jamz: Slow Jamz to be exact. What song does he like to get it on to?

Sweet Love - Chris Brown

“Oh, baby, let’s get naked, just so we can make sweet love

All these sensations got me goin' crazy for ya

Inside on top of you, grindin' inside and out of you

Baby, I know what to do, baby, I know what to do

So come on, baby girl, let's just take our clothes off

Just so we can make sweet love

----

----

G-Girl, you shy you wanna slow it down? (Down)

And you start screamin' when I go downtown (Ow!)

Just as long as you get crazy

And baby, don't get it confused

I'll do everythin' you want me to

And just as soon as you get naked, makin' love

ᰔ

Planez - Jeremih ft. J Cole

“I can put you in the mile-high club, what’s up? Let's take a trip,

Have you ever read “the world is yours”, on a blimp?”

----

“I got you in the air, your body in the air - how it feel up here?

You can scream as loud as you want, loud as you can, ain't nobody gone hear”

----

“Oh you nasty, oh oh, you nasty

Both graduated, so fuck keeping it classy”

❥⋱K - Kiss: Get those lips ready! Smooches 💋

He is an overzealous kisser sometimes, and he gets messy with a lot of spit - so much that it’ll be dribbling down the sides of your connected mouths. It’s only because he’s away often traveling for games and he misses you so much! Not being able to kiss and taste you for so many months at a time makes him sad.

Once he’s home, though, he’ll calm down and kiss you softly - all over your body. Like I said, he misses you. 

His lips suckle on your skin very gently. A stark contrast to his hornier, more urgent actions. He also likes to lick and flick his tongue over your skin while kissing it.

❥⋱Tetsurou Kuroo

❥⋱H - Hickey: Nibble nibble nibble… how big or little, the redness, where it is, etc

Now, you would think that he would be more open about giving hickies, but it actually makes him kind of shy.

Don’t get me wrong, he’s still a little shit, but even he makes himself blush when he sees how overexcited he got in the bedroom last night once you’re getting ready for work in the morning and trying to cover up the marks on your neck with makeup.

The size of his hickies will vary depending on what type of mood he’s in. Pent-up? Large, bruise-like marks with uneven edges and a deep mauve color in the center. He’s feeling good that day? Medium to large, with less suction behind them but they might have teeth marks around the edges.

He’ll suck hickies into your titties as well, and lick over the nipples before raising his head to give you a mischievous grin.

❥⋱J - Jamz: Slow Jamz to be exact. What song does he like to get it on to?

Grind On Me - Pretty Ricky

“Baby, grind on me; relax your mind, take your time on me,

Let me get deeper, shawty ride on me.

Now come and sex me til your body gets so weak, with slow grindin’ baby”

—-

“I make em’ laugh and giggle, cuddle a little, suck on the nipple, lick the whipped cream from the middle,

Girlfriend I never go (raw), I rip off panties and I pop off (bras)

—-

“Pretty boy doin’ pretty good thangs, makin’ pretty good change

Gettin’ pretty good brain, from the pretty pretty chicks, gettin’ pretty damn rich

—-

“If loving you is wrong, then I don't wanna be right, so let's take our time and do it right, cause we got all night”

ᰔ

Meeting In My Bedroom - Silk

“There’s a meeting in my bedroom, so girl please don’t be late

There’s a meeting in my bedroom, so please don’t make me wait

----

Looking at my Rollie, girl, I see it's almost time

I hope you're getting ready girl and don't forget the wine

How long 'til Monday, girl?

Tonight is just for you and I

And it's gonna be so fly (so fly, so fly, what what, what)

I like having you around so I gotta put you down

So be there or be square

----

Step into mi casa, lay it down, down, down, down

(Come on yeah baby, yeah yeah yeah)

Got a little sumthing sumthing for my sexy mama, mama

Been checking for ya since day one

You're my moon and you're my sun

(You're my star, you shine, yeah)

----

❥⋱K - Kiss: Get those lips ready! Smooches 💋

He is a very, very, very good kisser. Playful. Just like a cat.

He’ll suck your bottom lip into his mouth and hold it before pulling back to stare at you, trying to make those golden brown eyes look as innocent as possible.

Loves to suck on your tongue and the sides of your mouth. His kisses will make you wet and leave you breathless.

When you fall asleep after a night full of passionate love-making with him, he’ll caress and kiss your back and shoulders.

----

valentine a-z © bleach-your-panties 2024. do not steal, repost, or upload my shit to tiktok! comments appreciated. reblogs always welcome.

[fountainpenguin]

"I'm not the kind of girl to get messed up with you- Hello! ... You're all right, but I'm here, darling, to enjoy the party..." (x)

---

New Dog's Life chapter today! ~ 3rd Life series fan-season

Chapter 31 - “Flame (Etho, Skizz, Pearl)”

❤️ Read on AO3

💛 Start from Chapter 1

💚 More Pixels Imperfect fics

---

Scar files a microaggression complaint with the HALO team. Pearl helps Scott settle in while he recovers from glitchy code. They have a spat that's not about a sticker.

Meanwhile, SnifferMyFeet and Etho separate their souls… and start an honest talk about Sniff's identity as Sniff, not Joel. It was needed. It's for the best.

(First 900 words under the cut)

---

Etho - Fox

Status: Resting

Self-taught programmer, full-time hero

💙  💙  💙

He gets it now.

It's like ice in your water. It's like marshmallows in your cocoa. It's like wind beneath your wings. The final week before he's due back in Between (reluctantly, but definitely due), Etho flops on his bed and sprawls his arms to either side. Is he giddy? He doesn't mean to be, but this feels…

… Oh, it's a game-changer. Which is exactly what he texts Cleo after scooping up his admin panel. They won't see it if they've left their private server, and since Session 2 of Dog's Life could be starting any day now, there's no telling how long that may take.

Etho: hey so Etho: remember after limlife 4 or 5 when we talked about burnout?

Grocery shopping. For a family dinner- he and Cleo both made one (like a peace offering) in a way that wasn't really flirty married life roleplay, but more like… regular, everyday person roleplay. Did all their shopping together so they wouldn't cook the same thing. Call it 'date night' if you want; he walked her home and there might've been a little 'dramatic logout' roleplay in there. We don't… We don't need to go into detail about it.

To some people that's romantic and to some it's completely gross. Not really sure why… It's a natural process, isn't it? Soul-eaters can't help being what they are, and you may as well snap at endermen hybrids for struggling with eye contact or shame unthreaded players if they expose their glitches instead of keeping them covered up. This world's too big and life too long for arguing. Do you really want to make enemies and be rude to people who are going to carry the echo of your words for the rest of their lives?

Lend a helping hand. Extend a little kindness. Be polite. Respond to the hurt. Try not to avoid responsibility when others are counting on your strength. Sit with the injured, even when the night is cold. They're simple goals, but so easily forgotten these days.

Etho: I think you said if I felt stuck then I should break my routine for a while

Nothing happens for several minutes. Etho rotates words without meaning through his head, then types out something else.

Etho: you were right. I get now why you go on adventures with Martyn. Why you let him and no one else log you out all the time. Thanks for the advice. Let me know next time you need a favor. Rating this cycle 10 of 10 and I owe you big xD

He takes a long, guilt-free nap in his cushioned bed. Catching up on block updates and videos really drains a guy (especially this close to the end of the Hermitcraft season, not to mention Vault Hunters and a Life series on top of it), but he spent all morning prepping the bed and it's already providing every agonizing tick of its worth. Two hours later, he's stirred awake by a buzz on the admin panel.

ZombieCleo: yay! So glad that worked for you <3 I want to hear all about it. Maybe in a couple weekends you can watch MCC with me and the kids + Martyn? If we catch a minute alone, I can recommend more stuff you might be into ;)

The kids refers to Bdubs and Scar, who skated through Limited Life like energetic teenagers spreading their wings. It's goofy, it's endearing, and Cleo's got her roleplay voice on because she knows it makes him snort. His tail gives a twitch as he tries to keep a smirk from creeping out behind his mask.

Martyn, huh? he muses, but doesn't say that. Cleo circles between lovers, friends, and exes like a pollinating bee.

Etho: whoaaaa Etho: inviting a fox? that's dangerous! ZombieCleo: nose out of your tail, fur boy Etho: dibs on Martyn, I see ZombieCleo: If you're serious about returning the favor, Martyn says Rhetoric's down here and this might be our best chance at smash and grabbing from your mum's museum Etho: Hm… ZombieCleo: I mean, you did leave my eggshell when you rescued Grian and that other soul

Yeah- it looked distressed. Now Sniff's down here. He can actually talk now when he couldn't before. Honestly, not the worst decision he could've made.

If anyone's going to try getting into the Fox Dragon's museum, a fox has the best chance of doing so. It's kept separate from the nesting cave where souls respawn, but even the deadliest traps won't keep foxes out since they'll just respawn. Unless they're traps that can't be dodged even with careful planning, or some sort of system that short-circuits code. The phantom roost is nearby, right? Frankly, phantoms are excellent trackers, they can fly, and they're probably the fastest of all non-swimming hybrids, so a phantom alone provides great security as-is.

Etho: I'll think about it. Not tonight, though. Full moon fox face isn't for me. Also if there are raiders there then that's probably the worst time to show up ZombieCleo: Fair ZombieCleo: I can think of something else, but if you ever get the chance, I want it back Etho: duly noted ✌️ ZombieCleo: btw say hi to Scar and Bdubs when you see them. They've been cracking nonstop jokes since you disappeared. One can only imagine they're attempting humor to bury immense throes of pain Etho: D:

[Full chapter on AO3 - Link at top]

[band--psycho]

Benedict Bridgerton x Reader- Just Once

Thank you to the lovely anon who sent this ask in!

I'm sorry this has taken me so long to write; but I hope you all enjoy this! 💛

(Dialogue Prompt: 73 - It's you, it's always been you)

Warnings: Abusive partner, cheating

Today was the day. 

Probably one of the most important days in Benedict’s life. And though he smiled and looked as though this day was the day he’d dreamed of.

It was not. 

He could not admit it, not to anyone. But there was something in the way his mother smiled at him, the way Daphne looked at him and hidden in Anthony’s worlds, that made it clear to Benedict that they saw right through his facade. 

Today was the day he proposed to Alina Fairfax. 

Alina was a lovely woman, polite, kind, pretty…she had all the good qualities of a wife, except he did not love her. 

He tried.

But there was only one woman for the second eldest Bridgerton and that was his childhood friend, Y/n Y/l/n. 

Y/n was the only one who had really ever captured his heart. She just had this way about her; her eyes seemed to light up a room and her laugh…oh her laugh, it was infectious, in a way that would quite often have them both belly laughing. 

She was a lady; but she was not afraid to speak her mind, regardless of whether or not people wanted to hear her opinion. But she was also one of the friendliest and warmest people he had ever known. 

He wanted to be with her; he just realised it too late. And now Y/n was with someone else. 

~~~~

“How are you?” Benedict asked softly, sitting down next to Y/n on the bench in the garden of his family estate. 

Y/n had been different these past few hours; distant. Whenever he attempted to talk to her, she walked away from him. It was like she was purposefully avoiding him and he could not work out why. 

It took Y/n a few moments to speak the words, “I am perfectly fine, Mr Bridgerton.”

The hesitation. The fake smile that followed her words and the fact that she had called him ‘Mr Bridgerton’ made it very clear to him that she was not fine. 

“Y/n-”

“You should be with your fiancé,” Y/n interjected, rising from the bench, “And I should be with John,”

Benedict had never liked John; and it was not just because of the fact that he was courting Y/n. And today, Benedict could have damn near killed the man. 

Whilst Benedict was down on one knee, proposing to Aline, he saw John and Y/n on the other side of the park. He could tell by both of their body languages that the conversation they were having was tense to say the least. That’s not what caused Benedict’s anger, he knew that couples argue, but when John grabbed Y/ns arm, Benedict wanted nothing more than to punch him for laying a hand on her. Had it not been for all of the eyes that were focused on him, he probably would have. 

“What happened earlier?” he questioned, also rising from the bench, “Between you and John.”

In that moment he swore he saw a flicker of fear form in her gorgeous y/e/c eyes and that sight alone was enough to make the blood in his veins boil. 

“Something and nothing, I can assure you, it is all sorted now,” Y/n answered.

But her words only confused Benedict. The voice saying those words was hers, but the words themselves seemed so foreign to anything Y/n would normally say, especially to him. 

She was lying to him. 

He knew that; having known her for so many years, it was obvious to him. 

What he could not figure out was why. 

Of course her and John had been courting for around a month, but she did not owe him anything and yet Benedict had a feeling that she was lying to him to protect John. 

“He hurt you.” 

It was not a question. No. Benedict was stating a fact. And thought his tone was gentle, he could already feel his anger increasing. 

Y/n did not say anything; but her silence spoke volumes. 

Carefully, Benedict reached out to her, his hands connecting with the sleeves of her dress. He half expected Y/n to pull away , but she did not, so he continued. He gently lifted up her sleeve, exposing a bright red mark around his wrist. 

“I’ll kill him,” he whispered under his breath, letting go of Y/n's arm; but his words were loud enough for her to hear. 

“Don’t,” she said, shaking her head. 

“He hurt you, so yes I can,” 

“If you go inside there and make a scene, it will make both of our situations worse,” she countered, pulling him backwards towards a slightly darker area, a few trees shielding them from prying eyes. 

Benedict's eyes narrowed, his confusion at her words evident. 

“We were arguing about you,” Y/n began, pausing for a few moments to take a deep breath in and collect herself, “About how close we are.”

“We’re friends, we have been since we were children,” Benedict stated, feeling his heart ache a little as the words left his lips. 

Friends…that’s what they were and no matter how much he yearned for something more he knew it could never be. 

Before he could continue with what he was saying; he heard a small scoff leave Y/n's lips as she rolled her eyes. 

“I’ve loved you since I was old enough to know what love meant,” she snapped, catching not only Benedict off guard but herself also. 

It was the first time she had ever said those words aloud. 

“What?” Benedict stuttered out, a tidal wave of emotions washing over him as his eyes met hers.

Y/n loved him? She had always loved him..? 

“I love you,” Y/n repeated her voice softer now. 

“John knows…not that I have told him…but he saw how I looked at you when you proposed to Alina,” she explained.

Jealousy. Y/n Y/l/ was jealous, now that was a first. 

“Why did you not tell me?” 

The pain was evident in Benedict's voice. Had Y/n been honest about her feelings, they could have been married by now. 

“Because you never showed any interest, I assumed you did not feel the same. I knew that you would reject me..and losing you from my life…” 

It was true. 

All those years of growing up with one another, and Benedict only ever treated her as a friend, with no hint of ever wanting to be anything more. He was her best friend; he had seen her at her best and at her worst and stuck by her through all of it; she trusted him more than she did her own family; and losing him as her friend scared her more than rejection ever could. 

Part of her wanted to wait for him; to see if he could ever love her the way she loved him.

But it was all just a pipe dream, a wish fantasful wish of a young girl in love. 

She was older now; and she had waited for him for so long she finally realised that he did not feel that way about her. 

So she did the hardest thing she had ever had to, she moved on. 

She tried to move on with John; but he was not Benedict. 

“You would never lose me,” he breathed; his hand reaching out to hers; before intertwining his fingers with hers. 

“It’s you, it’s always been you,” he continued, pulling her ever so closer.

“I am sorry I have only had the courage to tell you now,” he glanced down at her lips before meeting her eyes once again; slowly leaning forward, until their foreheads were touching. 

“Ben-” Y/n whispered; their only lips inches apart.  She should have pulled away, she knew she should have. But she did not. She could not. She wanted this. She wanted him. Regardless of what it would do to her reputation in the ton. 

“Shhh,” he cooed, hooking a finger under her chin, tilting her head up slightly while his thumb ghosted over her lips.

“Just once,” she quietly said; her eyes flickering between his lips and his gorgeous eyes. 

She did not know who she was trying to convince.

“Just once,” he agreed, before leaning down, crashing his lips against hers as he wrapped an arm around her waist. 

‘Just once’ Benedict thought to himself as his lips molded against hers; but how? How could this be the only time he felt Y/ns soft lips against his? How could this be the only time he felt her this close to him? 

How? 

He could not let this be the only time he held her like this, kissed her like this…

‘Just once’ Y/n thought also to herself, standing on the tips of her toes as she wrapped her arms around the back of Benedict’s neck, pulling him closer, wishing that this moment could last forever.  

But it could not. 

And they both knew that. 

“We should get back,” Y/n mumbled, pulling away from Benedict’s embrace. 

“Y/n-”

“We agreed, just once, Mr Bridgerton,” she stated, her tone cold; even though she could already feel her heart break as she said those words. 

She could feel the tears brimming in her eyes so she quickly walked back to the party,despite the fact she wanted nothing more than to stay with him. But this was not a dream. This was real life…they had both made choices, choices that have now changed their lives. Their future.

They could never be together.

But for those few moments, they had a glimpse of what their future could have been…and that made walking away hurt all the more. 

Tagging:

@xacatalepsyx @rexit-mo @lawstudentbydayfangirlbynight @lucyysthings @whoreforpsychopaths @ifilwtmfc @saltedcoffeescotch @sleepylunarwolf @drabby-abby @freyathehuntress @flourishandblotts-inc @tubble-wubble @yogiikyun @ssprayberrythings @livstilinski @fangirling-galore @wild-rose-35 @samanthaofanarchy @choochoo284 @jeyramarie @awesomebooklover17 @juliejulesblog @alexa-myr @jessyballet @londonalozzy @mrsamerica @poisxnedmind @qualitywitchchaos @werewolfbansheelove @navs-bhat @tinystudentmiracle @tinglingspideysenses @maddog @strawberrybitch3 @lantsovcolors @kianifan @poguestyleskye @qualitybelieverflower @livy26600 @mosthatedrenyjia @benedictscanvas @alcottsangel @bookworm1767 @book-dragon03 @yn-ymn-yln

[storyofmychoices]

I just wanted to say thank you to those of you who reached out to me over the last few days. I can't tell you how much you all mean to me.

Thursday-Saturday were really bad for me and I honestly am not sure I would have gotten through those days without your kindness and support. I am still struggling, but I feel better. I feel like I can breathe now and I owe a lot of that to you.

Whether you sent a quick message, a long one, encouraging words, memes, or something else, I appreciate you and your kindness more than you know!

Truly, I can't say thank you enough! 💛💛💛

I want to tag everyone, but I'm so afraid I'll miss someone, so please let me know if I did because I know I have a bunch to still reply to and I don't want to miss anyone because you all made a big difference in my life always but especially this past weekend!

@a-cloud-for-dreams

@aallotarenunelma

@ao719

@aria-ashryver

@dutifullynuttywitch

@hydn-jpg

@inlocusmads

@jerzwriter

@liaromancewriter

@lilyoffandoms

@lorircreates

@missameliep

@noesapphic

@oh-so-youre-a-nerd (for your Nyx/Aerin art)

@peonyblossom/@songsaboutgirls

@princess-geek

@quixoticdreamer16

@rafasgirl23415

@stars-are-within-me

@trappedinfanfiction

And all of the lovely anons who sent me well wishes and hugs!

You mean the world to me! Please know that! Thank you!!!

Sending this to @choicesfandomappreciation for the End of the Year countdown for people that have made this fandom a better place and made me feel loved and welcomed.

[alexanderlightweight]

Howdy, hope your week has been kind.

A Wednesday prompt: Alec's first birthday since he and Magnus got together. Preferably not super focused on immortality (angst or not)

Thanks! 💛

angst with a happy ending! no immortality angst because obviously Alec is going to be immortal at some point. i only write immortal husbands, though how they get Alec immortal can sometimes be left open to interpretation.

thank you! it has been a busy week with a couple unexpected dust storms that kicked allergies off and my asthma into gear so i spent like 18 hours yesterday in that 'i am medicated and semi-aware of the world but not really' stage and snapped out of it mostly in time to write today so i'm happy! i hope you are having a good week!

<3 lumine

-

Alec sighs in relief as he finally gets to the loft and when he enters, he hisses as the scent and presence of other nephilim and people hit him.

Magnus is standing there, splendid and magnificent and with a soft smile on his face… and he’s surrounded by Alec’s family and more shadowhunters and warlocks and even Maia.

“Nope.” Is all Alec says and he turns and walks out of the room, leaving to go for the rooftop stairs that had better still be warded to keep out pests. Because Alec is not in the mood for a party, surprise or otherwise and if anyone thinks he’s going to give in, they have another thing coming to them.

“Alec!” Izzy calls behind him, running to catch up and her strong, elegant and painted fingers catch on his elbow. “Hermano, it’s your birthday. Come on, we’re all here to celebrate.”

“And yet, I don’t want to.” Is all Alec says and he pushes her hand off and steps into the staircase, pleased when the door seals behind him.

He shrugs off his weapons as he climbs and leaves his boots and jacket on the bench near the roof door. He’s not sure what’s going on below, but he doesn’t care.

Alec’s made it clear that he doesn’t want a party, that he wanted to spend his first birthday with Magnus just the two of them. Especially when this week has been one exhaustion after the other and yet apparently, once again everyone else’s opinion matters more than his.

“Alexander—” Magnus says, when he opens the roof door less than ten minutes later.

“Are they gone?” Alec asks, interrupting him coolly and refusing to turn to look at Magnus.

“Yes, of course darling. If I’d realized how much you’d dislike it, I wouldn’t have listened to Izzy and Jace.”

“So why did you?” Alec bites out, because he can’t help himself. “I told you what I wanted and what I didn’t want, Magnus. So why did you even bother asking me if you were just going to ignore me? Why are Izzy and Jace’s opinions more important than my own? Especially when it comes to me?” Alec scoffs, “Izzy told me I owed it to myself and you to have a party the other day. I laughed at her, because you and I had already agreed to just take a day to ourselves. Now I realize it was her way of telling me to buck up and accept it, to just deal with the party.”

“Alec,” Magnus offers, and Alec just sighs and steps further into the garden and away from Magnus.

“I’m guessing the plans we actually made got canceled?” He asks and he can’t help that he’s being so terse. This is the first birthday he’s actually been looking forward to for ages and it’s once again ruined by his family.  The same way it is every year.

“Darling, I’m so sorry. I didn’t even consider how it might feel for you, Isabelle and Jace were so sure this would be what you wanted.”

“So, you cancelled them. Because Izzy convinced you she knew best. Which I don’t understand how she managed that, because you know how I feel about her ignoring what I want.”

“I know how much you love your family.” Magnus says, almost helplessly and Alec is getting really sick of his love for people being the reason why nothing he says matters.

“So? What does loving them have to do with always have to be punished for that love? I can’t have anything I enjoy? I don’t get to make choices? It’s all picked for me based on that love.” Alec sighs, “I was looking forward to tonight, for once. Now I just want to sleep and hope this day never comes again, the same way I’ve felt the last decade and a half.”

Magnus makes an involuntary noise and Alec ignores it, “I wanted to have this day, just with you. So I could enjoy it for once and now—” Alec sighs. “I think I’m going to take a walk, Magnus. I’ll be back later.”

Arms wrap around his waist before he can even think of heading to the edge of the roof and jumping off and then Alec is being bodily picked up and tossed through a portal.

“Magnus!” He yelps as he lands in sand, because this isn’t something he expected from his boyfriend. Magnus is normally great about giving him space when needed, a little too great sometimes.

“Yes, yes. You need to take a walk.” Magnus tells him, utterly sincere and his golden eyes calm and patient and filled with remorse. “This Isle is uncharted and undocumented to all but a few in the Spiral Labryinth, you can walk as much as you want for as far as you want. Around the whole Isle if you need to, there are no demons here to watch out for.” Magnus reaches out and then lets his hands fall with a soft, sad sigh.

“I got too swept up in the idea of showing you off, of proving how well we’re working together. Despite what we’ve talked about, it never occurred to me that Isabelle would be so inconsiderate as to…” Magnus pauses and sighs, “ah. In hindsight, that is something I should have realized sooner. I suppose I let my own hubris get to me, Alexander. Which isn’t an excuse, but I am sorry beloved. I never meant to corner you, especially not in our home.”

“Is it?” Alec asks quietly, because Magnus has never said or offered and Alec isn’t brave enough to go for it, not yet.

“Is it what?”

“Our home?”

“Of course, sayang.” And Magnus looks heartbroken, “have I never told you?” He asks, as if it’s unimaginable and when Alec shakes his head, Magnus reaches up his hands before he pauses. Unwilling to touch without permission when Alec is this upset.

Alec leans into the hold and sighs as Magnus’ warm hands cup his face and then he’s pulled so that they can both press their foreheads against each other.

“Walk with me?” Alec whispers, “I can’t talk. Not yet, but you can. If you want. Tell me about the plants and animals here? What kind of experiments you’ve done? Something just us, please?”

“Oh, darling. The stories I’m about to tell you.” Magnus promises him gently and his eyes crinkle like little gold moons when Alec takes Magnus’ hand.

This isn’t how he wanted it.

But this is what he wanted.

Magnus and he without any pressure of the future, just enjoying each other and learning more… after all.

It’s still new.

-

gonna be real, i get uncomfortable in the fics where izzy and jace pressure alec to do things he doesn't want to do and then he does them and meets magnus or makes magnus happy and alec's like 'wow yes i'm so glad my boundaries were ignored and my opinion mocked and it was totally worth being made intensely uncomfortable because i met magnus'.

and like, mood to meeting magnus but not mood to 'hey we know better than you because you're an introvert and a repressed queer so you need to listen to us because we know best' because i've had that vibe directed at me and it's so gross. and it's used in canon show too and never called out as manipulative and ick.

sorry to ramble on a fic fill and i don't think people should stop writing fics like that if they want them, i just tend to avoid them especially because it's a canon show trait that i hate and write out of my fics.

[accio-victuuri]

have you ever read something that perfectly explains what you’re thinking? well that’s what i felt when i read this post. it put in perspective what it’s like to be a bxg and what bjyxszd really means. if there is anyone who should understand them, it should be us. we can’t be too critical or demand outrageous things.

let’s be more tolerant because the world is not very kind to them either. let’s just leave everything to time and their company.

I think the recent WB night made alot of us think and re-evaluate how & why we are in this fandom. The post was a good reminder of how to approach things in a realistic way. I have said it in previous posts, but they don’t owe us anything. Their relationship is special and they are doing their best to protect it. We must do our part in that too. Whatever they allow us to see is already a lot and it’s for our eyes only. I know not everyone is into “szd” and that’s perfectly fine. However we’re in that territory already. They are not a manufactured CP. The reason others can do what they do, is because there is nothing there. These two have to be more careful with each other more than anyone else. Plus you can’t really expect them to project too much in public. These two are lowkey, and they do show-off in their own ways sometimes.

They don’t need to prove anything. There is no sense in comparing. When we say that the road ahead is long — we mean it. The best thing we can do is accompany them and be loyal. If they look at bxg spaces, it is so nice if they see supportive messages. if they see people are happy — not a bunch of turtles complaining about so and so. Over at the BJYX ST, we grew 10k+ after WB night even if they didn’t interact. lol.

When the time comes, we will be here for them. In the meantime, we are their cheerleaders and the small group of people that believe in them even if the world doesn’t. 💛

This verse also sums up the whole attitude we should be bringing. You don’t have to be religious to see the truth in this. The fact that it’s also Corinthians 1:13 is a nice touch of coincidence.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, and it keeps no record of wrongs.

-END.

[sapherin]

Today marks the two year anniversary of me endlessly stanning Eusine and Morty by complete accident of me googling “Ecruteak City”. Thank you sacredshipping for being the best thing to happen to my artistic career.

⭐️🤍💛🧡❤️ 🩷 🎈💚💙💜🤎🖤⭐️

You clicked on this and now you will be subjected to my backstory and feelings with this ship. (If you asked why I like this ship elsewhere there’s barely anything new here sorry lol)

When this couple had its heyday on Bulbagarden forums ~12 years ago I absolutely did not care for them. I didn't get the appeal whatsoever, I thought they were both own'd losers who were just friends and nothing more. I did think they had some cool fanart but that was it. Silver in any iteration was my favorite Johto character at the time and I was all into Silver/Lyra or Ethan or PreciousMetalshipping, the last ship being my goto ship to make my whole personality at the time. Nothing about them really "clicked" to me until I started watching HGSS longplays for PleinAirpril references back in 2021. Somehow just the mere image of seeing them together in the Burned Tower and thinking about Eusine and Morty for more than 5 seconds was enough to make go "oh shit they're gay." And lo and behold I'm stuck here 2 years later stanning this damn ship. I mean that last sentence in the most cheeky way possible since it's obvious at this point that MinaMatsu/Sacredshipping makes me so happy and I want to draw them forever. I got to do so many fun new things with my art and meet so many kind people because of my crazy dedication to them...I owe a lot to them.

I guess what really makes MinaMatsu work for me is the fact they're essentially the same character. They both start out confident in achieving their goals, get their egos put in check by the player (Eusine just refuses to lose right away) and ultimately fail to obtain their goal. Obviously what makes them fun is their opposing personalities. Morty takes a more passive, introverted approach to meeting Ho-oh with his secret training believing he can become the person that is worthy of it. One day he'll become the strongest and coolest Ghost-type trainer to have ever live and Ho-oh will go "wow he's so cool" and swoop down from the heavens before him. Meanwhile Eusine decides he's already worthy of Suicune, will show the entirety of Johto and Kanto his fixation of it, and will chase it down and give it no choice but to chose him. No one else had his undying dedication to track down Suicune, did they? No need to train like Morty does, Eusine got all of the worthiness in the world. They have clashing personalities and yet they're still good friends which is so sweet. It's just so heartwarming to see men with similar goals and different perspectives on how to obtain that goal just get along and enjoy each other's company. Perfect harmonious duality. I'm not going to go too much into how I see others interpret them but when I see people headcanon them as rivals or them secretly not liking each other (groan) because of how they behave I'm just like...why. If you want a rival-to-lovers m/m relationship in pokemon, Reguri and Raihan x Leon is Right There. That's a whole new ship. Morty never says anything demeaning about Eusine’s endeavors or Eusine himself in his in-game calls to the player. (No, Morty saying he doesn't care for Suicune that much unlike Eusine doesn't count.) Morty literally leaves his place of work to be with Eusine in the Burned Tower. Clair has definitely yelled at him for that. That's not "he secretly hates Eusine" behavior y'all but I actually played the games so idk.

Ok ok back on topic now that I pissed off somebody out there. I just love how they're both mystical freaks. Morty having this supernatural connection to Ghost-type Pokemon and his strange abilities to foresee possible futures and communicating to ghosts just makes him an easy character for me to fall in love with. Weirdo probably hangs out more without dead people than living ones. Eusine being...Like That and his bottomless desire to research every aspect of Ecruteak City's past and be Suicune's friend is also fun to watch. Suicune please say Eusine is cool its what Granddaddy Eusine would want. Masters EX does confirm that Morty once lived in a sheltered world and didn't have many friends - must be hard when you're the freak of the week - so it's possible that Eusine is the person he's closest to. And why wouldn't he be? They both otherworldly guys that chased a lifelong dream and failed, but at the end of it all they still have each other. It's a nice touch that the HGSS credits have them walking together chasing (presumably) another Suicune...they'll probably never give up on anything as long as they have each other. Their dreams will never turn into nightmares when they're together.

Like a perfect couple they complete each other...if they melted and fused together they'll be the gayest most powerful mystical freak that both Ho-oh and Suicune would have to recognize as worthy. I don't know where that thought came from but I'm keeping it. They're puzzle pieces I guess is what I'm getting at. I could go into how cute they are in Pokespe, the gay anime episode, and how Masters EX basically confirmed Morty idolized Eusine more than anybody (I think I rather wait until Eusine get implemented before I dive into that), and how Fall Morty is the both the worst and best possible thing to ever happen to me since his design alone immortalized my MinaMatsu mania but I'm keeping this babble as short as possible and ending it here.

I just want a give a big thank you those who drew this ship for me whether it be gift art, art trades or commissions...I want to make a silly little booklet or some type of showcase page with all the art you lot have given me. I haven't set my mind on anything just yet. I cherish everything here so much.

Counterclockwise from Top Left to Bottom Right - @/nitunio, @/ghoasttoasties, @/lalalettie on Twitter, @/plushiesnextdoor on IG, and @/northernmei on IG Uhhhh I should leave you with a little something for reading all of that junk…here’s a little preview of what I got in the works 

Ok that’s it bye I should log out

[eijunes]

(Hi getting out of lurkerland for a bit) I am really intrigued by operation: only one umbrella xdd and the fyoatsu beast au...I neeed to know moooore

heyy good to see you here too 💛 I'm always ready to ramble about my never-ending pile of wips, thank you for the ask!

operation: only one umbrella is supposed to be a silly comedy where the ADA tries to make dazatsu get together. they orchestrate situations for them to share an umbrella like in shoujo manga because Ranpo said it's the best way to make them confess, but dazatsu are so hopeless they manage to mess it up every time. it's a lot of fun but I haven't been in the right silly mood to finish it yet 😅

and fyoatsu!!! I think they could be sooo interesting if only the fandom was brave enough to think about it. too bad Dazai keeps Fyodor all to himself and they didn't even have a proper interaction in canon 😔 for this wip I have only random lines and half-finished scenes and I can't seem to be able to put it all into a coherent story. the idea is that at the end of beast AU Fyodor finds Atsushi before Mori does. he wants to get information about the Book out of him, but Atsushi is shaken after Dazai's death, so Fyodor needs to spend some time to get Atsushi to trust him and promises Atsushi to free him from the tiger. also, there's some tragic one-sided dazatsu because I am me and I can't not put dzats into everything 😆 I'll put a small excerpt under the read more

"It wasn't your fault."

"You don't know that. If I was stronger, maybe he wouldn't... We'd find a way to protect—" Atsushi stopped, eyes wide.

"Protect what?" Fyodor asked gently. It was a pivotal moment. If he pushed the boy too far now, he could lose him. But if he played his cards right, this could be his win.

He was so close.

"I can't tell you," Atsushi sobbed. "I promised him. I can't disappoint him."

Finally all the pieces Fyodor had been gathering for weeks created a full picture. The depth of the Atsushi's grief could only be explained in one way.

"You loved him."

Atsushi's eyes widened. For a second, he looked like the scared, wounded animal he was when Fyodor had found him in the forest.

"I... I did," Atsushi said. It sounded like a surrender. "He was everything to me."

Fyodor took the boy's tear-streaked face in his hands, caressed his cheeks. Violence was an easy method, but the smallest acts of tenderness seemed to melt Atsushi in to a puddle so easily under Fyodor’s fingers.

"He knew that and he still left you. You don't owe him anything. He didn't free you, only put you from one cage into another."

Death thrummed beneath Fyodor's skin, just like beneath Atsushi's. They were both cursed with an ability that repulsed them. Maybe no one else in the world could understand Fyodor's goal as much as Atsushi.

When he said the next words, they weren't just a part of a calculated plan, years in the making. It was a promise Fyodor truly intended to fulfill.

"But I am different. I promised I would free you from that beast inside of you, didn't I? I will keep that promise. I will free the world of the sin of abilities and I will free you. But for that, I need your help."

[taizi]

give me something that’ll haunt me when you’re not around

chapter seven: i swear that i would pull you from the tide

rise of the tmnt pairing: leoichi (leonardo / usagi yuichi) word count: 3k title borrowed from line without a hook by ricky montgomery post-movie

(previous) (next)

read on ao3

x

Yuichi is pissed off.

It’s been most of a week since the incident at the farmhouse, and Leonardo hasn’t answered a single text.

At first, it was alarming. Yuichi’s brain went running in circles around it. Was he okay? Was he in a position where he couldn’t reply? Maybe that flashback had set back his recovery. Maybe Yuichi was the worst person in the entire universe for allowing it to happen.

Then at work Sunita told him she’d been to the lair recently and that Leonardo seemed fine. A little subdued, but not so much so that he couldn’t partake in her surprise birthday party.

Which told Yuichi two things: one, that he’d missed Sunita’s birthday, which he was going to remedy at their favorite boba place in the near future. And two, that Leonardo was avoiding him.

The absolute nerve of that guy!

First, he completely vanishes from the Hidden City after a horrifying invasion of the mortal world and leaves Yuichi wondering what the hell happened to him. Then he returns and unceremoniously takes up every single available square inch of space in Yuichi’s brain and heart, and soul, probably. And now he thinks he can just? Disappear again? And let Yuichi waste his days wondering about him again??

Well, he can go to hell.

Usagi: Hey so

Usagi: I understand that this is a difficult time for your family. And I want to be respectful of that.

Usagi: But Leonardo’s my friend and I need to see him and I am 100% willing to just walk through every tunnel in the NYC underground until I find his house.

Usagi: Or buy a spell from Witch Town to find him for me. I’m not actually allowed to go there but I will.

Yuichi is braced for a fight, or an argument at the very least. He’s pretty sure Leonardo’s family doesn’t like him very much, but he doesn’t take it personally. It really is a difficult time for them, and when he tries to imagine Botan or Sonoko in Leonardo’s position, his hackles go up immediately at the idea of some stranger waltzing in during the aftermath and taking up his precious time with them.

Still. He’s ready to do this. And he really will go to Witch Town if he has to.

But Leonardo’s sister surprises him by not only responding immediately, but enthusiastically. She even seems relieved.

April (Hamato?): oh thank GOD this boy has been driving me up the damn wall

April (Hamato?) has shared a location

April (Hamato?): here. wait topside tho the tunnels can be really confusing at first and if i let you get lost i will literally never hear the end of it for as long as i live

April (Hamato?): i’ll send angie to meet you there. when are you coming?

Usagi: Now. Thank you, April.

April (Hamato?): just get your fluffy butt down there. there’s only so much moping a girl can take

April (Hamato?): 💛

Yuichi owes her a drink. Coffee of her choice. Also, he needs her to change her contact ID.

When he pulls his bike into the sidestreet her location pin indicated and pulls his helmet off, his ears swivel immediately toward a shadowed corner of the alley, so he turns his head in that direction, too.

“Oh, wow,” a vaguely familiar voice says, “you sussed me out that fast?”

The youngest Hamato comes slinking soundlessly out of the dark, all his bright colors incongruent with the way he can seemingly disappear into thin air at free will. His arms are bandaged up to the elbows, crisp white gauze where the stark black wrappings usually sit.

Michelangelo smiles and offers a little wave, approaching at an energetic trot. He’s tiny, but his personality is huge. It’s better suited someone six times his size. Somehow, Yuichi is more intimidated by him than anyone else in Leonardo’s family.

And he’s clearly holding back from him. Even this lively greeting is restrained compared to his usual demeanor, when Yuichi would watch him clown with his brothers at Run of the Mill.

“Hi, Usagi!” Michelangelo says cheerfully enough. “April told me you needed an escort.”

“Thank you,” Yuichi replies carefully.

“She said you weren’t mad about the robot,” Michelangelo goes on. His tone is still bright, but doggedly so, like he’s doing his damnedest to be nice but he’s also ready to drop the act at a moment’s notice and square up. “Is that true? You’re not allowed to come if you’re mad.”

That’s surprising enough that Yuichi blurts, “What? Of course not. If anything, Leonardo should be mad at me.” He plucks at the strap of his helmet, mouth twisting. “I wanted him to have a good day and it turned out horrible.”

Michelangelo stares up at him for what feels like a short eternity. Then he piles forward without warning for a hug. Whatever happened to his arms, they’re still strong enough that they feel like iron bands wrapped around Yuichi’s middle.

Yuichi lets out an involuntary “oof” and stands there stupidly for a second. People aren’t exactly lining up to hug him, given how unapproachable he comes off as. But Yuichi has plenty of practice with his little cousins, and Kitsune when she’s drunk, and Michelangelo is completely little-brother-shaped in a disarming way.

So he tosses his helmet to the ground and lets his arms rest around the top of Michelangelo’s carapace. It feels strange for a second, and then that second passes.

“He likes you so much,” Michelangelo muffles against Yuichi’s shirt. “I’m glad you’re nice.”

Yuichi wants to say He likes me?? but he ignores the dangerous impulse because if he actually asked that he would have no choice but to flee the country. Instead, he says, “‘Nice’?” because that’s equally as baffling.

The spotted turtle leans back to look up at him. His eyes are a little shiny, but his smile is back in full-force. “Yeah, the kind of nice that actually matters. Anyway, come on! Let’s go! We didn’t tell Leon you were coming. That’s what he gets for trying to self-sabotage.”

Yuichi admits, “I am a little mad about that.”

“Ugh, dude, tell me about it! I was like two hours away from staging an intervention.” Those bright brown eyes dart past him to his bike. “Hey, let’s take your bike. I can show you were the garage entrance is, so you don’t have to leave it up here.”

Deciding the best thing he can do in this whirlwind is just hang on for the ride, Yuichi smiles back. “That’d be great, thanks.”

“Can I drive?” Michelangelo asks innocently.

Yuichi squints at him. “No.”

It takes all of three minutes for Michelangelo to wear him down. Yuichi resigns himself to the passenger seat and decides Leonardo actually wasn’t exaggerating about those baby brother privileges.

By the time they get to the repurposed subway station that seems to serve as the Hamato clan’s home, Yuichi is hopelessly lost somewhere in the Manhattan underground. Michelangelo did his best to point out helpful markers, but it will definitely take a few trips before Yuichi is at all comfortable managing the route on his own.

“This way, this way,” Michelangelo says eagerly. “He’s probably still in his room. He won’t come out unless Raph, like, physically carries him out.”

So—moping, according to April, and holed up, according to Michelangelo. It sounds like exactly the same way Yuichi has been spending the last several days, minus the interludes of forced productivity at work.  

On one hand, Yuichi is sort of inappropriately relieved he’s not the only miserable party here. On the other hand, Leonardo is miserable over something he had absolutely no control over, something that was in no conceivable way his fault. That’s nothing to feel relieved about.

Michelangelo leads him across the cozy, lived-in station to one of the subway cars sitting stationary on the tracks. The cars must serve as their respective bedrooms, because Michelangelo lifts a finger to his mouth in the universal gesture of be quiet, and creeps with exaggerated stealth toward the open doors.

Yuichi peeks through the long window, eager to get a glimpse of his friend’s life. There are string lights up on the walls, illuminating movie posters and colorful artwork all signed with a stylized M and a smiley. The shelves are stocked full of action figures and trophies and an even mix of medical textbooks and comic books. In one corner, propped up next to a big cabinet arcade game, sits a bright pink and blue skateboard and a battered guitar case.

Leonardo himself is on the bed, cross-legged with his back resting against the wall. There’s a human boy sitting with him. Maybe the one from the videos of the invasion, the one who fought alongside April. He’s leaning comfortably against Leonardo’s good side and holding a Switch so they both can see the screen. Leonardo is using the hand of the arm draped around the human’s shoulders to point something out.

“Shake the trees. Sometimes they drop furniture or bells. Just look out for—oops. Okay, those are wasps.”

“Sensei,” the human says, totally aggrieved.

They both look up at the same time when Michelangelo’s shadow crosses the doorway, before he makes so much as a whisper of sound. Their mannerisms are a perfect mirror of each other, which is sort of an odd thing to see in action.

Even stranger, the human goes still with surprise when he sees Yuichi. Then his whole face lights up.

“Uncle Yui!”

“Eughh boy,” Michelangelo and Leonardo say at the same time.

“Sorry, what’s happening?” Yuichi says blankly.

The human looks mortified a second later, but Leonardo tightens his arm around the boy’s shoulders and doesn’t let the silence settle into something awkward.

“Yeah, so I guess I’m a dad?” he says in a blithe tone. “Only my son is the same age as me, and from a future that no longer exists. You know how it is.”

Yuichi stares at him. This is the last thing he was expecting when he walked into the room.

“I refuse to let you distract me from why I’m here,” he finally says. “But we’re definitely circling back to—that whole situation.”

Michelangelo laughs out loud, bright and clear as a bell.

“This is Casey!” he announces. Then, as if it isn’t at all weird, or maybe because of how weird it is, he adds delightedly, “My nephew!”

Yuichi would be inclined to believe that this was just a joke the brothers were pulling, except that Casey looks earnest and genuinely happy to see him.

He’s heard stories about time gateways. Only real masters of the mystic arts can attempt those, and only with the collaboration of a Time Lord.

Casey doesn’t seem like a mystic master. He’s way too young, for starters. Yuichi wonders who opened the door to send him back. It would have had to have been someone incredible.

“Nice to meet you,” Yuichi says plainly, for lack of better thing to say.

So Leonardo’s—son??—from the future (??) knows him. And seems to think highly of him. The implications of that are doing something squirmy to Yuichi’s stomach. It’s a mostly good feeling.

“You, too,” Casey says. Since his pseudo-siblings are absolutely unwilling to let him feel embarrassed, he musters up a shy smile. “I always wondered how you and sensei met. You guys would make up a different story every time I asked.”

“Oh?” Michelangelo asks with a menacing amount of real interest.

“ANYway,” Leonardo says loudly, then unceremoniously throws the human under the bus. “Casey was just saying he was hungry. Miguel, didn’t you make him some—”

“Ohmigosh, the chocolate-banana muffins!” Michelangelo squares his shoulders and folds his arms, the playfulness bleeding from him. “Hey. Casey, when you’re hungry, you tell somebody. That was the deal.”

Leonardo interjects, “He told me, Doc. That counts.”

“Come on, Mas—Mikey.” Casey sets the Switch down and swings his legs over the side of the bed, hopping to his feet with a level of grace Yuichi doesn’t usually observe in humans. “Can you show me where they are?”

He smiles at Yuichi as he passes him, then grabs Mikey by the shoulders and carts him out of the room. He goes with a lot of unspoken trust in Yuichi’s character, like if there’s anyone Leonardo is safe with, it’s him.

The doors close behind them, and then it’s just Leonardo and Yuichi and the destroyed-farmbotto-shaped elephant in the room.

Leonardo starts to pluck anxiously at his cast. One of the glittery stickers is peeling. His golden eyes dart up, trying to read what’s on Yuichi’s mind from studying his face. Yuichi finds himself thinking, with equal parts exasperation and fondness, that he could just ask.

“I, uh,” Leonardo says, “I should—I want to apologize for the—”

“Finish that thought and I’m going to fight you,” Yuichi cuts him off plainly. “I’ve already explained this in every possible way I can think of, but I’ll try again anyway. The robot does not matter. I break them all the time and no one has ever disowned me.”

He can feel himself relenting in face of the striped turtle’s obvious discomfort. He takes a few steps into the room and sinks into a beanbag chair. Leonardo’s eyes follow him, and when Yuichi nudges their feet together, the hint of a smile touches the corners of his mouth.

“I just hate that it happened,” he admits very quietly.

Either he means the robot, or the invasion, or what happened after the invasion, or all of it all at once. Yuichi doesn’t dare interrupt, not when Leonardo has just taken this brave step forward into seemingly uncharted territory. He just nods to show he’s listening.

“And it feels like. I should, um.” Leonardo’s face twists darkly, anger and hurt and frustration, and he breathes in sharply through his nose, trying to temper it before he even has a chance to really feel it. Yuichi can still hear it in his voice when he says, “I should be better by now. I should be over it. It’s not about me.”

“What the fuck?” Yuichi blurts, sitting forward. “Yes it is.”

Leonardo couldn’t have looked more startled if someone dumped a bucket of ice-water over his head. Yuichi points right at Leonardo’s cracked plastron—that proof of his survival, the most beautiful gods-damned thing in the entire world as far as Yuichi is concerned.

“This,” he says firmly, “is yours.”

For awhile, neither of them speak. There’s music and noise happening somewhere else, Leonardo’s lively siblings hard at work breaching the peace of the otherwise silent underground.

Then Leonardo says, “I don’t like talking about it. But Mikey keeps saying I need to tell somebody. And I guess you’re volunteering.”

As if it isn’t painfully obvious that that’s what Yuichi is doing, when he’s all but begging on his knees for Leonardo to just talk to him. He heroically refrains from rolling his eyes. “I guess so.”

So Leonardo tells him:

“In the prison dimension. The—” He struggles to choke this word out, then finally manages, “The Krang. The general. He was holding me down. I was, uh. I was pretty scared. He was so mad. I don’t even know what he was saying, it was like sliding around in my brain, I couldn’t hold onto anything.”

Yuichi understands that. Those latent animal instincts overriding rational thought, simplifying everything until all that remains is the powerful urge to keep existing. To survive at all costs.

“Um. He leaned in and like—I don’t know, sneered at me—and his teeth were so close and I was so—I wasn’t thinking. I couldn’t breathe, I—” He lifts his hands, helplessly, then lowers them again. “There was rubble underneath me. Sharp metal, all in pieces, from one of his old ships. One of the pieces fit into my hand, and as soon as I had it, I just—I used it.” His voice is so small. “I gouged his eyes out. And then I found a place to hide.”

Oh. It feels like his heart is being ripped clean apart. Yuichi gets up and moves to the bed, sitting close enough to Leonardo that their shoulders bump. His pulse is flying. His stomach feels sour.

“I blinded him. His blood was oily and cold and got all over me. He screamed and rampaged for—hours? Days? I don’t.” Leonardo blinks, far away. “I don’t know. I spent most of my time there hiding. Tucked all the way inside my shell, like a—like a hurt animal. Not much of a hero, huh?”

Somehow, Leonardo is ashamed of himself for this. As if it was cowardly. As if he should have managed to incapacitate a warrior ten times his size and strength in a more honorable way. Like he wanted a nicer truth to give his family.

Yuichi closes his eyes and tries to imagine the prison dimension. Raphael described it haltingly, the glimpse he saw of it through Michelangelo’s portal. Dull grays and ghost ships and an Arctic chill, this horrible place the sun has never touched.

Now he tries to imagine Leonardo there, injured and frightened, all alone with a monster.

He wonders if he would have had the strength of heart and mind to throw himself into hell to protect his friends and family, to save that nebulous concept of “the whole world.” He likes to think he would, but he doesn’t know. How could anybody know until they were there, with the choice in front of them?

Yuichi thinks Leonardo is amazing. He has no idea how Leonardo can think of himself as anything less than amazing. He’s glad the Krang is blind. He would be even more glad if the Krang was dead.

“I don’t like to talk about it,” Leonardo says again, hushed and haunted. “I’m afraid they’ll hate me for it someday. When they’re done being relieved I’m alive.”

I’m in love with an idiot, Yuichi thinks.

Oh, wait.

He’s in love with this idiot.

It isn’t even a surprise. The truth goes down easily, because somewhere along the line he knew that already. Now he’s just—sinking into it. Looking at Leonardo and realizing what this fullness in his chest actually means.

Yuichi was pulled into Leonardo’s orbit from almost day one—the sun and the moon. Months of passing by each other, never speaking, their lives never overlapping. Wanting so badly to approach that full, lively table, second-guessing it every time, always backing out at the last second. The hours and hours he spent agonizing over it. Finally taking the leap. Rewarded impossibly by Leonardo’s interest and curiosity and his smile.

Those precious afternoons in the dining room of the restaraunt, arguing hotly from opposite sides of the same booth, leaning in to put their heads together to watch videos on Leonardo’s phone. Yuichi clinging to Leonardo’s attention, hoarding gold like a miser, because he only ever wanted Leonardo to look at him.

Of course he’d end up here. Where the hell else was he gonna go?

“They would do anything for you,” he hears himself saying. “Do you have any idea how much you mean to them?”

“I do!” Leonardo says quickly. “I just. I’m scared anyway.”

“Tell them that,” Yuichi implores urgently. “Let’s go tell them right now.”

Leonardo stares at him like he’s gone crazy. Yuichi loves him.

“I’ll go with you,” he says, offering his hand. He thinks he’s trembling. His body feels too small to contain the monumental reality he’s just discovered. “You’re not alone, Leo.”

That gets him a choked laugh. Leonardo grabs his hand and holds it almost desperately, as if Yuichi is too good to be true. As if he might do something crazy and impossible if Leonardo lets go, like walk away.

Not in this lifetime. Yuichi never wants to do anything but walk towards Leonardo for all the rest of his days.

They go find his siblings. It isn’t hard, they just have to follow all the noise.

Something chaotic is happening in the kitchen. Michelangelo is perched on Raphael’s carapace, elbows parked on his big brother’s shoulder and chin propped in his hands to watch the show. Raphael is trying to gently extract a hot pot of coffee from Donatello’s hands and Donatello is trying to drink from it directly. Casey is sitting on the counter, eating a huge lopsided muffin with an expression of doe-eyed wonder on his face.

They all look up when Leonardo and Yuichi come in. Leonardo’s step falters under the sudden scrutiny. He clutches Yuichi’s hand tighter, his grip bruising. Like somehow—somehow—Yuichi’s presence beside him makes him feel brave.

It’s okay, Yuichi tries to tell him, squeezing back. I’m not going anywhere.

[superblysubpar]

I know a few people are working hard to get older fics and artworks circulated on Thursdays as a way to bring some positive energy back to the fandom as well as circulate works that seem to slip away.

You know I'm here to reblog always, and trying to spread some positivity in a space that's growing more and more NOT happy? Count me in.

Feel free to use my banner or I know there are some others floating around out there as well. I hope you participate - you could be the reason someone smiles today, how cool is that?

For me, this week I'm reblogging quite a few, and I'm choosing to focus on some fics that bring me an immense amount of comfort. I've been having a tough time lately, and I owe these fics and authors quite a bit more than they may realize. They're listed below, and I hope you give them a chance if you haven't read them yet 💛

She's Gonna Save Me by @chechelia

"between working at the shop and taking care of maeve, eddie hasn’t done anything for himself in over fourteen months. he’s trying to change that."

When It Rains by @sweetsweetjellybean

When a storm moves over Hawkins, your neighbor stops by to check on you.

always something there to remind me by @carolmunson

ten years after the sealing of the upside-down, you and your fiance steve head to a cookout to unwind during memorial day weekend. with steve on edge after a rough half sleep full of night terrors, you hope the day can be salvaged by seeing the party and just relaxing, but a violent thunderstorm changes those plans for the worse.

Constellations by @loveshotzz

under the stars, you just want steve to kiss you.

We Tried The World by @upsidedownwithsteve

Steve Harrington gazed at you with a shockingly sincere expression, with a little furrow knitted between his brows and he asked you: “D’you wanna run away with me?” The road trip au where you’re trying to find a home.

[pricegouge]

for the ask game! 22. say 3 things about someone you love 24. what’s one thing you’re proud of yourself for?

Thank you 💛

22) the obvious choice was for my partner, but my sister's RN pinning ceremony was this week and she's been on my mind a lot so here are some things 'bout her:

She's the first person to graduate from that school directly into an OR position. This is insane to me, someone who can remember her crying when every time someone else got injured as a kid, and how she passed out the first time she administered an IV

My sister is only four years older than me, but she raised me and my little brother. I owe her sooooooooo much

We have a tradition called sister/sister saturdays, where we and my two nieces go out and get into shenanigans and they're absolutely the highlights of my entire life. It's become less frequent now that my oldest niece is old enough to work, but every time the idea gets floated I clear my entire schedule

24) It's cliche to make this answer about this blog, but I'm legitimately proud of myself for putting myself out there. I've been writing for a long time, but I've only within the last month or so actually bothered to post anything cause I'm the world's shyest person. It doesn't do much good to work in a vacuum, though, so I'm glad I finally bit the bullet

[b--b-3]

Sooo I've decided to finally cross-post my Obey Me crack-fic from ao3, I hope you enjoy!✨️

°•°•°•°•°

Cheek Clappin' Behavior

Ch.1

summary: Mc gets bamboozled by the game we all know and love 😭. They also happen to get yeeted right into it at full throttle, oops. How, you ask?? Who knows-

warnings: swearin/strong language, a quick innuendo, Mc just bein straight up wild tbh

misc: this fic doesn't accurately follow the story, literally just random shits 'n giggles for now lmao [pls it's so unserious ajfjshsjs] + the memes you see edited were done by me in my absolute mess of a gallery 💀

word count: almost 1k

It was just an ordinary day for Mc… Well, that is if you could call simping for fictional characters from a story-based gacha game ordinary. Okay, maybe they're a liiiiiiittle bonkers in the head, but we still love 'em 😋.

[Mc's POV]

'You've gotta be clappin' my cheeks unequivocally rn.'

"How tf am I gonna pull up AND get bumblefucked by this yee yee ass game 🤨🤨🤨??" Okay, so maaaaybe I got raw-dogged by a fictional world, but I can fix this for sure‼️

.

.

.

Oh.

I didn't fix this. Far from it, in fact. Yet another 10 pull, wasted… 😟

Welp, whatever‼️‼️ Back to the story then hehEHEHEHE— HOLY FUCKIN' MOTHER OF GO— MAMMON YOU ABSOLUTE BABYGWORL TF YOU DOIN' LOOKIN' LIKE THAT?? 🤭🤭🤭

Even tho he plays hard to get, he ain't a match for MY sluttish behavior 🤪—

THIS? FUCKING?? $ Ł Ü ✝️? ? ? "The absolute fuckin' audacity I swear— AND this mf blushin' too? Consider tears runnin' down my leg fr fr for real fr‼️" YOU SEE THAT TUB OVER THERE MAMS?? YEAH HOP IN THAT BITCH CUZ I'M BOUTTA 😩😩—

Ahem.

Caught myself lackin' for a sec there sorry bout that y'all 💀—

I then end up playing this damn game for a psychologically questionable amount of time. Such a long time, in fact, my raggedy ass fell asleep with the game open. O p e n. I didn't even get to charge my shit— hot damn 😬.

.

.

.

Next thing I know, I'm exposing my eye sockets to a ridiculous amount of light.

✨️OWIE✨️—

Oh.

'Now why in the ass-eatin' fuck does this place look familiar?? This ain't my house OR my room🗿. Tf is goin' on in here on this ass-chappin' day 🤨🤨??'

Like, the more I look around, the more shit's appearance becomes clear to me [no d U h Mc?? C'mon get it together 😭].

'Tho it does look a bit [a fuck ton tf you mean?? 💀] like my room in Obey Me…🤔'

.

.

.

"Did my bitch-ass get isekai'd into the world of Big Boobie Bitches— I mean Obey Me??????⁉️🗣📢🔥"

.

.

.

' …You've gotta be tuggin' my schlong rn this shit is a different breed. No, literally. Does that mean I'm a whole ass sheep now⁉️ This ain't gonna work. I swear on my left kneeca—'

All of a sudden, someone's headass bursts into the room. I was about to chew them tf out like a baddie, but then I SEE 🕕🫦🕕—

'CERTIFIED BABYGWORL??? AJDJSJEEJ OMGOMGOMG IT'S HIIIIIIIM IT'S MAAAAAMMMMS OH MY—🥺🎊✨️🫧💖‼️🥰💛'

"Yo, human! Ya were s'pposed to hang out with me today! What's goin' on?"

I—

'Ugh. What a cutie 🥰. Look at him, lookin' at me like that 'n shit 😭💖.'

I stare right back at the white-haired babygworl— I mean demon, trying a lil TOO hard to fight the inner voices that are telling me to jump him unprovoked.

"Well, tbh tbh honestly tbh, I haven't the slightest fuckin' clue Monie.. Buuuuuuut you can still take me out if you want tho 👀." I give him a lil look. Yano, a look. A little lookie look. A look that looks like a lil look because it looks—

"Whatever, let's just go. You've been makin' The Great Mammon wait long enough." He then drags me outta the room as if I'm his bitch.

'OW MY PUSS- now hold on for just a diddly ding dang darn second ☝️🤓— here I thought it was supposed to be the other way around 🤨🤔❓️ ❓️ ❓️'

Welp I'll just have to worry about it another time ig 🤷.

Anyways, now we were makin' our way [downtown] through the Big Ass House of Lamentation, BAHoL for short, trying to get to wherever tf Mammon has plans for. Well, that is until we run into a certain someone.

.

.

.

'GAAASSSPP IT'S HIIIIIM‼️ LEVIATHAN THE SWEET BOOOOOOYYYYY OHFUCKOHFUUUCK 🥰💖🫧🧡✨️‼️'

"Yooo, Levi! Funny seein' ya outside ya room for once." Both Mammon and I then proceed to start gigglin' like two lil bitches lmao.

Until this mf turns around 🗿.

…My face just about shriveled up inside itself.

'DID BABYGWORL #3 GET EVEN QUIRKIER 😳😳😳⁉️'

"Levi.. you good?? You're looking a bit differently different there bud 😭😭."

'I swear to shit there are literal SPARKLES just shootin' me in the eyes rn.'

"Idk what you're talking abt lol." He blinks and just shrugs at me like absolutely NOTHING is wrong like wtf my g—

"Tbh tbh honestly tbh Levi you're looking MAD ✨️bbg✨️ rn and idk how to cope with that so I think it's best you induce an anime withdrawal for just a singular sliver of a second the sake of my sanity 🗣🗣."

It takes him a couple seconds for the matter inside his cranium to process whatever tf just came out my mouth.

"B-Bbg!? WOOOAAAHHHH❗️🗣🗣🗣📢💥.. I-I can't believe you're calling a no-good otaku shut-in like me that!" He takes a moment to cover his now blushing face sextillion times more than his hair already does with his hand.

'Omg what a lil cutie I swear— got me swooning 'n shit <3.'

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever! We've gotta get goin' now. See ya later, Levi!" Mammon cuts off the ENTIRE interaction quicker than it even started before dragging me away like a fucking rag doll.

'L?? M?? A?? O?? Tf is all this motion for 🫨🥴?'

What the plans are?? I still haven't the slightest of darn clues, buT I GUESS WE'LL FIND OUT 🗣.

.

.

.

I kid you tf not we literally only managed to reach the main entrance before getting jumpscared by none other than Lucifer himself—

'EYE- SWEET MOTHER OF DIAVOLO'S (. )( .)‼️—'

[✨️To Be Continued✨️]

[fountainpenguin]

"And honestly, I think you're fine! I mean, you're beautiful... about 84% of the time!" (x)

---

New Dog's Life chapter today! ~ 3rd Life series fan-season

Chapter 21 - “Heat (Martyn, BigB)”

❤️ Read on AO3

💛 Start from Chapter 1

💚 More Pixels Imperfect fics

---

A frustrated Martyn is left alone to babysit the Fox Dragon’s eggs. He texts Grian, Scott, Cleo, Mumbo, and Ren, then gets in three fights within an hour.

Meanwhile, BigB checks if Impulse's new farm designs are ethical for the villagers involved and Bdubs walks in on a dynamic that catches him off guard. Huzzah for server hub politics!

(First 1,000 words under the cut)

---

InTheLittleWood - Phantom

Status: Bored

Acting captain of New Star Station's phantom hybrid flock

💙  🧡  💚

"Iron… water… charcoal… salt… Ugh." Martyn leans all his weight against the lab table, blowing his lips. "Wow, this would be so much easier if I had an admin panel- none of this back-and-forth rabble. Why don't I ever look these things up when I'm on-server?"

The fox eggs, being eggs, don't respond. Martyn had to peel his eyes from them to focus his attention on the lab table, though he keeps his tail resting on the ground, lightly wrapped around the nearest one. If someone flutters down on the flock roost platform, he'll hear them. And if someone creeps on tiptoes across the landing, the vibration will rattle up his spine. He's a great caretaker. This is going just swell.

And it's not a bad gig, actually, stuck up here on the clock tower... so long as you don't mind the squawking and banter of parrot hybrids in the southern park whose voices carry back all this way. Let them sing you the song of their people; we're all sparky-frustrated up here in Between. Gods, that stupid moon.

Grian: i maen its no surprise if its rough. wild phantom idle ambiance uses live young w/o eggs or nests. the hybrids were the same back in my world Grian: well undead young but ykwim Grian: like its your bat side and not your vulture side is what im saying Grian: or whatever else you are InTheLittleWood: k InTheLittleWood: thanks g Grian: yeah sure InTheLittleWood: wait how do undead hybrid babies work? Grian: ? were you born alive? InTheLittleWood: ?? I thought I was? I was adopted as an egg tho, I didn't hatch in Linda's nest. Never thought to ask "Hey Mum and Dad, was I born alive?"

He pats the nearby eggs as Grian starts to type. Should he put his crocs back on? Is it rude to put your smelly feet up on a spawn egg? They can't sense that, right? Nah… They're not even born yet. The very beginnings of a soul might be in there (Maybe? He's not sure how it works), but they only hatch once an account links up to them. This clutch only has a few dozen eggs.

Martyn rests his hands on his stomach, counting down the ticking seconds. Thousands and thousands of eggs hatch every day, more or less in the order they were laid by one of the 98 dragons across Between. Sometimes siblings and camera twins are born the same species. Sometimes another dragon dropped a few of her own in a nest at the same time, so there's a split.

On rare occasion, two souls bundle in a single egg- That's where you get identical twins like Grian and Two. How much longer before these foxes start spawning? It can't be long now.

Gods, imagine if every single one hatches two souls… That'll be at least 60, 70, 80 fox hybrids scampering around up here. I should probably take them down to ground level. The base of the tower is a big empty room, offering nothing but the stairs and the doorway out.

Grian: i think mumbo said the phantom dragon carries the eggs in her throat pouch Grian: its what the alligator dragon does and she lives in the swamp near mumbo's spawner with joels mom InTheLittleWood: Suddenly I think I owe my parents some cards and gifts. I knew adopting phantoms was rare but I didnt realize grabbing an egg probably means crawling inside Linda's mouth and escaping before she bites you, geez 😳 InTheLittleWood: unless they just got my egg right after it was laid Grian: when the spawnlings hatch they eat the souls shes been carrying in there Grian: lol Grian: i mean mumbo got paid the big $ to do egg stealing runs, its why he had the last allay aggs Grian: eggs

Martyn lifts his brows, staring at his comm screen. If you measure by years instead of levels, he's older than Mumbo. Mumbo definitely didn't grab his egg, but how weird would that be? You marry the man who kidnapped you as a baby… That's just weird.

Granted, he does hail from a well-off family. The term "well-off" is ambiguous when you're off-server, but the gist is that his parents actually do have diamonds whereas most of Between's natural resources have been picked over out in the wild.

Growing up, he always just assumed his parents ended up with a phantom egg because that's what they bid for when the adventurers - usually, but not always wandering traders - went out on adoption runs to the dragon nests. His mum's an otter hybrid and his dad's a raven: a rare predator and a rare scavenger most people don't even know are native in the game.

Otter code was prepped for Minecraft Dungeons, but never made it beyond early concepts. Nonetheless, they exist. They're called a Tweenborn mob- something meant to exist, but never truly crossed into one of the main dimensions. Ravens actually did make it into the Dungeons spin-off, but only went public as cosmetic pets. You don't fight them, but they hang around anyway.

Most people thought his parents were modded and would do a double-take if they ever mentioned the Otter Dragon or Raven Dragon, who rarely get the mental pings to build nests and lay eggs. Growing up, they used to introduce Martyn as "their phantom kid" and urge him to show the wings and his baby fangs.

Was I a trophy kid? he wonders now. He wouldn't put it past them. Love his parents he may, but they did chase a lot of status symbols. Being rich enough to afford what must've been a wizard-level egg retrieval - potentially from the depths of Linda's gular pouch - may have been too good to resist.

Martyn stares a little more, rubbing his thumb across the edge of his communicator. I haven't seen my parents since before my EVO days. Maybe he should go. He can fly fast and be back in a snap. Would Scott allow that?

I guess it doesn't hurt to ask.

[Full chapter on AO3 - Link at top]