#if I didn't have it properly installed by the time she arrived

[random2908]

I started by telling myself I shouldn't feel bad that I didn't get all my planned chores done: Saturday is a rest day, and we've just finished three weeks of crunch at work. (Next week might also be crunch but probably not; the product ships at the end of the week but we should be in good enough shape already.)

But then I realized: I ran three errands in the morning, and did three chores in the evening--even if one of the chores was just "cook a healthy dinner" and two of the chores were banking-related on a website. (But one involved sending text messages, and one involved an actual phone call to customer service, so I can't even really say they were just on a website.) That's six things I got done on a rest day. I may have overscheduled by saying I'd do at least eight things, but still, six things is very good.

[yelenasdiary]

Listen Closely

Pairing: Wanda Maximoff x Daughter! Reader

Summary: After your mother finds out your having a hard time at school, she takes matters into her own hands.

Angst | Comfort | Reader is 17 | Bullying | Mentions of Body Shaming | Dark Thoughts | Depression | She/her Pronouns Used | 2K | 

AC: Here’s the idea I posted about the other day haha! This fic is safe for minors to read, just please don’t follow my blog x. I hope you enjoy this x

"Boys, where's your sister?" Wanda asked the twins as they dug into their cereal. "In bed still" Tommy replied causing his mother to frown slightly. It was unlike you to still be in bed at this time, usually you were sat at the dining table enjoying breakfast with your younger brothers while they shared the dreams they had last night with you. 

"Brush your teeth after breakfast, no lying Billy, I can tell if you're brushed them properly" Wanda raised a brow at the young boy before making her way upstairs. You heard the soft knock on your door as you pulled the covers over your head, wiping the tears that broke free the moment you woke up. 

"Honey?" the softness of your mother's voice filled the room as she slowly opened the door, "you're going to be late" she added. 

"I don't feel well" you replied, the covers muffling the brokenness in your voice.

Wanda closed the door behind her before taking a seat on the edge of your bed, installing rubbing your back. If anybody knew you the best, it was your mother. The two of you have always had a strong and close bond to one another and as you got older, that bond only grew stronger. "What's the matter love?" your mother asked while still rubbing your back. 

Slowly, you pulled the covers back and held your stomach under the covers, "I have really bad cramps, they've kept me up all night" you explained before Wanda placed the back of her hand on your forehead, "Mm" she hummed as she brushed your hair back, "do you have any tests today?" she asked. 

You shock your head, "No tests this week, just study and preparing for next week's tests"

"Alright, I'll get you a heat pack and some pain killers before I take the boys to school. Do you need me to pick up anything from school?" 

You shook your head again. "Get some rest, I'll be back in a moment" Wanda placed a kiss on your forehead before leaving you alone once again. The moment you heard her footsteps down the stairs, you sighed before reaching for your phone. Taking today off was a big risk, not just because it was Monday, but because you'd skipped the last three days of school last week. You could only hope that you could get away with today before the school would call the house phone. 

Punching in the passcode to your phone only made the sickening feel in your stomach rise. You've turned off all notifications due to the bullying that has been going on for the past month or so. At first, you didn't let it get to you, some petty school yard like bullying wasn't something you ever paid attention too but when the bullying escalated in ways you couldn't ignore it, it started to take its toll on you. 

Of course, you didn't mention anything to your mother as you didn't want to worry her or let her make a fuss, she already had enough on her plate with the twins, work and the other duties that come along with being a mother of 3. Although you felt like you should've said something weeks ago when the unknown numbers started sending texts to you and your social media accounts soon became a pit for the bullying to continue. 

Little did you know, your mother didn't believe for a second you were unwell and she'd been suspecting something was wrong for a few weeks but she never wanted to over step your boundaries and privacy but she as starting to get more worried about you with every new day that arrived. 

"Is Y/n coming down for breakfast?" Billy asked, handing his empty bowl of cereal to Tommy as he stacked the dishwasher. "Not this morning, she's unwell. Let's get you two ready for school" Wanda smiled at the boys before they raced off upstairs to begin getting ready. 

----

After dropping the twins off at school, a little earlier than she usually would, she made her way to your high school to meet your best friend, Kate, before her classes started. She didn't like going behind your back like this but her worry got the better of her. 

"Kate, hi!" Wanda smiled softly as she managed to grab Kate's attention. 

"Oh hey Wands! What's up? Is Y/n with you?" Kate replied with a smile. Kate has been your best friend since pre-school and Wanda knew if there was anybody to talk to about you, it was Kate. 

"No, not today. She's not well" 

"That's probably why I haven't heard from her, I hope she's okay" 

Kate's comment worried Wanda even more, "you haven't heard from her? When was the last time you had?" Wanda questioned. 

"Uhm, Friday? I just assumed you guys were doing something for the weekend, so I didn't worry so much. Is everything okay?" Kate frowned slightly. 

"Honey, Y/n hasn't been okay for a while, and I really need you to tell me what's going on" 

Kate's eyes dropped, "she made me promise" 

Wanda placed a hand on Kate's shoulder, causing the young teen to look up at her. "Sometimes breaking a promise is okay. If there is something serious going on, I need to know about it. I promise nobody is in trouble, I'm just worried" Wanda assured the brunette whom she's known for many years. 

Kate nodded, "I honestly thought she would've mentioned something by now" she admits, "the popular girls have been giving her a hard time for a while. At first it was just some petty stuff that didn't bother her but it's grown into something bigger and I've told her she needs to talk to you about but she just brushes me off and says she doesn't want to worry you" Kate explains with worry in her eyes. 

Wanda's heart broke as she nodded at Kate's words, "Can you tell me everything?" Wanda asked, Kate nodded. 

----

Tears streamed down your face as you held Sparky close, patting him in hopes it would bring you some form of comfort and help fight off the dark thoughts that your mind was screaming at you. It was a bad idea, and you knew it but you checked your Instagram to find an edited photo of you trending via mutuals. A poster of you was made as a joke, body shaming you and calling you unspeakable names in the poster, comments, and captions as those at school hadn't seen you in a few days, they assumed you'd caved and did what they'd been telling you to do. 

You'd be lying if you said you hadn't thought about it, leaving your family behind and finally putting yourself put of this pain that kept you up late at night, the pain that made you grow distance with your family and friends, the pain the isolated you from the world day by day. Wanda came home to the sounds of loud sobs filling the home, her break broke even more. She wasted no time, throwing her handbag to the side and rushing up the stairs to your room. 

Her rushing foot steps up the stairs took you by surprise and gave you little to no time to try and hide the tears that covered your face. Your mother didn't knock this time, she just welcomed herself into your room. 

"Mom!" you frowned, looking away from her, "you're supposed to knock!" you added. 

"Not when my baby needs me" she replied sitting beside you and wrapping her arms around you. You broke once more, trying to wiggle out of her arms but deep down you didn't want too. "It's okay honey, I know everything" your mother spoke softly which made you stop resisting her hold as you looked up at her. 

"W-who told you? Did the school call?!" you asked in a worry. Your mother shook her head, tears filled her eyes at the sight of you, "Kate told me, I asked her too. I've known something hasn't been right for a few weeks but after seeing you this morning, I wasn't going to wait for you to come to me" she explained, pulling you closer to her and placing a kiss on the top of your head. 

You finally allowed yourself to break once more, crying in your mother's arms. "I'm sorry" you sobbed. "Honey, look at me" Wanda gently brushed a lock of your hair behind your ear when you looked at her, "there's nothing you need to be sorry about. I'm sorry you felt like you couldn't come to me sooner, I wish you did darling. I don't want you to ever feel like you're alone or even for a second thing that what those horrible girls have been saying is truth. Kate showed me some of the things online, I have copies and I will be talking to the principle" your mother added. 

"But mom, that'll just make things worse" you shook your head. 

"Nobody has the right to make my baby feel like this! I do not care who they are, I'll do anything and everything I need too to make sure this never happens again" Wanda replied, letting you snuggle into her chest once again. 

----

"Mrs Maximoff, it's lovely to see you" your principle smiled as she looked up from her desk to greet your mother. Wanda placed a small stack of print outs on the desk, "I wish this was a friendly visit" she replied. 

"What is this?" Miss Sullivan grabbed the stack and began to look through it. 

"I want the girls who are responsible for this to be punished fairly. This group of girls have been targeting my daughter for months and you nor the teachers have done anything to stop it!" Wanda explained.

"Mrs Maximoff, if things have gotten this bad, why wasn't this brought to my attention sooner?" Miss Sullivan looked up at your mother who just tilted her head slightly at the woman. 

"I only found out all of this today! Y/n said she tried to report the bullying and harassment when things started to get worse, but her English teacher told her not to worry too much about it and that the girls would get bored soon enough. That was months ago and now my daughter is at home in tears and in a headspace, I cannot imagine my baby girl ever being in. I don't want to take things further but if this isn't shut down and dealt with quickly, I will get the police involved"

Miss Sullivan was taken back by Wanda's rage; she's never seen your mother so furious before. "We do not take bullying of any sort lightly, let me assure you the girls responsible for this behaviour will be dealt with but unfortunately there is nothing we can do about the online bullying. We can't control what students do outside of the school grounds, but I am confident with chat with all the girls, this will come to stop." She explains. 

"Y/n will not be attending that chat, nor will she be returning to school until I'm assured that punishment has been dealt and listen to me carefully when I say this" Wanda looked your principle in the eyes, "if those girls or anybody else in this school hurts my daughter again, I will take higher action. You have my number; I expect to hear from you by the end of the day" Your mother replied before leaving Miss Sullivan's office before the woman could say another word.

Meanwhile, you were at home feeling a little better about explaining everything to your mother, she brought home your favorite take out for lunch and spent the rest of the afternoon with you, watching your favorite movies. Not another word was spoken about the situation that day but Wanda was determined to make sure this would never happen again and was pleased to receive a call from your principle as she waited for the boys to get let out of class. The girls giving you hell were to be spoken too and punished first thing on Tuesday morning.

Taglist: @red1culous | @sayah13 | @charl-lally | @when-wolves-howl | @bentleywolf29 | @fxckmiup | @lissaaaa145 | @high--power | @parkerdaramitzzzz  | @mmmmokdok | @wackymcstupid | @kiwiana145 | @observeowl | @nattyolw | @ripofflizzie | @goofy-goonie | @makegoodchoices | @wandsmxmff | @apollo2907 | @wandaroman0ff | @dumb-fawkin-bitch | @lovelyy-moonlight | @santana1437 | @fluffyblanketgecko | @puta1 | @inluvwithfictionalwomen | @tintedrose12 | @jaymieflorissssssss | @tita001 | @lizzieslcver | @youralphawolf72 | @donnietarantino | @natashamaximoff69 | @hehehehannahthings | @pandaemonium111 | @secrettoallofyou | @romantic-slaps-on-the-asss | @marvel-fan-2021 | @mmmmokdok | @riveramorylunar | @ripofflizzie | @marvel-madnessx | @scarsw1fe | @toldthatdevil | @itsmv3 | @natashaswife4125 | @katiemay-025 | @aphrcdtes | @romanoffs-widow | @maria-403 | @boredandneedfanfics | @wandamaximoffspuppup | 

[bomberqueen17]

house remodel updates

I forget where we left off but like so the thing is of course nobody was here over the weekend. on saturday we took dude's mom to the airport and then moved ourselves into her house to house- and cat-sit. yes we're cat-sitting our own cat. listen she can't be in our house it makes sense.

she has been extremely confused by this. she saw the Dreaded Suitcases and hid while Skin-Grammy packed up and left, and then hours later came slinking out in confusion. why were we there instead??? What is this about??

She has mostly adjusted but has been intermittently clingy and invisible, after the manner of cats. But anyway where are we on the kitchen remodel??

Well we got a new guy in the cast of characters. Jim, having shaved his beard somewhat in advance of his upcoming vacation to visit his mom in Florida, arrived in good spirits, and introduced me to John, a youngish guy who is doing the electrical work. John cheerfully explained to me that he was going to be adding up to six circuits to the house, and I had been forewarned that he was also going to be adding hard-wired smoke detectors on two floors since I didn't have any and that's illegal. (The house sold privately, it hasn't been inspected since it was built in 1950, so are we surprised? No!) They weren't included in the contract/quote but are required for the work to be approved by the town, but we weren't surprised by this. I'll pay john separately. For the record it's only like $3-400 to have that kind of thing installed, I was worried it'd be more but he was like nah. I'll bill ya.

A bit later, as I was looking around at the various outlights and light fixtures, I said "oh wait the microwave shelf. there's supposed to be some kind of microwave shelf? somewhere?" and neither Jim nor John knew anything about this. And I was like I remember about this because when we first started looking into remodeling this kitchen we went somewhere and they were kind of snooty and when I said "can we just put the microwave on a shelf" because it takes up most of my counterspace they acted like this was illegal.

"What," John said, disbelieving. "I put in outlets for that like... all the time. It's not only legal it's also super normal."

"They acted like I was a stone-cold freak," I said, "and then they tried to convince me that the only option was a drawer microwave."

John physically recoiled, and made a warding gesture with his fingers like a cross. "That's what I said," I told him, "it was the worst thing I'd ever seen!"

"Those things are the worst," he said, and I felt vindicated. "Naw ma'am. I'll put your microwave on a shelf. And it's fine if we can't find the blueprints, I'll just put the wire up and leave extra, and we can get it to the right spot once we know." (Jim was leafing through the plans and trying to find the shelf, but he'd handed over the detailed plans to his colleague Max, who was going to be covering for his vacation, so he couldn't find the relevant sheet.)

So, John worked on Monday and Tuesday, and I checked in on Tuesday midmorning after I dropped Dude off at the airport. (He has a work trip and it's terrible timing and also he doesn't want to go. He made me promise to eat real human food at regular intervals, which is something I have historically struggled with when unattended. I have been a good girl about this I promise. I went to the grocery store and bought myself a series of treats, which i have been deploying strategically as rewards for having properly fed myself.)

The bad news on Tuesday was that john had gotten all the wires approximately run, but in order to hook them up to the circuit box, was going to need to run them along a wall that I had thought was safely out of range and thus had used to pile up a great deal of the Assorted Nonsense in the basement. Hear me out, when this work was supposed to happen in February, one of the things that was going to happen was that I was going to sort through much of the Basement Nonsense and either discard it, file it neatly, or donate it somewhere that could use it (in the rare case of there being like, anything useful in those piles). But the accelerated timeline meant I had no time for that and had in fact only piled things higher.

Jim informed me of this very kindly, and said it wasn't a hurry since it was going to all get hooked up at the end. But like. I mean. It's not like there's infinite time. So that's what I figured I'd work on Wednesday while I was waiting for the plumber and inspectors.

So, cue Wednesday. I got here like 8:30 and around 8:45 a random car carefully reversed itself into my driveway and then parked, and I thought, this must be Max. And sure enough. Jim's coworker/substitute, a personable guy of like, freaking twenty something, in tennis shoes instead of work boots. But he did seem to know what he was doing, and had been well-briefed on the project. So I went down into the basement and hauled things around (and did have time to sort and discard some things, though not much), and he tacked up more insulation and got ready for the electrical inspector. I thought I was doing to have to talk to the guy but I did not, he came and went and I thought I heard someone talking but by the time I came up it was just Max, tacking down the last insulation he'd had unsecured so they could see the wiring.

After noon the plumber arrived, yet another addition to the dramatis personae: Kyle, another young guy (mayyybe thirty), who works for a guy named Don I guess. I showed him my gas dryer that I was going to ask if he could hook up and he was like oh that will be so easy, yes, when I come back I can do that. So then I showed him my laundry sink faucet that had just started leaking and he was like i also can replace that for very few dollars and very little time. So I am well-pleased. My washing machine is leaking too but I think I'm on my own to sort that one out.

Kyle asked if I was sticking around and I was planning to, so here I am, in the other room, listening to them saw things. I guess I'm getting a whole new sink drain assembly. And he's got to saw out some things to get a water box for the ice maker in the fridge. Why not.

So that's how that's going. The big excitement is that now that the electrical inspection is done and the plumbing is underway, Max and an unnamed assistant who showed up and was even younger are going to start hanging drywall. I'm so excited to have an insulated kitchen with drywall, instead of the uninsulated plaster that radiated cold in winter.

I'd normally be preoccupied with historic preservation but the thing is, this house isn't old enough for that to really matter. No fear, there'll still be some plaster panels in this house when all this is done. I'd prefer if all the exterior walls were insulated though.........

Baby steps. Maybe we'll get there.

Oh one funny little side story-- John was like "oh let me get your number in case i have questions or whatever" and so I started reciting my phone number and he pulled out a sharpie and wrote my number right on the wall of my kitchen. I mean of course it was a wall that was stripped to the studs so he was writing on the paper backing of the reverse side of the plaster panels of my attic staircase, but it was funny-- but it makes sense, now that's there for anyone who works on this project, but then when the project is done it will be gone.

But of course on Monday night when Dude came over to get some things to pack for his work trip he texted me a photo of my phone number scrawled on the kitchen wall and was like "???"

well, i thought it was pretty funny.

[plscallmeeren]

YOU REMEMBER

(Aged Up) Michelle 'MJ' Jones x Reader

Request: yeah

Summary: ok so (y/n) is basically Peter (Tom Holland) and Peter is just like Ned 2.0

It's after No Way Home so no one remembers him and MJ, Ned and Peter are off to college (you've also lost all your humour and happiness in case u were wondering)

Anyways things happen and memories are triggered.... Enjoy I have edited nothing as usual (it's so late I'm so tired wtf)

Warnings: Swearing; sad MJ; yelling/fighting

Word Count: 2.6K+

You watched from a rooftop as New York teemed with activity even in the dead of night - not that that was anything unusual. Crowds of party-goers cheered with joints in hand. Mini-supermarket clerks filled out expert crosswords while casual thieves slipped candy into their pockets. Burnt-out child hackers typed ferociously in the hopes of pirating a new online game.

Those were your lesser worries. Those weren't the things you dared worry about. Not that you worried much these days. None of it mattered much, anyway. No one was there to care if you failed at what you had tasked yourself with for eternity.

You brushed down your dirtied red and black skintight suit, to no avail. That didn't matter, either.

This was peace. Peace was leaning back against the cold concrete. Peace was pressing »play« on your playlist and hearing Sweet Gene Vincent ramble around the murky night air like a newer, cleaner mist with a Cockney accent and punk ideals. Peace was pulling out your phone and looking at old photos of you and your former girlfriend and friends even though you knew you couldn't afford the emotional exhaustion. Peace was finally letting all those tears slide from beneath folds of harsh ignorance. That was peace now.

It wasn't always like that. It used to be lying around the living room, spread out on couches, with Peter and Ned telling you about the new Lego Death Star with an electronic component and MJ lying across your lap with a smile that suggested they were being stupid as she stared lovingly up at you as you ran your fingers through her curled hair.

But that sort of peace wasn't possible anymore, so there was no point seeking or missing it.

A picture of Ned and Peter grinning like idiots as they stood in front of the cinema to watch a rerun of Alien slid across the screen.

It was replaced by an image of MJ smiling back at you, mockingly signing 'metal' with one hand as her foreshortened feet lay closer to you and the camera.

You turned your phone off. A police siren wailed pathetically in the distance like a droning call for help.

Peace was over.

•••

Massachusetts

The Hercules cafe bustled with customers overflowing the nine-person chair budget.

MJ, Peter and Ned were positioned fortunately in the best corner beside the window. It was about lunch time - peak hour at that particular instalment - but the three had arrived hours earlier already.

"Mrs. Zeis is killing me," Ned was complaining, only stopping to sip at his strawberry milkshake. "Two protocols, one theory essay and an experiment setup? Does she not remember we have other subjects, too?"

The snarky waitress who never wore a name tag - the counterpart to exaggeratedly sweet Mr. Lang - strode up to them, snarling. "Will you be here much longer? We have other customers, y'know."

"Yeah, we'll have another chocolate milkshake, thanks," MJ dismissed her smoothly, turning back to her friends.

"Yeah, she's pretty bad," Peter continued for Ned. "I wrote an essay once I knew was bad but I hadn't had time to do it properly and she literally just ripped it apart."

"That's cruel," MJ conceded, smiling as Mr. Lang brought her her order. "Any chance you'll be rid of her for the last semester?"

"Not really," Ned sighed in exasperation.

"I will," Peter added cheerily, stealing Ned's straw and slurping a great deal of milkshake away from him. Ned stared on in horror.

The waitress came up to them again, but before she could dart out that poised tongue Ned was reminding her they weren't finished. She walked away with such impotence as if they had greatly insulted her.

"I can't believe we're graduating so soon... I'm looking forward to Manhattan. It's not really a great place looking back but it'll always be home," MJ said thoughtfully, chewing on her straw.

"Yeah. We had some great times," Peter smiled, handing Ned his latte in attempted reconciliation.

"Yeah," Ned added dreamily.

MJ nodded. Then: "Hey, I'm getting major Deja vu right now. Either of you?"

"Nah, not really," Ned admitted sheepishly as Peter simply shook his head.

"Huh."

They were all silent for a moment, all in their own worlds, when Peter spoke up again: "I know this sounds totally out there and weird, but do you sometimes feel like someone's missing? I mean, like there should be a fourth of us? I don't know, maybe I'm just-"

"No, you're not wrong," MJ interrupted, peering around the cafe as if something might be written on the walls in reply.

"Hey, MJ," Ned said slowly, some eerie disturbance creeping up on his usual voice. "Where did you actually get your necklace? I mean, you wear it every day, so I just... I don't know why I thought of it..."

She looked down at where her black dahlia necklace rested on her collarbone.

She stared. There was something familiar about it, and yet it was like she no longer knew it or why it was there. But she did, didn't she? She had been wearing it every day for years since...

(Y/n).

"Are you okay? You look a bit pale," Peter commented, casting a sidelong glance at Ned, who looked similarly anxious about the look on their friend's face.

It was all coming back to her. Rushing, roaring memories like tidal waves washing up to a shore that had been awaiting them for a decade too long.

"It's (y/n). He's missing," she murmured, standing up straight in seconds and rushing right past the returning waitress, almost making her fall over.

"Children! That's what you are!" she yelled after her, but MJ could hardly hear anything beyond her beating heart and gaping lungs.

•••

You lazily pressed the »play« buttons on the remote, refocusing your attention on your Chinese takeaway as He's Just Not That Into You started. It was going to be stupid. You knew that. Scarlet Johansson was in it, though, so you didn't particularly care. Stupid was good once in a while, anyway.

Your mobile buzzed, making you groan as you set your food back down to get it from the faraway table.

+339 873 5386

Probably another scam, you thought in slight disappointment, but not much surprise. You hung up. There was no one to call you, anyway.

You sat back down on your bed which acted as a couch at times like these and pulled the Chinese food back into your lap. The credits rolled.

Your phone buzzed again. Unfortunately for your innocent food, you almost completely spilled it slamming it back down on the table to reach your phone again.

+339 873 5386

You hung up again, muttering to yourself about stupid people and their stupid money scams. You wondered if you could pay not to get scammed and then realised you were in the same issue all over again. Except maybe they wouldn't interrupt takeaway night as much.

Far away one truly stubborn woman decided she was not having your bullshit and booked the next flight to New York she could find.

•••

MJ had travelled once across Manhattan and still she hadn't found even half a lead on your whereabouts.

She was close to despairing after finding your old apartment empty, countless people who should have known you to render your name foreign and only Delmar who knew of an old boyfriend of hers at all - though even he thought he hadn't seen you in more than a couple of years.

Until she saw you.

You were walking harmlessly along in your favourite black hoodie - one thing that you wouldn't let change - when you saw her, too. Or, someone who looked like her. It couldn't be. What was she doing here? She was supposed to be in Massachusetts. Far away from all of this.

You quickly turned a corner, hoping whatever psychotic trauma you were reliving at that moment would quickly pass.

She couldn't be there. You had made sure of that. Dr. Strange had made sure of that. She was safe. Ned was safe. So was Peter. She's safe.

Your inner voice repeated it like a mantra, following you the entire rushed way to your apartment building and up its concrete wasteland stairs. You stood before your door, shaking, trembling, scrunching your eyes closed to reassure yourself her familiar gaze wasn't on your back.

You were right. You had lost her. Both now and then.

You fought a losing battle with the rusty lock on your door until it finally gave in out of pity, its swinging whine stolen and replaced by your own breathless sigh.

You kicked it shut, not bothering to lock it, considering there was hardly anyone who'd be much trouble to you in Manhattan - and if they were, no lock would stop them, most likely.

Collapsing on the mattress, the bare room's singular comforting component, your head landed in your hands as heavily as lead weight. It hurt so much. It didn't matter if it had been her or not. She would never be yours again.

You looked around your place. Nothing felt like yours anymore. This fridge with a spoon, fork and plate next to it, this iPhone charger and mattress, microwave and a closet with so few clothes the spider suit almost stood out - none of it held any identity you could associate with yourself. None.

The door creaked again, and this time there was no heaving breath to hide it.

"(Y/n)?"

Please no. Please not now, not here, not unprepared... She can't be here. She was safe. I kept it that way.

She repeated your name, but your fingers only tightened their deadly grip around the sheet. Silence. Finally, you looked up, because you were almost convinced, almost hopeful that familiar voice had been a fragment of your imagination or she had decided you a lost cause and left after all.

She was still there. Your body sagged in upset.

"Do you even eat?" she snapped, and you wondered whether she had meant it to be so harsh. More words followed, each cracking like a whip also. You plead mercy with your emotional masochism. "You haven't brushed your hair in days - don't deny it, I know how it looks. You practically have bruises under your eyes. You're like a bag of bones; no exercise, no good food, right?"

You didn't answer, simply staring at her. She was so beautiful.

"God, (y/n)," she whispered, voice so soft it hurt more; the way it cradled you while it lasted and dropped you from its billowing clouds far higher up than anything else. Her pain crawled as ugly tendrils across the floor and through the very soles of your feet to the weight in your lungs.

Silence, again.

"You remember," you stated deftly, but nothing in you wanted to accept it. It couldn't be. It just couldn't.

And yet... she had remembered. Your relationship had been so strong, she had remembered. How? Curiosity danced groggily on the sidelines of your train of thought.

"Yeah. Remember this?" MJ lifted the dahlia necklace from her chest, holding it up for you to see. You did. An array of yellowing memories about your trip to France all those years ago flashed before your eyes, reminding you of every reason you had to buy it for her and every reason you should have been bursting with happiness at the fact she was standing before you.

"How did you find me?" you asked instead, earning a deserved scoff.

"I told you I'd track you down." She clenched her jaw, as if remembering how angry she was. "You promised." It was a quiet reminder, but stone in its sureness.

Your muscles tightened as you looked away. You couldn't bare it. You were certain you had done the right thing, and yet...

"You promised you would find us," she repeated, a little louder.

Still, you didn't answer.

"Look at me!" she finally yelled, making you jump, staring at her with wide eyes. She never used to be so loud. She never shouted, even when you fought. She had changed... or maybe you had given her reason to.

Tears threatened to escape her, but her expression remained firm, impossible.

"I did. I was there, just like I promised," you admitted slowly, enunciating every word so that you may never have to say any again. "I saw you, MJ. With Peter and Ned. And it was just... it was so clear you were better off without me. Without this huge Spider-Man burden on your back. You were safe not knowing me."

"So, let me get this straight," she started, in a way that unlike before was similar to the way she usually talked. Casual-sounding, light. "Not only did you assume what was best for us and ignored what we wanted, but you also - for even a second - thought I could survive seeing you like this? You really weren't planning on finding us? Ever?"

Your stood, leaning clumsily against the mattress as you watched her. You didn't need to reply.

"No. No. I won't have this. You need to apologise. You need to- to- I don't know. Make it up to us. You think this is okay? You think this way of living works? Well, it doesn't. The Bell Jar isn't this fucking depressing."

You winced. She always referenced that book when she was calling something fucked up. She began crying properly now.

"I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. I'll do anything. There's nothing like this feeling that you could be responsible for the death of someone you love, MJ. That's not an excuse, but it's a pretty damn good reason. I understand you're angry, but you've gotta understand, too. You were everything. You are. I can watch from afar, but I can't watch everything end. If you're worried about me, worry about that. Your end would be my end. My fucking end, okay?"

Her chest heaved in wet sobs. You had only seen her cry three times before in all this time. You hated it. You pressed a finger to your cheek and realised you were crying, too.

"It's not fair. It's not fair," she sobbed, gesturing wildly in the air, her curls pushed to one side.

"I know. I know. Nothing's bloody fair," you sniffed, approaching her slowly, as if she were a shy animal, a stranger, perhaps.

It didn't take much. She slumped into your opening arms with all of her force behind her. Tears of yours mingled with hers on your shoulders and in each other's hair. Everything seemed tinged with the distant taste of salt.

She looked up at you, and suddenly your lips were connected once more, though it was sloppy and damp and certainly not your best kiss. But it was something. It gave your dingy kitchenette character and your mattress the air of a childhood sleepover in the living room.

"I won't leave you alone. Ever. You need to understand that. Whether you like it or not. You get it?" she murmured beside your ear.

You wanted to answer something romantic, something impressive, something to look back on - but all you could manage was a string of shaky "you remember"s.

[elvenbeard]

AAHHH!!! I *finally* got to play a little more Phantom Liberty today öahjsdföasklfasfhdfs

First I wanted to riot slightly cause GoG didn't find my install anymore (but rescanning folders did the trick).

Man OH MAN. I'm really just rambling about how fucking cool this game is below the cut, but beware of spoilers!!

"How the fuck do I keep ending up in these situations..."

I played all the way up to meeting Reed and agreeing to work with him back in the President's hideout. This was also the point up until I'd seen the gameplay at Phantom Liberty Tour back in August, but I also saw a loooot of new stuff o.o The demo back then started at entering the Stadium (when V walks through that area with cyberarms hanging from the ceiling) - stopped at meeting Myers in the crashed plane - continued at arriving at the hideout with her and then ended, as I said, with shaking hands with Reed.

SO. The whole "how do we get the president to the hideout" sequence was completely new to me AND MAAAN. That Chimera fight was so good like?? The whole setup and everything, I didn't expect such a big and epic boss fight so early on in the expansion at all, really sets the tone I guess xD First V gets his face bashed in by the President, then gets his ribs broken by this thing, things can only get better from here on. That whole section gave me such Bioshock vibes actually like... the Art Deco architecture the "amazing city that turned out so awful" vibes, it's impeccable, and I love it so so much. Really gotta take some time to properly explore everything (and now I gotta wait for Reed to call me back so, best opportunity).

I saw that thing under the tarp and was like "oh yeah, later on in the story this is gonna come back to bite me in the ass" - only that in this case "later" was "five minutes later" not "10 story missions later" as I anticipated XD

Also, I gotta say, I really don't trust Myers or Songbird much at this point with their intentions. I mentioned this previously... how convenient for Songbird to know to contact V via the Relic, but how the hell did she know about it in the first place, that he had it, where he was at, etc.? And then, in the Space Force One Wreck there was the shard with the answer! They knew about the Konpeki heist and two involved mercs through an informant potentially working at Arasaka. Yet, when I then deliberately chose a dialogue later on where V was like "yeah, I got Arasaka's Relic stuck in my head" Myers was all "oh, what really! how peculiar!". And maybe she really didn't know and I'm reading too much into it, but I'm really not liking her vibes atm at all XD (as a character though she's so cool, not at all how I'd picture a typical NUSA president, and I get the impression she doesn't really like the role all that much - I wanna read up on her background lore as soon as I'm done playing XD). AND. The shard on the plane specifically mentions Johnny on the Relic AND I'M CALLING IT NOW like I called it before, I BET they're really after Johnny's engram to do some experimenting with it for some fucked up Militech scheme. And in return V gets to live or some crap. URGH. I hope I'm wrong but I said it before "Phantom Liberty" (if you read it as in "a ghost that was freed" or "no real freedom") screams to me that this all boils down to something happening to Johnny in a messed up way in the end in exchange for V's life. Analogue to the Devil ending, but instead of Arasaka you have Militech/NUSA (if I'm wrong, please don't spoiler it to me, and if I'm right or close, please don't spoiler it either XD I wanna see just how far off I am myself XDD)

Songbird being MIA is hmmm... Not quite suspicious, but I'm wondering if she is still alive or maybe also doomed to be a construct now, but I'm really not sure. It would be kinda disappointing, I'd like to meet her in person still and am excited to see what she is gaining in all of this. I like the tragic "gifted criminal kid turned government asset" trope a lot and I'm curious to see how her story develops.

I'm also loving all the lifepath specific dialogues so much, I'm actually learning something new now and then about what Vince's Arasaka job was actually truly like at the core!

Also Myers roasting him for not having had a high enough security clearance to know about Reed xDD So rude! But I'm so so so curious how Ex-Arasaka agent with occasional homesickness to the corporate world and FIA-Sleeper agent with a big Arasaka-grudge are gonna work together o.o

I feel like, they're either really gonna see eye-to-eye very much or will continue to clash over and over and V is gonna come out as the loser at the end of this xD But currently, me as the player I'm trusting no one, and Vince as being caught up in all of this tries to play nice and be on everyone's good side but behind the scenes does not trust any of them one bit either xD It's really more a one hand washes the other kinda deal for him with no long-term obligations.

I'm also LOVING Johnny in all of this so far like... Vince and he don't get along that well most of the time for a variety of reasons. And so far, even though I got the Sun ending as my canon (as of right now), I feel like Vince acted more out of desperation than real trust or anything in going down that path and not any other. So I think Phantom Liberty *might* be the storyline that has been missing for me personally so far to really legitimize to myself that Vince would trust Johnny enough to let him take over his body for that last mission or go on a suicide run through Arasaka Tower with him. They are really seeing eye to eye on a lot of the stuff that's going on, both paranoid and suspicious, both not liking to swear any oaths or work for the FIA or anything like that. Bonding over their shared dislike for all the secrecy and scheming xD

Speaking of timelines, I found an ingame date for the 16th of June about an meeting Myers was to attend and another meeting scheduled for June 18th - sounding like the 16th is already passed at this point and the plane crash probably happening on the 16th or 17th or something like this... which completely throws my previously established timeline overboard :D But also stretches the canonical timeline a bit, if my assumptions are right, which would be nice and a lot more realistic than "like, a month, for all of that to happen". (For reference, in my timeline for Vince without PL I put the last quest on June 9th).

But that's only speculation ofc!

Then I also had my first vehicle gig for Muamar and omggg I loved this little convo with him so fucking much?? Like, this really built up his character so nicely, and the whole car stealing scheme would also be super down Vince's alley XD

And this exchange I LOVED sm:

Vince, car nerd surpreme, offering to fix the Cap's car, and Muamar's response: certain things I don't do halfway -> my clothes, my cut, my cars. Vince 100% seconds that sentiment XDD Like, so far I have to admit Muamar never really grabbed me that much as a character and I felt like he and Vince probably didn't have much in common. I was wrong XD

I also wanted to pay Mr. Hands a visit in his funky pyramid, but he wouldn't let me in yet. I'm so looking foward to finally playing his gigs now :D And seeing what else Dogtown has to offer in terms of stories and side jobs :o

Others mentioned it already, but I'm loving this place's design so so much... it feels like a different city altogether, the style of the buildings and everything is so unique and it's such a biiiig sprawling place o.o

And a random little thing I noticed, there's a lot of little cinematic moments now (the contextual removal of the HUD for conversations for example is such a good new feature). And occasionally the camera will automatically pan to interesting events or V's optics zoom in automatically - it was a bit weird the first time it happened but I really like it in a way? I noticed it during the part of rescuing Myers where you had to sneak past the huge Barghest drone (also such a good good moment, I'm loving all the stealth, parkour, and whatnot, the level design is *so good* hhhhh).

And finally, when I decided "okay, I'm gonna go to bed now" and was just about to close the game... I got a text message from Kerry I didn't know yet :DDD

(the fucking emojis with noses, Kerry pls, your age is really showing)

Like... I did not expect new texts from the LIs, and yeah, this got me really excited xD (and yeh I obviously had to read all the different outcomes and there *are* some differences depending on what you text back. I love it sm). AND. Then I called him. And there's new conversations about the events of PL too??? Hello?

Man I wish there was something like that for the other missions but obviously, with how late-game Kerry's romance is that sadly doesn't make much sense. So this is also something that made me tremendously happy (and also adds some new depth and bits and pieces to Kerry's character, which I'm always so here for XD). Exicted to see if there's more to talk about with him as the expansion progresses - I doubt it, but I'm ready to be surprised, maybe also by the other main NPCs that you're not in a relationship with.

That one V will definitely bear in mind for whatever is to come. Hhhhh I'm so excited!!

[paperstarwriters]

A Tiny Problem

Chibi!Optimus x reader (platonic/romantic) Warnings: none, besides some reckless parkour from Miko

Summary: there's a tiny problem at base that renders Optimus from picking you up. After trekking your way to base, you discover just how "tiny" this problem really is.

First fic of the year!

I wrote this so long ago. Somehow, it never seemed to finish. I intended for it to be a simple, quick one-shot but it's become so long…

I've mentioned the bots as little chibi bots because I wanted to and I thought it'd be cute and really funny. Search for fanart if you want references about what they'd look like, because I'm focusing on cute fantasy not reality here. Alright?

Also just a quick mention but I personally have the headcannon that most bots cannot draw. Any that have learned to do so on earth. I can't recall if there was any evidence of a bot drawing, but I don't think drawings are a common thing on Cybertron, not when the ability to take pictures is already readily present. Blueprints and plans I think are the only drawings while diagrams are pictures that have been digitally edited and altered.

Either way, I personally think that the bots have never seen stylized drawings before, like the diagrams in a book or the art from animated TV shows and movies.

Anyways, on with the show!

⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ ✧ ✦ ✧ ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

You walked with Jack towards the base, taking a precautionary longer route around so as to prevent the inevitable small town gossip of two kids walking over in an unidentifiable direction. With the bots, it at least looked like you were driving out somewhere, and no one could clearly tell who unless they saw you go in, but at the moment you didn't have the bots. Optimus usually picked you up, and Arcee had yet to show up. She was normally around Jack all the time, but she was called away for some minor problem at the base and said she would be there to pick you and Jack up. It's been about three hours since then, two spent working without any sign of her arrival, another after work simply waiting together before you packed up and began your trip to the base.

It wasn't the first time you've had to do this. The Autobots were often whisked away to deal with 'cons and their shenanigans, but most of the time there was at least a bot or two to scoop you up off the streets. Miko and Raf were lucky enough to be at the base already, picked up right after school ended by their guardians. Would have been nice to get a text about it at the very least. Normally Miko and Raf were reliable to inform you that there was a big mission and that you should be walking rather than waiting around for an hour.

You finally made it to the base with your bags, walking into the front door. Since agent Fowler's many visits triggering the alarm, he's had a new human friendly system installed in the base using facial recognition. It was placed at human height to allow him to use it and for once you found yourself grateful that he'd rather do this than call in first.

The doors slid open upon recognizing your faces, and you began the trek through the blank metallic halls leading into the main room.

"Geez, this hallway seems so much shorter with Arcee." Jack sighed.

He tugged on his backpack readjusting it on his shoulder while the other hung lazily free. His bag was rather light, most things kept in his locker at school, so it didn't matter if he didn't carry it properly. You on the other hand were hauling a lot today. You had promised to show Optimus a few of your notes about your latest obsession while he worked, as he wanted to hear about human culture. Human practices, activities, and study fascinated him to no end, but with the war he could not perform this research for himself. Which is why you sought to learn new things then talk about them to Optimus, and why your back was in the process of committing treason against you.

If your body was a country, you were supposed to be the ruler or leader of the land. You supplied your body it's needs and wants, yet when you ask it to fight for you, your spine has the audacity to cause you harm.

"Yeah, my books are much lighter with Optimus too."

Jack rolled his eyes. "Look, I said we could stop by your place to drop your stuff off. Honestly, you're gonna break your back."

You pouted, jutting your bottom lip out in order to try and convey at least a fraction of your immense displeasure, which had multiplied tenfold at the fact that he was right. "If Optimus begins to stare at me with puppy dog eyes for not bringing my notes you'll have to be responsible for the emotional damage caused by guilt. Pay my hospital bills."

He scoffed at this. "For the last time, it's not 'puppy dog eyes' it's the disappointed dad stare – the D.D.S.! Optimus doesn't do puppy dog eyes."

"It's not the disappointed dad stare! He makes his optics all wide and glassy and blue — when Optimus is disappointed his Optics are much more relaxed."

"Then it's the concerned dad stare!" Jack threw his arms into the air incredulously. "What would Optimus even use puppy dog eyes to get? We all follow what he asks of us anyways, and if we don't we get the DDS."

You rolled your eyes and chuckled. Usually Optimus did well to hide the pitiful gaze that twisted your heart. He mostly used it when you were skipping out on taking care of yourself. It was arguably a concerned stare, and you're sure that the others would have classified it as such, (with the exception of Ratchet who had this cruel technique utilized against him many more times than you) but if they knew of how Optimus would take you aside and ask you with a pout to, "please take care of yourself, please". If that was not enough to convince then it was the wide blue eyes glancing at you from afar with the faintest little pout on his face, trying to hide the expression from his team as he silently tried to persuade you to go spend more time with him, even if it was just sitting by him as he worked. The mere thought of his face was enough to make your heart throb, and with rejuvenated energy, you made it to the entrance, and crossed the room to the little elevated human perch.

You walked all the way to the stairs, succumbing to the fact that you could not climb up the ladder with such a heavy load on your back, and even if you did and succeeded, Optimus and Ratchet would nag at you until the weight of their disappointment crushed you flat. Climbing up you noticed Jack, already on the catwalk frozen still as Miko and Raf began to yell. Or, well, Miko began to yell, and Raf spoke at a voice slightly more elevated than usual.

"Why are you guys hiding?! We already told you, it's fine! It's not like Jack would hurt you right? Come on Arcee, show him how tough you still are!" You glanced around trying to find out where Arcee could be hiding. She wasn't the biggest bot, but she was still huge compared to the average human. Where could she hide?

"Arcee, I'm sure you're just embarrassed, but we already told you Jack's not the type to rub it in… Right Jack?"

At the mention you saw Jack snap out of his stupor, sending a glance your way before he returned to whatever it was he was staring at. "Right, right," he muttered after a moment, "sorry, I was just surprised. What…. What happened to them?"

Them? Who were they talking about? Jack sent another glance your way, as you climbed up the last few steps. His eyes made an attempt to widen more, but they were already the size of dish plates as his gaze switched comedically between you and presumably Miko and Raf. You shrugged off your backpack, ready to chuck it aside as soon as you reached the top. You were grateful that you did. If you had such heavy weight on your back, you might've ended up leaning back and tumbling right back down the stairs. At your arrival, Optimus promptly scurried to hide behind Raf where Arcee had presumably just emerged from. The fact that he was even able to hide behind him, clutch Raf's oversized, hand-me-down shirt in his servo only solidified the sight before you. This was real.

The entire Autobot crew had turned tiny.

It wasn't even a proportional tiny. They had the proportions of children— they had the proportions of a chibi. Those cute mini versions of cartoon characters, namely anime cartoon characters. In layman's terms, they looked like children. They all had a height that would reach up to just under your ribs, a larger helm, tiny little servos and big, big, big, blue glittering optics. Optimus looked like his face should be tomato red. Mouth twisted as he tired to decide whether to scowl, to pout or force his mouth into a straight face, and snapping on his mini mask as he resigned to the fact that neither expression would be able to properly convey his emotions. The cute little battle mask only amplified his optics big and wide, staring at you with that puppy-dog stare while his brows furrowed. He looked like a child about to cry, as he peeked behind Raf.

You had to bite your lip to contain your grin. He looked adorable, but that didn't stop the fact that he was hiding from you. Was he ashamed? Did he think you were going to laugh at him?

"I – What happened—?" you tore your gaze from Optimus, and took survey of the others in the room.

You noted the cute little Ratchet hiding and obviously embarrassed behind the couch. He looked so angry, amidst his embarrassment only amplifying the cute factor he so clearly wanted to avoid. Bulkhead looked pleased as punch holding onto Miko's hand like a child earning the attention of their favorite teacher. Bee was buzzing around Optimus glancing between him and you trying to beep out some comfort to the usually stoic leader, and Arcee had taken to freezing stock still as if you would fail to notice her if she was as unmovable as the furniture around her.

"What happened to them?"

Miko replied first, "Ratchet was working on another doohickey—"

"It was not my fault!" he yelled from behind the couch. Despite the change in size, his voice failed to change. For a moment, it felt jarring, but as you allowed yourself a moment to process it, you concluded that the phenomenon was, in fact, adorable.

"Ratchet was attempting to mend a relic that had the ability to drastically change the size of a Cybertronian. There was a bit of an accident, and the relic suddenly activated and shrunk everyone."

"Well, almost everyone, we were left unaffected! Go humans!" Miko cheered. Raf rolled his eyes.

"Yes," Optimus finally spoke up. His voice was the most jarring to hear, baritone deep in a tiny child-like body. It took you longer to get used to it than it did Ratchet's but knowing him, his speech would give you ample time to attach his deep voice to his new, albeit temporary, form. You'd inevitably decide it was adorable anyways— how could you not? It was Optimus.

"In this form we were unable to pick you up as usual and I apologize for the inconvenience and unnecessary risk. In this form we cannot protect you from the Decepticons."

You couldn't help yourself any more. You flashed Optimus a bright grin and in a few strides you leaned down and wrapped your arms around him before you hauled him up into the air. He was obviously more lighter than usual seeing as you were actually able to lift him but he was definitely heavier than your books. Regardless, you cradled him in your arms as if he were a toddler.

"Always worrying about someone else rather than yourself. Worry about us later, let's get you back to normal, then we can chuck this relic into con hands and make it their problem."

In your arms, Optimus clung to you, optics wide he pushed his helm against your chest. Despite his prior embarrassment, he seemed content to be in your arms, unaware of how hard you had to work to continue to hold him up.

There was a pause. When you glanced up wide eyes watched you from every side. They flickered from you to Optimus, back and forth, to and fro. You couldn't tell what they were more astounded about. That you could carry him, or that he leaned into your embrace.

It became very awkward very fast, but Jack was the first to break the ice.

"Okay, so what would we need to do to fix this?" Jack asked, strolling towards the others.

Ratchet began to peek out from behind the couch. He was quick to duck back down unsure of himself but Optimus turned in your arms and beckoned his old friend over with the wave of his servo. He leaned away from you, forcing you to lean back so you wouldn't drop him. Eventually Ratchet shuffled from his hiding place and towards your group explaining what he should but couldn't do only half of the way. The other half was spent self consciously muttering, and with a smaller, softer voice, you couldn't hear his exact words.

"We'll need to repair the relic in order to reactivate it and reverse the effects. However all my tools are—well—unusable in this state, what more, the relic itself is on my work table and the height makes it impossible to reach—"

"Got it!" Miko and Raf holler in unison.

Raf has his fist resting in his other hand, a sign that he's come up with an idea. Miko on the other hand has broken into a running start before grabbing a railing and vaulting over it. Through a series of jumping and climbing she makes her way over to the relic. Helpless to do anything but watch her, Bulkhead, Ratchet and Optimus all look like they're about to faint. Ratchet barks at Miko to, "Stop doing that this instant; do you know how dangerous that is?" In contrast Bulkhead sits with a servo at his mouth as he watches her climb and jump. In your arms Optimus squirms and flinches at every moment that Miko could slip, and seeing the sheer speed she travels at, he's squirming the entire way.

"Got it!" Miko hollers in victory stabilizing herself by holding onto the relic. She waves an arm above her head beckoning the others over as if she wants them to jump their way there the same way she did. When no one moves in reply, she huffs and with her hands on her hips clarifies, "I need someone to catch this, when I shove it off the table. I can't just parkour my way back with something this big!"

"Just shove it down! I'd rather work on fixing that more than trying to un-squish a human!" Miko rolls her eyes but complies regardless, and shoves the metallic item off the table. It lands with a deafening clatter which the humans and bots alike reply with clamping their hands over their ears, or servos over audials. With your hands full, however, you're left to suffer in the noise, ears ringing even after the metal settles.

Miko clambers her way back landing with a sweeping bow before her tiny Bulkhead, who, instead of applauding her skill, decides to fuss.

"Are you okay Miko? You didn’t scrape anything right? What were you even thinking you could have fallen! At this size I can't go and catch you!"

You can't help but chuckle at the sight. Miko has Clambered up bulkhead's frame countless times when he couldn't offer his servo as her mini elevator. In fact, it helped out immensely when all he needed to do was stand still during a battle for a few moments so that she could climb off of him rather than fall splat onto the earth. Despite that fact Ratchet never looked fondly at her clambering up his frame and although he argued it was because he didn't want to clean human bits off of Bulkhead—

"Do you understand how I feel when she climbs you now Bulkhead? The both of you ought to stop it this instant!"

—it was clear from his nagging that he cared about Miko just as much.

You shared a knowing glance with Optimus before you turned to Raf who had been effectively upstaged at Miko's performance. He looked a little pale and shaken, but meeting your gaze he was quick to snap back into thought.

"As I was saying, we could just provide Ratchet with a few human tools. He's likened many of the tools he uses to ones he's seen me use or look at."

Ratchet scoffed at the idea. "I compared them to ours. In case you didn't remember, the tools I need will require much more power."

"Then just use the stuff we use to repair cars. It's powerful enough to fix Optimus, shouldn't it work for the relic?" Jack pointed out. He settled to sit on the floor beside Arcee, likely trying to make her height predicament a little more bearable.

"And where pray tell, will we get that?" Ratchet scoffed though his sass had less of an impact when he was so tiny. "Last I checked you kids didn't even have any wielding tools and I—"

"Optimus?!" Agent Fowler's voice calls in from the main computer screen. Jack sends a knowing smirk to Ratchet.

You can't carry Optimus and run to the computer screen, so you set him down and hold his hand. Optimus, although looking a little downcast, does not complain.

"Agent Fowler." Giggles ripple amongst the children, including you, as Optimus' most regal tone rings out from his tiny body. "Do you need something right now?"

Fowler's eyes go comically wide. "Never mind me — what in the Sam hill happened to you?!"

"An Accident," Optimus replied, his voice still deep and his hand still wrapped around your fingers. You can see agent Fowler fighting back laughter at the sight of it, and you can hear Ratchet's irritated grumbling. "We are currently working on fixing this but unfortunately we lack some of the needed supplies…"

"Ratchet has a requesting system, anything he needs we can provide, just get yourselves back together!"

Ratchet points out that he cannot access the system rather angrily, and Fowler's grin slips past even more as a grouchy little Ratchet tries to yell at him. His expression is quickly schooled back as Ratchet lists the tools he needs and Fowler tells him what the human equivalents would be. No longer a part of the conversation, Optimus begins to tug you away.

You're apparently not the only ones slipping away from the conversation either. With Jack slipping back to chat with Arcee, and Miko and bulkhead running off somewhere into the base. Raf respectfully stays near the consoles with Ratchet as he chats away with Bee about interesting possibilities.

Optimus leads you to the stairway and retrieves your bag and with far more ease than should be fair in his small stature. He carries it for you and sits on the couch, bending the worn material dangerously low from his now compacted weight, but it stays up well enough for him to squirm in place a little to get comfortable. The movement reminds you of a toddler.

"Since we have a moment," Optimus explains, fiddling with the zippers of your bag. "I would like to see for myself some of the things you've brought today."

He grins up at you, pointing the zipper to you in a questioning manner. Like a child asking a parent to open the cookie jar. Grinning, you take the tab and open the bag in a flourish, letting the books spill forth from their confines. Optimus looks at the haul with glittering optics, and tentatively picks one up. He opens the cover, and carefully flips through the pages. It's careful at first, but he gets excited, reading at a speed that you could only describe as unfair.

Metal fingers flick through delicate pages at lighting speed, he skips a few pages, chapters and other such things skimming through the material with avid fascination. Alas, paper, metal, and lightning speed do not so often kindly mix.

A loud tear pierces the silence and Optimus freezes in place. Half torn from the spine, the frail shred of yellowing aged paper sits like a dead body in his servo. He looks up at you helplessly, looking like a child all over again. Perhaps though, it's the fact that he's looking up at you that strikes you the most.

He looks mortified, staring back down at the sheet as if it were bleeding. As if the writing would condemn him for his actions. Your own writing actually. Notes taken from on something you wouldn't be able to bring back with you. Something that could be easily replaced.

"Yeah… try not to flip through it too quickly. Don't worry we can fix it with some tape."

Optimus' optics dart around for a moment, as if realizing that the others were there, he tampers his previous horror with an uneasy smile stretching out his now tiny arms towards you with the book in hand. "Apologies I didn't realize it would be so… frail."

You take the book. "Don't worry about it, humans do it too – all the time." You give him a smile and another book from your backpack. This time, you plop down next to him on the couch, and despite being smaller, his weight still exceeds your own and you slide against him in the dip he's created. You take advantage of the situation then, throwing an arm around Optimus and setting the book in his lap. You're holding the novel, your arms on either side of him. It was a little uncomfortable, just a little, but it was nice as well.

Optimus places his smaller hands atop yours where you hold the book, and he gently pushes your hand when he wants to flip the pages. He takes a little more time reading now, savoring the words or your company, you can't really tell.

"You can flip the pages yourself you know. It's not like I don't trust you to take care of this book."

Optimus twists a bit and you have to lean back before he skewers you from the little bits and pieces of him that stick out. He winces apologetically, but speaks for his initial thought regardless. "Thank you for your trust but… I think I like this as well."

You're peeking around him now, trying to see what book you had grabbed. The artwork looks familiar the text reminded you of — "oh, you've already read this one."

Optimus looks bashful now, as if re reading a book was something to be ashamed of.

"Ah, is that…. Bad?"

"No, no! I was just…. You're not just reading it because it's the one I handed to you right? We can grab another."

"I assure you, no." There's a picture in the book, some diagram of an animal relevant to the text, and ever so delicately, Optimus trails his digits over the paper, over the picture, admiring the feel of paper under his digits. "I've just…. I've always wanted to see the pictures as well."

Pain laces up your chest, and you can't tell if it's because something is digging into your ribs, or the overwhelming need to find some picture books for Optimus. You don't really care either way, since you're still going to act on the latter. Did you bring any books with pictures in it? You lean into Optimus' smaller shoulder, letting your cheek lean against his helm as he reads. He freezes for a moment, becoming stone still before he relaxes a little under your touch.

Did you bring a picture book with you? There should be something with diagrams… but Optimus hasn't seen the pictures in books, ideally you'd be looking for something with drawings…. There had to be at least one art book, but you can't for the life of you recall if you actually brought it.

You have to pull away from Optimus in order to search through your bags shuffling through book after book after— aha!

Turning back you meet Optimus' wide optics, torn from his book as he eyes you almost worriedly. Noticing what you're holding however, worry quickly melts into curiosity. His book is quickly abandoned in favor of whatever you hold.

"What is this?"

Instead of answering you flip through the pages of the book in search of a very specific page, then open it up and turn it to Optimus' eager gaze. Paper spills from it's confines, unfolding into a poster detailing a wide array of parts of some organism — hand drawn and carrying an older aesthetic, it looks more like art than an almost blueprint like dissection

Optimus' optics glow.

Wonder and awe, he examines the poster, leaning in closely to examine the text accompanying the diagrams. The thin lines that detail the piece are subject to the scrutiny of Optimus, his digits trailing over laminated paper as he traces the lines to what they connect to.

And then his eyes flicker to you carrying with it a wonder you don't feel like you deserve.

"Can you… explain a little bit more about this? How does it work? And what does this mean?"

"Actually," you chirp proud at your selection of books, "I have a book that very clearly—"

Optimus' tiny servos trail to your wrist first, dragging you along back to your spot beside him. He takes the book from your hands once more, and sets it in his lap again – just like he did with the last. Though, this time, his eyes do not watch the book so reverently, instead they're trained on you. Twin spotlights, that tear your heart asunder.

"Please, if it would not trouble you, I'd like to hear how you explain it."

Puppy dog eyes. Distantly you can practically hear Jack gape. If you were not so busy, you'd flash him a silent "I told you so" smirk.

Currently however, you are being manipulated by a mastermind presented with the ability to tug your heartstrings in a completely new and interesting manner, and you, unfortunately are not someone stronger than that. It makes you smile, just a little preparing yourself to go down the rabbit hole and into a long winded tirade.

Outside this little study bubble for you and Optimus, you notice Ratchet climbing down the stairs shuffling and holding onto the hand rail as he descends to the mess Miko left behind. You notice Miko affectionately taunting him, while Bulkhead tries to help, as Ratchet descends, and the grump yelling in return. From a bunch of scrap metal, Jack has begun work on some mini ramps and other such things for his now smaller partner. Everyone seems to be having fun and joking around now that they're all smaller. Later, maybe you'd help Jack and see if you could makes something that Optimus could race around on, or maybe you could join Bee and Raf as they watch things on his laptop, or maybe you'd even help Ratchet try to reassemble that relic. For now, though, you're far too busy plotting out books to get from the library on your next trip out, and explaining concepts detailed in drawings to Optimus seated cozily in your embrace.

[miomines]

A Dragon's Precious Gem • Serendipity

previous | next

i need to stop trying to force myself to write More words. this is just for fun!!! i don't need to push myself so much that i avoid it!! this is so far the shortest of all the installments but that's not bad!! it just means it's shorter. gotta learn how to deal with that.

meili isn't actually present in this one! she's mentioned a few times but this is where you meet mingzhu! although you're not properly introduced yet but she's here! you now have a little sibling congrats

"Do you know how to play the lyre?"

Xiao doesn't even startle as you flop down onto the ground next to him. A big difference from when he started staying here, but it's not an unwelcome change. He glances at you and hums, tilting his head.

"I have little knowledge when it comes to playing instruments," he says. "It wasn't a priority but I do know the basics. Why do you ask?"

"Meili gave this to me," you reply. You hold up the lyre and you have a small feeling where she got this from. A lyre after her trip to Mondstadt? She may avoid the topic but you're not that unaware of things. "I never actually played one before but I didn't want to refuse it, y'know? It's a gift."

Xiao nods and scoots closer to you. "I think you know more than you think," he adds. "Have you noticed that Teyvat flourishes in your presence? You learn things much easier than a regular mortal does." He says it all so nonchalantly while adjusting the lyre in your hands into a proper hold.

"I do?" You doubt that and it probably shows on your face. He shakes his head and there's a hint of a fond smile on his face. Xiao has always been so kind to you and he was much more expressive here than from what you remember in game. You prefer this Xiao in front of you.

"You do," he nods. "From what you've told me of your previous world, things work differently there. Cooking works differently here but you've picked up on it pretty easily."

"Well, I had Meili's help.." You had noticed it. It was little differences that added up over time but you didn't know you picked it up quicker. "I dunno how you can say I learn quicker than others if there's no one else from my world here."

"Call it a gut feeling," he says. You nod as you absent-mindedly fiddled with the lyre strings. He gestures to the instrument when you play an easy melody. You can see his point.

"I was.. connected to Teyvat before, remember? There was this lyre type minigame that I liked playing. Maybe that's why?" You shrug as pluck at the strings carefully. "I dunno. It's all kinda confusing to me. I didn't really think much of it because of the whole situation with my arrival."

Xiao hums and leans back against the tree behind you both. Playing the lyre is easy enough for you, surprisingly. It's as if muscle memory takes over and allows you to play on complete instinct. Is it the lyre itself or is it you?

The air around you falls into a comfortable silence, only the notes of your lyre breaking that up softly in waves. When you had first arrived here in Teyvat, this is what you wanted. Living peacefully with one of the characters you loved by your side with a warm and happy home. Meili wasn't a part of the dream back then, but you can't imagine it without her now.

Teyvat is truly beautiful when you ignore most of the mortals living here. At least you have Xiao to lean on when you need him.

Nature is playful and full of activity so when you hear the leaves of bushes rustling you don't pay much attention to it. The thing that grabs your attention is a child's laughter and you pause in your playing.

Xiao hums and looks at you questioningly. You hold up a finger as you listen carefully. You hear the laughter again, a playful giggle as the leaves rustle.

"There's a kid around here," you whisper to him. You aren't that far from Qingce Village but at the same time, kids don't normally come out this far. You point to where the giggles came from.

You watch as a small slime emerges from the bush, the childish giggles abruptly stopping as something crashes into the slime. They tumble and roll over each other a few times and you suddenly realise what you're seeing. 

It's a small dragon, their long body curled around the slime as they playfully nip at it. They're not very large and you don't even think they would reach your knees if they stood on all fours. The only dragon that you've seen that looks somewhat closer to them is Morax. You don't like comparing them to him but their proportions are similar even if they don't look much too similar otherwise.

"Hello?" You call out and their head snaps up. They unfurl their body from the slime as they look towards you and Xiao.

"An adeptus?" Xiao mumbles as the little dragon bounds over. "Are you looking for Meili?" He raised his voice slightly to ask. They chirp and nip at your sleeve.

"They're cute," you laugh and pat the top of their head. The small dragon lets out a noise that resembles a purr as they flop down into your lap. You rub your thumbs over their little horns and smile endearingly as they curl up in your lap. "Meili mentioned having a daughter but I think this one is too little to be Meiying."

"They are," Xiao agrees. "I haven't had many chances to talk to Meiying before but I remember she wasn't this small. Meiying isn't even in Liyue currently."

"Do you remember when Meili will be back?" You don't take your eyes off the little dragon. They're so small. They could wrap around your shoulders like a scarf. Out of the corner of your eye, you see Xiao just shrug. Fair enough.

You lean back against the tree to pick up the forgotten lyre. The dragon nudges their head against your stomach gently. You pat their head before you resume your lyre playing. They chirp happily at your music.

Well, you suppose that this little dragon is a good addition to your life. If they weren't already looking for Meili, you think you would've asked her if they could stay anyways. They're just so small. It's difficult to not get attached to them.

"I'll take care of you until Meili returns, okay?" You hum softly and they purr again. You turn to smile at Xiao and he just shakes his head with a sigh. 

You play the lyre as the little one falls asleep on you. You feel the weight of Xiao leaning against you and you can't help but smile. Hidden from the chaos of Teyvat, you have your little family. You have a safe and loving home.

Your dreams of living peacefully in Teyvat were not as unlikely as you had once thought.

----

taglist: @ognenniyvolk @tendous-socks <3

(Thank you for enjoying A Dragon's Precious Gem! If you wish to be informed whenever this series is updated, please send me a message to ask to be included in the taglist!)

[mostgeckcellent]

my submission for the @drinkwithme-exchange for @fuckyeahlesmiserables

I originally wrote something completely different, and I didn't like it at all, but you mentioned you liked my Old Guard series, so I wrote a new installment of that for you instead!

Platonic Ships: Eponine & Musichetta, Eponine & Grantaire

Eponine swirled her glass. Cosette was still with Enjolras - she’d dragged their newly-returned-from-the-dead friend off pretty quick, but Eponine was still processing. Did she believe him? She wasn’t sure. He’d convinced Bahorel, though, and Baz had never been the type to believe just anything without questioning it, especially something as batshit crazy as all of this.

Immortals. What next?

She drained what remained of her whiskey and coke, and stood. She needed to go for a walk.

Eponine was three blocks away from Jehan’s little house when Musichetta caught up to her.

“Hey.” Musichetta put a hand on Eponine’s shoulder. “You okay?”

Eponine stopped walking, lit a cigarette. “Yeah. Sure.”

“You know it’s okay if you’re not,” Musichetta said, never one to just back down.

“Yeah,” Eponine repeated with a sigh. “You want one?”

“Sure.” Musichetta took the offered cigarette; Eponine lit it for her.

They stood in silence for a while. Eponine liked that about Musichetta, that they could just be. That she didn’t have to talk, or fill the space.

“It’s fucked up, right?” Eponine said eventually.

“Yeah.” Musichetta didn’t have to ask what. Enjolras’ return was a miracle unlooked for, of course, but it was bittersweet, too. They’d mourned him. Not moved on, never moved on - it felt impossible, when there were no answers - but he’d left them.

Eponine understood. She did, probably better than any of the rest of them. She of all people knew about needing to run away and not look back, knew about new lives and new beginnings and the colliding of worlds.

It still hurt, to have been left behind.

“It’s good to have answers,” Musichetta said eventually, when their cigarettes were burned nearly to stubs. “Fucking weird answers, mind you-”

Eponine laughed, sharp. “Fucking weird answers,” she agreed.

“-But it’s good to have them,” Musichetta finished.

“Yeah,” Eponine agreed. “I’m glad he’s alive. And hey, if he really is immortal, I can shank him for doing that to us,” she grinned, all teeth and no joy.

Musichetta nudged her in the side. “You’re not gonna stab Enjolras,” she shook her head.

“I might,” Eponine protested.

“You’re not going to stab Enjolras,” Musichetta repeated sternly. “I know you’re mad. We all are, a little. It’s a lot. But-”

“But what? But he had to?” She knew that. “It wasn’t safe?” She knew that too. She dropped her cigarette, put it out with her heel. Could hear Enjolras’ voice in the back of her head, chiding her for littering, for letting the chemicals inevitably leach into the water somewhere. She ignored it.

“Yes,” Musichetta said, as if it were that simple. “And he came back in the end.”

“Because he got caught,” Eponine snarled. “Not because-”

“He cares about us. He cares about you,” Musichetta said softly.

“Does he?”

“You know he does.”

Eponine sighed, looked away. “I’ll forgive him eventually,” she muttered. “I’m just - I’m not ready yet.”

“Okay,” Musichetta agreed with a soft smile. “Can I hug you?”

Eponine rolled her eyes a little, but she opened her arms, and really, she’d never admit it out loud, but Musichetta’s hugs had a way of making her feel like everything really might be alright, someday.

--

Enjolras would stay for three days. That’s what he said when he got off the phone with his friends. Three days. His friends would make the drive today, his new family.

Eponine didn’t resent him for it. Or - she did, a little. He’d ran off with his new friends to a new place and left them all to pick up the pieces, and now his new friends were coming here. But it was fine, and Eponine didn’t resent him.

Maybe if she repeated it enough she’d convince herself.

She knew she wasn’t being fair to him. She knew she was wasting time - if they only had three days, she ought to be making the most of it, not sulking in the bathroom.

“You’re going to regret avoiding him the whole time when he has to leave again,” came Musichetta’s voice from the other side of the door, because Musichetta was a fucking mind reader.

“Maybe so,” Eponine called back, but she unlocked the door and opened it.

“Apparently they’ll be here in around an hour,” Musichetta reported. “They started the drive this morning.”

“Great,” Eponine muttered.

“Ep.” Musichetta frowned. Apparently, sympathy hours had run out. “Come on. They’re important to him.”

“We used to be important to him,” Eponine scowled.

“Okay, that’s enough.” Musichetta stepped into the bathroom with Eponine, shutting the door behind her. “I love you, you know I do, but he still loves us. And you’re going to feel like shit when he’s gone, and you’ve just been resentful at him the whole time. Did he do a shitty thing? Yes. Do you have a right to be upset by it all? Absolutely. But you’re going to kick yourself for wasting the time you’ve been given.”

Eponine glared at Musichetta for a long moment, but Musichetta was used to her moods, and didn’t back down an inch.

Eponine deflated, sighed, and ran her fingers through her hair. “So, we’ve moved on from pity to ass-kicking, huh?”

“You know the drill, baby,” Musichetta grins at her. “One day for wallowing, and then we get the fuck back up again.”

“Ugh. I fucking hate you.”

“No you don’t.” Musichetta clapped Eponine on the back. “C’mon. Let’s go do this thing.”

--

Enjolras’ friends were.. Well. They were an odd bunch, which meant, in the end, that they fit right in. Marius was looking up at Courfeyrac with the widest puppy eyes, enraptured by the tales he wove. Marius wasn’t the only one - even Eponine had to admit the man had charisma. He’d won over most of the group within moments of arriving, cheerful and kind as he was. Combeferre was a quiet, steady presence beside him, the pair of them orbiting each other in a way that was as enthralling as it was sickeningly sweet. Joly had managed to tear Combeferre away for a separate conversation at some point; Eponine wasn’t listening, had stopped listening when they had started discussing the more gruesome points in medical history. And then there was Feuilly - she was gorgeous, and better yet, she swore like a sailor and beat Bahorel at arm wrestling three times in a row. Enjolras’ new friends had been folded neatly into the Amis, like it was easy, like they fit.

Well, most of them. One man kept to the corner, nursing a drink and watching Enjolras, always watching Enjolras.

“Grantaire, right?” Eponine leaned against the wall beside him.

He looked over at her, startled. “Yeah. That’s me.”

“A bit old for him, aren’t you?” she asked, because she wasn’t stupid, she knew what it meant that Grantaire stared like that, that Enjolras only blushed when stumbling over his introduction of Grantaire, and not the others.

Grantaire snorted. “You have no idea,” he admitted. “But he knows what he wants, and I’ve learned not to get in the way of his decisions.”

“Hm.” Eponine sized Grantaire up. Honestly, she’d assumed Enjolras was some sort of monk, before he’d disappeared. He’d never dated, never so much as looked.

He definitely looked at Grantaire, though. In fact, he was looking now, looking away from his conversation with Courfeyrac, Combeferre, Marius and Cosette to stare at Grantaire, and it wasn’t a look Eponine had ever seen him direct at anyone before.

“You’re not what I’d have expected for him,” she said.

“Tell me about it.” Grantaire didn’t seem to care to argue the point.

Eponine narrowed her eyes at him.

He glanced at her, and shrugged. “I love him,” he said after a moment. “When I was ready to give up on the world, there he was, all..” He waved a hand in Enjolras’ direction. “Well, you know him. You know what he’s like - justice and whatever, Apollo fucking incarnate, the way he speaks..” Grantaire trailed off. “I don’t know how anyone can hear him talk and not love him.”

“I dunno, he’s not really my type,” Eponine said drily, a smile beginning to curl at the edge of her lips despite herself.

Grantaire laughed. “Must be weird, all of this.”

“Now there’s an understatement,” Eponine muttered, eyes locked on Enjolras, who had returned to his conversation.

“He’s not going to age,” Grantaire said, not quite casual.

“I guess not,” Eponine agreed.

“It’s going to kill him, watching you all age and die.” Grantaire crossed his arms over his chest.

Eponine.. hadn’t thought about that. “Is that why he stayed away?”

“Absolutely not.” Grantaire huffed out a laugh, though he didn’t seem happy about it. “No, he wanted so badly to get in touch, no matter how much we - I - warned him he’d just get hurt. He thinks it’s worth it.” Grantaire looked around the room, and Eponine could see when he softened. “Maybe he was right,” he allowed. “I just hope it doesn’t break him.”

“So you’re the reason he stayed away,” Eponine narrowed her eyes at him.

Grantaire glanced at her. “I just want him to be safe and happy. Getting attached to mortals? Never ends well.”

“It wasn’t your call to make,” Eponine frowned at him.

“No,” Grantaire agreed. “It wasn’t. I didn’t try to stop him from coming here, I just..” He sighed.

Eponine sighed too. “You’re right,” she said eventually. “It’ll kill him to watch us die. And he won’t look away, I know he won’t, he’ll be here.”

“Yeah,” Grantaire agreed.

Sad wasn’t the right word for Grantaire, Eponine thought. Weary, to his bones, with sadness etched into him… for a moment, she felt like she glimpsed him properly, ancient and grand as he was. And then he was just a guy again - a young man in a green hoodie, someone she’d pass on the street and never give a second thought to.

“You’ll be there for him, when it happens,” Eponine said like it was a certainty. She had to hope - believe - that it was.

“Yes,” Grantaire agreed. “I’ll be there. So will they.” He gestured to where Enjolras was gesticulating wildly, accidentally smacking Courfeyrac’s nose when a gesture went too wide. Courfeyrac just laughed, and tweaked Enjolras’ nose in return. Enjolras squawked indignantly, and then the whole group of them were laughing, Cosette and Marius included, and Bossuet, who had joined them at some point.

“You’ll keep in touch,” Eponine said. It wasn’t a question. She held out her phone.

Grantaire looked at her for a long moment. She didn’t squirm, didn’t flinch, just raised an eyebrow.

Grantaire nodded, took the phone, and plugged his own number in. Enjolras’, too, for good measure.

“I was determined to hate you all,” Eponine admitted as she took the phone back.

“I get that,” Grantaire agreed.

“I don’t,” Eponine pocketed the phone. “He seems happy. And he’s out there, making a difference or whatever. If he can’t do it with us, I’m.. glad, I guess, that he can do it with you.”

“He’d stay if he could,” Grantaire said.

“I don’t know if that’s true,” Eponine shook her head. “He cares about you a lot. And them, too, your whole bunch.”

“He’s got enough in his heart of all of us.” Grantaire looked at her.

Eponine smiled a little. “Yeah. Yeah, he does.”

[athena-is-a-chaotic-lil-shit]

Of Ice and Blood

Part 5

Look who's back with a 5k+ word count chapter?! Me!

I was planning on posting 1k+ at a time but stuff happened and I'm posting it all at once!

Enjoy and I'd appreciate it dearly if you reblog! Thank you!

Edit: Reached the 250 block limit so... The inevitable decision had to be made! Part 5 has a total of 3.42k words! The rest will be in a separate post <3

Pairing: Tai'chi Kashharzol (Orc) x Pearl Blackbell (Human OC/Reader)

Warnings: Cursing, Violence, brief mentions of blood and injury.

Overall SFW (but 16+ for language)

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4 Part 6

*

The walk back to the school building was quiet.

Or so I thought.

Because it wasn't. At all.

Whispers, mutterings, echoed from the rooms as we passed by.

Are they doing it on purpose, or is my hearing sharper than usual?

"Hey look it's that girl."

"You mean the freak who sat beside the orc—"

"First day of school and someone already got killed. Should've expected him to be a savage."

"You think she wears a mask to hide her identity? Maybe she's a criminal-"

Probably the latter.

I shrugged. There stood a decent amount of distance between us anyway. So it's likely my hearing.

Students were watching us with weird suspecting eyes from a distance behind the windows. Sensing apprehension and outward hate when they saw Tai'chi next to me, his face in a neutral expression. But with my nose at this proximity, he smells pretty annoyed.

Just— why are there so many people,— humans–garnering these feelings towards someone they don't even know! And to even mock him like that! How dare —

"Pearl," Tai'chi called. His rich voice resonating, making the gossips of the students stop for a brief moment before they continued. Most likely slandering my name now. I didn't know I was standing still. Looking up, Tai'chi was a decent 9 meters away, with the staff members further ahead of him. He gave me a wondering look, worry along with his natural fragrance, drifted through me, carried by air.

I straightened up and took long strides, Tai'chi beside me, to catch up with them.

"Yeah, just thinking. I'm okay." Replying, not looking up to him. He didn't ask, but I felt like he would.

************short pov shift************

He was a bit bothered by the change in your scent and looked back when he noticed you weren't beside him anymore. There you were, standing in the middle of the wide hallway, brows scrunched up in aggravation.

He called out to you, probably a little louder than he meant to, but you looked up and hastily made your way beside him, both of you catching up to the rest towards the dean's office. He didn't ask, but you answered, only making him worry even more.

**********first person pov**************

As soon as we entered the main office of the center building, we were greeted with the sight of the dean and David, together with Miss Holson. He was a white fat man, though a bit taller than me, wearing a light grey suit with a few buttons open revealing a white undershirt, and a silly yellow, violet polka dot tie. I barely held back from snorting at the sight.

Mr. Silverstone was fussing over his son, his voice raised in slight panic was heard by everyone.

They went ahead of us then.

"My son! My dear, dear David! Who did this to you?!" he cried out. Once David, that son of a bitch, spotted me, he flashed me that blasted grin of his. He was acting, pretending to be hurt.

I hardly even left a scratch on him for fuck's sake. How I regret not punching him straight in the face.

Reverting to his fake, frightened, and miserable state, he pointed at me. "I-I-It's her father! She is the one who attacked me! Along with that thing with her."

Thing?! That sick bastard!

The dean whipped his head in my direction, eyes scanning me up and down before he diverted them to Tai'chi.

Well, it seems I'll ve packing up sooner than I thought.

My shoulders sagged.

Some professors were alarmed by this, frantically pushing forward to grab his attention.

"Mr. Silverstone, we still do not know what's for certain. We must interrogate them properly and listen to each of their sides before we make a decision." Mr. Dulrik asserted, his voice strained and close to animosity. He was not pleased with what the student had said.

The elder professor from earlier followed up.

"Listen to Mr. Dulrik, sir. We cannot take any risks and ju—"

"Silence!" the dean shouted. "I will not hear your reasoning. My son has told me everything I need to know. Miss Holson supported his claims and that's enough to decide what to do with these criminals."

Criminals?!

"The girl and that orc shall be expelled from this institution immediately. We do not need any murderers or barbarians here. I have always suspected why that Ernestine brat even allowed these monstrosities to be with us. To breathe the same air and walk the same land as we do, endangering our safety no less! A pathetic excuse of a founder she is! If it were me I would've—"

"You would've what?" Words came out before I stopped myself, my voice low, but it was heard still, drawing their attention to me.

"What did you just say?" He demanded, his anger slipping out more. The room was silent, except for the subtle ticking of the wall clock behind me, and the movement of air around us.

I lifted my head and looked at him dead in the eye. "You would've what?" This time, I replied, louder.

Before he could retort I went on, emotion fueling my words as I advanced with every question asked.

"Would've banned every single, non-human race from the university?

"Would've taught every human that they are greater beings and the ones that were different were meant to be stepped on?

"Would've ordered and tolerated bullying on anyone who was unnatural and weird looking?

"Would've put them in their place?

Isolate them? Degrade them? Despise them for being alive?" No-one stopped me as I approached him, the teachers separating and making way. Even Mr. Dulrik was regarding me curiously.

I scoffed. " 'If it were me' you said. You think I wouldn't notice how everyone else, that isn't human, was oppressed and treated like shit in this school? It seems to me that you already did what you would've done, didn't you? You are no dean, you are a clown, a pillock, a dumbass, and you call yourself human? You are more monster than any of us in this room."

I breathed heavily as I stood a couple of feet in front of him. His face grew to a crimson hue, my ears catching the sound of smoke seething out of him. At the back, David and Miss Holson were dumbfounded, shocked into place, shaken like ugly statues.

Finally, the dean spoke, his fists clenching hard as he faced me, almost drawing blood.

I am so gonna beat him up. Hell yeah, I will.

"Keep out of trouble if you can." Well, shit happened Mama, forgive me.

"How dare you speak to me like that! I, a pure-blood Silverstone, a line of royalty! If we were still at war I would've had you executed from where you stand—"

"How about you do it yourself then, oh mighty Silverstone jerk?" I mocked and gave a toothy smile, then I remembered he wouldn't see it. That was all it took to have him launching himself at me, the professors running to the sides to avoid his wrath.

His hands were balled tight, a fist aiming for my face, eyes filled with deadly intent.

Oh, he really wants to kill me.

Before it connected, I sidestepped, causing him to stumble forward. Even so, he immediately regained his balance and reached to grab my hoodie. I didn't dodge this time, but before he touched me, I used my right hand to slap it away. With my other hand, fitted with my crimson knuckle dusters, I met his fist with mine. Almost instantly, he stumbled back and crouched down, his left hand holding his bloodied one.

"You bitch!!!" he screamed in agony.

I think I broke his hand.

I glanced to my brass knuckles, some of the blood covering them, merely visible because of its color.

Shattered it perhaps.

"I will have you killed you insolent brat! I'll kill you!" he cursed.

"Now, now, Silverstone, you will do no such thing." A feminine voice cut through the large room. We all turned to the door to see a slim, tall, tanned woman who seemed to be in her 40s, her slightly wrinkled face showing it. She was wearing a black high-waist pencil skirt paired with a black one-button suit and a baby blue undershirt. The lady also wore classic white loafers and white hand gloves made of leather, with her ebony hair tied up in a bun.

Everything about her screams 'important'. I scented an intimidating yet reassuring aura around her.

I met her eyes and a sense of familiarity fell upon me. I know her and I've seen her before.

Wait. Could it be— she's—

"Madame Ernestine!" A professor exclaimed.

That means she's, "The founder," I said out loud.

She began sauntering in my direction, each step clicking on the floor, carrying herself with grace.

"M-Ma-Madame Ernestine!" The dean, shrieked as he stood up, shaking, his busted hand in his chest, his back facing me. "I didn't expect you to visit this year! We could've prepared for your arrival—"

"You shut your mouth now Welmir." She spoke out, her voice firm and borderline hostile. "I've had enough of your blabbering mug. I made it so that my arrival is unexpected. Leaving my outside duties rather early and rushed this year when news got to me that you, the dean, were neglecting your duties, or so, doing it wrong. Not to mention I had my assistant install extra cameras in... certain places last year and because of that, I saw what you did in the shadows. Maybe not all, but it confirmed my suspicions of you, and so," She clapped her together, "I decided to visit you today. And what a surprise it was to see you get beaten up by this lovely young lady behind you."

Me?! Lovely—

My face warmed from her comment.

"Listen here, brat." he regarded the founder. The founder. "I do not know what you are talking about. I have done my duties and more for this university. I made it so that everyone here is safe and this girl,"— he spat— "harmed me, my precious son, and his friends!"

"And all of you deserved it, severely," she responded flatly. "You put my dear students at risk and antagonized them with your schemes, tolerating the behavior of treating other races like animals, disrespecting even the professors who are different in kind," she glanced at Mr. Dulrik and the others. "You even forced a minotaur, an elf, and a dwarven student to act the part of being in a student council, hoping people wouldn't notice the crimes you did behind our backs. Did you expect me to turn blind eye to this?"

It was all pretend?!

The mere thought of what he did to threaten them to it makes me wanna puke.

"I am furious, Welmir Silverstone. To think I believed you'd change your ways after my father's death with the renovation of the institute. Trusted you to do your job as dean and make the students comfortable, welcomed. But, no. You chose to follow his footsteps, became selfish, blinded by greed and pointless hate. You are a disappointment to all of us."

I smelled her rage under that near non-expressive facade of hers. It was spicy, like fire having an odor of its own.

"You are but a child! You know nothing of this world! This world of ours needs to be purged off of those rats. You cannot tell me what to do!" He yelled as he brought up his uninjured hand to hit her. I was about to step in when Madame Ernestine grabbed his arm and threw a right uppercut, blood spilling out of his jaw. The punch sent him a few steps back, he would have landed on me if I didn't move out of the way before he collapsed on the floor groaning and holding his mouth.

Ooh she's strong! Nice! I grinned.

"You are hereby stripped off of your job as dean along with all of your titles, properties, and henceforth banished from these grounds, together with your son and Emma Holson, whom I found out laid with him, and the abusive acts they had engaged in." Her words laced with poison, disgust and anger as she gave the final judgement.

"Never show yourselves. Ever. Again," she spat. "Take them away."

Out of nowhere, men in black suits came in and apprehended the young instructor, who twisted her heel trying to escape. She yelled at them to let her go, saying she has done nothing wrong. David, the bastard, was held in place by one of them as he struggled in their grasp. The dean— or should I say, Mr. Silverstone, in pain and bleeding, was dragged up by two others and headed straight out of the door. He shouted ;

"Mark my words, brat! I will—"

And the door slammed close.

With my gaze following them, my eyes landed on Tai'chi. I took off my dusters and waved, tucking them back up my sleeve.

He is smiling! And oh wow he's damn gorgeous— wait what?

My attention was drawn away to the lady in front of me. I got distracted by Tai'chi that I almost forgot about her.

"Oh my God I uhm— hello Madame Ernestine." I took one step back before bowing. "It's an honor to meet you. I—"

"Oh dear, please raise your head. No need for such formal gestures. I am Valerie Ernestine, founder of the new Ernestine State University." She stated as she beamed at me.

"I uh- Yes ma'am I know of you. I'm quite a fan actually— I mean! My name is Pearl Blackbell, ma'am."

Oh God, that sounded so stupid.

Then she hugged me.

"Ma'am?!" I squeaked. My arms went stiff, nervous to even touch her. Before I could, she pulled back, a gentle expression on her face.

"Nice to meet you, Pearl Blackbell."

"I- nice to meet you too Ma'am Ernestine!" I stammered, praying my face and ears isn't as red as I feel them to be.

"Please, call me Valerie."

"Ma'am Valerie."

"Just Valerie, dear."

"I'm so sorry ma'am but I can't— my mother will hit me in the head with a frying pan if I forget my manners."

"Very well, then. It brings me joy that you were raised properly by your parents."

"Thank you ma'am, I really am happy to have them, and I only hope for them to be proud of me— oh wait. Uh, ma'am Valerie?"

"Yes?"

"Am I gonna get punished or expelled?" I shrunk, expecting the worst.

"Why ever did you think of that?"

"W-Well you see, I did harm uh, students and they're probably in the infirmary right now and—"

"Oh, Pearl, no." She let out a light chuckle. "You won't be punished or even expelled for that! In fact, I saw how you defended yourself and your friend from them. They did attack you first, sweetie. And what you did was impressive!" She clapped her hands. As I stood there in relief, I couldn't help but shot up when the words sank in.

"Oh, thank you. But how...?"

"Apparently, I had my assistant install some cameras in the forest area for particular reasons. I watched you from the monitor as I made my way here," she replied.

"Oh. Oh, wow. That's actually pretty awesome," I sighed.

"Indeed, it is," she smiled. "Excuse me for a bit."

******pov shift to 2nd person (two characters)*****

Madame Ernestine turned and walked towards the remaining teachers to talk about important matters at hand.

"Greetings, my friends." She beamed at the staff and looked at Professor Dulrik and the woman who supported him earlier. "Hello, Roldo and Amila. I have missed you dearly." She bent down to hug the two of them before she went on. "I apologize for not taking action immediately. To think he did this to all of you right under my nose! Why didn't you contact me Roldo?"

"My apologies, Madame Ernestine. I didn't have any proof to show his plot against you and the others. He was very elusive and kept us very busy in our own offices for the past year with you away. That was until today, with the young lady over there standing up against his son, he snapped."

"It really is a good thing she came here, didn't she?" she whispered.

"Indeed, Madame," Amila replied.

There was a brief silence, before Valerie spoke up again. Her gaze locked at the dwarven professor.

"Roldo, my old friend, I want you to take your place as the new dean of this university. I trust you to do your duty a hundred percent better than that impudent man ever did. Will you accept this responsibility?"

"I- Valerie this is-"

"Roldo, you are wise and have seen things most of us here have not. I will not force you on something you do not want, but I put my faith in you, to help me, along with the rest of the staff, to teach everyone here that all of us stand in equal ground, and that we must respect and acknowledge each individual, regardless of their kind. No one, no student, should ever feel uncomfortable in this haven of mine."

"I understand, Valerie." The dwarf took a deep breath and vowed;

"I, Roldo Dulrik, son of Grol II, son of Frerin, accept the responsibilities given to me as dean of Ernestine State University. I will do my duty to the best of my abilities, and remain loyal to you and to this institution." He responded as he thumped his right fist against his chest.

"I know you will, my friend." Valerie grinned at him, her eyes full of trust and hope.

While they were occupied with discussing certain issues, you tried to sneak away, only to be called back by Madame Ernestine.

"Pearl, my dear."

"Yes ma'am?"

"Thank you."

She had a soft smile, emotions clear on her face, directed at you. The founder, Valerie was thanking you for your bravery, kindness and overall honesty. You simply nodded and grinned from ear to ear behind your mask. You were, however, suddenly nervous when Valerie and the two professors approached you. No, actually, all of them were, but the others are heading out of the office, perhaps to go back to their respective classrooms and start working, they gave their thanks as they went out.

"Pearl Blackbell, a wonderful name!" Professor Dulrik remarked. "May the Gods bless you and shine upon you in all your days," he grinned. Before you could reply, Professor Amila hugged you and whispered. "Thank you, for beating up those idiots," —which made you giggle— "It was the right thing to do, and also I had to defend myself. and thank you, Professor Dulrik."

"Nonsense, call me Professor Roldo, lass." He patted your shoulder as he went past you and out of the office, but not before he slapped Tai'chi's forearm.

"You best protect her if you can, lad. Even so, it is obvious she won't need protecting!" He laughed, and went on, quietly, as if whispering. "...Be her friend, my boy. Her eyes...they show the pain she had gone through. You saw that in her, didn't you?"

Tai'chi simply nodded in response. He knew what he meant.

"Then do what you must. If word ever comes to me that you hurt her, I will hunt you down with me battle axe hidden in my office, you hear?"

This time, he chuckled. "I hear you, Professor. I won't. I swear on the the name of my clan, no harm will befall on her." He told him, his voice firm and true.

"That's what I'm talking about, lad!" He replied as he finally exited the room.

Tai'chi shifted his gaze to you. You and the dean were still talking so he stood there, patiently.

"We best be on our way. We still have a number of things to set straight. We will see you around, Miss Blackbell. Don't get into trouble now." The founder giggled.

"I will try my best, ma'am."

"Oh sure you will, sweetie. Goodluck. And oh, the two of you should start going back. It's past lunchbreak afterall." She said as the two ladies sauntered past you and went out.

"Thank you, we will." You said, mostly to yourself.

**************************************

Part 6 will be posted shortly! Like, shortly shortly. Like, an hour or so shortly. Stay tuned! Thank you for reaching this point uwu✨

Tags: @crackinanutshell @kokokatsworld @mitchiesdungeon <3