#man i really like how the last page turned out :3c

[ask--invaderzim]

Am just gonna *gives gir a waffle gun*

Anyways Zim do you have any wholesome moments with gir? :3

[badgerhuan]

Mitsunoko :3c

@saltyfilmmajor NANCY HI I KNOW IT'S YOU

so I've waited until I'm stuck on a bus for about an hour to answer this on my phone bc otherwise it's going to turn into a 10 page propaganda manifesto with screenshots and I do not actually have the spoons for that.

they make me UNWELL.

Ship It

1. What made you ship it?

my beloved friend @twotwinks was playing through Ace Attorney Investigations and liveblogging it at me. and at one point jhe sent me a screenshot where Itonokogiri swears to follow Mitsurugi through thick and thin. and then was promptly dragged away from him kicking and screaming.

famous last words

jhe then started microdosing me with content about these two in the games, and after I told my treasured friend @maverickcalf about it they also started putting posts about them on my dash. and it took about three weeks before I caved and read through the entire ao3 tag of the ship in one night and. the rest is history, as they might say.

ive always had a passing interest in Gyakuten Saiban but just never got around to getting into it properly. I'd bought and played through a bit of GS6 when it first came out but didn't get very far bc of my limited Japanese then. when MT got really into it I thought it was the perfect chance for me to familiarize myself with the franchise (nothing better than a friend that infodumps) but I. never expected to fall into the franchise as hard as I did, especially not in This Specific Way. this will now be my entire personality for the next three years.

2. What are your favorite things about the ship?

god where do I START.

I think what really does strike me is in the first game, how much they clearly trust each other. Itonokogiri is Loud about it so we know clearly where he stands, but while Mitsurugi doesn't say it out loud there are so many scenes where his actions dictate he does trust Itonokogiri. small instances that makes you go HUH. like the fact that he feels bad about keeping things from Itonokogiri in Turnabout Goodbyes!! and the fact that Naruhodou suspected it would hurt him and WEAPONIZED that against him. like. GOD. WHAT THE FUCK. HOW IS THAT CANON.

another thing I love so much about them is that despite fitting the stereotypical roles of a smart character + a not so bright character, Mitsurugi is never condescending to Itonokogiri. it delighted me so much in Gyakuten Kenji 1 where Itonokogiri would have a question about something, and Mitsurugi would just explain it very plainly and straightforwardly to him, without judgement. it means so much to me!!! he never calls him dumb or stupid to his face!! even in his thoughts the most he does is phrase it tactfully in a way that doesn't outright insult Itonokogiri whenever he does something unexpected. I just. oughhh I love them so much.

3. Is there an unpopular opinion you have on your ship?

oh boy do I.

having only played the games in Japanese and only learned about the changes made in the English version through my friends, I strongly believe the English localization of the franchise is at best a pale comparison to the original and at worst a purposeful character assassination of many of the characters, ESPECIALLY Itonokogiri. to me, Ace Attorney is a completely different franchise from Gyakuten Saiban and the characters in the localization are not and will never be the same characters as the ones in the original. I respect the people in the fandom that love version of the ship and the characters in the localization but I need people to understand. they have a very different vibe from the original version of them. because Itonokogiri, a Japanese man, not understanding what a ceiling fan (katakana) is, and Gumshoe, an American, not understanding what a ceiling fan (English) is, have very different implications, and Mitsurugi's and Edgeworth's reactions differ greatly based on that.

I can never engage with the English-speaking fandom at large bc of that and it saddens me, but at this point I care about Mitsurugi and Itonokogiri's characterization in the original Japanese versions of the games Too Much to compromise on it.

oh and even among jp fans I am camp mitsunoko instead of nokomitsu (it's less about the top and bottom thing and more about the vibes and dynamics bc on GOD Itonokogiri would NEVER be the one to make the first move are you KIDDING ME) and that pigeonholes me into an even MORE niche corner LMAO.

anyway I think that still turned out longer than I meant for it to be sgskhsjs but godddd they plague my every waking thought. ITONOKOGIRI CHECKS UP ON MITSURUGI AFTER AN EARTHQUAKE. MITSURUGI ONLY TOLD ITONOKOGIRI ABOUT HIS TRIP ABROAD AND NO ONE ELSE. THEY CAN'T COMMUNICATE FOR SHIT AND NEVER TALK ABOUT ANYTHING BUT THEY KNOW EACH OTHER SO WELL. WHY ARE THEY LIKE THIS.

[pinkiepiebones]

So what is your favorite and least favorite Zsasz comics? (Barring his first appearance because of course he’s aces in that~) And bonus round, are there any of his movie/show appearances that you care for? :3c

The Arkham Games Zsasz is best Zsasz... maybe not, like, image-wise (every dude in those games is fucking chiseled; Zsasz is supposed to be lithe and lanky), but his voice is what 10000000% sold me on him as a character and the tiny writing details that established how he'll stalk people to gauge if they are "worthy" of "salvation" is just chef kiss emoji. I will always credit/blame Danny Jacobs for making Zsasz into a living, breathing, multi-faceted character. His performance wavers between "flirtatious, breathy madman," "grieving child giving in to delusions," and "broken man all too aware of the bullshit justifications he's constructed," with all of this nuance one would just not anticipate from a character who's shtick is "kill and then cut self." I love Danny Jacobs' Zsasz.

I would also love to put Tim Booth's Zsasz from "Batman Begins" on some kinda list if only because, waaaaaaay back there, I talked to Booth several times on Twitter about his Zsasz and he seemed to genuinely like the character and was really sad that his big fight scene with Christian Bale that he trained with the choreographers for went unfilmed. He also provided Zsasz voicework for the BB tie-in game, audio of which took me 700 years to find. Booth imbues his Zsasz with more of a coy, calculating creepiness, very quiet, like someone trying to coax a frightened animal out of hiding. Booth's music is also really cool, so yeah.

Worst comic Zsasz appearance is a LOT of them actually. Any story where Zsasz is dressed like a fucking skinhead or collects physical trophies (like driver's licenses) or works with other villains or demonstrates a henchman-level intelligence or uses guns or demonstrates a pattern is woefully misunderstanding who/what Zsasz is. Here, I'll break it down:

-the skinhead outfit bullshit: Zsasz kills without any hatred towards any people group. A guy with a shaved head =/= n**i. qed. I swear somewhere I have a comic where, in the background, you can see Zsasz vehemently turning down an invitation to join some prison skinheads.

-physical trophies. THAT'S WHAT HIS TALLY MARKS ARE FOR. Why the fuck would he need to swipe a zombie's paraphernalia when he'll always carry a momento of them on his body?

-working with others... I just. Other than using the unnamed "friend" in Arkham City to rig up the phone signal bouncer, there's no- Zsasz sees everyone as a potential tally mark, you know? And frankly, no other rogue should be willing to work with him (with the exceptions of Ivy and Croc; due to Zsasz's self-imposed "zombie vision" I can see and like to imagine scenarios where he doesn't regard those two as "zombies" in need of "salvation"). This is also why I detest the Zsasz in the Gotham series and vehemently LOATHE Streets of Gotham.* Any media that paints Zsasz as a knife- or, let's face it, gun- for hire should just fucking create a new character.

-henchmen intelligence. Zsasz was created to be Gotham City's answer to Hannibal Lecter. He's a constantly calculating, philosophical, sometimes verbose, dramatic son of a bitch. There was one comic some years back, during that whole "court of owls" shit, where Zsasz was reduced to calling Penguin "little bird man" and yes I'm still mad about it; it wasn't him being sardonic or disdainful, in that comic Zsasz was literally a drooling stereotype of "crazy guy." I bought that shit because I was promised "holy fuck Zsasz got infected with the Man-Bat serum BAT ZSASZ!" and that was, like, two pages. Garbage.

-guns. In his DEBUT ISSUE Zsasz notes how much he hates using guns due to the noise and smell and will ONLY use them if no other weapon is immediately available. For Zsasz a gun is and should be written as an absolute last resort. This is the same fucker who can choke someone to death with one hand; there's no reason he should be just another gun-toting mook.

-pattern. He literally has no pattern. We are all potential targets of his "salvation." That's a nitpick I have with the first game wherein the first doctor in the patient interview tapes states Zsasz "killed over twenty young women," implying that that is a target demographic. Again, debut issue counters that. And g-d I fucking hate Streets of Gotham so much for making Zsasz go full "I hired men to kidnap children, specifically children, to fight to the death for gamblers, and I get to fight the champion child" or whatever the fuck that stupid story was I tried to purge it from my mind.

*The only, ONLY positive feedback I will give to Streets of Gotham is 1) Dustin Nguyen's watercolour covers are really pretty and 2) the three or four panels of "zombie vision" that show the reader how Zsasz sees the world but man I'm thinking about it and just remembered the page where Zsasz talks to Penguin like it's no big deal and a panel where Zsasz says "I like to hurt people" just fucking create a different chatacter bruce timm that is not Zsasz you are bad at writing Zsasz!!!

... Anyway. Also BoP Zsasz wasn't perfect by a fucking long mile- stop making Zsasz a henchman!!!- but I really liked the tiny inclusion of the metal teeth placed exactly where Zsasz lost teeth after being brained by Batman in his debut run so.

[plush-rabbit]

What headcanons you have in request box actually? I'm really curious lol. Have nice day btw, I love your work!!!!!

Okay, so usually I put some in a doc and then like figure it out from there so if you've sent one in and haven't seen it, don't worry, it'll be done and added once I make a dent lmao. These are also a mix of hc and fics. Some I'm like part way through so ye

There also might be some that I might not do because its vague, like I'm given just the prompt and I don't know what to do with it or there's just no ideas that come to mind so I really am sorry.

Upcoming ones:

Met with Dia and he said “how else will you please me?” And I think it awoke something in me?? Can I request Diavolo with a bashful innocent MC and him just laying back and letting her have his way with him? But of course he’s a total dom so he’s gonna take control but just has a little fun letting her take the reins to start with? Hi. I just found your stuff and you write so well for Obey Me. Could I request a fic with Barbatos and a female MC? Maybe she's staying at the palace for whatever reason and when he goes to his room he hears her moaning his name so he checks on her but she's sleeping. The next day he hints that she must've had a good dream much to her dismay. That night he goes to her room and she's awake and they end up sleeping together. With some praise and maybe even some tail action. Thank you! Can I please get a uuuhhh possessive/borderline yandere Leon please :3c maybe it’s after a big match for her and everyone’s fawning over her and he steals her away and reminds her that she’s his? 💕✨ I saw those headcanons where Jin and Shigaraki became parental or sibling figures to the reader sooooooo how about headcanons of a fem!reader being a mother figure to the league? Just an ordinary citizen in her late twenties until she met the LOV unexpectedly, during the time where the league had to hide and the reader's place is conveniently open (then again I'm sure they'd bust in if it wasn't) and she didn't rat them out. This happened quite a lot of times to the point where the reader is used to it by now and just lets them in, even if they weren't hiding from anyone and just wants to stay for the night. When she got closer to the league, she starts to show care and love for them in a way a mother would the reader isn't a member of the league, but they already consider her as family :'D I just really want them to get care and love since they've been through so much Last week I literally sat down and read your writing for like an hour and a half LOL It’s just really good and I love your characterization! I was wondering if I could request Twice and Shigaraki with an s/o who tries to be cute and surprise them by wearing their clothes when they return from a mission but maybe the clothes are a bit too snug cuz they’re a little pudgy :( could also be nsfw if you’re ok with that!! Thank you so much 💜💜 I like the Lucky!Cat!reader hc. Could you do some for the LOV, with a Male Cat s/o? Thank you! You're the best!! I've been obsessing about flowers and their meanings or what they symbolize soooooo. How would the LOV react to their s/o giving them a certain flower and then finding out what the flower means/symbolizes? Hope this passes! It's a request for OM. Can I have headcanons of the brothers + Diavolo (if you don't mind) of their s/o dancing "Paradise Lost" by GAIN? Provided you a link to the video for reference 😁: https://youtu.be/4i32ANEa5mk Headcanons where the LOV has an s/o whose like a literal ball of sunshine. Always happy and bubbly, smiling and laughing, they just seem to epitome of joy. Until one day, they just break down, being so emotionally drained from different factors that they can keep up the act of being happy anymore Last week I literally sat down and read your writing for like an hour and a half LOL It’s just really good and I love your characterization! I was wondering if I could request Twice and Shigaraki with an s/o who tries to be cute and surprise them by wearing their clothes when they return from a mission but maybe the clothes are a bit too snug cuz they’re a little pudgy :( could also be nsfw if you’re ok with that!! Thank you so much 💜💜 hey!! hru? i have a question do you think shigaraki would like a threesome? what if his s/o didn’t want one bc she’s like possessive of him (in a non toxic way) hey plush, can you do a reader x Shiggy and Dabi whos crying to them/grabbing their shirts and burring themselves into shiggy and dabi/ about their verbally abusive ex, how theyre so different from them, so much nicer and softer, how they(the reader) never thought they could be loved or deserved kindness? its been one of those days, i just need some comfort. thank you♡ heyy!! ^^ can i request some headcanons for hawks reacting to his female s/o belly dancing for him? :3 Heyo this is beetle juice anon idk if u remember me I’m the person who said shiggy sounds like beetle juice, I swear I couldn’t get that thought out of my head so can I request shiggy and reader getting hit by a quirk that forces them to do a musically ( idk I just want shiggy to sing honestly lmaoooo) idk maybe both of them being shocked that both of them can sing hey, i absolutely adore your writing! i love going through all your work, they’re my comfort fics! 💞 i was wondering if you would mind writing something for tomura with an s/o who is insecure about her body and how skinny she is? she feels too flat, like she doesn’t have enough curves or that she’s grown into her body enough and it makes her feel less of a woman, that tomura could do better. and it makes her anxious when it comes to initimacy and being exposed to him because in her eyes he’s so perfectly handsome and she just feels inadequate... it’s something i’ve had to deal with pretty much my entire life, getting called names like stick insect and coat hanger, but lately it’s been eating away at me more and more. you can totally ignore this if you feel uncomfortable writing about this stuff, though! 💕 So, like. Hear me out. What if, with Bakugou and Dabi (separate) : MC is super innocent and cute, blushes at the slightest flirt, and “doesn’t get” dirty jokes, but as soon as they’re alone with their s/o? They are the kinkiest most vulgar bottom they’ve ever seen. Nipples pierced, collar under the turtleneck, chain strung between the piercings and the collar, all out kinda slut. The duality of man. (Gender neutral) Hello so may i request shigaraki with a s.o whos warm loving and protective and very innocent basically a s.o whos like mitsuri kanroji both personality and look wise Female pronouns,maybe they are out on a date getting ice cream and the s.o is so happy shiggy came, they hold hands and people start giving him odd looks only for her to stand up to the bullies who are saying things about shigaraki, it ends with her kissing him infront of everyone to prove a point,and when the get home she tells him she doesnt care what people think and makes love to him topping hin while telling him all the reasons she fell inlove with him,(omg im so sorrry its so long if you have tpo many requests or dont like the idea please tell me) hey, i absolutely adore your writing! i love going through all your work, they’re my comfort fics! 💞 i was wondering if you would mind writing something for tomura with an s/o who is insecure about her body and how skinny she is? she feels too flat, like she doesn’t have enough curves or that she’s grown into her body enough and it makes her feel less of a woman, that tomura could do better. and it makes her anxious when it comes to initimacy and being exposed to him because in her eyes he’s so perfectly handsome and she just feels inadequate... it’s something i’ve had to deal with pretty much my entire life, getting called names like stick insect and coat hanger, but lately it’s been eating away at me more and more. you can totally ignore this if you feel uncomfortable writing about this stuff, though! 💕 could we get a fem reader cock warming Dabi throughout the night and get morning sex >//< // ik youre a busy bee so dont feel obligated to rush or anything, take ur time plushie!♡ can we please get a shiggy x reader and the reader asks him to teach her how to game and she ends up being better than him and whatnot (inspired by that “a simple wager”) fic (if you ever decide to make a sequel to that i will ve DECEASED Can I request a sub shigaraki with a mommy kink getting pegged by the reader ( I just want to make him beg and cry honestly) reader is a female Omh give us noncon/somno w scary eraserhead plsss / aizawa and aphrodisiac smut pwease ( ；∀；) Overhaul and Chrono punishing quirkless reader for being an undercover reporter/agent but like orgasm denial... (Idk if you write this stuff but anyways do it if you want have a nice night) Can I request something like “Peaches and Cream” but with Piers instead? I know you’re busy with other requests, so don’t worry if you don’t have time for this one! I love love your writing!!! Hello beautiful can I just say how amazing ur writing is loll, can I request shigaraki having a crush on the reader and she knows about it, like one day shiggy just goes to her room when there on a mission and just steals her stuff and humps her pillows, but she has cameras in her room so she saw everything, long story short she shows him the videos and humiliates him (shiggy of course a mess and is close to crying from how embarrassing that is, lowkey turned on ) the reader takes care of him ( sorry I’m really bad at endings 🙏🏻😅) the reader pegs him until he’s a crying mess. By the way the reader is a female and shigaraki is a sub has a mommy kink and the reader is dom of that’s ok of course I love your writing!! May I ask for Diavolo x F!Reader with borderline disorder? 👉👈.. Lately it has been very difficult for me to deal with this alone and Diavolo is mine comfort character.. (NSFW Talk, If your a minor..then why are you even reading this?? Get off this 18+ page?? Anyways-). I am a huge sucker for overstimulation, biting and crying, (many of my past partners have called me a sadist-) and I just 𝑎𝑑𝑜𝑟𝑒 the idea of Tamaki’s cute face streaming with tears and drool as Male Reader vigorously overstims the fuck out of him. And he would look so 𝑙𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑦 with his mouth gaping open in a silent scream of overwhelming pleasure because M!Reader gave his sensitive dick a handjob while he roughly railed Tamaki’s pretty little ass. (While abusing the fuck out of his G Spot, of course). I can just imagine him squirming and begging for mercy while M!Reader lovingly wrecks his body, taking him hard & fast in multiple different positions with each one making Tamaki wail with pleasure. He’s just so adorable, I just wanna see him get 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑝𝑙𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑙𝑦 𝑚𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑢𝑝~ Lusty ❤︎ -Anon. Bonus Points if you could have M!Reader be super fuckin tall, muscular, strong and also be absolutely PACKING. (This man has a godly dick, and it’s honestly a surprise Tamaki can take it so well without literally breaking in half) ahhhh hewwo could you maybe write something with dbd ghostface going full apotheosis for his crush? as in,, he starts to elevate her to a status of divinity and even when she's just cowering in fear in front of him or conversely stabbing him and causing him lots of pain he just keeps viewing her as some sort of deity and  can't stop obsessing over her and wanting more from her

Again. I deeply apologize for not doing some. I wish I could, but (and this is not to guilt trip any of yall or anything, I understand that it'll sound like that it but it ain't it) sometimes the work I put into something and the feedback I get is sometimes not it. Like I'll work hard and get nothing and listen, I get it, its fanfic, there's a bit more stigma to it rather than art but yeah. Its a ramble, and basically, I don't wanna put work into something that I'll only get a few likes on. So yeah. Agains this isn't guilt tripping, I get it. I'm a consumer of it and I get the gist of it but yeah. More thoughts later, when I can properly sit and write as I am currently in a home depot 

[jeoseungsaja]

Who is the lonely guardian? 

The wind would ask and centuries would answer. Ages riddled with stories; tales of hushed whispers. Some would describe him with thrill, practically enamored with the idea of a cursed hero; whilst others would tremble by the concept alone. A deity, once human; given power by the bloody sword which accompanied him to dense battlefield. A General, once fervently loyal, betrayed by words that were sharper than the fatal stab of his first and last death. 

  He hadn’t heard the stories until later on, amid merchants who’d attract customers by spilling ancient legends of fantastic creatures; mythological entities that were seen as fascinating yet intimidating. He’d deem them all lies; words to attract a few trades, empty sentences that didn’t even apply to him, regardless of being nothing but a nine-tailed fox. Amusing, how some souls were so greedy, they’d bleed lies as to tranquilize their craving. 

   Who is the Goblin roaming Earth, as to end his punishment? 

  Yeo didn’t think too much of it. All the stories, all the torn pages; all the voices that’d distort narrative as to make it more appealing. Yeo didn’t think too much of it, no...not until diegesis started to follow him almost everywhere as time passed by. He’d constantly collide with Dokkaebi’s history, in one way or the other; dismissive at first, but later inquisitive, especially when a creature of yore told him descriptions others would not. 

   ‘Why are you telling me this?’  Gumiho asked once upon a time, for Bonghwang came to him so out of the blue; sitting nearby only to spill the legendary story of a man who turned into a Goblin out of God’s whim; the prayers of his people flooding their ears, enough to bring both virtue and jinx. 

  ‘I don't know,’ phoenix answered, ‘I do that all the time. The stories come to me at a specific time, sometimes with specific people, like yourself, hoping one day, they'll make sense.' 

   And it didn’t make sense. It didn’t, not at all...until he met him. 

   Him, the lonely guardian. Him, the Goblin roaming Earth. Him, Kim Shin. 

   Who is Kim Shin? 

   The wind would ask again, and Yeo would answer this time. He’d answer, because the stories told are simply too short, too meaningless, too meager, compared to who Kim Shin really is. He is not just sword and curse; he’s not the dull meaning of crimson nor a vile traitor. Wang Yeo would know this, and he’d scream it if need to, for Dokkaebi cannot be labeled a curse; he cannot be classified as ashes that were once important but now have faded as to become walking fable. 

   He is spring in the middle of winter. He is flame when all candles have dwindled. He is rain when the lands are dry and eclipse when the sky’s too colorless. He is light that rescues from death; saving grace when chaos arises. He’s everything others say he isn’t; he’s a contradiction that’s worth understanding. He’s the one who’d wait a million years when time is so infinite for him; the one who’d express a thousand stories just by a glance alone. He’s soft hands despite tough feats; kind eyes despite sadness in them. He’s all this and much more. And this, this doesn’t come from empty words, or tales to enchant others. 

  This comes from heart; a heart that’s been conquered by this guardian most call lonely, a heart that fervently wishes to change that, a heart that’s pressed boldly upon his palms, as to reassure him he is no longer by himself.

   This comes from Wang Yeo, a sinful gumiho who feels virtuous when being by his side.

   This comes from me, to Kim Shin. 

    Sword and ash is not what you are, you’re the blue flame that’s swallowed my heart.

@mythvoiced​ :3c 

[dragonrajafanfiction]

Cassell Cynics: Part 5 (End...?)

OCs are @hectab ‘s . Dinnae Steal! :D that’s my job. :3c

Hana sprinted from Nathan’s dorm towards Guderian’s class room, full of desperation. She kicked off the silly heels Cassell forced her to wear and let the pavement pound through her bare feet. As she ran, she called the professor on her cell phone again and again, but he didn’t pick up. She imagined him teaching a class. She would disrupt it. She would get into trouble maybe she would be disciplined. But they were making a mistake! She had to get them to change their mind!

How come Fingel got to stay as rank F and Nathan was getting expelled as a Rank C? It wasn’t fair! Nathan had way more potential than Fingel and even if he didn’t do anything... why was his mental health not a concern to them? They were the ones who decided to keep him! This is partly their fault. But all Guderian regretted was not being able to refund his tuition! 

She took the twenty stairs up to the main teaching hall in a single bound. Her dark ponytail flying behind her. The doors were already propped open but no one was in the halls. She kept running, expecting resistance. But finding none at all. In fact, all the lights were off as if the classes were finished for the semester.

She dialed Guderian’s number again and it rang and rang. She could hear it ringing in the classroom ahead of her. How could he just ignore her calls like this!

Hana burst through the double doors into a classroom that was empty and dark.  The lights were out and the shades were drawn. The person standing at Guderian’s usual desk was Schneider! He was like a gargoyle in a dark trenchcoat. His sharp eyes glared from behind the half mask over his face. He was holding Guderian’s phone.

“You sent those texts?!” Hana gasped.

Strong arms seized Hana from either side of the doors and dragged her forward, pushing her into a chair in front of him. Hana was overtaken with confusion. “What’s happening? Where’s Professor Guderian?”

She looked up at either one of the people holding on to her. They were members of the Executive Board. Not students, full members!  “What’s going on? Where’s Nathan?”

“You’re too late. He’s already in with Toyama. His brainwashing has commenced.” Schneider said smoothly, setting the phone down. “And you will not be allowed to interfere.”

---

Nathan kept his head up high as he faced the psychologist Dr. Toyama. “It was a nice run.” He grinned. “Wish it could have lasted.”

Toyama, dressed in his usual brown tailored suit raised his eyebrows in surprise as he took a seat across from him. “You’re the cheeriest patient I’ve had the pleasure of working with.”

“Really? I’m guessing that they either don’t know what you really do or ... they’re here against their will. I’m neither of those things. I would have preferred to let my tuition run out first but... hey I get it. I’m not supposed to be here so... here we are!”

“Do you really not feel the Blood Cry at all?” Toyama asked. He picked up an iPad and started writing with a stylus.

“What difference does it make? I’m C-ranked. I don’t qualify for College. You don’t ask students if they feel the Blood Cry if they fail the 3E do you? You just kick them out.”

Toyama smiled, his eyes kind and gentle. “But you didn’t fail the 3E.”

Nathan gave a nervous laugh, his arms crossing over his chest. He glanced around and his eyes fell on hidden cameras very quickly. “You people were the ones who told me I got a C-rank. That’s a fail by your own rules. Why are you suddenly saying I didn’t fail. Did someone falsify my records?”

“I’m required to be present during the 3E. So I remember you. You were nervous but I remember you had a glimmer of excitement in your eyes. You didn’t seem to doubt yourself going in. But after the test was over...”

Nathan interrupted. “The 3E sucks. There are people who have to go to the hospital after! You’re there so they don’t blow their brains out after seeing their visions.”

“It only ‘sucks’ if they actually resonate...” Toyama said coldly.

Toyama sat in silence for several seconds and watched Nathan start to sweat. He rubbed his hands on his pants then suddenly relaxed. “Oh! I have my book with me. I figured I’d go for uh...Jason Bourne. You know, a secret spy who was ‘decomissioned’ by a black government program.” He opened to the correct page and showed it to Toyama. “Give me that memory please.”

Toyama took the notebook from him. There were over a hundred different scenarios of different reasons to explain the lost year from an erased memory, each one getting more and more elaborate as the time went on. But Toyama flipped to the first page.

“Hey! Don’t just go flipping through all of it!” Two members of the discipline committee caught Nathan before he could snatch the book back and restrained him back into the chair.

Toyama read out loud. “August 12th... isn’t that the first day you enrolled? That’s also the first day you wanted to leave.”

Nathan glowered as he was being strapped to the chair with belt like attachments. “Why do you care? Fine, you know what? I quit! I quit and I drop out. I drop out right now!”

“You wanted to leave immediately after the 3E. You could have dropped out then but you didn’t....” Toyama closed the book. “But now you’re suddenly eager to go. What changed?”

“I wanted to enjoy my time here... But you won’t let me...” Nathan snarled.

“We won’t let you enjoy your time? You’ve been here a year and have done nothing but break the rules without consequences.” Toyama said.

“Stop. Just stop! You want me... out there. Fighting in this stupid war! That’s why I’m here. If you really thought I was useless you would have kicked me out! Right?”

“Who wants you fighting in the war against dragons..?” Toyama asked slowly.

Like quicksand, Nathan felt like the more he talked, the deeper he sank. “Do you not hear me! I said I quit! I quit!” He roared louder and louder. “You can’t keep me here!”

“You feel the Blood Cry more strongly than you admit. If I erase your mind the consequences could be disastrous.”

“Why are you stalling? What did she tell you?!” He pulled against the restraints.

“Why don’t you let us help you?”

“I don’t WANT your help!”

Toyama stared in wonder. It wasn’t that he was angry or frustrated. This man was terrified. “Why are you so scared of staying here?”

-----

His brainwashing was already in progress? Hana felt like the wind was knocked out of her.

"No! You have to stop it!”  Maybe if she ran, she could make it! The sharp click of a gun was loud against her head when she tried to stand. Her eyes turned to the sound and she stared down the bottomless barrel of a pistol. “Are you going to shoot me? Why? What’s going on...” Her voice was shaking and betrayed.

Schneider expression was completely pitiless. He looked like the Phantom of the Opera as he set a stop watch on the desk. “You have 10 seconds to explain or our decision is final.” 

“9...8...7...”

“I...” She stared at it, mind racing. “I promised him that I wouldn't say anything about what we talked about... Please he’s my only friend!”

“6...5...4...”

“He won’t survive out there, I know he won’t! Just let him stay! He never caused any trouble!”

“3...2...1..”

“He quit the test on purpose!”

The stop watch beeped and Schneider silenced it with a gloved finger. Hana was still out of breath from running and now she was panting from terror. “Please, just let him stay.”

“The test. You mean the 3E? No one ‘quits’ the 3E, but you said he did.” Schneider kept his frigid stare on her. “He’s not C-ranked and you know it. Why did you lie and say he was?”

“I don’t know if I lied.” Hana’s heart had never beat faster. “I don’t want to lie.”

“But you did.” Schneider raised a single scarred eyebrow. “Which makes this all the more remarkable.”

Schneider walked around the desk and sat down, resting his elbows on the desktop and twining his fingers in front of his face. “You’re a good student. One of the best. What are you doing, Hana?”

“I don’t have anyone else here. I think he’s a good guy. We can be friends. I just want you to leave him alone.” She said.

Schneider waved his hand slightly and the two Executive Board agents turned and left, closing the door.

“EVA!” He raised his voice suddenly. “I need you to remove yourself from this room for the next ten minutes.”

A female voice acknowledged from the PA system. “For the next 10 minutes, I will have no access to this classroom..”

Schneider kept his piercing pale eyes on her. “Everything you say from here on out will be strictly confidential unless you repeat it to others. If anyone asks me, I’ll never tell what you say here today.” She kept a guarded look so he added. “I have many, many secrets I never tell anyone, Hana. You can tell me.”

In their chat over dinner, Nathan had kept asking her if she was on his side and she was. She really was. She didn’t believe he was really high on drugs when he told her about the 3E exam, the vision he had of the dragons’ true nature. But the excuse that he was high when he said those things was too perfect to resist. It was a ‘get out of jail free card’. She had thought that all she had to say was he was high and she wouldn’t lie to the professors and they would go back to ignoring him. But now she found herself in even deeper trouble, facing down the head of the Executive Department. The most dangerous man on Earth! “You really promise you won’t tell anyone else?” 

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

“You risk your mental health if you continue on this path. It’s self destructive.” Toyama continued to try to reason with Nathan. “I just want to make sure you understand the great risk you’re taking and that your decision is not being made rashly.”

Nathan hung his head, as though he were being led to the gallows. "It’s not being made rashly. I know exactly what I’m doing. I know I could just... end up jumping off a bridge once my memories are gone. I’ve been preparing for it. Seeing what works. Marijuana helps a lot. But the problem is you build up a tolerance over time. Especially as a hybrid. Music, weed, regular sleep... it all helps take the edge off the Blood Cry. Alcohol makes it worse alone but with weed it’ll help you sleep.”

“You’ve been experimenting on yourself this whole time?” Toyama ran his fingers along his chin. “You really are serious. If that’s the case, you’re right that I can’t keep you. I just want to know why. Both professionally and personally. I’ve never met anyone like you in my entire career.”

Nathan kept his silence. He didn’t look at Toyama any more.

Toyama’s phone suddenly buzzed. “Excuse me.”

Nathan nodded without looking up.

Toyama stepped out. His voice sounded through the door. He was talking to someone for a very long time. The two disciplinary committee students were still there and he glanced up at one. “I’m sure you guys are curious too...?”

“Not really. I don’t care if you’re here or not.” The square jawed man looked down on him contemptuously. “Frankly, I wonder why they’re wasting time hesitating.”

Nathan laughed softly and looked down. So long as he insisted on leaving, they wouldn’t be able to hold him. This was the final push. No doubt they were trying to force him to stay for their own reasons. They knew he was hiding something precious and they didn’t want to let him go.

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

Hana looked up at Schneider on the phone. 

“Cancel his expulsion.” Schneider said simply.

A pause. Schneider asked. “Did he say why?”

Another longer pause and Schneider licked his lips. “Have you tried to dissuade him?”

Another pause. “Alright. I’ll see what I can do.”

Schneider hung up. “Well, it appears your friend is determined to leave. Unless you could convince him to stay, Toyama has no choice but to wipe his mind. You said you’re his friend right? What do you think?” Schneider’s manner had completely changed. While he wasn’t a warm personality, that frigid atmosphere was gone.

“I don’t want him to go. I’m afraid at what might happen. But he doesn't believe in Cassell or the mission.”

“Toyama seems to feel nervous about wiping him as well but he has been unable to convince him to stay so far. Do you think you can?”

“Professor Schneider. When you look at me, do you think I could be someone who could actually kill a dragon given the opportunity? Please. Be honest.” Hana Sato asked.

The hiss of Schneider’s oxygen tank was audible in the silence, and it hissed 3 times before he finally answered. “When humans battle with dragons, our victory tends to be a pyrrhic victory.”

“What’s a pyrrhic victory?” She tilted her head.

Those light eyes sparkled and then softened into something akin to a great sadness. “A pyrrhic victory is when the cost of the victory is so great, it can be reasonably be called a defeat.”

Hana swallowed hard as another layer was peeled back and once again Nathan was revealed to be correct.

“Do you think the fight against dragons is unwinnable?” she asked.

“It’s not about winning or not winning.” Schneider said. “It’s about survival. If we don’t fight against the dragons, it will simply mean the certain end of all human society. If it is impossible, as he says, then I can understand why he would rather have no part of it. But I don’t share his hopelessness. I believe we can win. And even if it comes at the great cost of many lives, if it means the future of mankind, it will have been worth it.”

-------

Toyama returned to the room and shooed away the two disciplinary committee members. Once they were gone he said. “Your expulsion has been canceled.” 

Nathan let out a short laugh, sadness filling him. Hana must have talked. He supposed he couldn’t expect Hana to sacrifice herself for him. They hardly knew each other after all. “Oh really? Are they changing my rank too?”

“No one has said anything about that. To change your rank you will need to retake the 3E. Are you still going to drop out?”

“Yeah. Go ahead and do it. Sign whatever paperwork. Go ahead. I’m ready.”

“Now why are you upset?”

Nathan turned his head away. “I’m not.”

“You are. You were happy to leave at first. Now that I’m letting you go, you look terribly sad. Close to tears even”

“I’m sad because I don’t have any weed. Once I’m out of here, just make sure to stash my marijuana in my backpack. I’ll smoke and feel alright.”

Toyama paused to give him one more chance to think of a way out and when nothing was forthcoming, he unstrapped Nathan from the chair, unbuckling the restraints. “You said Jason Bourne? There were a few more pleasant scenarios in there. The last one was a artist running from the dictator in Korea.”

“I have no artistic talent. I was just spitballing.”

“Witness protection program?”

“Seems to require a lot of staff.” Nathan massaged his wrists.

“Plane crash coma victim?”

“Make it car crash and I think we have a winner.”

“Alright.”

A knock at the door surprised both of them. Toyama went to answer it. “You are just in time. We were about to start.”

“Hana?” Nathan was surprised, delighted and then wary to see his soon to be former fellow student. “What are you doing here? Here to say goodbye after ratting me out?”

Hana stood taller than Toyama. Her face was serene when she looked at him. “No.” She said. “I’m leaving too.”

------

Hana sighed. Her mind was a jumbled mix of thoughts. Her first question was where am I? Nothing came to mind for a split second, only for the thought to pop up unbidden.

She was at Cassell. Cassell... how did she get here?

Another brief silence from her mind and then an image appeared unbidden. She had been on an escort assignment. Everything seemed normal until they were on their way back and got T-boned by someone who red light. She didn’t remember anything after that.

She opened her eyes to the white hospital room.

Toyama was sitting next to her bed. “How are you feeling, Hana?”

“I’m fine... Nathan... Where’s Nathan?” She sat up and was suddenly assaulted by dizziness.

“Nathan is fine.” Toyama said, reaching out to steady her. “He’s where he usually is. You remember right?”

She smiled gently. “Yes. I remember. On the bench... smoking.”

[dongiovannaswife]

Home is where you are

some days ago @softlimefluff​ suggested a collab for my birthday,,, so here we are :3c 

cw: food mentions and a smol suggestive scene but other than that,,, i don’t think there’s more. 

part 1.     part 2. 

April 20, 8:22 PM. Giovanna’s mansion.

Giorno’s fingers pass the page to the book he’s reading, making a note to jot down the last sentence as it will help with the case he’s working on —when his wife stumbles into his studio, sighing under her breath.

He doesn’t look up from his book, “What’s wrong?”

There’s a moment of silence while she sits down at the couch in the office, crossing a leg over the other in the way she always does: the fabric of her dress exposes a small patch of skin before she moves a hand to slide over it, smoothing the fabric so nothing is out of its place.

“I got a call,” she starts and he looks up immediately, putting a piece of paper in the middle of his book as he closes it, his attention now fully on her. “We won’t be able to do what we planned.”

He frowns, although it holds a double intention, he didn’t think the execution of his plan would hurt as much as it does in that moment; he knew his plan was a tricky one, but he knew, deep down, that she needed far more distraction than him to get his surprise come across. Especially after her stunt with the apartment in Australia and surprise birthday party.

‘I wish for a quiet morning with you and the boys —just us, as a family, blasting music and cooking together. I want us to pretend we’re a normal family for once. I want to spend the day in pajamas, playing with the boys and cuddling you.’

Yes, he recalls her wish clearly. He had agreed, after all, since he had asked what she wanted to do for her birthday: but his plan had already started by the time he asked.

“It’s okay,” he murmurs, coming back from his daydream as he shakes his head, standing from his desk. Walking up to her, he undoes his tie, taking it off and letting it hang on the back of the other couch before he sits on the one she is in. His thigh presses against hers in a comforting and intimate way —his arm circles her shoulders as he rests it against the back of the couch. “What happened? Is it your mom?”

 She shakes her head, huffing under her breath, disappointed and sad as Giorno tries to keep the act up. “I wish —The Morioh branch of the Foundation is asking for my assistance. Apparently the supervisor of the paramedics over there is no longer working with them and they have an event that day, you know, the interns and all that.” She pinches the bridge of her nose, feeling her ears ring for a second, her nose hurt and temples pounding as an upcoming headache settles in within her.

“Don’t worry,” he starts, “I know you wanted to spend your birthday at home, but what do you think if I get there with the boys too? After your event we can go to Tonio’s restaurant. Hang out with Ariel and Rohan —perhaps even see Josuke and Krys.”

She shakes her head, still pinching the bridge of her nose. “It won’t work, the event is supposed to follow with a press  conference and then an introduction to the interns. There’s also the Paramedic Course--I won’t teach it myself, but I do have to give the first years the welcome.”

“In conclusion,” he murmurs, trying to keep his voice stable despite the smirk threatening to fall —Junichi, the person he had asked to move some strings so she would think she’d have to work on her birthday with no free time, had done an excellent job. “We’ll have to postpone it.”

She nods, sighing again and scooting closer, leaning into his chest. “I could have easily said no, but I can’t afford that.”

Giorno hums, but it really does pain him to see her like that. Even then, he hopes the surprise makes up for it. “It’s okay, angel.” He says, the arm around her shoulders dropping to wrap around her; a warm palm rests atop of her hip, with his thumb rubbing in gentle circles. “We could go with you so we spend some time together, ‘s the least we can do… What do you think?”

She’s quiet for a moment and before he can worry more, her voice is barely audible through the sad tone in her voice. “Okay.”

 April 25, 2:45 AM. Giovanna’s mansion.

The pads of her fingers graze his scalp gracefully as he tilts his face to the side, deepening the kiss. The way her thighs close around his waist as the cool air from the window enters into the kitchen makes him smirk involuntary: his hips sink deeper into hers, eliciting a whimper from her.

And his phone rings.

Growling, he curses mentally as he remembers that other part of his plan as he pulls back, taking a quick look at her —hair disheveled, eyelids heavy with something else and hands resting at the waistband of his sweatpants.

He looks down at his phone, noticing the number from the burner phone he got Westwood —one of those disposable ones, just in case Lena recognized Westwood’s number if they had changed contact names to make it look like someone from work was calling-- displayed on the screen. He recognizes the number, but acts as if he doesn’t, frowning as he slides a finger over the screen, bringing the device to his ear.

His voice is slightly deeper, but he manages to sort through the call. His wife is quick to notice this is about a client that, despite his patience, this client was a… Problematic person. Always getting into legal issues.

“See you there then, Signore Trevi.” He nods, stealing a glance to Lena —smirking when she keeps looking between his lips and eyes, a playful hand touching his chest tattoo.

The call ends and he lets himself smile, masking it with a subtle roll of his hips. “Sorry, doll —duty calls.”

“Mhm. Is Mister Client in trouble again?”

He chuckles, loving the way she barely makes the words understandable, “Yeah, Trevi is always sticking his nose where it doesn’t belong.”

She laughs against his lips when he’s barely inches away from hers, “Do you have to leave?”

And so he plays along. Pulling back, he rubs the back of his neck with sudden pursed lips. “Yeah, about that —I don’t think I’ll get to go with you to Morioh... This case requires my presence, as he needs my assistance at the place he’s facing said issue.”

The mood in the room instantly shifts and he almost regrets it. Although she’s nodding with an understanding glint, he can still see the disappointment in her eyes. In the way her happiness subsides into pure empty calmness.

“It’s okay,” she says, “Like we said, we’ll postpone it.”

He never thought a plan could hurt this much —couldn’t he stick to something less hard? Something that didn’t hurt her before bringing happiness?

Then again, if wishes were horses.

April 25, 5:15 PM. Morioh.

“Han, do you think the flowers look okay here? I don’t want it to block the conversation space at the table…” 

“Hmmmm.” He turned around, looking at the arrangement. “Why don’t we put them in the front hall instead? It’ll brighten the space up when Lena gets in. Sunflowers are her favorite, you said?”

Ari nodded, taking a moment to stand up, letting out a deep breath and holding her back for a second. “Mhm, I asked Giogio again to be sure.”

Walking over, he put a hand on the bump and held one of hers. “Everything okay?”

She nodded, squeezing his hand. “Fine. Ellie’s just getting big. So big. Watermelon baby.”

Rohan chuckled, grinning back. “Melon wife~”

“Shoosh~” Having stolen a kiss, Ari grabbed the vase, setting it on the bump as she walked to the main hall and setting it in place, glancing at her phone on the way back.

“Giogio says Lena should be in the air by now. Looks like things are going to plan…”

“I’ll video chat him and show him around to see if we need to make any changes.” Looking his wife over, he put a hand on her forehead. “You feel a little warm, baby. You should go lay on the couch, rest a bit. You’ve been working hard on this. The Giovanna’s won’t mind you sleeping on the new couch.”

Nodding, she walked over slowly, plopping down and curling her legs up. “Tell Giorno we can’t wait to see them.”

“I will. Rest.”

April 26, 1:15 AM. Morioh. 

Humming a tune, Westwood stops the car by the house, looking over the mirror just in time to see his boss look at his sons with big eyes, seizing his options.

The boys had grown too much over the last months and, with their first words and sentences starting to fill the silence, he definitely seemed lost without his wife there to carry one along with him. 

Stealing a glance at Mista, who’s sitting in the copilot seat looking at the map of Morioh, he elbows his ribs, earning a glare before he’s looking back in a silent signal so the gunslinger notices Giorno’s struggle. 

Clearing his throat, Mista finally speaks. “Need help with the boys, Giogio?”

Giorno hums and Westwood adds, “I’m gonna park the car while you get inside, yes?”

With a quick nod, Mista climbs off first, circling the vehicle and opening the door. He gives Jovi a big smile, cooing at him before he picks him up, closing the door afterwards. 

With Giorno carrying Dante on his hip, he and Mista walk up to the front of the small house. 

“Man, I knew you got her a nice house but this? This makes me think of her parent’s house.” 

Giorno nods, looking down at Dante while the little one leans on his chest, sighing —finally tired out from the flight and the sudden change of environment; the unknown people probably stress him out. “Yeah, it doesn’t look like theirs, but I know she wants to feel like we’re a normal family for once.” 

Mista purses his lips, feeling Jovi moving still on his hold. “I get it.” He then looks back at the baby in his arms, inspecting him with caring eyes, gaze drifting to the boy in Giorno’s arms next, noticing how these two angels are the perfect blend of their parents; to Mista, they’re a miracle. 

“Gio,” he murmurs and Giorno looks back at him, confused with his sudden change of demeanor. “Helena doesn’t need this house.” 

Giorno frowns immediately, opening his mouth to reply instantly when Mista cuts him off, deep brown eyes soft with nostalgia. “As long as you and your boys are with her —wherever you are, she’ll be home. You, Dante and Jovi are her home now.” 

Giorno nods, looking forward at the house, finding it hard to contain the grin that crosses his features. The sound of footsteps approaching doesn’t concern them, recognizing Westwood’s gait as he comes to a stop behind them. 

“Mista,” Giorno calls. “You are right.” 

The gunsling hums, smiling. “Of course, I always am~ Besides, I never thought you would get married or even have a relationship. You didn’t seem like that type of person.” 

“I wasn’t,” he answers, walking forward slowly with Mista following him. “But she changed my vision of things. It took her a while to do so and I didn’t even know she was doing it, but in the end,” he strokes Dante’s hair briefly, fingers barely ghosting the baby’s head. “She did it. And now these two are giving me so much joy… I never thought I’d be a father, you know.” 

“Yeah, I know. I remember we talked about it when Fugo opened up.” 

There’s a moment of comfortable silence as they stop before the door. Giorno quickly finds the keys in his pocket, twirling them on his fingers before he opens the door, pushing it open and walking inside.

“West,” he calls, getting a hum as response. “Any information about her?”

“Not really,” the masked man answers, looking up in a sign that he’s remembering the details. “Fugo sent a message saying they’re okay, apparently she’s stressed, though.”

“With her workload that’s for sure.” Mista comments, sitting down and smiling when Jovi moves until he’s comfortable laying on his chest —holding onto his shirt, his eyes look around the room in search of a certain someone but upon the lack of her presence, all he does is settle down to sleep. 

Giorno sighs, imitating Mista —Dante does the same, surprising Mista in the act. “I suppose that’s true. Should I call her?”

“Nah,” Westwood waves, “It’s too late and she’s probably sleeping for tomorrow or doing a shift at the Foundation, who knows.” 

The Don can only hum, retrieving his phone and typing quickly, much to his heart’s ache to hear her voice. 

Hey angel, how’s everything going? 

Received. 

 Sighing again, he can only hope for the best. “Well, time to put these little ones to bed.” 

April 27, 7:55 AM.

“Good morning, Panni.” Lena greets him, stepping into the kitchen with a simple outfit —she doesn’t look up at him, busy with her attempt to put her uniform into her bag in a way that it doesn’t get messed up. 

“Good morning, Lena.” Fugo replies, pouring another cup of coffee for her. “Are you on a rush?” 

“Not really, I just woke up a little bit earlier —I want to call Giobaby.” 

“Oh,” Fugo smiles, warm —one of those smiles he couldn't pull out when he was younger. “Birthday call?” 

 “Mhm,” she murmurs, sitting in the kitchen stool, dropping her bag by her side. “I miss the boys, too.”

Leaning in the counter as he passes the coffee cup to her, Fugo leans his chin on his hand. “It must be hard to work on your birthday and be away from your family.” 

She takes the cup, taking a sip with a sad smile. “Yeah, but it’s not the first time it has happened. I’ve had worse birthdays.” 

Silence.

“I’m so stupid, shit,” Fugo frowns, cirlcing the counter quickly. “I didn’t say happy birthday.” getting by her side, he pulls her in for a short and friendly hug, squeezing her briefly before pulling back, getting back at his place on the counter.

“Well, thank you, Panni.” she grins, all traces of sadness long gone.  “But you’re not stupid, remember that.” 

Fugo nods, taking a sip from his cup. Lena had been the person who started to help him heal, open up, seek help. Giorno and Mista were there too, but the kind of comfort she offered was different, maybe because of her way of treating him; just like his grandmother. 

Standing from the stool, Lena makes her way to the fridge, opening and closing it after the ringtone of her phone interrupts her actions. Pulling her phone out, she reads over the name displayed on the screen, answering shortly after.

“Good morning, Mister Kensho.” 

Fugo turns around, curious. Watching while she leans on the fridge, looking at the ceiling while she listens to the person on the other side. Suddenly, her eyes shoot forward and she walks directly to his side, motioning at him for paper and pen. Fiddling for a moment, he soon gives her the notebook on the counter, retrieving a pen from his suit. 

Writing down a direction, she hums a few times while she listens to the instructions, lips pursed together by the end. With a small salute, she hangs up, looking back at him. 

“Something wrong?”

“No really, he just gave me the address to our first stop for the day —the paramedic’s academy.”

Fugo hums, taking the last bit of his coffee in one go. “Can I see it?” 

She passes the paper to him. Fugo reads over it a couple of times, recognizing the address Giorno had shown him a few days ago: it was the moment of truth. 

“Okay, Lena. I’ll drive you there. Do you have any other instructions?”

She shakes her head, “The usual; arrive dressed casually —put the uniform on once in the facility.” 

Fugo hums, “We will get something for breakfast on the way?” 

She shakes her head again, “I’d rather have breakfast after the event. Won’t be able to eat comfortably with the pressure of the big event.” 

“Oh, right,” Fugo nods, watching her disappear into her room to put on her shoes. Pulling his phone out, he opens the chat with Giorno, typing quickly. 

Fugo: Gio, we’re about to head there —thirty minutes aprox.

The bubble pops up as soon as the delivered appears. 

Giorno: Okay, does she know?

Fugo: No. 

Giorno: Good. Keep up with it. 

Hearing the door open, Fugo almost crashes his phone’s screen when he shoves it down onto the counter, playing it off as an accident. 

“You okay?” Lena asks, taking her bag from the floor and setting it on the stool before her, opening it to put her makeup bag in. 

“Yeah, I just dropped my phone by accident —you know I‘m kinda clumsy in the morning.”

With a nod and a small laugh, she puts her bag on, taking a moment to fix the sports’ bag shoulder strap so the bag ends up by her hip; despite it not seeming good for her back, it has always been a habit. “If you’re clumsy I don’t think I’ll let you drive, Panni.” 

Fugo fakes a laugh, standing from the stool and taking the car keys along with him —he’s already dressed and ready. 

“You’re sooo funny, Helena.” 

She wrinkles her nose as they both walk out, “Of course I am. I’m funny and pretty.” 

Fugo shakes his head, laughing genuinely now. “God, I hope the boys don’t do this too.” 

She gasps, exaggerated. “Take that back or I will use a fork against you.”

“You don’t have a fork with you.”

“Yeah, but I have my boots.” 

“... Okay, okay.” 

Exiting from the Foundation, they soon find the Jeep Wrangler parked outside. Hopping in, Lena sets her bag by her feet, taking out her makeup bag while Fugo makes sure everything’s in place. 

Driving out of the Morioh Foundation ground, Fugo goes silent, stopping at a red light to tap the address into the GPS. After doing so, he looks over at his friend. She’s putting her eyeliner on, focused and calm. 

“Are you sure you don’t want breakfast? I wouldn’t want you to feel hungry or woozy in the middle of the event..” 

“Eh,” Lena blinks, making sure the eyeliner is finally dry and the corners of both eyes are equal —symmetrical. “Maybe some apple and cranberry juice?” 

Fugo hums, nodding along, speeding up when the green light shows up; “Yeah, why not —I’ll try it too.” 

“You’ve never drunk a single cup of it?” Lena’s eyes are the size of dinner plates when she asks, smiling playfully. 

“Not really.” Fugo replies, stealing a glance at her, noticing she’s still doing her makeup. 

“We’ll change that before we get there.” 

Fugo hums again, smiling. From his perspective, buying time was better than lacking it. 

9:13 AM. 

Hearing the doorbell ring, Vivienne quickly walks up to the door, checking who’s at the other side first. Upon the sight of Vittorio and Pietro outside, looking tired and almost asleep on their feet, she opens the door, stepping aside to let them in. 

“How was the flight?” she asks first, seeing them stumbling inside.

“Tiring as fuck,” Vittorio replies, frowning. “But we’re finally here, at least.” 

“Yeah,” Pietro sets down the crate. “And the little guy’s here too, he’s a handsome and calm boy; a good boy.” 

Vivienne laughs, touched with Pietro’s sudden gush. “I’ll go and tell Gio you’re here.” 

“Where is he?” Vittorio asks, stopping Vivienne.

“He’s dressing the twins. The Kishibe’s are helping with the food, I believe.” 

“Oh.” 

9:46 AM.

Taking the last sip from her cup, Lena’s eyes quickly scan the area, eyebrows twitching when she can’t spot the academy —or at least what she thinks would look like a school; the area was pure houses, fancy ones. 

“Panni,” she calls, looking over at her friend. “Are you sure this is the right address? Nothing here looks like a school.”

“Of course,” Fugo frowns, playing along. “I was following the instructions from the GPS from the direction that man told you.” 

She presses her lips together, shifting so she can slip her phone out from the pocket on the back of her jeans, looking at the device for a second in hopes of a message —but nothing was there. 

The Jeep stops and she looks up at Fugo, lips slightly open and words caught on her throat when Fugo’s grin catches her off guard.

“Lena, you should turn around and see who’s outside.”

Doing as he said, she turns around, facing the door of her seat. 

Giorno stands by the other side —a twin on each arm and a grin on his lips, making his eyes stand out. The boys giggle, trying to get her to hug them. 

Turning back to Fugo, Lena’s lip trembles while she tries to think of an explanation —but Fugo’s gone, instead appearing by her side, opening the door for her. 

“Hi.” Giorno says, seeing her step out with trembling lips and watering eyes, “Happy birthday, love.” 

The people outside the house start to clap, making her lean and look over Giorno’s figure —friends and family stand outside the house, bright grins and warm laughs fill the silence; Rohan and Ariel step outside last, with Rohan carrying a small cake and Ari holding on his arm as they walk up to them. 

By the time they’re before her, Lena’s tears have started to fall, a hand clasped on her mouth. 

“Why?” she asks in a broken voice, a smile trying to take over despite the strange mix of emotions. Although the question catches her husband off guard, he’s quick to recover, leaning over to kiss her forehead as the boys babble, calling for her. 

“Because I know you love Morioh, and today, we’ll get to pretend we’re a simple family, like you wanted.”

She grins, murmuring a thank you.

[midnights-calm]

Honey and Ginger

Hi there! This fic is base off of two writing prompts by @thecinnamonroll-varian. Hope you enjoy!

--------

Everything was fine. The Saporians had been returned to jail and Corona was still in one piece. Sure, there was the occasional glare or remark about his past, but Varian didn’t think about it too much. 

Besides, he had other things to worry about. Like helping Xaiver organize his herbs, or putting up the new sign in front of Monty and Atilla’s shop. And he can’t forget that he promised to help Dad gather supplies to fix the roof. Not to mention he still had to figure out how to bring back the King and Queen’s memories. He didn’t have time to focus on people’s glares.

*Cough Cough* 

...Or a small cough. It wasn’t a big deal. Just a dry throat that could easily be fixed with a glass of water. Simple. Now what did he do with that book that he said Catilena could borrow?

***

Varian brought his elbow up to cover his cough, pausing in adjusting the sign. He had enough time before heading over to Xaiver’s to drink some water, but the relife had lasted for the trip. He did his best to keep quiet and hide the shivers raking his frame. If the older man notices anything he didn’t say so. But then again he was a bit wrapped up in recounting the tale of a curse involving a cauldron. Once the coughing subsided, Varian adjusted his position on the ladder and returned to his work.

“Hi Varian!” The boy paused and looked over to see Rapunzel and Eugene headed his way. He gave them a wave in return.

“Hey guy! What brings you guys out here?”

Eugene shrugged. “We were just enjoying a stroll and found you. Whatcha up to buddy?”

“Nothing much, Monty asked me to replace his sign.” 

“Didn’t you fix that for him last week?”

“Yeah, but he said that it broke again. So I offered to make him a new one.” Varian shrugged, swiping his sleeve across his forehead. When did it get so hot?

“Varian, are you feeling alright?” Rapunzel asked with a concerned expression.

“Yeah I’m fine!” He chirped. “It’s a bit warm out, but it’s nothing some water can’t solve.”

The couple didn’t look too convinced, but before they could say anything, Monty came out.

“How’s that sign coming, boy?” He snapped.

“A-almost done, sir! I’ve just gotta straighten it out.”

Monty huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. “Well hurry it up. I need you to take a look at one of my displays. It’s been wobbling since your last visit.” 

“I could take a look at it for you Monty.” Eugene chimed in. “I’m sure that it’s a simple fix.”

“No need, the boy here’s probably got everything to fix it himself.” Eugene quirk an eyebrow. The way Monty was treating Varian wasn’t sitting right with him.

“Alright, finished.” Varian called, hopping off his ladder. He immediately stumbled back a step, before shaking his head. A sudden dizzy spell, so what. “Lead the way.”

Rapunzel and Eugene shared a look, before following Varian and Monty.

***

“Are you sure it’s broken?” The alchemist asked. “It doesn’t look like anythings busted.”

“Well Atilla said that his last batch of muffins came out over done, so something must be wrong with it.”

“Or maybe he had left them in for a bit too long?” Eugene offered with an arched brow. After fixing the display, Monty immediately had Varian fix his register, before dragging him over to look at the oven. At this rate, the older man seemed determined to have the boy fix every minor inconvenience in his shop. 

Rapunzel nodded, keeping an eye on Varian. She noticed him coughing more the longer he worked, and letting out small shivers as time passed. Not to mention how his skin seemed to have paled since they had run into him outside. It was really starting to worry her.

The old man huffed. “Preposterous. Atilla would never.”

“Oh, I-I think I found your problem.” Varian said, repressing another cough. He cleared his throat before he continued. “Looks like there’s something blocking the smoke stack. It’s keeping heat trapped in the oven itself. Not to worry though, I’m sure I can get it ou-”

The alchemist quickly brought a hand to his mouth as he broke into another coughing fit. This one was longer and more painful than any of the previous. Rapunzel swiftly moved over  to rub soothing circles on his back as Eugene rushed to fill a glass of water. Monty, on the other hand, just crossed his arms and looked annoyed.

“Don’t be spreading any germs around my shop boy.”

“So-sorry.” Varian gasped in between coughs. “M-must’ve breathed i-in s-some ash.”

Eugene glared at the shop owner, before offering the glass over to the boy. “Here. Drink this.” He said as Varian took the glass. The younger took slow, careful sips letting the cool liquid soothe his throat. Once he emptied about half of it, he lowered the glass and took in a deep breath.

“T-thanks Eugene.” 

“No problem kid.” Eugene replied, flashing a concerned smile. “Are you sur-?”

“Ahem!” Monty cleared his throat, causing Eugene and Rapuzel to scowl. “The oven if you would?”

The brunette let out a frustrated sigh, before collecting himself.“Monty buddy, can’t you see tha-”

“R-right sorry about that!” Varian wheezed, quickly getting back to removing the blockage. Rapunzel felt more concern bubble up to the surface as she kept her hand placed on the Alchemist’s back.

“Varian, are you sure you should be-”

“A-Ah-ha!” He cheered, straightening out and revealing a small piece of tinder. “G-got it!”

“Good to hear. Now I need you to take a look at-”

“Oh would you look at the time! Rapunzel didn’t we have that thing we thought we could have Varian look at.” Eugene interrupted. Rapunzel glanced at him, before understanding crossed her face.

“T-that’s right!” She jumped in. While she didn’t like lying, she knew monty would continue to force Varian to work. “C’mon boys we should probably get going!” 

The princess grabbed both males hands and quickly left the shop. They keep a hurried pace until they’re a handful of streets over. Normally, that distance wouldn’t phase him, but now it has Varian wheezing. Rapunzel stops upon noticing the alchemist’s state. 

“Are you sure you’re okay Varian?”

“Y-yeah…” He gasped, trying to take in as much breath as he could. “Just- uh, just give me a second.”

Eugene wasn’t convinced. He stealthily removed his glove and placed it on the younger’s forehead. Varian flinched away from the contact, but Eugene got what he wanted.

“Kid, you’re burning up.” He stated plainly. 

“I-it’s nothing. R-really, I’m fi-.” Varian tried to say, but another coughing fit stopped him.

“You’re clearly not. Varian please, let us help.”

“No!” Varian shouted, causing all three to flinch. Realizing his mistake, he hurriedly corrected his volume. “I-I mean n-no thank you! Besides, you guys are probably busy anyways. A-and I promised to help my dad.” The couple looked like they were about to argue, when a voice called out from behind them.

“Varian!” The trio turned to see Quirin making his way towards them. “There you are! I’ve been looking everywhere for you, son.”

“O-oh Dad!” The alchemist stammered. “S-sorry about that! I got caught up helping Monty.”

His father chuckled. “Of course. I forgot that you said you’d be there.” Varian chuckled, before it dissolved into another coughing fit. Quirin’s smile faded, and he quickly closed the remaining distance between them.

“Varian? Son, tell me what’s wrong.”

“N-nothing.” Varian choked. “ t’s just a cough.”

“Varian, please.” Rapunzel pleaded. “You have a fever. Let’s take you back to the castle.”

Quirin flinched, returning his focus back to his son. “Varian, why didn’t you tell me you were sick?”

“Didn’t want to bother you.” The boy muttered. He was very dizzy all of a sudden, and his balance felt off. He shook his head, and groaned. Next thing he knew he was falling forward. Strong arms caught him before his head could meet the ground.

“Varian!” Three voices called out. He tried to pinpoint each owner, but a spike of pain shot through his brain. The last thing he felt before drifting into unconsciousness was someone lifting him up and carrying him someplace else.

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

So this was four pages in itself. I’ll post the rest later :3c

[tfw-no-tennis]

huntoxhunto

we watched 2 whole more eps but we’re abt to vacay so i better recap this biz now before i forget

ok so we finished the zoldyck arc and uhhhh gotta say we werent expecting like any of that to happen lol 

ok ill back up so we start w/killuas mom (i dont think we ever heard her name) confronting gon & co....and canary (i lov her) is not dead which i assumed but thank goodness. 

zoldyck mom was totally using nen. also she is off her rocker gotta say. tho that visor is super cool, albeit confusing - is it connected to a bunch of security cameras or something? how does she see all that shit? 

granpa is wild. his tunic thing that says ‘one kill a day’ or w/e is kinda hilarious, it reminds me of the ‘apple a day keeps the dr away’ saying...a murder a day keeps the....idk away????

i love that killua makes it abundantly clear that he couldve like escaped at any time lol. also tho why didnt he just escape....baby boy just leave 

killua getting all serious and threatening milluki if he messes with gon....my boys got it BAD 

this family has so many communication issues hvbjadkfbjaskdfj nobody is on the same page at all 

the butler guy continued to remind me of kuro one piece this whole time...i was waiting for him to bust out the ridiculous cat claws

oh my GOD wait the flashbacks of EVEN BABIER KILLUA were so precious ;_; he was soooo tiny and cute oh my god. so precious. and canary was also so tiny and cute 

baby killua really just wanted a friend :(((( and canary wanted to be friends w/him but knew that mom zoldyck would kill her if she overstepped like that :( thats so tragic mannnn

also canary is so cool man. her beating up all those guys was epic

ok that whole scene with killua and his dad was like, such a rollercoaster lmao

like....it was all over the place for me...first of all the ambiance was wack, the room lighting was weird and im p sure killuas seat was an electric chair??? and the dad was in a coffin thing..???? like....interesting aesthetic choices all over the place here 

also i see now where killua got his hair and also his catboy tendencies. the zoldyck catboy genes seem to trace back to zoldyck dad, who has kinda scary cat eyes 

also im guessing that the dad is the blood zoldyck and the mom is the one who married in. they sure seem to put a lot of emphasis on like, family legacy or w/e, but the two parents certainty go abt it in different ways 

the whole convo b/w killua and his dad was wild, it totally didnt go where i was expecting it to. his dad was weirdly chill while also being super intense? 

killua happily telling stories abt gon was so sweet....baby boy baby 

and his dad telling him ‘never betray your friends’ was rlly interesting...i wonder what his reasons were for saying that 

cause then he tells killua he can leave, and killua does, but then dad zoldyck tells mom zoldyck (i rlly need to find out their names) that he thinks killua will come back on his own time....inch resting 

i wonder if dad zoldyck made killua promise that bc he was trying to set killua up for failure - as in, he tells killua to never betray his friends, thinking that killua inevitably will & be distraught abt it, and then turn back to the zoldyck family when this happens. idk

also its interesting to me that zoldyck dad wants killua to lead the family someday. like, illumi is right there, hes the oldest and clearly dedicated to being an evil assassin, and he seems p good at it...i wonder why killua is the favorite....the grandpa (i think) did say that killua is Special(tm) which...yes he is a special baby boy i love him. i wanna see more zoldyck family flashbacks/interactions so we can see what led them to this point 

oh lord that reminds me of illumi briefly appearing in the killua flashback and hes just like, suddenly there, wearing some gay ass sweater....like ok dude did you just come back from the Evil Assassin Library or st?????

that reminds me too, ruth tells me that apparently in the manga illumi and hisoka got married or something???? to which i say, thats fucking wild, but also it makes sense, those two are both horrible and disgusting and they absolutely deserve each other hbvajvhsdfjbak peak evil nasty gay rep, i love it. i cant wait to see whatever the fuck the context to that is bc, thats fucking wild

ok back to the plot so like its so wild to me how smoothly everything went hvubsjduhfbjsh like....killuas dad was rlly like ok u can leave and killua just went to the butler house and then canary woke up and was like ok gon & crew lets go to the butler house to see killua, fuck the rules, (and she didnt even get killed for ‘disobedience’ or w/e, or more likely - in most big shounen, she wouldve been attacked by the other evil butlers and gon wouldve had to fight them)

killua Rlly was like fuck this place im leaving my boyfriend and his parents are here to pick me up [puts on gayest outfit he owns and skateboards away] hvbhsjdfbjdkf

i love killuas weird gay preteen fashion so far and i cant wait to see more 

killua telling the butler guy to let him know as SOON as gon gets there cause he wants to see him AS SOON AS HE CAN ;_; bro they r....in love 

of course the butler is trickey tho lmao, any other shounen this wouldve turned into an 8 ep long fight scene sequence where gon has to fight the butlers in order to see killua 

and the of course gon is the same way, gon is like i need to see killua RIGHT NOW take me to him!!! ohhh my god babies

the whole coin game was wild, it was funny when the other butlers got involved too lmao 

when gon was like ‘hey leorio can i see your knife’ i was like OH NO I DONT LIKE WHERE THIS IS GOING. and i was right bc OWWWWW baby boy oh my god!!!! but that seems to have solved it even tho thats NOT how swelling works at ALL- 

anyways gon is a cute smart good boy and i also find it funny how killua eventually gets impatient and just busts in on this whole dramatic situation (and the tension immediately deescalates as a result lmao) 

tangent but god its so funny seeing all these butler guys deferring to killua, an actual 12 yr old....i wanna see the hilarious and hijink-filled results of killua being raised as a rich spoiled assassin prince. thats a lethal combo thats gotta result in some wildly skewed perceptions on how things work, especially paired with gon ‘probably eats dirt for fun and sleeps in trees’ freecess 

godddd gon and killuas lil reunion is SOOO cute they were so happy to see each other ;_; bro they are SO cuteeeee augh. two tiny babies

killua being like oh hi also uh kurapika andddd [looks at smudged writing on hand] lorpo 

hvhhbajfbs dont do my man leorio like that killua hes a hardworking father 

the fact that they just like. LEAVE...thats so wild. i cant believe how little fighting this arc had. this all wrapped up SO much faster than i could have ever anticipated lmao 

where the heck was alluka!? i assumed she’d show up here but uhhhh guess not......in the silhouette shot of all the zoldycks she and killua were holding hands ;_; my fucking uwus bro 

we also didnt see the grandma or great grandpa so im guessing theyll appear later 

gon being like fuck it im not using my hunters license til i punch hisoka in the fucking face hvbhahsfbjsk thats hilarious 

also a convenient way to let him have his hunters license but not utilize it til later in the story...its so early for him to have achieved that big chunk of his goal, which just shows that hxh is Not your typical shounen and isnt gonna just be centered around gons quest to become a hunter 

so we finally found out what hisoka said to kurapika....just as i thought, it was st to do w/the phantom troupe. so theres a handy setup for the yorknew city arc later. bam 

hisoka just being like ‘hey meet me in this (presumably) very large city on this date. no i will not tell you where in the city to meet me. bye seeya there’ 

tbf hisoka is very hard to miss 

god when they arrive and kurapika is just like ok well we got killua so im out lol bye everyone....bro hvbjkhgbfjhdksfhjk that felt so abrupt 

and then leorio was like oh yeah same i gotta go study time to take the fantasy MCAT or w/e

AND THEY BOTH LEFT....now gon and killua r chilling but im like oh my god no leorio kurapika come back, we need some (questionable) adult supervision over here 

and like immediately killua is like ok gon do you have money. and of Course gon doesnt have money. so killua is like well you need money and you need to train so you can deck hisoka, so lets go to a fantasy version of an underground fighting ring! this is why kurapika and leorio needed to stay 

tho they probably wouldve just gone along with it 

they did all promise to meet in yorknew city, but thats apparently like 6 months away. are gon and killua rlly gonna spend 6 months at heavens arena

the part where killua draws the diagram demonstrating how much of a n00b gon is....hvbajdkhfbhajskf

AND THEN when he drew himself into the diagram and was like :3c wow im so modest HBJHSKHDFHBJS that was so funny

it was like that post thats like ‘you can tell when a cats pupils change and they just shift into Silly Mode’ thats what killua looked like...catboy

so thats basically it i think, gon and killua are heading to heavens arena to join fight club or whatever. tournament arc time! 

PREDICTION CORNER: 

i doubt this is the last weve seen of the zoldyck family. i mean we havent even met 3 of them, and we barely saw the ones we did meet...idk when theyll come back but i suspect theyll be making some big money moves later on and fucking shit up somehow 

i think maybe illumi or someone will like, spy on killua sometimes to keep track of him. or theyll track him by other means

ill use the prediction corner to reflect on incorrect predictions so heres a few. i rlly thot killua was gonna be more edgy than he is but hes rlly just a good boy huh. like hes a gay baby assassin catboy but hes so cute and good too. he just wants to live his life and hang out with his tiny bf like... omg :’) 

also i thot hisoka held a totally different narrative role lbvahkfjhjjaksfl i thot he was like main villain guy....hes more like an annoying creepy clown dude who (probably) shows up a lot to bother the main cast. we’ll see, but thats what i think of him now

like i thought hisoka would be like p1 dio, where hed be/quickly become a powerful antagonist who would amass a bunch of followers/minions (when actually the only person he seems to hang out w/is illumi, and theyre more like equals than an evil guy/minion dynamic)...or like i thought hisoka would be very well known as a scary evil guy but nope he was just another participant in the hunter exam, albeit a weird freaky one whose rancid vibes everyone seemed to pick up on 

anyways actual predictions, i think hisoka is gonna be at heavens arena, which would be super funny. gon is like im gonna train to beat hisoka and he shows up to do that and hisokas just there like >;) hey

i think if i had to guess, the zoldycks will show up again (in a plot important way) at the end of the yorknew arc/before the greed island arc. i know basically nothing abt any of the arcs but i do know the order they go in so theres that

i do think illumi will show up earlier than the other zoldycks tho, since he seems to be out doing his own thing more than the rest. also we still really havent resolved the whole mind control thing that im still convinced of 

i think nen will finally be introduced/alluded to heavily in this arc...or like, characters will use nen and gon will be like whoa whats that 

i think killua knows what nen is...maybe? it would make sense since im sure all the zoldycks can use it (at least, we saw mom zoldyck use it, probably)

can killua use nen already? that would be pretty funny. i dont think so tho. maybe u learn nen at a certain age. i have no idea what nen is 

also isnt gons nen power the power to like, turn into a really buff version of himself or something. how the fuck does that work 

ok enough nonsense its bedtime zzzzz

[ruined-shaper]

Spirit of (X)! (since I'll probably end up RPing a dawngate character anyhow. :3c)

Poppy, Shaper of Fortitude

4 months after the Dawngate opened

“Ah, nuts. Where am I now?”

“Hey, Excuse me-… Uh, hi,would you happen to- Watch it, buddy, I’m walkin’ down here- SPIRITS, why is everyone so fu- AH, tall, DON’T TREAD ON ME, WOAH!”

Dodging a heavy cart, Poppy crashes into a stall, knocking down a bucket of various fruits.

“Nrgh… uhhhhgh. Sorry….”

The woman running the stand looked down, shaking her head and assisting in setting the produce back.

“It’s fine… city’s not kind to you, is it?” She asked, only just loud enough to hear over the crowd’s noise.

“Not really, no… when I can, I try to stick to the road. Travelling’s more fun than the destination when you’re doing what I’m doing.” She remarked. Standing to brush herself off, she took off her satchel, removing a single piece of paper and presenting it to the shopkeep.

“…What’s this? I’m not…” She shrugged and turned the page round to face Poppy again.

“Oh, right- reading isn’t a big thing in the west. Sorry- It’s asking if you’ve seen a hero for hire.”

“…You mean a mercenary? Sure. We got plenty of those here in-”

Poppy shook her head and waved her hands. “Nono, like… a hero, y’know? Not some shmuck killing guys for money or fame, saving the people, holding potlucks and beating bad guys!”

“-You came to Maridia to find one of those?” The woman snickered and handed the paper back, waving her hand to the masses in front of her.

“Only people you’ll find here are self-contained inventors, rude engineers, and sub-par night workers.” She exclaimed. The woman seemed particularly sour on the last statement.

Sighing and replacing the page in her pack, Poppy stood again, readying herself to take to the street again. The crowd seemed to be waning a bit, and the noise was dying down. Perhaps this meant the rush was quelling.

“Back down, bastard.”

-Or, that there was a commotion in the making. Curious, Poppy shoved her way past the forest of puffy pants and uncomfortably hairy calves to the center of attention: a man and woman in fine clothing standing over the frame of an elderly man and a young girl.

“You owe us, Ben.” The man spat down, his words thick with malice.

“Yeah, you owe us! You bought up that tasty loaf of bread, and never thought to repay our kindness!”

The elderly man, Ben, attempted to stand. Halfway into his rise, a solid boot would catch his gut, throwing him away. Groaning in agony, now winded, he attempted to speak through the pain.

“I… I’ll get the money… please, just-” He managed, cut off by another blow to his body. Yelping, the girl behind Ben jumped down and attempted to tend his wounds.

Poppy, quietly, removed her pack and reached in. Calmly, she would grab a set of simple leather gloves. She wouldn’t want to lose her grip on this one.

“You made a mistake, and we’re gonna get our compensation.”

“Yeah, our compensation! I think your girl here will make a lovely third~”

“Sure, why not, doll?”

“What?! No! Please-”

It was around this point that Poppy tuned out. There was a bit of dirt on the inside of her glove that was bugging her. It was sharp, probably had a rock in it. It was very mildly uncomfortable. Beginning to remove it, she noted more screaming in the ring. No major bruises, the elder man’d be fine. All the other guy was doing was pulling her hair at this point. She was essentially just being loud.

“Help, PLEASE-”

Alright, she got the dirt out. That was a significant improvement. Now she could focus. Now, calculating the open area, lack of wind… the guy was probably only 240, 250 pounds? Easy enough.

Moving in now, in the middle of their presumably maniacal laugh, she tapped his leg, feeling up for a good grip. Guy had legs like a tree trunk, but not, like, a healthy tree. Good thing she wore gloves.

“…Uh… What… What’re you… runt, fuck’re you doin’?!” The barbaric man asked, visibly confused. The girl’s screaming stopped, the grounded man staring blankly at the midget who approached their assailant.

“Taking your spotlight. Good way to talk to people. You have no idea how hard I’ve had it today.” Poppy replied, finally having a good, solid grasp at his heel with one hand.

“…What?”

“Nothing. Brace your head.”

“…What?”

*Huck*

“whaAAAT-”

*Crash*

With a single hand, Poppy had effortlessly hurled the assailant like a pillow into the far wall, creating a sizeable hole and stunning the marketgoers. All eyes on her, and all mouths agape, she held up the paper.

“….Anyone know a hero?”

Blessed with a natural calm, ignorance of social nuance, and absurd strength, Poppy is bruiser with no time for scum, villainy, or short jokes in her quest to find a true-blue hero. Though the reason for her journey remains a mystery, her unwitting bravery and boundless cluelessness manifesting as bottomless courage, expect big things from the Shaper of Fortitude.

Allies: Kahgen (Not a hero and he knows that. But… a good guy, somehow.)

Friends: None (I don’t… talk to people, often. Can’t say I have any…)

Enemies: None (Not talking to people is a win-lose. Not all downsides. Guess villains would count, if I knew any.)

//Another blessing to write, though it might’ve seemed like it ended bluntty; that was the objective. I wanted Poppy to keep the part of her character that doesn’t realize herself, but I amped it up a bit for this. Lacking heroes is a big thing in the world of Dawngate; with most sides having a good reason with poor methods.

Thanks to @keeper-n0t-hero for the prompt! Hope to see the fruits of your research soon!

[shaevira]

For Day 8, Free Day, of #Monochromeweek19: Just something I wrote up of what I want to see for future volumes + a little self-indulgence with those two lovely girls. :3c

I hope I do you all some justice with this. <3

“Do you have any idea how long we’ve been searching for you? Twelve Hours. That means I’ve had twelve hours to think about this. And in that twelve hours I’ve decided…”

She held her breath. As if fate had decided it was her last one.

“I don’t care.”

Blake opened her eyes, the incident had been almost a long and forgotten one - but her dreams were a constant reminder that you couldn’t always kill the past.

That forgiveness was a choice.

She gently rubbed away her own sleepiness and looked upon the rest of her teammates. Weiss. They were in Atlas now, Weiss’s own home turf.

And possibly Weiss’s own personal living nightmare. But she wasn’t alone in that feeling. Weiss felt as if she didn’t belong here while Blake herself knew she didn’t belong here. It seemed as if Atlas was nothing but a nightmare to the both of them.

The two of them had been through hell and back in their own personal ways. She just hoped that together they could overcome this.

Jacques Schnee. A name that should’ve soured their taste buds a lot sooner than coming to Atlas. The man who not only defined spite and hatred, but lived it as well.

Along with hearing the things he had done was one thing, but seeing them as Blake and Weiss had was a different story.

“This is Mantle?” Blake stared in awe. Crowds of faunus were making their way through the streets, but not one seemed to have any sort of cleanliness about them. It reeked of sulfur, trash, and every thing that could ever rot.

Not every place around Mantle has been equal, sure there were nicer spots but that didn’t rid the streets of the smells or of the poor and mistreated faunus that roamed the streets.

Blake felt sick to her stomach. While Weiss had looked no better.

The two, the night before had made a promise to one another. To understand where each of the other was coming from. Weiss had accepted Blake and Blake had accepted Weiss, but there was something much more meaningful behind the need for acceptance.

To them, there was an equal need to learn and know about what really goes on behind closed doors.

Weiss took a step forward as the two began walking together through the streets, Weiss sticking more closely to Blake. “I...I didn’t really expect this. They had never let me down here and I had no reason to come down here and…” she stopped speaking as she seemed to watched a group of Faunus being corralled in by Atlas officials. Who were doing a lot more than just corralling them in.

Blake’s ears lowered, she didn’t need context and she didn’t need any other reason to just jump in. With a few quick jumps she stood in between the personnel and the faunus.

“What the…?” the Atlas official seemed to raise his weapon to Blake’s sudden entrance. “Well what do we have here, a fresh faunus face ripe for the pickings. Little girl, do you really want to be made an example of?” the Atlas official kept his gun raised, as did the five others who were with him did.

“You’re beating these faunus up for what reasons?” Blake growled, her hands raised to her back ready to strike and pull out Gambol Shroud if need be.

Weiss silently stood behind the squad, but she was there strategically - as her and Blake made constant eye contact - making sure they had been on the same page if things went awry.

The main officer laughed, “Do we need a reason to beat up worthless shitheads like you?”

“Truth be told, there was no right answer here.” Once more, Blake looked at Weiss and nodded.

Within an instant, Weiss created a time dilation gylph underneath Blake’s feet and soon enough she shot off towards the squad who had begun to fire at her, with Gambol Shroud already unsheathed she struck the bullets away and with her hastened self she went around tripping the soldiers and knocking their weapons out of their hands. Weiss followed through with an ice freezing glyph, locking the soldiers into place.

Weiss joined Blake as the stood over the fallen soldiers. “W-Weiss Schnee… and a faunus?”

“Her name is Blake Belladonna. Remember that name.” Weiss sneered, crossing her arms.

Blake looked over at Weiss and gave her a small smile. Time and time again, Weiss had proved to be defiance. Rebelliousness. Going against the odds. Something that the two shared.

The name Schnee had usually turned heads, and this time was no different. Soon enough, the streets around them had been filled with curious faunus. Some angry, some stunned, but most just curious.

A Schnee was here?

“The Faunus Girl and a Schnee!”

“A Schnee? Hold her hostage!”

“Belladonna? Isn’t that one of the White Fang’s former leaders?”

“A Belladonna and a Schnee working together?!”

Voices through the crowds could be heard, but it was hard to make heads or tails of this situation. Sure, the two girls had just attacked military personnel - and were now known by name.

Oops.

Being a “hero” sometimes meant breaking the law. Or attacking the world’s strongest military. Either way, it didn’t matter to the two. What’s done is done and pushing their way out of this crowd seemed unlikely.

“Weiss… ?” Blake seemed a little concerned as it felt as if they were in a zombie apocalypse about to be surrounded by hoards of faunus.

Weiss stuck Myrtenaster into the ground and summoned the Queen Lancer. The crowd seemed to slightly disperse as Weiss grabbed Blake’s hand and dragged her onto the Lancer. Making a tight getaway as they did.

Blake seemed to have her arms wrapped around Weiss, as she held on for dear life as they sped away. The two flew up towards the island of Atlas as the Lancer begun to slow down.

“Blake, I am so sorry. I didn’t think it was this bad. How could I have been so blind all of these years? And I… I think I knew, I just didn’t believe it.” Weiss began, she still faced forwards refusing to look Blake in the eye.

“Weiss, it’s okay. Back when you had found out I was a faunus and blamed the White Fang, I had thought the same thing… how could the White Fang be working with a human? What were their plans? I refused to believe it at first until I saw it. Things change Weiss, people do. I do you. And you have changed most of all. But working with humans is the change the faunus need. And not one that goes destroying everything in their path, but one that can challenge all of us into working together.” Blake wrapped herself tightly against Weiss, giving her a hug from behind.

Weiss let out a weak chuckle, “Blake, that doesn’t excuse what we’ve done to you. That doesn’t excuse any of this bullshit.”

Blake sighed, “You’re right. It doesn’t. But the sooner we can put this all behind us and strive for the change we want to see then the sooner we no longer let this division hold us. Weiss, you and I can be that change.” she paused, “We’re living proof that a Schnee and a Belladonna can work together. So don’t let the past define you. Because for as long as I’ve known you, it hasn’t.”

Weiss weakly nodded as the two seemed to head over the ridge of Atlas and towards the Schnee mansion. “We’ll make it better. Together.” she finally nodded, breaking the slow minutes of silence.

But as she arrived, she seemed to be greeted by her own father - and her own father's armed guards.

“What’s the meaning of this?” Weiss asked, as her and Blake unmounted the Lancer.

Jacques and his hired forces now surrounded the girls. This seemed to be a common thing in Atlas now-a-days. “You are no longer welcome here. We do not allow your kind in here, especially.” he seemed to eye the two girls, specifically Blake.

“Her kind?” Weiss stepped up towards her father with a growl, “You can’t treat her like that. Like she’s something other than a deserving person, a faunus, who deserves nothing but the utmost respect.”

Jacques seemed to groan, “Whatever you say, will not change my mind. I make the rules of this house and you Weiss, are no longer a Schnee. Making friends with the enemy? With the help?”

Blake’s ears lowered, not out of fear but out of disgust.

Just as Blake had found no reason to not jump in, now it was Weiss’s turn. Once more she turned to her summoning glyphs, now summoning a hoard of white grimm.

The hired guards seemed to panic, looking all around them unsure of whether to shoot or not. Jacques seemed to hold himself together quite well, but his own will was faltering.

“You don’t get to define the Schnee name anymore.” she pointed Myrtenaster at him. “A boy, a liar, and a weakling like you don’t get to tell me what I’m worth. What we’re worth. I am Weiss Schnee. I am more than just a name. I. am. defiance.”

“And you will remember that name.” Blake stepped up, adding in. “For this won’t be the end of it.”

“Because this is only the beginning.” Weiss finished.

They hadn’t killed Jacques. Though they were awfully close to it. But Blake knew it was Weiss’s own decision to follow through and she didn’t pressure that. Weiss had gotten what she had needed from the mansion, hoping to never to return again.

The two were now comfortably back with the team, back on the Atlas Military Base going through what they had gone through during the day. Needless to say, Blake and Weiss’s own story had seemed to beat out every other’s for excitement while the rest of RYJNROQM seemed to have some new intel on the days to come.

It had been all too much for Weiss at the end of the day, she retired to one of the empty rooms. Seeming to reflect, her mind occupied with Blake and how Blake had to deal with all of that her whole life. The Faunus’ whole life.

“Weiss?” Blake had followed her back to the empty room.

Weiss pulled herself out of her thoughts, “I’m here Blake.” she called out to her.

“Are you okay?” Blake appeared near to her.

“I honestly should ask you the same thing.”

Blake let out a small chuckle, “You know Weiss. You really proved yourself out there.”

“Blake, you don’t congratulate a fish for swimming.”

Blake let out a laugh, “All right. Well, you certainly fought your way out of the bears mouth in this case.”

“Blake. Thank you. Thank you for just being you and being patient.” Weiss held herself.

Blake approached her, giving her a long and well-needed hug. “And thank you Weiss, for defying the odds and expectations.”

Weiss released herself and wrapped her arms around Blake, deepening the hug. The two fell silent, as they hugged one another.

Finally, the two pulled away but they seemed to hold onto each other’s hands. “So, a Schnee and a Belladonna, huh?” Weiss chuckled.

“You make it sound like we’re getting married.” Blake commented, smiling down at her.

Weiss made a face, but then smiled “That definitely wouldn’t be a bad thing.”

“No. Not at all.”

[startistdoodles]

Wanderer is precious. Mind informing me of everybody's lore in this AU?

Aww thank you! And hooo boy, everybody’s lore??? There’s a lot to cover dkfl…

But I don’t mind rattling on about it of course :3c I’ll put it under the cut~

Now a lot of things I’m keeping secret right now so that I can reveal the full story little bits at a time as I answer asks and stuff like that. But I’ll give you the basics of everyone’s part in the story~

Joey (Hyde): A man with big dreams and ambitions, he was once a happy fellow. Sure, perhaps not the best boss as he really had no idea how to run a business, but he had heart. And after losing so much and coming close to his dreams experiencing another wave of extinction, his mind bends, and he does the unthinkable–converting humans into living cartoons. His studio is like a card house now. He is willing to do just about anything, anything to ensure it doesn’t collapse.

Charlotte: The loving late wife of Joey. Having met him when they were both children, she was the one who really helped break him out of his shell and pursue the arts. Once they were grown, she and Joey wed and had a beautiful baby girl. But just 8 years later, illness took her, and left Joey a lonely, sad, single father.

Mary-Jane: The sweet, angelic daughter of Joey and Charlotte. After her mother died, she took it upon herself to take care of her broken-hearted father, trying to help him recover from a loss that seemed to utterly destroy him. She would do anything to see him smile. Anything to get him to feel happy again. She was hired soon after the opening of ‘The Brothers Drew Studios’ to be the voice actress for the star of the show, Ivy the Deadly sheep. However, her career was short lasting, as the studio was forced to switch tactics to aim for a younger audience. Shortly after, she grew ill just like her mother did. Only unlike her mother, Mary-Jane wasn’t allowed to die.

Ivy: The original mascot for currently known ‘Joey Drew Studios’. A mischievous sheep-devil, her cartoons focused heavily around cartoon violence, theft and monsters–all things that didn’t exactly hit off with an audience entering World War II. Voiced by the sugary-sweet Mart-Jane, Ivy was given a giggly, girly yet devilish demeanor with a love for the spotlight, a knack for kleptomania and a smile that gave her whatever she desired: candy, explosives, access to drive a high-speed train, you name it. But alas, her time was cut short when she was replaced by the New Devil In Town, Bendy, scratching her out from the page, never to be a star again.

Wanderer: The horrific amalgamation of Joey’s first attempt to bring his cartoon creations to life. Realizing he was just going to lose his daughter just like he lost his wife, he decided to reanimate her and bring her back as the star of his new attraction. An immortal cartoon character. But he very quickly regretted it, and stopped the transformation halfway, resulting in Mary-Jane being stuck halfway between human and her sheep counterpart, Ivy. She was quickly hid from everyone else, but not quickly enough for the sneaking Norman to have witnessed the whole thing. But at least Wanderer has a great personality.(Psst I wrote a story about this you can read here if ya like!)

Henry: Joey’s little brother, having held his hand every step of the way. He also has a passion for dreams and the arts. However, having learned of Joey’s disgusting scheme to turn his workers into cartoon attractions, he quit, leaving Joey behind to run his studio by himself while Henry focused on raising his own family (while secretly trying to figure out how Joey was able to do it). And the two haven’t spoken since.(I also wrote about this!!)

Norman: The projectionist, the one who says what needs to be said, the one who found himself snooping around after catching onto Joey’s suspicious behavior and watching in horror as Mary-Jane gets warped into a beast. And though he tried to say something, he tried to call out Joey and tell of his horrible secret crimes, how likely is it someone would be believed when they claim their boss has been turning people into monsters? Especially after no one could find any evidence? But it was too close for comfort for Joey, and so he silenced him to a life of agony, down in the black abyss where no one could hear him scream.

Then there’s also Piper Wood and Grey Stevens who appear later down the timeline buuut…I haven’t really shared much about their part yet so you’ll have to stay tuned~

[katzuyas]

as usual, I’m a terrible procrastinator (this time with good reason tho bc I’ve been dying bc of renovations for a good 4 months now jfc) but I found some time to finally do these so here’s the super longass chain of tags I’m very grateful for ❤️ thank you so much to all of you for thinking of me!! ❤️❤️❤️

tagged by @and-then-yoi-happened, @joeys-piano and @gabzjones -- thank you so much guys ❤️

📽 🎞 Post 10 gifs from your favorite movies without naming them and then tag 10 (or so) people. 📽 🎞 

I had more trouble with this than I thought I would omg it seems I don’t like all that many movies??? unless we want to count each hp and potc movie separately  😂😂

I’ll be tagging @story-kat, @sweet-vitya, @estellie, @ilarual, and @katsudonski for it, but feel free to ignore me if you don’t want to do it ^u^)b

tagged by @story-kat, thank you for the tag kat!

fall/autumn preferences

rules: bold what you prefer and tag 10 people

1. go apple picking vs go on a hay ride 2. scary vs. sweet 3. sweaters vs. boots 4. socks vs. mittens 5. bonfires vs. football 6. trick-or-treating vs. watch scary movies 9. bake pie vs. bake cookies 10. rain vs. fog 11. black cats vs. owls 12. ghosts vs. wizards 13. harry potter vs. halloweentown 14. go hiking vs. sleep in 15. cinnamon vs. nutmeg 16. reading vs. writing 17. hot chocolate vs. tea  18. live in a cabin in a forest vs. have it be fall 24/7 19. candy apples vs. caramel apples 20. blankets vs. pillows 21. roasted marshmallows vs. roasted chestnuts 22. coffee vs. apple cider  23. red leaves vs. orange leaves 24. braids vs. bows 25. scented candles vs. the smell of fresh baked goods 26. carve pumpkins vs. make pumpkin pie (neither is my thing tbqh) 27. pumpkin spice lattes vs. chai tea lattes 28. coats vs. oversized sweaters 29. beanies vs. berets  30. candy corn vs. peanut butter cups 31. s'mores vs. apple crisp 32. jump in a pile of leaves vs. swing on a tire 33. corn maze vs. haunted house (very much neither) 34. bob for apples vs. visit a pumpkin patch 35. whipped cream on hot chocolate vs. marshmallows on hot chocolate

I haven’t seen this one before so this was fun, thank you!

tagging @and-then-yoi-happened, @inlovewithyoi, @victuuritrash, @atesan, and @phichitschulanont

tagged by @dreaming-fireflies, thank you so much!! ❤️

Rules: answer the questions and tag 15 people you want to know better.

1) Relationship status: dating a really adorable boy ;3c

2) Lipstick or chapstick: chapstick bc lipstick always eats away so ugly and I can’t be bothered to reapply every time I lick my lips

3) three favourite foods: chicken fried rice, pepperoni pizza, pad thai

4) song stuck in your head: thunder and lightning by serayah

5) last movie you watched: jurassic world fallen kingdom

6) top three shows: game of thrones, rein, suits

7) book I am currently reading: nothing bc I’m just stuck to my pc writing all the time ;u;

8) last thing i googled: the link to the song above

9) time: 3:51 PM

10) dream trip: japan *u* but also harry potter studio tour bc first fandom always sticks with you *u*

11) anything you want: to be done with renovations, finally, and to deal with my teaching practice asap so I can go back to writing yrdcyhvgb

I won’t be tagging anyone for this, but it was still fun to do so if anyone wants to as well, feel yourself tagged!

tagged by @louciferish, and twice by @gabzjones omg gabz thank you ilu and I’m sorry I’m such a flake trfxcvujbkn /)u(\

7 Sentences

The rules are as follows: go to page 7 of your WIP, go to the 7th line, share 7 sentences, and tag 7 more writer-bloggers to continue the challenge.

Slowly, as if all his motion settings have been reset, Yuuri turns around. And Victor, the blessed man that he is, gives him a little polite smile that freezes Yuuri's brain and sets his heart on fire all in the span of one second.

Fuck, Yuuri thinks to himself again. Oh fuck.

"Hello," Victor says, a perfect smile on his perfect face that sits on his perfect head on his perfect neck on his perfect shoulders and his perfect chest and his–

"Hi," Phichit replies, a smile on his own face, too. "It's amazing to meet you. We're both big fans, but I guess everyone tells you that."

bc I’ve done nothing but write my victuri bang fic for about a month now, that’s what this is from! look forward to it in october ;3

I’ll tag the writers my mind instantly thought of, so @dreaming-fireflies, @belovedyuuri, @teekettle, @the-world-of-illyas-james, @kazul9, @stammiviktor, and @iwritebetterthanispeak!

tagged by @the-world-of-illyas-james, thank you!!

Ao3 Tag Game 

WHAT IS YOUR TOTAL WORD COUNT ON AO3?

920344, which tbh I’m sure will go up after I post this bang fic I’m working on so??? kinda excited to hit 1mil ngl 

HOW OFTEN DO YOU WRITE?

I definitely try to write every day but sometimes life gets too busy so I usually keep it to short headcanons and plot bunnies then but I will definitely get at least one to two sentences out there daily ^u^)b

DO YOU HAVE A ROUTINE FOR WRITING?

sure do! I love setting up a scented candle to get the mood going, turn on some music or ambience and pop open an energy drink while I keep some sweets on hand to get my sugar levels up high. it works perfectly for me!

WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE KINKS/TROPES/PAIRING?

Kinks: oh boy... I’m very into soft and sensual, but hard voyeuristic frick frack involving fluffy tail buttplugs and pet play? count me tf in ;3c Tropes: soulmates, rivals, enemies to lovers, creature fic, hanahaki, Pairings: victuuri, the one and only 🙏

DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE FIC OF YOURS?

it’s definitely dazzle me with gold! but since it’s my fic with most kudos, I will talk about my second fav here, which is oh ye of so little faith, a miyusawa fic that I wrote for a bang once upon a time and which I put my very heart and soul into, and love to pieces even tho it’s been years

YOUR FIC WITH THE MOST KUDOS?

dazzle me with gold, my magnum opus, which I couldn’t be more proud of bc it’s all I love in a fic: historical setting, drama, werewolves, mystery and so much love it’s sickening ❤️

ANYTHING YOU DON’T LIKE ABOUT YOUR WRITING?

not really? tho recently I hate that I can’t seem to write short things anymore 😂😂😂

NOW SOMETHING YOU DO LIKE (ABOUT YOUR WRITING)?

I think I’m fairly good at grasping the characters I’m writing, and I know for sure that my soft/sweet/floof levels are running VERY high, so I’m definitely proud of that!

I’ll tag @gabzjones, @louciferish, @saniika, @postingpebbles, @muttthecowcatridesagain, @yuliaplisetskaya, and @joeys-piano! 😘

tagged by @teekettle, thank you tati! ❤️

Favorite Character Tag Game 

Rules: name your top 10 favorite characters from 10 different fandoms and then tag 10 people.

victor nikiforov

miyuki kazuya

hinata shouyou

aomine daiki

giotto

voldemort

hakuryuu

uzumaki naruto (and his daddy bc I’m baking two pies in one oven and I need my best hubby here FOR REASONS)

portgas d. ace

grimmjow jaggerjack

wow this got me so nostalgic for my lovely boys ❤️ I’m going to send @story-kat, @tetsya, @littorella, @accioharo, and @hentipie down the memory lane next, have fun~ 😘

hooo boy this was a lot to get through but it was fun! thanks again to everyone who tagged me, you guys rock and I’m a dick for procrastinating on this so hard I’m sowwie  (╥﹏╥)  I’m blessed to have such lovely friends like you, so once again: thank you for remembering about me (≧◡≦) ❤️

[kitty-bandit]

Dammit, all those asks I got today just made me slip back down into that damned Bridal Shop AU I started. And @errantknightess is asleep so I can’t bother her about it either. (It’s still your fault I started writing it, I completely blame you! XD)

Anyway, if you want to have a taste of this AU, check out some of what I’ve written below the cut. :3c

Just a little Cross x Miranda x Tyki shipping to get you all in the rarepair mood.

Tyki snatched the bottle of complimentary champagne off the front counter, pouring himself another glass. “Don’t suck down all the alcohol, Marian.”

Cross exhaled through his nose before draining the last of the champagne in his flute. The damned glasses were too small for his liking, and the bubbly, pink liquor wasn’t nearly strong enough to take the edge off this abysmal meeting. “Can’t even get a mouthful with these tiny fucking glasses,” he grumbled, stealing the bottle back and filling his glass once more.

“Just drink it from the bottle like the lush you are.” Tyki gave him a coy smirk before the flute touched his lips and he sipped at the liquid.

Cross couldn’t help but snort at the suggestion. “Staying classy as ever, Mikk.”

“You know me. I’m a classy kind of guy.” Tyki took the last of the champagne and filled his glass to the brim. He groaned as the droplets teetered out, and they ran out of booze. “Why do we have to be here for this?”

The bubbles tickled Cross’ nose as he drank again. God, he wished they had something harder. This fruity shit wasn’t going to cut it. “Don’t ask dumb questions.”

In that moment, drinks in hand, they both looked over at Allen. The damn kid was beaming, practically glowing under the attention. Cross didn’t miss the subtle changes—how Allen leaned in closer to Lavi, how his smile brightened, how he took each opportunity to touch his fiancé and lean into the casual touches Lavi returned to him. Allen was so fucking happy, it was almost sickening. Cross watched as Lavi wrapped an arm around Allen’s shoulders as they leaned in to look at a new page of suits. He scoffed, and looked away.

“He really likes that idiot, huh?” Tyki asked, offhandedly. He rubbed at his nose, golden eyes lingering on the scene not ten feet away from them before turning his back on it.  

“Seems to be the case.” It was an unspoken law between them, something from before Cross learned who Tyki was—how troublesome he was. Even though they butt heads at every meeting, and there was still some bad blood from the scant few months they tried dating, they had always agreed on one thing: No one hurt Allen Walker.

Turning away from the scene as well, Cross sucked down the last of his drink. “Yeah, we’ll he’d better treat him right. Or I’ll kill him.”

Tyki chuckled, shoulders shaking as he tried to keep from spilling his champagne. “Oh, Papa Cross coming out to play, eh?”

“Shut up.”

Taking another drink, Tyki continued to look at him, laughter creased in the corners of his eyes. “But he’s cute, at least.”

Cross did his best to keep from frowning. “He’s too young for you.”

“Mmm, sounds like the old man is jealous.”

“You have exactly two seconds to shut your trap or I’ll shut it for you.”

Rolling his eyes, Tyki sighed. “Fine. You’re a lot surlier than you used to be.” After draining his own glass, he slipped behind the counter and poked around for another bottle of alcohol. The complimentary bottle was supposed to be for the grooms to enjoy, but Allen and Lavi had been so busy looking at fabric and tuxes and suits, that they’d forgotten all about it. Cross doubted they’d care much anyway. Allen never drank (a fact that Cross had always secretly been proud of him for), and it wouldn’t have been fun for Lavi to drink it alone. He and Tyki were just doing them a favor.

As Tyki rifled around behind the counter like a looting thief, a short, mousy woman walked up to them. She carried bolts of fabric, barely keeping them all in her arms, and watched Tyki with concern. “S-S-Sorry. Can I help you with something?”

Tyki stood and shoved his hands in his pockets, his expression unworried as he eyed her up. Cross recognized the look on his face in an instant—it was the same one he used to get out of trouble time and time again. A charming smile went a long way when it came with a handsome face—and as much as Cross hated to admit it, Tyki was devilishly handsome.

“Just looking for another bottle of wine for the grooms. This one is empty,” he said, shaking the bottle as if to emphasize it’s lack of liquor. It was a blatant lie, of course, what with the grooms looking much too busy to bother with any drinks in that moment. But the woman’s eyes widened, and she nodded in understanding.

“Oh, of course! I’ll get another one right away!” She rushed off towards the backroom, and before she reached the doorway, she tripped over her own feet, dropping every bold of fabric. Tyki snorted at the scene, hiding his amusement behind his hand as he returned to the right side of the counter with Cross.

“Check out the Human Disaster,” Tyki whispered, leaning into Cross’ side as they both watched the woman gather up the fabric before disappearing in the backroom.

Tyki’s comment left a sour taste in his mouth. Cross glared at him, lips twitching into a disapproving frown. “Don’t be such a shit to ladies.”

“It’s just a joke. Calm your tits, Marian.”

“Don’t talk about my tits,” Cross snapped back, his voice still low enough to avoid drawing attention, though he looked over at the group still perusing fabric samples. They seemed unaware of their conversation, too involved in the task at hand. “Maybe if you learned a little tact, you wouldn’t be a pathetic sod living alone in that shithole you call an apartment.”

“Speaking of tact—”

Cross cut him off again, ire rising. “You couldn’t pick up a date if your life depended on it. You don’t know how to treat people properly. You can’t even be nice to a poor lady just doing her job.”

Tyki raised his eyebrows, a smug smirk crawling across his lips. “Managed to pick you up, though, didn’t I?”

Cross broke their eye contact, the slight hitting him harder than he thought possible. Of course Tyki would pick and choose what he wanted to reply to, ignoring the meat of his words. “And yet here we are, not together, and I somehow still have to deal with your antics. The universe is cruel.”

Chewing on his lip, Tyki leaned in closer. He stared at Cross, a mischievous smile on his face. “…I bet you I can get that klutzy lady to go out with me before you.”

Cross snorted outright. He shook his head and returned Tyki’s gaze with an incredulous look. “No.”

“No? What are you scared, Marian? Think you’ll lose to me, someone with so little tact?”

“No. It’s just a stupid bet to make.” Cross pinched the bridge of his nose, pushing up his glasses as he tried to ignore Tyki. “Besides, you have nothing I want. You certainly don’t have money.”

“How about something better than money?” Tyki offered. “Humiliation.”

“What the fuck?”

Tyki continued, unbothered by Cross’ reaction. “Whoever loses has to sing a song at the wedding. And the winner picks the song.”

“That’s fucking ludicrous. I’m not doing that.” He tried to pull away, but Tyki leaned in closer.

“C’mon,” Tyki needled him. “It’ll give us something to do while all this wedding planning is going on. And besides, she’s kinda cute. I’d fuck her.”

“You’d fuck anything with a pulse.” Cross paused, grimacing. “Maybe even without one.”

A pout marred Tyki’s face as he sighed. “You think so little of me?”

“I’ve seen you naked, so yeah. I do think little of you.”

Tyki snorted loudly, Kanda giving them a suspicious glare from the other side of the room before choosing to ignore them once more. They were still in the clear, and Tyki shook his head as he clapped his hand on Cross’ shoulder. “You’re fucking vicious.”

Cross rolled his eyes, letting out a long exasperated sigh. He’d forgotten how frustrating it could be talking with Tyki. It would be best to ignore him while they were stuck in suit shopping hell for the foreseeable future.

“Well,” Tyki began, his golden eyes focusing on the door to the back room. “If you’re too chicken to take up the bet, I’ll just do it for fun.”

That caught Cross’ attention. “What?”

The grin on Tyki’s face made his stomach turn, and he wished he could say the feeling was unpleasant. “Just because you won’t play doesn’t mean I can’t.”

[razmahdaz-art]

A Second Chance For More. Chapter 1

A Fanfiction inspired by @gaysupernova ‘s prompt. It will get to be McHanzo-ey later on, but I wanted to start with super Shimada bros to start it. This gonna be fun. :3c

    Ever since they met again on Hanamura, Genji hasn't left his older brother alone. After he left Hanzo with the decision to Join Overwatch or stay alone, he’s been writing him letters almost weekly. Some are small little messages on secure lines, a Happy Holidays or Well Wishes through a text on a burner phone, sometimes a full page letter describing the time he’s had since they met. And they all ended the same way every single time.

    “Wish You Were Here, Anija.”

    These letters, these thoughtful letters that Hanzo never replied to wore him down little by little with each instalment. On the off chance, he’d start a reply, but never finish or send it. He had so many things he wanted and needed to say, but all his feelings couldn’t be put to paper no matter how long he tried to write. They left him thinking, considering the offer that Genji left him intensely. He even lost sleep over it, staring at the dark ceiling in small hotel rooms in the late evening hours just thinking about what he’d even say to his brother. Every ounce of his being was torn between wanting to stay out of his brother’s now, apparently, happy life, and wanting to be apart of it.

    It was mid July, Hanzo alone watching the sunset while drinking cheap sake on the top of a large building. His back against a half wall as his leg up on the ledge to support his weight on the semi small ledge. It was one of the rare peaceful moments where no one was trying to kill him and he wasn't attempting to kill anyone. He sipped the mild drink from its bottle as he watched the sun dip below the mountain side, enjoying the oranges and dark blues that took their place in the sky. This is when he’d get a message on his new phone that would make his decision for him.

    An image of a sunrise, rising over the rocks and ocean near Watchpoint Gibraltar, painting the sky with wonderous hues and parting the grey clouds to let the sun shine through. A short and simple message was below the picture.

    “Just like when we were kids, huh brother?”

Hanzo’s hand gripped the small device tightly, and it made his heart both sink and grow at the same time. A small smile came to his face and he’d do something for the first time in months. He’d reply.

    “It Is.”

Those were the only words he sent. And they set Genji off. He sent multiple messages in a row, almost to the point of spamming. Hanzo’s phone buzzed a few times in a row, and it made him smile a bit. Good to see Genji really hasn't changed since they were younger.

    “So You ARE Getting These!”

    “And of course, the first thing you send to me in months, is two words.”

    “Really nice. Really. Poetic almost.”

    Hanzo let out a breath that was almost a laugh. His lips curled into a small smile as he read these messages. These little things, these messages that showed that even if Genji wasn't the “Same”, he still was his kid brother. The same sarcastic, fun loving idiot whom Hanzo looked after for so many years. And now it may seem the tides have definitely turned. It took him minutes to respond. A little ellipses showed up when Genji was typing every few moments, but they went away within seconds. It gave Hanzo a little bit more courage to respond, and that he did.

    “You still really are the Genji I knew.”

    He sent the short message and not seconds later he got a response.

    “And you are still the Hanzo I know you can be.”

    From going to not replying at all, never speaking to his brother, Hanze went to talking to Genji almost daily. For weeks, they’d send texts and images back and forth. On the off occasion they’d even make time for phone calls. They’d talk about simple things. Genji talking about the new team members, two being celebrities strange enough, and semi introducing his brother to his mentor and dear friend, Zenyatta. Genji sent photos of them together, Zenyatta doing a Peace sign pose with the other. And one thing stood out in the photos that no matter what, chipped the remaining reservations that Hanzo may have had away.

    Genji was smiling and happy in every single one.

    This continued for weeks, and Hanzo had finally made up his mind. While he was packing his bags to get ready to move to another hotel, Genji sent him a picture of himself drinking tea (In which also taught Hanzo that Genji can in fact still eat and drink), with a message captioning it.

    “I miss your tea. You always had a knack for making it.”

    This was the tipping point for the older Shimada, and with shaking hands, he sent a reply.

    “Maybe i can make you some. I’ve given it thought and I’d like to join you. If you’ll still have me, of course.”

    It almost scared Hanzo by how long it took Genji to reply. It was still only a minute or so, but it was like a decade when considering how Genji usually was. He packed up Stormbow and his quiver in the instrument case he’d been using to carry it in before his phone buzzed on the nightstand where it charged. He picked up the device and sighed as he opened the message, preparing for the worst.

    “TOOK YOU LONG ENOUGH. Lena will be at the nearest airport tomorrow morning. You Better Be There!”

    Hanzo’s smile was stretched across his face and the words made him relax. His shoulders dropped as he looked at the time and considered the time differences in his head. Genji’s morning was hours away, and it’d be hanzo’s evening. He got up and gathered the remaining things before his phone buzzed another quick message.

    “I’m proud of you, Anija. We’re going to get through this. As a family.”

    And with this, Hanzo wasted the remainder of his day, finishing up a few things and grabbing a few new clothes for his travels. He didn't have much and thought about what he may need. A pair of sweats, some new shirts, and a pair of new clean jeans. It was a start. The last thing he ever did before leaving was grabbing a cake from a bakery, something he hadn't allowed himself to do in years. After he did this, he headed over to the closest private airport that he told Genji to send lena, and nonetheless, a large hanger plain came flying in to meet him. He stood a few yards away as he watched the lift land on the tarmac before the large doors opened. He took a few steps forward before seeing a short brunette girl wearing a sweatshirt and jeans suddenly appearing in front of him. She had some glowing blue technology strapped to her torso and it seemed to pulse like a steady heart beat. She had a large and warm smile on her face as she saluted him.

“Pilot Lena Oxton! You must be Hanzo,” she introduced herself, giving a polite bow to the stranger. She looked Hanzo over once and straightened her posture and waved her arm, in a small ‘After You’ motion. Hanzo could sense the uneasiness coming from her as he stepped into the large airplane. He kept his distance from her before she closed the hanger doors and walked a little bit next to him. Hanzo placed his things onto the table that was surrounded by a comfy looking booth with cushions. Small pictures and trinkets made their home in the small indents behind the couch like seating.

Hanzo took a seat and looked at the photos, seeing some of people he’d seen on TV, others he’d never seen before, but he found two of Genji. One, when Blackwatch. With him are two men, one wearing a beanie and sporting a cowl even if his lips ended in a smirk, and the other, a tall man in a ridiculous hat and cloak like garment with his hand around the pair. And the second is much more recent, Genji without his mask hugging a female with blonde hair a doctor’s coat. As Hanzo looked these two images over he realized that the plane hadn’t taken off yet. In fact, Lena was still in front of him, giving him the same warm smile. He caught her staring, she coughed and fixed her hoodie before saying something.

“After all i've heard, i kinda thought you looked different,” She admitted half heartedly. She let out a chuckle before continuing. “I thought you’d’ve looked...Meaner? But You Don’t! If i were to say, you look like Genji, just older and no green hair,” She rambled on before Hanzo cut the tension like a knife through butter.

“I know you...Hate me,” He said bluntly. “It wouldn’t surprise me if you did.”

Those words obviously were the truth, the way the female stuttered to try and correct him. She stumbled and rambled before she took a deep breath and collected all her thoughts. She let out a deep breath before she said her next words carefully.

“You’re...Kinda right. But Listen. I'm of the mind set everyone deserves a second chance! And if Genji is really willing to let you have one, then i'm willin’ to let you have it too!” She finished before pointing her fingers towards the terminal and pilot’s chair. “You can turn out the lights if you wanna sleep through the trip! It's gonna be a long one. I’ll be up front, if ya need anything.” She stated before she blipped towards the controls, a blue streak following her. Hanzo watched her as he slumped in his seat.

The hanger lifted off the ground and raised into the sky easily, more gentle than any flight Hanzo has ever been on. He watched through the window of the door as the earth got lower and lower and the clouds covered his view of the terrain below. And just as suggested, he flicked a small switch near his head. The main area went dark, the lights of the cabin barley lighting the entry to it. He crossed his arms and rested his head back. He stared at the ceiling, relaxing a bit. He let his mind wonder, and eventually his eyes closed and everything went quiet. He didn't remember falling asleep, but it was possibly the longest and best sleep he’d ever had.

A small hand nudged him awake, and his eyes flickered open to see Lena smiling at him. She took a few steps back, and stretched her arms above her head. Hanzo’s back ached, possibly from not laying down, but nonetheless he felt rested.

“We’re Here. Just landed. I think everyone is asleep, but I alerted the base that we landed,” She said as she opened the door. A cool woosh of air filled the cabin and it woke Hanzo up fully if any ounce of drowsiness was still in his bones. Lena walked out and waved at him as he gathered his things. He slung his ‘instrument’ case over his back, grabbed the cake, which Lena had put in the mini fridge while he slept (She even left a note saying she did on the table.) He took one more look around as he stretched his back and walked out of the Aircraft. He stepped into a large open area that housed at least two smaller ships in it, along with what he assumed was cargo. It was dimly lit and cold, the main door being wide open to let the cold air in.

It wasn't long before he saw a dim, green glow.

He took a few short steps forward before the figure came bolting towards him. Genji, wearing a large hoodie and jogging pants charged for him with open arms. Hanzo had to adjust the case on his back before Genji and him collided. The cyborg wrapped his arms around his brother’s neck, and Hanzo could only wrap his free hand around him. It was strange, hugging someone mostly made of metal. But i was a much needed and long overdue hug that needed to be shared.

“I’m proud of you, Anija. More than you can imagine.” Genji said, backing off of the other a bit. He took his mask off and his beaming smile was in place, causing Hanzo to make a similar expression.

“I hope I can fix things,” Hanzo confessed, as the pair soon started to migrate towards the doors to the main part of the base.

“You’ve already started to,” Genji reassured him, his hand on Hanzo’s shoulder as they walked.

They walked together, ending their small trip in a mess hall like area. It was late, but they both agreed this dessert couldn't stick around here too long. Or else, they might not even see it in the morning. Genji got some plates while he watched Hanzo make the tea he promised he’d make. When the water was warm and their cups where filled, they sat at a table and dished up two pieces of the shortcake.

The brothers talked, for hours and hours, discussing stories and thoughts, along with Genji’s praises of how proud he is. They were alone, they were talking, and eating sweets like they did when they were children. Hanzo smiled as his mind finally came to an statement that he needed to hear for a long time.

He got a second chance, a second chance for more.

[little-owly]

boi oh boi this was a T R E A T to write >:3c tell me what y'all think!! -- Marvin hurried Chase, Anti, and Jac//kieb//oy Man into his personal office. A toothy smile plastered across his face -- excitement filling him as he gathered his wand and cape from his desk. It had taken Marvin nearly 3 weeks to perfect the spell he was casting today. Repeating the mantra over and over to himself during his practices -- practically crying with relief when he finally got the words right. Now, he just needed a test audience. Which is where his three friends (and fellow egos) came in. As Marvin closed the blinds, Chase spoke up. His voice concerned and worried. "Marv? Bud? I don't really know about you moving onto spells and shit. Can't you just..." he trailed off, "stick with illusions?" "...what?" "He means we're worried about you messing around with something you don't know /how/ to control." Jac//kieb//oy Man added. He pulled his red hoodie down and blue mask off, a serious expression staring Marvin down, "you don't think about what you're conjuring up to help you do these weird little spells?" "Oh, you gotta be kidding me." Marvin sighed, "this isn't even something huge like 'make me fly' or 'make them fall in love with me'!" Marvin retorted, anger rising in him. How could they not support his new tricks? How could they say such judgmental things about his act? "They're right and you know it," Anti chuckled, "you could call up some bad voodoo shit. Or do some weird irreversible spell." "Oh Christ, even you?!" Marvin laughed -- hand running through his own green bangs, "wow. Even the walking evil demon...person...glitch thingy?" Anti rolled his eyes and turned back to the other two, who had taken their seats at the couch in front of Marvin's makeshift 'stage' (his desk, with a hastily thrown red tablecloth draped over it.) "Hey. I tried to tell 'im too. Whatever happens is his fault." Marvin bit back the snicker as the three looked on. Thankful for his stubborn attitude. Oh, he'll show them. He'll show them just how amazing he is as a spell caster /and/ a magician! He coughed and turned his back to them, putting on his trademark cat mask before turning on his desk lamp for dramatic effect. Marvin's red and black cape swishing loudly as he faced his small crowd. "Good evening, all you beautiful people." He grinned. Chase and Jac//kieb//oy Man clapping as Anti booed. Typical Anti. "Ah, I hear we have some non-believers in the crowd." He posed dramatically as he pulled his wand from thin air, "never a problem with me -- Mar//vin the Ma//gni//ficent! The man who can turn the most harden skeptic into a true believer." Chase leaned over and whispered into Jac//kieb//oy Man's ear. Anti on their left side watching Marvin with a bored expression, "what spell is he even doin'?" Jac//kieb//oy Man answered him with a slow shrug. Both at a loss for what Marvin had planned up his sleeves. "Well, whatever it is -- I'm not saving 'im." Anti interrupted. His hand closing around his mouth as he yelled, "hey! Hoodini! I paid for a magic show, not a two hour long monologue!" Marvin huffed, "Anti, you didn't pay at all." *** And so, Marvin got on with it. Preparing the three with a few classic illusions. He started with the standard 'pulling a (plushie) rabbit from a top hat', moved onto a few quick disappearing acts, and ended with a mirror trick -- one that actually got a gasp out of Anti! A new achievement! "My dearest friends, I believe we end this night of dazzling tricks with one that will leave you breathless," Marvin smirked, grabbing the old spell book from behind his desk, "have you ever worried about aging? The once youthful and beautiful body and face you had, being lost to time itself?" Chase and Jac//kieb//oy Man exchanged worried looks. "My dearest friends -- I have pondered this question over and over. Finally willing myself to just see how exactly I'll be when I'm older. Will I be the grouchy old man down the street? Or the sweet old man staring out the window of some nursery home?" he smiled. "Marvin--" "I need absolute silence, please." Marvin stared down the worried Chase. Opening to the marked page to get one last quick look at the spell, Marvin stood before the three with arms and legs stretched out. "Now, will anyone give me an age over 50?" "56!" Anti shouted out. Chase and Jac//kieb//oy Man giving him a look that screamed 'you're not helping'. Marvin nodded his head, smile as wide as a mile. Stomach fluttering as he readied himself. All those late nights -- willing himself to get this right -- finally leading to this moment. It's showtime. The ancient foreign words spilt from Marvin's lips. Echoing around the office, the desk lamp flickering, the plushie rabbit from the last few tricks falling to the ground as the spell worked it's magic. Green and gold smoke appearing in a flash before the three. The room shaking with whatever power Marvin has unleashed. "Fuck--" Chase held back on his curse as the smoke settled. Marvin slumped to his knees on the floor. Breathing heavily as he shivered. No. Something was wrong. Something was definitely wrong. "Marvin?! Marvin!" Ja//ckieb//oy Man stood first, rushing over to the injured (?) magician. Chase joining him as Anti sat still. Unimpressed. "Marvin? Jesus, I knew we shouldn't have--" Marvin's blue eyes met Chase's. Tears rushing down his face as he winced. A quiet childlike voice breaking the worried silence. "D-Da...da?" "...what? Marvin--" He turned to Jac//kieb//oy Man. Crying even harder. "Papa...?" The two shared confused looks. Dada? Papa? Where had that come from? And what was with his soft voice? The two let go of Marvin as he crawled over to the forgotten plushie rabbit. Grabbing it's soft fur ear and crying harder. Outright sobbing like a...well... "I thought this was suppose to make you older, not a baby." Anti scoffed, "you fuckin' /suck/ at this." "Anti!" Chase yelled, "can you just shut up for a few seconds?!" The loud yelling and insults set Marvin off more. Sobbing harder as his face turned red. Holding out his hands in a grabbing motion towards Jac//kieb//oy Man. "What the fuck is going on," he sighed. Picking up the other man and going over to the forgotten book. Hoping to get to the bottom of whatever was going on with Marvin. "Marvin," Anti hissed in disgust, "don't chew on that toy's ear, who knows where it's been." *** Marvin babbled loudly as Chase held him. Calming him down by (ridiculously) shaking his car keys in front of him. Marvin responding with giddy giggles and quiet coos. Uncoordinated hands trying to catch the keys. "Chase, Anti! I think I figured out what happened!" The two followed behind the desk with Jac//kieb//oy Man. Chase leaving Marvin on the floor with his plushie rabbit -- who was currently being snuggled by Marvin. "Look," Jac//kieb//oy Man pointed towards a warning above the aged paper, hidden by the sticky note marker Marvin had used. "'Should you mix up the last two words, trouble you will seek. Instead you'll be aged back to six months, your mind young and meek. Do not worry about being this young forever, these effects only last for up to a week. This spell is for the strong and smart, not dumb and weak.'" Jac//kieb//oy Man read aloud. As if on cue, Marvin babbled and nibbled on his own fingers again. Cooing as he hugged the plushie rabbit tighter. "Jesus," Chase sighed, "he's...really only six months? Like, up here?" he points to his head. Anti crossing his arms. "Serves him right," Anti laughed, "guess no more shows or spells for a while." "Wait. Six months." Jac//kieb//oy Man looked to the two, "that means he's not potty trained anymore, right?" "Oh fuck." Anti groaned, annoyed. Of course Marvin had to suck them all into this nightmare of a situation. Not only did they have to deal with a dumbed down Marvin, but change him as well? The three argued as Marvin stopped suckling on his fingers. Looking down at his black tux pants. Wet warmth cascading down his legs and under his butt. Bottom lip wobbly as he continued to wet himself -- crying loud enough to get their attention. Anti being the first to look over and see the ever growing puddle. Glitching out more and more as he grew more angry. "Damn it!" Anti yelled, "I'm getting the doc and explaining this bullshit. You two...do /something/." *** "What the hell did you four get yourselves into." Dr. Sch//neeple//stein sighed. Bringing the three into his office as Marvin laid on the examination table. Soft fluffy diaper secured around his waist. Sleeping soundly in a loose shirt and cuddling his rabbit from before. "Oh God," Jac//kieb//oy Man looked away. Anti laughing loudly in the hall, the mere sight of Marvin padded up too much for him to take seriously. Poor Chase -- worried as ever -- walked in with ease. Hands clasped together as the doctor took a seat. "Well, nothing physically wrong with him other than the temporary incontinence." "It's just--" "Yes, I know. A week. Anti caught me up to speed on the whole affair." The doctor sighed, "best course of action would be to just, well, take care of him until next Monday." Chase nodded, "of course. Is...is there anyway we can have access to the medical diapers you have?" The doctor nodded, signing off bits of paper work and gathering the supplies for the three. "We?!" Anti asked from the hall, "who said I'm--" "Now. Is. Not. The. Fuckin'. Time. Anti." Chase hissed. *** "Took a while to find some more, but here we go. A few days worth of diapers, wipes, powder, and an adult pacifier." "Why do you have that?" Jac//kieb//oy Man asked, holding Marvin in his arms. A soft and warm red blanket from Chase's office wrapped around him. "Helps some patients stop snoring," the doctor yawned, "guys -- it's 9:30, you should all be getting home." "You're right -- thank you so much, Doc. You're a life saver." The doctor waved them off as he locked up his office for the night. Wondering how well the three would do with the mentally younger Marvin. He could hear them arguing again from his car. Yeah, Dr. Sch//neeple//stein gave it about a day or two before disaster happened. *** Marvin happily suckled on the small bottle of milk as Chase held him. The three of them sleeping over at his apartment until this whole situation was under control. Anti, however, snored loudly in the guest room. Doing nothing to help other than (harshly) throwing the plushie rabbit in Marvin's face the minute they piled into Chase's car. Making Marvin cry his heart out for nearly an hour. "Can he be any more annoying?" Jac//kieb//oy Man sighed, "Schneep said those adult binkies help people stop snoring -- can we convince him to get Anti one. Before I throw myself off your balcony?" Chase nodded. Tired and on the brink of sleep. "Let's focus on one baby at a time." He replied. Getting up to settle Marvin down for the night. Exhausted -- yet a small part of him glad to be taking care of someone again. Almost feeling a sense of belonging he hadn't felt since Stacey took the kids. Something swelling inside him, warming his body with affection. He tucked in Marvin before scooting under the heavy blanket himself. His bedroom dimmed down just for Marvin. He hesitated before pressing a soft kiss to Marvin's temple. "Sweet dreams, Marv. We'll take good care of ya."