#man i remember when i first realized my eyesight was going

[afandomdreamerwrites]

Scarlet Part 2

For @aguilaguerrera10, here’s the second part. Again, so sorry for the wait. I’ve been trying to make a habit of finishing my stuff. So, to everyone, I am in the process of making your posts. I am very grateful for your patience and I am trying my best to get to all of you.

TW: ANGST, FIGHTING BETWEEN FATHER AND SON, and uh.. yeah. If there is anything else I missed or that troubles you, let me know, and I’ll put it in. 

(Edit done in Picsart by me)

Neither you nor Jason ever mentioned your grandfather.

It didn’t matter. Jason raised you, cared for you. He was family and you were, too; finding out about your real family didn’t change that. Jason is your real family - who cares who your mother is or who your grandfather is? Jason has been there for you your entire life - you could care less about your 'other' family.

As you continue on with your life, each day your vigilante work got tougher; forgetting the incident between Jason and your grandfather. You were always near your dad, who explicitly told you to never stray from his eyesight unless given permission to - you listened, of course. Gotham is full of surprises, and Jason is a seasoned veteran at this sort of thing. While you may know how to dropkick a guy from above or put a man in a chokehold, Jason knows when a guy is gonna pull the trigger, or who's hiding behind the corner. Once, you got into a run-in with a group of thugs. You and Jason took them down, one by one. You let your guard down for a second, and you were tackled to the ground, repeatedly getting your face punched out. You would’ve been dead..-

If it wasn’t for Jason’s hard fist knocking their jaw out.

The memories were hazy…

You were going in and out of consciousness, but.. you could’ve swore you saw Jason’s knuckles covered in blood. When you managed to pick yourself up and run to safety, you also swore you heard a gunshot.

You shrugged it off as a result of nearly getting your head smashed in, but the more you thought about it, deep down, you start to wonder more and more about what your dad actually did to those men…

“Scarlet.”

You snapped out of your thoughts. “You understand?” Jason stands before you, arms crossed over his chest. You blink under your mask then nod. “Yes. I understand. No confrontation whatsoever.” Your Dad caught wind of an ‘organization’ doing some shady business around Crime Alley. A few searches and criminal records lead him down to a run-down building, deep in the east-end surrounded by the apartments of the ghetto, which is where you two currently stand on the rooftop of. He didn't intend to bring you along, but after going through some more information, he realized he was going to need a helping hand, so here you are.

Jason looks down, observing the guards through the clear windows. “If anything goes wrong, let me know, and I’ll come get you. Remember: never stray from my radar.” You nod. “Got it.” All you were assigned to do is take pictures and gather info - that's it. No confrontation, no take-downs, just sneaking around and playing spy; it will be your first time going solo. Jason stares at you then takes a deep breath - he would be lying if he said he wasn't worried about you. So many what-ifs and a thousand scenarios of the absolute worst things to happen play around in his mind. He knows you’re a good kid, you’ve rarely ever gone against him, and the only time you did was when you wanted to become a vigilante. Besides that, you never caused trouble for him, but still, he couldn’t help but worry - hell - fear.

You noticed Jason's silence and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Hey, what are you scared about? All I gotta do is take a few pictures," you assured, "No biggie!” Although your face was behind a mask, he can feel your bright smile.

It's not that he doesn't trust you.

He trusts you.. wholeheartedly.

It’s those sick fucks that he doesn’t trust.

He holds your gaze then places a hand on your head. "I can always trust you, kid." He says. You smile then run to the air vent with Jason following right behind.

Using the X-ray vision in his mask, he gauges the area: there aren’t as many guards compared to yesterday. You won’t be engaging the enemy and you'll be in the vents, so it didn't matter as much. 'But you never know.' He noted. Jason would be careless to not think there could be more hidden around somewhere in the warehouse. "Well, kid." He turns to you. "Whenever you're ready." Nodding, you use a laser pen you made out of a laser pointer for cats - with the help of your dad, of course. The beam cuts through the vents, carving a circle into the metal, and all it took was one, gentle, push to create a perfect opening. You took one last look at your Dad, then climbed in. Jason can feel his nerves bubbling in his gut, but he pushed them down. 'You'll be fine.' He reassured himself. 'You're a good kid.'

You peer through the holes of the vents: there's a group of men surrounding a map on a table. Using the mini camera in your mask, you snap a few pics then move on to the next room. Jason sat on the rooftop watching the red dot on the map move across the vents in his helmet. Despite overviewing the entire area, he couldn’t shake off the suspicion about the unusual small number of guards hanging around the building. It gave him that much more anxiety with you.

"She shouldn't be doing this."

Jason grits his teeth.

He didn't need to ask to know who it was…

In the pitch black night of Gotham, a tall figure, camouflaged like a menacing shadow, stands behind Jason.

How long has it been..?

Weeks? Months? Years?

God knows how long since he last spoke to the man he was disgusted to call his mentor, his father.

"What do you want?"

"You know why."

Truth be told, Jason does..

Very well…

Along with finding out who your grandfather and mother is, Ra's also told him of who your father is, and your brother. Jason stands up. "Yeah, I do. What of it?"

Bruce's face was as cold and as expressionless as always. He saunters closer to Jason. "She can't live like this." Jason glares through his mask. "Who are you to decide that?" "I mean it, Jason. It's dangerous." Jason scoffs. "Funny coming from you and your four other little birds."

"Make that five."

The familiar cape dawned with the bright red, yellow, and green colors flies down beside him. An unfamiliar figure stands before him, another kid, another Robin. Jason narrows his eyes. "That's right. Almost forgot about you."

Damian Al-ghul Wayne. Grandson to Ra's Al Ghul, son to Talia and Bruce Wayne.

Your older twin brother.

Robin scoffs. "You've heard of me? Good."

Egotistic.

Wonderful…

"My sister will be coming back with us. That's a guarantee."

Jason clicks his teeth. It's his first time seeing the little devil in person and it's already bad enough learning that your mother tried to leave you for dead, it's a whole other thing to find out she abandoned you in favor of this entitled brat. 'Must be genetic.' Jason thought. "Yeah. That's not happening." Robin narrows his eyes. "Yeah. You heard me - she's staying with me and just like how I told your bastard of a grandfather: if any of you even lay a hand on my kid - I'll put a bullet in your skulls," Jason pulls out one of his pistols, "That's a guarantee."

Robin grits his teeth. Before he could even think about lashing out, Batman stands in front of him. "Think about this, Jason-" "I have. A long time ago. No one is taking my kid away from me, especially you."

A rustling echoes from the vent. All men turn to you as you climb out.

"I got all the pictures, Red. Is there..-" Your sentence trails off. Your dad, Batman and Robin standing before you.

Anyone who was born or has lived in Gotham long enough are familiar with the iconic dynamic duo, but to see them in person is an entirely different experience. Usually, you would be excited - if it wasn't for the feeling that something was wrong.

"...what's going on?"

Batman took a few steps towards you only for Jason to jump infront. There's a feral look in his eyes, his shoulders raised up and his muscles tense.

“Jason, please-"

“No! We’re done talking.”

Turning around, Jason starts walking. “Come on, kid. We’re leaving.” Glancing at the duo, you stare at them for a good minute before reluctantly following Jason. “Wait-” Batman grabs your hand.

Before you realize it, Batman goes flying backwards.

You blink.

You find your dad right next to you, his leg outstretched, breathing heavily.

It took a few moments for the gears to turn in your head. Then you realized…

Your dad kicked Batman.

The Dark Knight groans and sits up holding his stomach. You stand in complete shock, unsure of what to make of what just happened. Seeing this, Robin grits his teeth and runs at him, jumping up to send a roundhouse kick towards Red Hood’s head. “Robin! No!” Batman yells. Jason effortlessly catches him, flinging him across the roof to the next building. He tumbles a few times before falling to the ground, groaning.

Your mouth hangs open, stilled by both fear, confusion, and complete shock. Jason scoffs and grabs your wrist. “Let’s go."

“Jason, please. Can we at least talk?” Batman reaches out to grab you again. In a blink of an eye, Jason pulls out his gun.

There’s a suffocating moment of silence.

Neither party made a single move.

Despite your utter horror, the conflicted thoughts, and denials running through your head, there’s no doubt anymore that what happened with those goons is true - your dad had shot and killed them.

“Talk? Talk?! I said, we were done talking. I guess I didn’t make myself clear enough.” His finger begins to press down on the trigger. Your eyes blow wide, you shout. “Dad! Don’t-”

A gunshot never rang out. Batman kicked the gun out of his hand. He simultaneously grabs your arm and pulls you behind him. Robin, with a throbbing headache, stands up. “Robin! Take Scarlet away from here!” Red Hood growls and tries to bring his other gun out but Batman punches that one out too. Robin nods and grabs your arm. “Hey - wait!”

With both of his weapons out of reach, Jason takes to using his fist and goes straight for his nose. Batman catches it and punishes him by striking him twice in the abdomen before kicking him and sending him across the rooftop.

"Come on, let's get you out of here!" Robin is tugging at your arm, but you kept yourself planted. "No! I'm not leaving without my dad!"

Batman walks over. Jason lifts himself up, giving Batman the deadliest glares you’ve ever seen from him. Bruce says nothing and raises his fist at him, ready to land another punch.

"Stop!"

You ran between the two.

Batman halts. You stand there with your arms wide using your entire body to shield your father. "Don't hurt him!"

Batman lowers his fist and stands straight. "You don't understand. What you're doing.. it's not right." You glared at him. "So what?" Batman's gaze hardens. "You can get hurt or worse. Not to mention, where you live is just as unsafe." He kneels down to your eye-level. "If you live with me, with us, we can give you a better home, get you into a better school." He places a hand on your shoulder. Jason tenses up. "Become a family." You held your gaze with him. You didn't move from your spot nor let your arms down despite them beginning to ache. "I already have a family. It's him!" Batman goes silent. Robin grits his teeth. "Don't you get it? You'll die living like this!" "So what!" You snapped. "I rather die right beside my dad than leave him behind!" You hear a groan behind you and turn around. Your dad was struggling to get up, grunting as he held his stomach. You rush to his side, catching him when he falls. Batman steps to you, calling your name as he reaches a hand to you. "No!" You yell, clutching your dad harder, glaring harder at the Dark Knight. "You aren't taking me from him! I'm staying right here and if you try, you'll have to kill me to do it!" Batman stops. You were glued to Jason's side, standing next to him so defensively, ready to put up a fight. Robin was growing impatient and stomped his way to you. "You will come with us, whether you like it or no-" "Stop." Batman halts his son. Before Robin could argue, he turns away from you two, walking to the edge of the roof. "We're leaving." "But-" Batman narrows his eyes. Robin glances at Jason, then you. He holds his gaze with you, clutching his fists, before forcing himself to follow his father. The duo hop off from the roof, disappearing into the night. As if on cue, thunder rumbles across the sky, a heavy downpour following after.

You turn to your dad. He tries to get up again, this time, you help him by wrapping his arm around your shoulder and standing up. "Are you okay?" Jason groans. "I'll be fine. Are you alright?" You chuckle. "I'm alright. But we should get home." You say, then carefully guided him to the rooftop edge.

[DISCLAIMER: This work and any other works I do is purely fiction and fantasy. I do NOT condone any behaviors like this or other yandere behaviors in real life. If you experience something like this, I strongly advise you get help. Again, this work is purely fantasy and should not be done or supported in real life.]

...

[I also wished I could center text! >:(]

[nrdmssgs]

Since you made shifters AU - the crowd (me) asks for more. HCs maybe?

Hi, love! Sorry, it took forever. I wasn't sure, anyone would even notice my little shifters. Anyway, here how it started, and let's check, how it's going.

Ground rules

So when creating shifters AU, I made a few rules, that would help me personally in a world building. These rules are valid ONLY in my AU, so don't worry, it's not a must.

Shifting process is long and painful. While the body may change its form relatively fast - it is the shifter's mind that needs time to adapt. The shifter needs some time to remember, who are they and what is happening. The first minutes after the shifting - it is just a scared animal in terrible physical pain, so it can harm even its beloved ones.

Cat shifters are the most feral of all mammal shifters. You don't want to be in the same room with a freshly shifted lynx or lion - their mind needs much more time to come back to 'normal'.

The closer your 'second face' to your human body (in terms of measurements and body funktions) - the easier your shifting process is. Shifting to a mouse is much more complicated than shifting into a bear (because of size differences). Insect/bird/fish shifters are fucked rare and they are doomed to have much more complicated shifting process.

Wolf-shifters are the most common type in my world, because they learn and adapt faster than any others. Also they are very welcome in military because of that. Everybody wants a fellow wolf in their squad.

Shifting process can be trained in time. The more times you shifted - the faster your body and mind adapts. So the fact that cat shifter Nikolai didn't try to harm his beloved is due to his enormous experience.

Second faces

Second face is simply their animal form. One shifter has only one form. I dont make any segregation in my AU and shifters may work alongside non-shifters just fine. Nevertheless, 141 is a shifter party 100%

Captain John Price

I wouldn't dare to NOT make this man a bear. Because c`mon, it's John Price. He has his timing, his fair share of violence, he's highly territorial, he's absolutely gorgeous. If you're not on his team, "Bravo six going second face" is your death sentence. He can chase his prey for miles, he crosses ice-cold rivers and climbs peaky mountains like it's nothing. There is practically no place, where you could hide from him.

Kyle 'Gaz' Garrick

As intimidating, his angry roar can seem to you - your real problems start when you don't see him. Because Kyle is a lynx. He won't let you know, he's around, until you believe, he lost your tracks. You won't hear his feather step behind your back, won't feel his hot breath right above your head as he climbs that tree. He's just a shadow caught in the corner of your eyesight. A trick of light.

Johnny 'Soap' MacTavish

Now Johnny is a wolfboy. Wildly talented, loyal to the end, restless. Harm his beloved ones, threaten his comrades and his piercing amber eyes will hunt you down in your nightmares. You would await him being just a hot headed pup, but when you realize, how skillfully his hunt is planned - you will finally notice unmistakable intelligence and wisdom in every his move. As he will corner you - you will notice that his movements are not just those of a predator, but of a creature with an innate understanding of the world around it.

Simon 'Ghost' Riley

Ok, this might have me canceled, but hear me out. Ghost is not a wolf shifter in my AU. And there is a reason, why almost nobody even in 141 ever saw his second place. There is a reason, why Simon relies only on his human form, trains like there is no tomorrow, fights, like there is no plan B. This ideal soldier, the legendary war machine was 'blessed' with one of the rarest shifter forms, which can be utilized only on a very special occasions. Ghost has no problems with fighting armies in his human form. But god forbid you meeting him on open waters. It will be oh so quiet after he falls into the darkening abyss under your boat. Only waves licking plastic boat sides and a few birds screaming somewhere far. You would calm yourself down, convince yourself, Ghost is no more around. Drown. Dead and silenced finally. This would be when the dark abyss beneath will shift and move. Your boat would twirl and crash as a paper ship, sacrificed to the wild waters. Your men will disappear beneath the dark waves one by one, and you will have nobody to call for a help around. It's then when you will notice a jet black fin appearing and hiding between waves. He will let you see his second face before he drags you deeper to meet your end. An enormous beast, a deepwater demon with black skin shielding him from the sun and white belly masking him from anyone looking up. The last thing, you'll notice, before his jaws clench around you - will be a strange white pattern on his face. Now that you look at it - it doesn't resemble average orcas white spots. It reminds you of his skull mask.

[shadow-bringer-ao3]

Edo Tensei and it's Equivalents

7.

Tobirama blinks into awareness in a coffin. Not the strangest thing that’s ever happened to him but considering he was dead a second ago, it’s up there. His body feels heavy and strange, and when he has the chance to step out of the coffin, he realizes it’s responding slower than usual as well. Like he’s been drugged. Or, more accurately, like someone’s stuffed him into a false body using a modified Edo Tensei. It’s a lab, well lit but without even a hint of windows. Underground, he would guess and there’s enough familiar chakra around that he can assume that he’s in Konoha, at least.

There’s a piercing feeling, something adjacent to but not quite pain, and the summoning seals he had used to bring Wei Wuxian to their world so long ago light up brilliant amber. There’s a moment where his mind and body demand he obeys to the sibilant voice behind him before the controlling seal’s hold on him snaps. Tobirama, off balance from whatever surge of power (vitriolic and burning, like Wuxian had been at the end) had just overtaken him, shakes his head, eyesight blurring.

He turns and spies the man that had attempted to control him— to what ends, he can’t imagine. Slim and pale and snake-like, the man is someone Tobirama has only seen when his family had allowed him to check in on the living. Orochimaru. Hiruzen’s student, or at least one of them. Tobirama remembers him as a child, brilliant and distant from the world. A curious little creature. Too curious, maybe, if it led him to Edo Tensei.

“How did you do that?” Orochimaru wonders, genuinely curious. Tobirama flexes the muscles in his arm, still tingling from the unfamiliar power. The tattoos are smeared, fuzzy from exhausting their remaining power in such an explosive manner.

“A gift from a friend,” Tobirama decides on. He doubts it’ll work twice, whatever left over energy stored in the tattoos has likely been used up. Now that he has a better grip on what’s happening, though, it’ll be more difficult for Orochimaru to put another seal on him.

“A gift,” Orochimaru repeats, unconvinced. Tobirama dips his head. This seal, Wuxian’s seal, is not something he’s ever shared before, and he’s certainly not sharing the secret with a man he doesn’t even truly know. Hashirama is the only other person who’s seen the entire seal and even then it had been a fight with himself to share it.

“You brought me here for a reason,” Tobirama say eventually. “What is it?” Orochimaru stares at him a moment longer, unblinking. Tobirama imagines that that’s how he usually gets answers people aren’t keen on giving him; The snake-like eyes, snow-pale skin, and the way he doesn’t seem to be breathing are quite disconcerting but Tobirama grew up in a war and he grew up knowing he was the creepy one— Orochimaru is going to have to try harder than that. Anyway, he’s not nearly as intimidating as Wuxian, cheerful and kind and soft, could be when he tried.

“I am creating and recreating powerful jutsus for the good of the village,” Orochimaru says eventually, not sounding particularly convinced by his own words. That’s the official mission, then, but not Orochimaru’s personal motivation. Curious.

“You want my help,” Tobirama says. Orochimaru’s chakra twists in unhappiness at that but he doesn’t argue, doesn’t say a word. He takes a long moment to just look at Orochimaru, take in the way the man looks and acts, the way his chakra twists and coils. Hiruzen was not good for him, Tobirama realizes. Hiruzen always believed the best in people but unlike Kagami, who had the charisma to earn their best and the experience to understand and accept their worst, Hiruzen had always been a little naive. It was never anything Tobirama managed to talk Hiruzen through; it’s why the boy was his second choice for Hokage, not his first. That blind hope worked for him as a child but it’s clear it didn’t help as a teacher, not when he had a student so undeniably similar to Danzo and even to Tobirama himself. He doesn’t sigh but a part of him wants to. So long has passed and Hiruzen is still blinding himself to the flaws of those he’s close to.

“For every question of mine that you answer truthfully,” Tobirama decides eventually, “I will help you with another jutsu.” It’s a deal that favors Orochimaru but that’s exactly what Tobirama wants.

“…And if I don’t agree?”

“I created Edo Tensei,” Tobirama says dryly, “I know how to end it, whether I’m the one that originally used it or not.” Orochimaru watches him silently, most likely debating whether it’s worth it to take the deal or whether he should try his luck in controlling Tobirama with another of those seals.

“Fine,” Orochimaru capitulates. “Ask your question.” Tobirama smiles.

“Orochimaru, what’s your favorite food?”

It keeps going. At first, Orochimaru won’t answer another question until they finish the jutsu he’s owed and Tobirama keeps the questions themselves simple. Favorite food (onsen tamago), favorite color (purple), favorite animal (snake). Orochimaru’s natural wariness starts lessening with the easy questions and soon he’s letting Tobirama stockpile questions, keeping close track of how many jutsus (taught or created) he’s owed.

He runs out of really simple questions and starts letting them progress along. Not too quickly or Orochimaru would close up but he starts complicating them slowly, carefully, adjusting them based on his new student’s mood. And Orochimaru is his student now, whether he knows it or not. The first question to truly give Orochimaru pause is ‘what are your teammates like?’ For a long moment, Tobirama thinks he won’t answer, that he’s hit a barrier. Orochimaru is unwilling to trade information on his teammates for the chance at more power. But no—

“Tsunade-hime is the Shodai Hokage’s granddaughter and the last officially recognized Senju,” Orochimaru says, confident in his choice to answer. “She’s a decent shinobi but her loyalty to her Medic Code is a weakness; if freed from it, she would be a force to be reckoned with. Jiraiya is much the same. His skill comes from his powerful ninjutsu and his spy network but he’s still too weak, too kind. And his obsession with pornography is— beneath him.” There’s real annoyance in that last bit, and being able to discern all the little emotions in Orochimaru’s voice and chakra has been hard won, recently. Tobirama smiles and starts describing to Orochimaru the basics of San’nokku.

Tobirama lets the subject lie for a while, slipping back into easier questions. He learns that Orochimaru prefers a good book to most anything, that the intricacies of politics intrigue him, that the only time Hiruzen has truly denied him something was when he asked to be an official Medic nin because he wouldn’t accept the Code. He learns other things as well, not just about Orochimaru, but about the world. Konoha has grown since he was Hokage and changed in other ways beside. It’s… nostalgic, a little, and he feels some combination of sadness for missing it and happiness for it’s success.

The next time Orochimaru has trouble answering Tobirama’s question is the first time the younger shinobi has flat out lied to him.

“Do you like your teammates?” Tobirama asks, expecting a quick and easy answer. Orochimaru’s chakra is forced into unnatural stillness, golden eyes turning to Tobirama, unblinking.

“I hate them,” Orochimaru says, lies, and it sounds like I love them. He doesn’t add a tally to the jutsus Tobirama owes him. Neither of them mention the lie and their careful balance continues on.

They’re the Kagami to his Danzo, he decides. His moral code, the only reason he hasn’t slipped from Konoha to chase his own goals. And they’re gone from Konoha, Tobirama is aware of that much. Jiraiya is the main force of Konoha’s spy network, bringing in information otherwise unobtainable, but Orochimaru never gave a reason for Tsunade. With how skilled at healing Tsunade has apparently gotten, Tobirama doubts Hiruzen would send her off on an extended mission so he has the feeling whatever is keeping her from the village is personal.

“Why don’t you go find them?” He asks at one point. Orochimaru blinks, turning his attention from the jutsu he was perfecting his control over.

“What?” He asks, apparently genuinely confused. Not surprising, he has tunnel vision. Much like Tobirama himself does, when working on a project.

“Your teammates,” Tobirama clarifies. “Why don’t you go find them?” Orochimaru’s eyes flick away. He wonders if the man is going to lie again— or give an excuse that’s not technically a lie.

“They wouldn’t want to see me,” Orochimaru says, his truth. Tobirama watches him, watches him keep his hands busy, and sees a tiny, fluffy haired boy twisting a kunai in his hands and watching the edge of the blade with a raptness that’s clearly born out of anxiety. It’s odd, how a man Tobirama had so closely compared to Danzo could so easily remind him of Kagami, traumatized and orphaned and never sure of his place in the Uchiha clan. Even when Madara had been a strong figure in the clan and a near father figure for Kagami, the child had thought that he never truly belonged with the Uchiha— that they didn’t want him, really.

Tobirama had never been able to break Kagami from that line of thought, not before Madara abandoned them and certainly not after, but Uchihas feel emotion differently than most, so incredibly strongly, and maybe there’s still a chance for him to set Orochimaru on the road to healing. All he knows for now is that he can’t leave, not with Orochimaru’s tentative trust cupped so delicately in his hands, and definitely not without Jiraiya or Tsunade, preferably both, around.

He keeps going with the current deal for lack of anything else. At last, an idea comes to him, quiet and soft.

“Could you get me some himono?” Tobirama asks Orochimaru. “I miss the taste of fish.”

“You miss the taste of fish,” Orochimaru repeats, puzzled. Tobirama nods.

“I like fish of all kind,” Tobirama explains easily. “Fish is my favorite food, though I prefer salmon if I had to choose.” He shrugs. “I’m simply craving himono at the moment.” Orochimaru eyes him like he’s lost his mind.

“We don’t even know if you have proper taste buds,” Orochimaru says as if he thinks Tobirama has suddenly transformed into an idiot. He doesn’t take it to heart.

“Then it’s the perfect time to test it,” Tobirama urges. He won’t push Orochimaru any more after this, he’s already done what he set out to do, but part of him really does crave himono. While he can eat whatever he wanted in the Pure Lands, it’s been a while since he was revived with Edo Tensei and he’s not eaten (or drank) since then. Plus, Pure Lands food had always tasted almost too perfect. There had been little variation. But he needn’t have worried because the idea of an experiment, even one as harmless as this, brings Orochimaru alive with scientific curiosity.

“Salmon himono,” he murmurs, half to himself, and turns distractedly back to what he was working on. Tobirama notices that Orochimaru makes no move to add that particular question to the tally of owed jutsus.

The himono is delicious, when he gets it, and he keeps giving Orochimaru bits and pieces of himself in the meantime. He has no doubt that Orochimaru has caught on to what he’s doing by now. He, by his own admission, has spent time with T&I and while Tobirama has technically gone about it a little backwards, it’s not any less effective at building trust. Tobirama, of course, isn’t intending to use it against Orochimaru as it would have been in a T&I setting but that doesn’t stop his youngest student from pinning him with a calculating look one day and saying, dryly, “I know what you’re doing.” Tobirama smiles.

“You’re letting me,” he points out. Orochimaru frowns at him and turns away but doesn’t deny it. Tobirama can’t give the other shinobi the therapy he so clearly needs, therapy wasn’t something terrible worried about when war was such a complete constant and he doubts the attitude towards it has changers overly much, but he can at least be a friend. Even he has to fight his way into that position. With all his students, really; the village wasn’t at the point yet that six children trained to kill and to lead from six separate clans could live peaceably with each other. Torifu and Kagami were the most receptive to the idea of a team with outside but even they were wary and distrusting in the beginning.

Their balance continues. And it’s working in the way that Tobirama wanted it to— Orochimaru is fixating less and less on learning, on creating, and more on living but…

Tobirama’s not alive. Not anymore. He can’t be Orochimaru’s only support. Edo Tensei was never a jutsu meant to last. The dead should stay dead. Tobirama knows this better, now, than anyone else. Being here in the living world is getting harder and harder. It’s slow, gradual, and Orochimaru hasn’t noticed it yet, but Tobirama’s chakra is responding slower. It’s making his senses just a little dimmer, his body just a little harder to control. He’s on a time limit.

When Orochimaru next leaves him to his own devices, he decides to make a move. For the first time since Tobirama died, two snow leopard summons step into this dimension. Isami and Ayame are different than he remembers. Age has started to leave it’s mark on them, even if they still clearly have the restrained power and easy agility that younger cats take for granted.

“It’s been a long time,” Tobirama says to them, sliding his hands over their cheeks and through their thick fur, “but I have one last thing to ask of you, old friends.”

Tsunade stops, every muscle in her body going tense. Shizune freezes beside her, immediately scanning the forest on the edge of the road. If it’s someone after her for a debt, they’re good. Tsunade’s not even entirely sure what alerted her to the presence in the first place. Between one second and the next she had simply known: they’re being hunted. Likely, their hunter has been following them for a while and just made a mistake or, more likely, they had let her sense them.

Tsunade stays on edge as the seconds tick by, most of her attention on making sure Shizune stays safe and secure. Tsunade doesn’t want to fight but she wants Shizune to have to fight even less so she’s willing to, if she has to.

There’s a flash of white accompanied by a rustle and then a snow leopard steps out onto the path ahead of them, footsteps silent and blue eyes piercing. The snow leopard is big but not as big as she knows they can get. She recognizes Isami, even if the last time she saw him she was just a child, curled into her great-uncle’s side as he told her about his work, the snow leopards spread around them. Isami had always been her favorite, so close to her uncle in temperament.

Isami watches them, eyes slipping to the side to take in Shizune, defensive and wary but not willing to make a move until Tsunade does. Then he turns, glancing back at them only to nod his head in Konoha’s direction. Isami disappears into the forest and Tsunade takes a step in his direction, unthinking, before she stops again.

“Tsunade-sama?” Shizune questions. Tsunade looks at the girl who would have been her niece and thinks. Shizune has never really supported Tsunade’s decision to leave the Leaf. It had been her home, both of their homes, for their entire lives. It’s still Shizune’s home. (If she lets herself be truthful, it’s still her home too, even after everything.)

And— someone summoned Isami. Someone sent Isami to her. Even now, there’s only one choice she could ever make.

“We’re going home,” Tsunade tells Shizune.

Tobirama opens his fist, watching the movement lag jaggedly. There’s no hiding it anymore. If Orochimaru hasn’t picked up on it already, he will soon. He sighs and glances at the tally. Eleven jutsus still owed. He has notes, has written down seven he had yet to teach Orochimaru and three that he had been working on before being the Hokage on top of being a sensei consumed all his free time.

One left.

The door to the lab opens and Orochimaru steps in, oddly hesitant. He’s been expecting this ever since he felt the soft peat of Tsunade’s chakra, accompanied by a crackling blaze of unfamiliar chakra he assumes is Jiraiya and a smaller blip of water chakra that must be the girl traveling with Tsunade that Isami told him about.

“You’re leaving,” Orochimaru says, voice oddly blank. Tobirama nods.

“Edo Tensei only lasts so long. And I miss my family.” Kawarama and Itama the most, if he’s being honest— he has spent his afterlife thus far relearning his little brothers and he regrets missing this much of their un-lives, even if he knows the Pure Lands are a fairly static (and safe) place.

“You still owe me jutsus,” Orochimaru denies. Tobirama gestures to the scrolls he stacked neatly on the place that has become his workshop.

“Ten jutsu, finished and unfinished.” He releases an eleventh scroll, thinner than the rest and decorated in blue and silver, from a tattoo on his arm. “And… a gift.” Orochimaru stares at the scroll before his eyes flick up to Tobirama, wide and overwhelmed.

“That’s a summoning scroll,” he says.

“It is,” Tobirama agrees. “You can’t sign your name, not when you already have a pact with the snakes, but they’ll come if you need them and…” he hesitates, sliding his fingertips along the edge of the scroll. “I have no use for summons in the Pure Lands. I can’t bring them there. I would entrust choosing the next summoner to you, if you would accept.” Orochimaru doesn’t move for a long moment and Tobirama knows the man well enough by now to recognize the fear and uncertainty that twists through his chakra but it’s still a relief when Orochimaru accepts the scroll almost reverently. Tobirama smiles and cups Orochimaru’s cheek, tearing the man’s attention away from the scroll and to him.

“Live well, Orochimaru,” Tobirama tells him. “And know that if nothing else, I am proud of you.”

“Thank you, sensei.”

The second time Tobirama is summoned with Edo Tensei is much less pleasant. Orochimaru is the one to summon him again, among a selection of other people. Hashirama, Kagami, Minato, Hiruzen. Little Itachi and Kisame. Others he never learned the names of, even in the Pure Lands. It’s not for research, which Tobirama could understand, but for something far, far worse.

Over a hundred years ago, now, Tobirama fought in his last war, a last attempt to make the world safer and better for those that came after. Now he’s fighting again, fighting another damn war, armies of people he’s never met, a conglomeration of all the Hidden Villages, all against a handful of people. People controlled by Edo Tensei, a few living people.

Madara and Izuna, fighting side-by-side once again. Another Uchiha, as intangible as a ghost and powerful enough to hold his own against the strongest they have to throw at him. The Akatsuki members that Orochimaru couldn’t get to in time. An army of weak but plentiful soldiers, white and inhuman.

Tobirama does what he can, following in the wake of Izuna’s destruction as he makes loops around Madara. Madara, at least, is context to fight the other reanimated Kages, practically dancing around them as they get used to their new bodies. Izuna is much less willing to play around, sending battalions scattering with powerful attacks so that the Zetsus have a chance to change the tide of the fights before vanishing again, a shadow of death flitting across the battlefield. Tobirama follows doggedly, spending precious seconds putting out out-of-control fights and stopping landslides, drowning Zetsus when the Shinobi Alliance battalion is really struggling.

And finally, finally, Tobirama catches up, back where Madara toys with Hashirama and Minato and Kagami. Hiruzen is gone, released from Edo Tensei or off to help with an issue elsewhere. More people have congregated here, in this lull in fighting. Tobirama recognizes the boy with golden-red hair from the beginning of this battle, and his two teammates. There’s a silver-haired Hatake, as well, and the third Uchiha working with Madara and Izuna, standing close between the two sides.

And then—

Golden-white light and living wisps of shadow, an explosion of harsh wind and sound.

Tobirama blinks spots from his vision, ears ringing. His side seems similarly out of sorts, shaking their heads and pressing hands to eyes, to ears. Tobirama’s eyes sweep back over to the Uchiha brothers and freezes, breath catching. There, standing just to the side of the Hatake and Uchiha pair, is a group of people in odd clothes with odd swords and odd not-chakra signatures, led by a man with fluffy dark hair and friendly dark eyes. Tobirama looks at Wuxian, taking in the familiar energy signature and the sharp, mischievous grin with disbelief.

Wuxian had been dead, Tobirama knows that, and he also knows that this man’s features aren’t quite the same as Wuxian’s but the signature is the same, just shades different from what the bijuu feel like. And Wuxian isn’t alone. There’s four teens just about the Uzumaki’s age clustered together, taking in the battlefield with wide eyes and insistent whispers.

Behind them is a clearly reanimated man, whatever jutsu or seal or talisman holding him together looking like some sort of Edo Tensei offshoot. There’s a resigned man in purple who looks like he’s seconds away from snapping standing with a wide-eyed man in green who looks innocent and child-like but sets off all of Tobirama’s instincts. There’s a man in white as well, expression more flat and emotionless than the Uzumaki’s Uchiha teammate could ever hope to be.

“Tobi-er!” Wuxian cries, his face lighting up. Everyone near them turns to Tobirama with varying levels of surprise and Tobirama wonders if he wants to test the tentative ceasefire by strangling his oldest friend. “And Naru-er!” He adds brightly. Naruto beams and waves enthusiastically.

“Hi, Niichan!” The Uzumaki calls back. On the other side of the new group, Izuna makes an unflattering noise.

“You!” He shrieks. Madara, barely visible behind the group due to his short stature, appears to be muttering to himself about Tobirama’s nickname. How wonderful. Wuxian whirls around to face the Uchiha brothers.

“Angry ghost child!” He gasps, pointing at Izuna aggressively. One of the two teenagers that are dressed in white robes that match the stoic man’s robes yanks Wuxian’s arm down, snapping something at the man in that odd language of theirs. Unfortunately, it’s been far too long since Tobirama’s had a chance or reason to so much as think about the language and all he seems to be able to recall is ‘Xinlà de’. Spicy. The other teenager that’s wearing white robes gives them all apologetic looks and says something that’s probably an apology.

“Were you guys fighting?” Wuxian asks. Then he adds, confused, “also aren’t most of you dead?”

“Isn’t that man dead as well?” Tobirama asks dryly, gesturing to the man at the back of the group. Wuxian glances at the man when he says something.

“Oh,” Wuxian says, “that’s right,” and he pulls out a stack of talisman from… his sleeve? He proceeds to smack one onto each of his companions. The one in purple becomes visibly murderous.

“Now you should all be able to understand each other!” Wuxian says cheerfully.

“Wei Ying,” the one in purple growls threateningly.

“Okay, okay,” Wuxian complains, as if the man gave him a comprehensive lecture instead of a two word threat. “Everyone, this is the world that I sometimes disappeared off to when I was a kid and is also where I was trapped as a spirit. That guy is Tobi-er, that’s Naru-er, that’s Izuna, that’s his brother Madara, I’m pretty sure that one’s named Hashirama, and that one’s Kagami.” He pauses. “I think that’s all the names I know. Anyway these are Lan Yuan, Lan Jingyi, Jin Ling, Ouyang Zizhen, Wen Ning, Jiang Wanyin, Nie Huaisang, and my husband, Lan Wangji!”

“Hello,” Yuan greets politely with an odd bow. Disconcertingly, the boy’s mouth doesn’t match up with the word he apparently said. Probably an effect of the talisman.

“Hiya!” Uzumaki chirps. “I’m Naruto and these are Sakura and Sasuke! And the old man over there is Kakashi-sensei and the other guy is Obito!”

“Your names are weird,” Jingyi says bluntly.

“Like you’re one to talk!” Naruto protests at the same time Yuan scolds, “A-Yi! Be nice!” The younger people devolve into petty squabbling, Yuan and Zizhen futilely trying to play peacemakers while Wuxian laughs gleefully and more and more people get roped into the growing argument. There’s a crackle of purple light that snaps angrily around Wanyin. It shuts everyone up pretty quickly when paired with his downright bloodthirsty expression.

“Someone tell me what’s happening right now.” Wanyin demands angrily, still sparking. When Wuxian goes to say something, he snaps, “not you!”

“Oh, we’re in the middle of a war because those guys over there think that the world’s so sucky that it would be better if everyone was trapped in a giant illusion where everything was perfect even if that means that you could never have friends or be in love or anything because everyone would technically be you cause it’s all in your head,” Naruto says cheerfully. Everyone goes silent, staring at him.

“…the kid’s got a point,” Madara mutters.

“This was your idea!” Izuna shrieks.

“You wanted to kill everyone!” Madara shouts back.

“Not everyone,” Izuna defends, “mostly just the Senju.”

“You guys do realize that there’s only, like, one officially recognized Senju, right?” Wuxian asks. Izuna and Madara’s attention snap to him.

“…What.” Izuna says blankly. Tobirama heaves a sigh.

“At this point, we might as well just talk this out like the adults we say we are,” he says. Hashirama, who has looked lost up until this point, immediately lights up.

“Oh! I can make a building!” And then he proceeds to do exactly that.

“Whoa,” Zizhen says. “How’d you do that?”

“I have Mokuton,” Hashirama tells him. Ling scrunches up his nose.

“Wood Release?” He repeats, confused.

“…A lot to talk about,” Tobirama says on a sigh, mostly to himself.

It does not get any less chaotic once the entire group is wrangled around a table. The juniors, as Wuxian calls them, keep getting into arguments with the youngest generation of Team 7 (or at least Ling and Jingyi do). Kakashi and Obito appear to be trying to share a skin, much to happiness of Minato, all of which is something Tobirama wouldn’t want to touch with a thousand foot pole. Hashirama has apparently found a kindred spirit in Huaisang even though the man still raises Tobirama’s hackles. Wanyin has apparently decided that all of them are beneath him but has lowered himself to complaining about elder brothers with Izuna— Wanyin is Wuxian’s adopted younger brother, it turns out, although he doesn’t seem particularly at ease with that information. Wuxian is egging on the young ones and bugging Kakashi and Obito and butting into Wanyin and Izuna’s complains; really just making a general nuisance of himself.

The only ones not adding to the chaos are Wangji, who hasn’t said a word or emoted since he got here, Sasuke, who appears to be attempting to out-stoic Wangji, Wen Ning, who shrinks in on himself anxiously anytime anyone remembers the fact that he exists, and Tobirama himself, who really just wants to be released back to the afterlife and his baby brothers. And maybe to drink an entire store worth of sake before that. Either way, he would be free of this nonsense.

“So, Ghost Boy,” Tobirama hears Wuxian say, “what are you gonna do now that the clan you were after is gone?” Izuna tosses his hands in the air.

“I don’t know! I never liked Konoha, get rid of that?”

“Why?” Wuxian asks, as the conversations around them start quieting down, everyone tuning into the conversation to see what’s said.

“Because it was never in our favor!” Snarls Izuna. “Because we forfeited our freedom at a disadvantage and we stayed disadvantaged! Because when doling out jobs, the Senju were the leaders and protectors and we were the enforcers, as if there will ever be a time were something like a police force is looked kindly upon!” And something in Izuna breaks, then, gets quiet and sad but still fierce. “Because I had to live with the people that killed my brothers, watch them smile and laugh, and know that they’ll never see justice for what they did.” As much as Tobirama wants to have the perfect answer for this, he knows that nothing he says will make the situation better. He has never been the most sociable of people and any explanation he tries to give for putting the Uchiha in charge of the police force (something that was never, never meant to mean only Uchiha, always Uchiha) will only incense Izuna. Plus, he understands well Izuna’s last point— if he hadn’t hunted down Kawarama and Itama’s killers himself, if he had to live beside them, day in and day out and know…

He’s not entirely sure he would have done anything different.

“Izuna…” Madara says quietly, pained, in the silence his brother left.

There’s another pause, everyone unsure of what to say, before Yuan speaks up, “My entire family was killed when I was four.” Wuxian doesn’t flinch but he does look away from the teenager and Tobirama sees the sadness and guilt that darkens his eyes. “My sect was in a war against nearly everyone. They lost, eventually, and if was just me and my family leftover. Farmers, creators, a child, a medic. The only ones that knew how to fight were Wen Ning and his sister and Senior Wei, when he joined us.” There was a pause as Yuan thought of what to say next.

“My sect killed Sect Leader Jiang’s family.” Wanyin tenses, purple lightning crackling over his knuckles. “They killed Jingyi’s parents.” Jingyi’s eyes turn downwards, his jaw clenching. “They killed Zizhen’s cousins.” Zizhen glances away, blinking away tears. “They killed a-die’s father and the people he was meant to look after.” Wangji blinks and Tobirama catches just the slightest flutter, the most emotion he’s seen since the man’s appeared. “My sect committed atrocities in the name of war because a- a warmongering old man told them to. And when the war was over, people were still hurt because their families were still dead. But my family, the last of the Wens, they were alive and they were Wens.” Minato takes in a sharp breath. Kagami looks sick, far too aware of the horrors of the war to be surprised but still too kindhearted to accept it.

“They took my family from me because my family looked like the people that took their families from them. I could hate them for it. I could kill Jin Ling because his grandfather convinced everyone that my family was evil just because they were Wens or because his uncle caused Senior Wei’s death. I won’t though. I won’t fall so far as to do to them what they did, afraid and angry, to me.” Yuan hesitates, glancing at the other teenagers, and finished with, “and if I had killed them, I’d have never known what it would be to love them.” That pulls Izuna up short, and his eyes flick between the four teenagers. His mouth twists, eyes flicking down, and Tobirama realizes the other must be thinking of someone. Maybe someone he could’ve loved, given a true chance to know them.

Across the table, Tobirama meets Madara’s gaze, and he wonders.

“A truce,” Madara offers. “For now, at least.” Izuna does nothing to deny it, no longer paying any sort of attention. Hashirama smiles and it’s a little more worn now, a little more wary, but it’s still oh-so-hopeful.

“A truce,” he agrees. “You’ll tell whoever’s using Edo Tensei on your side, then? And the Zetsu?”

“No need,” says an insidious voice says darkly.

…

Silver and blue slashes brilliantly through the air, a blade singing with bright power. By the time Tobirama has turned to the intruder, he has been run through, a white sword stuck through his chest, it’s glinting blade stained golden with the creature’s blood. It’s something like a Zetsu but blacker than night with flat, empty eyes. The creature explodes, disintegrates into quickly scattering power. And there’s cords of music, music that speaks to the part of Tobirama still in the Pure Lands, thrumming through his soul and the fingertips of this false body. It’s warm and safe and Tobirama can’t help but lean into the feeling as the music cuts through the waves of power, splitting it around the table like they’re an island in a raging river.

As quickly as it had begun, it’s over.

The creature, the black Zetsu, is gone, vanished from this plane of existence. The music has stopped though the soothing warmth still suffuses the air. The sword, untouched except for the droplets of gold blood lingering on it’s blade, hovers in the same spot, unaffected by the laws of nature. Tobirama’s eyes slide over to Wangji, now standing, and the guqin resting in the air before him, similarly unaffected by the idea that there’s nothing to hold it in the air in the first place. In a flash, the sword as returns to the soft blue sheathe at Wangji’s side and the guqin has vanishes as though it never existed in the first place.

“You killed him,” Madara says, dumbfounded. Izuna looks speechlessly surprised at his side, staring at the spot that the black Zetsu once resided in.

“No,” Wangji denies and does not elaborate. Tobirama turns expectant attention on Wuxian, whom pulls through.

“Spiritual swords are made to be used against nonhuman entities like vengeful spirits, fierce corpses, and the occasional god. The spiritual energy they’re practically bathed in allows the soul, if the enemy has a soul, release from the negative emotions that bind them to this plane. Basically, Lan Zhan, Wangji, set that thing to rest,” Wuxian explains. “It was more difficult to discern what it was than it usually is back home because of the differences between energy and chakra but Lan Zhan is amazing as always and recognized it as a minor god, probably given form by people’s belief, and dealt with it before it could make trouble.”

“How did you know it wasn’t friendly?” Tobirama asks curiously.

“It, uh… felt bad?” Wuxian says hesitantly. “It was made of resentful energy, actual resentful energy so this world has the ability for it, it’s just not common, and things that subsist off of resentful energy are rarely friendly. It taints them, twists all their emotions up until only the negative emotions are there. Wen Ning is one of the few resentful beings still in nearly full control of himself and that was mostly because I… well, I’m not entirely sure what I did, to be honest.”

“Interesting,” Tobirama muses. “So—”

“Not to interrupt,” Madara says loudly, “but do you think that could have affected other people’s emotions? The, what did you say? Resentful energy?” Wuxian tilts his head.

“It’s possible,” he allows after a moment. “Since it was some sort of minor deity, it might have had the ability to affect humans. The only other time I’ve had direct contact with a minor deity, it gained it’s power by fulfilling people’s wishes and then eating their souls as payment, which is a different power set completely, but there’s more variation in the abilities of deities than in most other things. If it came to life with the purpose of manipulation or something similar…” Wuxian trails off, lips moving indecipherably as he murmurs to himself in his own language.

“Shouldn’t we be helping contain the other Zetsus now?” Minato points out. Madara and Izuna frown, sharing a glance.

“We might be able to convince Kabuto to call off the Edo Tensei,” Izuna says, “but Zetsu is unlikely to stop, especially now that his other half has been… lain to rest…”

“Then we better get moving,” Kagami says firmly.

Kagami, as the only Uchiha Hokage and practically the only one of the group that Izuna can stand, goes with Madara and Izuna to inform Kabuto of the change in plans and deal with the fall out of that as necessary. The rest of them split off into groups to help with the Zetsu. All of the cultivators’ (as they call themselves) techniques work astoundingly well against the Zetsu so they’re spread out, a group of cultivators for each Hokage (or Hokage-adjacent shinobi) so that they could protect the cultivators from any unfriendly shinobi.

Minato (and later Hiruzen, when they run into him again) gets the teenagers and Wen Ning, Naruto and Sasuke get Wanyin and Huaisang, and Tobirama gets Wuxian and Wangji. Hashirama is set to the task of hunting down the Edo Tensei on the other side of the war and capturing them in his Mokuton.

Watching Wuxian and Wangji work together is odd. They can fly with the assistance of their swords, which is strange enough, though they’ll stay on the ground near Tobirama when not traveling so that he can better protect them, but they also end up fighting the Zetsus mostly with music. Wuxian will play something on his dizi and that brings the Zetsu in hearing range under a fragile sort of control, keeping them from mostly docile while Wangji uses his guqin to ‘cleanse’ them. The swords, Bichen and Suibian, he learns, pick off any stragglers. The Zetsu drop by the hundred. They’re probably not as powerful as the original Zetsus were since they’re all just solid clones but it’s still impressive to see how effective they are.

The war is over. Or at least it’s stopped. Kabuto has (rather reluctantly, by Kagami’s descriptions) told his reanimated soldiers to stand down. He had then been abducted by Orochimaru and a woman called Anko, looking resigned to his fate all the while. Wanyin had not returned and Huaisang informed them that he had made friends with the current Raikage. Huaisang looks faintly traumatized and wanders off with a distant look; Tobirama sees him with a Nara several minutes later. He still doesn’t trust that man.

The Juniors have been adopted into Team 7 and they seem to be trying to teach them some sort of game. The pale one, Sai, is the only one having any luck with it. Jingyi and Naruto are having a competition that Minato is overseeing to see who can balance on their hands longer while Sasuke and Sakura snarl threats at Sai and Yuan and Zizhen try to explain the game more clearly. Jingyi, he notices, isn’t so much as sweating from his handstand. Naruto’s arms are already trembling. Wen Ning is a couple of feet away, chatting quietly with a red-haired kunoichi.

Izuna and Madara and Kagami and Obito are talking as well, the Hatake lingering beside them with sharp eyes. Hiruzen has left as well to hunt down his students, apparently to make amends. All over, people are resting and healing. Miraculously, no one is dead. The war hadn’t had the chance to get into full swing before Wuxian and his group crashed in and confused everyone to the point of ceasefire. It a miracle. And more than that, it was a chance for the Hidden Villages to see how much more powerful they are when working together. Maybe this scare, short-lived though it was, will be the catalyst for true peace.

“What are you thinking about, Tobi-er?” Wuxian wonders. Lan Wangji is a wall at his back, unmoved in the face of an entirely different world.

“Peace,” he says truthfully, with a gesture around them. At all the people sitting together, talking together, trusting each other regardless of village. A sight that Tobirama had thought he’d never see. Something he thought, on his less optimistic days (of which there were a good number), was completely impossible.

“Good thoughts, then,” Wuxian says, cheerfully.

“Maybe I wanted the war,” Tobirama says, just to be contrary. Wuxian rolls his eyes but makes no move to keep the teasing going like he was so keen to do when he was younger. Instead, he’s content to just stand with Tobirama and Wangji, watching the Juniors make friends. They’re his team, as far as Tobirama can tell. Or at least, the alternate universe version of a shinobi team.

“The fighting you and Wangji-san did earlier was impressive and beautiful to watch. You two make a great team,” Tobirama says eventually.

“Yeah we do,” Wuxian says, love struck. He glances up at Wangji with a sweet smile. He pauses at whatever he sees on n Wangji’s expression for a moment and then ducks his head to say something to his husband in his native tongue.

“Sorry, Lan Zhan isn’t used to people referring to him as just Wangji.” Wuxian explains, “we show respect different back home.”

“Oh,” Tobirama says, a little surprised the thought that something like that could be different never occurred to him. “How do you show respect, then?”

“Well, you guys use honorifics a lot, and we have those too, just different ones, but we also have courtesy names and titles and stuff,” Wuxian starts, a little slowly. “Basically, my name is Wei Ying. That’s the name my parents gave me when I was born. Usually only friends call me Wei Ying and only close friends or family calls me some variation of Ying. Then I have this courtesy name, which is something you usually earn later in life. Mine is Wei Wuxian. It’s what the majority of people call me. Then there’s a possibility of a title. Not everyone has to have one but I do. While usually used to show even more respect, some titles are given for other reasons. For instance, I’m called Yiling Laozu mostly in fear or hate. You use just Wuxian for me which puts you in this kind of limbo between formal and informal since it’s not my given name but it’s also not my full courtesy name.”

“Would either of you like me to call you something else?” Tobirama asks. Wuxian waves him off.

“It’s fine, you didn’t know and I’ve gotten used to it.” Tobirama looks at Wangji.

Wangji: “Mn.”

Tobirama looks back at Wuxian, Wangji’s assigned translator.

“He agrees with me,” Wuxian assures. Tobirama accepts that easily enough. He trusts that Wuxian can reliably understand Wangji and that he wouldn’t lie to him about something like this, which is less likely to make harmless chaos and than to start a fight.

“It’s good to see you this last time,” Tobirama tells Wuxian. The man— younger at this point even if he had started out older, something that is a little disquieting —blinks wordlessly at him, a little taken off guard. “I had thought that I’d never be able to give you a real goodbye. Never be able to thank you for all you’ve done to protect my family.” Wuxian goes red, embarrassed.

“It was nothing, really,” Wuxian tries but Tobirama isn’t standing for it.

“It wasn’t nothing,” Tobirama says firmly. “You saved my students, you brought the Uzumaki back to Uzushio. You’ve helped so many people. You’re a good person, Wei Wuxian, and I am glad beyond words that you seem to have found yourself your own happy ending.” Wuxian opens his mouth, likely to argue, but his eyes land on Yuan and Zizhen and Ling cheering Jingyi on (who still has yet to drop from his handstand), on Naruto, just as hyped and pressed close to his father, and he sighs, instead, expression going soft. He meets Wangji’s eyes for a moment and Tobirama sees sees something indescribable pass between the two.

“Yeah, I am too,” Wuxian says, with more love and warmth in his voice than Tobirama has ever heard someone be able to carry. Then his dark eyes turn on Tobirama, a spark of mischievousness coming back to then. “What about you, then?”

“What about me?” Tobirama asks. Wuxian nods at towards the group of Uchiha. Tobirama turns to see them better and meets Madara’s gaze. (He’s just as beautiful as he was a hundred years ago, confined to his desk by paperwork and three years before that, back lit by raging fire as the sharingan spun hypnotically.)

“Do you really want this chance to slip by too,” Wuxian eggs. Tobirama shoots him a glare but Wuxian meets it head on, grinning sharply and unaffected. Tobirama looks away first. Wuxian laughs bright and loud, patting him on the shoulder.

“Go,” Wangji says, unexpectedly. “Or you’ll regret.” That sounded personal, knowledgeable. Still, Tobirama hesitates. Wuxian shoos him off with a gesture, still smiling widely. Tobirama sighs heavily.

“If you insist,” he says, more put upon than he really feels. Wangji is right, after all. If he doesn’t do this now, he won’t do it in the Pure Lands, and he’ll regret it until his soul enter the reincarnation cycle. So he goes, Wuxian nudging Wangji behind him with warm murmurs.

As he approaches the Uchihas, Izuna rolls his eyes heavenward but Kagami says something that has the man snickers. The Uchiha he doesn’t know the name of sighs irritably, grabbing his Hatake by the elbow and disappearing with a swirl.

“Hi Tobirama-sensei,” Kagami chirps. He links his arms with Izuna’s and starts dragging the other away, calling over his shoulder, “bye Tobirama-sensei!” as Izuna grumbles uncharitably under his breath. Tobirama watches them go bemusedly.

“What was that about?” He wonders aloud. Madara groans, wiping a gloved hand down his face.

“I don’t even want to begin to know,” the Uchiha says pathetically. “Those two hit it off far too well and now I’m worried for the continuing sanity of everyone here.” Tobirama snorts.

“As if there’s any shinobi with sanity in the first place.” Madara pauses and then nods at him.

“You have a point. I worry for the continued self-control of everyone present,” he corrects. Tobirama shakes his head, smiling. It really is an understandable worry— In the distance, there’s an explosion of lightning, both of chakric origin and that odd purple lighting that sparked around Wanyin, followed by a loud screech of “Uchiha!!” that tells them where Kagami and Izuna got off to.

“I’m not fucking dealing with that,” Madara says blankly.

“Neither am I,” Tobirama agrees immediately. They exchange a glance and immediately hightail it in the other direction. Tobirama is laughing when they stop running, feeling lighter than he has in years. They’ve escaped the battlefield entirely, hiding away in a nearby forest. Madara is laughing as well and it lifts years from his face.

"Hashirama's gonna kill us for leaving them to deal with those two,” Madara says, far too gleefully. "Kami, I wonder what they did? They were gone for, like, two seconds!”

“You’re beautiful,” escapes Tobirama before he can stop it and he winces when Madara freezes, eyes wide.

“What?” Well, nothing for it, he might as well double-down.

“You’re beautiful,” he repeats. “I’ve always thought so, just…” he shrugs. Between the war and building the village and everything with Izuna, there had never really been a moment Tobirama had felt he could be completely honest with Madara. And that’s an excuse too, he knows, but it’s a comfortable one and a true one.

“You— I—” Madara cuts off with a high-pitched noise, cheeks pink, and stomps up to Tobirama. He watches, bemused, right up until Madara’s fingers curl around the edges of his armor and he’s yanked down into a searing kiss.

Oh, he realizes, feeling a little dumb.

“I’ve wanted to do that for years,” Madara says victoriously when they part, looking proud of himself. Tobirama can’t help another short laugh and presses a kiss to Madara’s lips, happiness settling in him.

“Oh, ew!” Izuna shrieks. Madara tears away from Tobirama with a war cry, lunging at his younger brother with murder in his eyes. Izuna yelps, scrambling to get away. Kagami’s there as well, laughing at his partner-in-crime’s misfortune. Tobirama wanders over to his student’s side, watching the two brothers fondly. This is what it should have been since the beginning.

“About damn time,” his student teases. “I expected to get adopted by you two ages ago.” Tobirama rolls his eyes.

“Don’t make me sick Orochimaru on you,” he warns. Kagami snickers. Izuna shrieks when Madara tackles him, kicking at his older brother in a desperate bid for escape.

“I”m gonna dunk you in the pond, you brat!” Madara snarls.

“There’s not even one here!” Izuna wails.

“I’ll make Tobirama make one!” Madara scrambles to keep all of Izuna’s limbs under control and makes the mistake of getting an arm too close to Izuna’s mouth. The younger Uchiha goes for blood.

“I’m happy for you, sensei,” Kagami tells him, surprisingly sincere considering the dubious way he’s eyes Madara and Izuna. Tobirama smiles helplessly.

“Thank you, Kagami.” Nothing’s perfect but… it’s better than it was an hour ago, than it was a hundred years ago, and for the first time since his brothers died, Tobirama is really, truly happy.

Part 6

[jujutsukgojo]

Blinded

Summary: Fuyumi never talked about her eyes until she was bound.

TW: Hostage, threats of decay, past child abuse mention, temporary blindness, trauma

A/N: if you cannot handle these subjects please avoid. Shigaraki may be ooc?

Fuyumi struggles in her binds. The ropes dig into her pale skin as she does. Whoever kidnapped her, took her glasses. So, she is at their mercy. Her eyesight is not as it used to be. Nothing really is, honestly.  

  “Endeavor’s daughter. Not at all what I expected.” The voice is of a man, Fuyumi deducts. However, the voice sounds kind of young.  

Still not something to take lightly.  

“Please let me go.” She asks. Her stomach is knotting at the situation. What she remembers is, is her walking home and something came at her from the side. After that she was roped and bound. 

“I have questions first.” 

“Please, my dad-” Fuyumi pleads. Honestly, she doesn't know if her father would care. She isn't Shouto after all. 

Even though she is an adult who should be living her best life, Fuyumi realizes that that is not possible. Not until her prayers of her father changing are answered. She recently moved out on her own. It was a tough decision. Her father made his displeasure about it known to her every chance he got. Shouto did too. Not that her little brother wanted to use her, but he was nervous being alone with Endeavor. He just didn’t want to admit it.  

Natsuo could only do so much without him getting in trouble. Fuyumi shivers at the distress of her two brothers. She lost the third because of Endeavor. What if she loses them too? 

“That’s my question.” In her blurry vision, she can only see his dark clothes, red shoes, and something on his face. Fuyumi squints and leans in with no avail to finding out who he is.  

 Fuyumi barely registers his movement until he gets too close to her. That is when she notices the hand grabbing his face. “Whe-wait. What’s with your eyes?” 

Fuyumi gasps and leans back. Not many people realize what is wrong. Even with her big glasses, it isn’t notable until you get very close. “The scars, what are those from?” 

“Nowhere.” She looks down. She has never been good at lying.  

“Liar,” In the corner of her eye, she sees him grip something. She can’t really tell what it is. What she does see is it crumbling. “What happened?”  

“Why do you care?” Fuyumi didn’t mean to snap at all. She wanted to be kind and sweet, hoping that he would cave into her and let her go. It's what she sees in movies and cop shows.

“Because I want to know.” Fuyumi shakes her head. “Well, I don’t want to say.”  

The man tsks and grabs her face. “What happened?” 

She feels like crying. No one has asked her that in so long. Not since it happened. And the last time they did she went off. Because of her outburst, Endeavor got mad at her for embarrassing him. Natsuo tried to stand up for her, but she quickly settled it.  

  “If I tell you, will you let me go?” 

“We’ll see.” That is better than nothing. Fuyumi can only go by movies of what to expect. Fuyumi closes her eyes to remember the incident.  

“It was right after mom got put away. Natsuo was angry about it and of course, snappy. Dad had had enough. So, I protected my brother.” 

The man mumbles about how vague it is. Good, Fuyumi thinks. She never meant to go into detail. Suddenly, a hand grabs the sleeve of her jacket. Right before her poor eyes it turns to dust. Fuyumi gasps and is stricken with a new fear.  

“I’m interested, tell me more,” From what she can see, he sits down. “I love stories.” 

She gulps and nods. She can’t help but shake. “Natsuo went off on him. He brought up Touya and how Endeavor failed. When our brother, died...Endeavor shut down his memories of him and wanted us to as well. He cleaned out Touya and Natsuo’s room. Getting rid of everything about him and burning it. All except for one picture. Natsuo and I could only grab a few things of his. Endeavor doesn’t know about them,” 

Fuyumi closed her eyes again. An old instinct pops up. “Please don’t judge my father. It is hard to lose a child! He lost his son and his wife in no time. I don’t blame him for being testy. And he isn’t like that all the time. Only when Touya is brought up and when Shouto fails. It won’t be forever though! We’ll heal. I know we will.” 

  Another voice pops up. It's deeper and honestly, a little distorted? The figure is a mass of black and purple. There is a hint of yellow but Fuyumi doesn’t have the slightest clue of his features. She can’t even tell who the first man is. 

Said man reaches up and tries to grab her leg. “Wait! There’s more, I swear!” He mutters ‘go on’. “Natsuo brought up our brother and Endeavor tried to slap him. But...his hand was hot. I couldn’t let that happen. Natsuo has a weak ice quirk, he can't handle heat. So, I jumped in front of Natsuo. Endeavor is heavy handed. He didn’t realize I was in legitimate pain until I said that I couldn’t see.” 

Fuyumi chuckles. “It was hot and it got my eyes a little. I couldn’t see for a little while. The doctors did what they could. I can see now, but not clearly.” 

“Why did you do it?” 

“I won’t lose another brother. I couldn’t protect my big brother; I didn’t see him crumble. But I will be damn sure to save Natsuo and Shouto somehow.” 

Fuyumi shrugs and looks up. “Besides, it is a small price to pay. What is my life compared to theirs and Endeavor's goal?”  

  “And this is why I despise heroes.” 

Fuyumi is grabbed by the back of her head and thrown into darkness. She lands on the cold, hard ground. Looking around, she barely sees a familiar setting. It is the place she was abducted from. Fuyumi wonders if people can see her.

Turning her head around, Fuyumi only catches a dark ring closing. Her hands are still tied with rope. She tries to sit up as best she can.  

“I thought you wanted to decay her after getting information, Tomura Shigaraki?” The purple figure said. 

“I got inspired instead.” 

He didn’t give her glasses back.  

---- 

Natsuo’s hand lays gently in his sister’s. “Go have an adventure, baby brother.”  

“What about you?” She shrugs and chuckles. “Someone has to stay here. I already switched to a community college. Don’t worry Natsuo.” 

She had taken the money she had saved for her payments on tuition and rent to give to her brother. Because of this, she has to go to a cheaper college, a local one. It is still notable and just as good as a four year university. She can still get her teaching degree at the local college.  

Along with this change came with Fuyumi leaving her apartment to live at home again. She was coming to terms with her staying with the family anyway. Fuyumi was talking herself into a belief that she shouldn't have left in the first place. If she hadn't, none of this would have happened.

  Natsuo started to tear up. His eyes burned with sadness and hatred. If Endeavor wasn’t so abusive, Fuyumi would be able to live her life. She'd be able to stay out on her own and experience things. She wouldn’t have been abducted. A subject that is also avoided in the house, just like Touya's death and the ongoing abuse.

  No one knows what the hell happened. Fuyumi states that it was nothing. Not even Endeavor blinked. At least to Natsuo, that is. Unbeknownst to Fuyumi and Natsuo, Endeavor wanted her to stay so that wouldn’t happen again. It scared him.  

 Anything could have happened. It's a blessing she came out okay.  

“Little brother, I'll protect Shouto. You go and learn. Be the doctor I know you can be!” She pinched his cheek. “And when you make it big time, don’t forget me.” 

Natsuo may not agree with her optimism about Endeavor, but he loves his sister. It's a defense mechanism. Optimism and hope are all she can cling to. Deep down though, he prays that she won’t end up like their mother.  

When she came back, he noticed that she was different. More smiley at first glance. However, Natsuo could see it was forced. They must’ve done something, she must have been so scared, Natsuo thinks. It is heartbreaking to see her like this.  

“What happened, Fuyumi?” She doesn’t need to ask what he is referring to. “I talked and had realized how blind I am.” 

She must remain unbroken. For Shouto and Natsuo’s sake. If that means having poor eyesight so they come out okay, stopping herself from having an adventure, living at home still, she said it once and she’ll say it for the rest of her life: it is a small price to pay.  

------

Endeavor lays on the ground, barely conscious. Tomura stands on him with a fist up. “Isn’t this a hero pose? Or was it the other arm?” 

In this war, heroes are losing to the villains. No helicopter can come and see the failure due to the smoke and decay. The body count is too high on the civilians and heroes' end. The heroes extensively planned this; every detail and had back up plans too. None of which was a match for Shigaraki. 

“And what hero could y-you be?” Endeavor groans. Tomura Shigaraki remembers that lady from a year or two ago. The pretty one with red and white hair. Big, round eyes and glasses. He remembers the scars around them.

He remembers her story.  

“One that wouldn't smack my kids around.” 

[eggmeralda]

please infodump about the golden ratio especially because of me realizing there are dogs involved

okay so *inhales* *cracks knuckles* *does stretches or whatever*

they're a group of golden retrievers (except for one time when they also had a labradoodle) who live on a beach in the florida keys and they're all perfect. the current uh lineup is venk, hops, guac, chief brody and remi, but they've had others in the past (but they all sadly died :( rip legends)

i'll just talk about the current ones for now bc otherwise I will talk for 3587923857328 billion years

but yeah so the first dog they got was hopper aka hops

she's really smart and is the only one who can do tricks and be trusted off the lead and she's just really good and is the epitome of a best friend. she had cancer in her leg a few years ago and it had to be amputated but now she's visibly so much happier, bc in the old videos when she has 4 legs she looks so miserable, but now she looks like this ^ at all times. also she's unbelievably fluffy. but even fluffier than her is......

her half-sister venkman aka venk

she literally isn't a real dog she's really fuzzy and has the stubbiest paws in the universe and she's so chaotic. she jumps for her breakfast and dinner and has done so every single day for probably her whole life. she loves food and she used to be really fat so they had to put her on a diet, she also used to eat the other dogs' food so they had to put her behind one of those baby gate things. she's the actual definition of happiness and also her birthday is the day summer begins which is really fitting?

okay then there's guacamole aka guac aka the guacoman

He's Perfect. he used to be Too playful when they first got him, like he was 3 and wasn't trained and would cause problems, but now 3 years later he's such a good boy. everyday he takes his avocado (pictured above with three) or possibly a blåhaj out into the garden and just sits with it, like he's so gentle with any toy it actually makes me wanna cry, he treats it like his puppy. sometimes the other dogs try to take it bc they wanna play or rip it up or something and it's the saddest thing ever bc like? that's his puppy? but luckily the owners save it and give it back to him.

this is chief brody aka CB aka CBGB (inspired by the venue but stands for Chief Brody Good Boy)

he's literally a guy. he's just a grumpy lazy old man but he's also really sweet and kind of pathetic (affectionate), he just wants to live a simple life where he sits around (or lies still on his back with a toy in his mouth) and have his dinner early in the day. he always looks at them sadly when he's hungry but it'll be like an hour before dinnertime and if they give him his food then they'll have to give all the other dogs their food and then. but yeah, he's just an old man who is very cute and lazy <3

the last one is remoulade aka remi

he's literally just a silly little guy <3. he's also blind (I can't remember if his eyesight is getting better or if I'm imagining that? but whatever). he caused drama instantly when they first got him bc he kept humping chief brody, but luckily he doesn't hump any of the dogs anymore. he seems to look up to guac like a cool older brother (even though guac is younger than him) which is so cute? they always go out into the garden and sit together while tearing at coconut shells. his appearance can sometimes be compared to a bear cub.

I might have to make a separate post at some point ngl bc I also wanna talk about all the other dogs they've had (but there is A Lot). anyway i would literally sell my soul for all these guys <3

[cavalierious-whim]

Ship of No One (Zelda: OoT)

In the crumbling Galaxy of Hyrule, a former princess is tasked with keeping the Hero safe until his time comes. Written for Harp in the Shadows, a Sheik Zine.

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--

On the surface, it is just an old cargo freighter that most would overlook. 

Sheik supposes that it is better this way. It’s easier to pilot through the Galaxy with fewer eyes on one’s back. A relief. If people knew what was on this ship—

They don’t. They will not. That is her first and utmost priority and the reason the Sheik drives this ship through the Galaxy with no destination in mind. Only one goal. Run. Run until we can use him. An important job. Hyrule is overrun with evil influence, and though Ganondorf lurks in just about every corner, there is a chance they might still overcome him. 

Sheik’s eyes flicker over from the pilot’s console to the starboard side. The Sacred Realm isn’t a big ship, nor small, just right in the middle. The cargo being hauled, though, is important enough to keep within eyesight at all times. Sheik pilots from this room, eats and sleeps in this room, and thinks aloud in this room with only the container in the corner for company. 

There is no one else. This alone is her duty, gifted by the goddesses themselves, and a contrite old man named Rauru. 

Sheik smirks at the thought, hiding a fond grin at the thought of him behind a palm. The isolation is not so much fun but she perseveres. There is nothing to go back to. Sheik’s past is hazy; blurred memories of pink dresses, of ocarina songs, and stuffy manners and meetings. 

Hyrule may have fallen but the future is never set in stone. Some things are preordained, like heroes and princesses, and the evil that comes back, cycle after cycle. A sigh drips from her lips. She is a pawn on a chess board, both a queen and a knight. She flits about at the hand of destiny, two steps ahead. 

The end goal is simple: Just survive. As with chess, it is not about the win, but rather, how the game is played. Still.

“Were I given a choice,” she muses in a soft murmur, “I would have preferred you at least be awake.”

The container, as expected, does not reply.

#

In the container lies the mythical Hero of Time. 

Perhaps morbid at first glance. He isn’t dead, though, merely sleeping, kept away from the eyes of Ganondorf until he’s old enough to take hold of the Master Sword. The sword, too, is there, sequestered away in its own little box awaiting the divine hand of the one chosen by the goddesses.

What a nuisance. Meeting him when they were children. Sheik still rues the day when realization washed over her. Annoying, she’d thought then. It was one thing for her to be young, wily, and not of much use. It was another for the Hero to be the same. 

Sheik sighs. 

Those were the old days. She is no longer Zelda. That old name is nothing but a whisper on solar winds, nearly forgotten in the collapse of the Galaxy. Now she is Sheik, keeper of this ship, protector of the future. The Hero, the Ocarina, and the Master Sword itself; these are the things that remain hidden on this ship, and as long as they keep on the move, it will stay that way. 

She stares at the container. Sheik remembers Link’s laugh and wonders if he’ll wake up the same, with a stilted sound of glee dripping from his mouth. Stasis does strange things to people—even she herself came to not quite the same, though her sleep was short-lived. 

Those earlier memories are fuzzed. She remembers escaping with Impa on a small space jetty with barely any fuel. Rauru met them at a port near the edge of the Galaxy, the Master Sword and Ocarina of Time pilfered from the rubble. “The Sacred Realm,” he’d said, gifting them this ship. “Take everything and run.”

Impa ran until other duties called her back home, the planet Kakariko racked with Ganondorf’s influence. Zelda then ceased to be and she donned the skin of Sheik instead, a whip-smart and quiet pilot who runs odd gigs that kept her roaming space. 

There is no set timeline. “Just until he’s older,” said Rauru, “and we can rest this request comfortably across his shoulders.”

It is no small feat to be tasked with saving everything. Sheik may not quite know, but Zelda remembers how that mantel was heavy and white-hot across her shoulders. 

#

Sheik awakens to the ship lurching and the alarm system blaring in a red alert.

She groans, jerking in the pilot’s seat, the seatbelt tight across her neck due to her shifting positions. The belt unclasps with a click. She barely holds onto the seat as she rearranges herself before buckling back in. The press of a few butts, the push of a few levers, and the holo-green flares to life.

The Gerudo. Pirates. Sheik curses as she flips the camera for a ship-sweeping view. 

She breathes a sigh of relief at the sight of only one small scouting ship. That is doable. A fleet is not. Sheik thanks Nayru for allowing her luck this time. 

A quick glance at the cargo container shows that it’s still strapped in. Good. Sheik turns back to the console and begins to fiddle with her settings. Targeting array, weapons, navigation—all of it is online and raring to go. A transmission comes in and she barely hears it over the blare of the alarm. One smack at a large button and the alert dissipates, leaving only the harsh ring of whatever the other ship has sent. 

“Prepare to be boarded. Do not resist—”

“Oh, shove it,” mutters Sheik before cutting the transmission short. She doesn’t have time to worry about who's out there, she just needs to kick the engines into gear and get the hell out of dodge. A few bobbins and knobs, and everything roars to life as the ship awakens from the autopilot. 

“Sleepy thing,” she mutters. “I’ll need to talk to Rauru about upgrades—”

The Pirate Ship has pulsar canons, something that Sheik was not expecting on such a tiny vessel. A blast hits the ship and sends it careening. Dammit all, thinks Sheik as her fingers fly across the console to redirect. It may be just a scout but such weapons imply much worse lurks behind it—even though there isn’t a fleet here directly, they must be nearby. 

Sheik’s gaze slips to the container where the Hero sleeps. Her plan of just outrunning the little beast isn’t the best option; she needs to get out of there fast.

“Plan B, then,” she mutters as the ship shakes with a second blast. Shields are down, the screen flashing orange. “A little more. Just a moment or two.”

Sheik levers the switch for the Hyper Drive, something that she rarely uses. She prefers to pilot with her hands, feeling the rumble of the ship beneath her fingers, guiding their course with her knowledge and skill. But, there are times when the convenience of science wins out. 

“Anywhere,” she hisses, as the screen Hyperspace information screen pops up. Another blast, this one close and sharp enough to roll the ship onto its side. 

Sheik hears a snap and panics. Another buckling sound, followed by something heavy sliding across the floor. The straps holding Link’s container have torn, sending the box flying across the cockpit. No time, there’s no time. The shield alert burns ready, another transmission comes in, and if the container is unplugged for more than a half hour, the stasis won’t be held.  

Perhaps she thanked Nayru too quickly. Or, perhaps, this is dramatic irony. Perhaps the Goddesses likes to play with their creatures. It wouldn’t be the first time that she’s felt as such. A pawn, nothing but a pawn on a chessboard since the day she was born.

Sheik slaps in random coordinates. She pushes at the lever and listens to the whine of the engines as they kick into full gear. The ship lurches and she braces herself again. “Hurry, hurry up.”

It’s the closest she’s come to a problem. She’s usually awake when things like this happen and better prepared. This time though, fear strikes through her breast and for the first time in years, she worries that maybe the Goddesses have abandoned them.

“No, no, I have to—”

The fate of Hyrule rests on her shoulders. She diverts power from unused systems to the engines and everything just seems to click into place. The screen lights up as the ship prepares to jump into the folds of space, lights glittering across her vision.

One more lurch, this time not due to a pirate’s engine, but instead, Sheik slamming the button that kicks the engines into overdrive. 

She smirks as the ship is tugged into the beyond, blipping into another spot of space, leaving behind nothing. 

#

It is easy to forget that the Galaxy is overrun with evil.

Ganondorf’s influence is wide-flung and far, but there are still points where it is weak. Hylians are strong. Resilient. Wily and steadfast. Sheik admires them with every moor of The Sacred Realm, with every barter of goods, and trade at outposts. 

The influence of Ganondorf is no doubt powerful. Even Sheik is worried for the future, despite the power that curls at her fingers. 

The ship is quiet. She holds out a hand and watches tendrils of Wisdom dance across her fingertips. Sometimes she regrets hiding. It is for the best but Sheik wonders if the knowledge of Zelda roaming the Galaxy would force a revolution. Sheik is quiet and understated. Sheik hides behind the guise of the Sheikah, playing protector even though she’s woefully underqualified.

Her gaze flickers to where the Hero sleeps. Too much action earlier in the day. She still feels the way that the ship rolls in her bones, and hears the harsh laser fire against the hull. Now it sways gently on the solar winds, autopilot giving her a small reprieve.

Everything is back in its place, plugged in and strapped up. Link sleeps on, under a hazy layer of glass, none the wiser, and she’s left to wonder just how many more times she’ll have to dance her way through these motions. 

Sheik is tired; not just because it is deep into the night cycle, but because she is tired. Of evil, of expectation, of flying through the Galaxy on this rusted bucket biding her time. Their time. Another look at that damned cargo box. Sheik sighs as she thinks of Link’s face, peaceful and placid. 

There is no one else. Sheik knows this, and yet—

Courage sits heavy on the back of her knuckles, glowing blue in the dimly lit room. It feels foreign. This power. Courage belongs to the princess, not a plucky space pirate whose face is the type that just melts into the thousands. Zelda was a terrible choice but Sheik was the correct one.

And there are times when they are one and the same. This moment, though, this quiet, dark moment as she rests in the cargo bay—this is a moment where Sheik is just Sheik. 

Right now, they are at the edge of space. After their earlier scuffle, Sheik took back the reins and just sailed until she couldn’t sail anymore. Outside the viewing windows, unfamiliar stars twinkle against a backdrop of black. 

Sheik rubs her face. The wad of magic disappears entirely, curling back into her being, and settling in her chest where Zelda hides. She is Sheik again, just a pilot, the keeper of the Hero until he’s only enough to make a difference. It is strange watching him grow. Every time she peeks in through the top it's as if a stranger looks back at her.

Eventually, she stands. Stretches, arms high over her head as she works out the kinks in her tired bones. 

“Despite it all, a good day,” she murmurs to herself as she squeezes herself into the tiny bathroom pod. A quick wash to her face. The combing of her fingers through her grimy hair. Sheik’s gaze flickers up and lingers on the mirror.

It used to be that a stranger watched her back. In the beginning, she was more Zelda than she was Sheik, separate entities with wildly different goals. 

She counts the years that have passed; one, two, three—

Five years. 

Five years and finally, the person who stares back at her isn’t a stranger. 

Sheik rubs her chin and smiles. 

[thespelmanitesblog]

5 Image Story

The Story:

“April please throw that makeup away, it expired in 2012!”, said April’s best friend Renee. “Makeup doesn’t expire, I’m hanging up on you!” said April as she hung up the Facetime call. April is a young adult living by herself in the city of Chicago. This interaction with her and her best friend is very common, occurring at least 3 times a week. As a young adult, who recently graduated from college, April is keen on saving money, especially on things she considers “unnecessary” like makeup. Foundations, concealer, brow tint, and even eyeliners date back to 2012 when mustache necklaces and bow ties were popular. Brands like Maybelline and Smashbox fill her organizer with packaging and products that are discontinued, apart from her cheapness, this is one of the reasons April holds on to her expired makeup. One day, while she’s getting ready for work, which is her small floral business called April Showers, she begins to apply her brown eyeliner on the top and bottom of her eyelid. April has never been the most coordinated, so naturally, she pokes her eye. She runs to the bathroom to wash her eyes out, but she gets dizzy, falls, and hits her head on the sink. The next time April opens her eyes, she’s staring into darkness as she hears hospital noises surrounding her. April is in shock at how she got to the hospital, but the nurse reassures her that she’s recovering in a couple of days. Her eye got infected, and she suffered a minor injury to her head. After a few days go by and with the help of antibiotics, the nurses can take the bandages off April’s eyes. A sigh of relief comes over her as her vision becomes lighter and clearer. When the last bandage reveals her recovered eyeballs, April is excited and grins for a second before she realizes something… she can see words above people’s heads. She thought it was a reaction to the medicine or a crazy dream, but as gets discharged and leaves the hospital, she realizes that this is reality. At first, it was kind of funny looking at people’s thoughts throughout the day. One person was thinking about an embarrassing thing they did 5 years ago, another was thinking of the dinner they’ll have tonight, and another was trying to remember the address of the girl they followed last night. April soon began to get weirded out by this ability she had contracted from an expired eyeliner. She followed the man who was thinking these disturbing things to the train station, where she saw him conjure up thoughts about planning and executing a kidnapping. With widened eyes, April is frantically trying to stop the man, asking people around her for help. After multiple people ignore her and think she’s crazy, she sees the man get on the train, and the doors close behind him. With no one’s help and only her knowing this man’s true intentions. April understands that only she can depend on herself.

The Images:

The first image is expired makeup, by the state of the products I wanted to show how gross and unsafe it is to use. The next image is supposed to imply that the makeup is being used, specifically the eyeliner. Next, I have a woman with bandages on her face, implying that her putting on the makeup ruined her eyesight and sent her to the doctor. I thought the next image would mean that you can see people's thoughts since the man is looking at the thought bubble. And lastly, the image is supposed to represent being able to see someone thinking of kidnapping a person.

The Classroom Feedback:

The majority of the class understood the idea of a person putting on makeup, however, they went deeper into the story and thought I was relaying a message of how society brainwashes women into being tied by makeup and how that represents them.

They didn't get the story right completely, however, one person did almost get to the ending, where they assumed expired makeup ruined a girl's eyesight.

What I would do to better communicate the story is to use more pictures or possibly draw my own. I think it was hard trying to make a story with such static photos. There needs to be more movement and action.

[jmenvs3000f23]

Privilege & Perspective in Nature Interpretation ☘️🔍 (U3)

Hey folks!

Have you ever heard of the term or the idea of the ‘invisible knapsack’ by Peggy McIntosh? Because before this week, I hadn’t, and I really feel like it’s a wonderful analogy that gives perspective on what having privilege means – and I promise, this will relate back to nature too!

In most circumstances, privilege can be explained as the exemption of a duty or liability based on an assumption coming from something such as someone’s skin colour, race, social status, job, country of residence, etc. For example, the case where a white man gets a loan with no questions asked, because in his invisible bag it’s been assumed that he has had a previous job or a good understanding of money since ‘most white people have jobs,’ or ‘white people are trustworthy,’ or something along those lines.

When thinking about how privilege influences perspective in nature interpretation, I’ll be honest I had a hard time at first. I thought, “Outdoors is the one thing we all have? It doesn’t take anything special to go outside and take a deep breath, to look or listen to the trees in the wind or birds chirping outside.”

But then I realized, yes it does.

And to be able to do those things is a remarkable privilege. Not everyone has healthy lungs, eyesight, or hearing, and with climate change causing more and more issues around the globe, clean air, swimmable beaches, and green spaces home to animals are no longer available to everyone. Remembering when not here in Guelph (which is a town with well preserved and beautiful green spaces for those of you who don’t know), I can also visit a lovely boardwalk on the lake next to parks just blocks from my childhood home, I was sort of taken aback, being confronted with the fact that not everyone has the opportunity- no, the privilege- to have nature as a refreshing space, and it’s as if it finally clicked for me why not everyone loves nature the way I do, or why there's not a universal understanding as to why it should be shared in the first place.

For most of my life, I’ve been assuming in everyone else’s invisible knapsack there’s been a nice park, or big backyard, or cottage or beach they either love or have just been taking for granted (a terrible perspective!)

While there are plenty of worse realizations to be had surrounding privilege at this age and in this social climate, I’m almost embarrassed I hadn’t realized I thought this way. In nature interpretation, there is never a right or a wrong way of doing things because no one can ever correct you on your own experiences. But, your perspective, and the privileges that helped you get there (which might just take a lifetime to understand) have to be acknowledged in order to provide a truly open space for others to join the nature loving wave :)

Research referenced:

McIntosh, P. (2015). Extending the Knapsack: Using the White Privilege Analysis to Examine Conferred Advantage and Disadvantage. Women & Therapy, 38(3-4), 232–245. https://doi.org/10.1080/02703149.2015.1059195

[thefallenbibliophilequote]

Little Black Dress

Bucky x Reader

Summary: Bucky has had a lot of trigger words throughout his life, but he never thought he would find a new one- until you uttered it.

Word count: 2,938

Warnings: mean girls, language, body insecurities angst, fluff, many alludes to sex, Bucky being a romantic.

A/N: this is for Kas' writing challenge @wkemeup congrats on 10k followers! You are incredible and deserve all the love! My prompt was: A is feeling insecure about how they look. When B asks what's wrong, A attempts to explain but B is genuinely confused because they can't imagine a world in which A is anything but perfect.

A/N2: did I insert Taylor lyrics in between? Maybe… But You Are In Love and Fearless are superior. Also, shit got deep and real here. This is not beta read, sorry!😅

No one is allowed to repost my writing or steal or copy my work! Reblog on tumblr is fine.

Masterlist

--

It all started with a stumble, but then again- doesn't it always?

You were walking down the sunny street, book in hand, with the wind surrounding you as you went forward.

On your right, the door to a bar opened with a thud and you looked up to see two men walking out an elderly man who has been clearly drinking all morning. You heard him when you passed by the bar, turning your head to him.

"Excelsior!" his words were slurred but the sight still made you laugh. You however didn't get the chance to laugh when you stumbled forward, hand shooting forward to block your fall to the ground. Those hands ended up being set on a chest. A very firm chest. You looked up to the man who caught you from falling and were met with beautiful blue eyes.

"Are you okay? He asked and straightened you up, both of his hands on your waist.

You managed to tear your eyes away from him, you quickly nodded.

"Yes, thank you." You smiled shyly at him, blushing when you realized your hands were still on his chest. You quickly moved them away just as he moved his gloved hands away from you.

He bent down to pick up the book that fell out of your hands.

"The Hobbit? Good choice." He winked at you when he handed it back to you.

"Thanks, I've heard great things about it, so I finally decided to buy it and read it." You looked at the book, frowning when you remembered you didn't place a bookmarker in it. You chuckled lightly, looking at him before continuing, "It's great so far, but I didn't bookmark it so now I lost my page."

"You're on page 106," the man racked his hand through his hair and straightened up his red shirt.

"And how do you know that?" feeling amused, you opened the book to the page he said only to find it to be the exact page you were in. You frowned, remembering you shut the book when you felt yourself falling.

"I just have very good eyesight," he once again ruffled his hair as he stuttered, "and memory… sorry if that made it weird." He scrunched his nose and you couldn't help but think of how cute he is.

"It's okay, it's not weird- pretty impressive actually." You held the book in your hands before smiling at him and taking a step back. "Well, I should go… thank you again."

You put a hand on his arm before moving past him and continuing your walk down the street.

Bucky stood in place for a moment after you left, chuckling to himself he walked forward with you still in his thoughts. After all that he has been through, being an assassin and a spy taught him to be calculated, think things through and be confident in his actions.

But he didn't know you, so why did he feel the need to turn around and go to you?

It made no sense, and yet he did just that.

He turned around and ran until he caught up to you and stood in front of you. With surprised eyes and a questioning brow, you looked at him, awaiting for what he has to say.

"Hi," he extended a hand to you with a charming smile that had you melting. "I'm Bucky."

And that's what started it all.

•

It was a few months later that you walked with Bucky back to your apartment after another wonderful date night. He had told you who he is early on and he swore that he fell for you faster after you reacted well to it and reassured him that you still want this- whatever this is. The two of you decided to take things slow, Bucky liked courting you properly and you didn't mind at all, it was obvious that your feelings for him grew and that you were quick to fall in love with him, and it was obvious that he returned the same feelings. Lately the tension felt heavier, the need was stronger, and with every lingering touch and every glance at your lips, you knew that tonight will be it. Your first kiss. Sure enough when Bucky stood at your doorstep you felt it coming, you saw it in his blue eyes, felt it in the air, and heard it in your heart. A million thoughts raced on your head in slow motion, fear clouded them when Bucky turned to look at you. What if he will regret this? What if this is a mistake and he will leave? What if you weren't good enough for him? You looked into his eyes as he pulled you in and it gave you the bravery to push all of those thoughts out and focus on the man in front of you, and so you wrapped your arms around his neck and leaned in to meet him in the middle. It's the first kiss, it's flawless and you let it take over you, fearless.

Since then, when your relationship got official, things went ever upwards. You learned more about one another, you grew closer; you laughed, you cried; you fought, and you talked; you said I love you, and he always said it back.

•

"Definitely not that one!" you laughed when Bucky pulled a sparkling dress that was sure to blind someone out of the rack. His laugh was music to your ears, booming and made his eyes crinkle, he was gorgeous.

Bucky put the hideous thing back in place and continued walking with you, hand in hand, looking for a perfect dress for Tony's party.

You were looking around when you passed a mannequin wearing a gorgeous little black dress- one that you wish you could wear. You let your eyes linger on it as you passed by it, not looking at Bucky who noted your gaze on the dress, and yet despite that you did not stop to Bucky's surprise.

"Okay how about we divide and conquer? You go find yourself a suit, I will go try to find a decent dress."

"Sounds good, Doll, just don't get lost here." You laughed as he winked and went to the other side of the shop.

You went through the various clothing items when you came across the dress that you saw earlier, it was black, basic and yet so special; on the mannequin it looked perfect and yet you couldn't help but wonder if it would look good at your body, it was a lovely dress but what if you will ruin it by wearing it? It would be so pretty, just not on you.

You went on to try and find dresses that will fit you better.

Bucky was in the men's section where he picked out an outfit when a saleswoman walked up to him with a big smile on her face.

"Hello, would you like any help?" she asked him and he saw the way the woman looked over his body shamelessly. He was about to shake his head when he saw you still picking out dresses.

"Actually-"

"A handsome guy like you deserves the best suits, let me show you some that would flatter you," she put a hand on his bicep.

Across the room you saw the sight and your face fell, you knew Bucky wouldn't do anything but still seeing other girls flirt with him made your blood boil and insecurities rise. You never told Bucky about these feelings, what would be the point? You quickly decided to wrap it up and take the pretty purple dress you found, it's more in your comfort zone, it's probably better.

Bucky laughed nervously before backing away from the girl and looking at her.

"Actually, I was hoping you could save a certain dress for my girlfriend." He smiled when he saw her face fall a bit, stuttering, she only nodded.

Only a few minutes later he met you at the counter, eyeing the dress you picked before giving you a quick kiss on the cheek. The girl in from earlier appeared, you saw the way she looked at you when Bucky put his hand around you, Bucky only smiled at you, his arm still around you as you exited the store.

Putting you on his motorcycle, you wrapped your arms around him as he drove you home, but the thoughts would not leave your head.

"Doll, I need to go on a couple of errands before the party, so I'll meet you in the tower before?" you took off your helmet and nodded at him.

"I'll see you there." With a kiss he was gone out of your sight.

•

You stepped into the avengers tower with a bag with your dress and essentials inside it a couple of hours later, going to rest a bit with Bucky before the event starts and you'll both have to get dressed.

You got inside the elevator, sighing as you leaned against the back of the elevator, and then mentally groaning when the elevator doors opened up yet again only one floor later.

"I think it is just rubbish, there is no way." One of the two girls who walked in said to the other.

"I'm telling you, that's what I heard!" the two girls were with their backs towards you, they probably didn't notice you were there at all as they continued to gossip. "Sergeant Barnes has a girlfriend now, I heard Dot talking and apparently she is totally not on his level."

"I bet he is with her because of pity, it will never last," The blonde snickered. "Do you think he will be at the party tonight? Maybe we could talk to him, who knows what might happen."

Her friend nodded and you felt your heart sink down, suddenly this elevator was too crowded for you.

"That bitch will probably run home crying by the end of it." You thanked the gods when the elevator opened at their floor.

Holding the tears back, you quickly pressed the close button so no one else will get into the elevator as you went to Bucky- you had to keep it together, for him. You know he loves you, he will make it all go away.

And when you reached his floor, his smile immediately made your eyes shine as you happily jumped into his embrace.

"What took you so long, Doll?"

•

"Are you sure we have to go?"

"Yes."

"But do we have to? You're a supersoldier, you can protect us!" you giggled when he poked your sides. The two of you were tangled up in bed sheets, too comfortable with each other's presence to move away, your bodies were pressed together with his arms securing you to him and you wished you could stay like this forever.

"I will protect you no matter what, doll, but I promised to come to that stupid party and I can't be there without you," he kissed down your neck slowly, knowing just how to get to you. "Plus, I have a surprise for you."

"Oh? Is that so?" you raised an eyebrow at him.

"Mhm," he kissed up your neck again so he could look at you. "I would love to stay here like this and spend the night worshipping you, but I am really looking forward to this surprise- I promise that I'll worship you afterwards."

"I will hold you to that promise, Sergeant!" you laughed as he got up from the bed and went towards his closet. When he came back you saw that he carried a bag from the same store that you were in today. "What is this?"

"Go on, open it." Hesitantly, you opened the bag and you faltered when you saw what was inside, the little black dress you had your eyes on.

"How did you-"

"I saw you staring at it, so I got it for you." He sat down next to you again and pulled the material out of the bag. "I don't know why you didn't take it, but I would love to see you wear it, give me a show?"

He wiggled his eyebrows and despite your internal struggle you nodded at him as you went to change in the bathroom.

When you came back into the room, Bucky's eyes turned a shade darker, and all he wanted to do was take that dress off of you. You paid no mind to him as you walked over to the full length mirror, moving your hands across your body and assessing yourself as Bucky's gaze followed every move you made.

"Doll, you look-" you barely heard him though when you voiced your thoughts to the mirror.

"I am so ugly, this dress looked beautiful on the mannequin it's a shame I'm ruining it." You said as a matter of fact, "I think I will wear the dress that I picked, it's better."

Bucky's eyes snapped up from your ass to the back of your head as you continued looking at the reflection, taken aback by what you said so calmly.

Bucky has had a lot of trigger words throughout his life as the winter soldier, after getting rid of those he never thought he would find a new one until you uttered the word-

"Ugly." You shrugged, "I could give it to Natasha- she would love it."

"What did you just say?" Bucky rose up from the bed, and at the tone change of his voice you turned around to him.

He just couldn't wrap his head around it. You, his girl, the girl he knew he was going to spend the rest of his life with; the girl who took his heart so quickly he wondered if maybe it was always yours; You, the girl who he is certain must be a goddess, the girl that is so beautiful he is certain he would be distracted in a battlefield by; the girl who smiles at him and takes his breath away; the girl who can shatter any bad day he has only by the smell of her perfume and her words; You, that girl, was right now standing in front of him calling herself things he could never associate with her.

"What do you mean, Bucky?" you got confused at the slight anger in his blue eyes, it wasn't at you, but you still saw it there.

"Don’t you dare call my girl ugly," he said it so strongly you were afraid you would upset him, you didn't mean for your insecurities to slip into his view- you didn't mean to say it in front of him.

"Bucky, but it's true. I know that you love me as I am, but I can't really ignore this, I mean- look at me." You pointed to the mirror behind you with a small nervous chuckle. "It's okay."

"Doll, it's not okay, what are you talking about? You're gorgeous!" you wrapped your arms around yourself, suddenly feeling too exposed and it was not because of the dress.

"Bucky, I'm not- maybe you just don't see it, but I do. Love can make you blind." You didn't know exactly what to say to make this conversation go away, and from the determined look in Bucky's eyes you knew avoiding and escaping was not an option. You lowered your eyes down.

Bucky sighed, taking a moment to collect himself as he studied your body language before taking a step forward and bringing your chin up so you would look at him, caressing your cheek.

"I'm sorry doll, I didn't mean to attack you- I just can't have you talking like that about my best girl." He pressed a soft kiss on your forehead, staying close so you could see the sincerity in his eyes. "Do you always feel this way?"

You only nodded the best you could with his hand holding your chin up.

"Why didn't you talk to me about this?"

"What's there to talk about? You didn't need to see this, this is just the situation, this is just how I see it, this is just a fact." You shrugged.

"Doll, this is not a fact, this is self hatred." Bucky shook his head, he could not imagine a world in which you are anything but perfect, "I know it's hard to accept yourself doll, but I need you to know that you are beautiful and absolutely breathtaking in this dress."

Bucky turned you around towards the mirror, wrapping his arms securely around you before letting his hands roam your body which he spent nights memorizing.

"Don't say that word again, doll give me the chance to show you what I see." With a shuddering breath you nodded at him as he continued to shower you with praise that made your cheeks warm.

"Does that mean we are not going to the party?" you chuckled as a small smile rose on your lips.

"Oh no, we are definitely going to the party," he whispered in your ear. "I am going to show you off to every single person there, point out every guy and girl that stare at you, longing and jealous, and then make sure they all know that you are mine, gorgeous." He sealed that with a soft kiss on your lips. When you tried to kiss him again he pulled away. "Hmm, I just had a great idea."

"What is it?" a mischievous smile grew on his face.

"I think we should angle the mirror towards the bed." If your cheeks weren't hot before, they were burning now.

•

Tags: @callmeluna @sstanbarnes @buckys-other-punk @drabblewithfrannybarnes @easygoingtheatre @that-one-person @justab-eautifulmess @onceupona-happilyeverafter @wipplogg @supraveng @samwilsons-pillowpecs @ayybtch @kitkatd7 @chrissquares @make-me-imagine

[bonny-kookoo]

I remember my little nephew at the age of Nari and once when I was babysitting him, a person he did not know suddenly stood in front of him. He started crying and despite having taken his first steps just a month earlier, he came towards me to protect him by stretching out his little arms and hid his face in my neck ( so unstable on his little legs). Can you recreate the scene with JK and Nari? Please?

(I'm gonna do this now just out of spite)

---

Nari is a pretty active and fearless kid.

Just like her dad, she enjoys exciting activities and games where she can run around- though sometimes, she tends to wander off a bit too fat for his liking. And while you've told him numerous times before that she will soon sneak out of his eyesight, it's only when he's taken her to his studio that he realizes again; at the end of the day, she's just a little kid, and some things will make her react differently than an adult would.

It's when he opens the door of his studio to let her out and go home that she comes face to face with a producer who'd just been wanting to knock- a tall man she's never seen before.

Instantly she turns around with worried eyes, grabbing at Jungkook's jacket to get him to pick her up- her only safety, she assumes. "oh wow." the man says, visibly surprised as he watches how the young singer effortlessly picks the young girl up and in his arms, inked hand jointly patting her back to calm her down after the little shock. "I thought they were joking." the guy chuckles, waving at Nari- though the typically curious girl only watches the gesture for a moment, before she pouts and hides in her father's neck.

"ah, Yeah." he answers a bit bashful. "a lot of staff were confused." he explains. "did you need something?"

"I- yeah, but that can wait. I can imagine someone would like to go hime now more than anything." he jokes, just as Nari's little fingers start to play with her father's earring. "She really looks like you." he smiles, and Junction nods, closing the studio door behind him.

"Thank you." he responds, before bowing as best as he can. "I'll see you tomorrow?" he wonders, and the producer nods, before they part ways.

And later in the car, the little girl is back to her bubbly self- little scare already long forgotten.

[wornoutmouse]

Heyy🐩 how are you? well I hope :) umm- I have a request...

a quite S/O, like they dont make any noise when they get off. its because its (almost) always people in the house (when they used to live with family) so they have learn to be quiet when the get off through the years and [character name] encourages them and tells them they can be as loud as they want now but reader dosen't know if they can

other details: you can pick the characters also the reader and character live together

only if you're comfortable of course <3

remember to drink water and eat daily :)

Your silence was hardly noticeable at first considering how loud Denki’s family was. Your silence blended seamlessly with his smaller siblings’ cries from downstairs and his own pleasurable whimpers as he humped above you. It wasn’t until the two of you got your own place together that he finally noticed your quiet orgasms when nothing could hide your absent wails but more silence.

At first, the thought that he wasn’t pleasing you correctly crossed his mind, even thinking you fell asleep a few times. But the amount of wetness coating his fingers every time he presumed to finish you off was too much to be a lie. So as a side comment he asked you about it, stuttering the whole way through.

You were a little shocked that he noticed, and even more shocked when you realized being silent wasn't the norm. Finding out this made you quickly reassure Denki that it wasn't him which he GREATLY appreciated. Denki in return assured you that you could make noise as well.

However, it wasn't an easy change. To you, your voice sounded awkward and out of place, too loud at times. However, Denki found himself 3 seconds from busting whenever he heard your soft sighs and moans. He’d do his best to encourage you but he soon found out that the novelty of your sounds soon became his downfall. "You're so hot when you say my name!"

Bakugou took your silence as a stab at his ego which is why he was always in a tense mood even after a good lovemaking session. In his mind, he wasn't making you cum and that just wouldn't do. So Bakugou would fuck you for hours and every position. When he had nothing left to give he'd be going down on you for hours ignoring you when you told him you were fine.

Your tired and overstimulated pleas for him to slow down or even that you couldn't take it anymore filtered through his ears as you pitying his attempts at making you come. Your silence only provided shaking legs and numb toes, the reddened scratches littering Katsuki’s back went undetected by the man as he held your legs behind your ears.

It wasn’t until you sat him down yourself and explained to him that just because you were silent doesn’t mean you weren’t enjoying it. "So you mean you just aren't used to moaning?" You sighed, "That's what I was trying to tell you." Of course with Bakugou being Bakugou all that meant to him was that he should challenge himself to ‘make’ you moan. And you weren’t sure whether or not his newfound determination was an upgrade or not.

Iida….oh Iida this poor man never noticed your silence until wandering in on one of Mineta and Denki’s annual porn collection trade-offs. He was astounded at the noises the woman in the video we’re making, of course after voicing these opinions Denki and Mineta laughed at him and wounded his ego far more than I can put into words.

After they finished laughing and explained to him that having the woman make sounds of pleasure was normal, he had burst through your living room door, face red and strong arms wrapping around you as he tosses you over his shoulder. You were confused and protested as he tossed you on the bed. His clothes were removed and his glasses were placed over your face, blurring your eyesight. “So you’ve been keeping your sweet sounds away from me?” All you could focus on that night was the pleasure he delivered onto your body like a man starved.

[makelemonade]

hiii can i please request for scaramouche fluff? where the reader meets him in a video game! then they realize they go to the same school, then after a while they fall in love blah blah and the rest is up to you author :>> make sure to take breaks and drink water!! (omg im very excited for scaramouche in 2.1!!)

scara goes into ur game- i literally dont have a title for this I AM SORRY

Scaramouche x GN!Reader

A/N: god the moment i saw 'scaramouche fluff' i ran to docs to start writing this

Warnings: Swearing (is that even a warning at this point) and kinda OOC Scaramouche. Alternate Universe.

(This is gonna start as small hcs/drabbles then turns into the real thing)

-ok so

-I’ve seen so many fics where we meet scara in a video game

-I’m switching it up a little

-he meets US in OUR video game

-insert scara randomly teleporting to our game and having to get used to living in it

-let’s say the game is a love story- it’s a modern love story game

-yes ik that’s boring but we got Scaramouche

-now it's time for the real thing 😉

~~~

Scaramouche groaned as he hit the ground, his head aching and eyesight blurry. “Where am I?”

“Oh my gosh, are you okay?”

His eyes widened. Why does he know that voice....

He turned around to see someone running up to him and if possible, his eyes widened even more. “What the fuck am I doing in (Insert Game Name that I couldn’t think of)

“What did you say?” You asked as you stopped running, standing in front of him.

“Uh....nothing. Sorry what did you say before?”

“I asked if you were alright!” You said, eyes full of concern. “Didn’t you just fall out of that tree?”

“Tree, what tree?” He asked.

You blinked. “Do you have a concussion? The tree you just fell from, right behind you!”

He turned around to see a pretty tall tree and understood immediately.

Right, this is how the game starts. He thought.

“Do you go to (Name of High School)? Maybe the nurse can check up on you?”

He smiled. If he remembered correctly, In the game, he did go to your high school. He just had to stick along to the story!

He almost snorted- yea hell no would he completely stick along to the story. He will make sure he makes it as chaotic as possible!

“Yea, I do. But really, I don’t need a nurse. I’ll be fine!”

You scoffed, “yea right. You have a big bump on your head, your coming with me...uh, what’s your name?”

“Scaramouche.”

“You sure you go to my high school? I’ve never heard that name before.”

He chuckled, “I’m not well known. No friends, you know?”

You smiled. “Well, allow me to introduce myself! I’m Y/N L/N, and I am now your friend!”

“This is so childish.” He murmured.

“Deal with it. Now, fandango man, lets go see the nurse!” You grabbed his hand and started walking to the school.

“Don’t call me that.”

“Scara-darling it is!”

“Don’t call me that either.”

“Your no fun!”

-back to hcs cuz I suck at writing full stories

-he doesn’t stick to the story line at all, and instead does a bunch of new things

-In the game, he was supposed to fall for all your pranks, and you always shamelessly flirted with him, but not today! He already knew all of the pranks so now he could dodge them!

-and the shameless flirting? Well, let’s say he meets the captain of the volleyball team: Childe, who is your best friend.

-Childe annoys the shit out of him, but he gets advice from him and a volleyball player named Kaeya about flirting.

-next day, he’s a pro flirter.

-he even tries out for the volleyball team! And despite being short, he makes it! (hAikyuu-)

-but he then realized it meant he couldn’t spend as much time with you.

-volleyball practice was during your break, so he couldn’t eat with you anymore.

-so he skips some practices to go see you!

-Childe doesn’t really care, he approves of what’s going on between you and Scara despite you not even knowing about it yet.

-sometimes when walking in the halls, he’ll hold your hand and rub circles in your palm

-but your so dense you still think your just friends

-now, in the game, it’s you who first confesses your feelings at the end

-he’s scared because he didn’t stick to the plot- what if it changed and you don’t like him and your not gonna confess?

-so, he went to the only person he could think of: Rosalyne (Signora)

-she told him everything you liked, and what days your busy and where he should confess

-Monday, under the tree where he first met you and the one he ‘fell from’

-he was nervous, REALLY nervous, and also embarrassed because Childe and Signora were hiding behind said tree so they could hear everything and comfort Scaramouche if anything goes wrong

~~~

Scaramouche felt his heart beat a lot faster when he saw you walking towards him. “They're coming.” He whispered.

“You can do it!” Childe whispered from behind the tree.

“Yea, or we gave you all that advice for nothing!”

His eyes widened at the new voice, “Kaeya what are you doing here?”

“You really think I would miss out on this? Hell no!”

Signora scoffed. “Be quiet their here!”

They went silent and you stood just a few feet away from him. “Hey Scara! What’s up?”

“Y/N...” He walked closer to you, taking ahold of your hands and not letting go of them.

“Hey what’s wrong? Your shaking..” you said, noticing how shaky his hands were while holding yours.

He smiled, “It’s because I’m nervous. Y/N, these past few months have been amazing and...and...fuck I swear I had a whole speech ready.”

He could practically hear Childe facepalming behind the tree and Signora smacking him.

“Listen Y/N, I like you, like a lot, like a lot a lot a lot. Your just so fucking funny and nice and- remember the day you met me, right under this tree? You were so sweet! How could I not like you?”

Your eyes were wide, “You like me?”

“Yes you dumbass! Are you dense or something? I said it like four ti-“ He was cut off when YOU FUCKING KISSED HIM

INSERT SCARA SCREAMING INTERNALLY AND NOT KNOWING WHAT TO DO BUR ENDS UP KISSING YOU BACK

The three behind the tree look to see what was happening, and they all screamed when they saw you and Scara kissing that you both jumped when you heard.

“Seriously?!” Scaramouche scoffed, “We were having a fucking moment!”

-god Childe and Kaeya will never let this go

-they probably recorded the whole thing

[trashmouthkid]

Eddie wakes that morning to the gentle hum of a ceiling fan and a blinding ache in his head. He can’t think through it, but comes to bit by bit and realizes, in a semi-delirious state, that he’s not in his own room. The bed’s too big. The ceiling too high, the air a little too dusty.

Eddie let’s out a dry, involuntary cough and groans at the resulting throb against the inside of his skull. The room quiets again, for a moment, before a harsh whisper startles Eddie fully awake.

“Goooood morning, sunshine!”

He furrows his brows and lets his heart rate steady before turning his head to the side where the blurry figure of a man is sitting cross-legged in a desk chair across the room. He can’t make out the details of his face, but can tell he’s wearing clunky, oversized glasses and for a moment thinks they’re his before he blinks, his vision clears, and he remembers the only person he knows whose eyesight is that bad. He makes a face into the cushion of his pillow.

“Richie?”

Richie grins at him in answer, and the whites of his teeth make Eddie’s stomach turn, nauseated.

“How ya feeling?”

“Like shit,” Eddie mumbles, turning away to look back up at the ceiling. The fan isn’t any easier on his stomach than Richie’s face. “What happened?”

He’s not sure if he actually can’t remember, but he’s afraid of what thinking too hard will do to his headache.

“Well, I can only take you back as far as about 2am,” Richie says, reaching back behind him to grab his laptop. “But I’m guessing there was tequila in there somewhere around nine or ten? From what I could smell.”

Eddie throws an arm over his face and whines into it, long and loud. That’s right, he thinks. There’d been a party. A grad school, finals party Eddie didn’t put up much of a fight about going to because he’d had somewhat of a lonely first semester and needed to make friends somehow.

But Richie wasn’t there. He isn’t in school anymore, and finds it weird to hang around people who still are—a sentiment which sometimes included Eddie, when Richie felt like being weird and unfamiliar.

“Tell me,” Eddie sighs, pressing a thumb into his temple and rubbing it gently.

Richie lets out a breath in thought. “You called around one wanting to be picked up and sounded… completely plastered.”

“But you live like, an hour away.”

“Yeah, I know. I’m sorry. I should have called Bev or Mike or something.”

“No, I…thank you.” Eddie swallows, chest pinching guiltily. Richie doesn’t respond, so he looks over at him. “What else? Tell me everything.”

“Okay, um. You were alone on the curb when I came by. I brought you back here, you made a valiant effort to take my pants off—“

Eddie sits up bolt-right.

“Oh my god.”

“No, Eds, it’s fine—“

“Oh my goooood.”

“Seriously Eddie, don’t sweat it.” Richie sounds calm and content, but his cheeks are pink when Eddie peeks at him from beneath the hands he’s hidden his face in. He smiles. “Let yourself be glad it was me instead of some stranger.”

Eddie isn’t sure if he can. He stares down at his lap, where’s he’s been stripped down to his boxers and a shirt that isn’t his. He pinches the worn fabric between a thumb and forefinger and feels warm inside.

“Did I get sick?” he asks.

Richie shakes his head. “No, but you were wet for some reason.”

Mortifying. Eddie looks around the room some more as the pain in his head subsides. Richie looks like he’s been up a while, but there’s a mess of blankets on the rug at the foot of the bed.

“You slept on the floor?” They’d been sharing beds since they were kids.

“Just a precaution.” Richie shrugs and Eddie flushes, hot and unflattering. “Here,” Richie adds after a beat of silence, grabbing a cup that’s been sitting on his desk and coming over. “Drink this. For the hangover.”

Eddie objects immediately. “No way,” he says, previous embarrassment making him loud and defensive. “Absolutely not. You got Ben and Stan with that freshman year, how dumb do you think I am?”

Richie looks amused, but smiles and pushes the cup into Eddie’s raised hands regardless. “It’s just water, Eddie.”

Eddie scowls at the cup, seeing the thin, clear liquid, and gives himself a moment to think. Into it, he says: “Well. You’ve gone soft.”

Richie snorts, then laughs with the whole of his body.

“So,” he says, lifting a leg onto the bed and sitting down. “Grad school parties, huh?”

Eddie takes a sip of his water, looking away. “Uh…yeah.”

“Am I missing out?” Richie pauses, thoughtful. “How hot are the guys?”

Clearly not enough to keep me away from you, Eddie thinks, remembering suddenly what those first three shots were for to begin with. He rolls his eyes.

“I didn’t notice.”

“Not-a one?”

He shakes his head.

“Boy, Eddie.” Richie throws himself back into the bedsheets next to him. “You sure do make it hard to live vicariously through you.”

Eddie looks down at him, cheeks pink and glasses lopsided, hair tickling the hand Eddie has pressed into the mattress by his side. For a moment he feels a little like he might still be drunk.

“You could just come, you know.”

“No way,” Richie argues. “I’ve never gotten laid at a party you’ve been at.” Eddie realizes with sudden clarity the truth of that sentence before Richie tacks on: “You steal the whole show!”

Eddie hums, thoughtful. He hums and hums and hums, resituating himself to lay down next to Richie, trying to gauge the way he’s looking at him. His head still hurts and it’s hard to tell.

“Thanks for picking me up, Rich.”

He looks back up at the ceiling, but can feel Richie’s eyes still on him.

“Yeah, Eddie.” He sounds soft, contemplative. “Anytime.”

[alreadyblondenow]

Easy come, easy go

“I’m saying, we’re not going to be okay when we’re apart. I’m not sure if I could give the same efforts you’re about to offer in the future,”

Pairing: Jeno x female!reader Genre: SMUT, FLUFF, ANGST. Enemies to lovers, strangers to lovers, summer love WC: 3,038k Warnings: female reader wears lipstick, jeno putting on lipstick to you, swearing, mentions of parties and one beer, but no alcohol consumption, high school graduates so it the summer before college starts. Unprotected sex, mentions of making out, breakup, couch sex, mentions of other idols.  A/N: I’m in a jeno mood for days already now ughs

It all started this summer, where your cousin Haechan introduced you to some of his friends to somehow help you make new friends over the summer. Having new friends is nice of course, who wouldn't want that. But meeting Lee Jeno and being nice to him was the worst decision you made so far. He was annoying, rude, has poor eyesight and seriously you don't understand why girls go crazy over him. It's like he is this walking nightmare the whole summer that you try to avoid at all costs but you just can't because he and Haechan are best friends.

"The guy likes you. Jeno is not usually "rude" to girls, in fact, he's good with girls. So just have more patience with him," Haechan explains after you rant your heart out during a house party. "Fix your lipstick its smudge- I'll go get you a beer, wait here" and so you did, you took out your phone and your lipstick, trying to re-apply it under the dim lights and neon lights, then suddenly someone bumped your shoulder so hard and spilled their drink on your thin blouse.

It was Jeno. And instead of saying sorry he let out a small laugh and pretended that he didn't do it on purpose. "You look like a clown- uh, your lips... here let me get that for you-"

"Fuck you. Don't touch me," you said sternly and walked away. Leaving Jeno completely speechless and worried because he really did fucked up this time.

You looked for the nearest bathroom and wash away the beer from your blouse but it's useless. The beer stained already it's so obvious, not to mention your face is a mess and Jeno was right you look like a clown because you didn't notice you put on too much lipstick earlier. "Fuck" you murmured and got a tissue to wipe away your ruined makeup.

"Y/n, it's Jeno uhm... Can you please open the door so we could talk, and I could apologize sincerely" he rests his head on the door while holding on to the knob, waiting for you to open it. Thankfully, you did but not because you're being soft this time, you only opened the door because sooner or later you have to deal with him and you rather talk to him in private.

"What?" you asked without meeting his eyes and trying to re-apply your lipstick again but this time you're sure you'll get it right.

"I really didn't mean it earlier. I have poor eyesight and as you can see I don't have glasses right now, so that's why... I'm really sorry." he explained, short but you know it's the truth. He wouldn't come and find you if he didn't want to apologize.

"Apology accepted," you leaned on the mirror and continue to what you're doing but to your surprise, he came closer, grabbed you by the waist gently, and took the lipstick out of your hand.

"Turn towards me," you do as you're told, he then lifted your head, and then you watch him put a little pigment on his middle finger, just enough for your lips and just how you like it. Is he really this good with girls that he even knew how to apply lipstick? "Part you lips," he requests.

But it was a request that made the atmosphere a little warmer and it both made your hearts beat so fast.

Gently then he dabs his finger lightly on your lips, carefully putting enough color into it and careful not to ruin it again for the second time. And when he's done, you simply locked eyes and that's when you saw that he does like you.

Then he kissed you and stopped the world for you. Everything turned silent even though the party music outside the bathroom was blaring and everyone seems to be shouting. It was a quick kiss but it felt so good and right at the same time that Jeno asked for more and wanted to deepen the kiss but you stopped him.

"Okay okay. I understand now," you giggle and erased the pigment on his lips with your thumb. "Let's take it slow," you said and smiled at him but the man who's smiling so big in front of you reached out for the doorknob and locked it. You would be lying if you say you don't want him to kiss you again.

A few days after the kiss, Jeno didn't stop teasing you in front of his friends but it got lessen. A few days later, the little crush grew and grew until Jeno decided he really wanted to try and make things work with you. He can be so annoying to the point that you wanted to punch him, but you know that he's serious when it comes to his feelings. Jeno can be a real asshole sometimes, but the man knew how to make you happy and smile privately.

After the first month of summer, you and Jeno had the time of your lives and spend your precious time together privately. Night swimming in his house, sneaking out to make out during parties with friends, you visiting him during his work and wait for him until its closing time. The first month was beautiful and you didn't expect you would have a great time with someone you used to hate. Even though you hide what relationship you have from everyone, you and Jeno love the privacy and to be honest you don't care if he doesn't flex you to everyone. The man loves you and that's what's important.

“Welcome, beautiful”

Jeno said with a big and teasing smile as you enter the coffee shop his family owns and where he usually works whenever he’s free. “You here to see me? I knew it, you always had a crush on me” he teases further.

“No dumbass, I’m here to buy Haechan a cake,” you said, scanning the displayed cakes and avoiding to look at Jeno’s handsome smile. “I’ll take the birthday cake, and three candles please”

You watch Jeno put the cake and secure it in a box, with the three candles as requested. Giving it to you before he accepts your payment, "You're really not here for me? While I think about you every second of the day?" he pouts and crossed his arms.

"Oh you're annoying, see you tonight" you rolled your eyes but left a smile before you leave him.

Tonight is Haechan's birthday and everyone at home was busy preparing for the party including you. It's a sleepover, only Haechan's closest friends and a few family members were invited that's why you're lucky you get to sleep with Jeno tonight, you just have to plan out how you can sneak out without the others seeing you.

As the party started and guests started arriving, you and Jeno barely talked to each other because you were busy talking to your relatives. But he never let you out of his sight, he was watching you from afar and listing the names of the guys who talk to you tonight in his head. And when all family members came home and everyone who stayed are all drunk and sleeping, you went downstairs to where Jeno is sleeping and brought him a pillow and a blanket.

"Thought you forgot about me already, hi" he waited for you on the couch while he's laying comfortably there with all the lights turned off and only the light from the swimming pool illuminates the room.

"Don't you want to sleep somewhere comfortable?" you whisper and sat on top of him, legs on both of his sides.

"Now that you're on top of me, this is my definition of comfort" he smiled so sweetly and reached for your face to cup it and kiss you. "Let's sleep here tonight," he whispered and pulled your body closer to him. Lips moving, tongue swirling on each other while your hands are intertwined. Letting yourselves enjoy this quiet night for this busy day kept you both apart from each other for so long.

"Jaemin was too friendly with you earlier,"

"I didn't notice- wait, you were watching me the whole time?" you whispered back.

"Of course I'm watching you,"

"Well if we go out in public he wouldn't be so clueless, and you wouldn't end up hating your friend"

"I like the privacy we have. Plus do you realize how much teasing we'd get from Haechan?" you agreed to him and placed your head on top of his chest to listen to his heartbeat. "You know when I first saw you my heart beat so fast that I ended up being rude to you instead of acting cute," you feel the vibrations of his giggle and hear him well. It was just a few words, a sincere gesture and, a little honesty but it made you feel something deep inside that made you confess your love to him.

"I love you. I know it's too early to say it, but there I said. I love you," you hide your face on the side of his neck and feel him soothe your back.

"I was planning to say it first, that's not fair. But, me too. I love you too." he searched for your eyes and flashed a handsome smile at you. Tracing your lips as he remembers the first night he kissed you for the first time. Then you came closer to him for a kiss but the moment heated in no time and the next thing you know you're pulling down Jeno's shorts and palm his big cock through his boxers briefs.

He let out guttural sounds, proof that he's loving the pleasure but careful enough not to be heard so you kissed him and caught all his moans as you continue to work on his cock and eventually started grinding on top of him.

"Are we really having our first on a couch?" he whispered in between kissing, hands started to undo the buttons from your sleepwear. Finally exposing yourself to him, "beautiful as always," he murmured but you rolled your eyes on him, making you both giggle quietly. You removed his shirt and proceed to kiss his very hot body, kissing him on the neck, his collar bones, abs, and most importantly, his sensitive nipples that made him part his lips when your tongue made contact with it. "You're going to be the death of me," he said and slipped his hand inside your thin shorts to palm your ass. You then took initiative, to remove your shorts and throw it on the floor. Now that you're both only in your underwear it made you even more excited.

Slowly Jeno let his hand wander around your body, touching your boobs for the very first time and brushing his fingers oh so softly on your nipples and make them hard just like what you did to his. Until you intentionally came closer to him so you're boobs are near his face and did not hesitate to suck it until both of your nipples are swollen.

"When was the last time you had sex?" he whispered beside your ear and the way he asked you just made you breathe in deeply and let out a small moan.

"Let's just say that it's been too long that you will think you're fucking a virgin,"

"It's going to be a long night then," he said and immediately put two fingers inside you which made you hold onto his shoulder and grind on his fingers. "You were right," Jeno felt how tight you were and became more excited that he moved his finger deeper and curled them, massaging your tight walls and watching you enjoy the pleasure that he give you while you're on top of him.

Then he removed it and you let out a heavy sigh because of frustration, you were so wet by this time and you see his boxers briefs stained with your pussy juices and you swear, you wanted to get mad at him but now is not the time. "Put your fingers back in please,"

“You were so close to cumming, don't you want to cum on my dick instead?" he asked you, pulling his hard cock from his boxers briefs and reaching for your hand for you to palm it and feel how big he is. You swallowed the lump in your throat as you look at how big he is and you knew right then and there that he will feel good. So you position yourself comfortably on top of him, touching yourself for a few seconds before you let him line his cock on your hole.

"Just go slow," he said before you sink down and take him whole. Lips parting and eyebrows furrowing as you take him and let his big cock stretch you out. And when it's finally in, you breathe in and out heavily before you move your hips and make you both feel good.

"Oh fuck" he croaked and place his hands on your waist pulling you closer to him so he could keep you close. "Go slower," he whispered beside your ear then watch your pussy swallow his dick. The sight of it just made him want to fuck you hard tonight, break you and make you scream but he can't.

From the tip of his cock right to his balls, you were that deep that you were both losing your minds at that very moment. His hands roam around your body but it mostly stays on your ass, caressing your butt cheeks and teasing your butthole for a few times so you clench around him. "That's cheating," you joke and kissed him.

He pulled you in for a hug and focused on how you fuck him. Yes, fuck him. And this time a little faster and deeper that he's already on edge and making faces already. Faces that he does whenever he's about to have a mind blowing orgasm that he rarely gets. "K-keep fucking me like that," he said with deep groans, one arm around your waist and one arm reaches for your clit.

"Baby, you don't have to do that- fuck that feels good, mmm" his fingers were enough to make you crazy that you ended up fucking him faster, that the couch creaks already and anyone who is awake can definitely tell you're fucking on the couch.

And when the most awaited moment comes, he pushed you away so he could pull out and pump his cock and let his cum land on his stomach. With heavy breaths and a weak body, Jeno looked at you so lovingly at the other side of the couch. Reaching for his shirt to clean his cum so you could go back to your comfort on top of him.

"I'm sorry you didn't cum,” he said softly, sitting up to reach for you and kiss your shoulders as you busy yourself to wear your panties and sleepwear again. Jeno did the same before you two squeeze your bodies on the small couch. Laying bodies to bodies, sharing one blanket and keeping each other close the whole night.

And when the morning comes, you woke up alone on the couch with the blanket perfectly covering your body from the morning breeze.

Days after that fateful night, you and Jeno find ways to have sex whenever you can and enjoy the second month of summer together doing the things you want to do together, going on places and making unforgettable memories. But just as your relationship was going well, you didn’t expect it to fall right before your eyes.

While you were walking hand in hand on the street just after he ends his shift at the cafe and promised to walk you home, you were reminded of the following things you have to deal with just before this summer ends. And because you’re preparing for your college move-in next month, you mentioned it to Jeno for the first time with excited eyes and high pitched tones. “Am I boring you? Sorry, I was just excited” you said. And then he stopped walking.

“I’m not good with long distance. I love you but I know myself, I could end up cheating and hurting you-“

“Where is this coming from? What are you saying? What are you implying?” you asked, question after question because you have no idea why he’s acting like this. You didn’t expect that your excitement for your college dorms will spark something that will ruin your day.

“I’m saying, we’re not going to be okay when we’re apart. I’m not sure if I could give the same efforts you’re about to offer in the future,” he avoided eye contact and clenched his jaw. You’ve never seen him cold like this before.

“So in other words you’re telling me that eventually, we will break up? You just can’t say it to my face because you’re a coward who would rather give up than try the whole long distance shit first?”

Unfortunately, he nodded. And you don’t know why you’re still holding his hand so let him go and walked away.

“Y/n- fuck,” he followed you and tried stopping you, “let's not do this tonight please, it's so sudden,”

You closed your eyes and tried so hard not to cry in front of him. He just kept on saying the wrong words and it's breaking your heart.

“I would rather accept this sudden situation than let you hurt me slowly on the following days.” you shook your head and show him your disappointment. And what hurts you the most is he didn’t even tried to fight for you, or say he's sorry or admit that he’s wrong. He just let you walk away and throw everything that you built tonight.

A few days after your break up, Jeno regrets everything he did that he even tried reaching out to you and Haechan. But he was too late. You left because you can’t stay there and wait for him to chose you again, only to have the same answers that you get on the night you broke up.  

[atinydise]

Follow the rules (Part 2)

❦ Genre: Angst / Fluff / Suggestive.

❦ Pairing: Seonghwa.

❦ Word count: 1K.

❦ Requested: Don't ever believe me again when I say I'm posting something "soon" 💀Part 1

❦ Tags: @scuzmunkie, @butterfliesinthenightsky 🦋

Once again, you stared at your reflection in the dirty mirror of the theater.

You fixed your hair, removed the tiny stain of lipstick on your teeth, and shamelessly opened another button of your dress.

“You can do it, girl!” You motivated yourself. “It’s just a date! You are a pro for dates.”

It’s been 10 minutes that you were trying to spot something wrong with your outfit or just yourself.

This guy that you met at a party, invited you to several dates before, but for this one, you felt a little bit more stressed or insecure.

He was so good to you. Always funny, complimenting you when you doubt your own beauty because of these stupid “beauty standards” or always available when you need to talk.

You were diving into your thoughts, daydreaming about how this date could end when you receive a text from him asking if you were okay.

Not losing another second, you walked out of the restroom.

“Oh Y/N, are you okay? You were there for a while.” He asked, visibly worried for you.

“Yeah, there were just a few girls before me.” You lied. “Let’s go?”

He nodded and smiled.

“But first, do you want a snack or a drink?” He offered, already taking out his wallet.

“Wait, I'm paying.” You put your hand on his. “You paid for the restaurant yest-”

“Popcorn and a cold drink such as iced tea?” He asked, knowing exactly what you want.

Understanding that he would probably not give up and pay for your snacks, you simply nodded.

“Thank you again.”

“Wait for me here!” He said before running to the shop.

Seeing someone devoted to you made you happy and thankful.

“What could happen Y/N? It’s probably going to be a good date too.” You tried to reassure yourself, fixing your dress one last time.

“Y/N?”

You instinctively looked at the person next to you.

It took a few seconds to realize that the worst thing that could happen, was just there: Seonghwa.

You hated the way with simple eye contact, he made you doubt your entire existence.

Even if Seonghwa changed a bit during this last month, he was still this handsome man he used to be.

His hair was dyed in black and a bit curlier than before. He was probably working out a lot more because his figure was a tiny bit more massive.

The way his eyes were piercing and staring at your soul, gave you this warm feeling that only he can give you.

“Y/N?” He repeated.

You raised a brow to show him that he has your attention, but that you wouldn’t say anything.

“It’s been a while.”

The thought of shouting ‘you dumb or what’ or punching him right in the face, came to your mind for 2 seconds, but you decided to play it cool.

“Yeah.” You simply replied.

Seonghwa was taken aback because of these short and cold replies. You were the only one talkative among both of you.

“Hm… are we cool? Or?”

“Cool?” You repeated. “What do you mean?”

“Are you still mad at me?”

This situation was so strange to you that you pinched your hand discreetly, to be sure that you were not daydreaming or hallucinating.

“Y/N.” He called you once again.

You managed to keep your composure but hearing your name from his mouth made your knees weak a little bit more.

“Do you remember that we are not talking or seeing each other anymore?”

Seonghwa scratched the back of his head, searching for a possible excuse or explanation.

“You made it clear the last time we saw each other.” You continued. “So you don’t need to come and check after me as you care.”

“Y/N…”

“Don’t Y/N me.”

“That’s your name?” He raised a brow.

“Yeah, then don’t call me.” You gulped, realizing how dumb this was.

“Y/- I mean… Can we just talk about what happened? I know what I said was bad.”

“Bad?”

“Yes.”

“I would say painful, cold, uncomfortable, hard, unpleasant-”

“Okay okay, I got it.” He stopped you.

“No, I think you didn’t.” You started, clenching your fist to not yell at him for everything he did to you. “You literally throw me like a toy. Okay, we knew our deal, just sex, but you could have been a little- NO. A LOT nicer when you rejected me.”

“I freaked out.”

“And I don’t care.”

“Can we talk about this later? I really want to see you again.”

That was one of the things you were redoubting.

After a month, the moment you finally start to turn the page and focus again on your happiness, Seonghwa comes back.

You hated yourself for already knowing that you would run to him without any effort.

“Y/N? Is everything okay?”

You turned back and stared at Seungyeon. He looked so cute with these 2 big packs of popcorn and the drinks hanging between his fingers.

“Ah, you there.” You smiled.

Seonghwa stared at both of you, trying to know the exact situation or relationship you had with this man.

“Hello. I’m Seungyeon.” He politely bowed.

Your ex-friend and benefits didn’t even blink. He stayed there, only staring at him.

“Well… we should go. The movie is about to start soon.” You grabbed Seungyeon by the arm, making sure to help him with the drinks.

“And what about my request?” Asked Seonghwa, before you could leave.

You sighed. He wouldn’t give up so easily. He would even sit next to you during the movie for sure.

“Can you take our seats? I need to talk to him for a minute.” You simply explained, embarrassed that this situation happens during your date.

“Sure, text me if you have a problem.”

You understand well that he was bothered by you staying with a man that clearly has his effect on you. But for the sake of this date, you needed to make things clear with Seonghwa.

When Seungyeon disappeared from your eyesight, you confronted him.

“What’s your problem?”

“And who’s this guy?”

“And why are you asking as you care about who I’m dating?” You crossed your arms on your chest.

“Because you are mine.” He sighed in frustration.

“What the hell Park Seonghwa.”

“I’m the only one who is supposed to touch you.” He added.

You rolled your eyes at this comment. Of course, he was only thinking about sex.

“Well sorry, but other people don't see me as a vulgar piece of meat like you do.” You started. “Seungyeon is curious about how my day went and not about which position we are doing at night.”

“Do you sleep with him?” He stepped closer to you.

“This is none of your business.”

Seonghwa was frustrated. He ran his hand in his hair and growled something that you didn’t understand.

“So, for your request. It’s no. You told me that I’ve shouldn’t f-”

“Does he satisfy you well?”

You blink twice at this sudden question.

“I told you it’s n-”

“Does he fuck you better than me?”

He was stepping closer to you at every question. Your heart raced and your lips went dry in a second.

“Does he make these things that you love the most in bed?”

“You are being inappropriate.”

“I bet you never told him your little secrets. Like how you like to be choked. Did you tell him?”

The proximity, his perfume, or just his presence made you get a tone of flashbacks.

These times you met, how he treated you well or how he completely made you forget your own name.

“You are mine. And I don’t want anybody to touch you.” He whispered, resting his forehead on yours.

This contact made you close your eyes so you could enjoy his presence once again.

“Just ditch him…”

You shook your head, “I can’t. He’s nice to me.”

“And I am too.” He kissed your cheek.

“He’s giving me what I want.” You gently rested your palm on his torso, trying to push him a bit.

“I can give it to you too.” He slowly went to kiss your neck, your weak spot. “All night long.”

His offer was interesting, of course. But you remembered that after this “night” he wouldn’t text you or ask how your day went as Seungyeon does.

"No." You pushed him stronger this time and stepped back. “I don’t want to be a friend with benefits anymore. I just want to be a girlfriend.”

Your heart was beating so fast in your chest that you thought it would explode the next minute. Maybe it would be the time where Seonghwa would change the status of your relationship or simply disappear as he usually does.

“I just want to be special to someone and not only because I slept with them.” You added, not liking the silence that settled.

“If you want me to be yours and not only in your bed at night then say it now. Otherwise, there’s a movie which is waiting for me.”

His lips parted for a second then closed right after.

You bit the inside of your cheek and nodded. “That’s what I thought.”

You pushed his hand away from your forearm.

“Excuse me, but I have a movie to see.”

You exchanged one last stare together, then you left to join Seungyeon.

The more you walked away from him, the more you felt your heart clenching in your chest.

When the door closed behind you, you brushed off the tear which was sliding on your cheek.

“Ah you there,” smiled Seungyeon when he saw you.

“Yeah sorry. Did I miss something?”

“Nop, only ads.”

“Good.” You sat down, blinking a few times to suppress the tears.

“Are you okay?” He asked, still worried for you.

You nodded, biting your tongue.

“Yeah. I’m fine.” You whispered, taking a deep breath to forget this conversation.

When the room dimmed in the dark, you remembered that your phone wasn’t mute.

Just when you were about to turn it off, you received a text from Seonghwa.

[“Let’s finish our conversation.”]

You noticed that he didn’t write “tonight” like he usually does.

“It’s starting.” Whispered Seungyeon, when he saw you still on your phone.

“Oh, yeah. Sorry.” You apologized for not being focused.

[“K.] You replied before turning it off.

You felt bad for agreeing to meet Seonghwa while you were sitting next to someone who probably likes you.

“What I am doing...” you whispered to yourself.

[pan-ick]

Golden Child Pt. 1

I literally can't remember where I found it but I read a headcannon for an angsty SBI +Reader and I loved it so much that I had to write something similar to it but I think I might have forgotten to like it, so if you know what the original is please tell me so I can credit them I was partially inspired by@helliontherapscallion's "Adrenaline Junkie" series, simply for the fact that because of them i haven't stopped thinking of inventor reader. Also let's just pretend that uh my human biology degree isn't going to waste by me writing blindness incorrectly ha ha. This is a purely fictional way that blindness works.

(REMINDER YOU IDIOT, FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS STORY: Wilbur is 26, Techno is 20, Tommy is 16, Phil is 32, SO READER IS 22, GET IT RIGHT AND STOP MESSING UP)

As soon as Y/N's wings started developing, they were instantly the favorite child. Philza still showed his love to Wilbur, but nowhere near as much as he did to his winged child. If he had to choose between spending time with them or Wilbur, he'd pick them in a heartbeat. Wilbur was usually upset when this happened, but he had gotten used to it and had learned ways to cope with it.

This was until Techno showed up. On their doorstep. Next to a freezing Philza who had sacrificed most his warmth to the young piglin. Wilbur had his thoughts on this, yhough he kept them to himself. But Y/N couldn't be happier! This meant a new friend, AND they were right when they said that Phil was just a nice person, there wasn't a favorite child! Right?

They quickly realized that Techno wasn't their friend, as the first interaction they had together was them getting a claw to the face by the piglin. Philza just simply sighed and made sure the wound would stop bleeding before tending back to the scared pig.

Y/N was only eight at the time, they didn't know what they were feeling. But whatever it was didn't feel good.

Since that day, Y/N was the new Wilbur and 'Technoblade' was the golden child. Y/N wanted the spotlight back, so they tried hard at everything. Nothing ever worked. Nothing was better than what Techno could do. Nothing was more amazing than Techno's knowledge, or his skills in fighting, or his odd way of speaking, or those stupid things that he did, or the fact that he'd always blame it on some 'voices' in his head. That he had a God complex. That he was better than Wilbur. He was better than Tommy. He was better than you...

He was always better than you. Of course. Thats what you felt when you first met. Not amazement, not the happiness of having another friend. Of course not. It was overwhelming jealousy. But he was your brother, so you had to suck it up just like Wilbur did.

But soon enough, they came to peace with this. They moved on and worked on what they actually enjoyed, not what Philza enjoyed. Mechanics. Phil would have killed you if he learned of all the dangers that you put yourself through to consider yourself an inventor. Or.... Would he?

One day your older brother approached you with his idea to create "L'manburg". At first you couldn't help but laugh. But when it was realized that Wilbur wasn't joking and that he had already recruited Tommy, they agreed to join the fight for freedom. It was a way to pay Wilbur back for being there for them, afterall.

Y/N never imagined the true horrors that they would have to go through so they could say a 'thank you' to Wilbur. They never even truly said it to him, L'manburg was already exploded and he was killed before they could say it to him. Not even saying it to Ghostbur was good enough.

Y/N was forced to suffer through watching her loved ones go mad. Sometimes, they would try coming up with inventions that could help her friends out, and some that could help some regular problems in the world for other people. Most of them didn't work, they were only able to produce goggles that could just barely help fully blind people see. But it was a step in the right direction.

Then doomsday came. Y/N didn't want to be part of it, they didn't want to even try hurting their father and younger brother. They aren't even sure how they came to that point.

Before they knew it, they were begging the man who once gave them anything in the world for him to stop. The whole server was one big family especially everyone in the homes he was about to destroy. But what they wanted didn't matter anymore. It's what Technoblade wanted, and he wanted blood.

At the last moment, Y/N remembered Friend. Ghostbur would be devastated if Friend died.

Falling down to the ground from the small warning of TNT, Friend flooded their mind.

If they couldn't save L'Manburg, they needed to save Friend. Ghostbur wasn't the same, but Ghostbur is Wilbur. They still never said thank you. They have to show their gratitude through the miracle of Friend surviving.

And so that's what they set off to do. With no mind to their own self-preservation, Y/N got up and flew as fast as they could to save Friend. But before they could reach the sheep, a large pile of rubble fell on one of their wings, almost snapping it right off. Y/N tried to get it off but to no avail, and their whole body wasn't safe. As they saw more rubble they crouched down while covering their head with their hands and covering the undamaged wing with their body, they prepared for impact.

The last thing they could speak out was almost incomprehensible.

"Wil..... Will...... Ghosbu.............. Tommy.......... Dad............."

And then everything went black. Y/N couldn't see or feel anything. Not even after her youngest brother, the ghost of her older brother, and the three fiances of the SMP untrapped them. There was nothing.

After what felt like years for the brothers, there was finally a glimpse of Y/N waking up. But they continued to drift in and out of consciousness and whenever someone tried communicating they were completely unresponsive.

During this amount of time, it was agreed that it was in their best interest for their wings to be removed. They were both utterly useless now after being crushed and would just be extra weight with unnecessary pain that can be avoided the sooner their wings get removed. Just in case Y/N was still aware of everything going on, they were put under amnesia to lower the chance of them feeling the agony of a wing removal surgery.

Slowly Y/N began more responsive to people, but never to the same amount. Everyone that took care of them were absolutely heartbroken when they figured out part of the rock that fell on them damaged a vital organ that allowed a person to see. Luck was in fact on their side for damaging their eyesight instead of the brain, however most people didn't see it that way.

Ghostbur took it upon himself to become Y/N's seeing-eye dog. He missed having Friend nearby and Y/N was the thing he connected to the most after Friend's death.

After a few months of trying to get used to no longer having sight or wings Y/N was finally allowed back in their lab with a large amount of supervision from Ghostbur. While carefully running their hands across some unfinished inventions, Y/N comes across the goggles that they made at least a year ago. It immediately smarked a memory deep within their brain, the closest thing they had felt to seeing something ever since doomsday.

"Ghostbur, what color are these?" "Oh, they're blue. Blue's a really nice color, it reminds me of Friend. Do you remember Frien- Why are you looking down at those like that? Would you like some blue, it takes your sadness away! Wait dont put them on, the glass has cracks!" Y/N snickers as the ghost tries to take them away from them without being super forceful, "I'm already blind, what's the worst it can do?"

"Dont say that!" Ghostbur gasps, "We will find a way to get your vision back, those goggles might make it impossible!"

"I made these around the time you first showed up. I ran multiple tests with them and I was able to help a blind person see the world again. Sure, it was very blurry, hard to distinguish a lot of colors from each other, we have a different kind of blindness, and its been more that a year since I last tested them, but they might still work." Y/N explains, then they turn their back to Ghostbur and put the goggles on. This time, Ghostbut only makes a sound in protest.

Blinking, Y/N could feel the stimulation in their brain that they lost along with their eyesight come back. They moved their hands from the position they were in to put the invention on to Y/N's line of sight, and they could see their hands again. Fuzzy, shapeless, hands with a few bandaids and many scars on them.

"So, are they working?"

The voice of your brother brings Y/N back to reality and they turn to look at him. They had completely forgotten what Ghostbur looked like, only remembering vaguely what child Wilbur looked liked and a brief description of how Ghostbur's appearance differed for Wilbur's.

Y/N wraps their arms around the Ghost, not actually hugging but just doing the motion to where they would hug a person they could actually touch, as they tried to not cry in front of him.

(WOOOOOO THIS ENDED UP A LOT LONGER THAN I EXPECTED AND I'M NOT EVEN DONE YET, SO I SEPARATED IT INTO TWO PARTS)