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halogalopaghost · 1 year

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Maternal Instincts

6,103 words | read on AO3

"And just where do you think you're going?"

Raph winced and his shoulders instinctively hunched at the startle. Busted. He slowly turned to face Leo, who had his arms crossed over his chest. “I promised Mrs. M I’d drop by today.” He flapped a hand at Leo, brushing it off.

Leo’s expression relaxed a little, softening around the edges. “Oh. You really shouldn’t be helping her out with anything today.” He gestured to the bandages taped to a large portion of Raph’s plastron, toward the right side of where his belt would usually sit.

Raph looked down at the bandages, then back up to his brother. “Nah, it’s fine. She just wanted me to watch some TV show she likes.”

“Raph, don’t lie to me. You’re a terrible liar.”

He scoffed. “Not any worse than you. And I ain’t lyin’!”

“Yes you are! Just tell me the truth, you know I won’t be happy about you leaving either way.”

That little neatly-contained bubble of anger in his chest popped. He threw his arms out dramatically, taking a step in toward Leo. To his credit, he didn’t so much as flinch. “What are you, my mom? I dunno how you have time to stand in front of the mirror and practice your self-righteous speeches when you’re always so far up my ass about stupid shit. You want me to go wake up Don, see if it’s too late to get joined at the hip? Get off my shell already!”

Leo’s jaw was set in a hard line and the muscles at his temples spoke to his grit teeth. “Feel better now?”

“No,” he growled. “You wanna hold my hand all the way there, or can I go now?”

Leo’s eyes moved across his face, searching and analyzing. Raph hated how it always made him feel like a bug under a magnifying glass.

“You know I only ever get on you because I want you to be safe, right? Quit being so vain, I don’t sit around thinking about how I’ll torment you next,” he said, tone mocking and sharp. “I just care about you. I’ll work on that.”

He turned and walked away without another word, going back to where he’d been nursing his own injuries on the couch with a book and a cup of tea. Raph watched him go, anger ebbing with the adrenaline. He’d grumble about it all night, but they’d both be fine in the morning. Probably. He wasn’t gonna lie, the vanity comment kind of stung.

Raph did the same, turning his back on his brother to make a swift exit to the sewers.

Last night's patrol was normal for the first few hours, until they stumbled on some kind of deal between the Dragons and a smaller gang. When they intervened, both sides turned on one another and created a huge free-for-all of close-range weapons and gunfire. The four of them were real fuckin' lucky that none of them were shot, but that didn't mean they got out unscathed. Far from it, actually. They were all wrapped up like mummies, more white than green, with all the scrapes and cuts and sprains. The only reason they weren’t busting their asses to figure out what kind of deal was going on was because Donnie was dead asleep, and had been ever since they got home. The wound he suffered wasn’t serious, but he had lost just enough blood to feel like sleeping for a week.

In Raph's defense, he was a good turtle on the way to Mrs. Morrison’s—he walked an unused subway line as far as he could before surfacing. When he did get aboveground (after sucking in a deep breath of the relatively fresh night air), he stuck to the rooftops and even walked instead of running. He still had to jump the gaps though, and the sensation of the fresh wound pulling on the staples underneath that thick bandage was unpleasant to say the least. It definitely discouraged him from trying anything fancy. By the time he made it to the alleyway door of his friend, he was a little winded.

He knocked, and almost right away the door swung open. Lucy darted out to wind around his ankles and mew at him.

"Oh Raphael, it's good to see you," Mrs. M said, reaching toward him. With Lucy on his shoulders, he held her forearms while she held onto his. A sort of stand-in for a hug, since he tried to avoid any and all shell touching. "I was starting to get worried, you're late!"

"I know Mrs. M, I'm sorry. I had some stuff at home to take care of." Stuff, in this instance, being making sure that Donnie woke up long enough to eat something and change his bandages before falling back into his zombie-like stupor.

"Ah, that's alright Raphael. I know you're a busy boy."

He smiled wide as she ushered him in and locked up behind him. He was almost eighteen now, and Mrs. M was the only person he knew that still treated him like a kid. It was kinda nice, even though he'd die before admitting it.

Well…Leo treated him like a kid too, but not in a good way.

"I promise I won't keep ya. Let's get to work." He plucked Lucy from his shoulders and without thinking, bent over to put her down. The line of staples in his side screamed in pain, but he managed to let out only a muffled grunt. He straightened and pressed his hand to the wound. It hurt, but it at least hurt in a way that didn't make it feel like his guts were gonna pop outta him at any second.

“Did Lucy get you? That cat, sometimes—”

“No no, it ain’t Lucy. I’m fine Mrs. M.” Raph pulled his hand away and checked to make sure there wasn’t blood seeping into the surface of the bandage. When he saw nothing, he released a tense breath and shook his shoulders out. “Where’s those bookcases at?”

“Just back here,” she said. She hooked her hand around his elbow and walked confidently down the short hallway.

Mrs. Morrison didn’t need Raph’s help to get around her home—he was convinced she could map the place upside down and backwards if need be, but she did walk a little faster when she knew someone was keeping an eye out for her. Usually he was perfectly fine with her soft, wrinkled hand resting on his inner elbow and walking alongside him. Usually. Today, he had a bandage around his bicep just an inch above where she put her hand. He wasn’t sure what he was going to tell her if she touched it, so he just watched very carefully so that she didn’t.

And then his head hit the wall.

An almost cartoonish sound came out of his mouth as he collided with the drywall, effectively knocking Mrs. Morrison’s hand loose. She stood with her hand over her open mouth as he slapped a hand on his bald head, and for a moment, neither of them said anything.

“Raphael, dear, remind me which one of us is blind?”

He huffed out a laugh. The impact startled him more than it hurt him; there wouldn’t be a bump or anything to tattle on him later. “Hey, you’re the one movin’ the walls around on me!”

She laughed. It always reminded him of church bells when she laughed. “You really must be more careful. I can’t send you home all banged up—I’m afraid it would leave a rather poor impression on your brothers.”

He took her hand again, this time directing her to his forearm instead of the elbow. “Nah, they already like ya. They figure anyone willin’ to put up with me must be a saint or somethin’.”

They took the last few steps (successfully navigating the doorway this time) into the tiny room that had once been her husband’s office. She was determined to clear it out before the end of the month. While the surprise money had been able to prevent the bank from foreclosing on the townhouse, it wasn’t enough for her to pay the mortgage and live on. With much deliberation, she decided she would try to make that few thousand dollars go much farther and move into a one-room apartment with Lucy. She didn’t need the space, she said, and with the social security benefits he and Don had helped her get in order, she wouldn’t have to worry about money so much. It was a smart plan, but he still felt a little heartache when she ran a hand over her husband’s desk, eyes fond and faraway.

The bookcases wouldn’t be going with her—she had managed to corner someone who would buy them in the bodega across the street. They were only paying half what they were worth, since they were obviously solid wood, but money was money, and Mrs. M could always use a little more of it. All he had to do was get them out to the alley so the couple could pick them up in the morning.

Raph stood in front of one bookcase, hands on his hips and head tilted up. “Uh, Mrs. M, I think you mighta overestimated my height here.”

She turned toward him. “Oh my. Are they very tall?”

“They’re at least a foot taller than me,” he grumbled. He’d gotten taller than Mikey and Leo, but Casey still insisted on the daily that he was very short.

“I must have forgotten. I suppose I never did spend much time committing them to memory,” she laughed. “Maybe we should call one of your brothers, hm? I don’t want you hurting yourself.”

He stuck his head in between a couple shelves and looked for any kind of seam in the center. How had they even gotten these in here to begin with? “No, I got it. I’ll just get ‘em out on their sides.”

“Are you sure?”

He grunted a bit as he straightened. The wound was still throbbing beneath the bandages. He turned toward her—even though she couldn’t see it, it felt more polite. “I’m sure. It’d take ‘em longer to get here than it will for me to move it.”

Mrs. Morrison’s hand trailed along the desk until it came to touch the chair against it, then she sat and folded her hands in her lap. “I’ll keep you company right here, then.”

Raph just stood there for a moment, looking at her. He couldn’t tell her to leave, for multiple reasons, but if she stayed there she’d hear him struggling. Couldn’t she go make tea or something? He kept standing there, and she kept sitting there, so he just gave up.

He got the remaining books off the shelf and neatly stacked them against the wall to be packed later on. Every reach over his head stretched his plastron against those staples. He held his breath every time. Once it was properly empty, he sized up the bookcase, compared its height and width to that of the narrow door. It would have to go through on its side, because it wouldn’t fit any other way.

He rubbed his hands together, glaring up at it. This would be the easy part. With his arms above his head, he gently pulled on an upper shelf and at the same time, pushed on the base with his foot. It took a lotmore effort to move than he thought it would. The full weight of it shifted onto him, and he eked out just a little bit of a grunt before he resorted to holding his breath again. He walked backward as he lowered it, bicep throbbing, to lay face-down on the carpet.

He puffed out the breath, sure his face was turning purple. It was a damn good thing the woman was blind, or he wouldn’t have been able to pull this off.

“Raphael?”

“Just takin’ a breather. These suckers are heavy.”

She hummed thoughtfully. “Don’t push yourself too hard. There’s no shame in asking for help.”

His face burned hotter. “I’m okay, I do stuff like this all the time.”

He turned away before she could answer, kneeling to flip the shelf onto its side. His breath came in short little puffs as he fought back the pain and occasional wave of nausea. The sooner he just got it over with, the better. He could put up with a little pain.

With the shelf on its side, it was finally ready to be removed from the room. He got behind it on the narrow end and braced his hands against it, prepared to slide it across the carpet as far as he could. Considering he was too big to carry it through the doorway, it seemed silly to pick it up at all. With his feet braced against the carpet and his body diagonal to the floor, he pushed for all his worth.

The shelf didn’t budge an inch, but something in Raph’s chest did. He let out a wheezing cough as pain exploded in his ribcage and his arms almost gave out from the shock of it alone, which would have sent him headfirst into the shelf. He sat down on the carpet before he could fall, stars exploding in his vision while the room spun.

He blinked away the blackness and found Mrs. M sitting on the floor in front of him, holding the hand that he didn't have pressed to his side. When did she move? Did he lose a few seconds there?

He tightened his hand around hers, and she seemed to slump a bit in relief. "There you are. Breathe, now."

He took a shallow breath, expanding his chest only as much as he had to, and forced himself to release it slowly. In, out, slow. Don’t get worked up.

“Raphael, you aren’t feeling well.”

He looked up at her, still a little dazed. “Mrs. M—”

Her mouth set in a line. “Don’t Mrs. M me, young man.”

“But I made a promise!” I told ya I’d come help tonight and I was already late, let me just finish—”

“Absolutely not. I appreciate your help and care so very much, but you are clearly unwell. You’re going to come rest on the couch and that’s final.”

He could only blink for a few seconds. “You don’t hafta do that, I can call—” the crushing lack of air in his chest forced him to pull in a shallow breath before he could continue. "I can call one of my bros."

“Nonsense. It’s late, they’re sure to be studying or sleeping.”

He hesitated. She wasn’t technically wrong. Donnie was probably out cold, Leo too, and if Mikey wasn’t also asleep, then he was ‘studying’ a video game or comic. “Then I’ll walk myself home. It ain’t a big deal, Mrs. M.” Her hand, soft and wrinkled with age, was still around his. Her hands were almost comically small compared to his own green ones, but they spoke to her many years of life. A few kitchen scars, knobby arthritic knuckles, delicate if unkempt fingernails. He squeezed her hand again.

She frowned stubbornly. “Is there a reason that you need to go home right now?”

He opened his mouth to reply with the instant, obvious answer: yeah, I don’t want to bother you. He let out the breath in a short sigh instead. “No, I guess not.”

“Do you want to go home right now?”

He sighed again, shoulders slouching. She still had not let go of his hand. “Mrs. M, I love hangin’ out with ya…”

She raised an eyebrow. “And?”

“And…I don’t want you to hafta take care of me. That ain’t your job.”

If it was possible, her scowl actually deepened and, despite his many years of training, he didn’t foresee her next movements. She slipped her hand away from his and brought the other up alongside it, capturing his round cheeks in her palms. “Raphael, you are not a burden. I enjoy spending time with you; I love you for who you are and how much you care, not for what you can do to help me. Now, you and your brothers have done a great deal to care for me these last few months. Let me return the favor, alright?”

This time, his rapid blinking was not from a lack of understanding, but to stave off the burning, watery sensation. Her hands were so soft and warm on the sides of his face, and they did not hesitate to touch the bandana, or to splay fingers where external ears should have been. She didn’t flinch away from his scaly skin, and she didn’t waver even in the slightest when a watery tear escaped containment and ran against her palm. He sniffled quickly to keep himself in check.

“Yes Ma’am,” he mumbled.

She nodded once and released him. “Thank you. Now come on, these old bones can’t sit down here much longer.” She patted his knee, then began to struggle to her feet.

She groped around for something to hold onto, eventually landing on an ancient filing cabinet. She pulled herself up to her knees by it, then began groping around for something else. Her hand landed on his shell.

A thrill of fear and excitement and nausea jolted him from head to toe, like it always did whenever she touched his shell. She had to know—he was certain she had to know. But she never brought it up even subtly, so he kept pretending that he had her fooled. He grunted a little bit at the effort of keeping his back straight as her weight shifted around on his shell. He released another breathy laugh to cover it up.

Mrs. M’s head tilted at the same time, cocking her ear toward him.

Ah. Raphael was used to living among those who could see, those who depended upon body language indicators. Mrs. M, without any of those things, compensated with her hearing. And even as old as she was, she had sharp hearing. “Ah, shit,” he sighed. “You keep hearin’ me,” he realized aloud.

“Yes sir, and I would advise you to watch your language,” she said, hint of a smile on her face. As if he hadn’t just heard her use quite a few colorful words last week when she burnt herself on the oven.

“Sorry Ma’am,” he said, same cheekiness in his tone.

Raph filed a new mental note: next time, worry more about not gasping and wheezing, less about not grimacing and shaking. He couldn’t help his gravelly little laugh—lethal ninja outwitted by senior citizen, there’s one he could never let Mikey know about.

She carefully settled back into the desk chair. “Look at us,” she said, eyes twinkling. “A couple of old crones, hm?”

Raph pressed his hands to his ribs as he laughed again, more heartily this time. He couldn’t help it around her, and something about the fact that it hurt so much made him laugh more. “I ain’t old, just stupid.” He reached out and grabbed the same filing cabinet she had used, pulling himself to his feet and wobbling a moment before the room stopped spinning. The aftershocks of that extreme pain still rattled around his bones.

“Tch. You aren’t stupid except for when you’re calling yourself names. Be kind to yourself, you hear?”

“You sound like Leo,” he muttered. He grimaced as pain washed over him again. Even the slightest little move was like getting shanked with his own bone. His weight began to sag against the cabinet. Distantly, in the back of his mind, he wondered if a rib end was poking his lung, and if it would puncture it. At the forefront of his mind was not losing consciousness in front of Mrs. M, because if she panicked and called 911, he wouldn’t know what to do. Even worse—if she panicked and called his brothers.

She stood and wrapped her hands around his forearm again, but this time it was her supporting him. “Are you alright?”

“…Hng,” he replied articulately. He focused on not letting himself hyperventilate on the short, quick breaths he drew in order to keep the lung from getting stabbed again.

“Here, lean on me. I can take it. That’s right.” They started in slow steps forward. “Now don’t let us go running into any walls this time, hm?”

He laughed weakly, then winced. “Mrs. M, I really ain’t feelin’ so good.”

“I know. Come on, just a bit further and you can lie on the couch.”

Raph dropped all pretense as he eased himself into the comfy old couch. He groaned, partly from pain, partly from frustration, and sighed deeply once his shell was nestled in the cushions.

Mrs. M, obviously operating on pure muscle memory, reached over him to pluck a crocheted blanket off the back of the couch and made sure every inch of him was covered. He could only smile at her through half-lidded eyes. How did he not realize how tired he was?

“How about some tea?”

“You don’t hafta do that, I’m fine.”

She gave him a dry look, hands on her hips. “Did you eat dinner?”

“Yes ma’am.”

“Now Raphael, you wouldn’t be lying to me, would you?”

He spluttered, starting to sit up in order to defend himself, but Mrs. Morrison easily pushed him back down. “No, I’m not lyin’ to you,” he pouted.

“Oh, I should know you would never lie to me,” she crooned.

He opened his mouth to confirm as much, and the words died on his tongue as his lies-du-jour came back to haunt him. Wow, that was some exceptionally prompt karma. He scowled, effect completely lost on the blind woman.

She laughed airily and headed for the kitchen. “What kind of tea?”

“Anything’s fine,” he grumbled, resigned.

Listening to Mrs. M hum while she moved about the kitchen, Raph let his eyes drift close and his mind wander while the pain in his ribs slowly began to fade. As annoying as it was, he found his mind wandering toward his conversation with Leo. Okay, less of a conversation, more of just....slinging abuse at each other. If Leo could see him now, he’d be steaming mad.

He shifted on the couch, sinking deeper into the crevice where the back and the seat met. Just that little movement brought a jab of pain along with it. Of those ribs that were previously cracked, at least one of them was now broken. At least the staples were still firmly in place, even if there was a small bloom of red on the bandage. Man, he was really lucky to have a blind friend.

“Do you want a snack with your tea?”

He shook his head. This woman. “Mrs. M, I promise I already ate. I ain’t hungry.”

“Teenage boys are always hungry,” she quipped. She brought the tea tray over along with a bag of bite-sized cookies. Raph was starting to suspect she kept them around just for him and the other neighborhood kids that sometimes stopped by to see or help her.

Very slowly and with an abundance of thought toward what sounds he was making, Raph sat up to take a warm mug into his hands. He remained slouched against the cushions so he wouldn’t put any strain on that wound or its staples that continued to feel ever tighter. He was probably overdue for an anti-inflammatory, but like shell was he gonna ask Mrs. M for anything more.

Mrs. M perched beside him on the cushions with her own tea in hand, holding it close under her nose as it steamed. He had seen his father do the same thing plenty of times. Just to placate her, he noisily put his hand in the bag of cookies and withdrew a single one, crunching it loudly and chasing it down with a gulp of tea. She smirked as she listened to his display.

They didn’t speak as they sipped at their tea. Raph enjoyed the silence, savoring the warmth as he swallowed and the ability to breathe without stabbing pain. His eyes started to grow heavy as his mug emptied.

“Are you finished with your tea?”

Raph startled awake with a soft snort. He blinked off the sleep, then nodded and held out the mug. Mrs. M took it and the cookies to the kitchen and returned shortly. She didn’t say anything, only pressed slightly against Raph’s arm to get him to lay down. With a little bit of blind searching, she located the edges of the blanket and tucked him back in.

“There,” she whispered. She took her seat at the other end of the couch and reached for the TV remote, in the same place she always kept it.

“How come you and Mr. Morrison never had kids?”

She faltered and let the remote rest in her lap. "We did have a son."

Only then did it occur to Raph that it was probably rude to ask. A little bit of his sleepiness wore off as he grasped for something to say in response. But, after a long pause, she continued.

"When my poor Harry passed, it was very hard on our boy. He was terminally ill, you see, and he had a do not resuscitate order. It was a routine surgery..." her expression went faraway. She turned to him with a fragile smile and patted his leg. "Well, you certainly don't want all those details. I was asked by the surgeon if I wanted to abide by the DNR order, and I said yes. It was Harry's choice, I did not intend to take that from him at the most vulnerable he would ever be. Poor Rob, he fought me about it and tried to fight the doctors too, but I had power of attorney. He's never forgiven me for letting his father go like that."

Raph started openly, lips parted in shock. He'd known her so long now, how was he only just now finding out about this kid of hers? And how could anyone turn their back on such a kind and vulnerable woman like that?

She heaved a sigh. "That was almost three years ago now. I still don't know if it was the right choice... For now, I let him have his anger."

"He shouldn't be angry!" Raph burst out, propping himself up on his elbow. "You didn't do nothin' wrong—you were just takin' care of your family!"

She reached out and put a gentle hand to his knee. "Now Raphael, he has a right to be upset. He lost his father long before we expected and it was my own decision."

"It wasn't yer fault," he grumbled.

"No, it wasn't. And I reach out to him every now and again, so he knows that when he’s ready, I’m still here for him. Now lay down, I can feel you shaking.”

He realized that he was shaking, actually, with the effort of keeping himself propped up. That didn’t bode well for the long walk home. He laid back down and stared at the ceiling, steaming over this son of hers. How could he walk out on her like that? Did he know his mother had gone blind, or that his parents’ home was going to be foreclosed on? Did he know she had survived the Triceraton invasion of the city? Had he survived it? Family was supposed to take care of each other no matter what, even when they get angry. Couldn’t he see that?

Raph blinked. His argument with Leo again played over in his mind like a cassette tape.

“Mrs. M, could I ask ya one more favor?”

“Of course, dear.”

“Can I use yer phone?”

She walked him to the kitchen and took the phone off its cradle, stretching the cord for all its worth to reach him. She even punched in the complicated number for him, since their phones weren’t exactly on the regular city system.

“I’ll be just down the hall, Raphael.”

“Thanks Mrs. M.”

The phone rang, and Raph waited nervously. Leo might not pick up—he had never not picked up before, but…Raph usually didn’t try to call him so soon after an argument.

Leo’s first words were, “Are you okay?”

He almost rolled his eyes, then he remembered why he was calling in the first place. “Yeah, Leo, I’m fine. I just…uh, listen. I want to apologize.”

There was a beat of confused silence where Raph started to wonder if he’d been hung up on. “Go ahead.”

He sucked in a breath. “Uh, well I was lyin’ to ya. And that’s pretty childish of me, I guess.” He twisted the phone cord in his free hand, knee bouncing. “I was gonna help Mrs. M move some furniture, but she found me out. Guess I’m not good at hidin’ stuff even from a blind lady.”

“Do you need me to come get you?”

“No, no, I’m okay.”

“Are you lying again?”

He closed his eyes and smirked ruefully. “Yeah. I didn’t bust the staples or nothin’, but that cracked rib is probably broken now.”

Leo sniffed on the other end. “Well, I guess you learned your lesson at least.”

“Hey, could ya quit being an ass for a second? I’m trying to be nice here.”

He laughed softly. “Right, right. Sorry. I should apologize too—it’s not like I think you can’t take care of yourself, I just get worried. And I know I’m not your parent or anything, but…”

“Yeah, I know.”

“You sure you don’t want me to come get you? I could bring the truck so you don’t have to walk.”

“Nah, I’m okay. Honest. I’m gonna hang out here for a little while, I can at least keep Mrs. M company even if I can’t help her move stuff.”

“Alright. Don’t stay out too late, okay?”

Raph smiled. Seconds after apologizing for parenting him too much and he was already back at it. “Okay. And hey—if you do come out for me, just send Donnie instead. If he sleeps too long he’ll be awake forever, and you should be resting too. Don’t think I didn’t see that limp.”

Leo laughed again, a little heartier this time. “Alright, alright. I think I can do that. Thanks for calling, Raph.”

“Yeah, whatever, don’t go gettin’ all sappy on me now. I’ll see ya later.”

They exchanged goodbyes, and Raph hung the phone back in its rightful place. Mrs. M, who surely did not listen in at all, just so happened to return at that particular moment.

“Thanks fer lettin’ me use the phone, just needed to talk to my bro real quick. We can watch some TV now.”

They ambled back to the couch and, once again, Mrs. M insisted upon tucking him in with the blanket. He couldn’t stop smiling himself silly about it, but he indulged her.

“Uh, Mrs. M, I’m sorry about your son.”

“Thank you, Raphael. Now, here, find us something to watch.”

He took the remote and flipped through channels for a while. He considered stopping on a recap of last week’s football games, but he decided Mrs. M probably wouldn’t be too interested in that.

A flash of a sewing machine made him stop and go back. His mouth fell partly open as he stared at the screen, trying to figure out what the shell was going on.

“Is that a sewing machine I hear?”

“I think so, but man, I have never seen someone butcher silk like that!”

She laughed. “Raphael, don’t tell me you sew too! “

He flushed.

“You’re so talented. Your father really did educate you very well, I should like to tell him myself someday.”

“Ah, hush. I dunno how to sew much more than some straight lines. My brother—Mikey, he likes to watch these shows and he’s the one who does all the fancy sewing.”

She hummed in a way that sort of made him think she didn’t believe him, but moved on too quickly for him to dwell on it. “What are they doing to this poor silk, then?”

They watched for a while, him describing the outfits and contestants to her. Their commentary was full of genuine criticism interspersed with pettier comments and plenty of laughing. He described to her all the outfits as they went down the finished runway, which was both very fun and a fantastic exercise in holding back on the descriptive swearing.

He began losing attention as the judges started tearing into the contestants and they played the weepy sidebar interviews about how mean everyone was and they really deserved to win. Mrs. M didn’t need description for any of that, she was really good at keeping track of who’s who just by their voices, so he let his eyes drift closed. Just for a moment, he told himself. When the final judging was over, he would get up and go home. Leo probably wasn’t going to listen to his advice about sending Don.

He would just rest his eyes during the commercials.

---

Donnie woke up in the early hours of the morning, when he usually would have been going to bed. He felt a little disoriented as he got a good look at his clock and the date on it—had he seriously slept that long? He vaguely remembered Raph barging in at some point with a snack and some water, but the ice was long melted in the glass and the remainder of the snack was gone.

He hobbled out into the lair in search of a new, more substantial snack. He felt like his insides were about to eat themselves. He booted his laptop up and brought it with him, fan whirring fit to take off, into the kitchen. He slapped some butter and bread into a pan, heart set on a grilled cheese.

As the pan warmed up, he scrolled around on the laptop. Out of habit he checked all the security cameras and perimeter alarms, then the GPS program built into it. He stopped and squinted at the page. He zoomed in, then out, then restarted the program. No, it wasn’t program error. Raph was definitely not in the lair, and the last location on his now-dead shell cell looked suspiciously familiar. He wracked his sleepy brain for the answer.

Mrs. Morrison!

He shot out of his seat and grabbed her phone number off the fridge, punching it into his shell cell without hardly looking at it. Raph was probably fine, but…well, he wanted to be sure. Being sure never hurt.

“Hello?”

“Mrs. Morrison! Hi, uh, this is Raph’s brother Donatello, is he with you?”

“Oh, yes.”

He sighed and sagged against the counter. The woman sounded remarkably awake for the hour.

“I tried to call your eldest brother, but he didn’t answer. I figured he’d fallen asleep, but one of you would reach out sooner or later.” She had herself a little chuckle. Donnie dove for the pan, which had begun to smoke a little as he neglected it. “He fell asleep on the couch and I just didn’t have the heart to wake him after how he was feeling so unwell.”

Don dumped the burned bread and butter into the trash and frowned. “Did he say he wasn’t feeling well?”

She scoffed. “Oh, heavens no. I had to wrangle the information out of him.”

Yeah, that sounded more like Raphael. “Do you want me to come get him? I don’t want to put you out—”

“Don’t be silly, he’s perfectly fine where he is. I say let the boy rest, and you rest as well young man, and one of you can come get him in the morning. The proper morning.”

He smirked as he put the pan in the sink. “Okay Ma’am, that sounds like a plan. Thanks for taking care of that bozo for us.”

“Oh, it’s no problem at all. I rather care for him, you know. I hope it isn’t too forward of me to say, but…he’s somewhat like my son. It’s nice to have someone to take care of every now and then.”

Donnie eased himself back into his chair at the counter. “That makes perfect sense. I’ll let you go then, and I’ll see you in the morning. Oh! I mean—”

She laughed. “You will see me in the morning, no worries. Goodnight, Donatello.”

“Goodnight Ma’am.”

#turtleposting #tmnt #the ghost writes #my fic #teenage mutant ninja turtles #tmnt03

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rui-drawsbox · 1 year

Note

Hello again, it’s me: the menace of your inbox 😎✨🤠✨🐊✨

for curtesies sake I’ll add a read more after I write one sentence of explanation.

I’m too busy to write a fic rn but the brain worms are so intense for Magical Girl Arashi that I will instead write an outline.

I’ll probably try to write em in an episodic fashion cuz like, magical girl anime :D:D✨✨✨

Cool so episode one should serve about three functions.

show how arashi gets her powers

establish the setting and foreshadow future characters

Get the view acquainted with the tone

so here’s how I’d go about it 🥰

Scene one:

Arashi should be in class

its a normal day

a new kid joins the class, it’s Mika

she notes that there’s something odd about him but like, in a comedic way that the audience won’t initially pick up on

he shouldn’t notice her at this point, she’s still a normal girl (still a queen, slay Fr I love her)

However he doesn’t make any friends for most of class and his introduction sounded like a robotic script, also he’s sitting alone, poor murderous baby 😭

anyways she, being the queen that she is, decides to talk to him after class and she gets a whole conversation with him

He doesn’t show it very well but he is happy to have a friend and offers her a bear charm instead of actually confirming that they’re friends (he’s real standoffish at this point so think how he acted to Anzu at first in the first game but like, a bit more tame) (cuz he ain’t allowed to really have friends, he’s just supposed to keep up appearances while Shu finds what he’s after)

School goes on, Arashi has lunch with Ritsu and Leo, we get a passing convo about them going to karaoke later, Leo laments that Izumi won’t go with them and the other two just kind of give him a sad look ig. Cuz he hasn’t gone with them in a really long time cuz he’s “busy” and “not interested in childish things right now” “too much work with ballet” (he’s lying💀✨. We’ll get to that later, I am having numerous thoughts)

School goes on once again and the day ends. Arashi walks home with her friends and they all go their separate ways.

while she is walking alone she hears this awful screeching sound, like a cat that’s super upset. So she, as any good cat mom would, follows it.

she finds a little kitty that’s being chased by these creepy looking Victorian dolls. They have golden strings attached to their feet that seem to trail on the ground as they walk. She doesn’t take much note of them tho. She’s too busy grabbing that cat and getting the hell out of there.

so she takes the cat back to her house and checks the poor baby for injuries. Thankfully the kitty is fine. However, things get a bit funky. (Magic cat.)

The cat puts a paw on her chest (like between her collar bones) and a little jewel mark appears there. Arashi is obviously very confused and concerned but the cat just purrs and meows at her.

She starts questioning the cat but like, ma’am despite the magic, that cat don’t talk. That cat meows, screams, and imitates barking noises to scare other cats. Fucking creature tbh. I love this cat.

also arashi is in her room on her bed btw, and there should be big windows by her bed, also she is on the ground floor. This is important.

so after a few minutes of questioning and getting meows for yes and shaken heads for no, the cat starts yowling and screaming and growling. So arashi is obviously very concerned.

There’s a thump on her window, the cat gets even louder.

she looks out and sees a… doll? Maybe a mannequin? It certainly looks large enough to be a mannequin. Huh, it has more of those gold strings. It’s beating on her window. Huh, wait, why is the window sliding open, FUCK!

Arashi grabs the cat and bolts while this mannequin chases her through the house. She does the smart thing and tries to call the police, there’s no response cuz the lines been cut and the service on her cell phone is out.

She tries to leave the house but each exit is being stalked by a different mannequin. So she runs to the bathroom to lock the door and hide.

(She tried to snap a photo of one of the mannequins btw, just in case she needed proof but when she looks at it later the photo will be obscured and unrecognizable so sucks to suck lmao 💀)

The cat gestures to the gem mark on her chest and tries to communicate with her to touch the mark. She does as the cat communicates and then she transforms. She gazes into the vast universe (the background from your art of her in her super magical girl form) and she sees a sword, a really pretty, majestic sword. She grasps the handle and her transformation starts.

anyways she doesn’t kickass yet, I’m sorry girlboss enjoyers, she ain’t a fighter yet, but she’s real strong and has the urge to kill to defend this kitty. So she wins, but just barely.

She also manages to avoid destroying her house in the process. So good for her. If the house was beaten up when her parents got home they would’ve had a fit.

Anyways the episode ends with her relooking all the doors and windows to her house and wondering what she got herself into with this cat. But the cat is cute so she doesn’t care. Also yes it is her cat from enstars. I love her cat so much.

That’s what I have for a possible episode one for this. I’ve got more ideas but I don’t have time rn. I’ll be back. My Izumi ideas are going crazy rn tbh. I’m gonna have a lot of fun implementing him lmao.

Also hi Rui, I hope you’re having a good day/night :D:D✨✨

my dude is your brain powered by the fukin sun or you are just a genius

anyways i can't possibly add anything to your outline. It's perfect. It was so good that even made me want to animate it and i went to search tutorials to the page i was going to use for my studies this year, and found out it was a scam HAHA

Local high school girl adopts transferred silly man

also what do you think about Arashi, Leo and Ritsu (and sometimes Izumi?) doing dance covers every now and then, i think it would be a good excuse for when she has to outrun the dolls(?)

fuck the twelve principles of animation, all my homies don't know what they're doing

ngl it would be a pretty horrific scenario to be in, lucky she😊!

also have you considered Arashi not knowing how the fuck a sword is used outside movies (and bc those dolls certanly look hard to break lol) and in the dispair uses it like a mf hammer? especially bc it's a real technique and it looks funny

anyways, stars from stock wallpaper, my beloveds

dont tell i dont know how to draw weapons i already know jsfhdkas

And Arashi just 'brushing' all that happend bc the cat is cute is the most magical-shoujo-protagonist thing that she could do lol

anyways im actually more motivated to animate than ever! my friend you just did the perfect first chapter for a series like that ajfads

good night my fellow AU enjoyer! Rui out! *explodes*

#i can already smell the izumi preference KJAHFDAS #not that I'm complaining #I've been taking a liking to him lately haha #(omg magical girl arashi)#rui draw smth #arashi narukami #mika kagehira #leo tsukinaga #ritsu sakuma #shu itsuki #enstars #ensemble stars #ensemble stars fanart #enstars magical knights au

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saiyan98 · 2 years

Text

Family Pride (Caleo)

Disclaimer:

Jason (Leo and Calypso’s son; not Jason Grace)Valdez: The following is a non-profit fanbase series. PJO, HoO and ToA are owned by Rick Riordan and Disney Hyperion. Please support the Official release.

A/N: Short one but a good one. Warning: Contains a bit of language and some slight spoilers to HoO and ToA. Also, another Author’s Note at the end.

Summary:

Jason Valdez, son of Leo and Calypso Valdez, has gotten into a fight in school and was called to the Principal Office. Calypso and Leo arrived at the school to understand the situation. However, Calypso is very upset at her son. Why did he get into a fight in the first place? He never gets himself involved in situations like this. What happened that led to this? What made Jason get into a fight in the first place.

Story:

At the Principal Office, a young man named Jason Valdez is sitting right in front of the office while his parents are inside talking to the principal. The reason why he’s there in the first place is because he got into a fight today and was sent there. As he reminisced on the events that led to this, his parents walked out of the Principal’s office, his mom had a very angry expression. One thing is certain for Jason.

He’s not getting out of this situation very easily.

As the family walked out of the school and arrived at their car, Calypso spoke, “The principal says you’re getting only a week of detention.”

Jason sighs in relief, it could've been worse.

“You’re not out of this, young man!” Calypso yelled, furious at her son’s actions. “What were you thinking?!”

Jason shrugged, “He asked for it…”

“No me des esa actitud!” Calypso said in spanish. “You’re gonna go to detention and you're going to write an apology letter to that boy. Understand?!”

Jason scoffed, “I ain’t apologizing!”

“Jason,” Leo spoke, “I understand what you're going through. I was like that too back then. Whatever this guy did, you need to be the bigger man and-”

“I’m not apologizing to him! I’ll take the detention but I’m not apologizing to him. If he just kept his mouth shut about…”

“About what?” Calypso asked.

Jason said nothing.

“¿Mijo, qué dijo él?” Leo said.

“Nothing…”

The Valdez arrived home and Jason said nothing more for the whole ride. Calypso was furious at her son. She raised him to be a kind and gentle soul with a bit of anarchy from his father. For him to get into fights out of nowhere was very shocking. They had to temporarily close the shop and diner to come to school and talk to the principal.

Calypso is not your ordinary parent though. Heck, she’s not your ordinary human either. She was THE Calypso, the goddess that was trapped in Ogygia for more than three centuries and was forced to fall in love with every hero that landed. The last hero was Leo Valdez, and it was completely by accident. Even so, she fell in love with him and he was the only one to come back and save her. They had some rough moments in their relationship, but they were always there for each other. They got married and have a business that’s both an auto-shop and a diner.

When their first kid, Zoe Esperanza Valdez, was born, Calypso wanted to give her kids a happy childhood and life that she was never given until Leo saved her. Thus, why she’s furious at her son.

Jason walks up to his room in silence as Calypso talks to Leo about his behavior.

“¡¿Qué estaba pensando?!”Calypso yelled.

Funny story, at some point, Calypso tries to learn Spanish as a gift for Leo on their anniversary. Leo tries to convince her that she doesn’t have to, but at this point, she is too stubborn to give up. Eventually, it became her third language; the first two being English and Greek.

“Sunshine…”

“After everything we gave that boy, he went and got himself in trouble!”

“Sunshine, it’s fine. It’s only a week of detention, I did it before.”

“Exactly! He shouldn’t be doing what you did in the past.”

“Ouch,” Leo said jokingly, pretending like he’s wounded.

“You know what I mean,” Calypso sighed. “I just, I want what’s best for our kids, Leo. It’s bad enough that they’re demigods. But what will they do with their lives when we’re not gonna be there to save them? What if they get into danger and…”

Leo walked up to her and held her gently but firm.

“Sunshine, it’s okay. You know how stubborn we Valdez are. If I recall, didn’t you disobey your dad during the Titan war one time?”

“I did to help him, only to end up helping the gods instead.”

“And saved the world,” Leo added. “And look at me, I was supposed to die during the Giant war, but I was too stubborn and madly in love to accept my fate. Now look, we have a home. We have a life. A family.”

Calypso sighs comfortably.

“We made mistakes in our lives, yeah. But that’s who we are. We’re not perfect beings.”

Calypso scoffed. “Say you.”

“Hey, you decided to join me and be free from that island; love me willingly AND marry me.”

Calypso chuckles as she punches her husband on the arm.

“Just go talk to our son. I’m sure that he’s hiding something from me, but he’ll definitely tell you.”

“Okay, I’ll go talk to him. See what got him mad,” Leo says as he kisses her by the forehead and walks up towards Jason’s room. He knocks on his door and answers him to come in. Leo walks in and sees Jason on his laptop, listening to music and doing some homework.

“Hey kiddo, wanna talk about it?”

Jason was quiet for a moment but spoke.

“Not really, but I might as well. Otherwise I’ll have to either suffer from mom’s wrath or your terrible jokes.”

Leo smirked.

Jason got off of his headphones and closed his laptop. He adjusts himself so that he can be comfortable telling his story.

“So tell me sport, what happened in school today?” Leo asked.

Jason took a moment to ponder on the events that led today.

“So, the guy I beat up is from my myths and folklore class. He’s one of the football players in our school. I heard him in his group talking about what we learned today in class and…”

Leo understood a bit of why he did it. When Leo and Calypso told their kids the truth about their pasts, they worried over how it’ll affect them in their daily lives. For the most part, they were able to handle it pretty well. Of course, that doesn’t change the fact that monsters will now be on alert for them, but since Esperanza is in New York with some family friends, she’ll be okay. Jason, on the other hand, is still in high school and will be going to college in New Rome, wanting to be an engineer and help out with the family business.

“Jason, I get it. It’s hard knowing that most of those myths and legends are real and involve real people. But the world is not ready to accept what’s out in the dark. People would freak out knowing that the world is in constant danger every week.”

“But it’s not that, dad,” Jason replied. “What they said was more personal.”

“What do you mean?” Leo asked.

“…Today, we talked about the Odyssey.”

“Oh..” Leo knows where this is going.

The Odyssey, the Tale of Odysseus’ adventure.

Calypso’s first love.

Leo tries his best not to compare himself to Calypso’s previous lovers, but he couldn’t help himself. How would you feel if the girl who truly loves you back has had many and more cooler boyfriends in the past. Heck, she even fell for Percy back then too.

And what can Leo do? Build things, burst into flames and tell the best jokes (arguably) in the world.

But despite that, he was the only one who came back to her. Who loves her. Who made plans of a future together, even if it was a joke at first. So Leo may have won her heart in the end, but it doesn’t change the fact that there’s always better people out there. It’s life, no one is perfect.

But Leo is learning to accept himself. And accepting that Calypso loves him and him alone.

“I see,” Leo spoke. “Let me guess… Mom?”

Jason didn’t say anything, but he nodded.

“They… they were talking some stuff about her. I know that nobody knows that mom is the real goddess from the stories but…”

Jason took a deep breath.

“I tried to hold back my anger, dad. I really did, but the way they talked about mom… I just…”

Leo hugs his son, interrupting his talk.

“I get it, mijo. I do,” Leo replied. “It hurts when someone talks crap about someone you care about. Do you have any idea how many times I got into fights back then?”

“Did you win any?”

“That’s not important,” Leo replied quickly. “Point is, I have seen my share of struggles in the past. Especially those involving your mother.”

“But dad,” Jason spoke. “I just hate when people talk about mom like she’s some evil witch or something. I've seen it in movies, books and stuff. I saw it in people’s faces when we read about her. I just…”

Jason grips his fists tighter as he tries to calm himself.

“I just wish people knew how much mom has been through, how much of a good person she is. Sure she’s scary when she’s angry.”

Leo snickered at the comment.

“But mom is always compassionate to others. If mom hadn’t saved Odysseus, he’d never have come home, built that device and passed it on to you to save the world. If she hadn’t saved Drake, he’d never have found America, our home. If she hadn’t saved uncle Percy, Olympus would’ve fallen.”

Leo sat there silently as he listened to his son’s rant.

“Why couldn’t people see the fact that mom was just as much of a hero as everyone else?! That’s why I beat that guy up! He was talking shit about mom and I couldn’t let that slide! So yeah, I’ll take the detention, but there’s no way in any realm am I going to apologize to him.”

Jason took a deep breath as he finished talking.

“I’m sorry,” Jason spoke again. “I didn’t mean to yell, I just-,”

Leo hugs his son and interrupts his conversation.

“It’s okay, Jason. I understand. You were protecting your mom’s honor. I’d do the same too; hell, even your sister did too back when she was in high school too.”

Jason didn’t say anything and just embraced his dad’s hug.

“Your mother has been through so much,” Leo continues. “And I know that we can’t change how other people will see her in stories and such. But know this, Jason, your mother loves you and is very proud of who you are.”

After a couple of minutes of taking a breather, Jason thanks his dad for the conversation as Leo walks up and leaves his room. Standing next to the door frame was Calypso, hiding so that her son couldn’t see her. Leo notices the tears dropping on her cheeks.

“You heard us, didn’t you?” Leo asked.

Calypso nodded.

Leo hugs her in comfort.

“Don’t blame yourself for this, sunshine.”

“But it is my fault, Leo. If I didn’t do all those-,”

“Calypso,” Leo said. He never calls her by her name unless he has something important to say. “Never in our lives have your past ruined us. In fact, it made us love you more. Sure you fell for heroes who were already taken, but you also saved their lives. You helped me when you could’ve just left me alone on your island, you could’ve fallen for anyone else in the world, yet you chose me. You gave me a home, a family, a future.”

Calypso stood in silence as she listened to Leo’s words.

“You gave our kids a happy life. Yes, he shouldn’t have got into a fight, but he did it because he loves you. We all do, honey. Because to us, you are our light, our rock, our sunshine.”

“I thought I told you not to call me that,” Calypso responded as she cried tears of joy.

Leo laughs and then kisses his wife on the lips, telling her how much he loves and how grateful he is to have her in his arms.

The two never got a happy past, struggling with loss and trauma. But now they built a future filled with hopes and dreams. Their children were gifted with loving parents who would do anything to keep them safe and happy, as would the kids would for their parents.

After all, aren’t the kids the pride of the family?

Author’s Note: Short one today, I hope it was good. I just want to say thank you all for reading some of my work even if most of them aren’t that good. Still, I ain’t stopping, I’m going to keep writing about this ship because other than Percabeth, it’s one of my OTPs in this franchise. However, I will be focusing more on my other work, Estelle and The Mark of Arachnid [Summary in Link]. If you don’t know what that is, it’s pretty much a Spider-man origin trilogy but Estelle is the main character, and it takes place in the Riordanverse with connections to the MCU Multiverse. The goal is at 30+ chapters and I’m already at Chapter 5. I'm getting a lot of views and I would very much like it if you get the chance to read it too. It’ll still have Caleo in it, just more to the sidelines since this is more of a hero’s story.

This doesn’t mean that I’m ending this series here, I will be continuing on working more stories, just that I will be posting them at a later schedule. So instead of once a month, it’ll mostly likely be once every 2-3 months. So don’t worry, I will be continuing this series, just that there will be later updates. I still have some stories on my list to write for this series.

Thank you all for reading my stories, until my next update.

#Caleo #Leo Valdez #calypso #leo x calypso #calypso x leo #percyjacksonandtheolympians #Percy Jackon and the Olympians #Heroes of Olympus #trials of apollo #pjo hoo toa #oneshot #fanfiction #fanfic

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infuriatedleprechaun · 2 years

Text

OSTRACIZED

Chapter 11: Seduction

Chapters 1-10

HI GUYS! New chapter here! This one was fun to write, it’s more filler right before stuff pops off! but there’s a little Easter egg in this, a meme reference, and it was fun to reread and edit. Hope you guys enjoy!

RECAP:

- "I'm so happy I found you. I was so worried. Mom and dad put posters everywhere-" "They.... They did? They're the ones that told me to leave" I frowned with confusion.

- "Yes, a sister company of TCRI I am doing more research into" he nodded, licking his lips as his eyes were glued to his 3 monitors. The light and parts of the screen reflecting off of his thick glasses as he ran his fingers over the keyboard rapidly.

"What's it called?" I asked.

"Silver" my shoulders slumped, my eyes grew wide.

- "We have a hit on the guy. April is coming over real quick to make a plan. She knows where we can find him" both our eyes widened at that. That would be an insane break through.

warning: unwelcomed grabby hands at some point, I thinks that’s it. Idk, lemme know guys

Seduction

I settled for putting my sweats on over my pajamas, along with my very baggy and oversized sweatshirt (Raph might fit an arm into this thing, it was that baggy) and headed to the living room where April was waiting.

I sat on the couch, expecting one of my brothers to squish into me, (Mikey lived for it, I found it hilarious.) But when Raph walked in front of me, smoothly picked me up, sat where I was, I was confused at first, until he set me down on his lap.

He looked around as if daring someone to say anything about it. I was simultaneously a pile of goo and embarrassed. Not about him, but I was just not used to all of this, like really not used to this. My heart was melting though, Raph was fantastic.

April came in, saw me in his lap, his chin resting on my head. His whole body hunched over mine. Her eyebrows shot up but she had a knowing smile on her face.

No, not a knowing smile. I knew that smile, she was plotting. I don't know what, but she was, I looked at her unsure, and she winked at me.

"Hey! You April?" That was Ana as she came through the door.

"Naw. That ain't her. It's a different human female that comes down here" Ana didn't seemed fazed by how Raph and I were at least, she was insanely good at reading people, she knew before we did, how close we were probably. Simply because she knows me so well.

"I mean. There's chief Vincent too" Don said in Ana's defense

"You know Raph? You talk real big for someone who gives tactical croc vibes" any and all body movement around me stopped. I swear I heard dial up noises from Raph brain, trying to process what the actual hell Ana said.

"I-what does that mean?"

"Proving my point" Mikey started to laugh really hard at Raph's expression, giving the woman a high five.

"Its called a real life shit post" Ana explained to her new best friend.

"I freaking love it" Mike sat down, squishing up against Raph.

"Nice to meet you" Ana finished, April was snickering at her.

"Nice to meet you too I think we'll get along just fine" The black haired woman had a sparkle to her blue eyes

"Cool. April likes my girl friend" Mikey yanked the woman he supposedly claimed, down to sit next to him and pulled her into a hug, squishing her face to his obnoxiously but it was super cute at the same time.

She didn't even have time to respond, and now she was too busy laughing. Clearly she though it was adorable too.

"Wow. That was quick"

"A lot better than the last one" Leo muttered as he came in.

"Last one?" Ana honed in on that. I was giving Leo a look of warning, my sister was probably armed with something. Even if it wasn't a gun. Though I would be surprised if it wasn't a firearm.

"Mikey found a she devil and decided to date her" Raph said quickly before I could stop him.

"What. Was she a bitch to you?" Ana turned to the now unusually quiet turtle, saw his face, how hurt and scared he was. Quickly put two and two together.

"Where's this bitch? I just wanna talk to her" sure enough, she pulls a hurking, hunting bowie knife out, it was a familiar snow cammo one.

"Is that mine?" I said accusingly

"What?" That was Raph. I immediately buttoned my lip.

"Where did you even pull that from" Leo blinked.

"Don't worry about it. There's more where that came from though" a smile found its way to Mikey's face at her shenanigans.

"If I just shook you, would more come out?" Leo raised a brow as Ana stood up, and began to back up.

"Don't you DARE big blue" Ana was kind of fast, meanwhile Leo was VERY fast, she yelped, dropping the knife, lord knows Leo wasn't scared of blades.

Then she started to laugh when Leo turned her upside down, holding onto her by her ankle so easily, and began to gently shake her like a dirty rug.

Mike was laughing hysterically now. I grinned at him, realizing what Leo was doing. He wanted his brother to laugh, to feel better, the sweetie pie.

"Wait wait wait. Leo. Stop. Mike, get a camera, I have an idea" Leo perked his head at her, his muscles in his arm and shoulder flexed when he lifted her high enough so they were damn near face to face.

"What is your idea?" He challenged as Mikey got his phone out.

"Sis. What's the exercise with the dumb bell, behind the back, you literally called them "behind the backs"" I looked up at the ceiling in thought.

"Oh. The one that works triceps. Dumb bell extensions?"

"Yes! Leo. Do you know what those are? And hurry up because the blood is rushing to my head" he nodded, looking amused, Raph wasn't the only one that liked weight lifting, they were both ripped and shredded for a reason.

"Alright. Bear with me here, do that to me" Mikey immediately covered his mouth, knowing exactly where she was going with this. Perfect pose now, Leo was holding her like a fish. Mike took a picture, and he was laughing so hard the entire time, if the picture came out right it would be a miracle.

"Alright. Leo. Put me behind your back, and do a dumbbell extension"

"Where you going with this?" Leo demanded.

"I'm trying to reenact a meme!" She explained. The leader in blue rolled his eyes.

"You and your memes" he did what she asked though, swung her behind him, careful to make sure she didn't get banged up on his shell, then put the other hand on her ankle.

"Do a silly face Leo. Mike get the picture" the poor turtle in orange was laughing so hard he couldn't even hold his phone up at this point.

April bit her lip in amusement, snatched his phone, and then took the pic for him.

Mikey's face was buried in the couch, his body shuffling with his laughter. It got contagious, everyone else started snickering. Leo carefully set Anastasia down, she tucked her head in so she would harmlessly land on her back, and she was also laughing hysterically as she picked her knife back up and sheathed it.

"Grade A performance Chris Hemsworth" she said through her laugh, wiping tears away. She couldn't even get up because she was doubled over and light headed from dangling.

"April! April! Lets see the picture. You saint. Good save!" Ana carefully got up. Going to Mikey and April who was eagerly scrolling through the pictures. All three saw the picture and started laughing all over again.

"You are such dumb asses" Raph shook his head, but he wasn't able to hide his own amusement.

"Mark me down for love struck dumb ass, bruh" Mikey beamed

"As love struck as she's packing" Mikey. Like everyone else was finally reducing his laughter down to giggles.

"Not packing as much as you, cutie" Ana smiled innocently

"I don't have my chucks on me" I'm no social genius, maybe I just knew my sister too well? But I knew where she was going with this.

"Oh bless your heart. That wasn't what I was talking about" ladies and gentlemen. My sister singlehandedly made the mouthiest, loudest turtle brother shocked into silence. AND blush.

"You're so cute when you blush. I'll definitely make you do it more" there was a guilty grin on her face now, she definitely looked like she was going to keep true to her word with that.

"I.... Mikey found an equally as pervy and meme addicted as him: woman. Fate really does have a plan" Donnie was in disbelief.

"Guys I'm so in love. I feel like Raph when Abby threw him the first time"

"What does that mean" I heard them mention the same past events with us twice now and I was so confused.

"I'll tell ya later" he promised with an amused rumble.

"Appreciate it" I grinned. I was just a smiling goof ball lately, I wasn't even mad, it felt so amazing.

"Alright" Leo slapped his hands together, looking at April.

"Lets cut to the chase. You said you know who he is, and where he'll be next" the pretty black haired woman nodded.

"And I have a plan" she added. Leo was the one that usually had the plans, so when April mentioned it, he was very intrigued.

"A Ryan Leakly. Yes. Abby and I are going to comicon, finding him, and seeing if he'll open up to us"

"Why you 2?" That was Raph quickly intervening. Maybe bristling.

"I always wanted to go to a comicon" my eyes lit up.

"Same" Donnie grinned. I pointed at him excitedly. It looks like we were going to comicon! I knew Mikey and even Leo would be down too. Mike loved videogames and Leo (though he hid it) loved comics, you learn a lot about people when you cleaned their rooms.

"Well Raphie? We're going to dress up and be in the scene, Abby would be a good candidate in case things went south quickly. You guys can be on standby there, and she can be at the ready" April shrugged.

We got to dress up? Yes! I wonder what we were dressing up as! Admittedly, I was a nerd, and always wanted to cosplay.

Leo and Raph exchanged looks in thought, not knowing how they liked the idea of this plan.

"Please?" I begged, in favor of April, this sounded like so much fun! I haven't been out and doing something like this in years!

"This is a mission, not a vacation. I'm worried about you getting distracted and then hurt" Leo frowned.

"I won't. We'll be fine" I promised.

"Raph, what's your input?" The leader sighed, he clearly wasn't on board with this fully.

"Abby. You think you can do this?" I felt him look down at me. I made eye contact and nodded happily. He sighed, clearly not wanting me to be on board with this, and then nodded.

"Alright"

"We'll have eyes on them" Leo assured his brother. I was so excited now! I got to go to comicon! And hang out more with April, I bet it'll be so much fun with her.

"I'm coming too" Ana decided.

"Fine. But stay out of the way in case anything happens" you could tell Leo wasn't in the mood to pick that battle.

"What are we going as?" I asked, and then immediately regretted it. I don't know why, but the look she gave me made me nervous.

"What?" Came my nervous follow up question.

"My house. Right now. We're going to figure out" something tells me we weren't going in cosplay...

I changed, and then stood in April's apartment, wide eyed, and questioning my decision.

She came out of her closet with a couple dresses, some skirts, and some shirts that appeared to be missing their midsection, she even got some bras out.

"Well? Get to it, let's see what you're wearing" she had a smirk.

"April I have never dressed this way in my life"

"Perfect. Lets see how you look" she was not about to back down. Oh god. I waited another moment, looking at her with pleading eyes. But all she did was motion with her hand to get a move on. I groaned and began to strip down to my bra, looking at her selection.

"What size do you wear?"

"34 DDD"

"Are you serious?? Why are you always wearing such baggy clothing?" She seemed appalled

"I wear what's comfortable" I explained bluntly. I put one of her bras on, it did not fit. My breasts were basically spilling out of it. I frowned and went to take it off but she stopped me.

"Perfect" why was she doing this?

"Girl. What are you doing? You look amazing you're so cut, and you're always covering yourself up. We're changing that. I'm going to make a grown man cry" what? I didn't like hurting peoples' feelings.

"Who are going to make cry? Leakly?" Why were we going to do that? Because be was a bad guy? Still a little messed up

"Sure. We'll put a show on for that creep, but he's not the one I'm excited about" I was so unbelievably lost.

"April… you're confusing me"

"Put this on." It was a long sleeved belly shirt. I've never even tried on a belly shirt before, I've never been more unsure in my life.

"You've got muscle tone and you're really fit. I know why Raphie is losing his mind over you." she smiled. I blushed, as I slipped my arms in, and slipped my head through the shirt.

My delts and arms looked lithe and small, my breasts looked, like, fake and huge, and it really drew attention to my now well toned stomach.

"And this!" She gave me and insanely short skirt. I barely wore short shorts, this is just insane. But I humored her, slipped out of my pants, and slid her skirt on. She bit her lip at what she saw.

"Oh. Seducing him is going to be too easy"

"WE'RE DOING WHAT?!?" April laughed at my exclamation. I couldn't do something like that! What would Raph think??? I never want him to feel jealous or hurt, especially if I inflicted it.

"Sweety. Sweety calm down. This is going to be A-mazing. Raph isn't going to react the way you think he will. Trust me" I couldn't help but to examine myself, and then try to cover myself up. I've had swimsuits leave more to the imagination than this!

"I am so not going out like this" I warned her. She was changing into a different outfit, something along the same lines: short skirt, belly shirt, and she put some heals on.

"No. You're not. We need to get your eyebrows done, hair, and make up done. And THEN you're going to comicon" this is it. This is what she was plotting that night. What was her end game with all this?? She shoved some wedges near me and I blankly started to put them on, just to see if they would even fit.

I looked at her, exasperated. I can't do this, why did she pick me for this whole thing? Seducing someone? What? I was perfectly the WRONG person to do that. I don't even know how to Flirt. Why not just get Ana? She'd be perfectly fit for it.

"Let's go"

"No wait!" Too late, she dragged me out her door, and I have never been so hypersensitive of gazes and looks in my life, honestly I was so self conscious.

"Where are the girls at? They're supposed to be home soon" Leo was getting a bit worried. They needed to get to comicon and start their mission, hopefully nothing happened to them.

"Abby has been texting me, keeping in contact. She said they're on the way" Raph told his brother. Leo nodded.

"Everyone geared up and ready to go?"

"Depends. How many guns can I bring into comicon?"

"Don't make me shake you again" Leo warned to which he got a snicker from her.

"Yooo. This is gonna be lit! Leo. Can Don and I just walk around?" Mikey chirped excitedly.

"No you can not"

"But we can just pretend we're cosplaying!" Mikey whined.

"Mike. This is a mission. We aren't there to play. And risking yourself like that is just insane"

"Have you met him?" Donnie asked the eldest in a flat tone. There was a knock on the door, but it was opened before any of them could answer it.

"Guys. Are you ready for this?" The guys couldn't help but to gawk a bit at April. It wasn't abnormal for her to show herself off a bit.

"Damn girl!" Nope. That wasn't Mikey, that was Anastasia. Mikey was yet again: laughing at the woman next to him.

"How was my Mikey impersonation? spot on? Because we were all thinking it. Let's be honest" Ana grinned at all the looks she got.

"That's what you're going to comicon in? What about Abbigail?" Raph narrowed his eyes a little in suspicion.

"Just wait for it. Abby get in here!" She seemed so excited.

"I am not going in there April. How did you even get me out of your apartment?" She all but whimpered.

"Abby? You ok?" Raph asked while wondering what it was that April did to her, he started to walk towards the door but April held a hand out to him to stop him, amusement in her eyes.

"She's fine. She's just bashful. After I got her to wear her outfit I dragged her out of my apartment before she could process it and it finally occurred to her how she looks. It's adorable" April smiled at them.

"Come on Abby~" she all but sang.

"I am not" she decided firmly. It also sounded like she was trying to go back down the sewers to leave even.

"No. Nope" April went out the door, a little 'yeep' was heard, and she carefully dragged her back into the room, lightly enough to not make her trip on her high heels.

The room very quickly grew silent, Abby didn't even look like herself. Her hair was down and curled, she was wearing make up like she never did. And her clothing was something the boys never seen her wear, was this even Abby???

"April. I am so mortified right now" Abby was frozen, staring at the ground, the boys were just in a state of shock. Once they got their minds back they looked at Raph who was staring HARD. His situation was DEFINITELY more than just a little shock.

The red banded turtle swallowed, once. They swear they saw his breathing pick up a little. His eyes were shamelessly glued to her.

"Raph.... I can change clothes real quick" the poor woman looked so ridiculously nervous and uncomfortable.

"If you're changing clothes its for you and you alone" his voice was a bit raspy, he cleared his throat. He walked up to her, taking her in, very slowly, observing every curve. Her legs and ass were large from squats, waist tiny from core exercises, and she hit the push ups hard so her breasts were plenty large. Everything was perfectly defined in the clothing.

He got just a little closer to her, towering over her. Lord help him, he needed some strength to focus on this mission, and he'd need all the help he could get.

"You being in a busy room is your only saving grace from me right now" he murmured lowly into her ear. Her bright blue eyes got brighter when her pupil constricted in shock.

Her face got so red, Raph couldn't believe she was his, she was prettier than any model he's ever seen, with the heart to match it. And he couldn't wait to show her physically, Abby felt an anticipated shiver go up her spine. April was so smug as she watched the couple interact.

"Told you he'd like it" she bit her lip.

"Who are you. What did you do with my sister. Got damn" Ana was covering her mouth. Their parents would flip, God she wishes she could have a reaction from them right now. Make her day.

"April, this had nothing to do with your plan for Leakly" Abby turned her attention on her accusingly.

"It still is. This is just a bonus" April walked up to Raph and an overly flustered Abby. Well, both were flustered, Raph was just a predatory flustered. She was loving this so much, this was hilarious. And would hopefully get these two to get a move on.

"So. What is the full plan here? Because you two aren't blending in like that" But typically Leo's plans would veer in the shadows, not making a scene, etc. This was quite literally the opposite. The leader was also finding the situation amusing though, He's never seen Raph react this way, he understood why though

If it wasn't for the mannerisms and gentleness only Abby could have, he wouldn't even believe it was her. She looked like a completely different person from a magazine.

"Sometimes standing out is the thing to go for Leo. We get close to this guy. See if he'll give us answers" April winked at him.

"You'll definitely get his attention" the turtle leader assured, really unsure about this now.

"Raph. She wants us to seduce him" Abby panic in the main ambiance of her hushed tone.

"Yeah she does. You'll knock him dead babe" the hot head grinned. Dear lord Raph was more than ok with this, in fact it was along the lines of him being IN to this.

"Come on. You already walked all over New York like that. You'll be fine" April assured her friend.

"I cant believe I am doing this" Abby wanted to back out, but she wanted to be there for April. She was depending on her for her first line of protection, that was a really big responsibility.

"I can't even flirt" Abby looked at Raph and April.

"You don't need to" Raph assured, she'd be turning all the male minds into goo.

"I'll do all the talking, just look pretty and help me distract him" April assured. Clearly Abby wasn't making any progress here, it was pointless to keep fighting.

"Ok" she sighed. Look pretty? She usually dressed like a tom boyish slob, this was going to take A LOT to get used to.

April and Abby turned to leave the lair, and Raph casually checked out Abby's ass in the skirt as she moved along, this turtle actually bit his fist a bit and closed his eyes a little as Leo walked up next to him.

"Brother. Give me strength to focus" his tone was low.

"I'll just get Mikey to annoy you into focusing" Leo slapped his shoulder obnoxiously as he passed him.

"Right on" Mikey cheered a little, and followed the leader.

Comicon was packed, and I was almost distracted enough by all the things to look at.. If I wasn't getting a hole stared through me every 17 seconds, this is not how I wanted my first time to go. If I was wearing like, some cool cosplay then I wouldn't have minded, but that was not the case.

"How did I get you to convince me to do this?" I said over the loud noise in the area. It would be a lot easier to stay focused now at least.

"You're going to do just fine" April assured.

"If I transform, I'm going to ruin your nice clothes" I warned.

"Eh. They'll get ruined one way or another tonight" wh-what. What? What did THAT mean?

"One thing you should know about Raph. He likes being territorial" April smirked at me. And that made me worried. I didn't want him to feel the need to do that-

"No. Abby. You misunderstand. He LIKES to be territorial. Show off, be up against this guy. You're going to drive him crazy the entire time" she giggled.

"Trust me" well. Raph knew people grossed me out. So I was hoping he'd remember that if I got down and dirty, my version of it anyway. Hugs to strangers was dirty for me if I was being honest.

I put the ear piece in, messed with my phone, and continued to follow April.

I carefully looked up at the support beams of the building, looking for my lover, I couldn't help it, he had a death grip on my heart and my mind was on him a lot lately.

"I'm here, baby" even over an earpiece his voice rumbled pleasantly in my ear, I couldn't help a smile on my face.

"Don't get distracted" April gently grabbed my wrist and waltzed along, everyone moving out of her way as she strut what she had. I was not about to do that, but I was impressed by the sass and confidence. Need me some of that.

There was art of all kinds from different fandoms everywhere, and as much as I wanted to stop and look, I refrained. It was basically like if you were able to walk through tumblr in person in here. And maybe meet a famous person or two, though that was a bit expensive.

"Alright, this guy should be here by now, so let's see if we can find him" I was not good at that either. I never really studied people enough or stared at them hard enough to remember features, I swear my memory with people was just terrible, I really was the worst possible candidate for this job. Maybe it was because I tended to not care what they looked like? I don't know.

"Over there. By the anime body pillows" April motioned lowly.

"Can't we just kidnap him?"

"No, he's leading a vital project for the company, we need to figure out what it is" April said.

"Say the word, I'll kidnap him, get back to the lair faster, and we can have some alone time" Raph said over the earpiece.

"Raph, stop giving her ideas" Leo huffed.

"Can I think about it?" I begged the leader, as if pretending there was anything to actually think about, that sounded like an amazing plan.

"No. Start moving in you 2" Leo quickly ordered.

"You heard him, fun time later" April poked.

gently weaved our way around the large rivers of the crowd, pretending to look at other stuff to not draw too much attention from this guy too quickly.

Finally, April marched us up next to him, I could tell she was strategizing on how to start a conversation, but when I saw what he was looking at, I moved in.

"My Hero Academia fan?" This 30+ year old man, was looking at a body pillow of a teenage anime girl, I could ignore or put up with a lot, but this? was so creepy. The man looked surprised, and then smiled at me, I smiled back sweetly, but man it was not genuine.

"Yeah, you watched it?" he smelled of BO and his breath was rank. I was supposed to seduce this man? I was repulsed by damn near everyone, but this was a whole new level.

"A little. I love Deku and Almight's relationship. It's very wholesome" I've watched this series once, and that was damn near all my knowledge of the anime. But clearly it was enough because the man's smile got bigger, and he got closer to me, April seemed impressed by my ability to charm this weeb.

"Hi. I'm Megan, this is Stephanie" April introduced herself, she was wearing a wig so he shouldn't be able to pick her out as the famous news reporter she actually was.

"Someone go get Cris Hansen" Mikey said over the communication link, I gave a genuine smile at him this time and it was to hide the laugh and real smile I wanted to give Mikey at the hilarious joke.

"Megan, Stephanie, so great to meet you nice ladies, what are women like you doing in a place like this? You nerds?"

"Oh totally" April was playing a flawless ditsy girl.

"I'm Ryan. So what are you into?" He was getting excited

"Little bit of everything, Megan likes Dr. Who, I'm a big fan of Supernatural" I was playing along with this, least I can do is have fun. I could see the shine of pride in April's eyes for making for a good ditsy fangirl too.

"Very nice. Well as you can see, this is my scene"

"Yeah! That's like, so cool!" She had such a good fake smile as she placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Would you like to walk with us?" April asked excitedly.

"Give us a tour? We just got here" She pouted a little.

"Oh absolutely!" He grinned, and held his arms out, ew, gross, no. I didn't want to do this, but if we were going to get into his head, we were going to have to go for his body I guess. I know allosexual people tended to be easy to hypnotize with sex, he already proved it was on his mind with the body pillows.

April and I both wrapped an arm around his, April watching me and holding it close her body, biting her lip a little at him as we walked. She was giving me instructions, how far before Raph would get upset with me though? I really didn't want to find out, and I was so grossed out touching him at all!

"You're doing great baby. Keep it up" Raph said to me, again, making me genuinely smile, and this idiot thought it was directed at him.

"So, who's your favorite character in MHA?" He continued to look at me.

"I totally like Bakugo his temper cracks me up, but he's so funny later on" I was getting the weird accent down.

"Big fan of hot heads?" Raph snickered at me

"Stop distracting her" Leo scolded.

"Raph has more testosterone up here alone than all the men in this building combined" Donnie tattled on his brother. Noooo Don't make me blush guys! But I did, and the creep seemed to be digging it, if only he knew. I think he was saying something, but I was definitely not paying attention because I was distracted on my REAL love interest.

"I love Mr. Aizowa" he told me. When I looked at him in confusion he clarified.

"The teacher"

"Oh that's so funny! WE are teachers!" April smiled.

"Damn she's good" Mike said.

"Yeah, fourth grade. What do you do?" I looked overly excited to find out.

"Bio engineer. I actually work in a lab, and have been working on a project" April and I both in unison: made our faces light up, with some overdramatized "wooooow"s.

"You sound like, so smart" I leaned into his arm, letting my breast rub up against it.

"You do. That's so impressive!" April captured him in a trance with her sapphire eyes.

"Can you tell us anymore, we're like DYING to know" April bit her lip.

"Oh... not really supposed to..." but he was teetering.

"Please? I'm a total sucker for a nerd" I pressed myself closer in his arm, trying not to show my disgust, or tense my body. He looked down at my breasts against his arm. And then the smile he gave me was nasty beyond all belief.

"We made a project to go up against our sister company. On the brink to discovering the last key factors of it" that was a tidbit of VERY important information.

"Woooow. That is amazing!" I smiled. His arm went from my front, where he snaked it around and got a handful of my ass. I couldn't help my quick, disgusted reaction of moving away from him. That's when I realized I messed up. His face fell, he seemed to be snapping out of hypnotic state April and I had him in.

Then quickly went for his wrist, pressing something. Several men moved from the crowd, they were blending in well, and started to charge at April and I. Bodyguards.

One went to strike April, but a green hand caught it, my green hand, I finished my transformation. And threw that guy into another guy. More blows tried to come at me, but I was a lot stronger than them, even if they landed hits, they weren't going to do anything to this form.

"What the hell!" Ana said from her place by the turtles. Leo and Raph took off, Mike and Don hung back for now.

"We'll explain later" Don said sheepishly. Ana took a breath, and realized her new life was probably going to be full of surprises like this, she might want to get used to it.

"Side note: Raph's gonna be squaring up, and the dude he'll be fighting is gonna be like: ah! Help! He's got a boner!" Ana told Mikey, doing her best impression on Beavis and Butthead. Mikey and Donnie both got a kick out of that one, Don even giving an adorable nerd snort.

I transformed back when Raph and Leo got to the scene to continue the fight. The people of the convention were scrambling around at the sudden commotion.

"Follow him!" Leo pointed at a fleeing Ryan. Raph, myself, and April made a beeline for the garbage truck outside. Don and Mike making it to the door first, the jokester had the other jokester tucked under one of his arms. When we made it outside, a black Lincoln pulled up to the front of the building to swoop him up.

The boys picked us up, and high tailed it to the truck, tossing us in gently and taking their places. Leo hit the gas hard the second it was started and in gear. The wheels broke a bit, and peeled off as we quickly started to catch up to the Lincoln.

"He's going back to the lab. Ain't he?" Raph said from next to me as he put a blanket over me for me to cover me up, save whatever dignity I had left.

"Yes. And something tells me we are about to go up against what he was talking about. What better thing to save him?" Leo said darkly as he stayed on their tails.

"Not before I whoop his ass for touching Abby" Raph assured with narrowed eyes. Man I hoped I wouldn't have to do anything like this again.

NEXT CHAPTER!

@mysticboombox @thelaundrybitch @selfless1978 @katecupcakekate

#tmnt #tmnt donatello #tmnt raph #tmnt mikey #tmnt leonardo #tmnt bayverse #tmnt april #tmnt x reader #tmnt x oc

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elliebartlets · 2 months

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veronica mars rewatch 1x11: silence of the lamb

• no not sheriff lamb again *proceeds to throw up*

• seriously there is absolutely nothing redeeming about that man.

I mean aaron echolls ain’t redeeming either but I rather watch him because he’s at least fun to watch. Lamb is just…a shit stain on a wet sock.

• Madison Sinclair is soo annoying

• no wait I remember this!! Mac and Madison Sinclair are related because Mac was adopted and her real parents are Madison’s parents or something

• oh no they were switched at birth!

• I also like how there is no mention of the Christmas party or Aaron getting stabbed in the last episode lol

• omg Mac’s mom totally looks like Madison Sinclair

• “I was switched at birth with Madison Sinclair?!” Yes I’m afraid you were

• I honestly can’t remember how this plot ends

• Veronica you’re gonna give Mac the news at home??? With her parents there???

• oh I remember Leo. Doesn’t he uh have a thing with Veronica?

• JESSE PINKMAN?!?! AARON PAUL IS IN THIS EPISODE?????

• No fuck that bitch, if I were Mac I’d have told her the truth too

• “Happy birthday Madison. Thanks for being such a gracious host. Martha Stewart has nothing on you.” I love Veronica’s sarcasm I live for it

• I love when Weevil shows up to help Veronica

• I feel like Veronica is lucky Leo didn’t turn around to give her a “can you believe this guy?” look about Weevil because if he did he would’ve noticed she was gone lol

• also shouldn’t there be security cameras near/in the evidence room?

• I think Madison’s/Mac’s mom recognized her when they were having that conversation

• oh wow Lamb you got the wrong culprit. Again.

• *Keith looks at Leo then Veronica then Leo again* “So you two know each other?”

• ummm why did Keith ask the two random guys in Leo’s band to follow Veronica back to the sheriff’s station?? They could’ve been the killers for all he knows!

• ok so it was the guitar guy

• The way Leo is so chill about getting suspended because Veronica snuck into the evidence room and left it unlocked…he’s literally smiling and is like “haha I should’ve known better” like huh??

• Aaron Echolls called in the tip on Abel Koontz?? uh why did he decide to frame Abel specifically?

• This whole switched at birth storyline is so messed up. The scene with Mac and her mom with the hands on the window. 🥺 And then they just…move on??

• oh it was Clarence Weidman? No I swear that’s Aaron Echoll’s voice

• Veronica taking picture of Clarence Weidman and sending them to him is very ballsy

#veronica mars #vmars #silence of the lamb #wow I actually watched 2 eps tonight #normally I’m tired after watching just one

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rogesims · 11 months

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Vacation

Two weeks after Flower Day, just a week before graduation, Willow got her scholarship letters. She was accepted in two! She's now considering leaving the Harris' garage and using the money to help her pay a small apartment for herself.

Leo and Marcos were about to have their final exams, so they could barely see each other except in between classes.

"My family will make a trip together this weekend. Wanna come?", asked Leo.

"Can't. My mom has some family stuff to sort out in another town and wants me along."

"I had an idea, but I need to wait for the pack release first. Did you know Summer 14th is Pride Day?"

Marcos was curious.

"Course I do! What's on your mind?"

"I heard San Sequoia has a great Pride Festival. My dad told me I can work with him and save money for the loading screens!"

"YES! I'm sure Dani will also love the idea. And Sid! And Ash! And Van! Let's invite everyone!"

Leo could barely listen to a word Mr. Morlind was saying... Soon classes would be over and he'd have a WHOLE week on vacation! He knew about someone else who would probably also love to hear about their Pride excursion.

Mols said she'd love it. Her mom wanted to go skiing but she'd rather die by Vlad.

"She made me organize Career Day for extra credit and I need some fresh air. Just so you know, I signed you up."

"Well", replied Leo, "if that means you're coming, I can find some fun in that!"

When they got home, both Moe and Leo had great news! Leo has been promoted to Speedrunner and Moe got to her branch selection. She got a unique opportunity and ended up on her path to stardom again! It seems like it doesn't matter the universe, Moe is destined to fame.

The Harrises landed in Lani St. Taz! They're staying the weekend at the Saphire Shores Resort.

"Won't this be too expensive, mom?"

"Baby, don't be silly...This isn't a real hotel, they don't exist in the game! We won't pay a thing, this is just a spa."

A well-deserved vacation... Being a legacy family ain't easy! Since they didn't pay for the stay, the family enjoyed the premises before having dinner.

It's dinner time, and the Harrises went to the best (the only) restaurant in Sulani!

"Thank you so much for this trip, guys! It's a great close to my High School Years!", said Willow.

"We're also celebrating Moe's promotion. She's famous now!" "

And Leo is ending his junior year!", Moe replied. "It's time you start thinking about your future, baby."

"To be honest, I don't know, mom. I've been working at the drama club, but Copperdale is too far away from Honeywood."

"We're not gonna live there forever, you know? Legacies are known for moving all around the SimNation."

"You should trust your gut, Leo. I'm sure the Watcher will find a way of helping your dreams come true." Leo didn't have all this blind faith.

"How can the Watcher know what to do, when I can't?"

"They made us cross universes to save the legacy. You'll be good!"

"I hope you're right, mom. I have just a few weeks left before my gen takes over."

"Watcher surely have something in store for you. Just keep on going through Live Mode and soon I know things will become clearer!"

After dinner, Leo vanished. Moe found him at a fishing spot nearby. "Can I sit here?"

"What if I'm not a good heir as you both? You had a Starlight Boulevard star, for woohoock sake! I don't think I can top that."

"Leo... You don't have to be like us. You're good just the way you are and doing the things you want to do. Legacy gens are different."

"I acted, and I now work with social causes because that's what makes me happy; same with your dad and cooking", Moe reassured him.

"And what about the drama, and the interesting plots?"

"Oooh, 'The Drama'! Not every legacy will be as messy as a Swan or a Lacey. And that's ok."

Moe gave her big baby a loving hug.

"Whatever your story is, you'll be loved and there will always be someone who enjoys your path. I promise."

Next morning, after an... um... eventful night, Moe had news for the family.

Breakfast by the sea, the perfect moment to break the news!

"Family, we're having a spare Harris! The first legacy infant is due to fall!"

"Another one, thank you!"

#Harris Legacy #Harris Legacy Gen 2/Gen 3

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thee-achilles · 2 years

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🥣.| astro observations & drabbles: pt. 2.

phoebe bridgers addition. <3

you really thought you ate? gimme that fcking plate 😒

anyways part dos 😻 i’ve got a lot to say and imma say it 💪😒 dale 👩🏻‍🦲

💥. | these are only observations i have made. please take them with a grain of salt. DO NOT PLAGIARIZE OR POST ANYWHERE ELSE. if there is anything you’d like to add, let me know! <3 |💥

🎯.| made by a libra sun, libra rising, and leo moon :)

🧞‍♂️i cannot stress this enough, y’all. LOOK AT THE DEGREES AND DECANS OF YOUR PLACEMENTS. this matters so much bruh. it further characterizes your placements. i’ll make a post about it if i’m feeling, como sé dice, frisky. 🕺

🧞‍♂️i think the reason why gen z leos are so funny is because they have sun-pluto aspects. our pluto is in sagittarius, one of the most funniest signs, and it’s making an aspect to leo, a natural attention-grabbing sign. since pluto has a huge effect on a person as it is, the sign has to effect the personality a bit too, right??

🧞‍♂️having NN in the 6H is just not knowing where you’re going, but you’re gonna work your ass off to get there. SN in the 12H shows what were used to and being in the unknown is it. also you may use spirituality to get you where you’re going. it’s like driving blind and ending up being just fine. if you ain’t got your NN in the 6H, FYL‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️ jk y’all stay blessed 😒☹️

🧞‍♂️**sigh** i think it’s time we discuss my momma’s chart. THIS GIRL GOT FIVE STELLIUMS. I DO NOT LIE. EVER. a capricorn, scorpio, 11H, 10H, and 8H stellium 😀 plus a pisces rising and an aquarius sun. y’all send her good energy ONLY. any shitting on her you do, y’all just gonna get back 👩🏻‍🦲 my mother is tired and protected 💂‍♀️

🧞‍♂️mars/jupiter conjunct mercury people are FUNNY, bro. mars-mercury come up with the funniest things on the fly & impulsively and jupiter-mercury is just subtly funny, i’ve noticed. although mars-mercury may have some issues saying things that aren’t supposed to be said/not thinking before they speak.

🧞‍♂️looking at phoebe bridgers’ chart and noticing she shares a moon & ascendant sign with my mom. plus her sun sign is my mom’s sister sign... no wonder i uber wanna smooch her in the most platonic way. edit: SHE’S ALSO GOT AN 11H CAPRICORN & 8H SCORPIO STELLI WTF BOY 🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬

🧞‍♂️people who are able to grow out beards w/ leo placements love to do it?? and it makes their eyes look more feline too. rawr or whatever 🙄‼️☝️🦁

🧞‍♂️TW: talk of weight. the 2H can possibly tell you how quickly you gain/lose weight. venus rules food and it’s beginner house is the 2H. it’s also the house closet to the 1H of image, so it wouldn’t be a surprise. also planets there can effect this, too.

ex: a sag rising may gain/lose weight slowly because their 2H is in capricorn, but if jupiter is there it may be harder to lose weight since jupiter rules expansion. and a pisces rising may gain/lose weight “out of nowhere” since aries is in that house. if venus is in this house, they may either be very happy with how they look all the time or not. it just depends on how venus is aspected. also look at the sign of the 2H’s ruler planet for further insight. :)

🧞‍♂️the sign of the house your NN is in could be the sign of the placements you attract the most.

my NN is in aries in my 6H in pisces and pisceans are ALWAYS attracted to me?? i love them though so if you got pisces placements kiss me.👩🏻‍🦲💂‍♀️🐺‼️💘

🧞‍♂️THAT JUNO-MOON SYNASTRY DOES NOT COME TO PLAY. that shit is powerful. do not play with me. i am not the one.

🧞‍♂️pluto in the 3H/pluto-mercury harsh aspects really makes you forget what you were saying mid-way through speaking 😐

🧞‍♂️i’ve noticed that people with water moons have parents/a parent who smokes or do dr*gs.

🧞‍♂️i’ve noticed that pisces placements get irritated when it’s hot?? they just get super moody. they also tend to get hot easily. maybe it’s because they’re hot themselves 😈

🧞‍♂️water/earth mars individuals hate getting wet 😐 y’all don’t like to swim or walk in the rain or anything, bro. always got an umbrella even if it’s a clear and sunny day outside.

🧞‍♂️IF SATURN IS IN HARMONIOUS ASPECTS WITH YOUR SUN, YOU ARE LESS LIKELY TO SUNBURN. you still better wear that that damn sunblock though 😒‼️

🧞‍♂️virgo, gemini placements/degrees, or mercury doms like cheese. even if they’re lactose intolerant, they just gobble that shit up.

🧞‍♂️leo risings blend well with the people around them. they have the ability to make themselves less noticeable if they want to. if they want to shine, they will, if they don’t, they don’t. y’all are so kind too 😭😭

going off that, aquarius risings tend to stand out more even if they don’t want to. i’ve noticed that everyone knows them too and talk about them, even if they don’t strike you as the popular type.

🧞‍♂️taurus moons have analyzed it all. they are so good at seeming like they’re unaware, but they have thought through every possible outcome something could have. these people are NOT risk-takers, y’all. do not play with them 👨‍🦲 they are not the one 🤬

🧞‍♂️5H/leo stelliums vs their ego 🥊DING🥊 DING🥊 DING🥊

NOT saying y’all are arrogant or whatever negative connotations that the ego includes. i’m just saying that y’all can be STUBBORN. in ANYTHING. especially when someone they dislike says something. that someone: “believe in yourself!” 5H/leo stelli: “no. never. i WILL NOT believe in myself. i hate you. literally get out of my face.” you cannot win them over with flattery. they are DWAYNE THE ROCK JOHNSON type of solid.

🧞‍♂️“i want to die with no money. money means nothing to me. when i have it, i feel like i HAVE to spend it otherwise i won’t spend it at all. if i’m rich, no i’m not. 😍” -my pluto in the 2H brother

🧞‍♂️pluto 3rd housers and having horrid intrusive thoughts. IMAGINE⁉️ COULD NOT BE ME💪 (is me)

🧞‍♂️i read a theory on twitter that your 5H is the goals you have for/how you treat your first child and the rest of the houses following are the rest of your children. my mother has two children- my brother and i- and her 5th and 6th house are both in cancer. my brother and i are both libra risings with cancer mcs 😳.

🧞‍♂️gemini placement children are so chill. i think they’re one of easiest ones to take care of.

🧞‍♂️imma need you mutable doms to tell me how you feel for once 👨‍🦲 STOP CONCEALING YOUR ANGER LET ME IN 🤬🤬🤬🤬 conceal 🧥 don’t 🙅‍♀️ feel 😩 it’s giving elsa of wherever tf she came from 👩🏻‍🦳

🧞‍♂️mercury doms/placements and collecting journals... and then never using them. 🙄🙄 (guilty)

🧞‍♂️okay. a lot of aries placements (specifically sun & rising) have noses that look like their symbol?? ♈️ very downturned with flared nostrils, but it works on them. also amazing amazing eyebrows. <3

🧞‍♂️the best people with the same sign that i’ve seen get along with each other are leos. y’all understand each other so well omg.

🧞‍♂️ugh i hate that everyone makes the 8H all about sex like 😒 it isn’t just that 🙄 anyways venus/mars in the 8H makes someone very experimental and fweaky 😈, but only when they feel the safest. intimacy is a huge deal for them, so sharing themselves and their energy can easily drain them. she’s a fweaky gal 😛

🧞‍♂️libra moons, i love you dearly. you’re so kind and you do acts of service expecting nothing back. you guys make my heart swell with joy, though i haven’t met many of y’all. you are full of and give love effortlessly despite how life has treated you. moral of the story, KISS ME YOU MF‼️‼️🤬🤬🤬🤬

🧞‍♂️as a leo moon, i tend to attract virgo moons SO MUCH. my best friend is a virgo moon, my bf is a virgo moon, and other people in my past have been virgo moons. love y’all or whatever.

🧞‍♂️EARTH MERCURIES ARE SO FUNNY, BRO. and when they have an earth mars? 😩 omg. [s]creaming. the way y’all say things just really tickle my pickle, bro. especially virgo mercuries.

🧞‍♂️the easiest rising sign to point out is libra risings. maybe it’s because i’m one, but i smell those bitches from miles away. 👃😤

🧞‍♂️scorpio placements usually do not desire children from what i’ve seen.

🧞‍♂️capricorn and aquarius placements care so much about how they smell/things smelling good. my mom and best friend have these placements and giving them things that smell good is the fastest way to their heart 😭 my mom owns like 294827818458 lotions and candles APPROXIMATELY.

🧞‍♂️my jupiter in the 1H 🤝 me being the first biracial in my immediate family line 😋

🧞‍♂️venus in detriment signs are frugal. MATERIAL GWORL‼️‼️ but without spending money on the material 😼

ASStroids. <3

🫐if you have asteroid sappho (#80) making positive aspects to any destiny point (node, fortune, vertex) or some of the big 4 points (asc, desc, IC, or MC) MAKES YOU GAY ASL BOY‼️‼️‼️ nah jk, but it makes you have a good feminine touch, however you identify as <3 also makes you empathize with feminine people more easily. also makes you an amazing writer, especially if sappho (#80) is in aspect to mercury. makes someone a feminist as well.

🫐asteroid vesta (#4) in aspect to venus makes you have acts of service as a love language. you also want to make people feel at home the best they can. :) however if it’s badly aspected, i’ve noticed these individuals are awkward about receiving gifts, but exude the most homey vibes even if they’re awkward.

🫐saturn and mars in the 9H in asteroid juno (#3) persona chart could meet their spouse through a sport they/their spouse does in college. bonus points if it’s in the winter or you’re cold or something.

🫐asteroid bambi (#15845) or asteroid angel (#11911) touching the ascendant, mercury, sun, moon, or in the 2H or touching planets in gemini or virgo makes someone have really great doe eyes. use this to your advantage. 😋

🫐asteroid chariklo (#10199) conjunct mercury makes for someone with healing words as well as healing hands. they know just what to say to make you feel better and will give you a massage to go along with it 💪😼

🫐asteroid patroclus (#617) may be where we tend to follow blindly without question. we tend to devote ourselves to it without asking. it’s filled with lessons that take a while to learn. we can be defensive where it’s at and we’re willing to sacrifice ourselves for it.

ex: asteroid patroclus (#617) in the 11H in virgo will be at the service of others without questioning. they can follow social and humanitarian groups if they see that it will do good for people. they won’t dive deeper into it or look at the opposing view, they just follow it. they may sacrifice their health, well-being, appetite, previous work, or school in order to fight for it. they also put in a lot of detail in how to fight for it. they may learn after a while to look into what they follow or who they help before they follow through and to take better care of themselves while doing so.

🫐asteroid wild (#1941) may show you the results of you taking risks. it also may show where you are most carefree and outgoing comfortably or where other people encourage you to be so.

🫐asteroid medusa (#149) is where you make people stop and stare or how you intimidate people. 😈

asteroid medusa (#149) touching the ascendant could make people naturally intimidating even when they’re actually pretty sweet.

🫐y’all. i was OBSESSED with princess aurora (sleeping beauty) when i was little. i wanted to be her and everything. asteroid aurora (#94) is in my 1H in scorpio at the same degree as my sun: 6°. SO STOP SAYING ASTROLOGY IS FAKE, BOZOS 🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬

🫐⬆️ going off of that, asteroids of names or places in your first house could indicate them having an importance in your life. i mean, all of them do, but these will feel especially personal. <3

thank you SO MUCH for reading. i tried to make this one longer than the last. thanks to those gorgeous gorgeous pals who read to the end <33

have a lovely day!! <3

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fruitcoops · 3 years

Note

Hi this might be just because it's passover and I'm really feeling my heritage (and GOOD food) but could you write a fic possibly with Jewish Finn O'Hara?? (And Leo making him our food b/c it's so important to the culture) Or you can make any other character (it's hard cuz they all do xmas lol but i could see re or even kasey) who you feel could be Jewish I just LOVE your fics and I was hoping you could maybe represent my pride for my culture in one of our beloved characters :)

Yes I can!! Happy Pesach to all my wonderful Jewish followers <3 I will forever be jealous of your holiday foods! SW credit goes to @lumosinlove

Finn took two steps in the door, then paused. He inhaled deeply, paying special attention to exactly what that fantastic smell was as he toed his shoes off. “Butter? Is that you?”

“In the kitchen,” Leo called back. On the couch, Finn caught the edge of Logan’s smile before it was hidden behind his book.

He rocked slightly on the balls of his feet. “Are you making what I think you’re making?”

“That depends, what do you think I’m making?” There was a tease to Leo’s voice and Finn’s heart leaped; he skidded a little on the linoleum of their floor as he hurried into the kitchen and heard Logan laugh behind him.

On the stove, oil snapped and hissed while Leo prodded the bits of potato that flaked off the patties. He tapped Finn’s forearm as he hugged him from behind. “Don’t get too close, Fish.”

Finn snorted. “Are you kidding? This ain’t my first rodeo, pardner.”

Leo laughed at his terrible accent, then again at the smacking kiss to his cheek. “Well, I hope they’re alright. I totally forgot to ask your mom for her recipe, so this is a mashup of Bliz, Talker, and Re’s tips, plus whatever we had in the pantry.”

“You made me latkes,” Finn hummed, so happy he could burst. He gave Leo a quick squeeze and nuzzled his face against his neck, listening to the familiar sizzle as he added new potato cakes. “I didn’t know Remus is Jewish.”

“His dad is, so they celebrate both sets of holidays.” Leo shrugged. “I only texted Talker, actually. The other two just messaged me out of the blue with, like, a million suggestions.”

“We should have had them over for Seder.”

“Sorry, love.”

“ ‘s alright. Maybe next year.” Finn inched his hand toward the plate of latkes, only for Leo to gently smack it with his spatula. “Hey!”

“You’re gonna burn yourself!”

“I’ve done it before and I’ll do it again, especially for a worthy cause.” Finn kissed him again before scooting a steaming cake from the pile and popping the whole thing in his mouth; he pulled a face at the heat and Leo shook his head.

“Told you so.”

“Don’t tell my mother,” he mumbled, relishing in the crunch of the crisp outside layer. “Oh, fuck me, these are good. Lo, c’mere!”

Logan slid into the kitchen in his socks mere seconds later with a wide smile. “I get to try one?”

“No,” Leo groaned. “They’re not done!”

“My holiday, my latkes, my rules,” Finn declared as he reached for another.

Leo huffed a long-suffering—and incredibly fond—sigh, then pushed the plate closer to them. “Whatever.”

Logan stood on his toes to kiss his cheek before snatching a latke and carefully biting into one side, cupping his hand under to catch the inevitable crumbs. “Just shove it in, baby,” Finn advised around his second cake.

Both his boys raised their eyebrows at him; Leo broke first with a devilish grin. “Yeah, I bet you’d like that.”

“Alright, you know what—”

“Watch the oil!” Logan blurted as a particularly large bubble popped and sent a few tiny droplets over their kitchen. Leo made a sad noise when he looked down at his spattered shirt and Finn rubbed his arm in sympathy.

“That’s why you don’t wear nice clothes while you cook, Butter.”

“Do you think the Tide stick will get it out?”

“We can give it shot,” Logan assured him, though he sounded rather skeptical.

A tinkling alarm went off over the sounds of the oil and Leo immediately perked up, shooing them out of the way as he grabbed an oven mitt. Finn’s heart clenched. “You made more food?”

Leo leveled him with a stare drier than the Sahara. “No, honey, I made potato pancakes and nothing else.”

The scent of roast chicken and vegetables billowed throughout their apartment and Finn couldn’t help but grin, feeling the familiar warmth seep into his bones. The whole place would smell good for days. “He remembered to get the recipe for this part,” Logan whispered, wrapping his arms around Finn’s waist from the side wile Leo pulled the pan out and cut the sweet potatoes open.

“It smells like home,” Finn managed, leaning his temple on Logan’s soft hair. “Alex would fucking love this.”

Logan snapped his fingers, then reached over to the counter and handed Finn his phone, swiping to his most recent texts. “Actually, I think Bliz and Nat have that under control.”

Something hot prickled at the corners of Finn’s eyes when he saw the picture—Alex glowed with happiness, sandwiched between Kasey and Natalie with a bright grin on his face as the three of them held up their bowls of soup. The matzo balls inside were a little wonky, but otherwise looked delicious, just as they had when Alex and Finn made them as kids.

“Oh, honey,” Leo said quietly as Finn swiped the first tear off his cheek. He closed the distance between them and joined the hug, kissing the top of Finn’s forehead.

“I don’t know why I’m crying,” he sniffled. “I’m just so happy and I love you both so much. Fuck, Leo, you made me latkes.”

“Did they taste okay? I know it was kind of a Franken-recipe.”

Finn pulled back and reached up to cradle Leo’s soft cheeks in his hands, looking straight into his eyes. “Leo, they were perfect.”

“Happy Pesach,” Logan murmured, snuggling against him.

Finn barely held back a wince. “Pesach, Lo.”

“What?”

“You gotta—” He stifled his laugh with his hand. “There’s emphasis on the first syllable, then a ‘k’ sound.”

Logan licked his lips. “Pesach?”

“You sound so fucking French, oh my god.” He turned back to Leo with a smug smile. “You can’t make fun of me for how I saw ‘beignets’ after this.”

Leo barked a laugh, short and sharp. “Oh, yes I can. Watch it, Harzy, or you can kiss your latkes goodbye.”

“Joke’s on you, I know there are more at Loops’ house right now.” Finn propped his chin on Logan’s head and batted his eyelashes. “Besides, you have to be nice to me today. This is like my second birthday.”

“You can’t keep claiming things are your birthday!” Logan protested, wiggling away from his grip. “First it was Saint Patrick’s Day, then Hanukkah, and now this?”

“I have lots of birthdays,” Finn said solemnly.

Leo rolled his eyes. “Happy Pesach to the man of many birthdays. Can we at least eat before the chicken gets cold? I don’t want to beg food off Talker and his sisters tonight. My pride can’t handle it.”

“You have two boyfriends and a snazzy rainbow bracelet,” Finn scoffed playfully as he grabbed forks out of their utensil drawer. “That’s plenty of pride in my book.”

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bbrandy2002 · 3 years

Text

Fool’s Rush In

Part 15

Book: The Royal Romance

Pairing: Liam x MC

Warnings: mild violence

Series Premise: With two weeks until Liam is to marry Madeleine – his pick during the social season – the guys throw him a bachelor party in Vegas. After a drunken night, he finds himself with more than he bargained for.

Thanks @burnsoslow for the beta read.

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

Supposedly, the more a person suffered in the name of love, the more it showed they really cared.

At least, that's what Riley thought.

After nightfall of this particular evening -- when she least expected it -- she never realized how much truth that belief held.

Or how much it would hurt to sacrifice the one person who made her believe she was worthy of love and saw who she really was on the inside.

Her dainty arm -- a delicate bronze in color, sleek, with a glittering red strap across one shoulder -- linked through the arm of the man she had grown to love more than life itself as they entered the palace ballroom. Working tirelessly over the last week to ensure everything went off without a hitch had taken its toll on her. All she could think about, as she shook hands and charmed dignitaries with a sparkle in those twinkling brown eyes, was how much sleep she planned to make up for after the ball ended.

This ball was to introduce the King and his new bride to the Cordonian court for the first time. A show of solidarity and, hopefully, strength. A way to establish that what happened in a tiny chapel 10,000 miles away weeks ago between two strangers wasn't a careless mistake, and that she could handle the duties bestowed on her as a common American woman.

Or at least pretend she could for now.

However, for the King and the "Jewel of His Heart" whom he escorted through the curious crowd of pretentious naysayers in extravagant gowns and tuxes, with their fake smiles and tedious posturing ...

It was nothing less than fate.

Riley was the key that unlocked that safe space deep inside Liam's heart that had been sheltered for so long, waiting for the perfect person to come along and open it. This was the place where he kept his most sacred feelings: a genuine love, never-ending laughter, joy, romance, ecstasy, and every dream he ever held for the future -- one he presumed would never exist in any form he longed for.

But she didn't just unlock it. Riley shattered it wide open, where everything came flooding out at once and consumed him like a raging wildfire.

And it was the most remarkable, intoxicating experience of his life.

Liam showed her off all evening as they mingled during their rounds, danced, and conversed with the variance of nobility. She was the sexiest woman in that room, and he'd dare say the looks of envy shot in his direction from high-class men as he proudly cavorted her around didn't bother him in the least. Not that that was her only quality -- far from it. There were so many things about Riley that were special. But he couldn't help feeling a sense of pride that she was all his.

And without question, he was all hers.

Seated at the head table, Riley swallowed a morsel of the veal medallion she wanted to be served for this occasion. When given a choice between fish and lamb, the fish never stood a chance. The memory of that smelly, god-awful lunch with Regina three weeks ago was not something her palate had forgiven her for yet. As wonderful and savory as this extravagant meal, covered in a light brown mushroom sauce and served with a side of broccoli rabe, was, it couldn't hold a candle to what she craved the most: a slice of white pizza from Carmine's back in Brooklyn.

Or a slab or two of the New Yorker.

With maybe some cheesecake.

Covered in chocolate.

And a sausage rice ball. A Frito pie smothered with sour cream. Definitely a rainbow bagel from The Bagel Store. Barbecue ribs and beans from the mom-and-pop diner hidden just off the strip in Vegas.

Of course, her grandma’s country fried steak with white gravy sounded delicious too.

For sure, a fried Twinkie like the one she ate at the New York State Fair in 2013.

"You've outdone yourself, sweetheart," Liam marveled while wiping at the corner of his mouth with a napkin. "The meal was delicious, and our guests appear to be enjoying themselves." The others seated at the table looked up, adding their compliments.

Still dreaming about a fat slice of New York-style pizza, Riley smiled graciously back at him, until she noticed the server refilling Liam’s glass with merlot, causing her to do a double-take.

Hot tears pooled in her eyes, and a heavy feeling of sadness swelled in her chest as she panicked. "I asked for the Pinot Noir. Not the merlot,” she rasped meekly. “You don't like merlot, Liam. And the Pinot Noir was from the 'C' place where Duke Hakim lives. He'll be so disappointed and think I'm slighting his duchy. They’ll all hate me forever and ... wait a minute." She trailed off as a realization hit her, and Riley quickly glanced down at her plate before scanning each of the dishes from those seated around her.

The anxiety intensified; she could no longer suppress the heartbroken sob that wailed out of her. "Where are all the potatoes? We were supposed to have the potatoes, Liam. They didn’t serve the potatoes. Now the whole night is completely ruined, and it’s all my fault. I'm such a failure as a queen, and you should just send me to the dungeon now and throw away the key. I apologize to all of you for my incompetence and the lack of potatoes with your meal." Riley’s red-hot face, full of tears, plunged into the palms of her hands, then quickly sprung back up as Liam hesitantly tried to place a hand on her shoulder. A strong urge to use the restroom ended her crying spell as if it never happened. “Oh, oh. I gotta pee so bad. I’ll be right back.” She gave a warm smile and excused herself as she pushed her chair back and scurried merrily toward the nearest restroom.

Liam, Regina, Leo, Maxwell, and Olivia watched with confusion as she happily took off, not knowing what to say or what to make of the sudden shift in her moods.

“What the hell was that?” Olivia scowled, her eyes fixed on Liam.

“Is she all right, dear?” a concerned Regina asked.

Liam scratched the back of his head, nearly at a loss for words. “I ... I don’t know. I’ve never seen her that upset … especially over potatoes.” He paused in thought. “She was a little on edge this morning. Still, she’s been working a lot on the preparations and everything else going on. It must have gotten to her.”

Maxwell shrugged. “Maybe she just finally snapped.”

Leo shook his head, swallowing a forkful of beef. “Or maybe she has the premenstrual syndrome.”

“Leo!” The group admonished.

“What?” Leo bit back, taking in each of their disappointed glares. “Don’t act like it’s not true. Trust me, when I have cramps and bloating, I can go from a happy little Leo to a Bertrand, just like that.” He snapped his fingers, following it up with a frown. “It ain’t pretty, you all.”

Maxwell looked across the table at Liam and agreed, “He has a point.”

Wanting to shed his skin and slither away, Liam pinched the bridge of his nose. “Can we not discuss something so personal and private, especially while several hundred people are dining around us?”

“I’m just saying, little brother, that you need to be understanding and gentle during this special time of your wife’s 'lady business.' You should speak softly and slowly to her because Shark Week messes with a girl's mind, man. Their brains short-circuit, and there’s nothing left up there but a couple of crickets and man-eating rattlesnakes. One second, you think she’s fine, but if you’re not careful, in the next second, you’ll find yourself with two venomous fangs rattling from your nut sack, dude. She will tear you apart and spit you out like a rabid dog. You can make it through these next few days, but only if you take my advice.”

“That is the single dumbest thing I’ve ever heard you say,” Olivia spat, boring her eyes into him. “And you’ve said a lot.” She turned to Liam, whose face was slightly pale and void of expression. “Don’t listen to his sexist drivel. Why you haven’t declared him insane yet is beyond me. You should have sent him away with that filthy hairball to Valtoria you had caged earlier.”

“IT WAS MONGO!” Leo erupted, causing the dishes on the table to clatter as he jumped to his feet and hovered over the redhead. Every head in the ballroom whipped around to see what was happening, and a deafening silence filled throughout. Even the orchestra stopped playing their classical tune.

A wide-eyed Regina smiled sheepishly as she glanced out at the quiet audience who were waiting to see what all the fuss was about. She thought fast before calling out, “We were just playing a little game of … 'It was Mongo.'” The former queen snatched Maxwell’s Sunset Rum punch from his hand, thrusting the drink up at her stepson, towering beside her, and instructed in a grandmotherly tone, “Be a good lad, Leo. You lost this round. It's time to chug-a-lug, my boy.” With his face burning, Liam slid down in his seat.

“Ooooo, I wanna go next.” Maxwell bounced excitedly while the guests resumed the festivities. "How do we play?"

“I think I want to go, too,” Liam replied, straightening back up before hurling his napkin on the table. “I’m going to go find Riley.”

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

Riley exited the ladies' room, clutch in hand and a fresh dab of clear gloss gleaming on her pink lips. She stopped walking just as the door closed behind her and smiled with a look of surprise at seeing Liam leaning against the opposite wall. "What are you doing out here?"

He pushed himself off the wall, closing the distance between them and meeting her in the middle of the empty corridor. They wrapped their arms around each other, indulging in the warmth of their lovers' embrace. "Would you believe me if I told you I just missed you?" he answered, placing a tender kiss on her lips that skimmed lower to her jawline.

"I missed you, too," she moaned with each gentle pressure of his seductive lips, suckling and nibbling along the spot that trailed behind her ear that he knew drove her crazy. "But something tells me that's not the only reason you left the ballroom."

Their gazes met simultaneously. "Leo."

Riley chuckled softly. "Do I even want to know?"

Liam sighed, smoothing back a loose hair behind her ear. "You know my brother and his wonderful words of wisdom." There was no way in hell he would tell her what they really discussed after she left; he could only imagine her embarrassment. "Everyone was just a little worried about you, that's all."

"I didn't mean to scare everyone. I just wanted tonight to be perfect. Instead, so many things went wrong. I can only assume what the court thinks about me now." She lowered her gaze to the red carpeting where they stood. "I let you down."

"I don't want to ever hear you say that again. Riley, sweetheart, you can never let me down. Do you understand that?" Liam lifted her chin; her tentative eyes stared back at him for a moment before nodding. "Good. And just so you know, our guest are used to bombings, stabbings, kidnappings, shootings, and terror plots at most of my palace events --"

"Wait. What?"

" -- I assure you, just the fact alone, that none of that took place tonight, and they're all going to leave here soon -- alive -- will be huge for them. Not having potatoes with the meal or the right wine was the least of their worries. They will consider this night a success. And a testament to their new queen. You should, too. I'm so very proud of you."

"I have so many questions about everything you just said."

Liam smiled, caressing Riley's petal-soft cheeks and lowering his head to kiss her again. "All in due time, my love.”

Riley let out a deep, drawn-out yawn she lightly covered with her palm before stretching and rolling her neck. A couple of weeks' worth of planning and endless decisions had left heavy tension in her shoulders and overwhelming exhaustion like nothing she'd felt before. None of it went unnoticed by Liam, who placed his hands on her shoulders and gingerly kneaded the taut muscles.

"What do you say about heading back to our quarters, taking off all of your clothes, and I'll be up soon to massage this gorgeous body from head to toe? And hopefully, when I'm through, you'll massage parts of me, too … with any part of your body that you'd like." His lips curved into an inviting smile.

"Mmm, that's tempting," she purred, rubbing her hands over his ample chest. "But I can't just leave. It's the Queen's Ball. Without me, it's just ... The Ball." She chuckled, despite herself.

“Don’t you worry your pretty little panties over the ball. Just go upstairs and take them off. I’ll handle everything down here. Then … “ He squatted down to her eye level. “ … I’ll handle you.”

Her heart fluttered every time Liam spoke to her that way. The way he desired only her. She bit the corner of her lip teasingly. “I love you so much.”

Liam smiled. “You better. You’ve got one hell of a husband. I’d even venture to say you’re the luckiest woman on the whole damn planet right now.” Before Riley could respond to his jest, he put both of his hands on her cheeks to hold her head still and began placing playful, wet smooches all over her face, causing her to laugh riotously. After a few seconds of her squirming around and cackling at his antics, he paused to look at her. “You know I love you, too. Now go on up. I’ll be right behind you soon.”

With a pat to her backside, they went their separate ways.

---------

Liam returned to the ballroom, having offered to finish what little time was left without her. He would offer his apologies for her absence, but in reality, the King couldn’t have cared less what anyone there thought. Since his bachelor party weeks ago, he had grown from a man who had no choices to one who made his own. His marriage and relationship with Riley came first. Her wellbeing was the main priority -- to hell with anyone who had a problem with that.

As Riley placed a hand on the elegant wooden handrail of the grand staircase and took the first step up, her thoughts meandered to where she had been in her life one month ago and how vastly it had changed in such a short time. For the first time in years, she was happy, and it felt so good to be in that place where she could finally let go of the past and move on. Liam was a game-changer, and she was thoroughly convinced he was the only person on the planet who could have gotten her out of her own head and to this level of blissful existence.

Rounding the corner at the top of the stairs, she reached into her clutch to pull out the key card to her quarters, exhaustion slowing her strides. Shuffling past a row of closed office doors and framed artwork, she made her way to the residential wing.

The squeak of a door behind her and the click of heels drew her attention, causing her to stop and turn to see who was there.

The color drained from her face as Madeleine casually stepped out, her hands behind her back and a devious, unsettling grin cemented on her face.

It wasn't the fear that made Riley's heart pound with a sickening thud, but more shock than anything. No one had seen or spoken to the Countess since the confrontation in Las Vegas when she showed up unexpectedly after finding out Liam had married Riley the night prior.

Now, suddenly, there she was, as if out of nowhere, a gleam in her eye, looking all too pleased to have this run-in with Riley.

"A little dramatic, don't you think?" Riley scoffed, taking one step back the closer Madeleine approached. "What are you even doing here?"

"I'm not going to hurt you, if that's what you're worried about," she answered contemptuously. Her green eyes drifted to one of the cameras mantled at each end of the hallway. Riley placed a shaky hand over her stomach, letting out a low, relieved breath, hoping that was the truth. "Not physically, anyway."

"Well, that sounds promising," Riley replied sardonically. "Now, if you don't mind ..." She turned away, wanting nothing more than to escape this conversation and make it back to her quarters.

Madeleine reached out and grabbed the Queen by her elbow, pulling her back and harshly twisting her around so they were now face-to-face. "You're not going anywhere until I'm through with you," she hissed with an icy glare. "I told you I would make you regret what you've done."

Riley jerked her arm, trying to free herself. "Let go of my arm, Madeleine!"

"Not until you hear what I have to say."

"I'm not interested in anything you have to say! Now LET ME GO!" Riley hoped someone heard her yell or at least witnessed what was happening on the camera. Where the hell is security?

While continuing to struggle to free herself, she reached up with her free hand in an attempt to pry off Madeleine's bony fingers that were squeezing tight grooves around her elbow, her manicured nails digging deeper into Riley's skin. "You're hurting me. I said to let me go."

"Very well, then." The woman, who had twice lost her chance at the crown, released her firm grasp, knowing that the momentum would cause Riley to stumble back as soon as she let go.

Just as predicted, Riley planted a foot behind her for leverage before drawing her arm back as hard as she could, one last time. Her eyes grew wide, and she let out a sharp gasp that sounded well down the corridor. Riley sailed backward, tripping over herself and toppling to the ground. She finally landed with a hard blow on her backside, the rear of her head just inches from slamming to the floor.

A shockwave of pain coursed up Riley's spine from hitting so abruptly. Before she had a chance to respond or process what happened, Madeleine crouched down beside her, holding a DVD up and gaining Riley's attention.

The pain had morphed into a throbbing ache that was soon forgotten as the Queen stared quizzically at the object displayed in front of her like a grand prize.

"What is that?" her voice trembled.

"It's my ace in the hole," Madeleine stated, then wagged a finger. "Someone used to be a very naughty girl."

Furrowing her brows, Riley responded. "I don't know what you mean."

"You know precisely what I mean, but just in case, please allow me to refresh your memory," Madeleine smirked before rising to her feet and prancing around as if she were having the time of her life. "I did a little digging after my brief visit to Las Vegas and came across a man who knew you very, very well at one time. I made some calls. We exchanged e-mails, a transfer of money or two. And he was all too eager to accept my offer of payment for any dirt he could give me on you."

There was no point in asking "who" -- she already knew; the thought made her nauseous. Riley closed her eyes and muttered. "Tyler?"

"Yes," Madeleine beamed, " Your ex-husband. He had a lot to say about you."

"I'm sure he did. Does it even matter to you that he's a liar and a cheat -- not to mention greedy? He would make up anything if he thought he could profit off of it."

"Oh, it matters. Personally, I don't believe a damn thing he had to say. Honestly, Riley ... even someone like you could have done better than that slime."

Riley cringed in pain as she pushed herself off the floor and turned to her oppressor. "Just get to the point, Madeleine. Clearly, he gave you something you thought was valuable enough to use against me, so just spit it already."

Madeleine smiled, "How very astute of you. You're correct. He did." She held up the disc as Riley regarded it suspiciously. "On this disk are several hours of the two of you ... together. Very graphic, if I do say so myself." Riley's jaw dropped upon hearing those words as Madeleine continued, "Now don't worry. I only watched it long enough to make sure the video was legit --"

"Give me that!" Riley reached out to snatch the DVD, but Madeleine pulled it away just out of her grasp. A burning sensation filled inside her chest and spread across her face. "You're lying. I never made videos like that."

"Oh, I think you did," the blonde countered with a mirthful tone. "You just didn't know about it. Your ex admitted as much to me ... an asshole move, for sure. But nonetheless, I purchased the copy from him for a hefty sum. And ... well ... here we are now. You're more than welcome to take this disc and see for yourself; I have it downloaded as a backup, knowing you'd want proof."

At that moment, all Riley wanted was for Liam to walk down that corridor where she now stood, pick her up in his arms, whisk her away to safety, and tell her it was all a bad dream. Not that she did anything wrong -- she was married at one time to the man, presumably on the video, and would have been a consenting adult.

No, it was the fact that Tyler Brooks had taken intimate videos with her during their marriage, without her knowledge. Now Madeleine had possession of them.

God only knew what she planned to do with them, but Riley had a pretty good idea. "What do you want?" she whispered in defeat, afraid to hear the answer.

Madeleine grinned from ear-to-ear. "For you to leave Cordonia tonight and never return, or I release everything to the press."

Riley shook her head. "No. As much as I don't want anyone to see that video, I did nothing wrong, and I won't be blackmailed or intimidated by you so that you can get your grubby little paws on the crown."

"Is that so?" It wasn't a question so much as a remark meant to convey who was in control.

Maintaining her position, Riley raised a brow, refusing to give in.

Madeleine was far from giving up, though; she had manipulation in her blood. "Very well, then. I'll release the video in the morning. It should be interesting to see how the world reacts to yet another scandal by this monarchy. Their Queen plastered all over the internet again, except this time, uploaded on every porn site on the web.

"The news will run the story with your blurred-out silhouette in the background. Your father will see it, and his business will become a target.: Your friends. Family. Students. They'll all be inundated with your sexual proclivities. But the worst part will be the tribunal. The council will have no choice but to question Liam's decision-making abilities after not only squandering his pick of queen on some American nobody, but now one whose ass will be featured on the desktops of teenage boys across the world. It's a shame that he'll lose his reign, all because of you. Would you really do that to Liam? Do you genuinely believe you're worth all the trouble it will cause him?"

Riley froze. She knew Madeleine was taunting her with the people she cared about the most. The last thing she wanted was to embarrass each of them. But to possibly cause Liam to lose his legacy, his birthright, and the rulership of a country he loved so much? It was something she couldn't shake.

Staring blankly, twisting the bands of gold that belonged to Liam's mother, she couldn't get the question Madeleine just asked out of her mind: Did Riley believe she was worth the trouble it would cost him?

Nothing was damning on that video, aside from the fact that she never knew it existed. But she already had so much to prove; another video in the press' hand would tarnish Liam. Maybe the Countess of Fydelia was right: He would lose it all.

"Time is ticking," Madeleine reminded Riley as she tapped her watch. "What's it going to be?"

----------

@burnsoslow @dcbbw @ao719 @hopefulmoonobject @jessiembruno @texaskitten30 @janezillow @merridithsmiscellany-blog @mskaneko @callmeellabella @queenjilian @sirbeepsalot @drakexwillow @caroldxnvxrs @jovialyouthmusic @forthebrokenheartedthings @bebepac @kingliam2019 @lovablegranny @cordoniaqueensworld @amandablink @liamxs-world @choiceskatie @iaminlovewithtrr @hopelessromanticmonie @charlotteg234 @annekebbphotography @txemrn @thecordoniandiaries @alyssalauren @cordonianroyalty @monsoonbloom12 @mom2000aggie @theroyalheirshadowhunter @princessleac1 @kimmiedoo5 @graceful-leah @iam-the-kind-and-thoughtful @thegreentwin @gkittylove99 @cinnamonspongecake @lifeaskim @neotericthemis @pink-diamond13 @walker7519 @natureblooms24 @yourmajesty09 @gabesmommie1130 @sweatyrysconnoisour @kat-tia801 @debmcg1106

Liam x MC: Cordonia-gothqueen

FRI Series Tags: @narrytheworld @queenwalton @cordonianprincess @zaffrenotes @zilch3 @drrookie @sfb123

#liam x mc #liam x riley #prince liam #king liam #the royal romance #trr #choices liam x mc #Fools Rush In #bbrandy2002

142 notes · View notes

valdangelodumbasses · 3 years

Text

Valdangelo Headcannons #1

Leo and Nico are both introverts but Nico loves affection

Leo made Nico tiramisu once and he swallowed it faster than Percy could ever

Leo couldn't look him in the eyes for a week or he got so flustered

Nico is lawyer bf

and a demon at monopoly; him playing w/ Annie is the worst.

gamers! both like monster (specifically mango loco) but Nico also loves tropical redbull

Nico teaches Leo and hazel how to play so they can battle 2v2

Nico wipes the floor and Leo is just glad he understands half the rules

Nico and Leo wear heels.

and they're good at it too.

Confident Nico>>>>>>

Leo has a fucking heart attack when Nico pins him to a wall

Leo makes Nico laugh with his jokes and shitty pickup lines

but when Uses shitty pickup lines on him he steals them, after he stops looking like a tomato

Nico does Cosplay and they cosplay together and its so fucking rad

making out while baking/cooking? more likely than u think

Leo tells Nico he looks cute one day b4 they started dating and Nico is like: Is this friendly affection

Caffeine addicts rise up

but Nico hates coffee and honestly same

teas n energy drinks>>>

Leo is a fucking swine who mixes all his foods and Nico nearly vomits bc he wont let his food even touch goddamit

Piper and Hazel being wingman while Percy and Jason are the matchmakers

p r a n k s

like so goddam many

they are unstoppable and they pin it on the Stolls

or Leo gets caught

Nico n e v e r does bc like? scary emo kid? prankster? nah, NAh,

he sticks his tongue out at leo anytime leo gets caught

bisexual leo or gay leo? leo doesn't even know!

all he knows is that nicos hot and has a cute butt & personality

nico is a theater gay

he sings every musical

his favorites are Heathers, Beetle juice, Legally blond, and the greatest showman

Leo has theater kid energy but probably works the tech stuff

he likes heathers, Chicago, legally blond, Grease, and dear evan Hansen the best

Hamilton is neither of their favorites yet they end up dueting it all the time

Art kid and Repair kid>>>>>>>>>>>>

Percy sees them kiss after dating (and kissing) for 6 months and wait yall are friends?

Hes slow but he means well, Nico sticks his tongue in leo's mouth after percy says that

he's like “O H , sorry im dumb”

“jackpot” “Valdez shush”

they talk abt their moms

angsty emo boys listen to greenday

and every other emo band

Leo calls Nico mammacita once

never again (Nico started crying)

why? It was commonplace used by his uncles and grandpa

Nico demands leo call him that more though

Leo is Hesitant but obliges

mexican or italian food restaurant arguments

leo steals nicos breadsticks even tho he has some

nico steals leo's nachos when he has his own

they're petty? yes but petty and in love!

and gay/ did i mention g a y

Demiboy leo rights

leos a fuckin lefty

Trans Nico rights mtf or ftm rights

nico may not be trans but he's also demiboy

demi boys calling each other they all day because nobody uses the they in he/they (speaking as a demigirl)

If nico IS trans tho hades 100% uses magic to transition Nico bc yes good dad

laughing abt trauma and they're friends are like: NO

memes

“get ur hands off my bf”

“kick their ass baby i got cho flower”

imagine, just imagine nico fussing over leos hair because curly is the cutest

leo fusses over nicos when he's in a slump and brushes his hair

skincare is vital to both

Leo does engineering n shit but does it for like 16 hours straight much to everyone's dismay, but Nico who has (arguably) fresh eyes and make sure his physics is right

Nico loves physics fight me

but nico sleeps like 4 times a week for 3 hours or 3 days a week for 12 hours

Insomnia gang don’t rise up go to fuckin sleep

will keeps giving them melatonin and they always forget to take ti and will is going to fuckin murder them maybe then they'll sleep

u know that comic where they naruto kiss S P I D E R M A N K I S S I E S

nico hangs like a bat and leo is a memelord

nico also loves spider man

they def try to make spider man gear but annie smashes the shit out of it

dorks! comic!

omg comic book shop au nico owns it

soulmate au where u loose shit n it goes to ur soulmate

nico has NO clue what the hell to do with all this nails n hammers n shit

Leo builds stuff out of nicos lost mytho dupes

Leo doesnt know what to do with his underwear, or all the mcdonalds receipts and the crumpled up sketches and sketch books

anyway

aphrodite ships it as she SHOULD and hades n heppy do too

why did i cal hephaestus heppy ? idk maybe aphrodite calls him that

They both hate yoga with a passion

does nico have an obsession with spn or does he hate it sm that he watches it ?

its as ambiguous as leo's sexuality!

Leos like what if i'm straight

then nico walks in

No he's definitely not straight

who even heard of greeks being straight smh

Nico in miniskirts, aline, or any skirt makes leo go brrrrrrr

he wears leggings or tights under them though

Nico also wears leggins to bed

or the fluffy pants he steals from leo so leo doesn't have any pants

“IM FEELINGS DEVIOUS AND LOOKING GLAMORUS-”

band band band band band band band band band Nico can sing and leo plays drums

Nico and katie are friends and Nico has a green thumb so leo is surprised when nico has more houseplants than crowley (Good omens)

He has tons of hanging and not hanging terrariums

Leo tries not to set them on fire

After Leo and Nico start hanging out more Nico bribes Lou Ellen to make his plants fire proof

they are now

Nico knows how to fire a gun and he's good at it

Pirate Nico!!

Leo and Hades get along well

So does Nico and heppy

the parents get along too but they diss heras bad mothering

Nico gets de aged and leo is ???? but he's so CUTE AND TINY

Leo babysits him for a week in the bunker and nobody even knows until Percy and Will goes in there looking for him

Nico and Clarisse sparing? Sweaty bf? Leo loves it and chris and leo are just staring and say “yes”

Nico has freckles and leo kisses each one

Leo has these really dark freckles spread across his body but they aren't as frequent as freckles?? y'all know what i mean? ne way nico kisses them

Leo uses Yall.

It rubs off on nico

jason is a die hard anti y’all

they annoy the shit out of him

Cuddles

nico and leo having bakeoffs

Nico asking piper for advice but editing it so its not super obvious its leo

She figures it out and tells leo like any good bff

nico promptly leaves camp when leo busts in asking if he has a crush on him

hades laughs but understands

leo sulks back to piper and percy is there and Percy got no chill

so he goes down there

Hades ain't too happy w that but Nico just gets so embarrassed and goes back with him

Hephaestus and aphro watching this go down like a romcom

I'm getting tired so im going to stop here anyway stan valdangelo for clear skin

137 notes · View notes

thiswasinevitableid · 3 years

Note

For the prompt fill, number 3 for Indruck seems pretty fitting!

Here you go! Prompt 3 was “sweet” , Indrid’s design is based on a barracuda and I went with SFW on this one.

“Duck, can you do me a favor when you lock up?” Leo dumps orange taffy into a glass jar.

“Sure, what d’you need?”

“Got some locks for the garbage cans; put ‘em on after you set the alarm out back. Somethin’s been getting into our trash every damn night for the last week. It makes a god-awful mess and I’m worried we’re gonna get a fine for littering.”

Duck nods, turns his attention back to the flock of tourists approaching the window. The afternoon is swallowed up in a pit of sugar-sticky air and blasts of welcome cold from the freezer. There are worse places for a summer job than Tarkesian’s Sweets--he’s right by the water, can watch the wildlife on his lunch break, and Leo is low-maintenance boss--but after eight hours on his feet getting splashed with soda or burned on the popcorn machine, he’s ready to head home. The trash locks have other ideas.

It takes ten minutes of cursing and fumbling to get the first bin secured. He doesn’t even know how the damn things are getting overturned; they seem too heavy for a raccoon or seagull to knock to the ground.

A tiny splash behind him, probably a fish jumping.

Then a crooked, shiny pole slowly enters his periphery. In dim yellow of the streetlight, he can tell the end of it is curved. It pokes inelegantly at the wall, then the locked can, then the wall once again, and then Duck’s leg.

The hook pulls back, pauses, then pokes him again.

“The fuck?” He grabs it when it goes for another jab, pulls up only for his arms to be wrenched towards the water. Not to be outdone, he tugs harder. His opponent retaliates with enough force that he almost tumbles off the pier. He growls, braces his foot on the railing, and hauls the hook and its owner up onto worn wood with him.

It’s a guy about his age, angular face framed by a mess of silver hair and pierced ears. Figures it’s some sort of artsy punk swimming around poking people in the leg. That explains why he’s shirtless too.

It does not, however, explain why he has a tail.

“Rude.” The guy sits up on his hands, silver and black tail flicking droplets of saltwater everywhere, “I don’t go around stopping you from eating.”

“Look man, I just wanted you to stop jabbin me and knockin the trash over.” Maybe if he doesn’t mention the tail it will go away.

“How else am I supposed to get at those odd, pulpy tubs full of ‘cookies and cream’ or ‘bubblegum’?”

“The fuck--wait, you were tryin’ to get the ice cream containers out of the trash?”

“Yes? I also want more of the caramel apples” he pronounces the last word “applees” causing Duck to giggle in spite of himself.

“Look, I have to piece words together from the signs on your store. And you obviously know what I meant or you would not be laughing, so do you have any in the cans or not?”

“Nope” Duck gets his laughter under control, “sold out of caramel apples today.”

“Drat” the visitor starts scooting across the pier towards the unlocked trashcan, “I’ll see what else I can find.”

“Wait don’t fuckin knock that over, Leo’ll be pissed at me if he comes back to a mess, and I don’t feel like pickin up trash because you want a snack!”

“But I’m starving!” The merman, because at this point there’s no way he can deny that’s what’s been rooting through the garbage, whacks at Duck with his tail.

“I know for a damn fact there’s food down there.” He points at the bay.

“Only if you can catch it, and only if it is not in another mer’s territory. Which much of this area is; I am new here, young, and thus have no claim to any patch of sea.”

“You ain’t got any family?” Something pings in his chest. It’s the part of his heart that made him pick out the runt of litter when his mom let him get a cat on his thirteenth birthday, that means he always splits his lunch with Juno because she’s running track and needs it more than he does, that makes him tear up when he thinks about everything a sapling has to survive to become a tree.

“Merfolk leave home at sixteen.” The merman shrugs.

Duck sighs, grabbing his keys, “If I bring you somethin to eat, will you leave the trash alone?”

“Yes.”

He shuts off the alarm, grabs a cone and fills it with bright blue ice cream. The merman is back in the water when he returns, arms resting on the pier.

“Oooh, my favorite!” He takes the ice cream, biting huge chunks out of it as Duck re-arms the door.

Crunch

“...The container is edible!!”

He sits next to the merman’s arms, “Guess you wouldn’t have had an ice cream cone before, huh.”

“No, but it is lovely. I wish humans threw these away more often.” He polishes off the treat, licks his fingers clean with moans Duck hears in his dreams later, and smiles, “thank you for the meal. Goodnight.”

There’s a final flash of silvery tail, and then Duck’s alone in the breezy night air.

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

“That’s a sandwich, correct?”

“AHfuck” Duck knocks over his water bottle in surprise. He’s eating behind the candy store like usual and not expecting an aquatic dining companion.

“Apologies. I have seen you eating here before and thought you may like some company.” He sets a sea urchin on the ground and proceeds to bang on it with a rock.

“Found some lunch?”

“I followed some otters; I was mainly trying to draw them, but they led me to a kelp bed no one else was in.”

“...Wait how do you draw underwater?”

“Let me finish cracking this open and I will show you.”

Duck spends the rest of his lunch break on his belly, the merman showing him a sketchbook and enchanted pen that conjures whatever colors the illustrator envisions. The mer is genuinely excited to talk to him. He assumes the nuzzling is due to him smelling like cotton candy; he doesn’t mind, the mer’s skin is cool and he makes cute little noises whenever he touches Duck.

Before the stands, Duck asks, “You got a name?”

“Indrid.”

“Duck.”

Indrid’s eyes flick to the nearby estuary.

“Yeah, like the bird. It’s a nickname.”

“I like it.” Indrid smiles, dives, and flaps his tail once in farewell.

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

“Cutting school again?” Indrid’s voice bubbles up by his feet.

“Yep.” Duck watches the spring clouds roll by from his favorite spot on the beach. It’s secluded and far from town, meaning no one will give him shit for skipping class and nobody will see Indrid.

He worked at Leo’s until this past summer, only quitting at the start of his senior year of high school when Indrid pointed out that much of Kepler was surrounded by water and that, if Duck wanted to see him, he did not have to keep working at the candy store in order to do so.

“Not that I mind the free food.” Indrid winks.

“Just gonna bring you bulk ice cream from Safeway; no way am I missin out on that chirpin you do when you eat it.”

Duck slides the grocery bag towards the surf, “not like KCC is gonna rescind my offer. Ain’t a fuckin Ivy League or some shit.”

“And you will be happy there?”

“Yeah. They got a decent work-study program with the park, so I can still get a job as a ranger if I want to.”

“Oh. Good.”

Indrid sounds sad, and Duck sits up on his elbows. His friend’s torso is fully on land, his tail fidgeting in the foam.

“What’s up?

“I...Barclay told me his human is going to a school further inland, and I know there are many places you could got to learn. You...you did not choose to stay in Kepler because you feel the need to look after me, did you?”

“Course not.” Duck is sitting up now, aching to stroke Indrid’s hair, “I mean, I’m glad we’re still gonna be able to see each other, and I really hopin I can get a room near the beach so it’s easy to come talk. But this is the right choice for me; if I really want to, I can transfer to a different school in a few years, and I can learn a lot here without takin on a shit-ton of debt. Besides, ain’t like I think you’re helpless; I love bringin you stuff and rubbin your fin when it’s sore, but that’s because you’re my friend. Don’t think you’re helpless. I never have.”

“Not even when I was stealing trash?”

“Thought you were a fuckin nuisance, not helpless.” He playfully nudges his shoulder with his toes.

Indrid turns his head and nips his calf, “How’s that for a nuisance?”

“Not much, felt kinda nice. Uh, I mean, uh, fuck, so, where’d that worry about my stayin come from?”

The mer crawls and wiggles until they’re shoulder to shoulder, “I think my future sight is finally developing; my fathers arrived around the time he turned eighteen, so it makes sense mine would arrive at a similar point. The trouble is, I am having a hard time telling the futures from my own imaginings and worries.”

“That fuckin sucks.”

“I’ll manage. All seers struggle at the beginning. I just wish I was quicker at learning whether certain timelines are really more likely or if they are just ones that I want to be likely.”

“Like what?”

Indrid glances at him, opens his mouth, then shuts it and faces the sea.

Duck smirks, “‘Drid, there somethin you wanna ask me?”

“No. Yes. Maybe? I, I just don’t want to pressure youOOOHhhh that’s not fair” he flops on his back with a groan as Duck scritches his upper tail, “you know I’ll do anything when you touch me like this.”

“Damn right I do. And what I want is for you to tell me the truth.”

Indrid whines, covers his face with his hands.

“Do it or I’ll stop.”

“Rude” Indrid lowers his hands enough that his red eyes peer over the top, “is that any way to treat a mer who wants to kiss you?”

Duck gives his answer by pouncing on his friend, pinning narrow shoulders into the sand as he devours his mouth in kisses.

“You like that treatment better?”

“Goodness, yes.” Indrid pulls him back down, slipping his tongue between his lips and nibbling his neck when he finally stops to breathe. Then his hand flails sideways, grabbing the plastic bag and chucking it further up the beach.

“The, the tide is coming in and I, ah, foresee us working up quite the appetite.” He tugs Duck’s collar down with his teeth, nuzzling and licking across his skin with little hums of pleasure, “so I want to save those for afterwards. Who knows” he grins, “maybe we’ll need energy for round two as well.”

Duck cups his cheek, inhales the scent of the sea and the sight of his future, “I like the way you think, sweet thing.”

#Indruck #indrid cold/duck newton #mermay fills

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staticscreenwriting · 3 years

Text

The loneliest time of the year || Part one

Part 1 of 4

Summary: With a broken heart and the fear of having failed as a father, Frankie returns to his parents house for Christmas. What is supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year feels quite lonely. Though when an old friend shows up unexpectedly with her young son in tow, Frankie’s Christmas seems to gain a little more happiness. Can they help each other fight the ghosts of their pasts and overcome their fears ? A/N: This is part of my 12 days of Christmas / Advent special. Every sunday leading up to Christmas you will get another part. That’s 4 parts in total. Likes, reblogs, comments are all much appreciated.

[additional note: I am German. Sometimes I get the tense wrong or make mistakes. I am useless when it comes to punctuation. Go easy on me, please.]

Christmas time is the most depressing time of the year. Seriously, you can look that up. There’s a bunch of statistics about it and essays using long fancy words.

It’s a time that makes you so acutely aware of how lonely you actually are. And then you’re left to reflect on all the reasons why and that’s just fucking depressing.

Frankie maneuvers his car along the streets of his hometown, a light dusting of snow covers the ground and the trees to his left and right have long sharp icicles hanging from their branches like the sharp teeth of an imaginary monster that lives under your bed.

He passes by the old movie theatre, the 7/11, the diner where he got his first kiss, the red brick building that was once a printing house but has been turned into a Starbucks for some reason, and the public library that he used to volunteer at when he was in high school. There are ghosts in all the windows looking back at him. Ghosts of the boy he used to be and the memories he thought long forgotten.

This wasn’t the plan. He’s not supposed to be here. Or maybe he is. Maybe this is exactly what he deserves. To come crawling back home to mom and dad because the future he had tried so hard to build for himself came crumbling down on him in a matter of moments. And all of it is entirely his own fucking fault. If only he wasn’t such a damn mess.

“I'll have a blue Christmas without you

I'll be so blue just thinking about you.”

“Ah fuck off, Elvis!”

He turns off the radio and is left with just the quiet and his thoughts until the little blue house at the end of a cul-de-sac comes into view. This house has seen many versions of Frankie. Highs and lows. He wonders if he even knows the person he is anymore.

Across the street sits a park and then another little house, this is one red and the shutters are white and the paint is chipping. It used to sit empty for a while but there’s a car in the driveway and light coming from inside. Maybe he was wrong, maybe he isn’t the only one that changed, maybe the town did a little bit of changing too.

His mom is a hugger, always has been. Still is. At least that hasn’t changed. She has him wrapped in a warm big hug as soon as he gets out of the car. She smells the same way she did when he was a little boy. Like lavender and fresh cotton and warmth. His mom, Frankie thinks, has the ability to talk faster than anyone else he knows. Even faster than Pope when he’s drunk. She bombards him with information about various distant relatives and has him caught up on the last several years of their lives before his dad even manages to get to the door.

His dad looks older than the last time Frankie has seen him, but not in a fragile way. Age doesn’t make his dad look sickly or weak, it just makes him look wise. He’s got lines etched into the skin around his lips, from all the laughter and the smiles. Every adventure, every memory, it’s all there in his face and Frankie admires that so much. With every day passing he himself just looks sadder and more worn out.

“Darling, let him come inside. It’s freezing out here.”

Ever since he was little, Frankie knew that what his parents have was special. There was so much love in the way they talked with each other. It exuded from every word. From every look. They were a package deal. One could simply not be without the other. It’s something he knew most of his family members were envious of. Hell, he himself was envious of it.

“Hey Pops, good to see you.”

His dad wraps him in a hug as he steps into the warm house. His dad isn’t a hugger, he’s more stoic and calm but that doesn’t make him any less loving. There was never a day in his life, that Frankie ever doubted his father’s love for him. It’s just that he’s not the most physically affectionate guy, and that’s fine. When he does give out hugs, they are the best.

“Did the Murphy’s house get sold then?” Frankie questions, motioning over his shoulder towards the little red house. The couple who lived there, Margaret and Edwin, were lovely. They were the kind of old people that others just adore. Always a smile on their faces, always greeting you with the most infectious of good moods. They were already old when Frankie was a kid, but they were the kind of people you’d expect to live forever. Though death doesn’t care for any of that and eventually it came for them too. The house went to their only son, a man that always intrigued Frankie. Michael was a photographer and always on the road looking for a new adventure. He was his parents' age but there was a youth about him that made him look much younger. He always seemed like more of a friend or older brother to his daughter than a father.

His daughter. (Y/N) and Frankie weren’t friends. Not really. For that, they didn’t spend nearly enough time with each other. But whenever she would come around and spend the summers at her grandparents' place, Frankie and her would gravitate towards each other. There was an undeniable attraction, a magnetic pull. She always had the most exciting stories and for a teenage boy, there was nothing more exciting than a pretty girl with adventure in her veins.

He hasn’t seen her for a long time though, eventually, she went off to college and he joined the military. She came around less and less and then when first Edwin and then Margaret died, the house stayed quiet and lonely. Last time he saw (Y/N) was when he randomly ran into her at a bar but even that must’ve been at least 10, maybe 12 years ago.

“Oh no. Their son, Michael, do you remember him?”

“Sure.”

“He had a bad accident. Can’t work no more, needs a lot of help. You know what he was like, always on the road never really having a place he called home. Other than this house. So him and his daughter are back here. Do you remember her?“

“ (Y/N), yeah.”

“She’s moved back too. Gave up her entire life to help her father. Poor thing now works at the diner waiting tables for a living all the while taking care of Michael and her young son.”

“She has a kid?”

A sting of pain runs through his heart. Big brown eyes stare up at him in his mind, eyes that look so much like his. Eyes he couldn’t wait to see sparkling from joy on Christmas morning. Eyes he ain’t allowed to look into anytime soon.

“Yes, a little boy. Leo, he’s 7 years old. So well behaved and smart. Such a lovely little boy.”

A warm mug of coffee is thrust into Frankie’s hand as his father guides him to sit down on the big couch in the living room that’s been there ever since he was a kid.

“We invited them to come around for Christmas Eve dinner which reminds me that I still need to get a present for the boy.”

“Darling, it’s December 5th we still got time.”

Despite his heart laying in shambles by his feet, being around his parents sends a warmth through Frankie. It’s so familiar and comforting to be here. Maybe this isn’t all bad. Maybe this is exactly what he needs.

On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me: One sweet reunion.

Frankie sits on his old bed in his old room. There are fewer posters there and the wall that used to be painted a dark blue is now a soft peach color. The old dark wood furniture has been replaced by white cupboards and two beds, both white too. An adult-sized bed for him and a toddler bed for Rosie. Little butterfly decals decorate the walls and soft pink curtains hang before the window. This is more Rosie’s room that’s his now, only she isn’t here to see it.

A knock on the door shakes him from his daydream. Voices echo through the halls and up the stairs. Voices he doesn’t recognize but by the tone in his mother’s words, he can tell they’re friendly faces.

“So we thought maybe we could borrow your car.”

Frankie sees her before she sees him. Had he not knows she was in town, maybe he wouldn’t have recognized her. (Y/N) looks older. Not old. Just more mature. She must be in her 30s now. Grown into her body. A mother.

“Of course dear, Frankie can help you get the tree if you want. We still need one ourselves anyway. Two birds one stone.”

“Frankie is home?”

(Y/N)’s voice shines with a glimmer of hope.

“I am.”

A smile spreads on her face, and that one he recognizes so well. It’s equal parts mischievous and warm. Familiar and comforting. Sassy and soft.

“Oh man, it’s so good to see you. It’s been some time, huh ?”

“Sure has,” he replies and the two of them share a quick hug. She’s cold from the air outside and smells like winter and snow. Her hair is hidden beneath a beanie and her fingers are kept warm by some fluffy blue mittens. She’s adorable. So fucking adorable.

“So, you want help getting your Christmas tree?” Frankie asks as she pulls away, missing the softness she brought.

“Well actually I was just asking to use your dad’s car but since you’re here, would you mind helping out ?”

“ Course not! We need a tree anyway and I’ll have you know, I’m great at finding the best Christmas trees.”

“That so?”

“Sure is.”

Another big smile spreads on (Y/N)’s lips. “Okay cool. Let me know when you’re ready. Leo and I are free all day.”

“That’s right, you have a kid now.”

There’s an infinite sense of pride that washes over her face. He knows the feeling, sees it in his own mother when she talks about him. Feels it in his heart when he thinks of Rosie.

“Frankie has a baby too, little girl.”

His mother means well. Doesn’t matter though, the mention of her still sends a pant of pain through him. Right to his heart and then it spreads slowly but surely to the rest of his body. Like an ice pick melting slowly.

“You do? Oh, I can’t wait to meet her.”

His heart breaks. Shatters. Crumbles.

“She’s uh — she’s with her mom for Christmas.” And pretty much any other day too.

“Huh, well I guess you’ll just have to tell me all about her then. “

He appreciates this. Her not asking but just taking the situation for what it is. Questions ask for answers he can’t give, doesn’t want to give.

“I can do that.”

“Okay great. Let me bother you no longer, just come knock on our door when you’re ready. You know where I live.”

With a wave and a smile, she makes her exit and steps back into the cold. Snow now falling in big white flakes from the skies, like big bubbles of soap. Like star fragments.

“She’s such a nice young woman, I wish life was a bit more gentle on her. “ his mom spoke up from beside Frankie.

“Yeah. Yeah, me too mom. Me too.”

When he steps out of the house a few hours later, the ground is already covered in a thick coat of fluffy snow. His boots leave deep prints in the pristine white blanket.

Across the street, he can hear a melody of laughter flowing through the air before two figures jump out from behind the house, wrapped in warm clothes, throwing snowballs at each other.

“Mom you’re cheating!” The young boy, Leo calls out, laughter ringing along with his words.

“No way! Nu-uh.”

“Yu-uh! “

The exchange puts a smile on Frankie’s face. It reminds him of his own childhood. When the world didn’t feel like it was working against him. When it was kind. When things were easy. When he was happy.

Realizing neither of the two has spotted him yet, Frankie squats down and gathers some snow in his glove covered hands. In a swift motion, he pulls his arm back and throws the snow in (Y/N)’s direction hitting her right in between her shoulders.

“Hey!”

There’s a second where anger and confusion reign over her face and then she realizes it’s Frankie who threw the snowball and it melts into warmth and mischief.

“I’ll get you back for that, dude. “

“That a threat?”

“Nah, it’s a promise.”

The boy regards them with careful curiosity.

“Leo, come here. This is my friend Frankie.”

To be quite honest, Frankie hadn’t really considered himself a friend of (Y/N) but to hear her introduce him as such felt real nice. He had friends, good friends, brothers even. Pope and the Millers knew him like the knee themselves but this was different. This was home.

“Frankie, this is my son Leo.”

The boy is all (Y/N). Same smile, same eyes. Like a copy and paste.

“Hey, Leo, nice to meet you.”

The boy gives him a shy wave. “Hi.”

“You guys ready to get some Christmas trees?” Frankie asked, looking from (Y/N) to Leo and back to her. The excitement on their faces makes him feel a little giddy.

Back when he was a kid, buying a tree was one of his favorite things to do during Christmas season. His dad always used to wake him up real early so they could be one of the first people at the Christmas tree sale. They’d stay for hours looking for the perfect tree. Now perfect didn’t mean it had to be actually immaculate. Perfect meant perfect for them. Sometimes they’d decide to find the fastest one or the one with the biggest hole. One time they found one with a bird's nest still inside.

Those were the good times and Frankie, knowing now how harsh life can be, will never take them for granted.

On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me: Two perfectly imperfect Christmas trees.

“Too big.”

“Too small.”

“I can literally count the branches on one hand.”

(Y/N), Frankie realizes as they look at what feels like the 12 millionth tree, is very particular when it comes to her Christmas trees.

“Mom, can we just pick one? They’re all good!” Leo chimes up as his mother dismisses yet another tree for being too skinny.

“I just want it to be perfect. When I was a little girl my dad and I were always traveling and when we’d come to my grandparents for Christmas they’d have this big beautiful tree every year. I want my dad to have that again.”

There’s more there, he can tell. By the way, her voice shakes slightly and the determination and chaos raging in her eyes. Frankie has yet to find out what exactly happened to her dad, what kind of accident he got in. But it’s not really a conversation starter now, is it?

Leo’s eyes meet Frankie's, a clear message traveling between them. A silent understanding.

“Look (Y/N) how about we let you roam this place in peace until you’ve found the perfect tree and Leo and I go see if we can find one for my parents? “

Leo nods his head in enthusiastic approval. A smile playing on his lips that is so strikingly similar to the one Frankie has seen so many times on the boy's mother.

“You sure?”

“Yeah, two of us are gonna find a perfectly imperfect tree for my folks and you go find the tree of your dreams. Just call if you need us, okay?”

She takes a breath, lets out a sigh. “Okay sounds good. Leo?”

“Sounds good to me too, mom.”

“Okay. Well, you boys have fun then.”

As she rounds the corner in search of the tree straight from a Christmas fairytale, Frankie turns to Leo who regards him with a guarded kindness.

“Thank you. “

“ For what? “ Frankie asks and raises his eyebrow in confusion.

“ For not making fun of my mommy. She’s so worried about grandpa, sometimes she goes a bit crazy.”

“ Nah she’s not crazy. She just wants to make everyone happy. Why would I make fun of her? Did someone make fun of her? “

It sends a flash of anger through him, the idea that someone might ridicule her for caring too much. If anything it’s what makes her so endearing. The world could do with more people like her. People who care. Deeply.

“ She talked to my daddy on the phone yesterday. I think he made fun of her. She cried. “

“ That’s — that’s not nice.”

Leo shrugs his shoulders in a way that seems casual but weary. As if he’s so used to it. Geez, the kid is 7. This isn’t something he should be used to.

“ Dad is not a nice person. Mama always says he’s busy and that he wants to see me but I don’t think that’s right. I think mama just doesn’t want me to be sad. I think daddy doesn’t really want to see me. Don’t think he loves me. But that’s okay mama loves me so much that’s enough. “

Leo’s words sent small cracks to Frankie’s heart and it’s quite hard not to let it crumble entirely. He’s never known what it feels like to be unloved by those that are meant to love you most. His parents adored him, still do. Even when he doesn’t deserve it. He can’t even begin to understand how much that must hurt. How devastating it must be, especially to a 7-year-old.

And yet Leo looks so — at peace. Like it bothers him sure, but it’s no big deal really.

Because he is loved either way. By (Y/N).

“ You’re a cool kid, you know that? “ Frankie asks and pats the young boy’s back in a friendly manner.

“ Mom says so. “

“ Well, she’s completely right. You really are. Now, you wanna help me find a tree? “

Leo nods enthusiastically.

“ Okay cool, but I’ll have to tell you how it works. “

“ We don’t just look for one we like?”

“ Oh no, you see the Morales family has a very specific tradition. Each year my dad and I go looking for a special tree. “

“ A special one? “

“ Mmmh. We always think of something special and then try to find a tree that fits that special thing. One time we tried to find the tallest tree on the lot or the widest or the skinniest. “

“ So what are we looking for this year? “

“ How abouuut … we look for one that has two tops? “

A giggle falls from Leo’s lips. “ That’s silly, that’s not a thing. “

“ Sure it is. You wanna go look for it? “

“ Yeah.”

There are big trees and small ones. Ones in shades of greens and some that look almost blue. There are fat ones with lots of branches and skinny ones that look like they’ve seen better days. None of them have two peaks though — until …

“ Frankie, look !”

His small, glove-covered hand is outstretched, pointing towards a tree before him. It’s a big tree, wide too. It’s blueish green color shines through the white haze of the winter's day.

And true to Leo’s words, the stem of the tree goes halfway up before it diverges into two different branches. Two tops.

“ That one’s perfect! “

“ He’s special! “

“ He is special. Good job, kid. “

The two share a high 5 as a laugh sounds from behind them.

“ I see you boys are getting along well. “ (Y/N) says as she approaches the two of them, placing a kiss on her son’s head as she reaches him.

“ We found a special tree, mom.”

“ Did you? Well so did I, it’s perfect. “

Her eyes wander towards Frankie’s and for a second it’s only the two of them there, veiled in shared understanding, a silent thank you.

“ I’m glad you found your tree, (Y/N). “

“ I’m glad you two had fun. Now hooow about we get those trees home and set up? “

“ Can we have hot cocoa at home, momma? “

“ Duh. Of course. You can’t decorate a Christmas tree without a good hot cup of cocoa.”

The softness in her voice, the pure adoration she holds for this boy, it makes Frankie think back to Leo’s words about his father and about (Y/N). About how she loves him enough for the both of them. And he can see it, clear as day. Her love for Leo.

Those two, he thinks, don’t need anyone. Especially not someone who doesn’t treat them with the love and respect they deserve. Those two are their own warmth, their own little universe. And it’s enough. It’s plenty. Everyone who’s allowed to be a part of their little world should be grateful because it’s a good world. It’s gentle and kind.

“ Alright you two, let’s get those trees home. “ Frankie pipes up and for a moment he is part of their little universe too. And it’s wonderful. He doesn’t wanna let go of this feeling. How anyone ever could is entirely beyond him.

On the third day of Christmas my true love gave to me: Three mugs of cocoa.

Bobby Helms’ voice echoes through the room accompanied by the soothing crack of a vinyl record. It’s an old one, one (Y/N) has found in a box of her grandparent’s stuff. Jingle Bell rock fills the air with a sense of excitement and wonder only a good old Christmas song can bring.

There are 3 cups of cocoa on the table, one of them in a Star Wars mug. It all feels warm and cozy. Homey. And for the first time since he’s back, Frankie doesn’t feel out of place. He doesn’t feel like a stranger watching through the window into someone else's life. Someone familiar. Someone he once knew. Someone he once was.

Right now he feels like he’s right where he’s meant to be. With friends who chose him. A family that lets him into their lives and willingly shares a piece of their kindness and warmth and magic with him. Not because they are bound to him by blood, by shared trauma. Just because they like him, as he is.

(Y/N) and Frankie sit on the old leather couch that’s been there in this same living room for so many years. One that has seen different versions of (Y/N). Some of him too.

In the corner of the room, across from the big window leading out into a snowy dreamland, stands a perfect Christmas tree. (Y/N)’s perfect tree. It’s decked out in lights and ornaments and tinsel. Leo hops around the tree, adding yet more ornaments here and more tinsel there, a big smile on his face the entire time.

And as she watches her son relish in the pure unfiltered joy only a child really knows, (Y/N) smiles too. Because sometimes this is what it means to be happy, seeing your loved ones smiling.

“ Thank you, Frankie. “ she says, eyes still locked on her son.

“ For what? “

It’s the second time that day that he is being thanked and for what? For being there? Really he hasn’t done much. This is what friends do, isn’t it? What they should do. Help each other out. Be there for one another.

“ For playing along with my crazy antics. I know it’s just a tree but I just want this Christmas to be — to be good. For me and for Leo and for my dad. We haven’t had the best year and I just want to make this perfect for us. Or as perfect as possible. Thanks for not letting me see how annoying I was back at the tree sale. “

Frankie shakes his head dismissively. “ You weren’t being annoying. I get it, don’t worry. Leo, he uh — he said something similar to me earlier. Said his dad made fun of you? Made you cry. “

(Y/N) lets out a scoff, curls her lips in an unamused smirk. “ Derek’s a — “ her eyes trail towards her son who pays the two adults no mind “ — he’s such a dick. Always has been. But he was suave and he had a motorcycle and I just kind of fell for his bad-boy charms. He’s unreliable though and a goddamn child. When I told him about Leo he bailed on us. Sometimes he tries to be a dad, whenever he gets one of his moods and feels like he needs to turn his life around. Those don’t last very long though. He sends birthday gifts and Christmas presents and he calls every once in a while but — well his interest in Leo isn’t all that big. “

“ What an asshole. Why’d he make you cry? “

“ Ugh, it wasn’t really any particular thing, just an amalgamation of so many. He was making me feel stupid because of the tree thing. He was being dismissive of my feelings. He didn’t want to talk to Leo. It was just his entire mood that day that once again made me realize why I ended things with him in the first place. And it isn’t fair. It really isn’t. That I have to work twice as hard to be a good parent because I have to fill both roles and he gets off scot-free. Not even a guilty conscience. How am I ever gonna be able to play both roles and play them well? How can I do that? I feel like I am failing already. “

“ Are you kidding me? “ Frankie says and softly nudges her shoulder with his “ You’re a great mother. You’re fun, you’re loving. What else could Leo want? (Y/N) you are doing an incredible job, trust me. Little mistakes you make that might seem big to you, they really don’t matter to Leo. Not now and especially not in the long run. He’s gonna remember the good times. The snowball fights and the hot cocoa and the tree decorating. Those are the little moments that will become memories. “

“ You think so ? “

“ I know so. It’s what I remember about my childhood. And it’s uh — it’s what Leo told me. He said that his dad might not be around but that it doesn’t matter because you love him twice as much. Said that’s plenty enough. The boy loves you. You’re a wonderful mom. “

He forbids his mind from going to that dark corner where he’s banished all his own fears. Those that whisper to him in quiet moments. About how his shortcomings, his mistakes, his faults, how all of that will stain his relationship with Rosie. His ability to be a good father.

Lord knows he wishes his daughter was here now. Maybe not in this exact moment, a toddler really ain’t much help when setting up a tree. But here. In his arms. With him. During Christmas time. He fears that she never will be. That the times he gets to see her will become few and far between. That he will one day only be a distant memory to her because he ain’t ever given the chance to make any good ones with her.

His heart aches from how much he misses his little girl at that moment. But he has to remind himself not to wallow in it. Because once he goes there, lets himself fall into this big black hole of grief and of missing and of fear, there’s no coming back.

So he looks back at the people around him, at their soft smiles and the Christmas lights reflected in their eyes. Shining with happiness. Shining with joy.

And as the snow falls softly outside, he tries to focus on the warmth in this room. The warmth from the fire and from the hearts so soft and so filled with love.

Because he’d rather get lost in a beautiful dream than the sad reality of his fears.

#frankie morales x reader #frankie morales imagine #francisco morales x you #francisco morales x reader #frankie morales x you #francisco morales imagine #frankie morales imagines #francisco morales imagines #triple frontier imagine #jos2020xmasspecial #catfish imagine #catfish x reader #catfish x you

61 notes · View notes

jcmoneydick · 3 years

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TharnType SS2 Episode 11

Why didn’t Type bring his bag with him? Why did he just throw it in the house and dip?

Type’s family dynamic is based on pettiness, and is so cute. You can tell Type doesn’t let his dad get away with anything. But, you would think that after seven years, Mr. Thiwat would get used to Tharn being around. As soon as Type is done hearing what his dad has to say he’s calling for his mom. It’s hilarious, and I could probably watch ten minutes of Type picking on his dad.

Why are they trying to convince me that Tharn is capable of cooking. The series should be called Tharn & Ghost!Type considering how often Tharn talks to himself. It’s a coping mechanism, I get it, but like.... If you would tell Type this, you wouldn’t be sad and lonely. And at this point it kinda feels like them not talking to each other is all stupid pride. Tharn says “I want you to make up with me,” as opposed to “I want to fix things between us.” Tharn and Type both did wrong to get them to this point, but it wasn’t so wrong that they shouldn’t talk for a month. I feel like this is so dramatic and super freaking petty. If the script made it seem like this was the straw that broke the camel’s back, I would believe it. But the script (to me) implies this is their first big almost break up fight. I know the both of them are drama queens, but this “cheating” situation has been blown out of proportion. Also, Tharn no longer believes Type cheated on him (or is no longer worried about it). “I want you to make up with me. You know it, too. That you’re the one who let him in.” So he’s more worried that Type let Fiat in, but refuses to pick up the phone and apologize for accusing him of cheating. The whole situation has a mind of it’s own at this point.

Tharn went all the way to his parent’s house for a bandaid. Pussy lol.

I love how even Thanya is like “Tharn stop being a bitch”. Then his parents are all like “good communication is what you need” and “even your mama made me super jealous once”. His parents are saying everything I said to him since episode 1 and I am living for it. I can see his dad wanting to roast Tharn “Is that all? If he said dude’s a patient, maybe you should believe him.” And I feel like Tharn is realizing how silly he’s been by not giving Type a chance to talk to him. Ghost!Type appears again.

I don’t know how to feel about Fiat feeling guilty. I’m happy Leo and Fiat can do their shit together, but that should be the end of their involvement with TT. Does Fiat not care that he was kidnapped? I really feel like that whole event should have been like “P’Type don’t want shit to do with me,” and leave it at that. Also, Phu and Cir need to stop leading people to TT’s condo. The face drop that Tharn committed to *chef’s kiss* cause I would be the same. Difference between me and Tharn: I ain’t nice, I would’ve slammed that door right in their faces. BUT ALAS, Fiat speaks for himself, instead of letting Leo do it for him. The apology does seem sincere, and Tharn seems to realize that his pride is getting in the way. Like Fiat’s show of maturity has influenced Tharn.

Type puts on his best grandpa shirt to see Khom. Does Type take the closest open beer to him, no matter where he goes? Isn’t that how people get syphilis? And now we see Type’s pride making a mess of their relationship. Khom is a real one though, he immediately debunks everything Type is complaining about.

Is the ordainment thing like a rite of passage in general, or like depending on where you grew up in Thailand, or strictly based on religious beliefs? This is also the fastest decision Type has made since asking Tharn to top him.

I figured Tharn was on his way to Type when he answered the phone in the car, but it was petty of him to say “I gotta go” like that. I would’ve broken down just like Type, but I would’ve also sent a “fuck you too” text. Someone pointed out that Type went through the five stages of grief during this five minute crying scene. (I just laughed at Type, slipping in the sand.) I know this is supposed to be sad, but like all the shit they put us through makes this so comical to me. But he made valid points. I would’ve been mad at someone making me love them for seven years just to Jimmy Neutron me too. Type cried for so long it got dark outside. It was like noon when this scene started. Are Vespas appropriate for beach AND road travel?

Type’s dad is so mad Tharn showed up! It’s easy to see where Type got his tantrums from. Type switches from disbelief to “imma whoop his ass” in nano seconds. This apology scene furthers my belief that this was blown way out of proportion. I know Type says they need to communicate more, but I get the feeling that this wouldn’t be Type’s first time telling Tharn to be one hunnit with him.

Type: I’d never do anything behind your back

Also Type: *kidnaps and assaults a nineteen year old*

Type: Let’s spend forever together.

At this point in the tale, so many of TT’s scenes together seem like MG couldn’t keep a straight face. Some of the laughs and giggles help the scenes, the rest of them seem like they’re breaking character to me. The change to me is like a whole reset. The acting in the series seems more like MG than anything most of the time, so for Type and Tharn to be so characterized during episode 9 and 10 really throw me for a loop. It almost seems like two different people, and nearly negate (bastardize? debunk?) the impact of episodes 9 and 10.

“I’m not used to it” Just how hard is Tharn fucking Type?

Since Ghost!Type is gone, Tharn resorts to talking to Sleep!Type. Gulf has to be asleep for real in one of these cuts.) I’m happy that Tharn is making the decision to follow Type, instead of imposing his opinion on him. Personally, I think Tharn trying to propose to him right after they get back together is POOR timing on his part. I can see how Type’s thinking has changed, but I do feel like they should’ve warmed up to this again. A thrown in the wind “So, eventually you’ll wear my ring, right?” I really don’t appreciate Tharn trying to run away again. They just talked about this like less than 24 hours ago. Type stating his emotions and plans about this is so nice though. After 10 episodes of his avoidance of the marriage, I’m glad he clearly spoke his feelings for once. And Type mentions not being able to give his parents grandkids, but I thought Type didn’t want kids. I know wants can change after years, but it kind of shocked me at first. Is this stated anywhere in the first season or is this a headcanon I actually thought was canon?

I really can’t believe Champ and Doc are out here playing games with each other still. Type has given Doc so many tips and advice. Khunpol HAS to be playing hard to get at this point. It’s cute, but also kiss already.

Type’s dad manages to be racist and homophobic. How familiar, reminds me of home. Did Type just tell Tharn he’d blow him? How bold.

Prediction for next ep:

Type’s ordainment and Tharn’s slaving about the resort.

Mr. Thiwat’s begrudging acceptance of Tharn

TT’s engagement (romance turned to 100)

P’Thorn’s wedding

Maybe the families meet?

#tharntype #tharn kirigun #tharntype 2: 7 years of love #type thiwat #mewgulf #maybe the best ep #but only because they actually talk #the wedding is the special ep #it has to be #hopefully they have a kid

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