#nico my bad this was sitting here for ages i meant to get to it earlier

[princekirijo]

Man every time I see a shitpost with Yukari and Minato in it i think "these kids are such mean girls"

Similarly whenever I see a shitpost with Junpei and Hamuko I think "nightmare blunt rotation"

HELP this is actually so accurate though this is how I imagine their friendships 😭

When it's all four of them together it is complete chaos I love the juniors so much 💀

[kekaki-cupcakes]

Hi! Imma resend my req then cause yep.

Could I pls get Nico with a super rich pretty boy (mortal) that’s like very affectionate and looks like a airhead but just like completely changes when it comes down to business like becomes super serious? And he’s like super big in making Nico blush with lavish and thoughtful gifts or trips to compensate cause he can’t like fight monsters? Feeel free to decline!

Ps: I loved ur Connor stoll x mortal fic!

Hey <333 so this was kinda changed around a bit and also mixed with a request for Nico x Son of Eros from ages ago, so whoever asked for that, here it is!

red roses and ghost flowers---Nico x flirty son of Eros

»»————-　★　————-««

-Nico doesn’t know how to react.

-First of all, touch is a big no no for him, it makes him feel claustrophobic and stuck and there’s a lot of reasons he really doesn’t like that feeling. But then you came along, and suddenly maybe if he’s outside in the open spaces and you run up and wrap your arm around his shoulder, it might just be okay. 

-You just wear the prettiest rings and give him the prettiest rings, that holding hands isn’t the worst thing. Just because of the rings. Definitely. Not because of how your knuckles sit against his the way your thumb rubs against the scars covering his palms. 

-His hands. Holy Hades, you seemed to have this obsession with doing that silly bow and pressing your lips to the back of his hand every time he saw you. 

-Which was a lot. 

-Maybe it was meant to be, or maybe it was because Nico sort of detoured a little to wander past the Eros cabin or pop into the arts and crafts center. Just to see how Annabeth was doing teaching the weaving classes, of course. Not because you were usually in the back making another little thing.

-Nico ended up with a lot of those little things. They filled an entire coffin shaped shelf in his by now, but he couldn’t exactly get rid of them. The skull shaped candle was just too on point, you must’ve found a real skull for comparison, and that was dedication Nico couldn’t just throw away. And then there was a vinyl record of an old band Maria had taken him to with Bianca. However you had found that, it must've taken a lot of time and money. It would be rude to get rid of something like that.

-Of course the bouquets were always chucked out every few days, but only when Nico had touched the soft petals with a smile too much and they’d started to shrivel.

-Nico was still convinced Hazel was the mole, running to find you every time the sunflowers or the red roses or the ghost flowers [He hated to admit that they were really cool] wilted, because then another bunch of flowers would turn up on the doorstep of the Hades cabin with a pink silk holding them together. 

-Even the Mythomagic cards you’d found stayed on the shelf, although Nico already had them. They were from you. It would be rude. And they sort of made him grin a little bit. You paid so much attention, why wouldn’t that make him grin? 

-Especially because, well, you could be paying attention to anyone else. Literally anyone. There were people clawing their way into the sparring classes you went to. Not that they had much of a reason to watch, you spent most of the time holding a sword and then blinking in confusion at the instructor, who’d given up by now. 

-Archery was a whole different story though, and Nico had to admit, he had sort of gone to watch you do that a few times. 

-On one hand, you weren't exactly bad looking, but on the other hand all he could see was Eros laughing cruelly and launching volley after volley of heart shaped arrows into Nico’s limbs in that shadowy place filled with broken statues and pillars. It was safe to say he had a bit to work through, but the fact you still ran up with a grin considering the first time Nico met you, he had a full blown panic attack and then Jason nearly bit you, he figured you couldn’t do much harm. 

-The son of Jupiter still watched your interactions carefully, but Nico had convinced him to tone down the growling part. 

-Then you’d both bonded over the fact that your dads sucked majorly, and now Nico was sort of concerned that Jason might steal his- his… his whatever you were [apart from way too pretty]

-Nico had to admit, you were really good looking. Something about the shininess of your eyes and the way your smile was so sharp had to be some sort of love god trickery, but it made his stomach fill with the souls of the departed and shadows to thicken in the corner. 

-You didn’t even mind when the grass wilted around him and the air got a bit too cold to be normal. 

-One time you even picked him up and just carried Nico princess style to the pavement that couldn’t shrivel and turn brown. That certainly helped the bad feelings inside his head take a break and admire your arms. 

-He figured when you showed up one night in your normal camp clothes and a pink bow tie to take him to the first showing of Scream 6 [Nico liked explaining how many stabs it would actually take to kill the characters], that there really was no back peddling.

-So he took the bouquet of ghost flowers from you and then held both the flowers… and your hand. 

»»————-　★　————-««

[moa-broke-me]

Little 6 year old Jason finding a weird hole in the wolf house that wasn't there before.

Crawling down it and finding himself in the labyrinth.

He's afraid. He's separated from his pack, and he doesn't know how to get back.

He wanders the maze endlessly, subsisting off of whatever poor animals that find themselves down there. He's lonely. He's so, so, so lonely, and scared.

Juno helps him on occasion, even sending him a small cake once a year on his birthday, but he grows up without hardly anyone for company.

Until, after six cakes, he crosses paths with another human boy. Looks about his age, too. His older sister taught him a few words, but he rarely had to use them until now. His voice is scratchy and unaccustomed to them, his tongue awkward in his mouth, but he's so excited that he tries anyway. "Hel... lo...?" He asks, not sure if he's doing it right. He doesn't understand why there's a whole word for that.

His eyes widen. "Um... Hi."

He crawls around him, sniffing at his feet, trying to get to know him.

Alarmed, the new boy steps back. "What are you doing!? Stop!"

Jason doesn't understand 'what are you doing', but he does understand 'stop'. He remembers, flashes of his old life, before the wolves.

Mama.

He winces, tears pricking at his face as he sits back, awaiting the hit that would surely come. He was bad. Bad boys got hit. They got bit, they got clawed, they got swatted away from the kill and left to curl up in the dirt with an aching belly.

"... What are you doing?"

That question again, that he doesn't understand, but said softer this time. Jason looks up at him and mimes hitting himself in the head, unable to find the words to explain.

The boy's eyes widen. "You... Thought I was gonna hit you?"

Jason didn't understand everything, but he caught 'you' and 'I' and 'hit' and another 'you' at the very end. It seemed to be a question... 'I hit you?' like 'is that what I need to do?'

Jason blinked away his tears, hoping the stranger would forgive him for his pathetic display, and nodded. Yes, he's been bad. He needs to be punished.

He got on his knees, hands up in surrender. "I'm not gonna hit you. I don't want you to sniff me again, but I'm not gonna hurt you."

Jason looked up at him, tilting his head. "... No... Hit?"

He shook his head. "No. No hit. But no sniff either, ok?"

Jason whined. "No sniff?"

"No, it's weird."

Jason was getting frustrated with how many words he doesn't know. He lets out a low growl.

The boy sighs. "I don't even know why I'm doing this. I don't even know your name... What is your name?"

The only important word he understood was 'name'. He remembered glimpses of Juno, holding him, carrying him to the wolf house, and calling him... Something. J... Jay...

"... Ja... son..." He guesses.

"Jason? Your name is Jason?"

He nodded, smiling. A purely human trait, wolves don't smile. "Jason." He repeated, with more confidence now.

The boy smiled back, just the tiniest bit. "My name is Nico. Are you alone?"

"Ni... Co..." He repeated thoughtfully. "... Alone?" He asked. He didn't know what that meant.

Nico paused. "... Like... You don't have any people with you."

"No... People..." Jason thought, and then nodded. He knew what people were, and he didn't see any. He hasn't seen any in years, not really. Sometimes the rooms had paintings of people, but that didn't count. "... No. No people. And no pack. Alone."

"Pack? Like a wolf pack?"

"M-hm. No pack in... Six."

"Six what?"

He reaches into the pockets of his pants, which were caked with dirt and tight against the growth of his body, and pulled out the candles he collected from Juno's cakes, which he used to keep track of how much time had passed.

Nico sucked in a little gasp. "Is that... Years, are you trying to tell me?"

Jason wasn't sure how much time a year was, but he nodded.

"Oh, poverino..." He breathed. "Is that how long you've been down here?"

Jason nodded again.

Nico whined. "That's a long time."

Jason nodded. "... Are you alone?" He asked, mimicking Nico.

Nico sighed. "Yes. Not as long as you, but yes."

Jason whined and laid his head on Nico's thigh. "Not alone now."

Nico bristled at the contact, but didn't jerk away. "... Yeah. Me either."

[astrozones]

Gay Eyes - Prinxiety

@idkwhyimhere0o0 , @slitherynchiken bc yall wanted to see this uwu

Original Post here!

Summary: "Gay eyes" was a stupid concept. Virgil could hardly believe his ears when Roman suggested it earlier that day- when they were trying to pursue Nico. And of course, it didn't work. Because it was stupid. Idiotic. So why couldn't he stop thinking about it- or the boy who had suggested it?

Discord: Astro’s Zone

Ship: Prinxiety

Read on AO3

Spoiler warning for Flirting With Social Anxiety!! 

Gay eyes, right?

 That’s what he called them?

 It was stupid. A stupid name, a stupid concept, a stupid- ugh, everything!

 So why couldn’t he stop thinking about it-!

 Virgil groaned, turning himself around so he could shove his face onto the pillow. Ughhhhhhhh. 

 Maybe it was because Roman looked so damn pretty doing it and- nope! Not going down that train of thought. At least, not for the fifth time tonight.

 ‘Gay eyes’. Ugh. Something about that was familiar. Did someone do them to Thomas? No, no, he would’ve heard Roman prattling on about it in a lovestruck monologue if someone did. That much was certain.

 Ah- maybe- well, Thomas had to have done it sometime, right? He seemed so familiar with the concept. That must be why he was understood it. It was the only logical reason, at least. Heh, maybe Logan would be proud of him for coming up with an understandable conclusion.

 But- that wasn’t it, was it? Something in his nonexistent heart told him so. And while he made a point to not listen to his heart- it could get them in so many dangerous situations, after all- he spent a few more minutes thinking about it. Just in case.

 He couldn’t think of anything else though. No matter how many paths he went through, nothing made sense, except for if another Side had done them while he was watching or something and-!

 Oh.

 Oh.

 God, he remembered it- about 3 weeks ago, Roman was acting weird. And not his normal type of fantastical-focused weirdness either. He hadn’t thought much of it- that was a lie, he spent too much time thinking about it- but Roman kept looking over at Virgil, both of them sitting at opposite ends of the couch.

 When Virgil finally chanced looking over and meeting his eyes, Roman simply raised an eyebrow at him. A second later, he switched his expression to an innocent one, looking away, and back, where he lifted his eyebrow again with a smirk.

 What the fuck, he had thought. Huh? Ugh- whatever. Ro’ was just messing around. Virgil let out a scoff, lightly pushing Roman with a small laugh as he stood up and walked to the kitchen- Patton was starting to look longingly at the stove again, and Virgil decided he would supervise. They didn’t want a repeat of last time.

 Looking back on it, though… Was Roman… flirting with him? With Virgil? None of the others had been in the room, except for Patton, who was on the opposite side. So it must have been Virgil.

 But- why?

 Why Virgil? Was he pranking him? No, Roman wouldn’t do that, he was too serious about romance.

 That meant… that he was serious. That he was trying to flirt… with Virgil.

 The chances of Roman pranking him seemed far higher than the chances of Roman actually liking Virgil back, but- well, all the signs said he was genuine.

 Wait.

 Oh God.

 If he was flirting with him, that means- that means that Virgil just brushed off his flirting without a second thought. That he- did he accidentally reject Roman? Shit, shit, shitshitshit- FUCK! He must hate Virgil now and his chances were ruined and he’d be single forever and-

 Breathe. He- he had to breathe.

 In, out.

 Okay. Okay, he just had to think about it logically. Logically, Roman’s feelings for him wouldn’t go away just because Virgil rejected him (he rejected him! FUCK! FUCK!). Logically, he still had a chance.

 But what if he didn’t- what if Roman already convinced himself out of it, or what if he realized he wasn’t that interested after all and now he’s grateful I didn’t understand, or what if he- AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-

 Okay- okay- he just… he had to make a plan to tell Roman. Easy. Yeah, that was a good idea.

 --

 This was a horrible idea. By far the worst of his ideas. Why was he doing this idea?!?

 Well, he supposed, this is why I’m not Creativity.

 He sat down on the couch, opposite of Roman. Step one, done.

 Roman glanced up at him, flashing a radiant smile before turning back to his book- something fantasy related, most likely. Fuck I’m gay.

 Could anyone blame him, though? Roman was just so pretty! Kind, too, he just wanted the best for everyone. He had a pretty straightforward set of right and wrong, but he was learning, and trying his best to make things right. Fuck, he was so passionate too. Virgil could sit there listening for hours as he ranted on about all his new ideas. He wanted to do that, he wanted to be there for Roman, to trust him enough to share thoughts he wasn’t entirely comfortable with.

 Oh shit, he had been staring at him for too long. Roman was looking at him with concern and curiosity. Enact step two, enact step two!

 Quickly, before he had a chance to feel scared about it- he let an eyebrow rise up, silently staring at Roman with a smile. He let the expression fall, looking away, then looking back, before switching back with a smirk.

 Fuck, Roman just looked confused. What were the steps again? What did he miss?!? I knew this was a bad idea-

 Roman softly gasped. Virgil’s gaze shot to him as a brilliantly bright blush adorned Roman’s face.

 Good reaction?

 “Was that- did you-?” Roman giggled, quickly covering his head with his hands.

 This is good-? No! No, this is bad! A bad reaction! You fucked up Virgil, ABORT, ABORT-

 “Roman, Virgil! It’s time to eat breakfast!” Patton called from the dining room. Shit. Now he couldn’t run away.

 --

 Roman kept trying to catch his gaze while they were eating. He saw it in the corner of his eye. But Virgil’s gaze stayed diligently on his food, eating quickly so he could run get away faster.

 “I’m going to my room- BYE!” he rushed out, disposing of the dishes before sprinting back to his room. He didn’t want to see the pitying glance Roman sent him.

 He face-planted straight onto his bed. He felt like crying, and he desperately fought back the tears that would tell everyone just what he was feeling.

 Fuck, why couldn’t he have just kept his mouth shut. Or, rather, repressed his feelings and lived with the fact that Roman would never like him back? Of course Roman wouldn’t feel the same- why would he? When Virgil was so much worse than him? 

 Fuck.

 He froze as a knock sounded at the door.

 Fucking shit- this was Roman coming to officially reject him, wasn’t it. Shit, not right now! Not when he was still processing it! He was gonna burst into tears!

 Biting his lip, he slowly made his way over to the door, opening it ever so cautiously.

 There stood Roman, bouncing on his heels with a grin. Virgil frowned, why is he so ecstatic about rejecting me? I thought he considered me a friend now…

 Roman opened his mouth to speak. Deny it! Deny it!

 “It was a joke.” Virgil blurted out. Roman’s stopped in place, staring at him.

 “What?” 

 “I didn’t mean it. Me doing the whole ‘gay eyes’ thing? It was a joke.” he murmured, fiddling with his sleeves. Roman made a strained noise.

 “I- um- I see. That, uh, that makes sense. Thanks for clarifying, Virgil. If you’ll excuse me, I really must be going now. Ideas to explore, and all. Toodle-oo!”

 And with that, Roman left.

 --

 “Of course it was too good to be true,” Roman moaned, falling back onto his thousands of pillows strewn over the floor. His body shook as he tried to hold back sobs.

 He had been trying to show hints to Virgil for ages, y’know. Roman was brave, but not brave enough to say it outright. He’d hoped- well, he’d hoped that after he showed a few hints, maybe, just maybe, Virgil would show some signs back. Just enough that Roman could be sure that his feelings were returned. 

 And he thought… that this was it. That Virgil’s sudden understanding of ‘gay eyes’ was the sign that he was looking for! 

 He always knew his endless optimism would come to bite him some day.

 “FUCK!” he shouted to no one. Thankfully he had soundproofed his room ages ago, after enough noise complaints from Logan about his singing. He wiped his tears away, scoffing as new ones just took their place.

 He should have known Virgil was too perfect for him.

 With his endearingly sarcastic attitude, his wonderfully precious giggles, and of course his smile- it was a wonder he hadn’t fallen for him sooner.

 He silently cursed his past self. Why couldn’t he have just let it go and accepted him into the group? Maybe this wouldn’t have happened in the first place- maybe Virgil would be able to like him romantically. 

 God, what he would give to be able to cuddle with Virgil… to hug him, to hold hands, maybe even kiss him…

 But he couldn’t.

 Because Virgil had rejected him.

 --

 Dumbass, Virgil’s brain told him. He huffed. What, he asked, am I not suffering enough already?

 His mind didn’t respond. Virgil groaned. This usually meant that he had to actually figure something out instead of just wallowing in his sorrow.

 Rude.

 He rubbed at his eyes, debating whether he should actually follow directions and think over things.

 Nah, he decided, switching onto his side as he elected to just sleep and forget about today.

 He likes you back!

 Psh, yeah right. The only way Roman could like him back is if he had been coming over to confirm his feelings or some shit. That was impossible.

 …

 Wait, he thought, sitting up. Wait. Maybe I am a dumbass.

 Because the more he thought about it, the more it became apparent that it actually wasn’t impossible. In fact, it might just be… plausible. 

 Holy shit.

 He stood up, frantically searching for his hoodie. He had to tell Roman, he had to. Before it was too late.

 Picking it up, he hurried over to the mirror. Fuck, he looked like a disaster. Hair askew, makeup nonexistent, eyes wide in panic. At least he hadn’t cried- crying, Virgil, he could be crying. Go, hurry!

 Whipping open the door, he hurried down the hallway. Passing Patton in the kitchen, he gave him a nod as he ran.

 “What are you doing up?” Patton asked, a cup of water in his hand. “You should be going to sleep.”

 “Can’t-” Virgil huffed out, stopping for only a few seconds. “I have to go- gotta- clear something up.”

 He left before Patton could come up with a response.

 --

 “Roman,” he whisper-shouted, frantically knocking on the door. “Roman!”

 The door opened, revealing a tired Roman. Virgil noticed with a pain in his chest that his eyes were red from crying.

 “What?”

 “I meant it,” he rushed out. “I meant it- the whole ‘gay eyes’ thing. As stupid as it is, I meant it.” Roman’s eyes widened.

 “I did- but I thought you were gonna reject me- so I said it was a joke and I know, I know, I’m so, so stupid, but say you like me back and I might just kiss you.”

 For seconds that felt like eons, Roman stayed silent.

 “Oh God, please do. I like you back, I have for a long time actua- mmf-!”

 Before he was even done talking, Virgil had grabbed the collar of his pyjamas- a red t-shirt, with a crown placed in the center because this boy just cannot stop getting more adorable- and pulled him forward.

 Their lips met, and Virgil’s heart melted. He moved his hands to caress Roman’s face. He felt warm- content, even, which couldn’t be true because he was Anxiety and Anxiety never felt content without a thousand other thoughts harassing him- but he was free from negative feelings, head empty as all he processed was Roman’s lips on his and that he was feeling loved.

 He slowly separated from the boy, gasping for air and fighting the urge to dive back in and kiss him again- because holy fuck he had kissed Roman!

 “I thought- I thought you didn’t like me back.” Roman whispered, voice cracking in the middle. Virgil shook his head vehemently. 

 “I- fuck no, Ro’, that’s impossible. I- fuck- you’re great, Ro’, I adore you.” 

 Roman broke out into a grin, leaning his forehead against Virgil’s.

“I adore you, too.”

[leviathan-dee]

Hiya! I'd like to request some awkward Dadgil moments in Nico's van, hehe. Thank you! <3

K!! Thank you for the request bean! I know how much you love the found family trope and family fics, so hopefully this somewhat sates that need ❤

Accumulating Problems

Dadgil (Vergil, Nero, mention of Nico)

Word Count: 1190

It has been almost a month since the Sparda twins returned from the Hyperborean wasteland that is hell, sinking their roots back to Earth and acclimatizing to normal human life. The first problem was, Vergil had barely any semblance of what a normal human was, let alone how to communicate like one.

Talking with one was almost unfathomable.

Yet here he was, posterior placed upon an aged leather armchair in Nico’s van, attempting to alleviate the tension in the air with… small talk.

This is where problem number two arose. The person he was attempting to converse with was his son, Nero, a very tempestuous youngling with many bones to pick. Every so often, Vergil sneaked a glance at the devil hunter, observing how his brow creased with every bump in the road that Nico hit along the way, a familiar wrinkle forming between his silver eyebrows. Nero seemed to be munching on a bag of peanuts, the crunches resounding in the tension thick air. That was a bizarrely comforting sound.

Vergil couldn’t help but stare at times, the realisation of his own living flesh and blood sitting beside him weighing down on his shoulders like a bag of bricks. Undoubtedly, the strangeness would never leave. The fact that Nero looked like a carbon copy of himself, his strength reflecting similarities beyond appearance, would feel like he was gawking into a mirror.

Admittedly, Vergil had ogled for too long, Nero noticing his father’s turned head, making him shift uncomfortably in his seat.

“So erm-" shuffling his weight back in the futon, Nero directed his attention to his paternal figure.

“I apologise.” There was a long pause after Vergil's reply, the air growing thicker with anxious energy.

“What for?”

“It is... strange. You have my face.” Vergil cursed under his breath for the lack of tact in the comment. But it was the only way he could express his current tumultuous emotions. Nero had his face. His strength. His endurance. Even his mocking attitude amongst an enemy littered field. Nero was definitely Vergil's son, and the elder had to accept that fact. Might as well start with awkward comments on their appearances.

“Wha-”

"Tsk. What I meant was, we have many similarities."

The silver haired youngster scrunched his face quizzically at Vergil. It wasn't the first time he had trouble formulating words when it came to his ancestry.

"Well, you are my father. Or has that changed whilst I wasn't lookin'?" The uncomfortable silence stretched between them, neither able to alleviate whatever stiffness that hung in the air. Inadvertently, both father and son placed their respective palms to their hair, brushing the strands away from their own eyes at the same exact time.

Problem number three was the lack of common ground that the two possessed. Yes, Sparda’s blood flowed through their veins. However, Vergil knew nothing of the boy. What were his hobbies? How did he grow up? Hell, what was even his favourite food?

“This is ridiculous.” Vergil scrutinized the cumbersome predicament, his inability to communicate normally holding a hot iron rod to his back. How could the son of Sparda be so easily defeated by language?

Meanwhile Nero’s father was having an existential crisis beside him, the son kept munching on that same pack of peanuts that filled the silence. Shoving his whole hand into the pack of sweet treats, Nero turned to ease the tension by offering some to his father. Vergil peered at the pack, most of the flashy scarlet logo and ingredients obscured by Nero's palm.

"Peanuts, want some?"

"I… suppose." Vergil tentatively poked at a multitude of spherical chunks, the nuts sticking together with ease. Drawing them out of the bag, he tossed the handful into his gob. Unfortunately, because of Vergil’s tendency for impulsive thought and action, he neglected to observe what he was chucking down his throat. Besides, it was another good chance at starting a typical chat, hesitating to involve oneself in snacking with their son was probably a bad idea towards the road to awkward silence once more.

“They’re honey roasted, with Carolina Reaper flakes.” Nero’s smirk slowly, yet surely, melted away as the boy realised what he just fed his agonizingly stoic father. Cringing inwardly, the young devil hunter prayed that his dad had the same, if not a better, tolerance to blazing peppers and spices.

“What is a Carolina Rea-” It was then that problem number four made its guest appearance. The moment of realisation, and the foreign tickling sensation upon his tongue, was a one way trip to pained-confusion-ville. Undoubtedly, the tickle quickly morphed into a flaming inferno of a thousand tiny blades pinching at the inside of Vergil’s mouth. Tears began to well up in the corner of his once silver eyes, now turning crimson from both pain and fury at his callousness.

“Carolina Reapers are spicy peppers. Like, very spicy. Once held the record for hottest pepper on the planet, spicy.” Attempting to speak as innocently and as nonchalantly as possible as to not awaken the beast in Vergil, Nero chucked another handful into his mouth, chewing thoroughly without batting an eyelash.

“Fuck.” Tears now streaming down his face like the river Nile, a profanity otherwise unimaginable had escaped from between his stinging lips. And no matter how gently the word was uttered, both Nero and Nico heard the curse word.

“Did your daddy just drop the eff bomb? Mr. I’m too high and mighty to swear like the rest of us simple folk?” Nico’s eccentric and excitable nature transformed the situation into a stage play. The domino effect of Vergil’s careless actions, Nero’s equally careless offer, and the air of tension mixed into only what can be called a comedic tragedy.

“Dad?” Nero could barely hold back the laughter, feeling bad for never mentioning his god-like tolerance to the scoville scale. He hadn’t even noticed how this was the first time he called Vergil by his parental title, out of worry and concern.

“I’m fine.” The elder’s oesophagus was coated in liquid fire, his voice more so hoarse than nasal. As Vergil sat barely breathing, Nero stood to reach over to the freezer beside him, procuring another sweet treat.

“Here. Had a spare cone of ice cream. Usually works.” Vergil’s impulsive nature took control once more, this time in attempts to preserve his cool. No obstacles of hesitation, he swallowed the top half in mere seconds.

To be quite honest, Vergil was glad to find a difference between them so drastic. Who thought it would occur in something like sweet treats that can burn a hole in the ground like Xenomorph blood? For all he knew, that was exactly what they were coated with. Hell, he was proud of Nero for such a victory over his father, even if it did mean himself losing to a youngster.

Maybe differences are not so bad. And maybe they will grow to have a decent conversation soon. For now, he had to get rid of the smouldering pain that blanketed his tongue, and take a mental note to always pay attention to what his son offered him.

[one-boring-person]

Only Traitors Consort With The Damned. (Part Seventeen - Final Part)

The Lost Boys x reader

Warnings: blood, injury, swearing

Context: the end of the story (finally)

A/N: ok, so I've finally finished this series, and I'm not gonna lie, it was a lot of fun to write, even though it took me ages to update it😅 I hope that this is a satisfactory ending, and I'd like to thank everyone who's interacted with the story for the support! It means a lot!😊💛

Masterlist

The room is freezing when i finally come to again, my muscles stiff with cold, fingers nearly numb as i try to wriggle them, hoping to get some blood moving in them again. I have to bite my lip to stop myself crying out in pain as my wounds suddenly make themselves known to me, my eyes briefly squeezing shut again as the horrible sensation washes over me, every nerve in my body momentarily on fire as my conscience fully returns to me. Whimpering, I force myself to open my eyes, glancing around the room I’m in once they’ve finally adjusted, blinking a few times when I don’t immediately recognise my surroundings. 

“Oh, thank God you’re awake!” A familiar voice intones from somewhere to my left, the speaker coming over to me as I look towards them.

I’m surprised when I see who it is, not expecting to see him again after the previous events, where I’d nearly gotten him killed.

“D-David?” I croak out, wincing as my throat stings a little, my voice hoarse and broken.

“Yeah, it’s me.” The platinum blonde responds, watching me carefully as I struggle to sit upright, the vampire stepping in to place a hand on my chest, stopping me from doing anything, “Don’t, you’re very badly injured.”

Relaxing back onto what I’m assuming is one of their sofas, I look at him, glad to see he has cleaned up the blood and gore from his body, though his features are still etched with worry, which is the moment when I realise the others aren’t there, and neither is Nico. 

“Wh-where is everyone? What time is it?” I ask him, coughing violently as I finish the questions, trying to fight back the whimpers of pain threatening to leave me as the rough movements irritate my wounds further. 

“It’s an hour or so before dawn. You’ve been out for four hours.” David fills me in, tugging at his gloves, “As for the others, they’re still out chasing Nico. I haven’t heard from them since the Boardwalk.”

My body tenses up as he says this, my concern for all my friends piquing again as I realise that they may still end up dead because of me.

“Oh, God, I’m so sorry, David. I never meant for any of this to happen, I really didn't! I was stupid and now it's gotten you all in trouble. I'm so, so sorry-" I start rambling, only for the vampire to cut me off, his voice gentle as he speaks to me.

"(Y/n), it wasn't your fault. None of this was, so don't tell yourself otherwise. Just relax and let yourself heal, we'll sort things out when you're feeling better." He reassures me, giving me one of his rare, genuine smiles, his blue eyes softening momentarily.

I go to argue, but he simply gives me a look, which shuts me up immediately, a sigh escaping me as I lean back onto the sofa.

"What happened whilst I was out?" I inquire, looking over at him curiously.

"Well, I took you to our sire, who was no help at all, so I took you here and patched you up." David informs me, somewhat irritated at the reminder of his creator.

"Oh, right. Thank you." I smile at him, looking a little confused, "But what about in Santa Carla? Surely there's gonna be some serious repercussions. And what happened to Valentine? Where'd she go?"

"Her? One of the cops took her to the hospital, I think. As for Santa Carla," The platinum blonde looks slightly sceptical, "I reckon it's gonna take some time to go back to normal."

"Shit, I'm really sorry, David. That's gonna make feeding really difficult, isn't it?"

"Yeah, but we've managed before." He shrugs, sitting on his wheelchair and leaning back slightly.

Frowning at my own stupidity, I rest my hands on my stomach, wincing as I remember what exactly happened to the bones and flesh of my left arm, the bandage covering the entire limb from wrist to elbow. Inspecting it, I try my best not to think too much on what the reason behind my painful injury is, hoping that Nico, Marko, Paul and Dwayne will be alright. 

Just as I think this, however, a succession of groans and grunts of exhaustion suddenly fill the air, the voices all heart-rendingly familiar. Surprised and relieved, I struggle to push myself upright, crying out in pain as I fall to do so, waiting instead for the newcomers to come into view. David is quick to get up and go to them, speaking in a hushed tone with them, voice urgent as a dragging sound echoes through the room. The four vampires move around so I can see them, a frown dreading my brow again as I catch sight of the massive figure they're pulling behind them, leaving scarlet marks on the stone floor as the bare skin slides across it. Horror floods me at the sight of this, my heart skipping a beat as I recognise Nico through the blood and gore coating his body, the musculature unmistakable.

Instantly, I try to get up again, David noticing from his place across the room, the vampire signalling at me to stop. Reluctantly, I do as he says, biting my lip tightly as I watch them heave the body onto a pile of blankets nearby, his head lolling back, revealing the bloodied features of my best friend to me. I nearly sob at the sight, the gory light I'm now seeing the werewolf in not something I ever want to see again, though I know he can't help it.

Dwayne, Marko and Paul each shoot me a relieved look before they leave the room, each of them looking incredibly tired from the hours they've spent making sure the werewolf doesn't do anything too bad. David checks him over one last time as he comes over to me, looking apologetic.

"He's going to be fine, there's no serious injuries that won't heal quickly." He fills me in, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly, "I'm gonna go get some sleep with the boys, though. You should, too. Nico isn't going to wake up for a little while, so there's no reason to stay up."

With that, he follows his friends through the tunnel and into their sleeping quarters, leaving me alone in the room with the unconscious form of my friend. Thankfully, I feel the exhaustion creeping up on me again, allowing me to fall back into a dreamless sleep relatively quickly.

*

The sun has just set over the horizon as the boys step out from the cave, the four of them joining Nico and I on the clifftop, a residual warmth still lingering behind, though a brisk ocean breeze blows in to chase the pleasant feel off. Our car stands, ready to go, a little way behind us, Nico just closing the trunk and coming over to me as I turn to the four vampires, smiling sadly at them.

"You're sure you have to go?" Paul asks me, the usually jittery vampire looking downcast for once as he looks at me, the others similarly upset.

"Yeah. The SRS isn't gonna give up, and I don't want you in any more trouble because of me. I've got to go." I remind them, shrugging sadly, as I look them over.

"We don't mind, we'll keep fighting!" Marko tries, the blonde using his usual tactic on me.

Laughing, I shake my head as I go to respond.

"No, you've fought enough for me. I'm not going to stay." 

Each of them looks down, clearly not quite ready to face me, my own emotions quickly catching up to me.

"Where will you go?" Dwayne asks quietly, glancing up at me.

"As far away from here as possible." I reply apologetically, looking to Nico, who also appears relatively upset.

"Will you ever come back?" David inquires, voice soft, though he knows what my answer will be.

"Not until I'm sure it's safe." I chuckle bitterly, "So you better not get yourselves killed in the meantime."

"We'll try." The platinum blonde smiles, before stepping forwards and pulling me into a hug.

Surprised, I wrap my arms around him, smiling as the rest of the boys join us, the four of them crushing me between them as I continue to fight off the tears. We remain like this for a few minutes, relishing the feeling of the physical contact as we bask in each other's company one last time. My chest feels tight as I pull away, knowing that if I stay longer I'll never let go, my eyes wet as I look at them.

"Goodbye, guys. Have a good life." I stammer out, struggling to keep my composure.

"Goodbye, (Y/n). Stay safe and stay alive." David responds, moisture glistening in his own eyes, though he hastily wipes it away.

The others say their farewells, each of them looking as grief-stricken as I feel, tears swiftly starting to wet pale cheeks even as mine do, prompting me to turn away from them, my stride faltering as I go to the car with Nico, the werewolf helping me limp over. As we get there, I look over my shoulder one last time, taking in the four vampires standing on the clifftop, branding the image into my memory, knowing they will always hold a place in my heart.

It's only as Nico pulls away from the Bluff that I finally let myself cry, the tears falling freely now as I leave behind the best life I ever had.

[ohprettyweeper]

Reposted from my old blog. Prompts are bolded; translations from Google Translate. 

Part One | In the Old & the New

Nine hooded figures danced around the synthetic light of the structure in the middle of their circle. The movements were purposeful, as were the words they chanted. Thin veils of black material covered their black and white faces.

On long, wooden benches, other beings dressed mostly the same sat, staring straight ahead at the ritual. Some were human, some were not. Regardless of species, they did not dare break the gaze set upon those hooded figures.

Throughout the temple, stone basins of water stood below large statues. Fire burned in pits, though the brightness of the flame did not compare to the light created by the bishops.

A red-eyed man sat somewhere in the middle of the grouping, holding his breath. In all the times he had sat through these services, this was the first time he had sat alone. Even so, his solitary presence was not what concerned him today. The ritual at hand, one he had seen performed on others hundreds of times, would today be performed for the man who usually sat next to him.

A kiln hidden behind a pillar held the lighted, glass dagger which would finalize the ritual. Once that dagger emptied its contents into his friend’s heart, there would be no going back. The bishops’ predecessors had refined this process centuries ago; those who succeeded these bishops, centuries from now, would likely perform the exact same ritual. The magic they taught was meant to be forgotten long ago.

The bishop known as Reisdro disappeared behind the altar area, returning with the red-eyed man’s friend. Three finger-shaped black marks were on either side of the man’s neck, and his dark brown eyes stared at nothing as he mindlessly followed Reisdro into the temple room.

The lighted structure disappeared below the floor as a door opened and the platform supporting the structure lowered into the ground. An empty altar took the place of the platform; a large cinder block in appearance, this would serve as the centerpiece of the ritual.

The smeared man hoisted himself onto the block before laying flat against it on his back. Nico, the head of the bishops, stepped up to the block and the other eight bishops formed a semi-circle behind him.

“S’ohodni my zasudzhuyemo tsyu dytynu do spravy.”

Today we commit this child to the cause. The red-eyed man knew that the end was now near for his friend. He let out the breath he had been holding, breathed in deep, and held that breath.

The lighted dagger plunged into his heart, but the smeared man did not so much as blink. Blood poured out from the wound, spilling over the side of the altar block and onto the floor of the temple. Slowly, the smeared man’s blank, staring eyes closed.

The red-eyed man watched as the dark liquid flowed past him, down the aisle, and pooled at the back of the temple.

He focused again on the scene at the front of the temple. With the smeared man’s blood drained from his body, the lighted dagger emptied its contents into his chest.

It was only a matter of time now.

The steps beyond Faylinn McCarthy’s front door seemed to grow more steep by the day. She trudged up the steps, passed through the common area of the living space, and dropped her bags in her room before falling back on her bed.

It was not so much the public relations job she left outside her front door, but the daunting task behind the door that tired her out more and more everyday. Faylinn’s writer heart was heavy; words flowed easily every day but none of them satisfied her. She needed a catch, a hook, something different. Something to make her novel stand out from the rest of the unpublished manuscripts sitting on some editor’s desk.

“The idea is out there,” she told her ceiling, “I just have to keep digging for it.”

Knowing that she had only a few hours before her cousin was home and the common space of the echoes of the music Ildri would play during her after-work workout, Faylinn decided on a quick shower and clean, comfy clothes before settling at her desk in front of the big bay window in the common space. Her cousin was good about keeping things to her side of their domicile, but the walls weren’t all that thick. The extra noise made it even harder for Faylinn to concentrate.

Her laptop was open and a blank document was on the screen. The curtains were open, letting in enough sunlight, she didn’t need to turn on lights in the common space. Directly in front of her, she could see the wall of Old Dema, and the tops of the round, vertical tunnel structures in the middle of the old city. To her right was Trench; the green grass and rocky cliffs looked so peaceful from here. If only she could bottle up a little of that peace and give it to her muse, then translate it onto paper.

“That’s not a bad line, actually,” she chuckled to herself.

Closing her eyes, Faylinn pictured herself in Trench. She was bundled in a warm coat and scarf, and the chilled wind was blowing across her face. Everything was quiet.

Until the blaring alarms from Old Dema sounded, signaling that someone was trying to escape. They could be beyond the wall right now, with a red-caped Bishop after them on those white horses Faylinn had heard about but never seen. She could practically feel the adrenaline quickening her heartbeat, could hear heavy boots against the water that pooled in the crevices of the ground in Trench.

“Oh my …”

Faylinn’s eyes opened. She could see the scene in her head so clearly. All she had to do was put it into words.

Yellow eyes searched Trench for the escaped citizen of Old Dema. The Bishops would be not far behind, and if she was going to save this soul, then she had to do it before they arrived. After nearly an hour of searching, she found a scared woman, likely close to her age, crouching in one of the few shallow caves. The rocks under her boots crunched softly as she carefully stepped towards the other woman.

“I’m not here to hurt you,” she promised, her yellow eyes never leaving the other woman; not even long enough to blink. “Come with me. Quickly. Before the Bishop arrives.”

The other woman stepped out from the cave, her red eyes searching all around the yellow-eyed woman, as though she was taking this all in for the first time.

“I never thought I would get past the wall,” she admitted.

The yellow-eyed woman nodded, holding her hand out. “Not everyone does.”

Red eyes flitted quickly from their surroundings to the pulse at the other woman’s wrist. The escapee bared sharp fangs and lunged forward.

The woman with yellow eyes never flinched. She reached out as the creature came towards her, gripped the vampire’s jaw with both hands and pulled the head sharply to the right.

The red eyes which had been wide with bloodlust relaxed into the calm of sleep, and the body collapsed to the ground.

Licking her lips, she stepped backwards, retreating carefully. She could hear the hooves of the Bishop’s horse coming her way, which meant there was no time to get rid of the body. Stepping over the dead woman, the one with yellow eyes crouched into the shallow cave, doing her best to blend in with the shadows until the Bishop came to claim his property.

The red-hooded bishop slid down from his seat on the back of the white horse and cautiously approached the dead body. He took in a deep breath, stepped around the corpse, then crouched down to lift a whispered prayer into the quiet, calm air around him.

When the Bishop stood and faced his horse again, the yellow-eyed one believed that her presence had gone unnoticed — until the Bishop stopped in his tracks, sniffed the quiet, calm air around him, and turned back towards the cave where she was hiding. He took three steps toward the cave, causing her to shrink back even further into the shadows the cavern had to offer.

The Bishop tilted his head, closed his eyes, and breathed in deep. Her heart raced; surely he knew that she was here. That she was close.

But instead of progressing forward to where she was hidden, the yellow-eyed one watched the veiled face of the Bishop change to some expression she could not find a word to describe before he again mounted his horse and rode away from Trench and the corpse.

When he was out of sight and out of earshot, the yellow-eyed woman hesitantly stepped out of the cave. Knowing now that the coast was clear, she ran out of Trench faster than she had ever run before.

[lifeofroos]

Chapter 70: Nico’s journey is coming to an end. 

In short: Nico gets therapy from Dionysus. In this chapter, Will and Dionysus come pick him up to go back home. 

AO3 - FanFiction.net - KoFi This Might Be Crazy: Chapter 70: San Pellegrino

‘What do you think?’

Lucia, Sofia and Elena looked at their great-grandmother. I was standing in the middle of the room, with my new clothes on. 

Gloriana slowly nodded. ‘It’s acceptable.’ 

There were sighs of relief around me. I snickered. Going clothesshopping made the trip feel more like a vacation except of a heavy trip down memory lane. ‘What more are we going to do?’ I asked. 

Elena grabbed my hands. ‘Everything.’

|

And so we did. We went out to lunch, visited churches and relaxed in parks, but we also went to to the family grave and searched the attic for heirlooms. It was a mix of both that felt just right. 

I could have stayed longer, but I wasn’t sad that I didn’t. For a first trip, it was enough. I missed camp, I missed Will, and I even missed Dionysus. 

We were sitting in front of the house, waiting for Will to come pick me up. Gabriella sipped her drink. ‘I liked having you around, Nico. I always wondered what it would be like to have a boy.’

Elena gave her mother a look. ‘We aren’t so bad, mom.’

‘Hm. Still.’ 

Her daughters collectively rolled their eyes. I snickered. ‘I liked it here, too. I am glad I was welcomed by my family after such a long time.’

Sofia sipped her drink. ‘You’re welcome to come celebrate Easter with us. You can bring your friend as well.’

‘I’ll come. I never really had an Easter celebration. In America, they don’t do a lot more than hunt for candy.’

‘In Italy, it is way more important,’ Lucia explained, with stars in her eyes. 

Their father snickered. ‘It was quite a culture shock when I moved to Italy and it actually meant something to them.’

His wife and in-laws nodded their heads.

‘I think Nico should come,’ their grandmother, next in line to become the family matriarch, answered. ‘So he can see what it is like.’ 

I slowly nodded. ‘I already got Italian clothes to wear, that’s something…’

A white taxi rolled around the corner and parked nearby. I veered up from my chair, almost spilling my San Pellegrino. 

The taxi door flew open. Will almost bumped his head against the overhead. ‘Nico!’

‘Will!’ He walked towards me, slower than he would want. I hugged him as soon as you was close enough. He squeezed my ribs in return. 

‘I missed you.’

‘Mizzed you to,’ I muttered, with my face pressed against his shirt. 

He let go and held me at a distance. ‘You’ve got new clothes!’

‘See?’ I heard Gloriana say behind me. ‘I told you all it would be noticeable. He needed some proper clothes.’

I spread my arms, so Will could properly see all of the new things I had gotten. ‘Was this your plan?’ He asked the sisters. 

Elena pointed at her grandmother. ‘Her plan, but we showed him what he should wear.’ 

‘It makes my… friend look very good. Perhaps he should keep wearing them in America,’ he said, while staring a hole into my soul. 

I opened my mouth to say something back, but then I saw Dionysus coming out of the taxi. He was in mortal disguise (which meant he looked slightly older, had shorter hair and sunglasses to hide the purple eyes). ‘Wait...’

‘He wouldn’t let me go alone,’ Will whispered. ‘And, eh, neither could I. I needed to teleport and stuff.’

I turned around. ‘That’s my… uncle. Dio,’ I explained. 

My eyes trailed off, to Gloriana, who was staring at Dionysus. I had a hunch she already sensed who he was. Yet, she didn’t say anything, not even when Gabriella invited them to have a drink before we left. We could manage before we had to catch our plane, right?

It was more then in time for us to ‘catch our plane’ (Considering there would be no plane). ‘Did he behave?’ Dionysus asked. I figured he really wanted to ask: ‘Did he not get himself almost killed?’

‘Very much,’ Collin answered with a grin, while handing Will a can of San Pellegrino. ‘Do you want an aperitif? It is already four P.M.’

It physically hurt Dionysus to say no, but he managed to do it. Gabriella snickered, sushing that she understood, but of course she didn’t. She couldn’t understand the scope of the thing. 

‘He behaved very well,’ Gloriana confirmed. ‘He has to come celebrate Easter with us. My great-granddaughters already invited him. 

I looked at Will and Dionysus. They seemed to understand that if the matriarch said I had to come, I better come. 

‘Did you not miss him too much?’ Lucia asked Will. He turned a little red. 

‘A little,’ he answered, in a tone that meant ‘every day, I was worried he had accidently walked straight to his death.’

‘A little?’ Elena egged him on. 

‘... A little more?’ 

‘More than a little?’ Sofia asked with a grin. 

I tutted. ‘Will, these are Lucia, Elena and Sofia. They are usually very kind.’

‘Yes, girls,’ Sofia grinned, ‘Don’t egg him on!’ As if she didn’t do the exact same thing. 

‘Thanks,’ Will muttered. 

‘He’s just as shy as Nico when he first saw us.’

‘Was Nico shy?’ Will said, jumping off from that. 

‘Only a little,’ Sofia told him. ‘After we gave him some orange juice, he was fine.’

I nodded. ‘I was fine, Will, really.’

‘Were you worried?’ Lucia sing-songed. 

‘Lucia!’

‘Yes,’ Will answered truthfully, ‘Yes, I was worried. Really worried.’ He looked at me. ‘Yet, I am also very glad that he did this. Because it feels like a step forward. He couldn’t have done this a year ago.’

‘Thanks, Will.’

We talked for another hour or so, realistically way too long if we were supposed to catch a plane, before Dionysus gestured we should get back to the car. The sisters hugged me and told me to call (I gave them Wills’ phone number. That way, they wouldn’t be blowing up poor Pollux’ phone any longer). It was decided I would come back for Easter. I feared Gloriana might haunt me otherwise. 

‘Success in America, Nico.’ Gloriana told me. ‘And I don’t know why he came to pick you up’ - she nodded at Dionysus - ‘But it probably had a reason.’ 

Dionysus looked at her with a little smile, before he got into the taxi.

They waved us goodbye while we drove off. When they were out of sight, Dionysus' eyes lit up. ‘Please, just go help some others,’ he told the taxi driver, before slipping a sum of way more money than the trip could have cost into his pocket (That being said, we did keep him occupied for an hour. Perhaps this was just what they agreed on). Within a second, we disappeared, and I was back in Camp Half-blood.

|

That night I lit the candle in my rememberance cabinet. I took a deep breath. ‘I went to Italy, mom. I saw what it was like to live there. Your sister was still alive. I liked her a lot, and her decendants are nice, too.’ A tear made it’s way down my cheek, but it wasn’t a sad tear. ‘Of course, I wished you could have seen me in Italy, but this is the closest I could get. I hope you somehow know about it, and that you’re proud of me.’

I hadn’t talked to the shrine before, but right now it felt right to do it. When I looked up at the sky, I felt calm inside, as if something that should have happened ages ago finally happened. As if something in the universe changed, making it right again. 

Will looked around the corner of my cabin. ‘Are you coming in?’

‘I am happy, Will.’

I could hear him smile as he sat down in the grass next to it. ‘I can feel it.’ He gave me a kiss on my forehead.  

‘I know for sure now that I’ll be better, some day.’

‘You are already the very best to me.’

A/N: I apologize profoundly if they don’t actually drink San Pellegrino in Italy.

One more chapter after this - unless I can't stop myself

[thefinalcinderella]

Kaze ga Tsuyoku Fuiteiru Chapter 2 - The Mountains of Hakone are the Steepest in the World (Part 3)

I actually need an editor this time so...if you have a lot of free time, dm me

Translation Notes

1. Ekiden Tenma refers to the ancient system of exchanging information by going back and forth between post stations by horse, like the Pony Express in the US. An ekiden also means a long-distance relay race.

2. An inro is a traditional Japanese case used for holding small objects like identity seals and medicine. While looking up what raising your inro means I found a lot of references to the period drama Mito Komon, where the hero raises their inro to show his identity, so I think raising your inro is sort of like showing your ID to someone. 

3. Tsuburaya Koukichi was a Japanese marathon runner. He won the bronze medal in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics after being overtaken by another runner at the last minute, which he was mortified by. He also suffered a chronic back problem after the Olympics. He committed suicide in 1968 and left a note thanking his family for the food they gave him. You can read the letter on Wikipedia

4. A university-preparatory school or 進学校 (Shingaku-kou) is a school centered on preparing students into getting into university. They usually have higher rates of university acceptance. 

5. Putting this here because it took me a long time to look this up, but a 返す刀 (literally “returning (or retaliating) katana”) means attacking one thing and then immediately attacking something else after with a different kind of attack.

Previous | Next

Angry cries and confusion swirled inside the twins’ room.

Impossible. Was he insane? Why we gotta wear shorts and throw on a sash to climb mountains right after New Year’s? What is a Ha-ko-ne E-ki-den? You see, the word “Ekiden” was taken from the “Ekiden Tenma” system (1)… We don’t have any track team members here in the first place. And so on.

In the middle of all of that, Kakeru was the only one who stayed silent.

For those who did track, the “Hakone” was a tournament that had a special place in their hearts. For that reason, they knew how difficult it was to aim for Hakone. Kiyose’s proposal was nothing but a pipe dream. It wasn’t something that the residents of Chikusei-sou, who were all complete amateurs, could aim for just because they wanted to.

Kiyose stood up straight and left the room, then went down the stairs unusually loudly.

“Is he angry?” Jouji muttered uneasily.

“I’m pissed off, too.” Yuki irritably drained his cup of beer. “That asshole Haiji said a bad joke.”

Wondering what was going to happen, Kakeru watched the situation, and then the door was opened again roughly. Kiyose had returned. In his hand was the large doorplate hanging at Chikusei-sou’s entrance. Wondering if he was going to hit them with the plate, everyone reflexively ducked their heads. Kiyose stood in the center of the circle and wiped the sooty doorplate with the hem of his shirt.

“Look at this.”

Kiyose held up the cleaned doorplate like an inro (2) and did a full turn on the spot so that everyone sitting around him could see it.

“Wha, what the hell is that!”

Voices of astonishment spilled from everyone’s mouths. Kakeru also bent forward to take in the words written on the doorplate, and dumbfoundedly realized that this was what it meant to be too amazed to say anything.

“Chikusei-sou” was written in ink on the plain wood board. However, those weren’t the only words. They couldn’t be read until now because of the dirt, but there were two small rows of writing above them.

“Kansei University

Track and Field Team Training Camp”

That was certainly what was written there.

“I’ve never heard of that.”

Nico-chan, the number one old-timer, moaned. The newcomers Jouta and Jouji were looking at each other with ashen faces. By this point, it was clear that Kiyose was seriously trying to take on the Hakone Ekiden.

“In the first place, does our school even have a track and field team?”

Shindou confronted Kiyose with the pitifulness of a peasant begging the governor for a reduction in the annual tribute.

“It’s tiny, but we do. I have said we went to a meet in my first year.”

I thought you participated by yourself. Prince, who was unaware of the workings of the track and field world, muttered. Kiyose didn’t move an inch and made another bombshell announcement as he held the doorplate up.

“And all of you guys are track members too.”

“How?!”

The uproar this time was incomparable to when they were told they were aiming for Hakone. Yuki stood up and drew closer to Kiyose.

“When did that happen!”

“When you moved in.” Kiyose declared nonchalantly. “Didn’t you think it was weird? It’s obvious in this day and age that there would be a catch with a thirty-thousand yen rent and served meals.”

Ignoring the commotion made by the others, Kakeru fixed a glare on Kiyose.

“In other words, the moment we move into Aotake, the team registration form for the track team is turned in?”

“That’s right.”

“And, of course, we’re automatically registered with the Inter-University Athletic Union of Kanto?”

“That’s right.”

“’That’s right’? You really are…” Kakeru sighed. “Isn’t it dirty without the consent of the person? How many people are on the track team in total?”

“For short-distance, we have a dozen or so people, I guess. We’re very weak, though. For long-distance, there’s the ten of us here.”

“So when did we become track athletes!?”

King tried to snatch away doorplate away from Kiyose. Musa hurriedly stopped him.

“I do not understand why. Let’s talk a little about this.”

“Right we will. Let’s just all settle down. Everyone, sit.”

Kiyose calmly instructed. It’s your fault it’s so chaotic, was what everyone was thinking. However, in Chikusei-sou, Kiyose’s words routinely possessed an immense power. They all forcibly suppressed their indignation and reluctantly sat down, once again forming a circle. No one opened their mouths. There was too much, and they didn’t know what to say.

Yuki nudged Kakeru’s side with his elbow. His eyes were saying “Go.” Kakeru was bewildered and looked around at the residents who formed the circle. The twins were signalling Kakeru with their eyes, asking for help. It was already well-known throughout Chikusei-sou that Kakeru went jogging by himself in mornings and evenings. Prince, who shut himself in his room and read nothing but manga, was about the only one who didn’t know.

For Kakeru, who had lived in a hierarchical society, to push aside the more veteran residents who were all sitting in a row and fire the first shot was something to hesitate about. However, the only person who could convincingly oppose Kiyose’s sudden proposition was Kakeru, the only one who was familiar with the world of track. Apparently, he had no choice but to question Kiyose on everyone’s behalf.

Kakeru corrected his posture.

“I’m asking this just to make sure, but who’s the coach? What do they think of these ghost members who don’t even know they’re on the team?”

“Don’t worry about that. The coach is our landlord Tazaki Genichirou-shi.”

“You’re crazy!”

Cries of grief once again rose from all around the circle.

“It’s impossible for us the moment that staggering old man is our coach!”

It seemed that Jouji was so shocked that he got alcohol down his windpipe. He complained while choking loudly.

“That’s rude. Our landlord is someone who was said to be the pride of Japan’s athletics world.” Kiyose chided him.

“When was that?” Jouta asked nervously while rubbing Jouji’s back.

“Well, when Tsuburaya Koukichi (3) died after writing his food-based suicide note, our landlord was already known as a famous coach at Kansei.”

“I do not understand at all.”

Musa tilted his head miserably. Only for this time, neither Shindou nor King the trivia master had the time to answer his question. Tsuburaya Koukichi was an outstanding runner who won the bronze medal for marathon at the Tokyo Olympics, but since explaining that wouldn’t move the conversation forward, Kakeru also decided to ignore Musa’s lamentation.

“Haiji-san, you said we were aiming for Hakone, but to put it bluntly, that’s impossible.”

At Kakeru’s flat and decisive words, everyone except for Kiyose looked relieved.

“You can’t know that without even trying.”

“I do know. Schools that are powerhouses at athletics do tough practices every single day for years, but even so, only a handful of universities are able to participate in Hakone, you know?”

“I don’t want to brag, but I’ve hardly ever ran before.” Prince, who was reading the manga he brought as though none of this had anything to do with him, lifted his head for the first time in a while. “I think it will take longer for someone like me to be able to participate in the Hakone Ekiden than a paramecium evolving into a human.”

“I’m sure even Prince should be faster than a paramecium.” King consoled him poorly.

“A paramecium is a paramecium. Even if it evolved, it won’t become a human.” Yuki cut the conversation off coldly and abandoned it.

Without lending an ear to the voices on the outfield, Kiyose looked directly at Kakeru.

“I’m surprised that you’d tuck your tail between your legs without even trying. Practice is important, but it’s not just a matter of doing hard training recklessly.”

Kakeru also took on the challenge head on.

“Haiji-san, you must know since you also run. Everyone here are amateurs. What is the point of dragging them into such a dream-like story and putting them through pain on purpose?”

“It certainly will remain a dream-like story if you don’t try,” Kiyose unusually exposed his feelings and vehemently argued in an irritated tone. “However, these guys have plenty of potential. Nico-chan-senpai has track experience. In high school, the twins and King were on the soccer team, and Yuki was in the kendo club. Shindou walked the mountain paths for ten-kilometer round-trips to get to school, and the potential hidden in Musa’s physical strength is immeasurable.”

“It’s a prejudice that black people are fast,” Musa said weakly. “Just like how there are black people who hate hip-hop or are bad at dancing, I’m not particularly fast either.”

“It’s been seven years since I’ve done track,” Nico-chan smiled bitterly as he lit a new cigarette.

“It doesn’t seem that I’m being counted, but it’s true that I’m terrible at sports.” King said timidly as he flipped through his manga idly. Kiyose still only looked at Kakeru and spoke passionately.

“And then, Kakeru came to Aotake. We now have ten people all together. Hakone isn’t a mountain in a mirage. This isn’t a pipe dream. It’s a reality where we can tie on our sashes and ascend!”

There was a scattered round of indifferent applause, and it stopped after Kiyose snapped, “Stop fooling around.” Cutting Kakeru off when he still tried to argue back, Kiyose recited from memory the “Hakone Ekiden Entry Qualifications” as though to double down on it.

“‘A registered athlete of the Inter-University Athletic Union of Kanto who belongs to the participating school and applied to participate in this competition no more than four times. If one only participated in the qualifying round, that is included in the number of times.’ The residents of Aotake are members of the Kansei University track and field team, and the team members are automatically registered with the union. Including the qualifiers, there is no one here who has participated in the Hakone Ekiden even once. See, we fulfilled all of the qualifications for participation.”

“The problem is those qualifiers.” Kakeru was finally able to interject. “You can’t just suddenly appear in the Hakone Ekiden.”

“Oh, really? I didn’t know that,” Shindou muttered.

“Most people only watch the finals on New Year’s,” Kakeru nodded.

“Twenty schools can participate the Hakone Ekiden, but only the top ten schools can get seeded. Every year, about thirty schools take part in the qualifiers that open in October.”

“If it’s thirty schools from all the universities in Kanto, then it’s not that many, isn’t it?”

To Jouji’s words, Kakeru declared, “Naïve!”

“For Hakone, ten people run ten sections, but each section is more than twenty kilometers. Naturally, the qualifiers are also decided by the total times of the athletes from each university for running twenty kilometers all at once. But…first of all, that twenty kilometers is a big problem.”

Pressed by Kakeru’s gaze, Kiyose reluctantly supplemented his words.

“It’s difficult to obtain ten people who can run twenty kilos at a reasonable speed. What’s more, the speeds are getting faster and faster in recent years. There are also prerequisites for taking part in the qualifiers: You must have an official record of running five-thousand meters within seventeen minutes, or ten-thousand meters within thirty-five.”

Perhaps feeling overawed from hearing specific times, silence descended on the room for a while. This time, it was Kakeru who continued.

“The top-level universities that participate in the Hakone Ekiden have most of their athletes run five-thousand meters in the first half of the fourteen-minute range on average. And, that’s a result collected from the best all over the country. Hakone isn’t a competition that you’ll be able to reach just with lip service. A weak track team from a university that doesn’t even do sports referrals doesn’t have a chance to be able to participate.”

Prince timidly raised his hand and spoke up.

“Um, I don’t really get the greatness of that record.”

“Haven’t you done endurance running in high school?” Jouta asked him in a hoarse voice, but Prince only shook his head and said “Not at all.”

“My high school was a university-preparatory school (4), so endurance running was just three kilometers.”

“If it’s five-thousand meters within seventeen minutes, then that means that’s a faster pace than three-and-a-half minutes per kilometer,” Yuki calmly calculated in his head.

“Three-and-a-half minutes! It took me about fifteen minutes to run three kilometers, I think.”

“That’s…hopelessly slow,” Nico-chan muttered without stopping from smoking his cigarette.

“Running five-thousand meters in seventeen minutes is only the condition to participate in the qualifiers. It’s hard to go to Hakone unless everyone has the ability to run in the fourteen-minute range,” Kiyose pointed out more and more calmly.

“It’s obviously impossible for us, isn’t it,” Jouji said brightly as though dismissed from a terrible job. However, Kiyose didn’t give up.

“For long-distance, you need to have endurance and concentration. You can’t just practice lazily. If we narrow down the target to just Hakone and make adjustments, then we can do the impossible.”

“What are you basing all of this confidence on?” Kakeru was amazed.

“If you’re talking about the basis, then it’s what I said before. The residents of Aotake have hidden potential.”

Kiyose was imposing. Probably even the people who had lived with him at Chikusei-sou for several years hadn’t noticed how much passion he had within him until now.

“To put it in concrete numbers, Kakeru can run five-thousand meters in thirteen minutes. Even among the athletes who take part in Hakone, it’s an incredible record that only a small number of people hold. By the way, at the track meet I was at right before I got injured, my record was fourteen minutes and ten seconds. I’ve fully recovered it from it recently, so I’m fully prepared for my legs to break after finishing the Hakone and strengthen that record.”

“Uh, no, you don’t have to go that far.” Yuki, who did not seem to like hot-bloodedness, murmured. “While we’re at it, I want you to stop dragging me into this.”

Kiyose ignored his objection.

“Furthermore, Musa can probably run it in just under fourteen minutes too. All the foreign athletes who take part in Hakone are in the thirteen-minute range.”

“I think it is because those people are overseas students who are expected to be fast.” Musa desperately explained while looking to Shindou for help. “It’s impossible for me. I’m a government-sponsored foreign student in the faculty of science and engineering, after all. More specifically, a car picks me up and drops me off at school in my country.”

“If you had that much money, why did you come to a place like Aotake?” Jouji raised a reasonable question.

“It is so that I can gain life experience. I did not see this happening…” Musa said, looking like a wilted morning glory. Without minding any of that, Kiyose summed everything up.

“Anyways, for the rest of it, if you could just turn a bit of your passion for mahjong or clubbing to running, we will definitely get good results. After all, you guys have more than enough physical strength, at the very least.”

Fueled by Kiyose’s ardor, some of them were gradually becoming more and more enthusiasm. Kakeru sensed that in the mood. As if it was something that easy. He roughly filled up his cup with sake.

A group of only amateurs aiming for the Hakone Ekiden. And what’s more, there was only half a year until the qualifiers in October. If someone who did track seriously heard that, they would think it was recklessness to the point of laughing it off as sleep-talking. What on earth did Kiyose thought running was?

Was inviting me to Chikusei-sou also because he had this kind of ulterior motive? In the end, Haiji-san is the same as those guys from high school who would make a huge deal over only my speed.

However, he couldn’t storm out of the room. Don’t go along with this absurd conversation, just go back to your room. Even as he thought that, for some reason he couldn’t move his body. From somewhere in his heart, a voice whispered, Doesn’t this seem interesting? Are you going to continue to run by himself in a place away from the track and field world forever? If you are, it’s better to launch an attack on the Hakone Ekiden with the residents of Chikusei-sou. It’s not a bad idea to try.

The whisper became a spark that ignited Kakeru.

Kiyose had said it. Kakeru’s running was free and looked fun. That was why he called out to him. Until now, there was no one around Kakeru who had said something like that to him.

There was no need for fun or anything like that in running. You should only aim to improve your speed, and put off leisure, romance, and hanging out with friends. He had heard those words so many times from managers, coaches, and upperclassmen that he was tired of it. Kakeru had only ever been asked to run like a machine. Kakeru’s value was only the numbers engraved on the stopwatch. He should have had enough of those days.

The other residents also seemed to be deep in thought about something in silence. While not knowing what to do with the uncertain and pent-up feelings within him, Kakeru gazed at the room where no one moved an inch,

Eventually, Shindou raised his head.

“I’m willing to give it a shot.”

Surprise-filled gazes concentrated on Shindou. Nobody thought that he, who was quiet and reliable, would be the first to decide.

“In the sticks, I walked many kilometers of mountain paths everyday, so I’m confident in my endurance. Plus, if we make it to the Hakone Ekiden, we’ll be on TV, right? I think my parents would be thrilled about that.”

“If Shindou is doing it, I shall take it on as well,” Musa said. “But I am telling you this in advance, I truly am not fast. Are you fine with that regardless?”

“Everything will turn out fine as soon as our practice starts,” Kiyose said warmly, as though everything hinged on that.

Oi oi, Nico-chan frowned, and Yuki gazed out the window, pretending to be indifferent. Prince was inching towards the door little by little.

The rest of the residents on the second floor, who easily got into the mood and were up for anything, became lively with Shindou’s and Musa’s declarations of participation.

“Hey, hey, Haiji-san. We’ll be popular with girls, right?”

“We definitely will, right?”

“Will this really guarantee me a job?”

The twins and King energetically asked for confirmation in rapid succession. “Of course,” Kiyose assured them.

Kakeru wanted to shout, He’s playing you! However, he knew that it was no use no matter what he said. The twins and King only wanted to escape from the harsh reality facing them briefly. That was why they jumped at the bait called “Hakone Ekiden” that was dangling in front of them. They were like horses that had sweet candy made from crystallized dreams hanging in front of their noses.

King was in high spirits and said, “Alright. Let’s help with Haiji’s ambitions!”

“Now,” Kiyose said, and alternately mowed down Nico-chan, Yuki, Prince, and Kakeru, who still hadn’t confirmed their participation yet, with his gaze.

“By majority decision, it is already decided that we will be aiming for the Hakone Ekiden. But, I don’t think that’s going to convince you guys either.”

Wondering what was going to be said, Kakeru refrained from even breathing and prepared himself for Kiyose’s attack. Kiyose continued to calmly intimidate them.

“Therefore, I am going to use force. You guys have no veto power.”

“This is tyranny!”

“Is this kind of thing allowed in a country where the rule of law prevails?”

Kiyose laughed off Nico-chan’s and Yuki’s desperate protests right in front of them.

“Nico-chan-senpai. Who was the one who, when you were crying ‘I absolutely cannot fail this exam,’ dragged you out of bed on time with the kindness and strictness of a mother? Who was the one who helped you repaper your walls that get sticky with nicotine every year? Who was the one who repaired the floorboards you stepped through in the hallway without telling the landlord on you?”

Like a convict who reformed right before his execution, Nico-chan suddenly became quiet and docile. Kiyose changed the aim of his attack to Yuki.

“You haven’t forgotten about it either, Yuki, the taste of my osechi cooking, right? Last year, you couldn’t get a job because of your bar exam, so you bummed off of me for lunch for the whole year because you said you didn’t have any money. To think that you’ve forgotten about that…”

Yuki could only nod his head like a broken doll. Kiyose turned his blade immediately yet again and slashed at Prince’s back as he was opened the door and was about to escape from the room. (5)

“Prince. Because of your book hoard, Chikusei-sou is at the brink of collapse. Which will you choose: Throwing away your manga, or aiming for the Hakone Ekiden?”

Prince sank down to the floor, but showed a resolute attitude to fight back.

“I hate both of them! Both choices are like telling me to die.”

Prince’s grief-filled lamentations reverberated in the room. Kiyose crossed his arms with a “Hmm” and turned towards Kakeru again. Kakeru lightly raised his arms.

“I get it. ‘Who introduced you to Chikusei-sou? If you don’t like it, you can leave.’ Is that what you’re going to say?”

“I’m not going to say that to someone’s who broke,” Kiyose uncrossed his arms. “All right, then. Kakeru and Prince, I’ll give you a few more days. If you change your mind, tell me.”

Prince stopped lamenting, and approached Kiyose, standing in the middle of the room, a little bit.

“And if it doesn’t change?”

“Are you going to declare a state of emergency next time?” Yuki interrupted sarcastically.

“No,” Kiyose smiled gently. “I will persistently continue to call for your surrender.”

Kakeru’s and Prince’s shoulders slumped in unison.

Previous | Next

[ofanya]

STATS / PINTEREST / CONNECTIONS / CLASSES

⌠ NATALIA DYER, 21, CISFEMALE, SHE/HER ⌡ welcome back to gallagher academy, ANYA CASIRAGHI! according to their records, they’re a SECOND year, specializing in AWARENESS TRAINING, BREATH CONTROL, HAND TO HAND COMBAT + RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT; and they DID NOT go to a spy prep high school. when i see them walking around in the halls, i usually see a flash of (embroidery on lace, waking up early to catch the sunset, the scent of fresh strawberries, perfect balance on tiptoes). when it’s the (libra)’s birthday on 9/24/99, they always request their ARANCINI DI RISO from the school’s chefs. looks like they’re well on their way to graduation. ⌿ kati, 24, she/her, est ⍀ @gallagherintro

INSPIRATION.

cho chang – harry potter 

grace blood – skins

esme cullen – twilight 

yue – avatar the last airbender

lexi howard – euphoria

laurel castillo – how to get away with murder

jane bennett – pride and predjudice 

ann perkins – parks & rec

kwon sun-hwa – lost

BACKGROUND + CLICK FOR BIO.

anya is the third-born casiraghi child after salvatore (oldest) and nico (second-oldest) and the first girl. she’s labeled extremely bright from a young age, but she doesn’t start speaking until she’s almost five years old. the casiraghi parents aren’t even concerned, they don’t think speech is an important quality for a girl. 

the first thing she ever says is a full sentence: “i want to go out with the boys.” it’s almost as if she could have spoken this whole time, she’d just been waiting. but of course, she’s told no, and she wants to be part of the lives that nico and salvatore lead but she’s pushed the side and told to be something else, something more ornamental. 

goes to ballet and etiquette classes instead ( the casiraghis are taught in their own home, much too good for even the best of private schools ) and often feels like she has to make up or carry things in lieu of the behavior of her younger sister. cecilia is reckless and insolent, does what she likes, and anya is jealous, but not jealous enough to do the same. anya is held to a higher standard as she’s meant to set an example and there’s a bit of bitterness that grows in her because of that. 

anya teaches herself as much about finance and business as salvatore and nico, but instead of her business or career prospects, her parents talk only of marriage proposals and future prospects. the education in espionage is a placeholder, she learns things so she’ll be able to make intelligent small talk at dinner parties or be a good companion for a man someday, not because she can run an empire. it’s very frustrating, but she takes this quietly, as always.

(DRUG ABUSE/OPIOIDS TW) anya breaks her ankle in dance practice when she’s 16, a compound fracture. it’ll heal, but she will never be able to dance in the same way again. there’s a numbness inside of her that only seems to be assuaged by the pills prescribed by her doctor that are intended to ease the pain. the pills ease the tightness in your chest every time she sits at the dinner table and long after her ankle heals, anya continues to use the pills like a crutch.

(OVERDOSE TW) she overdoses at 17 and is sent to a rehab facility. the entire ordeal is done very quietly, made to seem like a pleasant vacation – a dirty secret, something to be ashamed of, and it’s emphasized that anya should be so grateful to her family for taking care of her when she’s such a disappointment. she spends the summer at the best facility that money can by, and she returns clean, determined not to be such a disappointment, but the numbness doesn’t seem to quite fade. 

she heads to gallagher academy at 19, following her brother nico to school in america. she has no idea of the legal proceedings going on under her nose because she’s just so excited to get out of the house, unaware why her parents are so quick to send her away. nico hates it, finds it unpleasant and uncouth and a lot of the students are slovenly, but anya loves it, thrives under the guise of freedom and the ability to speak in a classroom where her voice matters.

naturally, the casiraghi family loses everything, as you might recall. her parents say that anya’s lucky she’s pretty because she could still marry nicely, and if it’s soon then the casiraghi name might still mean something. they remind anya of how much she owes them, how good they were to her when she attempted to sour the family name.

PERSONALITY.

DIPLOMATIC. is really good at choosing her words in a way that keeps the peace and is very intentional about the language that she chooses to use. she believes a lot in 'fairness’ and everyone getting a fair chance at things, so on, and she’s good at controlling difficult situations without upsetting ppl. 

NURTURING. has a very caring personality and always wants to look after others. she’s this way with plants and animals as well, and i think she’s really good at encouraging people to achieve their goals or advocate for themselves, she just can’t...do that for herself. but she will take care of u and smother u but in a loving way. 

RELIABLE. will show up at your doorstep in the rain with an umbrella, the first person to complete everything in the group project, if she makes you a promise she will follow through and then some. u can say some shit about anya, but she is fucking dependable and will come through for you whenever you need her most or you don’t think you need her at all, she’s still there. 

NON-CONFRONTATIONAL. will go out of her way to avoid a fight or try to keep the peace, she will also do this with others, putting herself in the middle of things to keep other people from fighting – she just will do ANYTHING to avoid a confrontation. annoying tbh. 

NAIVE. she really doesn’t know much about the world at large and will always find herself believing the best in people or hoping for the best case scenario when it isn’t always true. this could be seen as a good thing, but i think pretty much anyone has the ability to take advantage of her, it’s not hard. 

TIMID. anya has always had trouble advocating for herself and what she really wants, she has a lack of courage when it comes to fighting for her own passions and will easily take a backseat for others to take the spotlight. one direction vc: u don’t know ur beautiful

HEADCANONS.

idk why my brain was like . try to make this char into modern commentary on the 50s housewife but here we are 

i had no idea what i was doing with her late-talking thing except trying to somehow manifest how oppressive her home was, but rowan sent me some article about einstein syndrome and how late talkers like anya are highly analytical thinkers so we’re going with that ! 

was jumped on by a very big dog when she was very small and her face got scratched, so she has a bit of a fear of large dogs...it’s not that she doesn’t like them in theory, they just scare her and she hasn’t seemed to outgrow it. 

still loves to dance even though she’s well aware that she could never really do it professionally or on stage because of the way her ankle won’t bend, but you can usually catch her...somewhere on gallagher’s campus where she could practice privately ? 

also does a lot of yoga to center herself, she loves early mornings and generally her routine is to get up, make a cup of tea, watch the sunrise and then do a little bit of yoga. routine makes her feel in control so she has a habit of sticking to it.

loves to bake and is really good at it ! happy to binge great british bakeoff with anyone but then she will want to try all of the recipes and challenges herself. she likes the exact science of it and it’s another one of her hobbies that helps her feel like she maintains a sort of balance within herself. if you do it right, it all works out – baking makes sense.

she’s had one certain relationship when she was pretty young and definitely is not a person for one night stands, so...she’s a virgin ! 

in general she is baby but she is also mom. 

does not like most green vegetables but especially brussel sprouts. 

will wince when other people curse, has a tendency to speak very proper herself because of the way that she was raised. has extremely good manners, table or otherwise.  

gets really easily overwhelmed at big parties or functions with crowds of people and will generally find some excuse in order to, well, excuse herself. she just feels like she has to be ON all the time and it’s very exhausting to her, would much rather curl up and watch movies or something. 

is very straight edge, doesn’t drink/smoke/etc as a result of her past, she stays away from anything that could increase temptation and make her fall back into past habits. 

had/has a cat at home named gio, technically the family cat but it always felt the most like anya’s and it would sleep with her and everything however since the house was seized, no one has been able to find gio </3

WANTED CONNECTIONS.

best friend – i know, it’s hard to just plot this, but ! i would love someone who maybe was her roommate last year, the first person that anya met on campus and they just clicked right away and made anya feel really at home. i would love if this character was a foil for anya’s nurturing, softspoken nature, so a girl who is a bit louder and more confident. 

childhood crush – idk someone who could have known the casiraghi family for years or operated in that scene, maybe from a wealthy family and anya has a long-time unrequited crush on them. anya’s really kind, but she probably acts a bit standoffish or rude toward this character, so they probably think she hates them.  

bad influence – a character who’s a bit on the wild side who’s turned anya into their project – they want to get her out of her shell, help anya let loose and get out more, but maybe this is also some bad temptation for her since she has some...old bad habits. 

good influence (on) – anya is PEAK mom friend, so i’m looking for a connection that really displays that, someone she looks after. she’s the first person they call when they’re too fucked up and she’s always texting them the homework (and maybe the answers too).

ex-family friends – maybe your character’s family testified against the casiraghi family in the court case and helped send anya’s parents to prison. so, anya and your character used to be close friends but now she avoids your character out of familial obligation. 

fake dating? anya’s parents would like to pressure her into an engagement or see her with someone well-off, so if your character is from a rich asf family, perhaps they’ve done anya a solid. they’re not actually fake dating around campus or lying to their friends, but they’re close friends with anya and might go home with her to perpetrate the lie on a holiday when she goes to see sal and maybe they have taken a few cute selfies together for anya to send home – it would probably be YOUR character that suggests this to anya and encourages her to have a bit of freedom, so i imagine our chars would be friends. 

first love/ex – someone that anya might have known or met when she was younger, probably through family connections. they would’ve been around 15 at the time, so a genuine first relationship (like probably first kiss for her), but at this age her mental health was really bad and they probably broke up as a result of going to rehab. perhaps they feel guilty about not being more supportive or perhaps they did all they could but it was too heavy? we can discuss, but either way, super angsty.

protector – idk i would just love if someone saw how much of herself she puts into taking care of others and wanted to take care of her/look out for her instead and they’re just that friend who is really protective of her and reminds her to look after herself too

crush – i just want her to have a little bit of a crush/affinity for a girl that helps her realize that she’s not straight because she’s too repressed and never considered anything except heterosexuality til this point idk i just like when girls.

enemy – probably an ex-friend or something like that. maybe anya trusted them with a secret and they betrayed her or they tried to throw her under the bus to gain something. or maybe anya just got on your character’s bad side by being too much of a goody-two-shoes.

idk give me someone that relentlessly flirts with her because they think it’s hilarious that she gets so shy and doesn’t really know what to do about it, and she really does not know what to do about it ! 

also am down to brainstorm since i know the casiraghis already have a bit of a reputation so...i’m blessed taking a sibling connection and perhaps we can just bounce off of things you’ve already plotted with deanna and/or kit ( cecilia & n*co ) !

[onceuponaloonatic]

4) au au: triplets are watching Nico when Nico has a tummyache. They don't think anything of it at first, hoping it'll go away by the time SaMiTzh come back from their date. But it only gets worse. Sae (who's had it before) suggests appendicitis, and all 3 girls panic. They drive her to the hospital. While on their date, Mina's work phone goes off with a text saying there is a 5yo in the ER with appendicitis, and then Sana's phone rings at the same time because Saya is calling her. 🦄

“Mommy… Don’t go.” Nico was attached to Sana’s leg as Sana put on her jacket. 

“I’m sorry sweetie. I’ll be back tomorrow morning okay?” Sana leaned down to kiss Nico’s forehead. “Unnies will take good care of you.” “But my tummy hurts.” Nico whined, tightened her grip on Sana.

“I know sweetie, but you don’t have a fever and your lungs are fine. Just eat your dinner and tell Unnies if you feel worse.” They were used to Nico having stomach aches. She was a sickly child, so sickness and tummy aches were just common for her. They all felt bad about it, but it was just something they were used to. Sana, Mina, and Tzuyu had been planning their date for weeks now. Since Nico didn’t have a fever and all three of her sisters were watching her, they weren’t too worried about her little tummy ache. “I love you okay?” “Okay.” Nico reluctantly let go of Sana’s leg. She slowly walked over to Tzuyu and gestured for her to pick her up. Tzuyu picked Nico up and kissed her cheek. “We have to go now kiddo.” Tzuyu informed. “Be good for Unnie’s.” Tzuyu looked up at the triplets, who were all watching from the couch. “And you three, take good care of her.” “We know.” The three nodded. 

“Bye Nico. Feel better.” Mina smiled at her youngest in her wife’s arms. “We’ll be here after her bed time, but we should be back by midnight.” “Okay.” Sae nodded. “Nico come on.” Nico pouted as Tzuyu put her down and she slowly made her way over to Sae. “Bye bye mommy, mama, ka-san.” Nico had always waved goodbye to them no matter where they were going. She had picked up the habit from Sana and it had stuck. “Bye sweetie!” Mina, Sana, and Tzuyu each made sure to kiss Nico before they left. Once they were gone Nico got up onto the couch and turned the tv on.

“Do you want to do anything Nic?” Sae turned to Nico. 

“It hurts.” Nico pouted. 

“I know.” Sae nodded.

“How about we all bring our pillows and blankets in here, that way we can have a movie night and Nico can still lay down?” Saki suggested. 

“That’s not a bad idea honestly.” Saya nodded. “I’ll go get the stuff.” “Nico, do you want to help me pick the movie?” Saki didn't even know why she bothered to ask, Nico was going to be picky anyway.

“Yeah!” Nico smiled. 

“Okay, let’s do it then.” xx 

As the night goes on, Nico gets worse and worse. At first her sisters don’t get it because Nico has a fair pain tolerance for her age, but she was still in a lot of stomach and head pain. Nico tries to be a trooper, but her sisters can tell it hurts, and that there’s something off with their baby sister.

“I’m getting kinda worried.” Sae commented as she looked into the playroom. Nico was playing cards with Saki, but she was holding one side of her stomach. “Do you think it’s appendicitis?” “It’s not that bad.” Saya shrugged.

“Not that bad;  Saya she can't even sit without holding her side.” Saya shrugged. Yes she was worried, but she didn’t want Sae to know that. 

“Nico-chan it’s your turn.” Saki prompted her little sister. Nico had been spacing off a lot more than usual in their game of go fish, and now she wasn’t even paying any attention. “Nico-chan?” “Oh.” Nico came back to reality and looked at Saki.

“Does it hurt that bad?” Saki asked, concerned.

“Yeah. I want Mommy.” NIco couldn’t stop the tears that came to her eyes. “Saki Unnie… Please. When is mommy coming home?” Saki’s heart broke at her little sister's question. “Why don’t I go ask okay?” Nico nodded, going back to looking at her cards while Saki got up and went to Sae and Saya. “How much longer until Mom comes home?” “A few hours…” Sae trailed off. “Look I think we need to take her to the hospital.” “Why?” Saya asked. “It’s a stomachache.” “I don’t think it is. Remember when I had appediticus? My side and stomach both hurt a lot too. Plus I can tell she has a fever from the way she’s acting. Appendicitis is more common for people when their siblings have had it, it would track for her to get it.” Sae explained. “Even if it isn’t that, we should be cautious. That stuff is serious and she’s so young she could be at a huge risk.” “I’m with Sae on this one.” Saki nodded. “There’s something really wrong with her. Now isn’t the time for your unloving big sister act Saya. She could be in real trouble.” Saya’s demanor wavered at Saki’s statement. She wasn’t against taking Nico to the hospital, she agreed it was the right call. But she just didn’t want her sisters to know she was really soft for Nico. “Fine.” Saya pouted. “Go grab her and let’s go.” 

“Can you drive Saki?” Sae asked, already moving forward to grab Nico. 

“Yup! Saya can you go grab her hospital bag?” Since Nico was such a sickly child, she had a hospital bag always at the ready. It had basic stuff that was easy to replace. Some pajamas and stuffed animals along with a small blanket. They had started keeping it around when Nico was a baby, as most sicknesses, even minor ones, sent her straight to the hospital. They had just wanted to be prepared, it was easier when they had something ready especially when they were in more of a rush to get Nico to the hospital. Nico didn’t necessarily like the hospital, but she was just used to it. Even if she wasn’t checked in she would have to go once a month to go her routine checkups, so she was used to it.

“Unnie?” Nico yawned when Sae picked her up. “Where are we going?” “You’ll see Nico-chan.” Sae looked down at her little sister. “You’ll see.” xx 

Mina, Sana, and Tzuyu hadn’t realized how much they missed dates. It was just hard for them to have them, right when the triplets were old enough for them not to worry about them being home alone Nico came along. Of course they loved their kids, but they weren’t great for dates. So this one meant a lot of them, even if there was the lingering worry over Nico’s stomach ache.

“Babe she’s fine, she gets stomach aches like once every two weeks.” Tzuyu grabbed Sana’s hand and squeezed it when she noticed how stressed her wife looked. 

“Im sorry, you know how stressed I get about her.” Sana sighed. “Omega instincts, I want to be really protective over her because she has health issues.” “Which is perfectly normal, we are all protective over her, but she’s fine. She has Saya, Sae, and Saki with her. And Sae is studying to be a doctor, she may not be Mina yet but she’s getting there.” Tzuyu joked. “Yeah, I know we worry about her, but tonight is about us.” Mina agreed, taking a sip of her wine. “No work, no kids, just us.” Right after Mina said that her phone started ringing. She groaned when she saw the caller id. “It’s work.” “Answer it darling.” Sana prompted.

“I don’t want to.” Mina sighed. “I feel like I’m always working.” “It could be an emergency.” Sana nodded. “If it’s not you have my permission to hang up on however it is, even if it’s your boss.” “Deal.” Mina laughed, getting up front the table to take the call. “Her job is so important. I forget that sometimes.” Tzuyu sighed as she watched Mina walk away.

“Yeah, I think she does too.” Sana nodded. Right after, her phone started ringing too. When she checked the caller ID she noticed it was Saya. 

“Saya?” Sana asked, answering the phone while her free hand still held Tzuyu’s.

“Mom? It’s Nico…” xx 

When Mina had gotten the call there was a five year old in the ER with appendicitis, she knew she couldn’t ignore it. Sure she didn’t normally work on kids, but the hospital was short staffed that night and they needed anyone to help the kid. She knew she could never turn it down. No kid that young deserved anything like that. Nico was that age, and she could not imagine how crushed she would be if that was her child in the ER.

However when she got to the table, Sana had more bad news for her. It wasn’t just some nameless five year old, the kid in the ER was Nico. Mina had never been more panicked before in her life. She slapped a one hundred dollar bill on that table and all three of them left quickly. The frantic drive and mood of everyone reminded her of the day Nico was born. They had all been stressed out then too. But they had tried to keep things calmer back then, at least for Sana’s state. This time though, they were all panicked.

When they got to the hospital, Mina rushed to the back to get ready for the surgery while Tzuyu and Sana found the triplets. 

“What happened?” Tzuyu was out of breath after running to find the three. 

“We don’t really know…” Saki started. “She was in a lot of pain so Sae suggested we bring her here and next thing we know the doctors are kicking us out and she’s going into surgery.” “I thought it may be appenditius because she looked like she hurt where I did when I had it, turns out I was right…” Sae sighed, avoiding her parents gaze. “I’m sorry I didn’t think of it sooner.” “No, no you did the right thing.” Tzuyu wrapped one arm around Sae. Sana was buried into her other side, trying to not show the triplets how hard she was crying. “Thank you. You saved her life Sae. We should have been the ones to do something about it, but you really saved us all.” xx 

Mina had never been happier to be done with a surgery when Nico’s was through with. Usually parents weren’t allowed to operate on their children but with the lack of surgeons on call they didn’t have any other choice. Mina was just happy things went well and Nico was okay. While the others doctors and nurses left after moving Nico to her hospital room, Mina stayed with her. She was still out cold, but Mina held her tiny hand. She hated seeing Nico like this, but they had been there more times than Mina had ever wished. 

When the rest of the family was allowed to see Nico, they all piled into her room. 

“She’s okay.” Mina had a teary smile as she turned to the rest of the family. “Thank you so much for noticing Sae.” “Of course Ka-san.” Sae nodded. “Saki and Saya helped tonight too.”

“Thank you all, you all saved your little sister's life tonight.” Mina looked at all three. “And I’m so proud of all of you for it.”

[sonofsallyjackson]

A World Not Quite Her Own (pt 1/3) - The Estelle Fic

So here it is, my first foray into the Percy Jackson fandom despite being obsessed with the books when I was in elementary/middle school.  This started as my take on Estelle’s childhood, but morphed into something more with a Percabeth wedding scene in chapter 2.  AO3 Link Here.

Estelle Blofis had never lived in a world without monsters.  Many people in this world would have been driven mad by this knowledge. But for Estelle, it was a simple fact of the universe like humans need air to survive, or blue chocolate chip cookies are the best dessert.  Maybe knowing about monsters should have made her scared, but all it did was show her the heroes who would always come in and save the day.

Many of those heroes made the best babysitters.  

Sally always let out a sigh of relief when Grover was in town.  The Lord of the Wild didn’t even grumble good-naturedly as he took on his excitable charge for the day.  Grover didn’t need the promise of Sally’s seven-layer bean dip or the collection of recycling curated for maximum crunch to make it through their outings.  He had always wanted to teach humans to appreciate the wild, treasure it, and protect it.  Grover might not be able to teach all humans, but he certainly could teach Estelle.   They sat in an isolated corner of Central Park together, occasionally bothered by druids, but mostly it was just the two of them.  They would sit directly in the grass, Estelle’s orange tutu and rainboots regardless of the weather stretched out next to hairy legs that Grover mostly didn’t bother to cover anymore.  While Estelle likely fidgeted just as much as she listened (spinning breaks were deemed a necessity after a single outing), she did listen to him.  Grover was the best at answering questions and like any small child, Estelle had a lot of questions.  So as she grew,  Estelle sang hi to the individual trees on walks with her parents and proclaimed solemnly in pre-school that “Pan was dead”  (a reference that thankfully her teacher didn’t understand but had resulted in a headache-inducing conversation for Paul).   

In comparison, babysitting with Rachel was essentially one long arts and crafts session.  Finger paintings completely covered the fridge by the time Estelle was three.  They’d repainted the mural on Estelle’s bedroom wall about four times by the time she was ten, with each rendition more fantastical than the last.  Occasionally Sally regretted the afternoons spent writing with Rachel over once she discovered the paint covered mess that once had been her daughter, but overall with the sound of laughter echoing through the house (and only one minor prophecy), she supposed things could be a lot worse.  

On days where snow piled up outside their window, but Estelle adamantly refused to wear anything but a swimsuit and a feather boa,  Paul frantically phoned Piper.   She was at the top of a very short list of people who could make Estelle dress appropriately for the weather.  No one was sure if it was a form of diluted charmspeak or just Piper’s knack for finding outfits that technically could be worn in public but still fit the (unfashionable) vibe Estelle was going for.  

Tyson was never allowed to babysit Estelle by himself, but he made up for his clumsiness and general lack of knowledge of human safety measures with an excess of enthusiasm.  He took to having a baby sister so well that no one really bothered to explain that technically the two of them weren’t related.  Still Tyson’s one eye seemed just as normal to Estelle as his hugs or extremely calloused hands.  

Nico really wasn’t her babysitter.  He would stop by the apartment looking for Percy or Sally, but would end up staying because Estelle had him wrapped around her finger.  The first time they’d met Nico had come over with bad news regarding Apollo’s quest.  Estelle couldn’t actually remember what had happened since she was so young, but Sally liked telling the story, complete with pictures, so Estelle knew it by heart anyway.  Percy hadn’t been home yet and since he was with mortals working on a group project, Iris messages would have been a no-go even if the cosmos weren’t trying to prevent demi-god communication.  So Nico had sat on the couch in the living room occasionally pestered by Sally’s “Are you sure I can’t get you anything to eat?” and “You look tired, sweetheart.  You have time for a nap if you want one.”  

In the end, Nico hadn’t gotten that nap because he’d been greeted by tiny hands pulling themselves upright on the couch cushion next to him.  Estelle’s face had been alight with mischief that Nico would have previously sworn was only possible from a child of Hermes.  Her black curls swung wildly around her as she wiggled her way onto the couch and into Nico’s lap.  Estelle made herself comfortable while Nico looked ready to throw up.  At fourteen, he’d fought in two different wars, but one crawling 10-month-old seemed to be enough to break him.  As Estelle grew older, her little chants of “Nico! Nico! Nico!” had so much power over the boy who wanted a family more than anything else in the world.

Annabeth was one of her most frequent babysitters.  She practically lived at their apartment when she wasn’t at school, or helping her cousins or the camp.   She did keep Percy from giving into Estelle’s every whim which wasn’t ideal, but Estelle could deal with eating a full plate of vegetables if it meant hanging out with Annabeth.  Unfortunately,  Annabeth did not share Estelle’s undying love for all things Little Mermaid and often muttered “Seaweed Brain, I don’t know how but this is your fault.  If I have to hear Under the Sea one more time, I’ll-“ under her breath whenever just watching Disney movies was suggested.  So spending time with Annabeth often meant playing with Legos, creating a disjointed collection of buildings. Mini replicas of New York landmarks would be dwarfed by uneven towers because Estelle cared more about height than stability, aesthetics or really any other architectural principle.  When Annabeth entered school, she was less inclined to spend any bit of free time still thinking about architecture.  So she gave Estelle a little potholder loom and taught her the basics of weaving.  Sally had ended up with more neon-colored monstrosities than she knew what to do with, but the girls could spend hours in relative quiet, so it seemed a small price to pay.  

And then there was Percy, the biggest hero in Estelle’s eyes.  Her love wasn’t like the hero-worship of new demigods, who idolized him for defeating the Titans, surviving Tartarus, or going on countless quests.  Estelle believed more than anything else in the world that her brother would be there to catch her whenever she fell and there was no monster he couldn’t beat.  

Even before she could walk, Estelle had seen her brother’s powers.  Some things were easy to miss, like the way Percy could wash the dishes without getting wet at all, but others stood out to her. The waves at Montauk had calmed so he could teach her how to swim but were quick to come back to life if anyone stared too openly at Annabeth or his mom.   While Annabeth built elaborate sandcastles, Percy added fantastical moats and laughed as Estelle roared like a minotaur to tear it down.   He could hold his breath forever, which seemed awfully unfair the first time Estelle had tried to swim underwater and ended up with a mouthful of saltwater.  Percy was always willing to translate for the fish at the aquarium, although Estelle was pretty sure he did the funny voices for her benefit.  When Percy had landed Blackjack on their apartment’s roof after being called back to camp for an emergency, he had translated for his old friend too. Estelle loved those translations the most, even if they weren’t entirely accurate.  

“Seriously, Blackjack, can you cool the language around my little sister?”  

By age five, her older brother had bought wooden swords for the two of them to practice in the living room.  Percy kept the moves simple, demonstrating before lightly wrapping his fingers around her tiny wrists and guiding her through the movements.  Estelle would copy them intently with her nose scrunched up and her tongue stuck slightly to the side in concentration.   They focused primarily on defensive strategies, but still had practice fights where Percy pretended to die dramatically.  

“I don’t think this is a good idea Percy,” Sally had said after they broke their second lamp.

“Mom she can see them. And as long as I’m around Stella will always be a target.”  

There was an unspoken promise in his words.  I’m always going to be here Mom.  I’m still alive, but I can’t lose anyone else, especially not my baby sister.  

Estelle hugged her mother’s leg tightly, looking up with pleading eyes.   “Please Mom I’ll be careful.”    

Eventually, Paul signed Estelle up for fencing lessons because there had to be a better way to teach her to fight that didn’t involve the two of them wrecking the living room every time Percy visited.  And if the way, allowed Paul to share his old fencing passion with his daughter, all the better.  The living room still ended up with the furniture pushed to the side on a regular basis though because Estelle needed to demonstrate everything she’d learned for her big brother.  

When Tyson had come to her sixth birthday party, his present had been a small bronze sword that transformed into a charm bracelet so Estelle could always be prepared.  He’d look so proud and Estelle kept touching it reverently, but Sally had not been amused.  She had wanted her daughter to grow up safe from this madness, even if she knew that wasn’t entirely a possibility.   It was bad enough to have one child constantly in mortal peril and disappearing on dangerous quests.  

“It can’t even hurt her; it’s celestial bronze.  The first time I met Rachel I ran her through with Riptide and she’s still fine.”  

Rachel flicked her red curls over her shoulder.  “Worried for your sanity, but physically fine.”  

Neither of them was as reassuring as they thought, but Estelle did get to keep the sword for emergency use only.  This was after all a world full of monsters as well as heroes.

[nisaadventures]

I’m turning 30 in 10 days... yikes.

The last year of my life has sucked... lol. Okay, it wasn’t all bad. I’m exaggerating... but I’m also not. I know there were plenty of nice moments in the last year... but when I think about the last year of my life, its just full of so many firsts... awful firsts... 

First time celebrating their birthdays without them...

First holiday season without them... anyone else miss mom’s turkey? Most people don’t like traditional thanksgiving dinner because the turkey is more often dry... mom’s was never dry... Okay the key people.. Don’t actually cook your stuffing in the turkey. Its just going to suck all the juice life out of your bird... I mean come on. Trick #1 stuff the turkey with fresh cut oranges and yes, you can leave the skin on... #2 do majority of the oven time in an oven bag to keep the moisture in. #3 cook breasts down. Its the part thats usually most dry, so duh... keep it in the juicy, buttery goodness of the pan. I never made the entire meal, I usually just helped mom with everything. These are just some things I’ve taken away in my observations. 

Halloween trip to Disneyland without them... Disney is always a good time, but I’d be lying if I said my heart didn’t feel heavy in some way... and that is saying something because Disneyland is my happy place lol. 

Looking forward to 2020... Hoping that it had so much better in store for us. 

Dear lord... what a joke. 

Going to Hawaii for our “family trip” without them...

A pandemic without them... I mean yes, I’m thankful they aren’t out there with COVID on the rise... I’m glad they’re not stuck at home because COVID. Mom and Michael are both too much of busy bees to be cooped up in the house for too long. 

Not going to lie... picking up where they left has been hard. All of moms plants... The dogs.. Taking care of the backyard, where Michael usually would. Mom would definitely do too much at once. She’d be out in the yard planting something and pulling out something else in her damn UGG boots! wth mom?! Those are expensive! lol. “Oh its fine.. I’ll wash them.” Omg lol. Either that, or she’d be over here trying to move heavy a$$ pots by herself and I’d have to stop her before she hurt her back. Ayiyi. 

Keanu and Aria’s birthdays without them... seeing my babies sad and missing their grandma, grandpa, and aunties has been hard. It will be out of nowhere sometimes... and all the nights of Aria waking up in the middle of the night crying. I feel you baby girl... I get it. I miss them too... Its okay to be sad... Mantras... 

You were her little rays of sunshine. Grandpa and grandma loved you SOOOO much. 

Mom would babysit the kids on Saturday mornings, while Kuya, Vaness, and I went to workout. They’d go get breakfast, pancakes and eggs, at UJs. She’d take them to Target, the dollar store, Walmart, etc. just so they could look and maybe get something to play with together. She always crafted with them. 

Living in this house... especially with COVID... has been hard. I miss just sitting at the dinner table, eating sho mi, and talking about work. Mom and Michael getting all worked up over some crazy manager, or something going down with the union.. yup, that’s where I get it from... advocacy and leadership skills FTW.  One thing they could always talk about for HOURS was work lol. 

I remember when I was a little girl, Mom would let me play in the bathtub until I was all wrinkled. She would let me bring all my toys into the tub. At one point I even had a care bear doll that she, for some reason, let me take in the bath lol. She’d throw it in the dryer for me after I was done. 

I remember going to the grocery store with mom and leaving with two full a$$ grocery carts because we had a full house at all times. I mean it was Kuya, my cousin Jojo, my brother Derric, my cousin John, Bubba, my cousin Jay, me and whoever else was over the house lol. When Kuya was in high school, it was all of his buddies partying at our house and crashing on the floor in the living room, dining room, and all the couches. She was the #1 host for sure.

“Are you hungry? Did you eat yet?” 

Thats love. 

All of Kuya’s high school friends called her Mom. My friends called her Mama Fern. She loved that. 

I remember playing hide n go seek in the dark in our tiny town house.. Later in the bigger house on Glenbriar... where mom actually tripped and broke her arm... But she laughed so hard she peed her pants, so she was a good sport? lol. Needless to say, we sort of stopped playing after that.

I remember making dim sum with mom for the first time. Such a hot mess, flour and food everywhere, but so fun. We definitely didn’t do that again until there were more adults around to help lol. Mom knew how to run through a kitchen like a tornado. Hot mess! but the best cook. 

Mom was always careful. She always wanted to make sure we were safe, that I was safe. I couldn’t go outside unless one of the boys was with me. When I would swim she would get nervous, even though I learned how to swim at a young age thanks to Kuya. One day, we were having a bbq, lots of family over, I was playing in the jacuzzi (drawing on the wall of the jacuzzi with a piece of chlorine... don’t play with chemicals kids lol) and she thought I was drowning? So she jumps her a$$ in there fully clothed and yanks my a$$ out. I was shocked as hell, so I naturally started crying hella hard and complaining about the fact that she scratched me when she yanked me up out of the water lol.

Keep in mind that that was not the first time one of the twins jumped into the pool fully clothed to “save” someone hahaha. 

 Speaking of fully clothed in the pool... The time auntie tripped and fell slo-mo style (that questionable, are you going to catch your balance, speed) into the pool LOL. Mom was dead laughing at her. Most hilarious video. 

Those twins lol. 

Jeeze.. speaking of the twins. They had this crazy connection. Tell me why when mom got sick with suspected viral meningitis and had to be hospitalized... Auntie straight up followed her right into the ICU with viral meningitis... 

Who remembers their 50th birthday? Talk about doing it BIG. So much fun. All the performances. Lani was there... KMA performances and kuya and John getting down for Maglalatik. Who doesn’t like seeing some half naked, buff dudes, bang coconuts together? haha. The twins getting down with their hula performance. Cute!

I remember when Mom and pops were going through their divorce and she would text me after midnight. I was going to Sac State and of course I was team NO sleep at the time. I would be in the AIRC studying. I’d comfort as best as I could from a distance... and then come home on weekends to be there with her when I could. 

She found her footing again. Started going to the gym with Kuya more... Started running all the time... all of her half marathons and finally she did the Nike Women’s Marathon. 

Hiking Half Dome with her. What.a.badass. 

That is really how I see her. She was so badass. When she was my age she had my 9 year old Kuya and I was on the way... She was working and supporting us and then eventually decided to make a better life for us, and went back to school... NURSING SCHOOL. wth. I can’t even imagine doing that right now, but reminding myself of where she has been and how much she PUT IN WORK... That keeps me grounded in the fact that we are responsible for our lives. If you want something, you have to work for it. You can’t just hope for better... you make better happen. 

I guess its that reminder... her strength... her and Michael’s love and hard work... That keeps me going. 

Being mindful... being thankful... acknowledging my own strength... 

But with that said... August has been increasingly hard. I don’t like to think about my birthday. I don’t even want to plan anything. They’re not here... I can’t celebrate with all my loved ones and friends. Thank you COVID... 

We’re just getting closer and closer to the anniversary? Nah.. lets not call it that... anniversary sounds like something nice... something to celebrate... This is NOT that. The day your loved ones are taken is not something to celebrate... I mean honestly, if I had to pinpoint the worst day of my life, that was it.... When I think about that day I can’t breathe. Terrible memories... so many sleepless nights. I’ve come so far. Its still hard, but I’ve come a long way. 

Anyway... this post is sort of random and nostalgic. Things I hold onto. Things that make me happy cry... Things that weigh heavy on my heart. 

Here’s my playlist for grief... reminders of them... collected over the last year:

Aloha for now -Kaleo Vai & Passion 

One day at a time -Jennifer Chung

In the end - Gabe Bondoc, Melissa Polinar, Passion

Round and around -Kolohe Kai

Fade Away -Rebelution

Alive -The Green

New Day -Kimie’

Angels above me -Stick Figure

Memories -Maroon 5

Wish you pain -Andy Grammer

100 -Katchafire

Everyday life -Coldplay

Out of the darkness -Isla vista worship, Bre Reed

Amen -Andra Day

Grateful -13 Crowns feat. Poo Bear

Rainbow Connection -Gwen Stefani

Be okay -ZOE worship 

With you -Eryn Allen Kane

Dont worry -Mesto feat. Aloe Blacc

Just livin’ -Sensi trails, Kbong

Remember me -Miguel, Natalia Lafourcade

Even more -Major

Let it be -Xav A.

Give Thanks -Iya terra, Stick figure

Mr. Sun -Sammy Johnson

Rest easy -Thrive, Nico of Tribal Theory

Sunny Days- Allen Stone

Today’s a new day -Common Kings

Mother’s Love -Jonah Jaxon, Micah G

The bones -Maren Morris, Hozier

Give you blue -Allen Stone

And we remain -Johnnyswim

Yellow -Kina Grannis

Streetcar -Daniel Caesar

Meant to be -Bebe Rexha, Florida georgia line

All you need to know -Gryffin, slander, Calle Lehmann

Like I’m gonna lose you -Jasmine Thompson

[baguetteavocat]

Nico di Angelo Headcannons

I found this in my drafts and I know it’s definitely not finished but I have no motivation to do anything else with it so take this as you will and hopefully I get my motivation back soon. Enjoy!

- He was a super smart kid. Like, he loved learning new things! Especially history. He had near perfect scores on every history test at Westover.

- He got into Mythomagic (and mythology in general) a few weeks after he heard Bianca mention to one of her friends that pirates were something only “little kids” liked.

- Even though he was talkative and hyper and always super polite and sociable, he was shy and used to being called annoying by Bianca so he didn’t really make any friends at Westover because he thought he was too annoying.

- One time in the Lotus Hotel and Casino, Nico was bored and trying to convince Bianca to play with him when he saw a group of three kids only a few years older than him grouped up by the door.

     - “Bianca?”

     - “What?”

     - “Have you ever seen them here before?”

     - “No. Why?”

     - “They look like they’re leaving. Bianca, why can’t we leave?”

- At the dance, which Bianca forced him to go to, Nico saw three kids in his peripheral vision. Bianca tells him he’s probably seen them in the hall before, but Nico is sure it wasn’t that. And he just stared at them, because he knew he’d seen them somewhere. He wasn’t really thinking when he mumbled “The one has pretty eyes.” Nico immediately regretted it, Bianca chastising him and him frantically trying to cover it up.

     - “Nicolas di Angelo! You can’t say that!”

     - “I didn’t mean to!”

     - “Yeah, well, you still can’t say things like that. You’ll get in trouble.”

- Then Nico stared at them again (not to look at the pretty boy or anything). Of course, Bianca caught him.

     - “Nico stop looking at him.”

     - “I wasn’t!”

- At camp, after most of the initial excitement and awe wore off, he was actually pretty unhappy. He was in yet another new, unfamiliar place he was meant to live at, his sister was completely ignoring and abandoning him, and the cool boy who was just like a real Greek hero was very obviously super annoyed at him.

- He was sitting on the porch of the Big House, swinging his feet, trying not to think about all of the bad things that were happening, and fighting off tears when another boy about his age sat down next to him.

     - “Hi! You’re the new kid, right? I’m Will.”

     - “I’m Nico.”

     - “Did you guys really get to ride on the sun?”

     - “Yeah! Apollo is really fun.”

     - “Apollo’s my dad, y’know.”

     - “Really? That’s so cool! I bet you can do all sorts of cool stuff!”

- The next day, when Nico asked, Will told him that he’d been at camp for a little over a year, and that he’d only been claimed for the last two weeks.

     - “But you’re really awesome. I’m sure you’ll be claimed really soon! I mean,           why wouldn’t they want to claim you?”

- After that, the two are practically inseparable. Will dubbed himself Nico’s personal tour guide and showed him all of the good hang-out spots during their free time, including Will’s “secret spot”. It was a super small clearing in the forest, in an area that no one ever entered from. It had a tree stump tall enough that they had to climb up to get onto and three small boulders that they liked to either sit on or jump across.

- Will was the only one that Nico told about Percy’s promise. He was telling Will how cool he thought Percy was, with his pen-sword and water powers. He went on and on about how he hoped he had cool powers like that, too.

- Since Nico didn’t have any skills that really popped out, he would get really discouraged about never figuring out his godly parent.

     - “What if I’m so boring that my parent doesn’t want me?”

     - “I mean, you’re super smart. You could be a child of Athena.”

     - “I dunno. I don’t think I’m that smart.”

     - “You’re pretty charismatic, I would say. Aphrodite?”

- Even though Nico knew the answer was definitely no, he couldn’t stop thinking about it for the rest of the day. Him? A child of Aphrodite? The goddess of love, of all things? In the cabin dubbed the most attractive by every other camper? It was flattering, to say the least.

- The second day after Nico ran away, the first full day, he was so in shock that he didn’t cry at all. He didn’t feel upset, or frightened, or betrayed. He was just there. 

- The third day, he woke up and almost immediately began crying. His stomach was in knots. He was cold, and hungry, and he missed his sister. He cried mostly because he missed his sister. Why would Bianca leave him? Why hadn’t she so much as said goodbye to him before she left? Bianca was all he’d had, and now she was gone, too.

- Nico didn’t actually want to resurrect Bianca. Not at first, at least. Minos just kept nagging him about, until finally he agreed. In fact, Nico didn’t really believe it would work, but the constant nagging meant that Bianca was present in his thoughts a lot, and without the proper tools to allow him to grieve healthily, it seemed at that point like the only way he would get the pain to stop.

[sitnorelle]

"Elia? I don't remember what he looks like, show me a picture."

Silvia immediately unlocked her phone and showed him a goofy photo of Elia. Filippo smiled involuntarily. Elia sent him this photo about a week ago and it was currently saved as his contact photo on Fili's phone. He looked so adorable there.

"Well, he's cute. I'd fuck him, like, right now."

I would, if he were here.

"Filo!" Silvia yelled, scandalised.

Everyone laughed and they continued eating the risotto Ele made. Filippo's phone suddenly lit up with an incoming message and he quickly snatched it from the table so nobody could see who texted him. His actions were met with Ele's raised eyebrow and Eva's curious look, since he was never this secretive about his hook ups. All the girls seemed to be overly interested in the person who made the older boy fumble, so he stuck his tongue out at them and opened the message, hiding his phone screen from their curious eyes.

Elia <3 :

this sucks. wish i could be w you rn.

The text made Filippo smile. He knew Elia was supposed to be partying with the boys, it was a last minute decision of the squad, which meant Elia had to cancel date night with his boyfriend to not seem suspicious. They've been dating for a while and so far they've kept their relationship a secret. It wasn't that they were ashamed, more like they wanted to have something just for themselves, especially in the beginning, when neither of them really knew how it would go. Now, however, keeping it a secret was becoming more and more of a nuisance. Sneaking around and waiting for everyone to fall asleep so they wouldn't be discovered was tiring. They talked about it countless times before but never actually agreed on a day they would tell their friends. It was always 'soon' or 'one day'. That day seemed to never come.

Silvia's phone rang. When she said it was Edoardo, the girls completely forgot about Filippo and turned to stare at her, which was a relief. Not that Fili didn't love attention, just this particular topic made him a bit skittish. He watched as Silvia handed her phone to Ele, both of them looking confused. After Silvia got her phone back and hung up, she turned to the table with a disappointed expression on her face.

"Edoardo said that they're not letting people come in anymore."

"So we're going to the party the boys are at! Problem solved!"

"Uh, girls? Gio just texted me that the party was shit, so they left."

The girls groaned, disappointed that they couldn't go out. This was Filippo's chance.

"Invite them here, then! We can have an amazing party of our own!"

It didn't even take him much time to convince Ele to let the boys come over. Eva sent the invite almost immediately after he said it and nobody even wondered why it was him who suggested it, all of them too excited at the prospect of being able to get drunk. His phone pinged not long after.

Elia <3 :

you're amazing, you know that?

To Elia <3 :

I promised you date night, didn't I? <3

Elia <3 :

we'll be there soon xx

Filippo happily helped move the table so there would be more room for dancing and brought the beers from the kitchen. Not long after, the bell rang. Since the girls were busy getting some snacks and cleaning up the mess that was left from the risotto, he went to get the door.

"Hello Rose, hello boys!"

He hugged Marti first and then greeted the boys. Elia was last, which meant that they could hug a little longer, since the boys have already disappeared into the apartment to greet the girls.

"Missed you," Elia whispered into his ear, pressing a small kiss to his cheek.

"Missed you too. Stay after everyone leaves?"

Elia nodded and let go so he could say hi to the girls.

All through the night, Elia was offered various drinks from the boys, all of which he gladly accepted. On the other side of the room, one of the girls was always bugging Silvia about how great and amazing Elia was. Filippo has figured their plan ages ago and even though he trusted his boyfriend, it left him a bit uneasy that his sister tried to get his boyfriend to date her best friend. So he stayed close to Elia. They were sitting at the table, talking about something unimportant, when Elia got up, saying that he'll go smoke on the balcony. It was a clear invitation for Fili to follow him so they had more privacy, but his plan didn't exactly work out, since once they both got up, Marti had something super important he needed to tell Filippo. With a sigh, Elia stepped out on the balcony, alone. That didn't last long though, because after a few moments the door opened and Silvia entered.

"Mind if I join you?"

"Not at all. I didn't know you smoked."

"I don't. It's just.. the girls keep talking about how nice and good you are and it's driving me crazy."

Elia laughed. Those fuckers.

"Not that you aren't! You're definitely sweet and cute, but I don't want to date you. I just needed them to lay off for a second, so I went to you, since that was basically what they wanted."

Silvia sighed and leaned against the wall. Elia turned to her and put his hand on her shoulder.

"I guess our friends were playing matchmaker. When we were at the party, the boys kept mentioning you and wouldn't stop talking about how amazing you are. Which I get, you are pretty amazing, but I'm taken."

His confession surprised her. She stood next to him, mouth agape.

"Don't tell anyone though, we want to tell people ourselves."

Silvia eagerly nodded.

"Can you tell me who it is?"

Elia laughed and shook his head. She would find out at the same time as the others. He knew she didn't mean to, but she had a tendency to tell everyone everything. She was just that talkative. They smiled at each other for a few seconds and then just stood leaning against the wall, Elia smoking, Silvia looking at the city in front of them, talking about random things that came to mind. Elia felt eyes on them, as if the party inside stopped just to watch what was happening. He didn't turn around to confront anyone who was staring, instead focusing on the joint. When he noticed Silvia shudder next to him, he offered her his hoodie, which she refused, saying that she needed to go inside anyway. He smiled, thanked her for keeping him company, even though she was basically forced to do so, and promised he would try to get the others to let them be. A few minutes after Silvia left, Filippo opened the door.

"I was sent to ask what do you think of Silvia."

Elia groaned. Fili laughed, expecting the reaction.

"Why did they do that? Silvia doesn't want to date me and I have you."

"I believe it's because of some Edoardo guy. Apparently Silvia really likes him but he's bad for her, and I think Ele wants him too, so the girls tried to get her to fall for someone else. Which wouldn't really help in your case. Though from what I've gathered, it was Nico who suggested you."

Elia scoffed and instead of answering offered the rest of his joint to his boyfriend, who took it with a slight smile. They spent a few minutes outside before going back in and re-joining the party.

A few minutes before midnight Elia excused himself, saying that he needed to get home. After he said bye to everyone, he went to the door, but instead of actually leaving he just gathered his things and went to Filippo's room, which was right next to the entrance. He closed the door behind him, undressed, threw his stuff next to the table and climbed into his boyfriend's bed, unlocking his phone and started scrolling through Instagram.

It didn't take long until he heard noise in the corridor as everyone was saying their goodbyes before leaving. A few minutes after the noise died down, the door opened.

"You look cute in my bed, you should stay more often."

"Don't I stay enough? I basically live here. I'm glad that my parents don't care where I am as long as my grades are good, cause this would've been a problem."

Filippo laughed quietly and joined his boyfriend in bed, cuddling up to him. They both fell asleep in a matter of minutes.

When Filippo woke up, the first thing he saw was his boyfriend looking at him. He smiled and kissed him, whispering a soft "morning" after they parted. Elia smiled and cuddled closer to him. Fili hugged him tighter and closed his eyes, intending to sleep for a couple more minutes. But the second he closed his eyes, he heard his sister yell.

"Filippo! How many times do I have to tell you not to eat my food?! Can you at least throw out the box when you – oh."

While talking, Eleonora opened the door to Filippo's room and walked in. She didn't seem to mind that Filippo wasn't alone, but stopped immediately when she realised the person lying in her brother's bed half naked was someone she knew. All three of them froze. They were just silently staring at each other until Ele just turned around and left the room, closing the door behind her. After a few seconds of stunned silence Elia turned to Filippo.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled quietly.

Filippo turned to face him, curious look in his eyes.

"What are you sorry for?"

"Just that you probably didn't want your sister to find out this way? If I actually left yesterday or just didn't go to the party so we'd have a normal date night, all would be fine.."

"Stop that. You're overthinking. I already said I'm okay with her knowing, and the way she found out is not important. I love you, Elia."

The last part was whispered so quietly that Elia almost didn't catch it. When he realised what his boyfriend said, the brightest smile took over his face. They didn't tell each other that yet, but both of them have been wanting to say that for a while now.

"Aww, I love you too babe."

They kissed, smiling.

It took them a while to actually get up and go to the kitchen to get some breakfast, but if they weren't starving, they would probably stay in bed all morning. When they entered the dining room, Ele was sitting at the table eating a bowl of cereal. She smiled at Elia when their eyes met and beckoned them both to join her. While Elia sat down, Filippo turned to go to the kitchen to prepare something to eat, but not without kissing his boyfriend's cheek. He left Elia to deal with Ele, knowing full well that he would pay for it later, leaving him to answer all the questions by himself. He took his time, making sure it was safe before he went back to the table. When he entered the room, both Ele and Elia were laughing at something. He sat down next to his boyfriend, who thanked him with a smile, and turned his attention to his sister. While he was listening to her talk, Elia leaned his head on his shoulder and Filippo couldn't help but smile. These kinds of mornings he could get used to.

[revengeisalwaysanoption]

[Skam Italia] Ficlet: Flawed 2/2

And that’s it :D Again, it’s an unbetaed&unedited VERY LITTLE story I am writing to cope… I hope you will like it as well :) ! Edited to add:  I’d like to dedicate this to Ibisco and @annefraid The first, with her wonderful story (Resilience: go and read it if you understand Italian, it’s so good HERE ) I am a sucker for the boy squad taking care of Nico, so… Another reminder that THEY - both Nico AND Marti - are not alone was due ;) ! And Anne… wow, what an insight on Marti’s deep rooted insecurities in “try and evolve”! I mention them here but it’s all thanks to amazing fic for making me realize how Marti might see Niccolò!

******

Martino knows he screwed up. He isn’t that much of a ‘disaster gay’ – no matter how often Filippo (and his own friends, those jerks!!) likes to address him as such, to rile his Rose up – not to notice the way Nico’s mood plummeted as soon as he sat down at the table this morning. Regretting having to deal with how grumpy Martino can be, before he had any caffeine in him, already? That’s understandable… But quite unlikely. They aren’t really living together, yet, but they are past those petty fights. Who cared if someone seemed always to be too tired to do the dishes or to mop the floor? They never even discussed such trivial things, to be honest: taking care of Nico, making sure he lives in a spotless and tidy environment, is not a chore and Marti really doesn’t mind. Besides, they have a clashing definitions of order and totally different perceptions of how dirty the flat can get before it has to be cleaned. They easily met halfway, agreeing to let Niccolò do things his way and at his own pace, without having to talk about it.

So… if it wasn’t about Martino’s charming decaffeinated personality… What made him run for the hills? Was it something he said? It must be. Fuck. Why does his brain-to-mouth filter always fail him when he needs it the most? And yeah, there is a niggling voice in his head going like ‘You shouldn’t have to overthink every word you say, in fear you’re gonna hurt Nico or something. You should be free to be yourself, including who you are at your worst.’ but he’s not listening to that. What’s wrong with refusing to settle for the person he is now, and striving to become a gentler and more considerate one in the future? What’s so bad about Niccolò inspiring him to give it a try, at least? Nothing; you can’t change his mind. Moreover, he has to make up for the complete lack of any talent whatsoever… Like, okay, compared to Nico - who excels at everything he does, and it’s a lot- he can be dull and boring but at least he’s great at owning up to his mistakes - the whole ton of them - and learn. And it’s more that can be said for so many people out there, including dad, so… Lesson of the day: do not speak until you had your coffee, Martino, and a kiss from Niccolò so that you don’t forget how lucky you are to have this - HIM - to come home to. That no matter how awful you day is going to be - and no, you can’t really know beforehand, so stop being so damn negative and over dramatic… - there are always going those moments with Niccolò that will brighten it.

Okay? Okay. Now, let’s get back to the matter at hand. After the unfortunate comparison of an obsessive-compulsive disorder to a penchant for loving neatly written notes, and finding out that Martino still his that awful word – ‘psychopath’ – in his vocabulary… It wouldn’t be too far for Niccolò to persuade himself that he was belittling his efforts (as well as his mother’s) to get out of bed in the morning, on his darkest days. That’s not what he meant, of course.

’Well, you know none of your friends meant it when they said they wanted somebody to kill them, or that they were going to jump off a bridge because of school. They don’t do that anymore, because they know it reminds you of the bad place Nico’s mind can go sometimes… but some other classmates still throw those words around like it’s nothing, like they are really clinically depressed because their shitty most beloved show got cancelled or their favorite character died.’

That’s it: that’s exactly the point. He knows and it still hurts. It still makes him want to stand up and scream ‘SHUT UP, YOU IDIOTS! YOU KNOW NOTHING, YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT!’ at the top of his lungs. He can’t blame Nico for being so disappointed with him that he had to leave…

Well, all this mulling and self-deprecation won’t fix anything. He’d better think how to show him that even though he quite an asshole, he never acts out of maliciousness. He might have hit where it hurt out of anger, in the past, to drive people away… He wouldn’t do it, now. Not even as a last resort. He can only hope it will be enough, for Nico.

So… What should he do next? Should he run after him? Leave him some space? Should he really let Niccolò believe that he forgot what tomorrow means for them – for Martino himself - not to spoil the surprise? He had even persuaded Sana to let him be the main speaker, for once… He had a Spotify playlist ready to play, to let Niccolò know what he cannot say with words and sometimes fails to show with his actions…

He… He has no idea, like, his brain is fuzzy static and he’s pretty sure he will start hyperventilating soon… He needs help. Yep. If there’s one thing he got out of those hell months back in 2018 is that he doesn’t have to deal with any kind of crisis alone. Luca reaches out to them when he can’t find the right outfit for his dates with Silvia, when he doesn’t know if it really would be wise to eat that last piece of sushi even though he’s about to puke… And they should be aware that Niccolò might need them as well, even though he doesn’t dare to ask.

“Marti. First thing you gotta do is calm down…” Giovanni writes in the chat, as soon as he listens to his frantic voice message. “Don’t die on us, man. Oxygen is your friend. Even if it’s being a bitch now, being so heavy and shit…” Elia adds, making him smile. “Deep breaths. In. Out. Picture yourself lying down in a field… Feel the grass. Be the grass.” Luca joins in, earning rolling-eyes emojis and thumbs down.

“Is this something you heard from Silvietta, Lu?” “Actually from our yoga teacher…” “Well, stop it because it’s making me long for some weed and we have to stay lucid and sharp here for Marti and Nico.” Giovanni says in the chat, before calling Martino. “Listen. I’ll be quick: show up at school, because we can’t do much over the phone. I know you probably want to send out a search party for Niccolò rather that sit behind a desk for so long, but you have to trust that he knows how to take care of himself and that, like any of us, simply needs a couple of hours to cool down. It’s not like you killed someone, come on…”

“Yeah, but… what if he doesn’t forgive me?” He forgave him so many times, ever since that morning in the boys’ restrooms, what if this is his breaking point? “Then it’s his problem for holding you up to impossible standards, man, not yours. Don’t even try to fight me on that. You’re my best friend, Marti, and I won’t allow anyone to talk shit about you. Not even yourself.” “I’m far…” “… from perfect? Who isn’t? And don’t say Niccolò. Nope, I hate to break it to you, but he’s some major flaws too. And so do I, and so do you, Eva, Sofia, and anyone out there. Trust me: I call you out when you’ve got your head so far up your ass that you forgot how sunlight feels like and THIS is not the case. Don’t make me come over and drag you all the way to 5B’s door.” Martino is aware that it’s just an empty threat, that Giovanni would hardly ever pressure him into anything, and yet he sighs and promises he is going to be there for nine o’clock. Perhaps, if he gets out, Niccolò will feel like it’s safe to come back…

To Nico: Leaving for school, now. Hope I’ll get to see you, later.

It takes him the whole ride to school to decide that no surprise is worth having Ni thinking he doesn’t hold dear that 11th of October, that the day he felt an immediate and unprecedented connection to a nameless boy could ever be insignificant.

To Nico: Can’t wait for you to hear what I’ve got in store for tomorrow

As he expected, Nico doesn’t get back to him. It’s fine. He can wait.

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

Alright: he might have overestimated his patience. He doesn’t know how much longer he can take, before he leaves no stone in Rome unturned while looking for Niccolò.

Thankfully, he’s got a plan to stick to. Sana’s. Who will most likely make him regret the day he was born, if he steps out of line. It’s not ideal, as it relies on too many factors – Nico having his phone on, reading his text messages, being in a place where he can listen to Radio Osvaldo – but it’s the best they’ve got.

“Well, thank you, Ivano… Sharing with us how it’s life with a bipolar disorder must have been hard, but I’m sure that many of our listeners found comfort listening to how you got your happy ending with Sax… To some of us things look so bleak we don’t even see the point of anything, but your story goes to show that it does get better, when you start building bridges instead of burning them. And Martino, you must be so proud of our special guest today. A woman who was brave enough to come and talk to all of us about she is dealing with her depression. Unfortunately she had to leave early, but thank Teresa on our behalf. We hoped to have a former student of this school to conclude this special feature on Mental Health Day, as they are dealing with one of the most stigmatized illnesses… Unfortunately they couldn’t join us. If you are listening, however, remember that we’re here for you. All of us.”

“I am. My mom truly is the best. Yeah, I can hear you all groan, but that’s a fact. It took me ages to see it, so maybe you should cut your parents some slack as well. Unless they’re abusive jerks, of course. And I couldn’t be prouder of that person you just mentioned as well. They keep on being strong, kind, and compassionate in a world that constantly tries to tear them down… They- ”

“Martino, if you keep on going like that you might just as well say their name.” Sana warns him, shooting him a reproachful glare. Too bad she can’t stop him. He just realized how he can make Nico understand he treasures every second they spend together. The best and the worst.

“They are who I want to spend my life with: Niccolò Fares, will you marry me?”

“YES!!” The door barges open, he’s swept off the seat and carried to the nearest secluded corner. What the fuck? He’s not complaining, but really: what the fuck has just happened?

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

They would later agree that the marriage is not going to happen for another couple of years, that a proper and more romantic proposal is order from them both… and Martino finds out that while he was busy with Sana, ‘contrabbandieri’ and ‘matte’ joined forces to delve into Nico’s past. So that they could call Niccolò’s old friends to the rescue. Together they managed to locate Nico and then Gio – of course it was him: the love wizard - and Michi talked some sense into him.

“So, tell me… What exactly have you got planned?” He sounds a bit hesitant, now that the euphoria of the impromptu proposal has worn off.

“I was thinking about a tutorial on how to grow weed in your closet. Followed by a cooking show hosted by the famous chef Niccolò Fares, a ten step guide to on how to break in a deserted pool, a top five on the most romantic spots in Rome… Can’t quite decide who’s gonna get the first place, the bins had their charm but so did the toilets…”

“… well, it can’t be a fair ranking until you’ve seen my favorite spot. Come on, Marti. Keats and Shelley are waiting for us!”

“Lead the way.”