#so they’re probably p quiet and terrified of saying the wrong thing

[crimsoncrim]

tiny

[frogtanii]

embarrassed ft. matsukawa issei

wc. 2.7k (???)

warnings. SMUT, not proofread lol, mutual pining (??), friends to lovers (???), cunnilingus lmao, no dom/sub dynamics, well actually dom&sub issei if you squint rlly hard hehe, kinda cute, embarrassed issei <3, also one (1) WAP reference

an. it’s 2:30 am and i have no idea why i wrote this and who for???? i got the idea from a 🦋😳🙈✨ audio and was immediately inspired idk, sorry if it’s bad i lichrally have no idea since i didn’t read it after it was done :p

( ˘ ³˘)♥︎

it wasn’t like matsukawa issei to be embarrassed.

he was handsome, intelligent, and funny, not to mention he never left women wanting after a night with him.

issei was the entire package and he knew it.

beyond superficiality though, he was happy with his life. he had a great group of friends, a nice apartment all to himself and a completely normal job.

yes, being a funeral home employee wasn’t the most glamorous career a person could have but he was happy. besides, it never deterred him from getting a warm body to sleep with which was a win in his book.

all in all? his life was great!

so why did he have to go and screw it all up?

issei blames makki and the dumb flyer for the reason his life went to shit. (maybe he’s being a little dramatic, but let him have his oikawa moment.)

he was minding his own business when his best friend (recently turned enemy) burst through his apartment door with a piece of paper in his hand and a fire in his eyes.

“dude, look at this!” issei rolled his eyes, putting down his casket catalogue and turning to meet takahiro’s gaze.

“why hello to you too. remind me why i gave you a key again?”

“because you love me and because i bring shit like this to you. look!” with another long and suspiciously tooru-like sigh, issei took the crumpled paper from makki and immediately stopped in his tracks.

“makki... what the fuck is this?”

written in large pink letters and a flowery, borderline illegible font was the name, coffee and cunnilingus. upon further inspection and careful reading, it revealed itself to be a little cafe opening up about 10 minutes from issei’s apartment complex who were looking to hire “young, attractive men who are proficient at eating pussy.”

issei could feel his eyes narrow and his mouth drop open in shock as he repeated his question. “the fuck is this?”

makki shook his head excitedly, tapping to another portion of the flyer that matsukawa had not yet read. “no, no dude, just look at how much they’re paying per hour.” issei begrudgingly obliged but the minute his eyes touched the (Massive™) number, he felt a little faint.

it was a lot of money. more than the funeral home was paying, that’s for sure. with that kind of money he could move out of this suddenly dingy seeming apartment and into a nice flat in the city were he’d always wanted to live. maybe he could buy himself a nice watch or even a high-end suit to replace the one from his highschool graduation (aka the only suit he owns). with that kind of money, he could erase his student debt 3 years ahead of schedule and get his mom into a nicer place.

it was these thoughts that clouded issei’s head as he found himself standing in front of a cute looking building, matching the address on the flyer. i’ll only be working part time, he thought as he pushed the door open to reveal an equally impressing interior with curtained booths and a wide variety of coffee on the menu. i’m only doing it for extra money, he thought as he shook the owner’s hand after he finished his successful interview. no one can ever know, he thought as he dressed himself in the uniform on his first day.

thus began issei’s super secret side hustle where he ate women out for cash.

sounds worse when you say it outright but it was just working. he was good at it, the women liked him, and he was making BANK. still, there were challenges. some women refused to bathe before coming and he would have to send them to the restroom to freshen up which absolutely ruined his chances for a good tip. some women would become heavily infatuated with him, believing that they were in some sort of forbidden romance. he learned to turn them down quick and easy to avoid conflict in the workplace which furthered his space as a boss favorite. but his hardest challenge by far was meeting you.

you were one of hanamaki’s friends, having met him at one of his brief stints in retail on his search for a job. he had gotten fired but you both stayed in touch after he left, becoming really close, really fast.

issei had met you first when takahiro had invited you to the biweekly seijoh third-years movie night. at first, he had been pissed as an “outsider” had never been invited before and he was worried you’d ruin the vibe, especially since it was the first time in months that oikawa would be able to join them. makki vouched for you through and through and the other boys were okay with it so you were in. the second he met you, all his fears of awkwardness and discomfort faded away.

you were great.

you were hilarious, pretty, and could keep up with makki’s harsh jokes, tooru’s diva attitude, iwa’s tendency to hit (hard), and issei’s original disdain. by the end of the night, he had completely forgotten why he didn’t want you there in the first place.

from then on, you were a staple in their little friend group. you were added to the groupchat where you balanced memes with spouts of deep wisdom and you were ever so reliable, always there if any of them needed it.

yeah, you were great. that’s where the problems started.

issei’s feelings for you quickly went from platonic to romantic, faster than you can say godzilla. he hadn’t even recognized that he was falling for you until it was way too late. normally, he wouldn’t have a problem confessing to you but because of his newly found ...occupation, he was too nervous. how would you take it that he was basically a glorified prostitute? ok, that wasn’t exactly what he did but still! you’d probably find him disgusting and horrible and leave the friend group forever. then he’d have to deal with oikawa’s senseless whining and makki’s subtle digs, blaming him for your departure. yeah, he wasn’t going to put himself through that so he decided to keep his mouth shut.

too bad he didn’t have any control over makki’s.

you and takahiro had been on a little friend-date at mcdonald’s after you’d had a long and frustrating shift. you just wanted to vent, expressing your general hate for your job and desperate need for stress relief.

that’s when makki opened his (big, stupid) mouth and suggested that you visit a little place called coffee and cunnilingus. you nearly choked on your fries at the title before quickly pressing him for details. thankfully, he had the decency not to expose that issei worked there but he had not done a good enough job convincing you not to go there. not that it would’ve mattered. your curiosity was peaked and your libido was high so why not try out the weird cafe where you let a complete stranger stick his tongue inside you?

it was settled. you were going to go and you were going to get eaten out and you were going to like it!

or at least that is what you repeated in your head as you walked to the address on your phone before taking a deep breath and walking inside.

“hello, welcome to coffee and cunnilingus, how might i pleasure you this afterno— yn?” issei’s eyes widened as they met your equally bewildered ones, the both of you staring at each other in shock.

“matsukawa-san, is everything alright?” a large hand rested on issei’s shoulder, startling him out of his thoughts and forcing him to break (horrified) eye contact with you and move it onto his boss who was now looking down on him menacingly.

“y-yes sir, everything is fine!” he squeaked out, hating the way his voice cracked on his first syllable. his boss looked at him suspiciously but thankfully didn’t press.

“well, since nothing is wrong, take this beautiful young woman to a booth where you will assist her!” the hand resting on issei’s shoulder slowly squeezed, making him wince in pain. the pain was only an afterthought though to the larger implication of his boss’ words. he’s going to assist you. assist as in pleasure. pleasure as in eat you out.

holy shit, you were going to pass out.

apparently, issei had the same thought process as you, his face whitening like a sheet. “m-me? but sir i-“

“do your job matsukawa-san!” his boss cut him off with a forced smile. all issei could do was nod and silently lead you off to a closed booth near the back or lose his job. you stayed close behind him but remained quiet, absolutely terrified of breaking the silence and ruining the bubble you had created.

you finally reached the booth in question. issei gently opened the curtain and motioned for you to get it, to which you obliged and he followed just behind.

the moment the curtain closed, you were enveloped in an awkward silence and tense atmosphere, neither of you speaking or looking at one another for fear of one of you running out. after what felt like hours, you opened your mouth to speak, not realizing issei had thought the same thing.

“so-“

“i-“

you finally made eye contact with him and burst into the laughter, the tension quickly broken. it took a full minute or two for the both of you to calm down, the absurdity of the entire situation finally catching up with you.

“you first,” issei said, wiping tears from the corners of his eyes while fixing you with an intense gaze swirled with an emotion you couldn’t quite place but it made butterflies bubble up in your stomach. you quickly turned your gaze to the comfortable seat beneath you, your fingers playing with the red stitching while you thought of what you had wanted to say.

“are you any good?” your hand flew up to cover your mouth as your cheeks filled with heat, the embarrassment of your words catching up to you. you hadn’t meant to say that but when you opened your mouth to apologize, you were stopped in your tracks by the lovely sound of issei’s full-bodied laughter filling the tiny booth.

you had heard it just moments earlier but without the sound of your own giggles drowning it out, you couldn’t help but think that he sounded beautiful. you basked in the sound as it slowly trailed off back into silence. now it was you doing the staring making issei look off with a red face and a heart threatening to pound out of his chest.

“y-yeah i’m pretty good. you want to try? me, i mean?” his words nearly leave you gasping, your brain working overtime to try and comprehend what he was saying to you.

“only if y-you want to? what do you want issei?” you whispered, suddenly unable to find your voice. you wanted this to be okay for him too; you didn’t want him to be uncomfortable even though you wanted him more than you could verbally express. despite the embarrassment and fear of rejection lingering under your skin, you stared at him, awaiting his answer. a tiny minuscule nod came from him and you internally shook your head. you needed to hear him.

“i need you to say it, issei.” your words, while quiet, were firm and issei felt himself hardening in his uniform slacks. he swallowed in his increasingly drying mouth before opening his mouth to respond.

“i want to eat your pussy. can i?”

shit.

your own voice was stolen by his words and all you could give him was a nod before he was on you.

issei didn’t waste any time falling to his knees, pulling your panties down, and hiking your skirt up to your stomach, revealing your glistening folds to his hungering eyes.

“fuck, you’re so wet,” is all the warning you get before he’s licking a long stripe up you from entrance to clit before he’s sucking the hard, sensitive nub into his mouth. your eyes immediately rolled back into your head, your hips instinctively bucking up into his mouth while a gasped moan of issei left your lips.

if he could bottle your moans and use them whenever he pleased, he would, the sound sending another pulse of arousal to his already hard cock. he was tempted to reach down and pull himself out of his trousers but he denied himself. this was about you; you and your wet ass pussy.

issei continued his ministrations on your clit, circling it with his tongue before pulling it into his mouth while his hand was ready to get busy. it crept up your thigh, sending shivers down your spine until it reached your sopping entrance, two of his fingers teasing the slit before delving in to the third knuckle.

the moan you let out is borderline animalistic as your body sends another wave of slick pulsing out over his hand. he groaned into your cunt at your tightness, his mind only imagining him deep within you while you squeeze him for all he’s got.

the amount of slick you produced made it easy for him to add a third finger, thrusting them in and out while also crooking them upwards in search for your special spot that would have you seeing stars. it took him a little prodding but he knew he found it when your back arched, your hand came down into his hair, and you whimpered out a string of curses.

“that’s it baby, cmon, you’re doing so well, wanna see you come apart for me,” he all but growled against your clit before delving back in with a higher intensity, his desperation for you to come winning out his desire to tease you and drag this out as long as possible.

with his incessant pressure on your g-spot and his lips suctioned around your clit, it wasn’t long before he got what he wanted.

“isseiisseiisseiissei, i’m coming, i’m coming-oh fuck!” you screamed as you clenched and gushed all over his fingers, your entire body caving in with the intensity of your orgasm. his fingers were practically forced from your spasming cunt but they quickly found a place rubbing your nub side to side as fast as possible. the overwhelming urge to pee came over you and you shook your head, trying to push his hand away.

“no, no, give it to me, i know you can,” issei groaned, his eyes locked on your dripping pussy. the pleasure he was giving came to a head at his words and you felt a clear liquid escape from your tired, overstimulated cunt, your mouth opening in a silent moan before collapsing back on the seat.

the sight proved to be too much for issei as he felt his body tense, his own orgasm washing over him as he emptied himself into his boxers. he fell back onto the ground, in shock of himself coming entirely untouched. he’d never done it before but of course it was you that would bring it out of him. a smile spread across his face at the thought, his head tilting back as he laughed, catching the attention of your worn body.

“what’re y’laughing at?” you slurred, cringing a little at how fucked out you sounded but issei didn’t seem to mind, his face glowing while covered in your slick and cum.

“nothing, nothing, but uh, i have a question.” you felt your heart leap to your chest, your mind already racing with the possibilities. he’s going to say this was a mistake, that we’re just better off as friends. oh god, what if he says i stunk? or the worst pussy he’s ever had? or what if—

“want to go and get a coffee?” he asked, the smile still plastered on his face but with an uncharacteristic hint of shyness. the butterflies were back in your stomach as you shyly nodded before allowing him to help clean you up and standing, not missing how he slipped your lacy underwear deep into one of his pockets.

issei’s hand found its way into yours as he said goodbye to his coworkers and boss before leading you out of the cafe, watching you tell an animated retelling of the bullshit that occurred at your job with a warm grin on his face and pink cheeks.

it might not be like matsukawa issei to be embarrassed but if it resulted in getting you by his side? he would do it again and again.

[itstittycitybaby]

Naivety is Enduring (Lin Beifong x reader)

a/n: can’t figure out a better title lmao but this fic is based on one of the asks i’ve gotten. reader is a shy, oblivious officer at the station who’s accidentally been flirting with Lin. 

You kept your head up as you sifted through the streets of Republic City. The streets were almost completely bare with little to no traffic. However, about an hour later that’s when chaos errupted. Your shift started in thirty minutes, but you always took pride on being early. 

Your job wasn’t too important. Compared to the detectives, the actual officers that made rounds, and chief Beifong, it was insignificant. The front desk needed somebody to help keep things under control and dealt with the people coming in and out. It didn’t matter to you. In fact you preferred it. Working the front desk made it easier for you to be more discreet. The quiet and the calm helped ground you unlike going into the streets of the city everyday. Talking to some of the people coming in and out still made you anxious, but it wasn’t so bad.

Letting out a soft sigh, you unlocked the doors. It was dark in the station, which was expected, but in the hall a light was on. It was the last door on the left. Chief Beifong’s office. You couldn’t help but frown. It was four thirty am. Everyone was either asleep or making their way to the station. You weren’t surprised; Chief Beifong was known to work late into the night and the early morning. There was no stopping her. 

Setting down your stuff, you started opening up. You winced at the bright lights as they flickered on. Everything seemed to be there where you left it. You groaned at the never ending filing you had to do. Along with the petty reports you had to sign and date.

Time passed for ten minutes. Then fifteen. You thought Chief Beifong would have left her office. She usually did whenever the first person came into the station but she stayed locked up.

Shaking it off, you made your way to the break room. A pot of coffee would freshen the two of you up. Though, you couldn’t help but feel anxious. Talking to people had never been your strong suit. Especially Chief Beifong. The officers did their best to tread around her carefully and only speak to her when they had to. “Everyone deserves someone to talk to,” you reassured yourself as you poured water into the pot. “Even if they’re fucking terrifying.”

When the coffee was finished you grabbed two mugs. You put sugar and cream in yours. You had a feeling Chief Beifong didn’t like anything in her coffee. If she didn’t like it so be it. At least you tried. Pushing the door open with your hips, you clutched the mugs in your hand tightly. You cursed softly as some of the hot coffee spilled onto your hand. Your hand became a bit red and it hurt like a mother fucker. You made your way past a couple of officers and nodded and smiled at them. They murmured a good morning but continued to chat. No matter, you weren’t as important as they were, you mused.

You swallowed thickly as you stood in front of the imposing door. Chief Beifong never failed to make you nervous. She was scary as hell but before you could chicken out, you knocked on her door twice. Good number. Not too hard and not too soft, you thought. “Come in,” a gruff, but muffled voice replied from the other side of the door. 

Pushing aside your nerves, you opened the door quietly. The head of gray hair that you loved lifted up from the papers in front of her. A brow raised in your direction with a tiny frown on her face. “Yes?”

You fought the urge to fidget and gave the chief an uneasy smile. Focus. “I saw you were still awake,” you said softly, trying not to make her more irritated, “so I brought you a mug of coffee.” Chief Beifong’s eyes narrowed a bit. From suspicion or irritation, you couldn’t tell. God, you wanted the floor to swallow you. You hated it when she dissected you with cold stares. It was just a cup of coffee for fucks sake!

You shuffled your feet nervously as you waited her to say something. Either a sharp “Get out” or a gruff “thanks”, you didn’t care. At this point you just wanted to get out. Chief Beifong’s green eyes lightened a bit. A wave of relief washed over you. Success. “Thank you,” she quipped, looking back down at her paper work. “You really shouldn’t have.” “It’s no problem,” you replied, a shy smile on your face. You set the mug carefully with a gentle thud, and made your leave. 

But you felt like it wasn’t enough. You wanted to be different from the other officers. They were all intimidated and terrified of her. Not that you could blame them, but they didn’t even try to be friendly. You had gotten this far, what else could go wrong? So, with all the courage you had left you said, “Have a good day Chief.” With that, you left her office with a surprised Chief behind her desk.

“Ready for training?” You looked up from the files you were sifting through to put away. The stack was never ending but you had made good progress. It had only been one third of it wiped out, but it was still progress. You could barely contain your surprise. “Y-yes Chief Beifong,” you sputtered holding the manilla file tightly. Her brow twitched and her eyes stared into your soul. Were they always that pretty?

“Good. You’re up in ten.” You nodded, “Yes m’am.” You swore you saw a smirk before she turned around and left you there standing like an idiot. “Get yourself together,” you whispered harshly, cheeks burning.

You sighed as the hot water hit your back. The aching joints and your sore muscles started to soothe under the shower’s water. You’ve always hated training especially whenever the Chief observed you. It was her job but still, did she have to stare? She wasn’t afraid to correct you every five seconds, but how could you concentrate whenever you had a HUGE crush on her? “Fuckin…Chief having to be her hot…self whenever she’s around,” you grumbled to yourself in the empty locker room.

Shivering, you hurried to your satchel to change back into your uniform. The towel around you did little to warm your body. “Didn’t think I’d still see you here.” You jumped. “Oh my god,” you squeaked, pulling your towel closer to you. “C-Chief,” you greeted, cheeks flaming. “P-pleasant surprise.” 

She didn’t say anything as she grabbed her bag. She still had her white tank top on which showed off her toned arms. The cargo pants she wore hugged her ass perfectly. The chief’s normally gray hair was pulled up into a bun. Fuck, did she look good.

Suddenly, Chief Beifong turned to you. You jumped, startled, eyes snapping up to hers. She looked surprised and you swear to the spirits her cheeks turned slightly pink. “U-uh uhhh uhhh,” you sputtered, trying to explain yourself. Grabbing your bag with incredible speed, you spilled out, “I-I gotta go C-Chief! Nice uhhhh talking to you!” With that you dashed out of the locker rooms and left a dumfounded Lin Beifong.

“I fucking hate myself,” you spat in the mirror as you flung your uniform back on. Chief Beifong caught you checking her out. You were fucked. Screwed. Hell, you wouldn’t be surprised if she handed you resignation letters once you got back to the front desk. You could’t blame her. Maybe you could find a nice little job? Out in the surrounding cities? Far away from Republic City? That sounded like a great idea. You could see it now. Sure the pay wouldn’t probably be the greatest, but it’s better than having the embarassment of being fired in front of your colleagues. They already thought your rank was a disgrace. Imagine the gossip once they figured out the reason for getting fired.

Sighing, you begrudgingly trudged out of the bathroom. Anxiety bubbled in your chest as you left the safe haven behind you and returned to your desk. Maybe she’d just forget about it? “She wont,” you sighed, shaking your head.

“Get yourself together,” you scolded yourself. “We can go home and sulk later. We’ve got a job to do.”

“See you!” You waved, a fake grin plastered on your face. Your coworker didn’t seem to notice though. You hated talking to the officers; they were usually lovely people, but talking to people made you feel smaller claw and insignificant. It was tiring and made you feel stupid that you had trouble talking to people.

Five thirty rolled around on the clock. You still had some filing to finish, sign some mediocre documents, and take care of the citizens coming in and out. Almost everyone had left except for a few people in the station. You were surprised you didn’t find any resignation papers on your desk, or god forbid Chief Beifong waiting at your desk to chew you out. It would be well deserved at least. But now, you didn’t know how to go from here.

Just pretend everything is normal, you told yourself. Oh, if only the spirits were on your side. “Chief Beifong wants to see you.” You sighed, turning to the officer. You hated the pity they held for you. Their face held a grimace as they watched you get up from the floor. “Alright, thanks.” They nodded, but left you to wallow in the anxiety of facing your boss and loosing your job. “Better make the most of it, was great while it lasted.”

Your feet trudged to her door. You felt your heart quicken and the lump in your throat was like a heavy tone. The beating of your heart felt like a sharp dagger piercing into is. You rubbed your clammy hands on your trousers and swallowed. “Enter,” the gruff voice answered once you gathered the courage to knock. Taking one last breath, you gently opened the door. You dreaded the moment the door closed with a soft click.

“I-I’m really sorry,” you stuttered as soon as you went inside. Chief Beifong followed the movement of your twiddling fingers before looking you in the eye. “It was very unprofessional of me to.. d-do that and I understand if you want to fire me.” Chief Beifong didn’t say anything. She looked surprised. Her hands were folded underneath her chin as she studied you. Her green eyes focused in on you. You felt more like a mouse now than you usually did.

“You’re not getting fired.” Confused, you tilted your head. Your brows furrowed deeply. You nibbled your lips as you asked, “What?” Chief Beifong chuckled, “No, in fact, I wanted to ask if you were busy tonight. Maybe get a couple drinks.”

“O-oh,” you said softly, hands dropping by your sides. “Yea sure. I-I can ask some of the other officers if they’d like to come to!” Chief Beifong stared at you. She was trying to process the situation. “No,” she started, “I’m..asking you out..on a date.”

Your eyes widened. Oh. OH. The tips of your ears burned red along with your cheeks. The chief’s eyes glittered with amusement. You nodded, averting her eyes. “Y-yes. I’d like that.” “Good,” she replied, a barely there smirk on her face. “Give me fifteen minutes and I should be finished with this.” Nodding, you made your way to the door. “You got it Chief.” “Lin.” “Huh?” “Call me Lin.” Smiling you said, “Alright, Lin.” It felt foreign on your tongue but you liked it. Leaving her office, you gave her one last timid wave. And no you did not skip all the way back to your desk.

[hearteyesbowen]

meet the parents ☆ ricky bowen

requested by: @iamveryborrrreddd thank u so much for ur request

ricky is going to meet y/n’s parents for the first time, and nothing kills him more than knowing what his girlfriend’s parents think of him

warnings: fluff

♡ ♡ ♡ ♡

Ricky 💞

what if they hate me?

what if they make you break up with me cuz they think i’m not good enough for you?

i’m sorry i’m being dumb right now but i just really want them to like me

you know, because i kinda really like you

You rolled your eyes at the texts your boyfriend sent you. Yesterday, your parents decided they wanted to finally sit down and get to know Ricky over dinner, instead of the little waves they gave each other when he dropped you off at home. Once you brought up the idea to him, he absolutely loved it. He always talked about wanting to get to know each other’s families, of course now that you have been dating for a few months already. It wasn’t until today during school, he got more anxious. His leg bounced the whole duration of class and he played with your fingers more, a habit you found out he had when he got nervous. You found it quite adorable, especially because of the extra affection that came with it. Now it was 5:30 pm, Ricky is supposed to be over in half an hour, and you could only imagine the mess in his room from all the possible outfit changes he made.

“The table is set and I made enough food for everyone. Are you exited?” Your mom asked as she popped into your room.

You took another quick look at your reflection, smoothing out your simple dress. “Yeah, it should be fun. He’s really nervous to meet you guys.”

“I don’t think it would be that, he sounds really sweet from what you have told me.” She came behind you, resting her arm over your shoulder and her head on yours as you both looked into the mirror.

“Just don’t scare him, I don’t want him to be more intimated than I think he already is.”

“No promises.” Your mom smiled cheekily at you before patting your shoulder and leaving your room.

My parents are crazy.

➢➣ ➢➣

It had been about 15 minutes since Ricky finally came. His curls prominent on his head, a simple button-up shirt with a black leather jacket, black jeans, and his usual vans. He brought a small bouquet of tulips for your mom, making her blush. After a small formal handshake with your parents, you could still sense the tension in his body after coming inside. Your dad showed you all to the dining table, completely covered with food. Both your parents sat on opposite ends of the table, letting you and Ricky sit next to each other. Being the gentleman he is, Ricky pulled your chair out for you before you were able to do it yourself. You gave a quick glance at either of your parents to see any change of reaction from their artificial, stern faces, but saw nothing. Here we go.

“You look good, Ricky. Where did you get that shirt?” Your dad asked, slowly eating the food your mom cooked.

Ricky’s hand subtly held yours under the table, letting it rest on his thigh. You smiled to yourself, letting your thumb graze over his skin soothingly.

“My dad and I went to his coworker’s wedding recently, so we went to this tuxedo shop downtown. Never really wore fancy stuff before then” You both laughed, but stopped once you realized you two were the only ones laughing.

Your dad nodded his head, not giving another reply. Almost silently, a small breath of air left Ricky’s lips. You squeezed his hand, giving a reassuring smile.

“Have you decided what you want to do after high school? I know my daughter has stuck with her major since she was in elementary school.” Your mom eyed Ricky, making his grip on your hands tighten. You glared at her, but got no look back.

He cleared his throat, running a hand through his hair before answering, “You know, I’m actually not too sure yet. Maybe something with engineering? I’m still figuring it out.” He forced out a laugh, you joining him, but kept quiet after another lack of a reaction from your parents.

“Don’t worry, not everyone has their life planned out. Sometimes people don’t know until it’s too late, so just don’t be late.” Your dad joked, giving the tiniest bit of a smile.

Small talk continued through the evening, though most of it was between your parents and small comments from you and Ricky. His grip gradually softened, making you believe that he started to get more comfortable with them. That was not the case. His leg still shook under the table, he barely made eye contact with you, and his jaw tensed every time they called his name.

Now it has been two hours, and you still had school the next day. You all finished your meals, and Ricky had offered to help clean the table with your dad. You and your mom had been in the living room, waiting for the both of them to come back out and say goodbye.

“What was that all about?” You questioned your mom, keeping a soft volume as to not let Ricky and your dad hear.

She finally showed a genuine smile, shrugging her shoulders. “What do you mean?”

“I said not to scare him! He’s never looked more terrified in his life.” You groan.

“We just wanted to see how he would act if we were strict. Don’t worry, Y/N, we really like him.”

“Don’t you realize how nerv- wait, what?” You stop rambling after hearing your mom.

She laughed, rubbing your back. “Your dad and I knew we would like him just by the way he was so nervous when he greeted us. He’s very polite, and he looks like a great boyfriend.”

You let out a breath of relief, leaning your head on her shoulder.

“I just hope dad isn’t giving him a really bad talk.”

“No promises.” She laughed.

Soon after, Ricky and your dad walked out of the kitchen. Somehow Ricky looked slightly more pale than he usually was. He stood next to you after shaking both your parents’ hands, giving you a scared smile.

“T-Thank you for inviting me over tonight, you’re both v-very lovely people and it was a p-pleasure to meet you.” He stuttered.

You could see a hint of a grin on your mom’s lips. “It was nice to meet you, too. Have a good rest of your night.”

“Remember our talk, Ricky.” Your dad reminded, giving a hard pat on his shoulder.

You turned to your boyfriend, grabbing his hand. He jolted, caught off guard by your touch before he hesitantly held it. “I’ll walk you out.” You smiled. He nodded, giving one last wave to your parents before following you out the front door.

The sky was dark already, stars eminent amongst the sky along with the lights of passing airplanes. Cold air blew through you, you chose to believe that was the reason Ricky walked so far from you. You walked him to the front of his car, but he didn’t look your way.

“Thanks for coming tonight, it means a lot to me.” You mumble, awkwardly shifting back in forth.

“Yeah, I’ll see you tomorrow.” He grinned.

You move your arms to hug him, frowning at his body pull back slightly. He held your waist, stuffing his face in your neck. As he pulled away, you lean in and peck his lips, smiling at each other before he got in his car.

➢➣ ➢➣

You stood outside your fourth period classroom, waiting for Ricky to come by so you could walk together to lunch. Since this morning, you didn’t get a single text or call from him. No sight of him even before school or passing period either. You began to worry, especially since it has been five minutes since lunch began and Ricky usually managed to get to you the second class was over.

You huffed, realizing the behavior of your boyfriend. He probably thinks my parents hate him. You rush around the halls, knowing exactly where he would be if he wasn’t with you.

The doors of the theatre stood in front of you, so you quietly opened the door as to not disrupt anyone that may be inside. The stage lights were on, leaving the seats dark. The piano in the far corner caught your eye, as your boyfriend sat on the seat in front of it with his guitar.

“Ricky?”

His head shot up, eyes wide once he heard his name leave your lips. He set his guitar against the seat, letting it lean as he stood up. His hands were either in his pocket, or scratching the back of his neck.

“Hey.” He mumbled.

“What’s wrong? I understand that my parents probably scared the hell out of you, but why have you been avoiding me?”

You were now standing a few inches away from him. His heart broke hearing how you felt. He didn’t mean to be so distant, and he especially didn’t mean to make you feel like you were the problem.

“I’m really sorry. It’s just that after last night, it sounded like your parents didn’t like me. And right after dinner your dad told me that if I believe that I’m good enough for you, then that’s all that matters. I thought about it for a bit, and I realized that maybe I’m not as good enough as I think I am. Or maybe he doesn’t think I should be with you.”

His eyes watered, so you instinctively held his face on your hands, making him nuzzle his cheek into your palms.

“Ricky, they love you.” You whisper, making him raise his eyebrows.

“But the way they talked to m-”

“They’re were trying to scare you, but they like you. I tried to tell them not to, but it’s some weird parent thing, I guess.”

For the first time in two days, you felt him relax. No more tense shoulders or jittery movements, just him softening his body with yours.

“And don’t ever think you’re not good enough for me. I’m the luckiest girl in the world to have you.”

His hands held your waist, bringing you closer to his body as he placed his lips on yours. You kissed back immediately, missing the feeling.

You pulled away, resting your forehead against his. “How about after school we go talk to them again? I promise they won’t be as serious as they were yesterday.”

He pecked your lips again, smiling.

“That would be nice.”

A/N - thank u for ur request !! i hope u like it (: also i started online school last week ughhh i literally just got out a few minutes ago so wish me luck on that . love y’all xx

taglist - @love-joshy @mzzjads @seaveyssparkle

[marcykinsmaki]

The despair disease request anon, yes the reader has the despair disease, sorry if the original ask was kinda vague :( thank you! Also I love your writing!

hi hi!!! thank you so much, i’m glad you like it! even though this is my second piece, i really enjoy that people are so enamored with it already. thank you guys for being patient and here it is!!

Kazuichi Souda x Reader.

Words: 2,267 (medium)

CW: 90% of this pierce is in the hospital, mentions of hospital equipment, DANGANRONPA 2 CHAPTER 3 SPOILERS, flirting at inappropriate times, suggestive moments

Rating: Teen 

--

[Your POV]

You felt horrible. Your body ached, your temperature was a high 102 degrees, a migraine raged in your head. You weren’t sure what happened, feeling just fine before you went to sleep and by the next morning you could barely get out of bed without some help. That would have been fine if every word out of your mouth didn’t come out some degree of seductive or flirty. Of course, you didn’t think those things, but your body just forced it out like that. You tried to apologize, but it just came out all wrong. Everyone was looking at you weird all morning. You were brought to the diner by Sonia that morning, complimenting her looks and personality the entire way there. Thankfully, she was understanding that you weren’t feeling yourself. A few others arrived looking and feeling just as sickly as you are, all with different ‘symptoms’. Monokuma suddenly appeared, giving us our next motive.

“The Despair Disease!” He announced, looking among you all.

“The what?” Hajime squinted. Monokuma bore his sharp teeth.

“The Despair Disease! A disease carried around by  little bugs that carry certain…. Side effects. Well, good luck! And be careful, wash your hands, you filthy teenagers!” The bear snickered before disappearing. You almost fell down, Kazuichi, who is your crush of all things, quickly scooping you up before you could hit the floor.

“Woah there, Y/N, you almost hit your head on the table! Are you alright?” He didn’t seem worried to catch the disease, looking down to you. You took a deep breath, before a smirk grows onto your face.

“Oh my, have you come to save your royalty in distress?~” You look deeply into Kazuichi’s eyes, swearing you almost saw the embarrassment in his eyes. He quickly set you down.

“H-hey, how about we slow down a bit…” Kazuichi laughs awkwardly, looking desperately to Mikan.

“R-right, we should g-go now, before they g-get worse!” Mikan nods, everyone helping assist everyone who has been affected to the hospital two islands away. Kazuichi helps you, since you’re closest, and you can see him dreading the trip. You don’t blame him. You were quiet, reserved, kept to yourself and stayed out of people’s ways. But now you’re a huge flirt who can’t keep to themselves. You felt really bad, your heart is racing and you’re sweating beyond belief and that just makes it worse.

“Kazuichi, darling, you should stay in my room with me!~ I get so lonely, and I think I’ll need your company.. It’s what you deserve after you saved me.” You coo into his ear. He groans, biting his lip a little.

“Do you really need me to? I-it was no trouble-”

“God, Kaz, just stay with me, pretty please? I’d die if you didn’t!” You call out loudly, people looking back to you two, Kazuichi’s cheeks flushing over.

“Alright, alright! J-just stop yelling, people are looking!” He shakes his head, causing you to giggle softly.

You all eventually make it to the hospital, Kazuichi setting you down on the hospital bed and Mikan quickly handing you a change of clothes, Kazuichi turning to leave before you hook onto his shirt with your finger.

“Now where are you going, handsome?” You look onto him with a flirtatious gaze.

“Uh, o-out of the room so you can change?” He gasps as he falls back onto the bed, looking up to you.

“You can just turn around, I don’t mind.” You smile. He shakes his head, quickly making a bee line for the door. Your heart aches with sympathy for him, definitely needing to make up for this later.

“You’re not well right now, Y/N, I need to keep my distance anyway!” He calls out, before he finally leaves the room and slams the door behind him.

--

[Kazuichi’s POV]

I pant as I finally escape them. Geeze, what a workout.. It’s a damn marathon to run around flirting back with them. And I got to carry them… b-but I need to calm down, before they get well again and never talk to me again! Y/N is so nice to me, they hang out with me and listens when I speak to them! I try my best to treat them as nicely as I can, but every time I look into their eyes they make me swoon... everyone calls me obsessed but I’m just admiring them! Plus, I’d totally stop if they asked. But what am I gonna do? I can’t keep up this facade for long, they’ll totally notice!

I turn back to the room after a minute, knocking on the door.

“Y-Y/N? Are you done yet?”

“One sec!” They call out, spending a few moments to myself before they open the door and look at me, their legs shaking, but seemingly ignoring it as they lean against the doorframe. “Hello, Kazuichi~ You may come in now-” They began to fall again, quickly going to save them before they hit the floor again, shouting out a little before I get them into my arms again. Thank God I’ve been putting a little more elbow grease into my work lately, have they noticed I’ve been working out?

“You have to be more careful, Y/N, you’re still sick!” I sigh, bringing them to their bed. “I-I’ll go get Mikan, you stay here. P-please.” I kinda beg them. I don’t want them falling again. I feel them grab onto my shirt again. They pout up at me, they look even worse.. They’re sweating really bad! I grab onto their hand, and we both blush. I peel their hand from my shirt. “Please.” They sigh, nodding, still pouting. I smile, nodding down at them and turning to go get Mikan.

--

[Your POV]

You still feel horrid. Kazuichi has refused to come by your side, and you’ve flirted up a storm with Mikan, which she could only blush and say thank you, offering a few things that you thankfully declined, quickly and silently reminding her that you’re still sick and most likely don’t mean it. Oh, crap, you forgot Kazuichi probably thinks that, too.. Oh well, there go your chances. You’re alone, eating a cup of jello before you hear a knock on the door.

“Come in~” You speak up enough to let whoever’s behind the door hear you. You reach your hand up to cough into your elbow. You were getting better today, your fever down to 101. The door creaks open, Kazuichi stepping in and poking his face in. Your smile widens. “Don’t be shy, I don’t bite.” You wink. When will this be over.

“Right, t-thanks, Y/N. I kinda wanted to talk to you, actually.” He grabs a chair, sitting next to you. You look down to him with curiosity. “Uh, you don’t mean the things you say, right? L-like, this is all part of the illness you have?”

“Well of course it’s genuine, Kaz, why would I lie to you?~” Well, you weren’t wrong, in a way. You did like him, but you weren’t this flirty. It’s more like a truth-telling disease than a flirting disease.

“Ugh, I’m so stupid, I know you’re only saying this stuff because you’re sick.” Kazuichi groans, looking down to his lap. You reach down, taking one of his hands.

“How about, we go out sometime?” You lean in towards him. He looks up with an even deeper blush, lips wobbling.

“R-really?” His eyes kinda light up. You feel super embarrassed. You’re not ready to go this far, but apparently your illness is. Oh well, why not? It’s already on the table, just go on with it. What’s the worst that could happen?

“We could go and take a walk on the beach once I’m out of here~” You turn over a bit. Your body ached. Your throat was sore from coughing all night. Kazuichi looks hopeful.

“Wow, that’d be great, Y/N. So get better soon, o-okay?!” He stands up with his hands on his hips in a sort of hero pose, which makes you giggle. It was genuinely cute.

“I will. Don’t worry, baby~” You coo up at him. He looks back down with a blush as pink as his hair. He nods.

--

You wake up the next morning, your condition significantly improving. Your headache is gone, your body aches have gone down, your body temp is at a normal 98.5. Still have a bit of a stomach ache, but nothing a few tums can’t fix. Mikan shuffles out as she’s done with your daily examination, and a few minutes later, the body discovery chime goes off. You sigh, watching the screen in the corner of your room play through Monokuma speaking to you and hearing the same dreadful, tension building announcement sound through the air. You push yourself up slowly and redress yourself, going to go join everyone in the music venue. You tear up a bit seeing Ibuki laying on the stage and Hiyoko propped up against the pole, joining everyone in the investigation. You join Kazuichi as a silent ‘I’m better’ and stay back to your reclused self.

--

The trial passed and the execution almost flies by. Everything was blurry when it got like this. It was terrifying, though, how the rest of us could have died as well from the same person who swore to make us better. We silently think about if the body discovery would have been for us, but I didn’t spend too much time on it. You return to your cottage, only to hear a knock at your door. You grunt, dragging yourself to the door and opening it. You were met with vibrance, your heart thrumming with nervousness.

“H-hey, Y/N, sorry for bothering you so late.. But can we do that thing?” We both stood in silence for a minute. A blush was brought to both of our cheeks. “N-not saying that you have to! I’m just r-really excited that you want to hang out!” He waves his hands in front of him. It makes me giggle.

“That was a genuine statement, Kaz, don’t worry. I would love to.” You said this… easier than you thought you would. This was crazy. This is crazy. Oh well, there’s no going back and this was your chance. He held an arm out excitedly, and you take it anxiously, closing the door behind you and walking off to the beach. You almost shook with nerves. You two exchange small talk until you get there.

--

You arrive at the beach, you both taking off your shoes and carrying them as you approached the soft and increasing sound of the crashing waves as they settled on the shore. The twinkling of the stars and bright light of the shining moon casting its bright rays onto the beautiful scene. It’s breathtaking, but if walls could talk, the beach would lose its worth. You two quietly stand in front of the ocean, watching the water.

“Thank you for doing this with me, Y/N.” Kazuichi mutters quietly. You notice him looking at you, returning it with a small smile.

“Of course. I know the Despair Disease really threw me off, which I am very sorry if I made you uncomfortable, but…” You drifted off with your words. He quirked a brow.

“But?”

“... I have something to tell you.” You turn completely towards him. Body facing him and everything. Your heart thrums again, reminding you of your anxiety. You shove it down for now. “I am terrified of how this will end. If we’ll be walking out of here hand in hand, if that’s even possible.”

“Hey! Don’t be saying stuff like that-”

“What I mean is,” You interrupt him. “, I need to tell you this, before it’s too late. I love you, Kazuichi Souda.” You look at him deeply into his eyes. He looks relieved. 

“I love you, too Y/N. I know saying I love you this early is really fast, but ever since I met you, I knew you were the one for me. And you actually gave me the time of day unlike everyone else. I can be myself around you.” He nods. Your blush from earlier returns, as if it’s never left.

“I… feel the same. You don’t egg me to speak or be included in conversation. You can tell when I don’t feel like it, and just respect my boundaries. I didn’t catch right away, but eventually I just fell.” You shrug. It also baffled you how open you were being right away, but the Despair Disease make you worse than this, so it didn’t really matter. He’s opening up, too, so you’ve gotten a vibe that you both enjoy on the table.

“Can I kiss you?” He suddenly spurts. Your eyes widen. You aren’t  sure what to do, but it’d be hypocritical if you didn’t follow through with your whole ‘confession before tragedy’ narrative.

“Yes.” And that sealed the deal. His surprisingly soft lips were onto yours, his hands slowly snaking on your hips. He was reluctant about his hands, but yours slowly guided his to stay there. You could feel his slightly rougher hands, tracing across his physical efforts as proof of his Ultimate. He smiles into the kiss, and you do as well. A soft breeze blows through the gentle warmth of the summer night heat. The stars and moon feel brighter before, almost as hot as the sun itself. He slowly dipped you, one of your knees bending so your foot relaxes onto the soft sand. 

Maybe having the Despair Disease wasn’t that bad after all.

--

AAAAAAA OKAY HERE YOU GO! I HOPE YOU GUYS ENJOYED!!!

edit 1: i wanted to mention that the reason i chose the point of view/style of writing i did for the reader is because it’s what made sense to me. it was starting out as a description but i like it to be a “surprise” until you read it fully. i felt like the jolt would be too sudden from that “you/your” style to a “i/me”. so yeah just wanted to say that

[your-local-bnha-writer]

Hello ur my favorite account😭! Can I request a HC with Tanaka, Noya, Tsuki, & Kageyama where u guys are dating but at a tournament, u run into ur ex boyfriend ( who is a huge douchebag) and is saying a bunch of garbage about u? How would they react? , how would it impact their playing style cause get this- karasuno is playing against ur ex boyfriends team🤭🤭🤭🤭

jealous bfs tanaka, noya, tsukki kags,

hey I’m gonna mash these two requests! I hope you enjoy this was a lot of fun to write!

also favourite account?? me?? 🥺🥺

➣ characters included : tanaka, noya, tsukki, kageyama (separately) x fem!reader

➣ headcannons

➣ warning : a lot of swearing 😳 like there’s a lot, your jerk ex talking crap, scary bfs

ryūnosuke tanaka

- karasuno had made it to the nationals, and right before their game against Tsubakihara, lil ol Tanaka had to use the bathroom

- a horrible decision really, just ask hinata

- he walks in and hears your trash ex talking crap abt you

“Yeah, can you believe it? I saw my ex here, Y/n. I think she’s the manager for her team? Karasuno. Is she really that desperate for attention from other guys?”

- Tanaka is p i s s e d like, no one gets to talk about his precious love without experiencing the wrath from Ryūnosuke Tanaka

- So mans just straight up walks to your ex, “gently” taps him on the shoulder to get his attention, and starts defending your honour

“Y/n? Y/n L/n? The most beautiful, gorgeous, precious girl in the world? That Y/n?”

“Uh, yeah? Who are y—”

“Hi I’m the new boyfriend, and let me just tell you...”

- Tanaka goes oFF he’s not letting this douche bag of an ex get his way, he straight up just goes on a 2 hours speech about how perfect you were

- and how much of a douche your ex was

- Eventually, Hinata finds Tanaka in the bathroom (since his stomach was actin up lol) and goes to alert the other guys + you

- So, the whole gang is here, Daichi and Suga have to drAG Tanaka away from your ex while Noya hypes him up

- You have to calm him down and ask him why the hell he was yelling at someone in the bathroom

“Your ex was talking shit about you, I’m not just gonna let them do that”

- You’re immediately like 🥺🥺 Tanakaaaa you didn’t have to do that omg I love you sm

- When it’s finally time play these guys Tanaka is surprisingly calm, like it’s actually terrifying

- Oh and you bet Tanaka’s going all out he is on fire, he’s landing every spike and you can practically hear the impact on it

- Right after he lands a spike he celebrates with his team and stares directly at your ex who’s shooketh 😳

“Yeah take that! You regret breaking up with Y/n now?”

“Tanaka stOoOoP omg—”

- After Karasuno wins he gives you the most passionate kiss, in front of your ex and you pull away blushing

- Your ex just rolls his eyes and goes to pack up with his team while Tanaka’s looking all smug and Noya’s hyPED

yuu nishinoya

- The boys were getting ready for the match against Johzenji, and were just doing some basic warmups

- You had to help Kyoko and Yachi with something so you weren’t in the gym at the moment

- But your asshole of an ex was talking shit about you, very loudly 😳 and very obnoxiously too

- This mf, instead of practicing and doing fricken warmups, he’s talking crap abt you, and you weren’t even in the vicinity!

- But your boyfriend was, oh and he heard everything, every single word that came out of you ex’s mouth

“Pfft yeah she’s still annoying as ever, not surprised she’s dating the dude that’s 5’2”

- Ohh big mistake bud, not only did you insult his perfect Gf, but his height as well? Like dang pick one or the other dude

- So, Noya can’t take it anymore he’s been holding back bc he’s supposed to be warming up for the game but at this point he just couldn’t

- He straight up runs over to the other side of the gym to knock some sense into the jerk

- Tanaka follows not to stop him (although he is a bit worried 😳) but to hype him up bc that’s his best friend’s gf you don’t get to do that

- Asahi is scared shitless so Ennoshita has to keep the horny tornado in check, while Suga is conflicted

“What the hell did you say? Don’t you dare insult Y/n again! This is why she left your sorry ass! Who are you talk shit about my beautiful girlfriend I’ll fight you right now—”

- Ahem well, as you can see he’s very pissed off and uh he ends up getting scolded by coach Ukai

- except at the very end of him scolding he gives noya a few pointers on how to defend your gf without showing bad sportsmanship

- You witness the whole thing and just go up to Noya to calm him down a little

“Thank you, but you didn’t have to go off like that,”

“Yeah I did, Im not letting that douche talk shit about my crazy hot girlfriend”

- noya stop this isn’t the time 😳🥵

- During the game he is extremely focused and there’s this terrifying aura that’s escaping him

- Like Asahi might actually shit his pants just standing next to him

- Karasuno absolutely destroys Johzenji bc Noya is not letting that ball drop on their side of the court

- After the game, like Tanaka Noya straight up kisses you in front of your ex, leaving you a blushing mess as Noya gives him a smug look

kei tsukishima

- aHEM um, alright get ready folks bc this is a scary one

- So it’s Kagugawa vs Karasuno and Yamaguchi is sort of wandering around with Hinata right before the game probably to try and cool their nerves 💀💀

- When they hear your someone talking abt you

“My ex is here we’re vs her team, I know yeah, she’s probably so annoying”

- Dude Yamaguchi and Hinata have never ran faster in their entire lives, they immediately go to tsukki and it’s just a scream fest

“TSUKKI THERES SOMEONE TALKING ABT Y/N!”

“yeAH!! and he was all like ‘she’s probably so annoying’”

“mHM AND—”

“okay I think I got it, where are they?”

- shits about to go down, when Tsukki gets mad, he doesn’t lose is cool, instead he keeps a level head and strategize on how to completely destroy his opponent

- so Yams and Hinata drag him to where your ex was and point him out, and he’s stILL on the phone

“Mhm, yeah she’s super annoying”

- Oh Tsukki is pissed off, he has this intimidating aura coming from him as he approaches the dude that’s shitting on you

“You’re the ex? Yikes...😬”

- Tsukki will wait for what he has to say and the whole time he just has the biggest smirk on his face, like it’s about to go down

- Yams and Sho are hyped uP but they’re waiting behind the door bc they’re babies and they’re scared

- Mm Tsukki does not hold back, he straight up roasts this dudes ass, mans just releases all the salt that’s stored in him

“Mhm yeah, that’s pretty pathetic”

“Heh lame”

“Wow...I can’t believe she really dated you”

- Yeah that’s not that much salt

- Tanaka find the three of them in the bathroom and as much as he wants Tsukki to keep going, they have to get ready for the game

- During the game, your ex tries to spike and he’s instantly shut down my Tsukki and his 6’3 ass, It’s quite hilarious 😌

- Anyways, Tsukki blocks your ex every single time wiTH A SMIRK, mans is not holding back on this bitch

- He says it’s bc he was predictable

- Later, Karasuno beats Kagugawa and Tsukki hardcore glares at your ex like it’s pretty scary since Tsukki is one to act all sassy rather than mad when he gets irritated

“You don’t talk shit about her, ever”

- SUDHDJD DAMN TSUKKI CHILLL

- You watch all of this happen and you immediately ask your boyfriend if something was wrong bc you’re a tad bit worried

“We just had a disagreement that’s all”

“uHH YEAH RIGHT TSUKKI WENT OFF EARLIER IN THE BATHROOM—”

tobio kageyama

- Um another scary bitch please do not talk trash about his gf when he’s around

- He’s probably filing his nails away from his team bc he needs his peace and quiet and doesn’t wanna get bullied by Hinata and Tsukki

- When he hears a guy talking very loudly to his friend, now usually he’d ignore them or move spots but like this dude is talking abt you

- So, he stays for a bit and listens to what he has to say. Who even is this dude? Why does he know you? Why is talking to loud like please shut the f—

“Pfft yeah my ex is here with her volleyball team, I talked to her earlier and oh my god she’s exactly the same when I first dated her”

- I’m not sure if that’s a roast sorry I’m bad at these

- Oh now Kags is pissed, see he was already a little irked that this jerk was your ex but he was also talking trash abt you? Nahh

- He throws his nail file on the ground and stomps right up to this douche to smack some sense in him

“Yeah she’s hella annoy—”

“Why don’t you shut the fuck up?”

“Who tf—”

- So Kageyama is also unusually “calm” about the whole situation which makes it even more terrifying

- Kageyama will most likely go off and tell this dude that he has no business talking abt his gf like that

- he’ll focus more on dissing the dude and let me tell you this dude’s roasts h u r t

- like his insults are like 90% swear words

“goblin lookin ass”

“long titty no nipple lookin ass”

“get outta here you abominable fuck waffle”

- Imagine this scary ass dude coming up to you, telling you to shut the fuck up, then realizing this is Tobio Kageyama, The King of the Court, the incredible setter that has precise aim, the 2nd half of the freak duo, going off on how you should stfu abt his gf

- oh and you’re facing him on your next game

- and he absolutely obliterates your sorry ass

- his sets are perfect, he blocks every single fuckin spike you make, and when you think he’s going setting to #10 think again bc he will do a setter dump

- basically he’s on fire and tear the other team to shreds it’s kind of scary actually, hinata was sweating buckets when kageyama served since he looked so terrifying at the moment

- after the game, kageyama would want to leave immediately he doesn’t want to see your ex anymore

“You doing okie? Did something happen with you and him before the game?”

“Yep, but it’s nothing don’t worry about it”

- kags you have that creepy smile again stop you’re scaring y/n

[rvmmm21]

. saviour .

summary : seungwan's walk to work is a dangerous one, joohyun knows that. she'll always be seungwan's hero. it's only to look out for her favourite secretary, after all.

small note : i was going to make this longer but my brain glitched, so it’s just here as a tentative one-shot.

tw : noncon, harrassment, physical intimidation.

[yandere!joyrene x secretary!wendy]

...

Her boss was her saviour.

…

It’s getting dark and she’s walking home from work, bundled up warm to keep out the winter chill. Her mind is on a nice, hot dinner and a relaxing bath after an incredibly stressful day. Gosh, it’s finally the weekend, and that means she’s taking full advantage of those forty-eight hours of ‘her’ time. Of course, that probably means binge-watching the latest episodes of her favourite drama with a tray of home baked ‘weekend muffins’ – strawberry shortcake! – and perhaps, if she’s feeling particularly tense, a short walk in the park. Playing secretary to the Chief Inspector attached to one of the busiest police stations in the city of Seoul is as hectic and draining as you’d imagine, and it often leaves her with little time to herself. So naturally, the highlight of everyday is the end of it, where she can actually sit and breathe.

Except, it’s a bit hard to even think about breathing now, because she’s ambushed just around the corner of the convenience store a few blocks away from her street.

“My, you are a pretty little thing, aren’t you?”

Seungwan isn’t sure when she started crying, but she’s beginning to curse herself for cracking at the first thing that came out of this stranger’s mouth. She really needs to learn not to look so weak. Especially not when she’s stuck with a woman who’s so tall, she has to look up at her while she’s pressed up against the wall of this perfectly deserted, perfectly claustrophobic alleyway.

No part of her wants to be stuck with any part of this… this villain, gorgeous as she is.

“Aw, don’t cry. What’s wrong, darling? You’re scared, huh...” The woman reaches up momentarily to wipe the tears streaming down her cheeks, leaning in a little too closely to do so. She has one arm against the wall beside Seungwan’s head, and the iniquitous laugh to top it all off.

Seungwan recognises her… vaguely. I mean everybody has eyes, a nose and a mouth, but the way they’re situated on the face in front of her just… she swears she’s seen that face somewhere, if only from hearing her boss rant about - oh no, oh my gosh. The posters, the meetings that were hastily wrapped up as soon as she opened the door to serve her superior her obligatory morning coffee. The woman holding her at knifepoint right now… is the felon Inspector Bae is currently gathering information on, trying to hunt down to keep behind bars.

This woman is top priority at the station. A criminal. Dangerous.

J-Julia?

Jay?

The name comes to her when a gloved hand reaches up to grab her jaw, forcing her chin up so she’s looking straight into glinting eyes.

Joy.

Seungwan tries her best not to make her terror known, but it’s a miserable failure. “Please,” she whispers hoarsely, too terrified to even beg at a normal pitch. “I’m just – I’m an assistant, I just bring the coffee, I don’t have anything important! They don’t tell me anything! I don’t know about the c-cases, Inspector Bae won’t even tell me her address, I have nothing you want, I – ach!”

A forearm across her throat stops her rambling. Hard bone digs into her windpipe, cutting off more than what she had originally wanted to say. Her hands reflexively shoot up to grasp at the appendage choking her, but she’s only shoved further into the stone whenever she tries to pry it away from her neck. “N-No… no i-information…” she weakly gurgles out, desperately trying to hit it home that she really isn’t of any use. “… h-have… nothing, p-please…”

“Shut up.” The woman threatens her before physically doing it, clamping tighter around Seungwan’s jaw and dissolving her verbal pleas into pleading whimpers. The smirk on those crimson lips is so much scarier than anything she’s said so far. “Silly girl, you have everything I want. I want to send a message. That’s what you’re for, isn’t it? What do you think, baby? Do you think your precious Inspector will stop bothering me if I send her cute little toy to work all messed up, hm?”

Seungwan doesn’t answer. She can’t, with how hard she’s sobbing, breathing still painfully restricted, and trying to curl further into herself. Kicking, punching and screaming for help crosses her mind all at once, but those thoughts are fizzled away by the reality of just dropping to her knees and begging this woman to have mercy on her. Tempting as those instincts are, however, she hasn’t time to act on any of them.

As soon as she’s sure she’s not leaving without at least one lovely, permanent scar, Joy is forcefully ripped away and thrown to the side. And as soon as Seungwan can take her first full breath of air, she’s bolting, instinctively getting as far away from that alley as she can. She only realises she’s been dragging her saviour along with her when two arms around her waist abruptly pull her backwards into a warm body. At this point, the poor girl is so confused that she just turns and buries her face into the front of whoever’s just answered her prayers.

A gentle hand comes up and strokes her hair as she shivers from the aftereffects of the ordeal. After a moment of silence, Seungwan dares to slowly glance up at her rescuer. When she meets those kind eyes, the tension almost immediately shreds away and it’s replaced with a small, fond sigh.

“I-Inspector B – ”

And then the voice corrects her with an awkward sternness. “I’m not in uniform, Ms. Son, please don’t address me like that. Joohyun is fine.”

Joohyun, right. The girl wants to correct her too, to tell her she’d much rather she be ‘Seungwan’ instead of ‘Ms. Son’, but she’s too busy being grateful to form any words other than the ‘thank you’ she thinks she’s repeated at least thirty times now.

“Oh dear, what’s this here?” The raven-haired woman brings a finger up to delicately brush Seungwan’s fringe to the side. The smaller girl can only stare at the shiny silver buttons on her black Burberry trench coat as she’s being inspected.

She winces and flinches back when a frigid draft brushes over the cut on her eyebrow, stinging it.

But Joohyun presses her closer. “No, no, it’s okay, let me see it. I can help.”

Obediently, Seungwan stills to allow her to assess the extent of the damage. A sigh of fatigue draws from her lips when Joohyun’s fingers trace over the small wound. The touch is light and comforting. Comforting enough for it to slip her mind that it’s very late at night and the leftovers sitting in her fridge are waiting to be reheated. That, and her direct superior is in front of her, holding her up while she studies her condition.

She shifts slightly to catch the other woman’s attention. “I’m fine… Joohyun, really.” The name sounds funny coming off like that. “We need to report this, I can come in tomorrow. That was – I think that was Joy – and if she’s in the area then you could be in dan – ”

The grip tightening around her waist is more than mildly inappropriate, but it’s successful in cutting her short. “Don’t worry about that, I’ll file the paperwork, you need to rest.”

Yet again, Seungwan tries to insist that reporting the incident sooner rather than later could be vital in capturing Joy, and that Joy’s arrest took precedence over a minor cut. But Joohyun remains resolute. “Come on,” she says, heaving one of Seungwan’s arms over her shoulder and curling the other around her waist, “I’ll walk you home, just tell me where to go. You could still be targeted. It’s not safe.”

The space between them is non-existent, and the room to compromise, even more so. Joohyun reaches over briefly to tuck Seungwan’s scarf back into her coat before they start walking, and the girl drops her gaze. The fright has worn off and it’s just now terribly embarrassing for her to even be in the presence of someone like Joohyun. I mean, she’s Chief Inspector Bae for god’s sake. She didn’t just get that title, all those gleaming medals and framed awards from twiddling her thumbs and sitting pretty at her desk all day.

It almost makes Seungwan feel like a liability.

If she can’t defend herself from one attacker, why is she even working as an assistant to a woman who hunts villains down for a living? How many times does she think Joohyun is going to be there to catch her when she falls?

But that’s just it.

She is so relieved at the fact she’s still alive, that she forgets to ask how her boss knew exactly where to find her.

…

Much later into the night, a familiar figure in a black trench coat re-enters the alleyway. It’s quiet, and empty. Even emptier than it had been when Seungwan was walking back earlier on, save for the dark, hooded silhouette on the far right, and the grating sound of steel against brick.

“Aaand she finally appears.” The hooded figure greets, sheathing her dagger. “Did your little secretary get home alright?”

Black trench coat scoffs, stepping into the darkness and doing her best not to seem offended. “Sooyoung, did you really have to be that rough? You gave our poor angel such a nasty looking cut. And you made her cry.”

This time, it’s Sooyoung’s turn to take a defensive tone, albeit slightly playful. “Hey, I followed the plan! Scare her, threaten a little… you know, all that bad-guy stuff.” She can’t help herself, she’s always like that with Joohyun: relentlessly teasing. The mockery in her voice alone should be enough for Joohyun to cuff her on the spot, but she knows she’ll never do it.

She’s learnt to tolerate every aspect of Sooyoung’s personality; endearingly annoying as they may be. Still, it doesn’t stop the sinister growl from her throat, despite the grin on her face. It gains the other woman’s full attention instantly.

“Aw, what’s the matter, Hyunnie? Afraid you won’t have any eye-candy at work for a while?” She slides over to her, casually poking the shorter woman in the ribs. There’s a beat of silence and then Sooyoung sticks her bottom lip out in a pout when she’s left hanging. “You think I took it too far, don’t you?”

Joohyun’s reply is a smile. The image of Seungwan trembling in her arms, looking up at her through those fluttering, innocent eyelashes after Sooyoung’s ‘ambush’ is reassurance enough that everything happened at the right time and at the right intensity. Seungwan had looked at her like her saviour. Sooyoung hadn’t overdone it.

Sooyoung takes a tentative step forward, even closer now. “Hyun…”

There’s a genuine gratitude in her voice when Joohyun speaks again. “Thank you, Sooyoung. Really, you did so good for me. For us.”

“No problem, unnie,” Sooyoung makes a show of giving her an exaggerated courtesy, the playful lilt surfacing once more. “It’s my duty, as your – ”

And she’s pulled into a kiss. Five fingers firmly twist into the lapels of her jacket and tug her down into a searing, passionate kiss against the same wall Seungwan was pinned to a few hours ago, where she cried her eyes out.

Joohyun pulls away roughly, lips swollen and tingling from the cold. She smirks when Sooyoung looks as glazed-over as she feels. Their heaving breaths create a thin, silvery fog between them, as Joohyun holds the taller woman’s gaze with ease.

“You are the best, Young-ah. I love you.”

[when-they-write-stuff]

❛   fuck !  put  the  gun  down !  please , come on !  it’s  me ,  alright ?  ❜

Stiles had seen a gun pointed at his face one too many times. But he’d never expected Derek to be one of the faces behind the trigger.

Things started to turn strange when Derek vanished for a solid three days and then came back with no explanation. Now, Stiles was pissed and he made his pissed off-ness very obvious, but Derek just brushed him off as usual. It was ‘werewolf stuff’ he claimed because apparently the man couldn’t do any better than that.

Stiles really didn’t know why he reacted anymore. It wasn’t like this was new exactly.

Derek disappeared when he wanted to and he showed up when he felt like it. Sometimes, Stiles would only realize Derek had been gone for an entire week because one— or all— of his betas would show up in Stiles’s bedroom at night whining like a bunch of lost puppies.

Stiles knew Derek did things like this. But when the man came back this time around, he was different. He was wrong.

The beta’s reactions made Stiles realize he wasn’t the only one who had noticed.

They stopped hanging out at the loft and started hanging out in his bedroom instead. When Stiles asked why, even Erica got quiet. Boyd only shook his head.

Something was wrong, the beta said. Derek wasn’t acting like himself.

Stiles decided to take matters into his own hands.

He’d had a lot of bad ideas in the past but this might have been one of his worst ones. The next time he suspected the local Alpha werewolf of not being himself, he was going to do a lot more research and studying first. Because Stiles ran headfirst into the entire situation without even thinking about it first.

If he would’ve stopped and thought, he might not have run headfirst into the situation at all. Maybe. Probably.

No, he definitely still would have.

Stiles started hanging around the loft even when the betas weren’t there. He studied Derek extra carefully and mentally cataloged every strange thing he did. For the most part, that wasn’t much. Derek still grunted and growled when Stiles was around. He flashed his red eyes when he was irritated and snarled when he was more than that.

But then Stiles called him Sourwolf and Derek looked… shocked.

Stiles realized something was wrong then.

Not because Derek was particularly fond of the nickname. Stiles knew for a fact Derek wasn’t. But the man had given up long ago making Stiles drop it and now he just rolled his eyes whenever it came into play, and occasionally looked like he was about to smile. Sourwolf was their joke. Their… thing.

This time, Derek just looked at him like Stiles had lost his mind. Or maybe grown horns or something. Much like the first time Stiles had called him it in the abandoned school parking lot.

Something was wrong, Stiles realized. And he was determined to figure out what.

That was his first mistake.

The second was probably snooping around the loft. Stiles purposefully waited until both Derek and the Camaro were gone before he snuck up into Derek’s loft two days later and decided to look around. He started in the living room, moved through the kitchen and beta’s rooms, and ended up in Derek’s bedroom.

Stiles couldn’t help but feel a little awkward standing in the doorway. He shuffled his feet and glanced around before forcing himself to move forward.

He went through Derek’s closet and drawers. Tried not to laugh when he found an unmistakable pair of Batman boxers. Then he turned toward Derek’s bed and froze as he noticed the claw marks on his bedposts. They dug in deep to the wood and looked recent. 

There were some on the floor too, Stiles noticed. And what looked like blood spotting across the carpet in certain areas. He continued to search around with a thudding heart and then heard the unmistakable sound of a door opening and slamming shut.

Stiles froze.

For a moment, he debeated diving underneath the bed. But that would be stupid. Derek— if this was Derek— was a werewolf. The man would easily be able to scent him out.

So Stiles did the only other logical thing. He threw himself into Derek’s bed, pulled up the covers, and closed his eyes right as Derek’s bedroom opened again.

Stiles felt Derek’s gaze zero in on where he laid. He tried to keep his breathing steady and Derek just stood there for a moment, staring at him. Stiles’s nose suddenly itched. His eyes started to water as the feeling grew worse and worse. His fingers twitched underneath the covers and he nearly broke the facade just to provide himself some relief— when Derek barked his name.

Stiles’s eyes flew open and he tried to go for dizzy and disorientated, scratching at his nose wildly. He blinked a few times at Derek and then sunk his teeth into his lower lip.

“Ah, Derek.”

“What the hell are you doing?”

“Me?”

“Yes, Stiles,” the man said, glaring. “You.”

“Clearly, I’m sleeping,” Stiles said, looking pointedly around. He pushed himself up and nimbly leaped out of Derek’s bed, patting the man on the arm as he passed him. “You’ve got quite a nice bed, Sourwolf, props for that. But I’d invest in a fan or something if I was you. It got a little stuffy.”

Derek seemed to be speechless, which Stiles supposed was a win. He made for the loft door before Derek could snap back to his senses and possibly kill him, and hurried all the way back outside before he dared take a deep breath.

Stiles paused for a moment and shoved the heels of his palms into his eyes. He’d done it. He hadn’t died. And he more sure now that something was wrong.

Baby steps.

Stiles went from baby steps to one giant leap.

It started when he spotted Derek’s Camaro creeping through Beacon Hills. Stiles had headed out with the plan to tackle some grocery shopping but when he spotted Derek looking like a literal creeper, Stiles decided some things were more important.

So he started following Derek instead. And he was more than surprise to see the man circle the school twice, drive past the road leading to the Hale house three times, and then come to a stop in front of the Argent’s house five minutes later.

Stiles knew it was empty. Scott and his mom were supposed to be entertaining Chris and Allison tonight, as the young werewolf had told him a dozen times. Scott was pretty sure he was going to die.

Stiles didn’t know if Scott was going to be the one dying this time.

He didn’t know how to react as Derek climbed out of his car and started toward the house. But the man didn’t go through the front door or anything. Instead, he pulled himself onto the roof and proceeded to duck in through Allison’s cracked window. 

Stiles sat in his jeep for a second and just stared. He didn’t know how to react or what to do. He could call Scott but Scott might tell Chris, and Stiles didn’t that would end well at all. He could attempt to follow Derek, but Stiles already knew there was no way he was pulling himself onto the Argent’s roof.

So he approached the front door instead. Stiles’s heart thudded against his chest and he was pretty sure Derek would either hear or smell him coming. But maybe then Stiles could at least get some answers.

Because Derek was acting beyond a little weird. He was acting wrong.

Stiles, in his ADD spirals, had learned a lot of things. He’d learned how to hotwire a car, speak all the Polish curse words, and how to pick a lock with the paperclip he always kept in his pocket.

Soon, Stiles was creeping into the Argent house. He kept expecting an alarm to go off or maybe an angry Derek to come out of nowhere and slam him against a wall. But none of that happened. 

Stiles wandered around the house and peered into each room, eventually ducking into what must only be Chris’s office. And then he froze, throwing his hands up with a yelp as his heart leaped into his throat.

“Oh my god, Derek! Put that down!”

Because Derek was holding one of Argent’s pistols and the barrel was facing Stiles’s head. There was an audible click as the werewolf loaded the gun and Stiles squeaked, his chest constricting with panic.

“Fuck, Derek, put the gun down! Please, come on. It’s me, alright? It’s me!”

“It’s not you,” Derek growled. “It’s never you.”

Stiles didn’t know what the hell that was supposed to mean. But he squeezed his eyes shut and Derek’s finger turned white around the trigger and he never thought he would’ve seen himself in this position. 

Stiles had seen a gun pointed at his face one too many times. But he’d never expected Derek to be one of the many faces behind the trigger.

It was terrifying and it was painful at the same time.

“Derek,” he said, voice cracking. “Derek, Sourwolf, please. Put the gun down.”

And silence was his answer.

Stiles cracked open an eye to see Derek looking at him in shock. The man’s hold on the gun was trembling and he lowered it an inch, eyes flashing red. “Say that again.”

“P-please put the gun down?”

“The other thing.”

“Sourwolf,” Stiles said softly. “Derek, Sourwolf, please put the gun down.”

The man’s hand trembled harder. He slowly lowered it and moved across the room, taking one of Stiles’s hands. Stiles made a sound of surprise as Derek turned it over and counted his fingers, then grabbed Stiles’s other hand and did the same.

“Derek,” Stiles said quietly. “Dude, you’re scaring me. What’s going on?”

“There’s something wrong with my head,” Derek said, eyes still fixed on Stiles’s fingers. “The witch did something to my head—”

“Wait, hold on, witch?”

Derek froze and glanced back up guilty. Stiles pulled his hands away and stared at the man.

“That’s where you were? That’s why you’ve been acting so weird? Dude, I’ve been researching my ass off for the past week because of a witch?”

“I’m having dreams,” Derek mumbled. “Except they’re not dreams. And you’re always there and you… you…” He trailed off and Stiles blinked a few times. Then carefully, he took Derek’s hand again.

“Derek, what did the witch do?”

Derek didn’t say a word, focused on the floor. Stiles squeezed his hand tighter.

“Sourwolf, talk to me.”

“She’s messing with my anchor,” Derek said quietly. “Making me see things that aren’t true. Making me do things so they’ll go away. Trying to tear what grounds me to shreds.”

“Your anchor? But if you’re seeing—” Stiles suddenly froze and Derek looked nervously back up. Stiles stared at him until a small smile tugged at the corners of his lips. “Derek, am I your anchor?”

“Shut up.”

“And what, Sourwolf is a thing? Oh my god, Derek, is that like a kink? Is me calling you Sourwolf a turn on? You like that nickname! I always knew you were smiling when I used it.”

Derek gave him a flat look. Stiles couldn’t help snorting fondly.

“You’re such a softie, dude.”

“Don’t call me dude.”

“You just had a gun to my head, I think I’m allowed to call you dude.”

Derek tensed. “Sorry.”

“Hey— it’s fine. I’m just glad I’m still in one piece and all of that. But there’s gotta be a way we can fix this, right? So you’re not, y’know. Acting like a crazy psycho anymore.”

Derek rolled his eyes and Stiles chewed on his lower lip, glancing at him.

“Is it one of those… kiss and break it things?”

The result was instant. Derek’s face turned bright red and his eyes rounded. Stiles threw his hands up, a little nervous Derek would grab the gun again. But the man just stared at him like Stiles had grown horns. Stiles shrugged.

“Or not?”

“Stiles.”

“... Yes, Sourwolf?”

“You’re such an idiot.”

Stiles opened his mouth to protest, but then Derek’s lips were against his. Stiles squeaked in surprise, more shocked than anything that had worked at all. But before Derek could change his mind, Stiles cupped the back of his neck and kissed the man harder, bringing forth a low grow that vibrated all the way down Stiles’s spine.

He smiled around Derek’s lips and when the man drew back an inch, panting, Stiles grinned wider. “Did it work? Or are we going to need to see Deaton?”

“Please never talk about Deaton while I’m kissing you again.”

“So it that a yes or—”

Derek moved forward and caught his lips again and Stiles pretty sure this was very irresponsible. He was pretty sure kissing didn’t break spells, but he wasn’t complaining right now. Not one bit. Still though, the next time Derek snuck off for ‘werewolf stuff’ Stiles was so sneaking along.

The Sourwolf needed him, it seemed.

- -

I was hoping someone would send this one just so I could figure out how to write it. The fluff was unintentional. It usually is. But thank you for the prompt, friend!

(if you enjoy my writing, consider supporting your underpaid student writer? Seriously, I’d adore you guys so much). https://ko-fi.com/rh27writer

[knickynoo]

Family Ties “Hotline Fever”: An APK Rambling

Alright, so I really need to talk about this episode, everyone. I’m watching through the series for the second time currently & just having so many feelings. The first time around, I was just kind of taking it in and enjoying it, but now I’m looking at it more from an analytical side (which is my jam). And honestly? I’m fully realizing why I like Alex P. Keaton so much. 

This is going to be a LONG one, people. 

(TW for a plot that deals with depression & talk of suicide) 

So, for anyone who hasn’t seen the episode, here’s the basic gist of it: Alex has to take a humanities course for college, which he’s obviously not thrilled about because come on. The humanities? Dealing with people and emotions and all those things Alex would rather not concern himself with? He eventually settles on volunteering at a hotline center, offering counseling over the phone. He’s not into the idea at all and just wants to get through it and earn his credit. He’s also not too happy to discover that an old school rival of his, James (who beat him in the 3rd grade spelling bee-a fact he’s still not over), is his partner for the course. 

When Alex and James are at the center one night, and find out that the guy training them isn’t able to come in, Alex is more than happy to pack up his stuff and go home. Until the phone rings, that is. On the other end of the line is Bill, a troubled teen who reveals to Alex that he’s lost all hope and is thinking about ending it all. Completely out of their element & caught off guard, Alex & James have to decide how to handle the situation on their own. 

For such a heavy episode, it has a fairly well-balanced element of humor added throughout. While the seriousness of the situation at hand always stays at the forefront, Alex, James, & even Bill have their moments of playing off of each other in a lighthearted enough way that it works. 

Here’s the thing though: this is an Alex episode. As such, the plot is ultimately used as a vehicle to give us a much deeper look into his mind. And people, this is an important Alex episode. Because what does the average person think about Alex at first glance? Well, he certainly can come across as cold. He’s full of snark, tends to flaunt his intelligence, and can even appear to struggle with empathy. But I’ve said it before & I’ll say it again....

Alex P. Keaton is so much more than what we see on the surface. All the attitude and arrogance? The ego and the flippant remarks? Walls. They’re walls, and APK has a whole lot of them set up all around him. Sure, we see plenty of glimpses behind them through the series up until this point, but this episode is really one of the first times we see them ripped down completely, leaving Alex utterly vulnerable. 

As Alex and James stay on the phone long into the night, Bill eventually tells them that he’s scared, to which Alex tells him that everybody sometimes feels that way. And then Bill hits Alex with two words that set the entire rest of the plot in motion.

“Do you?” 

Friends, Alex does not want to talk about this. It’s one thing to talk about somebody else’s emotions, but his own?? That’s a big no from APK. But this is important to Bill, so Alex gives himself permission to lower those walls. And boy howdy, do we get a beautiful scene. 

Alex tells Bill he does get scared, “Mostly at night. You know, when the house is real quiet. And I start thinking about my future. I do, I get scared.”

This confuses Bill, who asks why that would scare Alex? Hasn’t he always succeeded in life so far? To which Alex tells him that’s exactly why he gets scared. He lays it all out on the table then, explaining how hard he has to push himself to live up to his own previous success and expectations. Not to mention the expectations that everyone around him has set. He’s spent so much of his life being praised for his intellect and work-ethic, that at this point, it’s become his identity. He can’t let himself fail because he literally isn’t sure that he can handle it. 

Alex: “-I can’t let myself fail. I keep pushing myself to do better and better and I keep trying harder and harder, and I’m afraid that if I stop...”

Alex gets totally wrapped up in spilling this out to Bill, speaking in that rapid-fire, breathless way that’s so typical of him and fidgeting anxiously in his seat. Because this is really, really difficult for him. So he pulls himself back and stops mid-sentence, apologizing for getting so carried away. But Bill wants to know what Alex was going to say. And after a quiet moment of consideration, we get this.

And it’s with these few lines that we finally see Alex. Walls completely down, with only a terrified guy left behind them. This is the driving force behind the great Alex P Keaton: fear. An anxiety rooted so deep that his only option is to hide it with a consuming drive for success and an over-inflated ego. 

Yes, Alex P. Keaton is a lot of things. He can be self-centered and arrogant. He is pedantic, sometimes oblivious to social cues, and operates in very black and white thinking. APK doesn’t know gray area. There’s right and there’s wrong. Success and failure. It’s no surprise at all that a person like him would feel the need to close himself off emotionally in order to not be crushed by the confusing, scary world around him. So he can’t slow down. Because one little slip up might be enough to ruin him. He’ll be nothing.

Can we just focus on that for a second? The fact that Alex, a kid being raised in a completely stable environment, with parents who so deeply love him, can still have such inner emotional dysfunction that the entirety of his self-worth is tied to how bright and witty he is?? To the point that he stays up at night worrying that failure would erase his own value and potentially cause those around him to not love him any more? The whole scene paints a terribly sad picture of this usually enthusiastic, passionate guy we’ve known for two seasons. 

But it’s such an important moment for him. It’s unlikely that Alex has ever opened up like this to anybody before, yet here he is, spilling his guts to a stranger on the phone. And why? Because he knows that Bill needs to hear it. He recognizes that this hurting guy is actually a lot like himself, and wants to let him know that he isn’t alone. 

He pleads with Bill to keep going. “You don’t want to die. And we don’t want you to die,” he says, his voice cracking with genuine emotion. 

The whole episode is just beautiful, and I love what it does for Alex as a character. He may very well return to his typical Alex-ness by the next episode (and he does) but now we have some context. We know a little more now about what makes him tic and the motivating force behind what makes APK everything that we see on screen. And you know what? Alex is probably learning about himself in the moment too, as he says out loud the things that had only ever been confined to his head before. 

 It’s fantastic, and I had to write an essay about it. 

(For anyone wondering, the episode ends on a bright note, with Bill telling them he’s going to start new tomorrow & seek out professional help and with Alex and James sharing a lovely moment.)

*takes a sip of orange juice* Anyway, thanks for coming to the next part of my 47982 APK character study lecture series, everyone 

[miss-tc-nova]

A SOLDER’s Memories - Cloud Strife x Fem!Reader Pt 3

I’m gonna have to put this series on hold for now. I just wanted the first 3 chapters out because I am happy with them. But I’ve hit a bit of a road block with where I’m going from here. I’m sure once I listen to more P!ATD I’ll come back an attempt to work more of it but for now, on hold. Thank you. 

WARNING! THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS MAJOR SPOILERS FOR FF7 AND POTENTIALLY THE FF7R SERIES! Thank you. 

A Favor Owed

                Being in this relationship feels like being on cloud nine; no pun intended. I couldn’t be happier, though Zack does give us hell sometimes. Sephiroth has also taken note of the relationship and warned me of Shinra’s policy on retirees. He doesn’t do much more than that though; even if I’m sometimes a handful, I’m well on the fast track to being First Class. I’m sure the disappearance of his two friends did not help either; it’s made him rather sullen as of late.

                My poor chocobo steps off the back of the truck, holding his head. I push my water into his hands and join my mentor in greeting our guide. She’s a feisty thing and not very impressed by us, by that I mean Zack, and she seems to be looking for someone among us. With instructions of meeting in front of the inn at dawn, we’re given permission to explore the little town of Nibelheim.

                “Come on, you,” I hum, grabbing Cloud’s wrist and pulling him along. “A walk will do you good.”

                It’s a quiet little place, only known for the reactor waiting at the top of Mt. Nibel. It makes a lot of sense that someone like Cloud would come from a place like this. It’s nice.

                “So this is where country bumpkins come from,” I hum. “You must know everyone, huh?”

                “Shh! I don’t want anyone to know,” he hisses. When I give him a look of skepticism he goes on. “I left telling everyone I would get into SOLDIER…but I didn’t.”

                “Ah, I see.” I push his helmet up enough to see his eyes. “That’s not really anything to be ashamed about.”

                Cloud pulls his helmet back down. “Still.”

                “Alright,” I sigh. “So what should we see first?”

                “Actually, there is one person I need to go see,” he hums, suddenly getting timid. “You don’t have to come with me if you don’t want to.”

                I smile. “You know I’d rather spend time with you than do anything else.”

                The infantryman nods and leads the way to a little house with a nice little yard and a little fence; exactly what I would imagine of a small town home. Cloud gives a sharp knock and a woman with pale blonde hair and unmistakable eyes answers the door.

                “Can I help you?”

                Cloud finally removes his helmet. “Hi mom.”

                The woman’s face instantly lights up and she wraps her arms around him. I can’t help smiling as I watch them reunite.

                “Come in! Come in!” She quickly ushers us into her home that matches the same coziness as the rest of the village. “You must be one of Cloud’s colleagues,” she says, closing the door behind me. “It’s nice to meet you.”

                I hold my hand out, planning to make this as professional as I feel Cloud will feel comfortable with. “Yes ma’am. I’m _____. Your son and I work together frequently.”

                She takes my hand in both of hers. “Thank you for keeping an eye on him.”

                “No problem. He keeps me out of trouble too.”

                From there, Cloud explains to his mother that he didn’t make it into SOLDIER. Relief washes over me when she reassures him that she’s proud all the same. I make myself comfortable, watching a family catch up and reminisce, something I never had. It makes me wonder if I can have that someday, if maybe one day, I can join them.

                It gets late and we inevitably must bid his mother goodbye. At the inn, I give the infantryman a goodnight kiss and turn in for the night.

                The next day is eventful, chaotic even. In the morning, Cloud’s late and we almost leave without him. The rope bridge breaks with us on it and we lose the other infantryman. Zack and I enter a mako reactor for the first time, finding tons of pods filled mutated people and we learn some of the dark secrets of Shinra and our own existences. Genesis, a rogue SOLDIER falling apart, antagonizes Sephiroth about his mother before asking for his help. When Sephiroth refuses and leaves in a panic, Genesis follows leaving Zack and I to fight the mako infused monsters. When we don’t find either of them, we have to take Tifa and an unconscious Cloud back to the town. I didn’t know that a single day could turn my world upside down so quickly, making me question what I’ve been doing with my life, the people I’ve saved, the work I’ve done, the pride I had in being SOLDIER. In reality, I could’ve been just another monster, one of those that Zack and I had struck down today, maybe I already was.

                Thankfully, Cloud wakes up without any repercussions, though he quickly takes note of my sour mood. I try not to let it get to me but with my mentor AWOL in some mansion and my whole reality put into question, I just can’t help it. My boyfriend tries to make me feel better but I just can’t shake it and I feel bad for making him worry. I refuse to tell him what I learned though; I’m afraid. If I feel this strongly about what I’ve learned and who I am, I’m absolutely terrified of what he might think of me.

                Cloud returns to the inn just as I’m pulling my boots on. “Where are you going so late?”

                “I need some air,” I reply, not even looking. Boots tied, I start for the door only for the infantryman to block my path.

                “Would you please just tell me what’s wrong?” he begs. He’s been begging for a while now and it breaks my heart.

                I jam my hands in my pockets. “It’s nothing you need to worry about, okay? Just…Leave it alone.”

                I leave him standing there and make my way out into town to wander. I’m not even sure where I’m going, letting my feet just take me away. It comes as a surprise to find myself in front of the little home my boyfriend had grown up in. Before I can even question myself, I knock on the door. In the next few seconds, I contemplate running away, but the door opens before I can make a decision.

                She’s confused but not angry. “Hello dear. Do you need something?” I hesitate. “You look pale. Is something wrong?”

                “I…” The tears break through and everything I’ve been holding in begins to overwhelm me. The sweet woman pulls me inside and sits me down.

                “What’s wrong, darling? You can tell me.”

                I try to pull myself together; it’s a shoddy attempt. “I…I love Cloud.” Her eyes widen. “I love everything about him and I want to be with him forever!” My hands grip at my hair. “But how can I let him spend his life with a monster?!”

                 And from there, I confess all of the fears that have haunted me since we arrived. She learns about my relationship with her son, what happened in the reactor, that my mentor is probably losing his mind, and sees the darkest despair in me. Yet she just listens, listens as I bawl my confessions to her.

                “What if he gets hurt because of me?” I sniffle, nearly cried out.

                Her hand rests atop mine. “Were you planning to hurt him before?”

                “No. Never,” I blurt out.

                A smile plays across her lips. “Then I don’t think you have anything to worry about, dear.”

                “But-But you’re his mother. Aren’t you worried something will happen to him by being associated with a SOLDIER?”

                “From what Cloud tells me, you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to him.” That strikes confusion in me. “And from all your exciting adventures, especially from this, I’ve learned that you must care about him too much to let something happen to him. I’m so very grateful that Cloud has someone as strong as you to look after him.”

                “You’re not…mad me?”

       ��        “I’m not. I can’t say that I agree with everything going on, but you and Cloud must make your own choices. And for you to have enough courage to come to a mother and confess all these fears, I don’t believe you’re a monster at all. Only humans worry about hurting others.”

                My tears return, though they’re born of relief instead of the fear of earlier. Cloud’s mother embraces me, having rescued me from the chaos I’d fallen in.

                I thank the woman and apologize profusely for the late visit and uncontrollable sobbing. She assures me multiple times that it’s alright, sending me on my way in a far better mood than I’d arrived in.

                My reprieve dies out when I see the smoke rising in the sky, followed by an orange glow growing among the houses. Taking off, I find the burning house, and the man I’ve looked up to for years.

                “Sephiroth!” I call, racing towards him. “We have to get in there! We have to save-”

                I’m cut off with a fist to the chest that sends me flying back. Gasping for air, I struggle to my feet. His eyes are cold, empty. He has no intention of saving anyone; he’s the cause of this.

                “No…What are you doing?!” I scream. I thought I was done crying. “You’re a hero! How could you do this to people that trust you to save them?!”

                “Because I could be more than a hero. I could be a god.”

                He’s gone. This is no longer my mentor, my friend. I draw my weapons. There’s no way in hell I’m going to beat him, but letting him go freely about murdering others is not an option. For everything I’m worth, I do nothing against him. I’m slashed down at every point, bleeding through my shredded uniform. That I’m still standing is a sheer miracle and I’ll use it to stop him, if only to stall him.

                “Sephiroth!”

                My heart stops along with time. It’s him; he’s racing towards us with fury across his face. Then he’s gone, or rather, everything goes dark when I collide with a building.

~~~~~ 

                The pain is awful and only getting worse. I’m becoming very aware of just how beaten I am. Then I become aware of the heat; the fire engulfing the village. Nibelheim has been doomed.

                He catches my eye. Off in the distance, Cloud is fleeing the burning town, heading for the reactor.

                No! No, he can’t! He doesn’t stand a chance!

                Against my protesting muscles, I stand and stagger out of town after him. It’s a long, difficult trek to the reactor, but every second that passes is a second that I could lose the person most important to me and that drives me forward.

                Outside the tower lies several men, all dead. Most of them consist of Shinra employees; it’s bitter to lose coworkers, but a relief that none of them are Cloud. Shouting from inside urges me on. I freeze, my blood running cold. Tifa is out cold on the floor and so is my best friend, Zack.

                The shout tears me away from my friend. Cloud is running at Sephiroth, holding Zack’s Buster Sword. My feet carry me after him without hesitation. I was never going to make it in time; Sephiroth throws the man into the room behind him.

                I throw a khopesh, looping the chain around his blade and earning his attention.

                “So you’re still alive,” he drawls.

                “How could you?” I snarl. “After everything, everything you taught me! This is not what a hero does!” A jerk of his weapon pulls me in and frees the sword. With his lightning reflexes, he’s already swinging at me. I just manage to throw the blade still in my hand up to block his attack. “You told me that we were supposed to save people! No matter what our past was like, we fought so others could have a better future!” I shove his sword aside and swipe. “WHAT HAPPENED TO THAT?!”

                Brushing off my attack, his word flashes again, slashing across my arm. “I suppose it’s easy to believe that nonsense when you’re human.”

                Once again, I face off with my teacher and come up short. At least this time, I’m fueled by anger and adrenaline of saving someone important to me; I avoid more attacks. This draws out the battle unfortunately, and he’s better than I am.

                “I trusted you! You were my mentor!” I scream. “You were family! I loved you!”

                “You were mistaken.” His cold words are accompanied by blinding pain across the chest. The blow sends me into the back room, rolling me right off the walkway. It’s a miracle that I manage to grab onto the side before plummeting into the mako below.

                “You know, I had high hopes for you. You’re a great SOLDIER, my successor. Just another unfortunate event to add to your life, isn’t it.”

                My hand, the one injured by him, loses its grasp. I’m hanging here on the edge of life here, five fingers preventing me from drowning in mako; despite that, I glare at him. “I’m nothing like you!”

                His dead gaze never falters. “No. You’re not.”

                His sword is poised to deal the final blow. I stare him down, bearing my fury even in my dying moments.

                The sickening sound of steel sliding through flesh reaches my ears but I’m not in pain, nor am I falling to my death. Looking up brings my heart to a halt. Cloud is hanging from the sword.

                “NOOO!”

                Sephiroth appears very displeased with the surprise. “Don’t test me.”

                To my astonishment, and the villain’s as well, Cloud begins to drag himself along the blade towards his attacker.

                “No…Impossible!”

                With fire in his eyes, Cloud gives a determined look as he grips the sword and plants his feet back on the walkway. With his entire body, he turns, flinging the madman into the wall and sending him into the pit below.

                I heave a sigh of relief. It then becomes clear just how battered I am. I attempt to regain my grip on the walkway, but the blood-coated hand slips. A few more failed attempts and I find myself starting to lose grip in my other hand. Everything is going cold and numb; the control I have over my own hand begins waning. Against my will, my hand let’s go.

                The fall doesn’t last as a grip snatches my wrist. The fire hasn’t died in his eyes, but he’s clearly exhausted. “You’re not going anywhere,” he heaves.

                When the boy attempts pulling me up, he instead slips a bit further over the edge and the futility of my hope begins to sink in. I’m not meant to survive this; this is the end for me. Even as I come to terms with my end, there’s no way I’m going to bring him down with me. I can’t let her faith in me be overshadowed by my selfishness.

                “Cloud, you have to let go,” I rasp, the tears threatening to blur him from sight.

                “No.” He winces, muscles shaking to keep a hold on me.

                “It’s okay. You did it. You were amazing,” I try to soothe, smiling in spite of the tears. “Good enough to be in SOLDIER I’d say.”

                “Just shut up! I’ll get you out of here!” This attempt to pull me to safety results in my arm slipping a little from his grasp. “You…You can’t leave me!”

                “Sorry,” I say, my voice just short of breaking.

                “We made a deal!” he growls. “You owe me! No exceptions!”

                I’m afraid of the favor he wants; he’s right as the winner of the race yet I’m terrified he’s asking the impossible of me.

                “I’m sorry. I can’t do much from here,” I breathe.

                “You can’t die. You have to live,” he grimaces, tears dripping onto my face. “So we can grow up and get married. And be happy together! You cannot die! YOU OWE ME! NO EXCEPTIONS!” Cloud’s ceased struggling, leaving the two of us dangling there, reduced to tears. “I love you.”

                My heart breaks; even so, I’m so happy. The future ahead of us had never been certain; our jobs always came with this risk so I never thought as far ahead as he had. I barely thought about dating, let alone marriage and sharing an entire life together, but Cloud had. He truly loved me enough to think that we could have that happily ever after.

                “I love you too.”

                That’s it. My fingers slip from his and I plummet towards the pool of mako below. The last thing I see is Cloud, reaching out for me with a face full of fear and sorrow, getting further away.

~~~~~

                I’m cold and my body aches yet feels strangely heavy and light at the same time. I’ve never felt my eyelids so heavy, just wanting to continue sleeping forever.

                Orange scenery flickers through my mind; bodies scattered about, and Cloud jolts my mind back to reality. Eyes snap open to find myself floating in green liquid attached to wires and tubes. Beyond my container are people in white coats. Pounding on the glass, I gain their attention and they scatter about, freeing me.

                Then I learn the terrible truth of what happened: I’m the sole survivor of the Nibelheim incident.

[asterekmess]

S3A - E1

Okay, instead of making like massive reblogs of thoughts as I have them for the episodes, I’m gonna just make a massive bullet point list that I’ll add to throughout the episode, so you get One post per episode instead of “Like all nine million of them.”

I put Read-More’s because I care.

Thoughts (of which I have far too many):

I’m in the first ten seconds of the fuckin episode. Why the fuck is Braeden electrocuting Isaac? Like, look, I wanna like Braeden. I have issues with her entire moral system, but I still wanna like her cus’ she saves Isaac. But...how am I supposed to do that when the literal first thing she does is electrocute my boy??? He’s knocked out, not DEAD (not that that’s how shocking someone’s heart even Works) and it’s not like she needs to trigger the healing process. He’s already got Gaping slash wounds on his chest. He’s hurt enough. ALSO. “Be quiet”?? R U Serious? You’re electrocuting him. YOU try being quiet with fucking jumper cables on your chest.

The CGI...is so bad. Oh my god. What the absolute fuck. it looks like Sharkboy & Lavagirl. And why aren’t Ethan & Aiden’s claws doing anything to the bike?

I AM CONFUSION. If the twins don’t have to take their pants off to do the Transformers shit, why do they have to take off their shirts? Can...can I just skip that? Make the big bad werewolf wear an ugly hybrid of two of their stupid ass sweaters? Or do Ethan and Aiden really just like being shirtless that much? (I wouldn’t put it past them)

What is with Braeden and the electricity?

The writing in this show, what the fuck? “I thought I told you to hold on” EXCUSE ME, ma’am. He literally just passed out. His bad I guess.

Guess who has to add the anti-scott tag to this now? Anyway, I hate that Allison’s bit in the intro is her kissing Scott and then drawing the bow. Like, they’re broken up. They don’t get together in this season. Why are they kissing in the intro? That had to have Totally pissed off Scallison fans.

There’s my boy, holding up lizard tattoo designs. Pls tell me he took a pic and sent it to Jackson with the caption “It’s YOU.” Like, yes, way too soon, but man it’s fuckin funny.

This tattoo artist is a good-ass salesman. However, p-sure he’s not a good-ass artist if he had to wrap Scott’s arm up That badly. Like...they have stuff for that. Fuck, the one I got on my ankle, they used SaranWrap and Tape. Just needs to be kept out of the open air for a bit. You don’t need like eight layers of gauze. I do feel for Scott tho. That tat probably cost him like $50-75 before the tip. Oof.

Eyyy, time to be salty. Ya’ll know I love Allison, but does it get any more clear that she totally bailed on everyone after the warehouse? She went to France! She doesn’t even know what happened to Jackson after he got cured. ALSO. Lydia says “Derek taught him the werewolf 101.” Not Scott. Derek. XP

Lydia, honey, leave Allison alone. If she doesn’t want to go on the double date, go alone and make it an orgy. Fun, right? Wait, no. Don’t. You’re 16. Don’t do that!

When exactly did they “agree to give each other the summer”? She said “I’m breaking up with you.” he said “I’ll wait” and then she cried into her dad’s arms. Like...why didn’t we get to see this apparently incredibly important conversation? (maybe because it didn’t happen??)

I fucking LOVE the “I’m just gonna say hi. HEYYYYY! You know....they probably didn’t see us.”

The most horrific thing about that moment was the bad CGI.

I WANNA POINT OUT how cute it is (in a like, sad way cus’ she’s terrified) that Lydia is close enough to Stiles now that she immediately goes for his side and they like insta connect with the eye contact. Not in like a Stydia way, but like, they’re close. she trusts him and goes to him when she’s scared, even though he’s human and you’d wonder if she shouldn’t go to Scott instead, since he’s the werewolf.

SCOTT WHY ARE YOU TOUCHING THE DEAD DEER. Your ability to smell chemosignals/sense emotions has nothing to do with touching. Stop poking the dead animal.

Wait, WHY is there a full moon in that shot? The full moon isn’t for like a week! I COUNTED.

...what? Why the fuck does Braeden think Scott’s an Alpha? Why tho? Like, seriously? WHY? He’s not an Alpha yet. Nowhere near it. And if she knows bc Deaton told her (i think he was the one who hired her) then shouldn’t she know he isn’t one yet? IF SHE KNOWS that she can tell Melissa abt werewolves, WHY doesn’t she know that Scott’s Melissa’s son? Where is the LOGIC?

Scott’s morning routine is giving me Legally Blonde vibes. ~my perrrfectt dayyy, nothing standing in my wayyy~

I can’t tell. did Allison get highlights, or straight up dye her hair brown?

This sweet moment between her and her dad. Yes. Pls.

I will admit, I like getting to see each of their mornings.

Lydia...who are you fucking? Honey, you’re sixteen. Why isn’t whoever the fuck is in bed with you also getting ready for school? What.....the fuck?

Completely different Beacon Hills High School set. I really can’t blame the writers for that.

Wtf Davis? You list Erica and Boyd as being 17...since when? They’re supposed to be entering their Junior Year of high school. They would be 16 GOING ON 17. ANd what the hell do you mean Erica’s birthday is August 16th? She said in the last season that she’d “Just turned 16 a month ago” that was Spring semester. ???? Come on, guys. Seriously. Writing 101, getting to know your characters. I don’t know anyone writing a novel who doesn’t know the exact birthday of their characters. Plus, they cut 2 in. from Gage Golightly’s actual height, while adding an inch to Sinqua’s (according to google, which isn’t always reliable) Whatever. Boooooo.

Uh...that principal was threatened by the Argents. Victoria herself promised to torture him if he didn’t resign. Why does he look so surprised by the fucking sword in his office? For that matter, why is he at the school at all? He KNOWS the Argents attacked him. This should cause problems!

Honestly, Lydia, I love you. Like, go for it. Nothing wrong with not wanting to date and just wanting to have fun. My issues stem from YOU BEING 16. Yes, teenagers have sex. But this is ridiculous. Why is there so much sexualization? I knew a grand total of like....two teenagers who had sex at 16? and like one who did at 15 (which they say in canon she and Jackson were banging before her birthday). Like, it’s not nearly as common as y’all are making it out to be. Knock it off.

WHEN DID MELISSA MEET ISAAC PROPERLY? WHEN did that HAPPEN?

....so why didn’t Derek answer the phone? They literally never explain? He shows up, so...why didn’t he answer?

I’m SO InCredibly Disturbed by Jennifer having everyone’s phone numbers. HOW? In What Way is that REMOTELY appropriate? WHY did no one question it? Why didn’t STILES or LYDIA question it?

So tiny, bugs me so much. He didn’t turn his phone off. He turned his screen off...is it that hard to have him do the right one?

uhhh. Werewolves can smell other werewolves. Wanna tell me why Isaac can’t tell a werewolf just walked in the room? An ALPHA no less?

why TF are Kali’s iris’ and pupils so fucking massive?

So...what was the deal with the birds? Don’t they say later that Jennifer like summoned them? So they aren’t from the Alpha pack scaring animals? And also, how would the Alpha pack be scaring animals if they’re like, in the middle of town? They said in S1 that “wild animal sightings are up” like what 75% or something? “As though something is scaring them out” but that made sense, bc we knew Peter was running around in his full-shift (it’s a fucking full shift, it’s just fucked up) in the woods. But these Alphas aren’t, they’re integrating. So is it Jennifer that the animals are afraid of? Like, does she have sPoOkY aura or something?

More bad CGI.

WHy is no one responding to the woman stumbling around in nothing but a hospital gown?

ONCE AGAIN. Werewolves can Sense Werewolves. SCOTT you sensed Isaac in a BOYS LOCKER ROOM. DUKE IS RIGHT THERE. WHT THE FUCK?

angry smoker doctor  “Why don’t you wheel this joker out of here?” “I’m gonna go smoke” Grrr

Sir. clearly your mask wasn’t tied on appropriately. it shouldn’t just Fall Off when you touch it. there are Protocols! STOP THE SPREAD. also, someone wanna tell me why none of these alphas can keep their claws in? A lil flashy flashy red eye would’ve done the trick just fine.

Okay no, seriously what the FUCK is up with these contacts, you guys? THEY”RE MASSIVE???

Ugh, can I just *swoons* “I’m an Alpha!” slice “So am I.” That is just so fucking smooth. Woo. I feel so safe ohmygod. PLUS. Derek KNOWS Ennis. I can’t imagine how satisfying that had to be.

Uh, Derek, honey. You’re Isaac’s legal guardian. You can just Sign Him Out of the hospital. With clothes and everything. What are you doing?

Honey, what do you mean the county took it over? If they were gonna do that they’d have done it six fucking years ago. Unless you gave it to them, it’s still yours? I did the research. Like HOURS of it.

What do you MEAN there’s a magic healing herb that helps with Alpha wounds? Since when do Alpha wounds need extra healing, I thought they just took a lil longer? ALSO why is it growing INSIDE your house???? SCOTT. Isaac is fucking UNCONSCIOUS. Can your tattoo fucking WAIT A MINUTE?

I have so many questions. WHY does Braeden know who Allison is? If Lydia’s immune to magic, WHY is Braeden able to bruise her? WHY can Braeden DO magic? and WHY is Chris allowed to take Lydia out of school?

ALLISON you had Geometry LAST YEAR why are you holding a GEOMETRY BOOK??

ohhhhmygod, Derek. Derek. DEREK. Your eyes are pretty on a normal day. That little Blink and ruby reds thing? Ohmygod. I just. I wanna take a picture and just stare at it BUT. how tf does this whole red eye thing work? You can see in the dark....but now you also have x-ray vision? You know, I could believe it was thermal vision...maybe? If Scott was still healing for some reason maybe the tattoo would be brighter? Otherwise I have no idea what is going on.

BUT SCOTT”S NOT 18??? He’s Still fucking 16, or even 17, but not 18. WTF? He needs parental consent in the first place (i should’ve mentioned this in the other note abt the tattoo)

uhh...seriously? When someone breaks up with you and tells you not to talk to them anymore...why do you need a reward for doing as they asked? Like, yeah, you’re sad, I feel that. But making it a ‘reward’ sounds kinda weird. You know what makes it really easy not to text the ex that doesn’t wanna talk to you? Delete her number.

WHY THE BLOWTORCH? SOMEONE WANNA EXPLAIN? Peter’s not covered in tattoo from when he was literally burned alive, why the FUCK would a blowtorch create a black tattoo on Scott’s skin?

DEREK. HONEY. Why would Stiles be able to hold Scott still??? Scott’s a werewolf.

All this bullshit to explain away Posey’s tattoo that he got. Like, damn dude, we all like tattoos, but you have a job that needs bare arms on the regular. That was kinda rude.

Where did braeden get clothes? I forgot to ask.

uhhhh. Ephemeral might technically work in that sentence, but that’s still really awkward.

WHY THE FUCK DID YOU DESTROY HIS DOOR? YOU FUCKING ASSHAT. And WHY the instant fucking grr face? “why’d you paint the door?” uhh, leave him alone? He can do what he wants? It’s his house? Also, don’t get all fucking rude about the alpha pack. He told you it was a rival pack.

KALI. PUT SOME FUCKING SHOES ON. JESUS.

Why exactly does Scott see the symbol and INSTANTLY put together that it’s got anything to do with the Alphas or the animal attacks? Where is the logic jump there?

What exactly was the POINT of popping your claws if you were gonna kick her in the face???

UH, Melissa? Why didn’t you tell Scott that there was a whole other person with Isaac?

What is with the face touching, Duke? I’ve never known a blind person who actually wanted to rub their hands on my face to ‘find out what i look like?’

Really not a fan of all these weird jumps and camera angles with the awkward reflecting.

WOah WOah. Allison gets to PAINT her APARTMENT? Wtf kinda BULlshit is that? My landlord won’t let me do that. Rude.

I know they’re imprisoned and it sucks, but they’ve been there for four months, they had to have gotten bored. Do you think they broke into any of the security deposit boxes to see if anything was left behind?

Last thoughts: They really went for it with this episode. I have plans to change a lot of it. Hopefully I can mesh the changes with the general plotline.

[kayokos-villain-imagines]

Tabe SFW Alphabet

A = Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?) 

Really wants affection but he doesn’t think he deserves it and is too shy to ask. He’ll literally never turn it down though. If you’re upset, he might give you a shy hug but will let go immediately if you seem like you’re not enjoying it.

B = Best friend (What would they be like as a best friend? How would the friendship start?)

If you’re friends it’s probably because you started hanging around him, Hojo, and Setsuno, and they just… adopted you. He doesn’t talk much, but is super loyal and caring. If you get hurt, he will be worried nonstop.

C = Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?)

Loves cuddles. Having someone caressing him and cooing in his ear about how perfect he is is unbelievable to him. He feels unworthy of your touches though, so he also needs plenty of reassurance. As long as he’s sure you’ll like it, Tabe will wrap his arms around your waist and stay like that for hours. Your scent is intoxicating to him, and he’s so grateful that you’re willing to let him do this.

D = Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?)

It would make him sooo happy to settle down with you. He’s awful at cooking, but actually not half bad at cleaning, since Overhaul’s kind of drilled it into his mind.

E = Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?)

Even if things weren’t going well for you guys he’d feel too guilty to break up with you. To him, it could be taken as “I’m better than you so I make the rules”, and he would never put his opinions above yours. If things got really bad, Hojo and Setsuno might have to step in for him, but they’d hate to do anything that would make him unhappy.

F = Fiance(e) (How do they feel about commitment? How quick would they want to get married?)

Wholly devoted to you from your first date. You’re the first person to ever really want him and he doesn’t want to give that up. He’d never force you to commit to him though, but if you ever suggested marriage, he’d probably cry.

G = Gentle (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?)

Very gentle with you. He needs to make it clear that he would never hurt you. All the same, if you ask for hugs from him, you’re not slipping away anytime soon.

H = Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?)

Honestly, Tabe gives perfect hugs. Not too tight, not too loose, and he’s really warm too. He’ll only hug you if you ask, though. Has a habit of nuzzling your neck while hugging you.

I = I love you (How fast do they say the L-word?)

He’s terrified of rejection from you, so it takes him a lot of time and encouragement from you to say it. When he does, it’s quiet, and probably muffled by your shoulder.

J = Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?)

He gets jealous when you’re around anyone he thinks of as more desirable than himself. So basically, anyone. He’s not a controlling boyfriend though, so he won’t try to hint that he’s jealous, he’ll just suffer silently until you take notice of him and realize something’s wrong.

K = Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?)

Tabe gives shy and hesitant kisses. He’s scared of seeming too disinterested, but more so of coming on too strongly and scaring you off. Usually just kisses you on the lips when you initiate it, but really loves getting forehead and ear kisses.

L = Little ones (How are they around children?)

Either nervous or right at home. He shares the hyperactivity and constant hunger of a small child, so he’s the perfect candidate to play with them and distract them from whatever destructive thing they were just doing. But this can also make him a little self-conscious around too many other adults, especially a crush he wants to impress.

M = Morning (How are mornings spent with them?)

Tabe secretly loves waking up and seeing your face. He’ll prolong cuddling as long as possible, but knows he eventually has to leave for work. If you get up first and make him breakfast, he’ll be in a good mood for the rest of the day.

N = Night (How are nights spent with them?)

At the end of a long day, all Tabe really wants is plenty of affection and cuddles. He doesn’t care if you go straight to bed, take a bath first, or watch a movie, he just wants to be with you. To lay on your chest while you run your fingers through his hair and ramble on about what happened that day or what you hope to get done in the future.

O = Open (When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?)

Will tell you anything and everything about himself if you ask. Not used to talking much, but will try as hard as he can for you.

P = Patience (How easily angered are they?)

For you, Tabe has all the patience in the world, and that’s saying a lot for him. If you’re ever mad at him, he blames himself completely, and will do whatever is necessary to make amends. If you keep doing things he doesn't like, he’ll be more anxious, but will eventually attribute this to his own faults as well.

Q = Quizzes (How much would they remember about you? Do they remember every little detail you mention in passing or do they kind of forget everything?)

He tries, but isn’t always successful at remembering everything you say. Really wants to be the boyfriend who’s always surprising you with your favorite flowers or taking you to your favorite restaurant, but he always gets nervous when putting things together and forgets.

R = Remember (What is their favorite moment in your relationship?)

He cherishes every moment spent with you, but his favorite has to be when you asked him out for the first time. He had been crushing on you for months and it was beginning to become painful to watch you enjoy spending time with everyone else. Still, he knew that acting on his love would only get him rejected, and that was far worse than this. So when you came up to him, smiling nervously and suggested going out with him? He couldn’t believe it. After having you repeat yourself a few times, he was so ecstatic that he couldn’t help but pull you in close for a hug.

S = Security (How protective are they? How would they protect you? How would they like to be protected?)

Tabe isn’t protective in the sense that he’ll keep you away from possible suitors, but he is protective of you being in danger. This is one of the many reasons he wants to be with you everywhere, so he knows you’re safe and that he could protect you from anything that would possibly hurt you. As for himself, the only thing you’ll really have to protect him from is himself. Tell him he’s good enough for you, play with his hair while cooing softly about how handsome he is, make sure he knows that you’ll never want anyone else, and he’ll feel safe and secure again.

T = Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?)

He tries, he really does. He’s just not aware of how to be a traditional boyfriend, so you’ll have to sit him down and explain stuff to him if you want regular dinner dates or things like that. He’s eager to comply though, anything to keep you happy with him.

U = Ugly (What would be some bad habits of theirs?)

Obviously, overeating, it’s hard to keep food in the fridge for too long before he gets to it. Also forgets to do stuff like turning lights off and shutting doors around the house, so you’ll have to try not to get mad at him for that. He can’t really handle having you mad at him, it sort of sends him into panic.

V = Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?)

Very insecure, but he knows there’s really not much he can do about it. He’ll be so relieved if you love him despite how he looks.

W = Whole (Would they feel incomplete without you?)

100%. You keep him together and give him more love and affection than on a daily basis than he’d ever thought he’d receive in his life. He’d be so broken without you, sometimes it feels like he needs you just to breathe.

X = Xtra (A random headcanon for them.)

He doesn’t talk much because like every other part of himself, he’s insecure about his voice. But unlike looks and his quirk, he has total control over how much others hear him speak, so he chooses not to talk. It’s a measure of his trust in you when he speaks to you, and he realizes this, but he’s still shy when you act happy and surprised about hearing his voice.

Y = Yuck (What are some things they wouldn’t like, either in general or in a partner?)

If you try to restrict his eating habits, give him a standard to measure up to, or limit how much he can hang out with his friends, you’ll have a very upset and stressed Tabe on your hands. He won’t necessarily leave you, but he definitely won’t be happy in the relationship.

Z = Zzz (What is a sleep habit of theirs?)

Prone to falling asleep when you cuddle him. It’s just so relaxing around you, and he feels so safe and happy he can’t really help it. If you pet his hair or sing to him, he’s gone almost immediately.

(μ‿μ) ❤

[strawberry-skies-xx]

a million reasons to let you go

C H A P T E R   S I X

word count: 5196

tags: eventual hiccup/astrid, slow burn, fluff, angst, happy ending, feral hiccup, hiccup whump, bamf hiccup, protective astrid, protective hiccup, interrogation, aftermath of torture, implied/referenced torture, hurt/comfort, stoick’s a+ parenting, stoick’s bad parenting, hiccstrid fluff, hiccup and toothless friendship

author’s note: really long chapter, things start happening!

main masterlist | story on ao3 | next chapter >>

Snotlout doesn’t act up any more for another week - probably due to Astrid’s death glares and too-sweet smiles at him whenever he gets close to her - so she sneaks back to the cove despite herself.

There’s a slim chance of Hiccup actually being there, after what she did, and she knows it, but she goes anyway. She can’t help it; she’s drawn to him like she’s never been drawn to anyone else before, and she wants to talk to him and gain his trust simply because she still cares for him and likes him as a person. The worst that could happen is that she spends the day alone.

And one of her only friends is gone, but she’ll deal with that. She’ll have to.

Astrid makes it into the cove and doesn’t have time to despair at the fact that neither of them are there before Toothless leaps out of the waterfall cave, not at all in a friendly way.

She instinctively puts her hands out to try to placate him, bending her knees and walking slowly backwards as he stalks forward, teeth bared, but not growling at her.

“Hey Toothless,” she says, and her voice only shakes a little despite her racing heartbeat and adrenaline shooting through her, “where’s Hiccup?”

Toothless roars at that, leaping forward, and there isn’t any time for Astrid to defend herself before she finds herself pinned under the Night Fury’s claw, his face locked in a snarl above her and green eyes burning with hostility.

She screams, naturally, because it doesn’t matter how well she may know the dragon if she’s having a near-death experience with it, and her breaths come short as she turns her head, looking away and closing her eyes, waiting for the inevitable blast of fire.

It never comes. Astrid turns back slowly, opening her eyes, and sees Toothless’s snarl disappear. Instead, he almost looks scared, like he pinned her down out of desperation and fear rather than any actual hostility towards her personally.

And then she gets her answer - there’s no Hiccup. There hasn’t been this entire time, and she knows that if Toothless threatens her, Hiccup is most likely right behind him - to either threaten her too, or save her.

She frowns. “Toothless,” she says, quieter, and the dragon’s growl is half-hearted, “where’s Hiccup?”

Toothless huffs, stepping off of her and running away to the pile of boulders, and when Astrid sits up, he’s watching her, body curving in that sideways way of his that usually means Hiccup is in that curve and they’re both on the defensive. It’s wrong, somehow, to not see the boy there with his flaming sword, and Astrid gets the feeling that something is very wrong.

Toothless whines, diverting his attention from her to sniff at the grass, pawing at it and eventually scorching it with a low burn of fire before laying down on it, letting out a mournful warble. He looks back at her, then at the inside of the circle of his body, where Hiccup should be.

Astrid frowns, her stomach dropping and dread suddenly making her feel cold. “He’s gone, isn’t he? He’s in trouble.”

Toothless gives a whimper, and Astrid feels her stomach drop further. Her next question comes out with no small amount of trepidation. “Where did he go?”

The Night Fury looks up at the sky, giving a mournful warble, and then looks back at Astrid. He turns to look back at his tail and growls, baring his teeth and flipping it against the ground in what looks a lot like frustration.

Astrid’s dread only rises. She glances at Toothless’s tail, following the black-painted metal and leather up from one tail fin to the saddle, studying the stirrups, and her eyes widen as she realizes.

“You can’t fly without Hiccup,” she breathes. Now she sees the slightly lighter shade of black on one tail fin, the strokes of paint rather than the swirling markings of the rest of Toothless’s body, and she knows she’s going to have to do something unforgivable to save Hiccup.

Unforgivable to them because they won’t let her near six feet of them, and unforgivable to her because she’s a Viking of Berk.

She kills dragons, not ride them.

And yet, she thinks of Hiccup, wherever he is, alone and vulnerable. Sure, he has his flaming sword, and plenty of skill to use it, but her image of him has always been Hiccup-and-Toothless. Dragon-and-boy. There’s no Hiccup without Toothless, and no Toothless without Hiccup. It’s become more unthinkable than riding a dragon, and so that’s only part of what makes her do what she does next.

“Toothless,” she says slowly, taking a step forward, and forces her way through her fear when his head snaps towards her and his pupils narrow, a low, threatening growl rumbling in his chest as his teeth bare.

She holds a hand out, advancing very slowly. “You want to save Hiccup, right?” she asks, and wills her voice not to shake.

The fact that Toothless gives no further response tells her the answer, and she nods, mustering up a small, reassuring, only slightly hysterical smile.

“We need to work together to save him,” she continues. Astrid thinks this might be the most dangerous thing she’s ever done, even after running towards Toothless on that first day and getting nearly burned to death because of it. She knows she should be shaking with the adrenaline, terrified out of her mind, but all she can feel is a quiet, certain calm, as Toothless glances between her hand and her face and his growl slowly subsides into curiosity - still tinged with hostility and threat, though.

“I want to save Hiccup,” she says, and Toothless tilts his head. “I can’t do it alone. You can’t do it alone.”

She’s a foot away now, and she can feel the panic beating at the edges of her calm, but she forces past it even as Toothless growls again, instead standing still and keeping her hand out.

“Let’s go save Hiccup,” she says, softly, meeting Toothless’s eyes as his growl fades again and he glances between her hand and her face.

Something tells her to turn her face away, so she does. She closes her eyes, and turns away, and hopes that she doesn’t lose a limb.

Part of her feels insane for doing this, and another part feels as if it’s discovering freedom like she’s never had it before, and yet another part is panicking wildly. That part is thoroughly smothered, and smooths out into even calm, with a little bit of joy, as she feels Toothless’s black scales nudge against her palm.

She looks back at the dragon, whose eyes are closed as he pushes into her hand, and when they open, he watches her for a second with open trust in his eyes before his pupils narrow and he huffs at her, turning away.

Astrid exhales, watching Toothless in disbelief, and a breath of hysterical laughter escapes from her as she drops her hand.

Oh, Hiccup’s going to kill her for this.

But they have to save him first.

Toothless’s eyes narrow as she walks towards him, putting a hand on his saddle, but he doesn’t do anything to stop her. She meets his gaze again, trying to make herself the least threatening she can possibly be.

“You don’t have to trust me,” she says - and she’s realizing just now that she’s talking to a dragon like he can understand her, and feels a bit ridiculous, but she keeps going. “You just have to help me save Hiccup.”

Toothless huffs again, but he tilts his body to allow Astrid into the saddle, and she slides her feet into the leather stirrup straps. One side - the side associated with the prosthetic tailfin, she guesses - flips back and forth, and she pushes her heel back to switch it. Something whooshes behind her, and she doesn’t have time to look back at it before Toothless is launching from the ground, wings spread wide and beating around her.

Astrid screams, instinctively pressing herself to the saddle and shutting her eyes, hiding her face. Toothless banks suddenly, and then-

Gods, they’re upside-down. Astrid can feel herself lifting off the saddle, and she screams higher and holds on tighter, curling her fingers in the leather loops she finds underneath the slight upwards curve of the front edge of the saddle.

“Toothless-“ she screams, hiding her face as the Fury rights himself and then - oh Thor, he starts spinning, corkscrewing in the air, and her screams grow significantly more high-pitched than before, knuckles white with the grip she has on the saddle.

It’s when Toothless dives directly down and then flips, dunking her head under the water, that she realizes he’s not doing this for the joy of saving Hiccup. He’s punishing her - and that brings with it the terrifying thought that he understands everything that’s happened between her and Hiccup, since that’s the only way she could’ve offended him.

She screams out the first thing that comes to mind, the thing she hasn’t even known she wants to say, but when she does, she knows she means it. “I’m sorry,” she yells, burying her face into the leather of the saddle, “I’m sorry, just stop throwing me around, I’m sorry-“

She gasps as Toothless levels out abruptly and the flight gets so suddenly smoother that she looks up out of disbelief, and then her eyes widen and her mouth opens.

The white clouds glow with the sunlight, tracing everything in honey-gold, and Astrid breaks out into a slow, helpless smile as Toothless smoothly curves into a dive down. She leans back against the saddle, legs tight around Toothless’s flanks, and holds one hand out, passing it through the clouds.

She laughs, feeling a weight lift from her chest that she didn’t even know she had, spreading her arms out and closing her eyes. Her fear vanishes, replaced by the cold wind against her face and the feeling of the clouds against her skin.

Now, she doesn’t think about Snotlout. She doesn’t think about the arranged marriage, or Spitelout, or Berk, or even Hiccup, abandoned and vulnerable as he is. None of that matters here, as she opens her eyes and grins. “This is pretty amazing,” she breathes in sheer awe, and her smile widens as she glances down at Toothless, who tilts his head to look at her.

Astrid watches his mouth open, curving in what looks like a smile, with no teeth, and she laughs again, patting Toothless’s nose. He turns back to face forward, shooting a blast of violet fire into the sky in front of them and shaking his head.

Astrid grins as the faded fire warms her skin. Gods, now she knows why Hiccup loves Toothless so much. Having this experience? Being able to soar through the skies, feel the clouds and cold air on your face, see all the world beneath you?

Astrid decides she wouldn’t ever trade this for anything, and that’s when she sets her face into a determined, fierce smile, leaning down near Toothless’s scales.

“Let’s go save Hiccup,” she says, tone hard and determined, and Toothless warbles in response, a slight growl sharpening the edges of it. He shakes himself out and Astrid tightens her fingers in the saddle, pressing herself down as Toothless dives.

The sea opens up beneath them as they emerge from the cloud cover, and Astrid can’t help but grin with the exhilaration of flying as Toothless levels out just above the waves. She leans down to skim her hand above the mist Toothless’s wings spray up, laughing all the while.

Toothless lifts smoothly up from the ocean, rising with barely a wingbeat, and Astrid watches the horizon as they fly towards it, the sun warming her skin and wind whipping in her face. She’s never felt better, but there’s still a small, loyal part of her that is a Viking before- whatever it is she’s becoming. Dragon lover, dragon rider. All of this is amazing, she’ll admit it, and she almost hates herself for not being able to abandon her heritage so quickly.

She shoves all that out of her mind, though, as she spots several dark spots against the bright horizon and tries tugging lightly on Toothless’s saddle to pull him up.

Toothless growls at her, apparently not trusting her fully yet despite the flight, and she leans down near his ear. “There’s a fleet of ships up ahead,” she says. “We can’t be seen by them yet, especially if they have Hiccup with them.”

There’s a pause in which Astrid can almost feel Toothless thinking it over, and then Toothless rises into the clouds, but he huffs with the reluctance. Astrid only hopes that he’ll allow her to help him when they decide to actually attack the ships, because if they don’t, Hiccup may not have a chance of surviving.

They soar above the clouds, glimpsing the sea below in short flashes as they approach the ships, and she sighs. “Toothless,” she says reluctantly, and the dragon’s ear-flaps twitch, “you have to let me help you. If you don’t,” -she ignores Toothless’s huff and stubborn head-shake- “Hiccup may not have a chance of surviving.”

That gets his attention. Astrid watches him go still again, thinking it over. After a long moment, she gets a reluctant growl, and she gives a triumphant smile.

“See, I knew we could be friends,” she says teasingly, and Toothless flicks her cheek hard with his ear-flaps in retribution.

She only laughs, and only for a moment, because as soon as she sees the ships directly beneath them, her smile fades and she tightens her hands in the saddle, leaning to the side to see better.

She swallows hard, her heart rate picking up and adrenaline beginning to shoot through her. There’s nineteen years of dragon-killing under her belt, and half an hour of dragon-riding, and none of attacking with a dragon, and the stakes for this fight are so high that she can’t make mistakes. Hiccup’s life depends on whether she can defeat these ships. There’s no room for failure.

It’s not a flag that she’s ever seen before, but that doesn’t matter. They have Hiccup, she knows this with certainty, and that means they’re enemies.

She takes a breath, calms her nerves, and leans down against Toothless. “Toothless,” she says quietly, forcing her voice not to shake. “You’re going to dive, and then shoot the masts of the ships. Try to take them down with your claws too, if you can.”

Toothless warbles in response, and Astrid pushes back the tailfin, and then Toothless folds his wings and shoots downwards. Astrid presses herself against the saddle, focusing on the ships through her hair whipping in her face, and watches the people on the ships growing steadily larger turn at the high, building shriek of Toothless’s sharp dive.

She ducks her head into her arms as Toothless fires, one mast exploding in a burst of violet fire that smokes around her, and feels him twist around the nets and arrows being fired at them. Toothless’s claws grip a mast, both of them dipping and then rising as he pulls the mast down and lets go, and Astrid feels arrows whistle past her ear as Toothless flaps his wings quickly to rise back into the cloud cover.

Astrid uncovers her face and looks back down. Two out of the six ships are down, one on fire and one steadily sinking, and their element of surprise is gone. The ships all have cages on them, made of a greenish metal she’s never seen before, and all of them have men with nets, ballistas, bolas, and bows trained on where they think her and Toothless are.

She tugs the saddle left, and fortunately Toothless banks with her. They’re facing the ships now, and she feels it when Toothless realizes her intentions, folding his wings and diving.

They swerve around the first volley of arrows and nets, Toothless snapping his wings out and curving around the ships, firing at the bottom of one on the outside and watching it sink. Astrid scans the remaining three, looking for anything that might signal that Hiccup is on the ship.

She curses when there’s nothing, and Toothless rises back into the cloud cover, circling the last three ships.

“We’re going to land on one ship,” she says to Toothless, who growls at the suggestion. She keeps going anyway, because this is the best plan she can think of, and there isn’t much time left. “And we are going to take it. The other two will try to board, and all we have to do is fight the men on the ship as they come.”

Toothless snarls, but he agrees, because he twists and dives. Astrid presses herself down against the saddle, preparing, and swings herself off as Toothless lands on the deck, throwing both of her daggers at two of the men that try to rush her.

She takes one of their axes, swinging it up by her shoulder and charging at some men who are sneaking up behind Toothless. Out of the corner of her eye, she sees one of the ships preparing to lower a board to cross into the ship she’s on.

Toothless flicks several men overboard with his tail, which lashes as he faces the next few, and both he and Astrid roar and charge at them. Astrid swings her stolen axe and her fist into the faces and stomachs of the men, and Toothless fires violet blasts and whips his tail at them, biting and pouncing on them.

The soldiers from the other ship start flooding the path, but all Toothless does is shoot the board as most of the men are on it, throwing some of them in the water and others back onto the deck of their ship and into yet more soldiers, falling like dominoes. Astrid grins and pats Toothless. “I’m going below deck to check for Hiccup,” she says.

Toothless whines, but allows her to go, turning back to the boarding ship and giving his best snarl and baring of teeth, tail whipping in angry motions behind him.

Astrid climbs down the ladder below deck, turning to see a simple hallway with cages lining the walls.

She walks forward, tracing her fingers along the greenish metal the cage doors are made of. The cages are all empty, and she almost turns around to go back when a dragon snaps at her fingers and she yelps in surprise, yanking them back and glaring at the dragon.

It’s a Monstrous Nightmare, a dark violet purple and growling at her with its teeth bared as much as it can through the leather muzzle. She watches it light its skin on fire, yellow eyes hostile as it watches her, and suddenly she realizes the decision she has to make.

Freeing the dragon is what Hiccup would do.

Leaving it is what a Viking would do.

Astrid hesitates, eyes flicking to the metal chains hanging above her head that pull open the doors. There’s a chance that this dragon will kill her if she lets it free.

And there’s a chance that it won’t.

She sighs, feeling her loyalty towards Berk shatter a little further and her loyalty to Hiccup build that little bit more, and jumps up to yank the chain, swinging the cage door open and letting the Nightmare out. She doesn’t dare touch the muzzle, only ducks and hides her head against the wall as the dragon charges out - thankfully, not on fire anymore.

It’s quiet, and Astrid almost turns to look at the Nightmare, but she freezes when she feels hot breath whuff past her hair, blowing it so it drifts upwards. She gasps quietly, fear shooting through her and making her heart pound as the Nightmare sniffs her.

It seems like forever until the dragon pulls away, and she peeks out of the cover of her arms to see it watching her, the muzzle on the floor a few feet away, before it huffs out a breath of smoke and turns away, running to the ladder and climbing out of the hole.

Astrid exhales, trembling, and stares in disbelief at where the Nightmare was. She looks down at herself - no burns, no scars, nothing but the memory of hot breath against her hair and neck.

The Nightmare let her go, all because she decided not to hurt it.

The screams from outside break into her moment, and Astrid shakes herself out of it, running up to the above deck and shoving all thoughts of the Nightmare out of her mind.

Toothless is shaking a soldier in his jaws, snarling and then tossing him overboard - whether he’s dead or alive, Astrid can’t tell, and she doesn’t much care either - before turning to her. He makes an urgent, desperate noise and then turns, leaping over to the other, notably empty ship, and disappearing below deck.

Astrid follows, finding Toothless halfway buried inside a cage, nosing at something in the corner and whimpering. He pulls away, and Astrid gasps in horror as she sees what he was nosing at.

It’s Hiccup, unconscious and covered in blood and dirt, a shackle around his ankle connected by a chain to the wall. He looks terrible, with blue-purple bruises on his face, cuts on his face and bloody bruises and blisters on his hands, and Astrid tries not to think about what looks like a brand disappearing beneath the collar of his shirt.

She forces her hands not to tremble as she pulls a pin out of her braid, pushing it into the ankle cuff’s lock and twisting it until it clicks. She forces the tears not to fall as she pushes the cuff away, but she can’t force herself not to care as she pulls Hiccup towards her, cradling his head in her arms and wiping off some of the dirt on his face.

He doesn’t stir, and she shoves down the rage rising in her, standing with a dangerous calm, holding Hiccup with one hand beneath his head and the other under his bent knees.

She climbs onto Toothless’s back, and neither of them need to say anything for Toothless to start running towards the hatch to the above deck and shoot up. Astrid cradles Hiccup to her chest and holds onto the saddle, face set in a hard, cold rage.

They fly up and out, Toothless firing two precise blasts at the ship beneath them and the third, last ship, and a cruel smile twists Astrid’s face as she watches them start sinking.

It’s only when Toothless yelps and drops several feet that her rage is broken by concern and she frowns. She looks back, finding the arrow protruding from his tail, and further back she sees the third ship, which is quickly sinking but has Hunters on it aiming bows at them. She screams as Toothless shrieks in pain and plummets several feet again, flying unsteadily back and forth.

Her arm tightens around Hiccup and she puts a hand on Toothless’s head. “Come on!” she yells, her eyes on the slowly-nearing shape of Berk in the distance. They just have to make it there, they just have to make it there…

Toothless roars as a second arrow hits him and he’s flying so low he’s skimming the water now, rising and dropping every few feet, the drop getting lower and the rise getting shorter every time. Astrid holds Hiccup with one arm and tugs on Toothless’s saddle with her other hand, looking worriedly down at the ocean, which is far too close for her liking.

Toothless shrieks and Astrid rubs his head again. “Toothless, we’re almost there!” she yells above his next shriek. She feels the mist of a wave spray her arm and she cringes away, pulling Hiccup closer to her.

Berk is right on them now, and Toothless whines and roars as he slowly struggles to rise. He gets above the trees - and then he plummets. Astrid screams and curls herself around Hiccup, feeling the wind whistle past her and the trees get very close very fast.

She yelps and screams as she tumbles through the trees, curling tighter around Hiccup and pressing them both down against Toothless, her legs squeezing in a death grip on the Fury’s sides.

When they land, Astrid skids, letting go of Hiccup as she hits with a thud and rolls several feet away. Toothless lets out a pained noise from off to her right where he lays on his side, breathing heavily.

Hiccup’s still unconscious from where he lays on the ground, with several more cuts and more dirt on him than before, and Astrid runs over to him, ignoring her own pains and building headache.

Toothless whimpers. Astrid looks around - and then she realizes they landed in the cove.

She goes over to Toothless, lifting his head and pulling hard backwards. “Come on,” she says. “We have to get you to the waterfall cave, you’re vulnerable out here.”

Toothless’s eyes open slowly, hazy with pain and fatigue, and she pulls again. “Toothless, you have to help me,” she says - and he pushes himself up.

It’s a long several minutes for Astrid to half-drag Toothless into the waterfall cave, and when she gets there, she lets him curl up in the dark corner of it and watches him pass out nearly instantly. She takes that opportunity to pull out the two arrows, and turns to the boxes stacked along the wall of the cave.

She doesn’t want to go through Hiccup’s things, especially after Toothless trusted her to save him, but she doesn’t have a choice. Toothless needs medical attention.

She picks the box closest to her, pulling open the top, and starts her search, shoving aside the guilt.

The first three boxes have nothing - only food, bottles of water, and clothes. She supposes they can work for bandages if it comes to it, but she sets aside the third box and starts on the fourth.

The fourth has the crest of Berk on it - Astrid knows this most likely isn’t it. She shakes the box lightly, hearing something metal rattle inside, and her curiosity piques. She thinks back to Toothless’s tail, and Hiccup’s flaming sword… he had to have gotten all that from somewhere in order to be able to make it. Maybe this will tell her where it all came from.

She pushes aside the thought that he stole from Berk to make them, though it’s more logical the more she thinks about it. Which she doesn’t.

She lifts the top off and looks inside-

And her eyes widen as she sees Fishlegs’ copy of the Book of Dragons in there with three other leather-bound journals, a small wooden cup with charcoal sticks in it, and metal gears and parts piled in the last corner of the box. There’s books too, stacked in one corner, most of them battered and worn, but not ruined. They’re used often, but well taken care of in the meantime.

She makes a mental note to return to that box, and turns to the fifth and last one. In there, she finds two saddlebags and some other smaller bags. The saddlebags are empty, and most of the smaller bags as well, but she grins triumphantly as she finds medical supplies in one of the smaller bags anyway - and a veritable selection, too. Hiccup was prepared, and must have been gathering these things for years. Astrid doesn’t want to think about whether he had to learn the hard way what he needed to supply himself with.

She turns to Toothless, pulling out the bandages, and uses the bottle of alcohol to pour it on his arrow wounds. Astrid has no idea whether dragon healing works the same as human, but she cleans the wounds with the alcohol anyway, wiping them down with one of the cloths in the bag, and then using the lotion she finds in a small tin labeled ‘WOUND CARE’ in neat Norse. Finally, she wraps the bandages and ties them off, testing them with two fingers before sitting back.

Then she turns to the fourth box.

The first thing she pulls out is Fishlegs’ Book of Dragons, flipping it open to a random page.

Skrill, it says, in the Norse of the old Vikings that had copied it. Fishlegs’ annotations are scattered among the old writing, and even fresher than that is the same neat Norse script as was on the lotion tin.

Hiccup has crossed out the deadly over-exaggerated facts on the Skrill and replaced them with actual facts, which, compared to the descriptions of attacks that she’s grown up with, seem almost weak. She reads his additions, including feeding habits, drinking habits, and - Astrid wonders when this became not surprising - things that the dragon loves.

She flips a few pages forward, skimming the dragons and finding that nearly all the pages have additions written on them, and then she stops.

Night Fury, reads the top of the page, in the original old Norse. And instead of a blank space, there’s a neat drawing of a Night Fury - of Toothless, curled up with his head on his paws. It’s different from every other picture in the book, which depict the dragons as poised to strike, jaws open and claws out.

Astrid thinks she likes this version better.

Hiccup has crossed out nearly everything that the old Viking had written, and Fishlegs hadn’t made any annotations, so Astrid reads a page of solely Hiccup’s knowledge on Night Furies.

She smiles as she reads Hiccup’s snarky comments on Toothless’s pranks on him - will drop humans off cliffs and cut the rescue way too close; will dunk human underwater and/or throw human into water entirely, causing human to almost drown - and the corner where that is written is singed slightly, the page blackened. Astrid laughs and keeps reading, and then she reaches the end of the page.

Hide, and pray it does not find you.

It’s crossed out, nearly unrecognizable if she hadn’t memorized the exact place those words had been written on the page, and Astrid runs her fingers over the charcoal. She remembers disobeying these words when she first met Hiccup and Toothless, and now Toothless is asleep next to her and Hiccup is-

Hiccup needs to be brought to Gothi. Astrid knows that, and still she looks up at where the waterfall obscures her view, and sighs, reluctant.

I am not going to go to Berk.

Astrid stands up, sliding the second Book of Dragons edition into an inside pocket on her clothes, and leaves the waterfall cave. She picks Hiccup up in the same carry as before, studying his dirty and blood-smeared, unconscious face. “I’m sorry,” she breathes.

She pushes his hair back, looks up in the direction of Berk, and starts walking. 

next chapter >>

[honestlyhoneystuff]

Bang Chan NSFW A-Z

A (Aftercare- what they’re like after sex)  

Literally the sweetest after sex. The type to make sure you’re okay first before anything and then going and getting you something to clean off with. Will even run you a bath or hop in the shower with you (or if you wanna clean up alone will head to the kitchen to make you a snack and grab some water for you). After words he’d cuddle you until you fall asleep or get up to do something else.

B (Body Part- Their favorite body part on you and themselves)

On you I’d say he’s a sucker for you eyes in a non sexual way (and sometimes even sexual cause eye contact during sex is a big thing for him.) And in a sexual way he’d say your thighs because he loves grabbing them during sex, cumming on them, and even cuddling into your lap.

On himself boy loves his arms. He knows how weak you get over his veins and hands. He loves being able to make you weak just from a simple grab or touch. He also loves how he can pick you up at any time he wants and place you on something or against the wall.

C (Cum- Favorite place to cum)

I Think he really enjoys cumming on your thighs/ass. Maybe even on your stomach. He’d only cum inside if he was wearing a condom cause the thought of getting you pregnant literally terrifies him.

D (Dirty Fantasy- Secret or Not)

Total cliche but Chan might actually wanna try to take you in the studio. But the doors have to be locked and it’ll have to be late at night when no one else is around. Also the type to record your moans and sneak them into the next song he produces.

E (Experience- How experienced are they?)

I don’t think Chan is that experienced. He might have had his first time but chances are boys most likely still a virgin. He’s been a trainee for a long time and only focuses on his work so sleeping around and girls in general is just something he’s not that interested in right now. Doesn’t mean he doesn’t know what he’s doing tho.

F (Favorite Position)

I think missionary is his go to favorite. Doggy when he’s feeling a bit more rough and dominant but most nights he wants to see your face and see how he’s making you feel. Also he has access to whisper in your ear and touch your chest and clit easily.

G (Goofy- How goofy are they during sex?)

Honestly while I think Chan would be more serious during sex I do think occasionally you’d get a goofy moment. He’s very laid back so I don’t think he’s afraid to just chill and vibe during sex. Also if something goofy happens he’d be very mature about it but also goof about (not to the extent of embarrassing you or anything though.)

H (Hair- How do they look down there)

I feel like Chan is really well groomed. Unless he gets really busy and forgets or is too lazy but I mean the boy drinks straight pineapple juice like he KNOWS things lol so he probs takes care of himself a lot. Also likes a happy trail (lol me too)

I (Intimacy- How intimate can they get and when?)

While Chan can be goofy sometimes I also think he can get very intimate as well. He takes his career and life very seriously and I think that would transfer into his relationship as well. Also if you were having a bad day or just felt like you weren’t good enough or anything he’d make the whole night about you (like he doesn’t already lol) and just make you feel good and loved.

J (Jack Off- Do they and how often)

I really don’t think he does it that often. He’s really busy most of the time so I think that even thinking about anything that could get him hard is very rare. Jacks off maybe once a week if that.

K (Kinks- top Kinks they might have)

BABYGIRL/BOY- He calls stays babygirl all the time so I KNOW he’d call his s/o that as well. He likes the dominating aspect of it and while he doesn’t partake in the Daddy title of it he does enjoy how submissive you can get for him especially if it’s just because he called you that.

Manhandling- He’s got some pretty nice muscles and he knows how weak you get for his arms so he uses that against you by picking you up all the time..either to push you against the wall, put you on a table or the bed, or flip you into another position.

Choking- I actually think he really likes this. Mostly for the trust aspect of it (and also the dominance it gives him) may even be open to you trying it on him.

Soft Dom/Switch- while I know this isn’t a kink I want to talk about it here. He’s really open to letting you top once in a while and even kind of borders on the no power play aspect a lot of the time.

L (Location- Where they like to have sex and places they might try)

I think Chan would like to stay in the bedroom. It’s where he feels most comfortable and having someone accidentally walk in on you is a less likely thing. I think he might even try the shower but he’d wanna be safe so he might only go as far as oral if that.

M (Motivation- What gets them going)

You. Chan’s pretty new to the whole dating and sex thing so thinking about the fact that he finally has someone to do it with would get him hot fast. Also if you give him a certain look, and he was in a position to take care of you or take you somewhere he could, that would get him hard in a second.

N (No- What are their turn offs and what they absolutely wouldn’t do)

I don’t think Chan would be into super hard kinks that bring harm to either one of you. He might spank you every once in a while but straight slapping might definitely be a no go. Also having threesomes is something I don’t think he’d be into.

O (Oral- How would the give/receive and what they prefer)

I think he would prefer to give oral more than receive. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t like receiving, Chan is just a sweetheart that wants to make you feel good and doesn’t want to pressure you into doing it back if you don’t want to.

P (Pace- How is their pace? Fast and rough or deep and slow?)

He could really be a mix of both. Most times a normal but deep pace, on nights he’s feeling more intimate slower and deeper, and on nights where he might be a little mad and just need to fuck out some stress its rough and hard.

Q (Quickies- How do they feel about them?)

I don’t think he’d be to into them because he really wants to take his time with you. But if you were really needy and he really didn’t have much time he would possibly get you off with his fingers before anything else.

R (Risk- How risky are they? Do they experiment or stay safe?)

Chan plays it safe. He doesn’t want anyone to see you the way that he does and he doesn’t want to get caught by the public because that could ruin his and the boys’ careers.

S (Stamina- How many rounds can they go?)

Depending on how hard he went. Usually a normal night he might go 2 rounds, if he's super stressed he could hit 3 or even 4 if you could handle it. And on nights where he’s slow and sweet then most likely 1 but it’ll be long with a lot of foreplay and chances are he’d make you cum by his finger and mouth before even fucking you.

T (Toys- Do they use them on themselves or their partner?)

If you had toys that you used in your alone time he wouldn’t mind it but he wouldn’t bring those into the bedroom to use on you and definitely not on himself.

U (Unfair- How much do they tease?)

I don’t think he teases very often. If he does it’s probably because you started it or he got a little jealous.

V (Volume- How loud are they and what do they sound like?)

Quiet for the most part with nice deep groans in your ear. Def the type to talk to you during whether its for consent purposes or dirty talk. He’s also the type to talk you through your orgasm tell me I’m wrong.

W (Wild Card- Random head canon or scenario)

Chan excludes a lot of non sexual dominance when y’all are together. Mostly out in town and with other people (even the other boys) The type to help guide you around places by an arm around our waist or saying little phrases that kill you on the inside like: “come here baby”, “let me help you”, “sit on my lap” (or sexually- “sit on my lap kitten/baby”). Also the type to get onto you for swearing. Now I’m not saying Chan’s a straight Daddy but boys a daddy lol just without the title (he’d probs giggle every time you say it like let’s be honest with ourselves.)

X (X-Ray- What are they packing?)

Maybe not the longest but he’s packing some girth. A good 5 to 5.5 inches maybe.

Y (Yearning- How high is their sex drive?)

Honestly not that high. Unless it’s a time where he hasn’t seen you in a while or he just hits one of those moods where he only wants to be with you and through that comes a lot of sex.

Z (ZZZ- How quick do they fall asleep after?)

Wouldn’t fall asleep unless you did first and even then when you did he would also get up to go get some stuff done. If you didn’t fall asleep then he’d lay there talking with you for the next couple of hours until you did or either of you had to go do something. Would also put on the tv after to watch or have background noise. If you were still needy might even sneak in another round after some rest.

[erekiosuncreativeideas]

Reliving An Old Nightmare - Chapter 17

<= Chapter 16

Summary : Snatcher and Hat Kid continues their search for the Time Piece ! Also available on AO3 : https://archiveofourown.org/works/22337299/chapters/58111366

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

HELLO, NEW CHAPTER, WOOOOH

I hope you'll like this one !

Don't hesitate to leave me a comment if you like this fanfiction, as it helps me A LOT !

Happy reading :)

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

Chapter 17

Sneaking into the huge mansion was not an easy task and Snatcher knew it well enough. Some servants stayed later than the others to finish their cleaning duties while the guards patrolled inside the manor. Fortunately for Snatcher and the hatted child, the mansion had a lot of connected areas, so it was possible to avoid guards by going through some of the rooms.

Both exited the kitchen slowly and carefully. The kid apparently had understood his previous reproach and stayed behind him, letting him lead the way. It was clear that she was doing it reluctantly, but with the way they almost got caught earlier, she couldn’t say anything against it. As long as she was obeying his orders, Snatcher didn’t care whether she was happy or not. What was important was finding that Time Piece and the sooner the better.

The ghost guided them silently to the living room, which was the only way to go upstairs. Thankfully, no guards were patrolling -yet- on the ground floor, so they didn’t run into anyone in the hallways. The shade put his hand on the doorknob and twisted it very delicately. His eyes peeked inside to see if someone was there, letting out a sigh of relief when he saw no one in the room. He quickly opened the door and gestured to the kid, ordering her to come inside. Surprisingly, she did so without sighing or rolling her eyes: well, finally she was taking this seriously! The ghost closed the door once he entered the room. However, just as he was about to go towards the other door leading to the stairs, he heard footstep coming from it. A wave of panic engulfed him for the second time this evening and he immediately turned to the brat, whose face showed the same expression than his.

-“Hide, quick!” he whispered urgently, though the kid didn’t wait for his order to crawl under the pool table. Right, she had to do that kind of thing when he had sent her to the manor in the early beginning of their so-called “friendship”. She didn’t need any advice from him regarding that type of danger. The spirit, on the other hand, still had to find a place to hide. But where?

His eyes fell on the bar and it was all he needed to run in its direction. He hid behind the counter, praying not to be found. What would he say in that case? Maybe he was the Prince but that wouldn’t explain why he would hide that way. A few seconds after he sat behind the counter, the staircase door opened and several sets of steps could be heard:

-“… And then I said that he should talk to his wife about it, but he got mad and yelled at me,” said an unknown masculine voice, probably belonging to another guard: “I didn’t say anything wrong, did I?”

-“Nah,” replied another voice in a reassuring tone, “you did the right thing. I think he’s just in denial, give him some time to think about it.”

Snatcher rolled his eyes: he hoped those soldiers had better things to do than stay here and talk about their private life… He remained unmoving, listening to the men’s conversation, hoping they wouldn’t notice either him or the kid hidden under the pool table. The room wasn’t completely dark, so it was still possible to perceive objects, figures or faces if one squinted enough.

-“Yeah, probably…” concluded the former before continuing, with a much more enthusiastic voice: “Hey, wanna drink something?”

The spirit’s blood turned cold at the guard’s words. If they ever came here… It would be over, he would be found.‌ He was only hidden by the counter! His body froze in fear as he heard the other guard’s answer:

-“Oooh, you like living dangerously! Alright, why not. There are so many bottles there, it’s not like they’re going to notice anything’s changed…”

The shade was absolutely terrified. What was he going to do? He couldn’t justify himself being hidden there! What if it ever came back to Vanessa’s ears? To “Simeon”’s ears? He couldn’t possibly be found by anyone. Silently, he took one of the bottles of alcohol next to him and held it like a weapon, ready to jump on the guards if they did come close enough to see him. He wasn’t really coordinated nor trained to fight with a body like this, but he had the element of surprise!

… No matter how desperate his position was, he could still try to convince himself that he had a chance against two men fully trained to fight against any intruder. If only he had his powers back… That would make a difference!

The ghost heard the footsteps coming closer and he readied himself, holding his breath. He hoped the kid would be up for a fight because it was one of the most possible outcomes for his current situation. He waited, clenching his hold on the bottle as he prepared himself for the right moment. And then, just like he expected, one of the guards’ head came into his sight as the latter made a step towards the inner space between the counters. Snatcher launched himself at the man as fast as he could, knocking the guard’s head with the object. An attack such as this one would have been easily avoided in many other situations yet, thanks to the element of surprise and the darkness in the room, Snatcher’s hit successfully landed on his opponent. The bottle broke from the violent impact and glass fragments fell all over the floor. The soldier definitely didn’t see the spirit’s attack coming and fell on the floor, not completely unconscious but certainly not able to stand up again.

The other man jumped at Snatcher’s sudden attack and instantly put his hand on his sword, starting to draw it. However, when the guard’s eyes met the shade’s, his face crumpled in pure astonishment and confusion. Well, seeing your soon-to-be-ruler knocking out your partner surely had to be a strange sight for the man.

-“P-Prince Alistel?” stuttered the latter, not knowing how to react at this unexplainable action. His mind seemed to consider conflicting thoughts as his eyes darted from the ghost to his friend lying on the ground, barely conscious at this point. Snatcher kept his mouth shut as he adopted a fighting stance. The person in front of him wasn’t real. The ghost had almost forgotten since they seemed so real to him, but he couldn’t forget what the kid had told him: everything, including the people living here… It was just a huge replica of what had existed in the past.

Nothing, no one was actually real except Vanessa, the kid, him, and whatever was hiding behind Simeon’s identity.

The man opened his mouth to talk again but was interrupted as something very fast moved around them, hitting the man right on the back of his head several times with a blueish object. It was so quick that the movement had seemed blurry to Snatcher, but the purple and yellow smudges he had perceived gave him a pretty big clue on what had just happened.

The man fell to the floor, deeply unconscious. The foggy figure in front of him cleared up. It was the hatted brat, holding her blue umbrella with her tiny yet strong hands. She had used the time stop hat again, though this time it had actually saved Snatcher. He hated to admit it but, deep inside of him, he knew very well that he had absolutely no chance against an armed soldier, especially with a broken bottle as a weapon to fight with.

The little girl was watching him with a smug expression as she negligently laid the umbrella down on her shoulder. She was pretty powerful, for a child of her size… But, then again, she had been the one beating him when he had tried to kill her. And if she had managed to do that, then a single guard wasn’t much of a threat to her, especially when she had those hats of hers.

The shade looked at her, then to the bodies laying on the ground. His eyes went back on her and he snorted at how proud of herself she seemed to be:

-“Woah, kid, you beat up one guy! Congrats!” nagged the ghost, slowly -and silently- clapping his hands sarcastically: “Do you want me to give you a medal or something?”

The child rolled her eyes, still smiling with that awful self-satisfied grin:

-“Oh come on, I totally saved your butt just now.”

Snatcher frowned at her retort, not only because of her language but also because she was right. The spirit would have had no chance on his own. However, the ghost merely shrugged, not wanting to start a fight on that topic. They had bodies to hide. How would they explain the presence of unconscious soldiers to the other patrolling guards otherwise?

-“Okay, fine, you win that round,” mumbled Snatcher before pointing to the bodies: “Now, help me hide them behind the counter.”

The kid nodded and started helping him. Even though they weren’t real, the soldiers’ weight definitely seemed real. They moved quickly, hiding the evidence as fast as they could before another patrol interrupted them again. Once it was over, Snatcher started to lead the way again, opening the staircase door carefully. No one was there, which allowed them to continue their infiltration mission. Yet, the hardest part was just beginning, as Vanessa’s bedroom was on the second floor.

The shade made sure no one was in the hallways. It was strangely quiet and empty. Usually, there was always at least one servant walking around, finishing late chores… But now wasn’t the case. Was it a coincidence? Was it because all of this wasn’t real? Or… Was it a trap? Were they only walking into the lion’s den? Snatcher frowned at the possibility. He really hoped that wasn’t the case. Though, what other choice did they have? It wasn’t like they could just turn around and wait for another opportunity! They didn’t have the time for that!

Just like before, Snatcher led the way, very attentive to any suspicious noise around them as they progressed through the hallway. It was too calm. Why? Sure, they had run into soldiers earlier, but it was almost too easy. The ghost had a bad feeling about this. He didn’t actually want guards to find them, obviously, though the lack of people in the mansion made him feel ill-at-ease.

-“Hey,” murmured the shade, nudging the child: “Do you feel your Time Piece here?”

The girl stopped walking and closed her eyes, thinking. Snatcher, in the meantime, made sure no one came and noticed them. After a few seconds, the brat opened her mouth, answering his question:

-“We’re getting closer,” she nodded and kept going: “but it’s not on this floor. It’s higher.”

-“Higher?”

That would either be the third floor or the attic. His room was on the next floor but he hadn’t noticed anything weird during his short stay there. Then again, if he had a Time Piece to hide, he would have made sure to choose a surprising place.

-“Yeah… It’s not here,” concluded the child, visibly sure of her affirmation. Well, she was the expert regarding that kind of things. Snatcher only nodded and started moving again. Higher it was, then.

They reached the staircase door without encountering any soldiers or servants. This was easy, too easy. The spirit didn’t like how effortless their mission was. Were they just lucky? His expression darkened: no, it couldn’t be. Deep down, he knew something was wrong.

-“I can’t help but think we’re falling into a trap,” admitted the shade, glowering at the door.

-“Me too,” agreed the hatted kid with a frown: “I was expecting more… Resistance. But my Time Piece is up here, I can feel it. It’s definitely above us.”

And that was the problem, wasn’t it? Even if they knew how suspicious the situation seemed, they had to continue to find the time artefact. They both looked just like Snatcher’s old victims, running into a trap he had set up, with a lure at the centre of it. This was exactly what was happening at the moment. Still, they still didn’t have the time to think of another plan.

They climbed the stairs, greeted once again by the sight of an empty hallway. This was not normal. He and the kid exchanged a knowing look at the realization.

-“What about now?” asked Snatcher, still very careful not to raise his voice too much, just in case: “Do you feel anything?”

The little girl nodded:

-“I can sense it but it’s not there,” she explained: “I think it’s in the attic. I feel like it’s above my head again, but… It’s still vague and I can’t explain why.”

The frown on the spirit’s face intensified: he didn’t like this. He really didn’t like this. It was clear that something was going on in the dark and wanted them to come. Why would it be so easy if it wasn’t the case? It had to be “Simeon”’s or Vanessa’s intents.

-“Are you sure it’s in the attic?” questioned Snatcher, more and more uncertain of the future events. The kid looked just as doubtful as him, an undeniable sign that there was indeed something wrong.

-“I’m sure I feel its presence there, yes.”

The ghost sighed. It was a trap, undoubtedly… But that didn’t change the fact that the Time Piece was in that room. If they stayed vigilant, they could stop whatever ambush waiting for them… He used to be a powerful ghost! And he even had a dangerous brat accompanying him! What could go wrong? At least, that was what Snatcher was trying to reassure himself with.

They crossed the hallway just as quickly as the other ones, still without meeting anyone. Snatcher opened the door of the staircase and led the way once again, followed closely by the little girl. She was holding her umbrella tightly, expecting an ambuscade just like he was. But the sight that greeted them was very much different than what they had been expecting: just in front of them, the door leading to the attic was closed. Chains were circled around the doorknobs, with a huge black padlock on the front. Snatcher mindlessly tried to open the door nonetheless, hardly believing what was happening. Why would everything be so easy just to block them in the end? The shade didn’t understand!

“What the-” Snatcher didn’t have the time to finish this thought as he heard a familiar poofing sound next to him. The small girl had changed her hat once again, now wearing her brewing hat. She readjusted it on her head as if she was trying to show she meant business and declared, on a serious and determined tone:

-“Don’t worry, I got this!” she assured, materializing an explosive potion thanks to her hat abilities. She was probably thinking of blowing up the padlock. Normally, the ghost would have stopped her, saying they needed to be discreet… But after so many empty hallways, it was clear that they were meant to go there. Plus, the spirit couldn’t think of many other ways of quickly opening a locked door.

However, just as he was about to take his hand back and step aside to leave the door to the kid, Snatcher felt a very malevolent presence just behind him.

His body froze immediately as a familiar voice arose in his back, with a deceitfully joyful tone:

-“Oh, but I’m afraid I cannot let you go any further.”

Snatcher turned to the voice, absolutely surprised by the sudden apparition. Simeon! However, he was too late and his body barely had the time to move as a violent hit landed on his head, making his vision spin as he lost his balance from the sudden shock. A harsh feeling of pain engulfed him as his body fell to the floor with a thump. The world was blurry, and something warm was leaking from his head. His eyes had closed and the pain worsened when he tried to open them again. His head hurt so much.

A shriek made him go back to reality. The kid! The panicked spirit did everything he could to look around, trying to find her in his foggy vision.

-“Snatcher!” she yelled, with a voice full of fear and worry. The shade squinted and that’s when he saw her. He had hoped she would beat the heck of the butler with her umbrella and all the hats she had brought with her. Though, a very different vision greeted him, much to his horror.

The kid was held up in one of the man’s hands by her cape, unable to hurt her opponent because of the distance separating them. Her hat had been taken away from her and was now in the butler’s right hand. The little girl was trying to get free of Simeon’s grasp, only to fail as the man remained unmoving, keeping her in the air while watching her struggle in vain. Why? Why couldn’t the kid get away from him?

-“Snatcher!” she called out to him once more, looking at him with eyes full of tears and terror. A feeling of dread settled over the shade as he realized that she simply couldn’t fight back. By glancing around, the ghost saw the umbrella far, far away from them. With her hat being taken away from her and without any weapon to fight with… The kid was just utterly defenceless against a fully grown-up adult.

-“Let… Let go of her!” grunted the spirit, teeth clenched from how livid he was. If he harmed her, if he just tried to hurt her…! He glared at the butler and tried to get up, unsuccessfully. The more he attempted to move, the foggier became his mind. Why did he have to stay stuck in a body like this? He couldn’t stay on the ground, he just couldn’t!

The girl held out her hand, begging him for help when he was still very much barely conscious. Still, he had to do something! He couldn’t let this useless body prevent him from punching this guy! If he didn’t have his lasers to fight with, he still had hands! However, the only thing he managed to do was lifting his hand off the ground, stretching his arm towards the brat weakly, as he felt his strength slowly disappearing from his body. His vision was becoming blurry again and something warm ran over his eyes, blocking his eyesight. Was it… Blood?

-“Wake up!” cried the small child, struggling even more in Simeon’s arms, trying her best to make him lose his balance, but it was all useless. The other man wouldn’t budge, no matter how much she moved. He only watched her pitiful attempts, amused. How was he even able to stay like this? And why was the ghost so weak in comparison…?

The spirit clenched his teeth, wanting nothing more than to stand up and help the brat… But his body refused to move, no matter how hard he was trying, no matter how hard he wanted to protect the kid. His mind was foggy and Snatcher had to fight to stay conscious, as more blood poured from his injury. He could hear a ringing sound resonating in his ears, almost covering the other sounds around him.

A cruel laugh escaped the butler’s lips as he stared at the little girl’s eyes:

-“Oh, I do not think our friend is going to wake up soon, my dear pest,” lectured Simeon with a false friendly tone: “But don’t worry! I’ll make sure you both perish where he belongs.”

The pain was unbearable and the shade could feel himself losing the battle for his consciousness the more seconds passed. He could hear the child screaming, yelling, begging him for help… But, Snatcher couldn’t move. His body seemed to become heavier and heavier. His eyelids were like hefty doors he couldn’t keep open. Soon, the shade’s lifted arm fell to the ground, his strength abandoning him more and more.

The kid needed him so much… He couldn’t leave her in this guy’s hands…! He had to save her, to save both of them!

But he slowly felt his consciousness drift away, carried by the girl’s terrified cries.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

HAHAHAHAHA FOOOOOOOOOOL

WHAT A CLIFFHANGER AM I RIGHT ?

Don't worry, I'll try my best not to make you wait for too long. Though, ah, you have NO IDEA how much I WANTED to post this chapter !!

I hope you liked it :)

See you on the next chapter !

Chapter 18 =>

[himbowelsh]

Valentines day alphabet for runner? Thank you for all of these i know they must be a lot of work ❤️🌟❤️

valentines day alphabet  ( accepting! )

they sure are, darling, thank you for being so sweet!  i’m steadily working through them, so...  heeeere’s runner!

A   :   AFFECTION.   how does your muse show affection?

Even if he’s all about that physical affection   ---  and he is, he can be all over people sometimes   ---  he’s also surprisingly quiet about it. In tender moments, he’s happy just to share space with someone; being around them, soaking in their energy and observing their body language, is Runner’s most lowkey form of affection. He’s a people person deep down  ---  he just likes, needs to be around people.

B   :   BOUQUET.   does your muse like flowers? which ones are their favourite?

Uhhh  ---  yeah, flowers are nice. They sure do...  grow places, huh? He’s absolutely hopeless with flowers; he’ll pick a half-wilted bouquet up at the supermarket just to try to be romantic, and fail miserably when they fall apart before he can even get them home. 

C   :   CHOCOLATE.   does your muse like chocolate? which one is their favourite?

He has a hoard. Like a dragon. He’s stockpiling for the winter, and no, he does not want to share. (Give him M&Ms any day, he’s got a problem.)

D   :   DATE.   what is your muse’s ideal date? where / who with / etc?

He’s a movie theatre guy, honestly. He just loves the atmosphere of the place. Uncomfortable seats, popcorn to munch on, a good movie playing, and a room dark enough that he can get frisky with his partner without anyone seeing   ---  sounds like heaven to him.

E   :   EMBRACE.   does your muse like hugs? what are their hugs like?

Oddly enough, for someone who’s so liberal with physical contact, he’s weird about hugs! Mostly because he doesn’t think he’s good at them. When he gets hugged, he tends to fidget; and when he gives them, he’s never quite sure where to put his hands. Better stick to the friendly ol’ shoulder clap, buddy.

F   :   FLIRT.   is your muse good at flirting? how do they flirt?

Oh, he’s an inconsummate flirt. He’s flirted with grandmothers on the bus before  ---  just because it makes them blush and smile. Flirting’s something Runner has a lot of fun with, even if it usually doesn’t go everywhere. He’s got wolfish charm and he’s not afraid to use it.

G   :   GIFT.   is your muse good at gift - giving or do they struggle to get it right?

He’s hit-or-miss. While he really does try every time, his gifts are usually low-effort, something he can just pick up at the corner store. If he’s planning a grand gesture  ---  and, don’t get him wrong, he’s definitely the grand gesture type   ---  it goes above and beyond just a gift. He’ll get a cake and try to set off fireworks. Finding something just right for a birthday or anniversary...  is harder than just doing something for them, somehow.

H   :   HEART.   is your muse quick or slow to give their heart away?

Actually pretty judicious about it all. Runner’s been burned before, so he’s understandably cautious. If he’s going to give his heart away again, he wants to make sure it’s to the right person   ---   so he’ll keep things casual and superficial for as long as possible. The moment he really opens up to his partner emotionally, he knows he’s in for the long haul.

I    :   I LOVE YOU.   does your muse find ‘i love you’ easy or hard to say?

It terrifies him, honestly. He doesn’t know how to be that...  emotionally open with someone, especially not if he’s the one expected to take that leap first. It would be very tough for him to say it; he’d echo it if his partner said it to him, but it’d sound like he was speaking in a foreign language, until he gradually warms up to the idea of being loved. (Once he gets there, he’ll enjoy saying it at random times, just to make his partner blush.)

J   :   JEALOUSY.   does your muse get jealous in a relationship?

It’s not something he likes about himself, but he’s definitely got a jealous streak. It stems from a hint of insecurity, plus knowing the pain of being cheated on before; he doesn’t like seeing his partner cozy up to people who aren’t him. What’s wrong with that? He won’t follow them around or read their private correspondence, but if they’re out in public and he feels ignored, he’ll make his presence known.

K   :   KISS.   is your muse a good kisser? why / why not?

The sort of guy who grins into the kiss, and it’s sexy until his partner kisses teeth. He’s pretty intense; Runner’s taught himself to focus while kissing, and it works to his advantage in every way. He’s all about the feel of his partner against him, finding a rhythm that works for them both. There’s a decent amount of grinding, but he’s sparse with touches  ---   one hand grazing his partner’s back, another hovering over their waist before switching just as quickly to their ribs. He riles his partner up through sensation alone, stirring them up with touches and eager caresses until they’re practically moaning into the kiss. (By that point, he can’t help grinning, but they’re usually in too deep for it to kill the mood.)

L   :   LOVE.   who does your muse love?

Runner’s loyal to his friends to a fault. He won’t just throw down for them, he’d take a bullet for them without question. Coming from a big family, he’s just as ride-or-die for all his siblings. It might be covered under a thick layer of salt, but Runner’s got a big heart, and loyalty is his best trait.

M   :   MOONLIGHT.   is morning or night a more romantic setting?

He’s all about nighttime. There’s so many things to do, places to do them in, and shadows to keep anyone else from noticing them doing ‘em.

N   :   NAUGHTY.   what is your muse like in bed?

A bit of a tease in bed, but switches gears very easily   ---   one moment he could be nipping at his partner’s collar to make then laugh, the next his eyes are pitch black and he’s captured his partner’s gaze like he’s never going to let them go. Runner is boundlessly energetic in bed, but knows how to pace himself   ---   he likes to go as long as possible, so it’s not unusual to end up in bed for hours. A bit of a biter, but never excessive with it. Loves having his hands in his partner’s hair, just keeping his fingers tangled there while he works...  and he’s definitely the sort to leave a trail of marks all over their body, just so they remember he was there afterwards.

O   :   ODE.   does your muse have a way with words?

Not like some people  ---  coughLeckiecough  ---  who like to think they’re the next goddamn Lord Byron. Runner’s down-to-earth, and his speaking style reflects that. He says what he means, and doesn’t beat around the bush. Not much flower to his words, but he gets his point across fine, thanks.

P   :   PARTNER.   what does your muse look for in a partner? looks / personality?

He wants someone with a sharp sense of humor   ---  who can give as good as they get, and quip right back when someone challenges them. Maybe someone on the athletic side   ---   he’d love a dancer   ---   but definitely someone with an healthy appreciation for sports. Would probably do better with an extrovert. He loves loud laughter, and has a soft spot for off-key singing. Maybe someone with good fashion sense, he’d love that...  and, above all else, someone who’d do anything for the people they care about.

Q   :   QUESTION.   would your muse ask the big question or expect their partner to?

Runner would absolutely plan something elaborate   ---  like proposing on a jetski, or on the top of a mountain, or on an amusement park ride  ---  and have something go incredibly wrong. (It’s the ring. He lives in terror of losing that ring, because at some point he will.)

R   :   ROMANCE.   is your muse a romantic or a cynic?

Can someone be a cynical romantic? He definitely leans more towards the cynical side, but there’s a part of him that wants romance badly. He wants to have a happy life with someone he cares about, but fully acknowledges that that’s easier said than managed. He’s no textbook casanova, but has an offbeat romantic streak that only reveals himself during his most unguarded moments.

S   :   SWEETHEART.   did your muse have a childhood sweetheart?

Sure did. Several, actually. A few girls in grade school were head over heels for him, and actually got into fights over it. That’s how Little Bud first learned to fear the fury of women, and understood what a tricky thing romance could be. (He kissed two of them under the jungle gym. When the girls compared notes, they were so furious that they both never spoke to him again. Eh, it was fun while it lasted.)

T   :   TRUE LOVE.   does your muse believe in true love?

He...  has this idea of love in his head, the sort of love that just feels like belonging. It’s comfortable, and stable, and not electric whatsoever...  but when it comes down to it, that’s the kind Runner wants. He definitely desires passion, but...  in his opinion, real love goes beyond fire, straight down to the bedrock beneath.

U   :   UNREQUITED.   has your muse had their heart broken?

He’s been on the bad end of a cheating relationship, more than once. Not total heartbreak   ---  Runner’s a resilient guy   ---   but he knows how much it hurts.

V   :   VALENTINE.   how does your muse feel about valentine’s day?

Genuinely not his thing whatsoever. He’ll let his partner take the lead  ---  basically, tell him what to do and he’ll do it, otherwise he’s content staying in, eating nachos, and doing nothing the entire night.

W  :   WEDDING.   would your muse get married? why / why not?

Definitely. There’s a question he doesn’t even have to think about. His Mom would kill him if he ended up unmarried, and Runner hates the idea of spending his life alone   ---   he absolutely wants to end up with someone, it’s just gotta be the right someone. While he won’t rush into things, he absolutely sees marriage in his future.

X   :   XOXO.   does your muse use / like pet names?

Serial nicknamer. It’s an issue. Sometimes he’ll throw out nicknames just to get under peoples’ skin  (re: Peaches)  but they have a bad habit of sticking. He doesn’t use common ones like “honey” or “sweetheart” with his partner, but he will give them a variety of creative nicknames.

Y   :   YOURS.   does your muse get protective easily?

Aside from his jealous streak...  not very. Runner trusts the people he’s close with to be able to handle themselves. He won’t jump into a situation unless it’s obvious that they need help, or he sees something he really doesn’t like. Usually, he’ll wait until the other person gives a cue  ---  then he’ll come in swinging.

Z   :   ZZZ.   how many people has your muse slept with?

He...  had a frequent partner or two back home, and picks up a few girls in Melbourne. About 4 - 5 partners, so he’s no novice  (even if he acts more confident than he has a right to.)