#spars with one of the other teachers on a lunch break

[black-and-yellow]

Maybe try drawing a child present mic? Do you think he'd be one of those short kinda stocky kiddos who once they hit middle school shoot right up in hight? Or always a green bean? (I'm just seeing a lil mic with chubby baby cheeks tbh)

Absolutely just a little fella.

[cheolaholic]

ring of love; csc (04)

summary; agreeing to join vernon spectate an underground boxing match wasn't how you'd expect to spend your friday night. you also didn't expect to see seungcheol, someone you've lost contact with for years, become a part of the ring.

modern! au • boxer! au • hhu focused • multiple kinds of tropes • fluff, angst, smut

a/n; so… i missed out my upload timing for the past few weeks… i got so busy with going to dance lessons, going to cupsleeve and kpop dance events and job hunting 😵👊🏻 but now that i've calmed myself down, we're back to uploading !!

smol edit: realised i forgot to add the taglist at the end hsjcndksn

when you started middle school, coincidentally you attended the same one where seungcheol is a high school senior. it eased your anxiety, but it lingered and seungcheol took notice as he walked beside you. “first day of school anxiety kicking in?” he asked, throwing an arm over your shoulder, “don’t overthink it, alright?

“but-”

“i’m here, pup. but, remember that you need to stand up for yourself too, alright?”

nodding your head, seungcheol smiles as he gives your shoulder a reassuring squeeze, “and if anyone decides to pick on you while i’m not around, just remember what i taught you, okay?”

“okay.”

over the past few months, before the school year started, seungcheol had offered to teach you a few self defence moves, alongside some sparring moves. your parents were worried when they saw you spar with seungcheol, seeing how the older boy had flipped you onto the cushioned mat of the studio. but, the boy assured them he was teaching you all this so that you’re able to defend yourself in the event he isn’t there with you.

“but, won’t she be all bruised up from all this?” your mother asked.

“mom, i’ll be fine,” you reassured her as seungcheol pulled you up onto your feet, “i need to be a big girl!”

as you both reached the gates of the school, seungcheol arm left your shoulder as he shoved both his hands into the pockets of his pants.

“ready for your first day, pup?”

you didn’t like it here.

everyone was staring at you as you sat in your seat, causing your anxiety to spike. or maybe it’s all in your head and it’s just the imaginary audience kicking in. either way, it doesn’t ease the summersaults that were performing in your stomach.

when the school day started and the teacher had you introduce yourself to the class, you can only hope that lunch break arrives sooner so you can go find seungcheol - to which you did as soon as the lunch bell rang.

you ran up the stairs of the other school building, trying your best to ignore the possible stares from the upperclassmen - you just need needed seungcheol right now

when you reached the floor, a few upperclassmen that were standing in the hallway turned to look at you - and you froze.

as the staring continued, you took a few steps back, your fingers fidgeting with the hem of your skirt while tears began to well up in your eyes and your breathing quickened.

maybe it was a bad idea to come to this building. maybe it was a bad idea to look for suengcheol. maybe-

“pup?”

your head shot up, coming face to face with a concerned seungcheol. “pup, what happened?” seungcheol asked, placing a hand on your head, lightly petting it in an attempt to calm you down. you wanted to answer him, tell him what was wrong, tell him that the unfamiliar environment was spiking your anxiety.

but, you couldn’t.

“yo, seungcheol,” another student appeared next to the boy, slinging a hand over his shoulder. “who’s this cutie?”

when the student looked at you, seungcheol heard your breath hitch and at that moment, he  only had one objective in mind.

getting you to a quieter and less crowded area.

“sorry, baekho,” seungcheol spoke as he gave the boy an apologetic smile, “i’ll be eating lunch with ___ today.”

he then leads you out of the building, his hand holding yours as he brings you to the track field of the school. sitting you down on one of the bleachers, he tells you he’ll get some food for the both of you and that he’ll be back soon. as you sat on the bleacher, you continued to fidget with the hem of your skirt.

minutes went by and you felt your breathing steady, seungcheol had returned with a bottle of water and two lunchboxes. you both ate in silence, the older boy occasionally gazing over to check up on you. when you set the now empty lunchbox aside, seungcheol lightly rubs your back.

"feeling better, pup?" he asked in a soft voice, "is it still bad? do you want to go home?"

you shook your head. “come on, pup,” he spoke again, “i need you to talk to me. i may be able to know how you feel, but i’m not a mindreader. i can’t figure out what’s going on in that pretty little head of yours.”

“i-it’s… i-i don’t know…” you couldn’t form words. you can’t help but feel pathetic - being so dependent on seungcheol that you can’t go a mere half day in a new environment without his presence beside you.

seungcheol lets out a small hum as he leans on his hands, looking up at the sky, thinking.

a few minutes later, he sat back up straight, his expression telling that he’s got an idea.

the older boy took off his nametag and took your hand, placing it in your palm.

“here, take this. you have a pattern of needing emotional support items.”

you stared at the nametag and looked at him, cocking your head to the side in confusion.

he chuckled at your response, his hand moving to pat your head.

“you depended on your strawberry pillow throughout kindergarten, your unicorn water bottle throughout elementary.”

your face flushed in embarrassment as seungcheol mentioned your unicorn water bottle.

it was a gift your grandparents had gifted you at the start of your elementary school year and you refused to part ways with it until you reached the age where bright, flashy unicorn water bottles don’t really appeal to you anymore. but, it still held a special place in your heart.

“but, won’t you get in trouble for not having a nametag?” you asked him, worried about the disciplinary actions he’d have to face since it was part of the dress code.

seungcheol shrugged, “i keep an extra in my bag, so it’s no problem.”

he then checked the time on his wristwatch.

“come on, pup. i’ll walk you back to the building and meet you at the gates after class, okay?”

“okay.”

as you both walked, you felt butterflies in your stomach from seungcheol’s kind gestures.

“hey, cheollie..?”

“yea?”

“thank you.”

“anything for you, pup.”

it wasn’t unusual for you to be a target of bullying in the school, considering how close you were to seungcheol - it was something a lot of the girls, both lowerclassmen and upperclassmen, did not take a liking to.

it also wasn’t unusual for seungcheol to do his best to protect you.

do his best as in, try to always be there but most of the time he can’t as he might have basketball practice or his friends dragged him away before he was able to head over to where you were.

and unfortunately, today was one of those ‘most of the time’ days.

“just because seungcheol lets you cling onto him, means he’ll want to date you,” the upperclassmen girl spoke as she slams you against the locker, her hand holding a tight grip on your shoulder while your back stings from the harsh impact against the metal object. “who do you even think you are to always show up at our building?”

the other students crowd around you and the upperclassmen, curious and of course, nosy as to what the ‘confrontation’ is all about.

“hey,” she gritted out, pulling and slamming you against the locker once again, a soft whimper escaping your lips, “are you deaf or something? i’m talking to you!”

seungcheol… please… please help me…

an audible slap noise was heard - a burning sensation was felt on your right cheek while the other students gasped.

“i said, i’m talking to you! do you not know how to answer!?”

you don’t remember what exactly happened, but you do remember reaching your limit and fighting back. when you pushed the upperclassman away, glaring at her while telling her to stop picking on you just because she was jealous you were close to seungcheol, she decided to go rougher.

shoving you against the locker once again, she pulled at your hair and her grip was so tight, you could feel a few strands of hair being pulled out.

“say that again,” she hissed, eyes full of anger, “fucking say that one more time…”

"i said stop it!" you cried out, pushing at her to try and get her off you. "it's not my fault i'm close friends with seungcheol! and what makes you think he'll like you when this is how you act!?"

"why you little-"

"get your fucking hands off her!"

you felt the upperclassman get pulled away, a pair of hands coming to cup your face and lift up your head.

your tear filled eyes met seungcheol's that were filled with anger and worry. "___, are you hurt anywhere?" he asked, one hand brushing the strands of hair away from your face.

“s-seungcheol…”

turning around to face the girl, anyone close enough to the front or center, could see the fury on seungcheol’s face. “what the fuck do you think you’re doing, heemin?”

“i-it’s not what it looks like!”

“not what it looks like? are you fucking kidding me!?”

“i don’t like how she’s always with you! is that wrong!?”

“yes! ___ did nothing wrong and yet you’re assaulting her, all because you’ve decided to have this weird claim on me!”

seungcheol felt you grab his blazer, tugging on it a few times - a silent beg for him to stop and get you away from the area.

taking a deep breath to calm himself down, seungcheol spoke up in a deep, calm yet intimidating tone, “if anyone lays a finger, even on one single hair on ___, you all answer to me.” he then grabbed your hand, pulling you away from the crowd. as he lead you away from the area, you quietly called out his name.

“yea?”

“i’m sorry you have to always save me…”

seungcheol stopped in his tracks, frowning as he turns to look at you. “what’s there to be sorry about, ___?”

“aren’t you tired of having to come and defend me from messes like these?”

“___, i care about you. i would rather die than know you’re being bullied, but decided to just sit on it.”

it felt odd to have someone other than your parents care for you. and it doesn’t really help your growing feelings towards the older male in front of you.

seungcheol took a step forward, cupping your face and tilts your head up to meet his eyes.

“look at me, pup. do you trust me?”

sniffling as you nod your head and seungcheol felt his heart sank as he sees your tears escape your eyes. wiping away your tears with his thumb, he gives you a gentle smile.

“then trust me when i say, as long as i’m here, no-one can hurt you.”

you remembered how you met your first and probably only friend in middle school. it was right after summer break when your homeroom teacher announced a new transfer student. however, you weren’t paying attention; just staring out the window, wondering when the school day would be over.

it was during lunch break, as you were about to go find seungcheol that the new transfer student approached you.

“hi!” she greeted cheerfully, glancing at your nametag, “___, right?”

you looked up at her with a blank look, her looking back at you with a bright smile. when you nod your head, she reaches out a hand and introduces herself. “i’m aki, kim aki! i’m your new classmate!”

“nice to meet you, aki.” you responded in a soft voice.

“do you want to have lunch together?”

her question caught you off guard. someone wanted to eat with you?

aki looks at you with a smile on her face, waiting for your answer. too scared to reject her, you nodded your head and her smile widened.

“great!”

cheollie: pup, i got dragged away by baekho

cheollie: something about needing me to be his wingman

puppy: oh...

puppy: well, the new girl asked me to join her for lunch

puppy: so i guess it’s fine?

cheollie: oh?

cheollie: is my puppy finally going to have a new friend?

cheollie: i’m so proud

puppy: wow, you’re dramatic

cheollie: don’t scare her off, okay?

puppy: what is that supposed to mean?

cheollie: pup, have you seen your resting face?

puppy: …

puppy: i hate you

cheollie: take care, alright?

cheollie: i’ll see you at the gates when school is over

puppy: alright

“i heard you’re very close to one of the upperclassmen,” aki said casually as she takes a bite out of her rice ball, not noticing how you tensed up. “what was his name again? choi seungjoo? seungchae?”

“...seungcheol…” you corrected her, your voice quiet, “his name is seungcheol…”

aki notices your tense demeanour and immediately assures you that it’s not what you were thinking. “i’m just curious. i was told by a few people to stay away or that if i were to ‘chase after seungcheol’, you’d be an obstacle i’d have to overcome.” she laughs it off and leans forward a little, lowering her voice a little. “you don’t have to worry, though~ between you and me, i think you and him look cute together.” when aki notices the faint blush that paints your cheeks afterwards, a grin spreads across her lips. “i knew it! don’t worry, i won’t tell~”

instead of feeling uneasy, you felt… comforted by aki’s presence.

maybe having another friend might not be such a bad thing after all.

one thing you’ve come to realise about aki as the friendship blossomed is that she is the complete opposite of you - both of you would be the typical extrovert-introvert duo dynamic. in contrast to you spending your weekends staying at home either reading your books or just surfing the web, aki would be spending her weekends going to the city parts in daegu shopping, cafe-hopping; even busking as revealed during one of her visits to your home, she enjoys singing and occasionally busks with the buskers she befriended.

she also dresses differently where her clothes just showed her personality - colourful, patterns, accessories and different shoes for each outfit. whereas you preferred to dress simple - until one weekend, aki had dragged you out to myeongdong (with seungcheol tagging along since your parents had tasked him to watch over you girls and he had a driving licence to drive the three of you to and from).

seungcheol watched quietly as aki dressed you up during the shopping spree, occasionally complimenting you whenever aki finished and needed a third opinion. by the end of the weekend, you had a whole new wardrobe and an entire collection of makeup which aki would both teach and help you out with.

“um, are you sure that stuff will wash off?” your voice filled with uncertainty as you watch the small tube of glittering liquid she calls an ‘eye glitter’. “babes, i’ve put this on my eyes thousands of time so, trust me when i say this is safe and washes off.” aki assures you as she starts applying it onto your eyelid.

instructing you to keep your eyes closed, she began to use a hand fan to fan at your face to dry the substance. “how are you so good at makeup at thirteen?” you can’t help but ask. in your eyes, aki’s makeup talents was up to par with those makeup artists for models and idols. when you feel the fanning stop, you open your eyes and aki had the biggest grin on her face.

“my mom is a model and my dad is her makeup artist! so everything i know, i learnt from them and a couple of youtube videos!”

“whoa… is that how they met?”

“yeap! mom had a gig in japan, dad was the makeup artist the company hired and it was love at first sight.”

swiping the lipstick applicator across your lips, aki’s grin widens as she grabs a mirror to how you the finished look. you looked at your reflection in awe, amazed by aki’s talents.

“oh! i also got something for you!”

digging through her bag, she pulled out a bracelet with a little black ghost charm, taking your hand and fastening it around your wrist. as you stared at the bracelet, she lifts one of her hands, revealing a similar bracelet but instead of black ghost charm, it was a white ghost charm.

“i was in the city the other day with my parents and saw these matching bracelets! the little ghosts are so cute, and look!” placing her hand next to yours, the ghost charms clink together, as if they’re holding their little ghost hands.

“they stick together! just like the both of us, best friends!”

her statement caught you off-guard.

you had given a thought to your friendship with aki. it was similar to the friendship you had with seungcheol, minus the crush, obviously. you had considered aki to be a close friend of yours, but you hadn’t expected her to call you her best friend. noticing your reaction, aki’s smile faltered a little and that was the first time you’ve seen a hint of sadness in her.

“do you… do you not like it..?” aki asks, her hand slowly pulling away from yours. “i-i’m sorry, i just… i just thought that…”

you immediately shook your head, hands flying to grab hers. “n-no! i do like it!” you rushed out, “i just… i just wasn’t expecting you to get me this… or even call me your best friend…”

aki blinks once.

then twice.

and proceeds to burst out laughing.

“why wouldn’t i?” aki questions, wrapping her arms around you, engulfing you in a tight hug. “sure, i have a few other friends to hang out with. but, neither of them share the same bond you and i share! i could maybe even top your friendship with seungcheol!”

“hey now, don’t go stealing my puppy.”

turning both your attention to the door of your room, you and aki come face to face with seungcheol, his figure leaning against your doorframe.

“your puppy?” aki gives you a teasing smile, noticing the blush on your face when the older male refers to you as his puppy. “i’d like to see you try and take ___ away from me!”

“you’re on, brat.”

taglist (unable to tag a few ㅠㅠ)

@yoonclip @1004luvangel @catjunhui @mystikha @spk93 @tinkerbell460 @yoozuku @dnylwoo @christinewithluv @limbomoon @plutoxxxworld @i-give-up-1234 @m1ngyuc0re @yunloyal @leclercloverbot @bettybeako @billboard-singer @ocyeanicc @krupyadoorrahe @seobinnieshi @xcynthiaaa @k411z @disneyprincesshuri @sunnyapp @khxsh @staygenezy @loufi8iepuff @ursweetener @noisypapergalaxy @wonwootakemyheart @sugainpinksweater @leah-rose03 @thisisnotthelastofus @yearnoclock @kwonhoeshi @minhui8966 @ohmygodwhyareallusernamestaken @ru-lin @deobiforever @belladaises @cheoliekkuma @duskunt1ldawn @hyneyedfiz @marshmallowshouse @ak6ko @chwevernonlover @jejuboo-s @tsukinluv @atinytinaa @gyros-cum-sock @soupbinlily @jungwoos-luvr @ener-energy @watermelon-sugars-things @cyberpunkhwx @ddaengpotate @nightwingsrobbinhoods @chaerrylov3r @joshuaahong @wonussmile @uliceeeeeeee @wonwoo24 @shinetogether17 @simplejihoon @luvkpopp

[th3secr3th1story]

getou reacting to you having a mental breakdown/crying

geto reacting to a breakdown

of course, thank you for the request! hope you're ok

warnings: hurt/comfort, angst ig, first time writing in present tense wheww yazan dont fuck it up..., soft!geto, reader is stresseddd about life, crying, established relationship, no prns used, if u see any typos IM SORRY. i proofread but it's late and im tired!

words: 1,026

some days are harder than others. ups and downs are normal (and expected), but knowing that doesn't make difficult times any easier to manage.

you're a strong student, there's no doubt in that. you consistently perform well in all your assessments, sparring sessions, and missions, but sometimes it feels like the better you perform the better you're expected to do.

that day, geto is able to tell something is off. you didn't participate as often as you usually do in class, your typically composed expression seemed strained, you ate your lunch slower than usual, and despite beating him in a fight, you seemed less focused.

"are you okay?" he asks as the two of you walk down the hallway, turning your face gently to look at him.

"yeah, just didn't sleep too well last night," you smile, kissing his cheek and squeezing his hand before quickly heading off to the bathroom.

despite being in a relationship with geto for over a year now, vulnerability is still challenging. not to say you've never confided in him, since there's no one you trust more, but putting thoughts into words never comes easy.

-

you don't know how you make it through your last class. just the thought of all your homework, your upcoming mission, the fact that it's only october, if you're really going to be risking your life for a living--you can't wait for the school day to be over.

once the final bell rings, you gather your things and leave the class, not stopping to thank the teacher or say bye to your friends as you normally do.

"what's up with y/n today?" gojo questions.

that confirms geto's suspicions. something is wrong, and he's ready to help.

-

once you reach the dorm, you shut the door and flop down onto the bed with a sigh.

"is it always going to be like this?" you wonder, feeling the stress from the day pressing down on your chest, practically suffocating you.

before you know it, half an hour of staring at the ceiling has gone by before a knock shakes you out of your thoughts.

sliding the door open, you see geto standing there staring right at you with his hands in his pockets.

"hey," he says, breaking the silence.

"what're you doing here? is everything okay?" you question, beckoning him in.

"you've been acting off today. even satoru noticed, which is definitely saying something since he's always in his own bubble," he grumbles the last part, smiling a little.

"what's going on? i need you to talk to me," he continues.

sitting down on the bed, you sigh for what has got to be the thousandth time in the last 12 hours and try to figure out how to formulate your words.

"today was just hard, i guess? i don't really know," you mumble, not even sure of what to say.

"what do you mean?" he asks, encouraging you to open up, sitting down next to you and placing his hand on your leg.

"i just feel like there's a lot of pressure to do well, from my parents and teachers," you respond, not sure if you were talking to him or yourself.

"like, the more missions i come back from successful, or the more projects i do well on, the better i feel like i have to perform. which of course isn't a bad thing--i mean it's probably a good thing, actually," you start, feeling the familiar stinging of your eyes.

"but it's still kind of tiring because i feel like i can't really catch a break. like, once i finish something, there's always something else waiting for me," you stop for a second to sniffle as the tears start to fall, quickly wiping them away.

geto scoots closer and wraps his arm around you, rubbing his hand up and down your arm.

"and i get this is the life of a jujutsu sorcerer and i just have to suck it up and get used to it, but it's hard, you know? i don't know how to get my shit together."

your breaths are coming in quicker now, placing your elbows onto your knees so you can lean into the palms of your hands.

"i'm just tired, suguru. really tired," you choke.

"i feel like i'm going insane. i mean, what if i fuck up my next mission and then that's it?" you ask, letting silence wash over the both of you as you cry into your hands. you shake your head, feeling the embarrassment push through you.

at first, geto doesn't say anything, processing your words, before he pulls you back into his arms, hugging you tightly and letting your tears fall onto his shoulder.

"i get what you mean, y/n. you're not crazy," he whispers into your hair, rubbing your back as you continue to cry hard.

"you keep talking like you're alone," he continues, "but you're not. satoru's here, shoko's here, baby-" he turns your head so that you can look at him, "-i'm here."

"expectations are challenging, and they can definitely feel suffocating. but you're more than a failed mission," he whispers softly, wiping your tears away with his thumb.

"mistakes are inevitable, and yes, failure is always a possibility. it's unrealistic to expect yourself to complete every single mission perfectly, you know. i doubt anyone ever has."

"but what if i disappoint everyone? i don't want to be a failure," you whisper, shaking your head as you look away from geto.

"listen, it still doesn't mean you're weak or incapable. you're the strongest person i know, and your dedication to everything you do just proves that," he smiles, pulling you in so you can rest your head on his shoulder again.

"stronger than you and satoru?" you ask, finally smiling a little as the tears begin to subside.

"way stronger," he responds, kissing your forehead before pulling the two of you down to lay on your bed.

"wait, i have homework, suguru-"

"just for a bit, baby. i know how tired you are, it's okay," he whispered, pulling you in closer and beckoning you to finally close your weary eyes.

[ursa-tan]

141 + König teaching Medic!Reader to spar

—————

141 + König & Reader

Short Drabble

Price decides that you need to learn how to spar. He doesn’t really explain it, but you go alone with it anyway.

It would be inaccurate to say you weren’t surprised when Price called you into the gym in the middle of the day. You were in the midst of getting as much paper work out of the way as you could before you took your lunch break when you got the call.

“Head down to the gym, need your help with something.” Was all you got from him before he hung up. You were expecting to have to supervise a particularly rough sparring session.

Once you’re in the gym, Price calls you over to stand in front of him. “I’ve never seen you in combat, so I want to know what you can do.” Lucky for you, you were already dressed in some workout appropriate clothes.

“Don’t worry. You’ll have a good teacher.” He says, gesturing to…

———Simon “Ghost” Riley———

Isn’t going to go easy on you and treats you like any other rookie in need of training

Doesn’t train like he would with Soap or Price, makes sure to treat you like you have no experience in fighting

Doesn’t spend time letting you get any “free hits” in, not a hardass but definitely not just gonna “let you win”

Believes in the “people out there won’t be nice to you, so it’s best you learn now with people who will be”

Ultimately just wants to see you learn and be safe

Ghost steps onto the mat in front of you, practically staring you down through the holes in the fabric mask he wears around base. His gaze is cold and calculated, already analysing you as you step on in front of him.

He drops into a low stance, feet spread slightly, looking relaxed. His hands come up to shield his torso and face, balled into loose fists, hovering still in the air.

You barely have the chance to try and mimic him before he’s stepping in and throwing you to the ground. It’s a clean and controlled takedown, nearly landing you on your front. You would’ve been winded were if not for Ghost’s hand balled up in the fabric of your shirt, holding you up.

The moment doesn’t last long at all, as he elects to drop you onto the ground. You manage to catch yourself on your forearms before rolling onto your back and staring up at him. He holds a hand out to you, eyes crinkling slightly with a smile.

“Get up, you’re not gonna learn anything on the floor.”

——John “Soap” MacTavish——

Mostly fun and games, even during this

He doesn’t feel the need to be absolutely serious, but will still point out areas where he feels you need to pay attention

Knows this is likely your first time ever fighting, so takes it easy - but not too easy

Kind of forgets you aren’t a solider at one point and gets a little too harsh with his hits - he feels so bad

Enjoys helping you learn

Soap is bouncing on the balls of his feet as you try and ready yourself. You haven’t the vaguest idea what you’re supposed to be doing with your hands or feet. Luckily, Soap is here to guide you!

“Hands up, protect your organs and your head - they’re important, ‘specially for someone that has to think all the time, like you,” he chuckles lightly, bringing his head up slightly, looking directly into your eyes.

His eyes sparkle with mischief as you follow his instructions. You find your body sinking slightly, easing into a lower stance that makes your thighs burn after a few minutes.

“I’m going to punch you - slowly - and I want you to try and block it.”

He does as he says and you do your pathetic and best attempt to block it. That attempt being you brining your hands up to shield your head and scrunching up your face.

“I think we’ve got a lot to learn.”

Despite his chaotic nature, he makes a surprisingly good teacher.

———Captain John Price———

Feels responsible to do this, seeing as he’s the one who called you down here

Very slow in his movements - a combination of him being a patient man and knowing you have little to no experience

Much like Soap, he tries to keep it more lighthearted so you don’t feel under pressure

Spends a lot of time correcting you, moving to grab your arms and tug them into place or kicking/tapping your ankles to get you to move your feet

Price doesn’t bother trying to fight you, instead opting to stand with his arms crossed across his chest before you. He looks at you with a look somewhere between disappointment and analysis - you can’t really tell. Something about him does, however, says ‘deep in thought’.

“Hands up, legs apart, relax your knees,” he speaks while moving to stand behind you, placing his hands in your upper arms. You quickly realise he’s doing this to support you as he gently kicks at your ankles. It doesn’t hurt, but it’s just hard enough that it causes your legs to shift and you to sink your stance.

“There. Much better,” he mutters, moving round to the front of you and taking your wrists in his hands. “A low stance means a low center of gravity. A low center of gravity if good for balance. Better balance, less likely you are to be knocked over. I’m sure you can infer why that’s a good thing.” He speaks as he moves your hands, placing your hands about half a foot in front of you.

“Keep your guard up. You got one head, if the enemy gets it, you’re gone. Don’t give them the chance.”

He stands in front of you, out of reach of any misplaced punch or pathetic kick you might try and throw.

“You learn quick enough, I’m sure this’ll go smoothly.”

———————König———————

He’s well aware of both his strength and size and is incredibly nervous to try this - especially when he thinks about the fact that you haven’t been trained to fight

König wants to do right by you, he really does, but his nerves get the best of him sometimes

He’s very hesitant to touch you, so ends up taking a very hands off approach to teach you instead, opting to stand next to you and have you copy him instead

König is fidgety as he moves to stand next to you, holding his hands up with his left hand in front. He waits, unmoving for a second, before looking down towards you.

“Could you copy me please?” He speaks, voice seeming to crawl out of his throat at the same speed that honey drips off a spoon.

You do as you’re told, trying your best to copy his stance. It takes a few minutes for you to get it right, not including you making tiny little adjustments to your position to try and be as accurate to your teacher as possible.

König can’t help but chuckle a little at your actions. He makes a small comment, asking you to raise your front fist up slightly.

“Put your non-dominant hand forwards, so when you punch, you can punch with your dominant hand.”

You do as told, holding your non-dominant hand further in front of you than your dominant one. This prompts another laugh from him.

“You need to also put the same leg forwards. Left hand forwards,” He pauses for a second, taking care to gesture to his left hand. “Left leg forwards.” He does the same thing, this time gesturing to his leg, planted sturdy in the ground, providing a solid support.

“You have to do the same,” he speaks with a hint of a smile but with nervousness dripping off of every syllable.

“Don’t worry, it gets easier with time.” He reassures you, and you’re almost certain you see his eyes crinkle in a smile.

[skye707]

What do you think the Riddlers' would teach as High School teachers and/or College Professors?

They would be outstanding at the art of roasting high schoolers

Unburied - Debate. I feel like this Riddler in particular can talk his way out of any jam. Also, it's awesome for his ego to destroy a high schooler's argument.

ZY - History. Any kind of history, or all of them? He'd showboat on his knowledge and ability articulate historical themes until the institution gave him every history position. Also gets a power trip from roasting high schoolers.

Dano - Computer Science. Programming. Anything that has to do with computers. All the nerdy kids in his class love him, and he eats lunch with them in his room. But that's definitely not because the other teachers think he's weird, so don't even think that.

YJ - Dorky Coach that got asked to teach math because he said he was good at it once in passing and the school can't find a teacher. Steps in the room on the first day and is immediately out of his depth. But he is good at math, so the kids that want to learn get a lot out of it.

Gotham - English. He's got a knack for literature and composition as well as an innate desire to tell people the right way to say something. However, students hate him because he's the strictest grader on campus. Never given a perfect score in his life.

BTAA - Drama. The biggest drama queen. Finds ways (ethical or not) to help his students find their inner artists. Gets his high from the applause after a performance, even if he wasn't the one actually performing. His students' parents are clapping for him in his heart.

Arkham - Engineering, but only at the university level. He doesn't have time for the childish ways of teenagers. Gets way too excited during lectures and always ends up screaming by the end. Sometimes a student will try to debate a topic and the rest of the class can break out the popcorn as the two begin to verbally spar for the duration of the class period.

BTAS - Digital Art. He knows how to use every computer program every created and will teach his students how to as well. May or may not have found a way for his students to illegally download whatever they need, but no one needs to know that. Plus, their art is amazing so who cares!

Telltale - Psychology and Sociology. Another one that's only working with adults. Understanding the mind is the first step to taking advantage of it. People are very stupid and teaching a class like this could possibly improve the intelligence of the youth of tomorrow (but his hopes aren't very high).

[ask-pokeprofvoid]

Pelipper mail!

[Oh! It's a letter from Polaris!]

"Dear Dewdrop and Drea,

I think I’ve gotten a proper hold on how the mail system works here, which is a plus! Looks like letters from me will be coming in on Tuesdays and Fridays, providing that nothing goes wrong.

It’s been a bit chaotic with the Walrein, but it seems like things are settling down. Wallace has been a massive help in settling them.

Drea: Oh, Opie is a very cute nickname for me. I like it a lot :) Zeze and Nini are also very cute. It’s nice to know that your school has a wide array of teachers giving lessons. And you’ve made friends, oh that’s excellent Drea! I love working with Dragonite, they’re always very sweet and gentle with their trainers. I would love to meet your new friends when I come home.

Oooh, I see. I’m glad to see that you’ve found a safer alternative to Pokeblocks while I was gone. Nana is an excellent cook so I’m sure that they are delicious.

Dewdrop: Everyone is safe :) Yes that’s very important. First bristles on the babies!! Augh, I can’t wait to come back and see them, I’m sure they’re so so cute.

Also, I would like to contest, I think that I personally am the Lucky One in this relationship. Your family has always been so kind and welcoming towards me.

Ah, nightmares…I’m sorry Droplet :((( I’m trying to resolve the Walrein issues as soon as I can. I’ll be on the plane home literally as soon as physically possible.

I miss Liam, and Cobbler definitely misses his Criminal Companion.

Sorry for the shorter letter today, it’s been so so so busy handling the Walrein. I haven’t had too much time for much else! I’m writing this letter on my lunch break. Bird says Hi!

Lots and lots of love from me, we are staying safe

Your Starlight."

[Attached are a few photos of the Walrein line in the sanctuary. Once seems to be Wallace, based on the old burn on the back.]

Hi again Opie, Uhm I have a question. when you get home can you help me with the service pokemon stuffs again? I know Mis Mom miss Viv has been talking about it alot but i am very nervous :-( BUT!! She says she will ask Uncle Ingo to help train me a strong pokemon so I wont be scared when going outside! ALSO!! I caught a little Larvitar that uncle is gonna train up for me!!

Dune and Liam have been cuddling more and more!! [Theres a image of Dune and Liam cuddled in the sun with Liam grooming the old persian.]

[There is a piece of tape, seemingly being a easier way for Andrea to leave room for Vivianne, the Washi tape being magikarp themed]

Hello starlight :) I am so glad that everyone is okay and remember what you tell me 'dont rush yourself'...or was it the other way around? I don't remember haha. Mischeif decided to use bounce on me yesterday, was funny since he is still quite weak. Knowing Queenie though? She'll get them in fighting shape quick, Shes always loved sparring with the little karps.

Rememeber to not over-work yourself though Starlight. You need time to recover and rest too! Also, Tell bird me and Drea said hello :)

Love you from the bottom of the ocean to the furthest part of space, Your Dewdrop <3

[bambiraptorx]

He gets on roofs through the power of sheer will.

Okay, how about an actual question...do any of the other turtles have "silly" and "funky" school related habits like Demophon?

-🔮🕸

Lua has the most obvious problems in school, because he has an unfortunate habit of picking fights when he's bored. Admittedly it's not always intentional: a lot of his relationships are banter-heavy and involve poking fun at other people, so at least when he first starts school, he tends to start conversations with insults. It has actually worked out more than once for him, like how he met his best friend, but for the most part people do not respond well to being randomly insulted by a stranger.

People also don't like it when a student with middling grades somehow gets the best scores on every single test and excels at every sport he tries, so there's a few other students that actively try to humiliate him or get him in trouble. He responds in kind, and is much better at it. Occasionally one side or the other goes too far, and it ends up as a physical brawl. And, since Lua is trained as a fighter (and engineered to be one) these fights tend to end up pretty one sided.

He's also the most likely to prank teachers or staff, in some of the truly most bizarre and outlandish ways that the school has ever seen. He takes pride in making his pranks as off the wall and difficult to pull off as possible. He tends to get caught, just because being that off-the-wall tends to act as a sort of signature, but hey, as long as he pulls it off.

Miltiades has the most problems with paying attention in class, because he always has to be doing something; fidgeting, shaking his leg, waving an arm, etc. He can't really stay still and focus at the same time, so Draxum hears a lot about him "disrupting the classroom environment". The best he's gotten is trying to take notes, but that usually ends up with him doodling and completely zoned out.

His working solution is an incredibly complex system of abstract symbols that he correlates to what he's hearing, so the lessons are acting sort of like directions for what he has to draw. This system is constantly shifting to fit both the material he's learning and the stuff he wants to draw, which has its pros and cons. He usually can't read notes that are more than a year old anymore, for one. (Also, some teachers are... not nice about students drawing in class instead of taking traditional notes.) Still, it's the best thing Millie's found so far.

Also, he's just as good at pranks as Lua is, but his are much more subtle so he gets away with them more. Lua might get back at a teacher by hiding a stinkbomb potion in their jacket pocket and setting it to go off during their lunch break; Millie would find out where they live and shift all their furniture two inches to the left. For him, getting away with it is just as much fun as the prank itself, and he never, ever gets caught.

Ragnarok is the closest thing to a model student, at least inside the classroom. He is very quiet in class, keeps the fidgeting to a minimum, and is borderline terrified to ask to have things explained to him when he doesn't get it. He's dyslexic (doesn't know it) so every assignment takes him twice as long to complete as it's supposed to. (This is one of the places that Draxum's whole thing about addressing his own neurodivergence causes problems: Draxum is also dyslexic but refuses to acknowledge it, so in his mind there's nothing wrong with how Ragnarok reads, because that's how Draxum reads.)

He also has a lot of anxiety about hurting people, partly because he pretty big and partly because he had to learn a lot of control very quickly after starting school. Even in the school's sparring club, he tends to pull his blows and lose a lot of fights because he doesn't want to risk it. He still holds back when he's sparring his dad or brothers (just not as much), so he doesn't really even know what he's capable of. Which, y'know, feeds the anxiety.

However, he does enjoy spending time with little kids, and sometimes helps out at the school's nursery/pre-k-ish levels. He also likes hanging out in the pond by the school. He comes to class dripping wet so often that most teachers just sigh and ignore it at this point.

[aenxiome]

Chapter 11 : where do your loyalties lie?

The past few days' events have kept me distracted to the point that I couldn't focus on anything the teachers were saying. I'm sure Mr. Lancer was about to strangle me after I correctly answered the question, "what is an onomatopoeia." It's not like I was doing it on purpose yet; my mind keeps going back to the crystals in my pocket. They still held a chill about them and are ridiculously smooth. Even with them moving around all day in my pocket, I couldn't feel a blemish on them. They're just too important to leave about, and there's no way I'll just throw them away. None of the other teachers called me out Besides Mr. Lancer, so I thought I was in the clear, but apparently, I wasn't being subtle enough as Sam and Tucker cornered me at lunch.

" So dude," Tucker starts while inhaling a barbecue sandwich, " Did you ever find out what was wrong." My eyes flicker between them, and I realize I never told them. " Ah, well, about that," My hand makes its way to the back of my neck as I tell them sheepishly, " Apparently, my core has been changing. It's still an ice core, but it's also changing to be a plasma one. Frostbite says it better than me, but that's pretty much the gist. It will take a few weeks for it to stabilize and things to go back to normal, but it should be okay in the end." The two of them let out a sigh of relief as Sam says, "That's good at least you can get back to Superheroing soon." I scoff at her wording, " I'm not a superhero." Sam rolls her eyes, "Then what do you call beating up ghosts then? After all, you're fighting the "bad guys"; that's what superheroes do."

"What I'm doing is community service." I retort blandly, " after all; it's my fault that the portal opened in the first place. The least I can do is make sure everyone makes it home all right." The three of us sit In silence, the two of them digesting. Tucker gives me a sad look, " you know it's not your responsibility to make sure we're all okay I mean, your parents and Val can take care of some of the small fries." I nod slowly in agreement, "I know, but I worry. I wouldn't want anything to happen to them."They take my words as sincere, but I have to question what I've said. To try to convince myself what I said was true. Well, it's true I wouldn't want Maddie, Jack, or Val to get hurt, but they weren't exactly who I was talking about.

It was the other ghosts.

I know we have our fights, but only a few of them are truly enemies anymore. Most of them, like Johnny and Kitty, just come to blow off some steam. Skulker is just following his obsession. Ember comes for shopping or a quick spar these days, and it's not like Lunch Lady is hurting anybody by volunteering at soup kitchens. I would hate to see them tied up in the lab basement or captured by the GIW. I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if I ever let that happen, but I can't say that; after all, I'm still supposed to be like them.

" You guys wouldn't believe what happened yesterday," I start to break the silence, " It was so weird, one second, my ghost sense was going off, and the next," I shove my hands in my pocket and take out one of the crystals, " these were coming out of my mouth." Tucker looks in interest as Sam makes a small face of disgust, " that came out of you?" I nod excitedly and start to explain, " yeah, it was so cool–" but I never get the chance to finish as Sam cuts me off, " why would you keep those? That's just gross." My face must have shown something as Tucker cuts off Sam and tries to reassure me, " Well, I, " he says, giving a quick glare to Sam, " think that it's very cool. What do you plan to do with it? I hum in compilation, " I was thinking of making it into a necklace. It's not like I can just get rid of it after all."

" Ooh nice," says Sam, " do you have anyone in mind for who you're going to give it to?" she asks in an expecting voice. " I have a couple of them, so I was planning to give one to Jazz and the other to myself," I say, not taking the bait; Sam seems to accept the answer while Tucker looks confused. "You've never been one for jewelry, man." I take a bite of my food before answering, " well, it's not like I can't try new things, and it's just a necklace, dude; it's not like it's a big deal."

He choked down the rest of his food before leaning into my face looking oddly tired all of a sudden, " I'm just saying, it's like everything is changing with you these days. First, the superpowers," they're not superpowers, " and now it's like everything else about you is changing." I blink at him, baffled, " it's not like im going to stay the same person forever, Tuck," or at least I hope so, " I'm allowed to try new things." He throws his hands up in exasperation as his voice rises, " Im not saying you can't try new things, but it's almost as if your a whole other person these days!"

" I'm not the same person I used to be. I'll admit that" I say calmly, " but I'm still Danny. I'm still your friend; shouldn't that be enough?" He looks at me with conflicted eyes, " you say that but what happened to the guy who would go to the Nasty Burger with me, play Doomed with Sam and me, and watch Dead Teacher movies? Because I haven't seen him in a while." I sighed, " You know I've been busy, and it's not like I don't tell you everything," gesturing to both of them, " hell, half of the time, you're there with me when things go south." He bunches up his fists in frustration, " well then, why don't you make the time to do stuff with us instead of dragging us into your messes!"

" Me, drag you into my messes? When was the last time I did that?" Sam cuts in, " That day with the Ice spike and the other day with the octopuses." I glare at her, " and if you would remember correctly, you were the one who dragged us over there, and you both offered to take care of the octopuses. So it's not like I pushed a thermos into your hands and forced you into anything!"

It wasn't until now that I noticed how loud our conversation had gotten. The whole cafeteria is staring at our table in shock. Probably because the "freaky nerds" have drama, but either way, they're staring. With that realization, it's almost like the world has stopped. Tucker's words fall on deaf ears, and the world feels like it's spinning out of control. The cafeteria just heard me say, " it's not like I pushed a thermos into your hands and forced you into anything!" this could get me into so much trouble. I look between my friends and our audience and can't help myself.

I leave.

[187days]

Day One Hundred Twenty-Six

So I didn’t really teach any of my classes today. 

Mr. W and one of his other martial arts students came in, and the three of us did a demo in World, which was extremely fun. We sparred, did katas with and without weapons, did a few chi-breaking tricks, took requests and answered questions, and related everything we did back to principles from Buddhism, Confucianism, and/or Taoism. My students kept coming to find me later in the day to say how cool it was. It’s not everyday they see their prim and proper teacher throw kicks and punches, or get tossed around like a rag doll. And, y’know, it’s a cool way to see the influence of those belief systems. 

After that, we had lunch together with Mr. F, and I quickly put my classroom back in order for APGOV. Tom White was the guest lecturer today, and his topic was extremely dark and serious: the eugenics movement, its influence on US policy, and its influence on Nazi Germany. Not a lot of students know that Nazi race laws were patterned after US ones. So it’s startling, it’s heavy, and Tom’s brilliant at teaching it- and offering the hope at the end of the block with a simple, “It doesn’t win.”

That’s teeing me back up to teach tomorrow. 

I’m very curious to hear more of students’ thoughts about today- in both my courses- before I move forward, though. So expect some of that in my next entry.

What else? 

Track practice was good and muddy again. The sprinters did some timed 40s indoors before going out to do some plyometric drills in the dirt. I had to leave early, though, because I had a union board meeting, so The Head Coach handled that part of practice. After the meeting, I puttered around in my classroom a bit, then headed out. I saw Dean 1 as I was leaving- he was headed back to his office- and he made the comment that I was there late. He’d forgotten it was already track season because it just doesn’t feel like spring yet. Here’s hoping the weather warms up and the snow melts soon!

[krabstick32]

Girl Code

Pairing: Giyuu x Reader

Synopsis: Having crushes are hard. Especially when your best friend and the person you like seem to be hitting it off. 

Tags/warnings: very very very light angst, mostly fluff uwu

a/n: first of all, happy new year! school got reaaaal busy, so whew! it’s been a while! not gonna lie, I really missed writing stuff! I got a few days worth of break, so hopefully I get to finish a few backlogged reqs. (I think I only have two left, but to those two, I sincerely apologize for the wait! I’m planning to write them as headcanons to get them out faster, so I hope you don’t mind!)

to @aliaisreal​, thank you so much for requesting and being so patient with me 🥺 i apologize in advance if it’s not very good :(( it’s not my best work, but I hope you still enjoy it and that it’s somehow worth the wait^^

Link to the ask: Request by @aliaisreal​

As the Insect Pillar, and the successor of the Butterfly Estate, Shinobu Kocho was one busy woman. She has a lot of responsibilities on her plate such as slaying demons, concocting medicine, and the like, so it was safe to say that she had no time to babysit anyone but—

“Shinobu!” The door bursts open and one of her… self-appointed responsibilities come prancing right through the threshold. “How about we go out to the village and have some lunch, hmm? My treat!”

Even if her skin felt like it almost flew off in shock, her smile stayed the same as she arranged the papers she intentionally threw around her desk when you came barging through the door. It wasn’t like you immediately coming in shocked her or anything. No, not at all. “Hello to you too, (F/N). Not that I particularly mind, but why so sudden?”

At that, your cheeks turn an adorable shade of red. In your excitement to invite her out to eat, you forgot to greet her first. “Ah, hello. But, back to the topic of lunch!”

Shinobu didn’t really change the topic, but she waved a hand as an indication for you to continue.

“Well, you seem stressed lately. I was hoping to treat you out y’know? And then you could rant and tell me all about it—only if you want to of course, no pressure at all!”

She sighed. For the past few days, Shinobu was starting to get a little frustrated with the current medicine she was trying to make work. On top of that, she needed to handle so many other things, and do missions, check in on patients, cook—well, it wasn’t anything out of the ordinary, but it was starting to get on her nerves. 

It was no surprise that you were starting to notice because even if you seemed a little too enthusiastic at times, you were still her best friend and a pillar at that—you wouldn’t be here without being exceptionally skilled and observant. Overenthusiasm aside, she—and everybody else included—knew you meant well. 

“I don’t know,” She hums, excited to see how you’ll react. “Are you done with your portion of the work? You looked a little distracted earlier, what with Tomioka-san—“

With the mention of the water pillar’s name, your sweet closed eyed smile turned sour as you immediately placed your hands on her mouth to stop her from continuing that sentence. “Y-Yeah! Yeah, I’m done! You know I don’t slack off. All the patients are fine and I've stitched up the few whose wounds opened.”

She was just teasing. Shinobu was well aware of your skill and work ethic, and while Shinobu was gifted in medicine, particularly pharmaceuticals, you had an uncanny knack for cutting people apart, and stitching them back up again. You were as skilled with a scalpel as you were with a sword.

“I’m just teasing (F/N)-chan.” The Insect Pillar replied, and couldn’t help but want to push more of your buttons as your face seemed to relax at the thought that she wouldn’t mention a particular someone. “But are you sure you’d rather invite me? I’m sure you’d rather ask Tomio—“

If your face was pink before, you were absolutely glowing right now as you put back your hand on top of her mouth. “Shinobu! You know I...you know I don’t like him like that! Besides, I am positive he likes someone else.”

She shrugs your hands off—which were slightly clammy, ew— as she shows you a devilish smile that has you sweating more. “Lie all you’d like, but I don’t think that’s something someone who ‘doesn’t like him like that’ would say, don’t you think?”

Ah, teasing was fun, but teasing you and tomioka were one of the few pleasures in life she made sure to enjoy.

“...Stop teasing me or I will eat without you.”

“Okay, okay, let’s go to that ramen shop in the village.”

Everyone didn’t give the great Inosuke-sama enough credit!

He was raised by boars, grew up in the wild, and treated the mountains like his home. Insouke may have lacked skill in what society normally taught, like proper etiquette, and reading, but the wild was a great teacher on its own, and taught him things he wouldn’t have learned in the company of other humans.

Spending his entire life out in the wild, Inosuke was able to learn how to heighten his senses, particularly his sense of touch, and how to observe. He may have been clueless in the socially acceptable ways to voice out what he sees, what he feels, but Inosuke is perceptive, and that’s what people normally wouldn’t associate with someone who was as stubborn as a rock, and as brash as a beast.

Inosuke—and Kentaro, Nezuko, and Monitsu for that matter—usually spent their time at the butterfly estate. The three of them—mostly Tontaro, really—helped the girls. Cooking, laundry, cleaning, lifting heavy things, were simple chores that they did, and afterwards, Inosuke would often find himself looking for you and Shinobu.

He always felt this...fuwa-fuwa feeling around the two of you, and he thought both of you were like that Gengoro, his sister, and reluctantly Chuitsu.

There was a day where Shinobu was out on a mission, leaving you partially in charge of the butterfly estate, and spending some time with Inosuke. Personally, you found Inosuke to be interesting due to his origins, and overall, he was fun to be around with. Surprisingly, both of you really complimented each other despite being both huge balls of energy and enthusiasm.

That day, you and him were having a little spar by one of the yards around the estate. To an outsider, it was absolutely funny seeing him, who had a more built body compared to your lithe frame, getting thrown off and beaten to a pulp with a wooden stick. If Shuitzu were here to see the spar, he would be laughing his ass off in that pissy, slightly disgusting high-pitched tone at the many times Inosuke was thrown down. Manchiro would probably observe though, and would probably encourage him that he could beat you one day while helping him with his wounds.

Contrary to popular belief though, Inosuke was well aware he couldn’t beat you, at least not yet. Regardless of the way you looked, he could feel it in his skin that you were a formidable opponent who could easily break his bones if you wanted. Seeing your strength for himself was an opportunity he saw where he could get stronger, even if it did frustrate him a little. Or a lot.

“The great Inosuke demands a rematch! A rematch!”he demands, fussing against the ground as you lower your sword and stand up straight from your last breathing form.

“Ahaha, okay, okay! But I’m feeling a little tired…” you pause and place a hand on your chin with a thoughtful look. In a few seconds, you snap your fingers and turn back to him with a bright smile. “Ah! How about we take a break first? Then you could go back to handing me my butt?”

Inosuke knew you weren’t tired and that technically, you were the one handing him his ass. You weren’t heaving a lung out like he was, or sweating bullets. You were the picture of calm and collected, pristine like untouched snow, without a hair out of place.

Inosuke huffs and pushes himself off the ground. “Fine! Insouke-sama permits it!”

“Wonderful! Wait here.” You chirp and pad back into the butterfly estate, leaving Inosuke to unceremoniously plop back down to the ground.

A few minutes pass, and he feels his skin tingle—someone was here, but they didn’t seem to have any malicious intent. It would have felt different if there was.

He looks up from his spot on the ground and spots the hanhan baori guy, his face looking the same as it did the past few times Inosuke saw it. The odd guy was just passing through the gate when Inosuke pushed himself off the floor, wooden sword pointed between Pochioka’s eyes.

“Hanhan Bao—!”

Before Inosuke would have finished his proclamation to fight, you were back standing at the engawa with a tray of sliced fruit, and bamboo cups filled with cool water. “Inosuke? What’s wro—Giyuu! What brings you here?”

Huh. That was odd.

“(F/N)-san.” Inosuke goes uncharacteristically quiet as his eyes darted between the two of you.

It was completely unmistakable. Hanhan Baori’s mouth moved when you arrived. Inosuke honestly thought Dohioka was a magic statue before this day.

You turn to Inosuke and place the tray in a safe spot. “Here, eat first. I’ll just ask what Giyuu needs, and we can spar right after, ‘kay?”

“‘Kay.”

At his response, you give him a warm smile and pat his head (there was that darned fuwa-fuwa feeling again!). He watches as you and Tapioka move a few meters away, settling underneath the shade of a tree to talk, a bit too far away for him to hear.

He doesn’t think he needs to though, because your body language said it all.

Your face was a little flushed, your smile looked even sweeter. Hanhan baori’s mouth was curling upwards in a smile, and his eyes looked fond. A suspicious combination for someone who he previously thought was a statue up until now. But he digresses. He’s never seen you look so...like this. You smiling wasn’t much of a surprise, but with Pachinko around...it was different, and Tochioka seemed more open to boot. There wasn’t much of a doubt in his mind. There was something between you two. He just couldn’t put a name on it—but there was something. Maybe he should ask Monjiro about it.

He munches on the fruit thoughtfully, watching you smile softly—softer than he’s ever seen—as you seem to answer a question Torioka asked you.

Yep, definitely something up between you and Tomioka.

Maybe he should extend his help. After all, the great Inosuke-sama was the kind ruler of the mountains. Pushing you two along would be a piece of cake.

Shinobu catches you pouting by the window in your joint office. It was adorable, considering how your cheeks were puffed, and your eyebrows were furrowed, but with your personality? Sulking wasn’t like you. “Care to tell me what’s wrong?”

Surprised, you jump and turn to find the Insect Pillar with her ever present smile painted on her face. It seems softer though, kinder. “Huh? No, nothing’s wrong!” You disagree, pushing yourself off the chair and tidying up the papers scattered on your desk.

She watches you with a small knowing smile on her face. “What, didn’t see Tomioka-san today?”

You paused for a moment, imperceptible to any outsider, but to Shinobu, who has spent so much time around you, that momentary lapse in movement was enough of an indicator. “...No.”

Hit the nail right on the head!

“You are a terrible liar (F/N)-chan. I thought the two of you were getting along? Should I go put poison in his tea?”

At her suggestion, you turn back as your skin pales. It was largely concerning how easily Shinobu could do that. “What? No! He did nothing, I swear it!”

“Awfully defensive,” The Insect Pillar snickers, before taking a seat on her chair and turning to you. With you pouting at her, Shinobu is reminded of how fun it was to tease you.

“Shinobu-chan.”

“Teasing.” She raises her hands in a move to placate you. Well, annoying you was fun and all, but she was concerned for you, more so than wanting to piss you off. “Anyway—jokes aside, you know i’m always here for you, right?”

You knew that. She was always willing to listen to your problems, but you couldn’t exactly tell her that you’re trying to distance yourself from Giyuu because he liked her.

Truth be told, you were getting along with Giyuu, so much so that you’ve started to like him as more than a friend. But, you cared for Shinobu and you wanted her to be happy. She and Giyuu made more sense than you and him.

“...Yes.”

“And that I love you like a sister, right?”

Despite all the teasing, you knew Shinobu really cared for you. She may like to push your buttons, but oddly enough, it reminded you of one of your siblings, so you didn’t mind. Just like your relative, you knew they did it because they wanted to distract you from your problems. An odd way of doing it, but they really would have gotten along.

“Yeah.”

“And that I can easily kill a man and hide his body?”

“Shinobu-chan!”

She laughs, the sound very similar to bells, and you can’t help the bitter thought that maybe Giyuu liked someone with a mellow voice like hers. “Kidding! Kidding! Well, kind of on that last one.”

You pout, and she brushes off her statement with a near irresistible bribe. “Alright, how about we go get some food? My treat.”

Awfully tempting. But there was still one more concern in your head.

“No poison?”

“Have more faith in my, (F/N)-chan!” Giggling, Shinobu slides the door open, and beckons you over. “Now, let’s go—I’m sure you’re hungry!”

“You didn’t answer my question!” You say, trailing after her in mild worry, feelings momentarily forgotten as the thought of food replaces it.

It was any other early evening in the butterfly estate when the Water Pillar barged in through the doors, blood dripping from an open wound on his chest, with the oddest expression on his face.

Maybe what should have alarmed the butterfly girls were the deep scratch marks on his chest. Instead, it was the near half-crazed look on his face. Tomioka-san’s face never moved from it’s impassively cold stare, why was now any different?

“Where is she?” He rasps.

Aoi, who was standing at the entrance with Kiyo upon his arrival, was brought out of her shock. “Tomioka-sama, lie down. Kiyo will lead you to a room and I’ll get Shinobu-sama immediately to take care of your wounds.”

“No, where is she? Where’s (F/N)—”

From the end of the hall, you came down to see what all the huff was about. You were taking inventory of the supplies since it was a little slow today, but the ruckus urged you to go out and take a look.

“Giyuu? What’s going on he—ohmygods, Giyuu, are you alright?” Seeing Giyuu pale—well, paler than normal—and bleeding all over the floor was not what you expected though.

“(F/N)...” Seeing her alive and breathing eased Giyuu’s worries, so much so that he sags in relief. He would have dropped down the floor if it weren’t for your quick reflexes.

Lightly, he feels you press a hand to his head, wiping the sweat forming on his brow. 

“Giyuu? Stay with me, we’re going to fix you right up, ‘kay?” There was no doubt in his head that you could. He’s been in much worse really. The blood loss just wasn’t doing him any favors.

Regardless, he shakes his head and just savors you being here, warm and alive.

“Hey, what’s wrong?”

“I thought you were dead.”

“Dead? Who, me? No, silly! I just sprained my ankle, so walking’s a little hard, but i’ll be fine!”

“I thought I was going to lose you...” He was starting to babble. The blood loss was starting to affect him more than he’d thought.

“Lose me? Don’t worry, I’m not going away any time soon.”

“Good…” Giyuu breathes out a sigh of relief. He liked the thought of you living for a long, long time. “I like you a lot.”

With that admission, his head slumps over your shoulder, and his body gets heavier, prompting you to nearly drop him with the weight of his sudden confession and his mass.

Aoi and Kiyo watches, shocked beyond words as your face continuously gets redder and redder. Whether it was from the exertion, or his words, well, everyone knew exactly what was causing you to look like a freshly plucked apple.

“H-Hah?! Wait, Giyuu? Giyuu!”

And that is the sight that greets Shinobu. She was back from a report to Oyakata-sama, so seeing you all red and flustered with a fully grown man who was bleeding all over her floor and who was about to fall over and kill you—with his weight, or with his words, Shinobu could easily guess which—was an especially unusual sight, but unfortunately, not really unexpected. And mildly infuriating.

“Tomioka-san, you total dunce! Get treated first! Ugh, (F/N)-chan, don’t let him fall, he’s losing blood!”

“Ow—“ Giyuu grunts, the bandage being wrapped around his torso a little too tight for his taste.

“Tomioka-san.” Shinobu starts, her hands continuously steady as she wraps the bandages with precision and efficiency around his chest. “I don’t think we’ve had a heart to heart chat about (F/N)-chan, don’t you think?”

After Giyuu’s surprise confession, you and Shinobu were able to drag him to a nearby room. He was passed out cold, and between you two, carrying a fully grown man would still be difficult, even if you’ve both had special pillar training.

He woke up a few minutes after you were done stitching the open gash at his stomach which caused his bloodloss (and slightly embarassing fainting spell). These unfortunate series of events have led him here, painfully being bandaged by none other than Shinobu. It wold have been nice if you were the one doing it, but Shinobu sent you to go look for more bandages with this sickly sweet look in her eyes—which you barely noticed in your worry. The worry was sweet, but now he knows Shinobu’s motives. Interrogstion.

Giyuu could do nothing else but nod, doing his damn best to not flinch, and keep still.

“You see, she really likes you, you know? I’ve never seen (F/N)-chan happier than she is when she’s with you. Honestly, I don’t know why she does, and what she sees in you but I like seeing her happy. You and I both know that she deserves it.”

Giyuu watches her wrap the bandages with practiced ease albeit with a little more force than necessary. Hearing Shinobu talk about you so fondly has him feeling grateful that you had someone who cared so deeply for you, and who was so willing to do anything to keep you happy. Even if the brunt of her attacks did fall on him, he could understand where she was coming from.

“She does,” Giyuu says, surprising Shinobu as she finds the softest, most fondest look she has ever seen on Giyuu’s immovable face. For a moment, Shinobu could see that he cared so much for you—as much, if not more than you cared for him—and she knew that he would never do anything to hurt you.

Unbelievable. She can’t believe he passed her test so easily.

She lets out a heavy sigh, turning back to the task at hand with a saccharine smile ready on her face.

“All that said, If you hurt any part of who I see as my beloved sister, I'll make sure to use my medical expertise to ensure you don’t get a chance to spread your genes—”

The door slides open with a nice loud clack, preventing Giyuu from hearing the rest of Shinobu’s sentence. Just as well too. He doesn’t think he’d want to hear the rest.

“Shinobu-chan! I’ve got more bandages for Giyuu!”

“Ah, thank you, (F/N)-chan!” The Insect Pillar smiles, taking one of the fresh bundles you offered, as you moved to the side of the room, arranging the medical supplies for easier access.

Shinobu leans down, under the guise of tying the gauze, as you flit around the room, spreading sunshine in your trails. None of you mention how you blatantly avoid eye contact with Giyuu. But it’s not like he’s initiating any either.

“I don’t think I need to continue my sentence.” She mumbles under her breath. “Do you understand?”

Giyuu winces as she tucks in another piece of bandage, grumbling in response. “Loud and clear.”

BONUS:

Later that night, Shinobu left the two of you alone in Giyuu’s hospital room to talk it out. It was a little awkward at first, but as the two of you melt the ice, your usual sunny personalty—ironic, as you were the Snow Pillar—takes over. Throughout the course of the evening, you take out his hand with his permission, and have the time of your life holding it. It was a little funny how stiff and unused he was being at hand holding, but you found that to be one of his unexpected charms. And it wasn’t like he was complaining. He actually found it adorable how small your hands were, and how it fit really well against his own.

“So you don’t like Shinobu?” You ask a little shyly, playing with the tips of his fingers.

Against your skin, you feel him shiver in disgust as he looks slighty disgusted by question. “Gods, no, never.”

“So you were serious about liking me? It wasn’t a joke?”

“I don’t think I’d joke about that in my final moments.”

You giggle, feeling a little silly for even questioning it. But really, you don’t think you could be blamed for it. “You have a point.”

The two of you stay in comfortable silence for a while. He watches you trace vague shapes against his palms and he’s never felt so at peace before, than he did at this moment. After a while though, a curious thought strikes him, and he can’t help but want to ask.

“...What made you think that?”

The tips of your ears stain pink before you look away and bring one hand to your cheek. “Well I thought you two liked each other, and it seemed like she suited you much better than I would.”

“I only ever liked you. I thought I was being obvious.”

As blunt as ever.

“Ahaha!” You laughed, getting flustered in spite of the warmth pooling into your chest. “Well, I guess not enough for me.” It’s not as if you were able to notice. You did think he liked Shinobu after all. “By the way, why did you think I was going to die?”

He look up at the ceiling. “One of Tanjirou’s friends...that boar kid told me you couldn’t walk, and that you couldn’t move.”

“Inosuke? Oh, that…that actually makes a lot of—a lot of s-sense!”

Giyuu watches you fondly as you laugh. In your defense, the thought of you spraining your ankle being blown out of proportion by none other than Inosuke was funnier than you ever expected.

“Don’t laugh.” Giyuu pouts. It was the most adorable thing you’ve seen. “By the way he said it, I really thought you weren’t going to live to see another day.”

You breather deeply, giggling a little as you look at him with mirth and happiness dancing in your eyes. “Okay, okay. I’ll explain it to him tomorrow. But I guess I should thank him. If you weren’t nearly half-dead on your feet, neither of us would have confessed.”

“Yeah. I‘ll go with you.”

“Cool! Cool...Um, Giyuu?”

“Yes?”

“Could you maybe… perhaps, say that again?”

“Say what, again?”

“That you like me?”

Giyuu chuckles, giving your hand a light squeeze. “I like you.”

He’d say it a million more times if he gets to see you smile like that again.

“Heehee, I like you too Giyuu!”

a/n: i got a little sick of rereading this so many times, so, apologies for any grammar/spelling mistakes!! i hope ya’ll liked it though uwu

also, are any of you playing genshin impact? man, that game saved my sanity, and at the same time caused more insanity....it’s fun.

if u guys wanna play, feel free to send me your uid’s! i’m at world level 6 so i can go into most worlds :^)

[cassanovancats]

felicitate. two.

one < current > three

Jan. 2017

Two months have passed since Yuta’s first day. You were able to convince Satoru that, because he shared the similar disadvantage of not having an inherent technique, you should control his training. Maki was still his primary partner when it came to afternoon sparring. But he was your partner in the mornings.

Every morning, the two of you would focus on a different part of the body or a different form of exercise. You spotted him in the weight room, you logged his mile times, and, most importantly, you became his friend. Over before-dawn laps and cool-down stretches, you got to know Yuta and Rika.

For the first month, Rika stayed as an intangible ball of energy hovering around Yuta. Then, slowly, she began to manifest a form. Only for a minute at a time initially, but with time, she would appear for the entire session. Rika would hover a few feet above the weight bench or make flower crowns from the wildflowers that grew around your preferred trail. Yuta seemed just as surprised as you when she placed one on your head after a week of her practicing making them. She explained how she wanted to make something just as pretty as you, with all the innocence of a child. You had thanked her with watery eyes.

But with all the peace that came after settling into a new routine with Yuta joining your class, something was bound to ruin it. This time it was a required meeting between the big three clans. The invitation that arrived specifically asked for both you and your brother’s presence. Satoru tried to squirm out of it saying, “They didn’t say which brother had to attend,” but Megumi's unimpressed look and point at the name Gojo sprawled across the top ended that excuse.

Which lead to where you are now, dragging your human classmates through the Ginza streets to collect a custom gown. Maki grumbled all morning, but you were finally able to shut her up with a promise of buying everyone coffee, lunch and take-out dinner. Inumaki was content with any excuse to go into the city (even if it meant he had to carry your bags) and Yuta didn’t have the nerve to reject your offer when you smiled so hopefully. Though, he was curious after the employee of the shop greeted you like an old friend. “Why do you need such a fancy dress?”

“I don’t,” you rolled your eyes. “I have, or had, several custom ones already. I donate almost all my clothes after wearing them to these events. These meetings, when me and Nii-chan are both requested, are used as an excuse to find ways to undermine the political status of Gojo’s. Nii-chan did not force me into years of tutoring on sorcerer history and politics for me to get clowned about wearing the same outfit as last time.”

Maki adds, “The Zen’ins and Kamos are the standard for sleazy shamans. Not every sorcerer is as nice as us.” Yuta nods hesitantly, which makes you snort.

“I know us kicking your ass constantly may not seem ‘nice,’ but trust me when I say I’d rather be getting tossed around by Maki or Panda than attending this dinner.”

“Bonito flakes.” You can tell Inumaki is pouting behind his face mask.

“C’mon, Toge-chan,” you draw out the ‘-chan’ and grab his free hand to swing it back-and-forth. “You know I didn’t mean it like that. It’s a good thing to not be grouped with Maki! She’s such a meanie when it comes to training.” Maki moves too fast for you to dodge her punch. Yuta laughs under his breath at your group’s antics. “Anyways, the most exciting part of this dinner will be seeing what Kamo schmuck they dig up to try to convince Satoru to marry me off.”

“They’re still on that?” Maki laughs and throws her arm over your shoulder. “You would think they’d catch the hint after you stopped wearing furisodes.”

“Salted fish roe,” Inumaki offers.

You sigh, “I would, but you know they wouldn’t treat you well. Escorting me would just mean you get to deal with their passive aggressive comments too.”

“What if I escort you?”

Your group stops walking in the middle of the crowded streets. People continue to push past, but the three of you continue to stare dumbfounded at Yuta. “Is it that bad of an idea?” He flushes bright red and turns his head to stare at the ground.

“No, no,” you reassure as you get the group moving again. “It’s just… well, you remember how we reacted when you came into the class initially, yeah? While they would make fun of Toge-kun, the people at this meeting would try to kill you without hesitation. There’s no guarantee even Rika could stop the full force of everyone in both the Zen’in and Kamo clans.”

Yuta gives a small, “Oh.” He continues to stare at the ground.

“Seriously, I would love to have an escort, especially if it was either of you. There’s only so much of clan politics I can take alone. But I’d never ask you or Toge to go through that for me.” You move from in between Maki and Inumaki to bump against Yuta. “Like, these people are the ultimate bullies. I want you to deal with them only when absolutely necessary.” He finally seems to cheer up some and you take the moment to grab his hand, tugging him forward. “Now c’mon! The bakery Nii-chan got those pastries from last week is only a few blocks away!”

The day of the meeting arrives without much fanfare. Satoru took Megumi out on a mission in the morning to exorcise some low-level curse and you were left at the school to start what would be a long day of preparations. You shuffle into the common area and begin making a cup of coffee. It isn’t until you turn to get creamer from the fridge you realize Yuta, Inumaki and Panda are eating breakfast in the same room. You flush, suddenly aware that you didn’t grab any sweatpants when you left your room and you had slept in a stolen pair of Satoru’s boxers. “Please tell me I’m still asleep,” you mutter, shutting your eyes and whipping back around to finish preparing your coffee.

Panda falls over laughing. Inumaki gives a loud whistle. Yuta is redder than you are and has his face almost flat against his rice. Of course, to add to your humiliation, Hakari and Maki come in from training.

“(y/n), I was never here and I never saw you,” Hakari throws his hand over his eyes and immediately turns to run towards his dorm room.

“You know, I don’t see why you don’t just attend dinner in this outfit,” Panda says.

“Of course you don’t, you literally don’t wear clothes. At least Hakari is smart enough to have some shame and not ogle at her.” Maki moves forward to steal a sip from your cup and gags, “God, how much sugar is in this thing?”

You pout, “The appropriate amount to get me through today. I need to borrow one of your thigh holsters, by the way. Nii-chan doesn’t want me to have to use his technique if something happens.”

“Nori?” The three jerks finally stop laughing, though Panda still seems particularly delighted at your embarrassment.

“Mm, I don’t think so. But some elders got pushy when I was sent to the last meeting and not my brother. Satoru wants me to be able to scare them, not maim them.”

“Salmon,” Inumaki still seems hesitant, but you and Maki move onto a different topic easily as you two walk to her room.

Yuta watches until he’s sure neither of you will hear him ask, “Will she really be okay?”

Inumaki, despite seeming hesitant before, gives a stronger, “Salmon.” He gestures for Yuta to pick up his phone (the boy has gotten better at understanding Inumaki, but wasn’t able to have a conversation yet) and sends a message in a group chat appropriately named Da Bois while Panda grumbles about how unfair it is that he has paws and can’t use a phone.

osamu: (y/n)ie is smiley but she’d kill someone if they tried anything lol

fushiguro: what did the idiot do

fushiguro: who is osamu

osamu: ofc u don’t know hq

fushiguro: what’s that supposed to mean

creepy-kun: when did you change my name >:(

Yuta pouts about the name change for the rest of the day and avoids his phone to keep from Inumaki’s teasing. He almost misses the photo you send in JJH Thots.

It’s you and your brother pressed cheek-to-cheek and making faces at the camera. Satoru has on his circular sunglasses instead of a blindfold, even though it’s clearly night in the photo. His bright, blue eyes peek over their edge, his smile wide, and he has one hand throwing a peace sign and the other on your side. Your mouth is tugged back into a snarl, but Yuta can see how a smile is starting to break through and your eyes are lit up. Both of your hands form claws, like you were a second away from jumping through the phone screen and pinning the viewer.

the good gojo: time to annoy some bastards!!

maki: tell naobito he’s a bitch

fushiguro: ^

osamu: you!! look!!! hot!!!!

the good gojo: the way satoru thought that was for him

the good gojo: it’s delusion luv

Yuta has seen the two of you in almost this exact pose in person. But you weren’t dressed like that, with the slightest hint of the black leather holster you wore peeking out from underneath soft layers of tulle. Even his usual carefree teacher is in Western formal wear, with a tie that matches the floral print on your dress. Yuta knew you had bickered over who got to pick and who had to match. He almost couldn’t imagine the people in the picture wrestling like the two of you had. Together, you two are blindingly beautiful. It wasn’t fair.

Yuta covered his face with his pillow and screamed.

[yandere-sins]

Bad Decisions

[My Commission Info] | [My Ao3] | [Ko-Fi]

I was again commissioned for a companion piece to this one! This time from the reader’s pov and some backstory. Thank you ♥

Characters: Ignatz Victor (Fire Emblem: Three Houses) x Reader Words: 3401 Warnings: Yandere, Obsession, Mentioning of stalking, Mentioning of War/Death/Blood

You could still remember the first time you met him vividly.

Taking a seat on the ledge above the training grounds, you heaved a long breath, trying to calm your racing heart. If only you could have put this energy into training more, instead of using it as a reason to take a break, but your legs felt wobbly just from thinking about getting back up. For the better of the last three weeks, you had trained and studied tirelessly. Being granted the chance to attend the academy of your dreams was no reason to slack off, and you were thankful for the opportunity you were given. 

But… rubbing your sore legs and feeling your feet pulsate in the tight leather boots as they finally got a break, you had to admit that it was more challenging than you expected. Even though you had built up stamina and muscles before coming here, you were still met with the instructors’ high expectations for their top-tier students. Day in, day out, you were either on your feet and training or with your head in the books studying. No wonder it felt so draining when all you did was pressure yourself more and more on being perfect and prepared for all that would come your way. After all, your expectations of yourself far exceeded the ones anyone had in you. 

“It’s tough, isn’t it?” a timid voice called out to you, and you turned your head towards it, a flask with water being held out in your direction. Surprised you took it, finally getting a look at the person behind the voice. A young man, not much older than you, smiled at you friendly, his glasses tilting a little from him leaning forward. Without waiting for your reply, he pointed at the space next to you, asking, “Mind if I join you?” and you shimmied to the side to allow him to take a seat.

“Swordsmanship isn’t my strong point either. I keep forgetting where to put my feet,” he laughed bashfully, rubbing the back of his head. He appeared friendly, approachable, and kind, but his physique was on the weaker side, making his struggles a tad obvious. Nonetheless, you weren’t one to judge someone based on appearance, and taking a sip from the water flask, you felt yourself be soothed by the refreshment. Having spent so much time holed up in the library or handling weapons hadn’t given you a lot of chances to make friends, so having someone be so kind and nonchalant around you genuinely made you happy. 

Handing the flask back to him, the young man gladly accepted it. His shirt had stains of polish and sweat on it, and you realized he must have come from training himself just like you. You wondered what year he was in, or if he was a classmate you just never noticed. 

“Sorry, that was weird, wasn’t it? Approaching you so out of the blue. I’m Ignatz. Ignatz Victor, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” 

Though his name didn’t ring a bell, you shook his hand out of respect. Even if it started out a little awkward, you two soon fell into a comfortable conversation as you shared your weak points, and so did he. Your words weren’t forced out, and you started to relax around him. At the same time, Ignatz laughed and smiled at you, putting you at ease as well. Perhaps you two were more alike than it appeared at first glance, and thus you were relieved to find someone like-minded. 

At that moment, you didn’t find him approaching you so weird anymore. More so, you were relieved to have someone accept you so openly and interact with you, who had been rather lonely up to this point. Part of you had always wanted to make friends in the Monastery and hang out with them, and this was the closest to it you had come. It was also refreshing to have someone to talk to, and as it turned out, Ignatz was able to lift your mood significantly with his input and suggestions as you spoke about your everyday life at the Monastery.

“Come,” he prompted, jumping down the small ledge and standing before you. Holding out his hand to you gallantly, he waited for you to join him back on the training grounds with a kind smile. You didn’t feel pressured to join him. Instead, you wanted to join him, agreeing that it might be good to not cool down too much. 

“Let’s see if we can help each other,” Ignatz laughed, and perhaps, for the first time since you arrived, you let out a chuckle. Taking his hand and letting him lead you back to where the weapons were, you agreed with an enthusiastic, “Okay!”

It wasn’t a friendship you expected to have, but with every passing day, you felt yourself growing and thriving from it. With Ignatz by your side, new things were opened to you. He took you out in the city and showed you around the fields. His interests sparked new ones in you, and soon enough, you weren’t caught in that somber life you had built at the Academy before. Having someone to motivate you and lift the burden on your shoulders with a clever and upbeat nature made you strive for more and greater things. He picked you up when you were down and in a slump, helping you to enjoy your time much more than you did when you still struggled to find your place. Time passed on, and you two still stuck together. Everything was going so well.

Until it wasn’t anymore.

It was the little things that made you nervous. The glances that lingered too long, the hand next to yours on the library table whose pinky kept touching yours. Goodbye hugs that were too tight and eyes that tore away from anything just to look at you. Ignatz’s unfinished paintings that he never worked on again once his attention shifted to you instead, making you feel bad for the waste of paint, and the tests he seemed to flunk because he only ever cared for your lectures. 

Somehow you were glad when he wasn’t allowed to change classes. This way, you’d have at least a little bit of privacy since he wouldn’t let you go train alone, even if you told him you had a different sparring partner this time. It had started out so innocently. You were just two people who got along well and spent a lot of time together. But now, roughly three months since you came to the Monastery, you wondered if there was anything else going on.

By now, you had made new friends and then lost some, but you found the courage to join clubs and help the student council because Ignatz had been with you all this time and supporting you. Without him, you probably wouldn’t have had the success you achieved, and while you were glad for such a good friend by your side, you slowly felt like you were drowning again. Not drowning in work and insecurities like in the beginning, but drowning in Ignatz’s presence in your life. 

Truth be told, you wanted to spend some hours alone every now and then. With everything going on, you searched for ways to relax and destress from the buzz of the day, and not always did you wish for company that, frankly, made you anxious. Even if it was hard to pinpoint - perhaps because part of you wished you didn’t have to pinpoint it at all - something about Ignatz felt off. 

There were off-hand comments about your life that he shouldn’t have been familiar with. Finding out about your extended family was weird, but you thought it might be registered somewhere that he could have stumbled upon. However, when he brought up your favorite toys and books from before you had joined the Academy, you raised an eyebrow. His mentions were so casual and woven into conversations that it was sometimes hard to find them, but when he also started to talk about the days you spent apart from him in the Monastery, you knew something was up.

Part of you only wanted to believe he might have a crush on you.

Sure, as sweet and positive as he was, Ignatz still occasionally tended to be clumsy and awkward. It was always easy to forgive him for a wrongdoing as he’d apologize and learn from his mistakes, though, so you never worried much. Still, it seemed like he tried to get even closer than he was to you by following you around and checking on you more often than not. It might have been pleasant and cute at first, but you had to admit you were beginning to be creeped out by his obsessive observation of you, knowing even little details like your toilet breaks or what you had for lunch. 

Perhaps it was just his way of trying to tell you how much he cared and wanted to be with you. But what if it wasn’t?

The thing he didn’t realize was that the more he pushed himself on you, the more you wanted distance from him. It had been a harsh realization, one over which you lost sleep for a few nights. Because how would you be able to make it clear to the person who had supported you all this time, kept you company, and helped you through everything, that you wanted to have a break from them? Perhaps, a few days or a week. Maybe it would stop the negative feelings you had about him if only you wouldn’t interact for a while. At least, that’s what you hoped.

Waiting in front of his classroom, you picked at the skin around your fingernails nervously. Class was already dismissed, but you could see Ignatz talking with the teacher, his back turned to you. It was taking a while, but you had to do it. Better now than never. If he had feelings for you, he had to realize he wasn’t showing them in a way you were comfortable with. And if he genuinely liked and appreciated what you two had, he’d understand your request for a break as well. 

It was nerve-wracking to wait for him, but eventually, you heard his signature laugh as he waved goodbye to the teacher and turned to leave, sorting his papers for a moment before he noticed you. Anxiously, you lifted your hand in a greeting, and Ignatz’s eyes widened and began to shine amorously, a broad smile curling his lips. He was so happy to see you that he quickly ran up to you, almost colliding with some passing student. But he didn’t even care, only coming to a halt right in front of you. 

“Ah, I’m sorry to keep you waiting,” was his first response even though you two hadn’t actually made an appointment with each other. Ignatz stood closely to you, almost enough so that your chests would touch. It was a kind of forced intimacy that made you uncomfortable. Still, in foreknowledge about what you were going to drop on him shortly, you allowed it. 

“Actually…” you mumbled, looking around in hopes that the crowds would start to dissolve. “I’ve got something to tell you. But maybe not here?” 

Ignatz’s expression only grew softer as he heard that, and you wondered what he thought you were going to tell you. Nevertheless, he softly pulled you by the hand and into the small garden next to the classrooms. Sure enough, there weren’t as many students here as most took after-class activities or went to the training grounds instead, and it made you feel better. Breaking his heart in front of everyone was an embarrassment you didn’t want to put Ignatz through. 

“So, what’s up?” he laughed, happy as ever, but he had yet to stop holding your hand, which you pulled away from his for him instead. 

“Ignatz, it’s just…” 

As expected, it was hard to form the words in your mouth. There were too many accusations on mind that you didn’t want to hit your friend with, but how else were you supposed to tell him? Something had to come to mind now, preferable a reason that wouldn’t ruin your friendship. Ignatz looked at you expectantly, as if he was hoping for a confession rather than a break announcement, but you simply didn’t return those feelings of his.

“I wanted to talk to you about us, and--”

Just when you finally managed to bring up the courage to confront him, a voice behind you called out to Ignatz, who - reluctantly - looked away after his name was called out a second time. “Byleth wants to talk to you!” a student you didn’t know announced to Ignatz, and you bit your lip.

Just your luck.

“I will go after--” Ignatz tried to argue, dismissing the call, but you gave his arm a pat to get his attention, quietly releasing him to go. 

“It’s not that important anyway,” you assured him. Like a liar. “We can talk about it some other time.”

“Are you sure?” Ignatz questioned, furrowing his brows. You could see his honest disappointment in not hearing the words he was desperate to receive from you in his eyes, but you just nodded. “Of course, we can always talk about it later!”

Reluctantly, he looked back to the student who was waiting to lead him back to Byleth before he sighed. “Okay, I’ll be quick. You can tell me after that!” 

“S-Sure,” you mumbled, forcing a smile on your lips, and Ignatz reached out his hands, squeezing each arm comfortingly as he saw your awkwardness. Finally, he passed you by, not without having his eyes on you until he really couldn’t anymore, and off he went. Just like that, you had missed your chance to tell him, and with it, all the courage you had built just for this moment.

Just before he turned the corner, Ignatz stopped, and your eyes met for a split second. “I’ll see you at training later?” he asked, sounding worried. You gulped before nodding, and he went on his way with a tender smile playing on his lips. It was the first time you really didn’t want to go train since you came to the Monastery. Just sit out for the day, and maybe, forever, so you wouldn’t have to see him.

In the end, you never got around to tell him. Before you knew it, you were busy with your duties and studies. Even though Ignatz’s behavior continued, you didn’t have the time to give it your attention. 

Then it happened. The event that would change everything in your life and everyone else’s.

And the tragedy ensued.

As you carried yourself through the forest, colliding with countless branches and thorns in your way, you felt so frustrated. It all could have been different, but now that you chose this path, it would be the one to die on. If only you had told him your feelings back then. If only you had made an effort to hold him back and fess up. Then nothing like this would have needed to happen.

Your hands were stained with the blood of your friends and comrades. The same ones you spent the best months of your life with. The ones that helped you get proficient enough to kill them and the ones that begged for mercy as you gave them a quick death. And yet, because you never told him to back off, you had never been able to make the same cut with Ignatz. He had been the beginning and the end, the reason you had survived for so long and the reason why you were now deserting from the fraction you swore your fealty to. 

Goddess, you were pathetic. 

Secretly, you had always known this. No matter how hard you tried to cover it up, you weren’t a genius or especially well-raised like the others at the Academy. You didn’t even have a title to defend, and you chose the side that seemed less risky when it was time to decide to whom you gave your loyalty. All the efforts you had put into your time at the Monastery had been the only thing you were good for - working hard and diligently. But you weren’t cut out for these heavy burdens. 

And you couldn’t kill the only true friend you ever had when it was most crucial to do so. 

Your whole life could have played out differently. You could have asked to be moved to another frontier in the countryside. Maybe you’d have died at some point, but at least you wouldn’t have to meet all these people you once loved and admired, seeing them die one after the other. Or maybe you should have just given up and let Ignatz do the deed, at least so you didn’t have to hear the words you always dreaded. He had utterly taken you aback with his confession, and you felt even more confused and appalled than back in school. 

Hearing him confess his love, you simply couldn’t fight him anymore. 

It was wrong. Wrong to run, both from your duties and Ignatz, but it had been the only thing you knew how to do. You never learned any better, never stood up for yourself in any choice you made. Following instructions and orders was all you could do, and even if you tried to do something on your own, you’d always end up needing to rely on others. Plagued by these thoughts, it only pained you more when you heard Ignatz shout behind you, realizing he still wasn’t going to let you go.

“I looked up to you! I needed you, and you needed me! And yet, you betrayed us! And yet, I only liked you more!”

Yes, you needed him. You needed someone to save you when you were lost. But right now, you needed anyone but him to take pity on you. Anyone but Ignatz to tell you what to do. You needed to decide on your own what you were going to do from now on!

A sudden push tore you out of your thoughts. You had come so far and almost reached the other end of the forest, but the saving light disappeared in front of your eyes, replaced by the dirty ground as you crashed down. Frustration, pain, fear - all of it caused tears to collect in your eyes. The weight of Ignatz’s body on top of you made you struggle against him, the last effort to escape the clingy obsession he had with you. 

“I love you! I love you so much, don’t ever leave me again!” he yelled, his face contorted in pain as if he was the person going through a lot. What expression were you making? It satisfied you to see the disgust visible in your face reflecting in Ignatz’s eyes, hoping he’d get the hint. Twisting and turning your wrists, you hoped it would cause him to let go, but his grip only tightened the more you moved.

Out of sheer willpower, you managed to lift your pinned down right hand to his face, scratching and fighting against him. But alas, he kept you where he wanted, making you wonder where he managed to gain so much muscle strength to do it. He looked different now, but all you could see was the nice guy who first approached you at the training grounds, a weak but chipper young man. And yet, perhaps because of the war, or maybe you simply never noticed it before, the aura of madness was all that surrounded him.

It was just like back then. Ignatz was the one who took the decision about your life off you. It was a slow, painful realization, your screams being covered by the ones on the battlefield, and your tears disappeared in the dirt beneath you. You’d never have the last word in your life. Someone would always come to take it away from you. Maybe you were just not meant for it, but there was nothing more terrible you could imagine than not being the master of your own self. 

Bad decisions led to this outcome. But how could you have known back then, when Ignatz was a wolf in sheep’s clothing?

[deer-knight]

rapier journal - entry four

today was a great day! i fought the captain, dustman, the frenchman, and some other folks i haven’t written of yet - they will be called celeste (she/her) and lion (he/him). i fought single rapier, case, dagger, longsword, and buckler today.

if you’re interested in hearing of my fun with such blades and persons, read on!

i was in a pretty good headspace today! last week we didn’t have practice and so i was glad to be back. my spirits were up because one of the kids i work with came for our youth practice and is eager to return next week. i love seeing kids outside of work. it reminds both of us that we are whole human beings, with great expansive lives.

i did forget to eat lunch, which cut short my stamina towards the end. im usually the one to have the last fight of the day, but today i tapped out just a bit earlier. i didn’t take many breaks either, as there were plenty of folks to pick up bouts with.

the captain and i fought single rapier, and i’d say i actually won far more than she did this week! though, she had just finished running the youth practice and was wearing a too-tight jacket as she forgot her own, so she was fairly out of breath most of our bouts. i just felt faster for most of it, and she didn’t do as much of her typical aggressive inside fighting.

celeste is from out of town and doesn’t come often, but she’s a fun fight. a bit slow, but she has an unpredictable tempo and no tells that i can figure out, so she’s hard to predict. i also fought her single sword, and i think i came out a bit on top.

dustman i fought with dagger first, then longsword, something i rarely practice. dagger feels strangely foreign to me still. i have to work that out. longsword is very different. the distancing is really hard for me to gauge, and so i ended up landing a lot of hard shots on accident. i felt bad for poor pin-cusion dustman. he’s a nice guy and took the shots gracefully but i could tell he wasn’t thrilled about it. i’ll have to do some distance/target practice on the wall or work with the captain. she knows far more about it than anyone else. i was missing a lot of shots too, so some point control is in order.

then there was a three vs. three melee, which i fought with case. oh gosh, melees are such a weak point for me. there’s so much to keep track of. i’m at the point where i can read a single person pretty well in dueling, but reading three people all at once, and keeping track of my allies and communicating is all quite a lot. my teammates were celeste and sir north, against lion, the frenchman, and dustman. fairly even teams i’d say.

it was tough. i made the mistake of leaving sir north behind once he got legged, and then got legged myself, leaving celeste to try and fight between us. it was...messy. having two swords was definitely an advantage though, and well suited for combating many opponents at once. i know nothing of melee strategy, but sir north is well versed in it and offered some helpful advice - target one person on the end at first, and work from there as threats appear. use a legged person as an advantage. stick close to them and lure opponents into their range. though i avoid sparring with him, learning melee strategy from him could be helpful.

lion i dueled with after the melee. he requested we fight single so he could work on his non-dominant hand. he’s a bit slower than me but he knows form well, and has a range of experience. at this point my sword was starting to feel heavy, but i pushed through those bouts. he was good at vocally describing what he did wrong when i got him, and then asked me for advice. i realized i’m not terribly good at that beyond a very beginner’s level, so i think i want to ask the captain if she has any advice on how to notice things like that during bouts as a teacher.

the frenchman then asked if i was up for a fight and i couldn’t say no despite my fatigue, so i picked up a buckler and faced off with him, who also had a sword and buckler setup. he’s very skilled with it, my goodness. he had some good pointers on how to use it too, and what the advantages are to different kinds of bucklers. i want to work on that with him more.

phew, my arms are spent. it’s been a while since i had a practice so taxing. doing forms that use both hands is tiring, which i think is part of it. but i love it! i love fights that tire me out. they make me feel alive. push me on the edge.

i have no further ideas for next week - i just wanna keep doing what i’ve been doing - fight everyone with everything.

[liquid-luck-00]

Last Name: Wayne

Bio!Dad Bruce

Day 9: Last Name: Wayne

@biodad-bruce-month

Ao3 ~~~ First ~~~ Previous ~~~ Next

~~~~~~~~~~

Why do I have time to school early mainly keep an eye out for little Miss Goody Goody. She knew that the moment that a little Dupain-Cheng showed up she would pull out the waterworks and everyone would be fighting over her to comfort her, and so very one would ignore the little Maribrat. What she didn’t expect was that Marinette showed up riding a motorcycle.

Hell she didn’t even know the girl could ride. That’s when most of her other classmates noticed her too. She was wearing a light brown leather jacket with what looked like neon pink piping. Comfortable blue jeans and a pair of dark gray combat boots. Her hair was just in a simple ponytail but that was definitely Marinette. Which means the other day that was probably her as well.

—-

Adrien, Nino, and Kim were the first to break out of the group and headed towards her.

“Hi Mari” Nino simply spoke rubbing the back of his neck.

“Mars are you OK?” Kim asked almost too soft explosive speech.

While Adrien simply just stood there. She gave them a smile like usual as she pulled her backpack over her shoulder. “Hey guys! Nice seeing you guys again.” She said, pulling out her phone, and grabbing her helmet. With that she simply walked off in towards class.

After that she didn’t even acknowledge any of rest of the class. Well how could she could ever since she took a step towards the school she was being stared at so she distracted herself by looking at her phone. However that didn’t stop them from trying to get her ‘attention‘.

Even though she was completely distracted, every attempt to push shown or even trip her failed, she seem to have gained uncanny sense of balance three weeks no one had seen her, Millie having to do with the constant sparring and Random prank attacks her brothers like to play.

At some point they seem to have just given up and followed her back to their homeroom where again she didn’t pay them any attention. She just walked up the steps towards her seat in the back and sat down.

“Girl why are you ignoring us we just wanted to say hi” Alya spoke out. Maria didn’t respond. However this seemed to throw the entire class into a fit of rage. “Mari really what’s wrong with you“

“Oh you only want to say hi, well where was that concerned when none of you showed up to my parents funeral, when none of you try to reach out to me during that time.” She said in a calm voice above a whisper. “Because you know what, oh yeah I don’t know about you but having the three people in my life who were my only family die unexpectedly tends to leave a person in the mourning. I was lucky that I had an actual support group of people who support me and love me but none of which are currently in this room right now.” Mari finished in the same calm voice leaving the entire class silent as if only just remembering yeah Marinette’s entire family died. There was no miracle cure to bring them back.

“No one really” Alya began to get angry, “are you kidding us everyone knows that Lila went last week to see if you were OK but you kicked her out“ at this Lila began to cry as if knowing that was her cue.

“Really I don’t remember anyone come to the states to try and talk to me?“

“What do you mean the states“ Lila asked tentatively.

“I’ve been in the United States for the past 2 1/2 weeks I haven’t been in France.”

In that moment Miss Bustier decide to enter the classroom and by her side Damian silencing all further conversation.

“Alright class as you can see we have a new student, would you like to introduce yourself?” Miss Bustier asked.

“Hello my name is Damian and I am from Gotham that is all.” He spoke in a bored tone. “Oh Qamri you forgot your tablet.” He whispered pulling the said item from his bag handing it to her and sitting down next to her. The entire class had been watching him and in turn this interaction.

“Thank you Mon Sol” she whispered in return.

“Okay” Miss Bustier clapped her hands to get the classes attention. “It is time to take roll” she went though roll but didn’t call me between Julia and Mylene, so of course Alya spoke up.

“Miss you missed Marinette, and she is on time”

“That is not the order of the roll now, Max Kante” she continued while the class broke out into hushed whispers, “Lila Rossi”

“Present” she called now the entire class was watching them as both still haven’t been called.

“Damian Wayne”

“Present” the class went silent watching her brother but nothing could prepare them for what would happen next.

“Marinette Wayne”

“Present” chaos erupted.

“You cant be a Wayne, your lying” suddenly everyone began to cowed their desk and was shouting at the two.

Just as suddenly the class went quiet receiving matching glare from both her and Damian.

“Honestly a simple search would prove my identity” Damian began “and as for my half sister it really is no concern of yours as to why she never told any of you” he growled.

“Holy shit” Alex yelled from her phone “He is the Damian Wayne”

“Wait is this why you don’t like Lila cause she’s dating your brother”

“If you are implying that I am in a relationship with that sausage haired harlot you are sorely mistaken”

“When did this lie come up because I don’t remember it before”

“What she is not lying!” Alya cried out.

“Honestly I don’t know how you deal with theses sheep Qamri”

“I don’t know how I’ve survived either.”

“Really we have wasted half of this class on this drivel, Madame may we begin the class or are we going to waste the rest of the time as well?” Damian spoke up hoping to end all of this.

Luckily Miss Bustier started the class attempting to reign everyone in. Their next classes were much more pleasant, mainly due to the teachers actually being competent. For lunch they happened to escape the school without being noticed and only returned right as the lunch bell rang signaling the end. By the time she and Damian went back to class the air was tense and many had changed seats. Lila still sat with Alya and with them on the left side of the class sat Adrien, Sabrina, Rose, Mylene, Ivan and Max. But on the other side sat Juleka, Chloe, Alix, Nathaniel, Kim, and Nino we’re now sitting on the right side of the class in front of her and Damian. Lila’s house of cards was beginning to crumble but that was nothing compared to what was to come.

Next

~~~~~~~~~~

Taglist:

@mochinek0 @justafanwarrior @abrx2002 @ranger-gothamite @fantasiame @moonystars14 @mochegato @bigbeautifulandfullofsugar @maribat-is-lifeblood @iglowinggemma28 @miraculous-ninja @talutah0 @vixen-uchiha @danielslilangel @witchsblackfox @pawsitivelymiraculous @lizziejay @marinettepotterandplagg @colorfulmongerpsychicranch @dast218 @sassakitty @miyla-lokidottir @lilkymilky @tazanna-blythe @tired-butterfly @lozzybowe @smolplantmum @queencommonsense @loopingtangent @chez-pezeater @paintedhope7 @technicallyburninggarden @meme991001 @wannajointhecrabcult @melicmusicmagic @trippingovermyfeet @greatcatblaze @fidget-eep @miraculouslydumb @iamablinkmarvelarmy @laurcad123 @hauntedwintersweets @fc-studios

[stupid-sloot-headcanons]

Irina has a fondness for Asano's Darling even if they are ridiculously naive...maybe because of that? Like Asano's Darling has the worst assassination instincts since she's not an assassin--she's an assistant teacher and a brand new one at that! She's easily the weakest link in the classroom but she's also the one who insists on staying and is the first to patch the kids up after they spar. Her desk is basically a mini-nurse's office and she's gotten a lot of practice at applying first aid. Koro-sensei compliments her a lot and says if he didn't have his protective shedding and superhuman abilities, she'd be the best one in the school at healing the students.

And Irina's not used to that ability JUST to take care of others. She's learned a lot about teaching and protecting, but healing and nurturing is something that definitely doesn't come to her naturally. ____'s able to do it so effortlessly, and Irina gets a stupid impulsive urge to use what she DOES excel at to look out for ____ in return.

It's also nice to have another woman on the staff to chat with, lol. I mean Koro-sensei's a mild perv and Karasuma is such a square, but she can easily talk with ____ about things. She thinks about trying to help her learn to know when Asano's manipulating her and work around it, but Asano is almost impossible to beat from that perspective AND ____ says she knows on some level he's manipulating her. She knows he probably doesn't believe she has what it takes to be a good teacher, and that he's just using her for another selfish "job."

But she doesn't want to out-manipulate Asano either! She admits that she couldn't if she wanted to, but she DOESN'T want to; she wants to prove him wrong and help the E Class succeed, not just to spite Asano but to focus on the kids--they're infinitely more important than "winning" over the principal.

And Irina's just like "...You're so naive but GOD you're so sweet, let's go shopping and let me teach you how to break a man's finger just so you have one little form of physical defense 🥺"

People who are that hopeful and kind and warm are hard to come by in the world of assassins, yk? Having someone around every day makes her feel nice the same way being a teacher to those brats is. Like Irina hasn't ever gotten a homemade lunch from someone that wasn't just trying to impress or flirt with her, but ____ made one for her with traditional Russian food ("I found some easy recipes online!") and it made Irina tear up a little.

[pkg4mumtown]

Signs of Attachment (Ch. 3)

Summary: Having an auditory processing disorder never slowed you down, but it mean you were confined to the Temple when the Clone Wars started. Will the frustration of not understanding people at times make for a rather lonely existence?

Chapter 1 / Chapter 2

Pairing: Obi-Wan/Reader (Gender Neutral)

Rating: G (for now)

Warnings: Hard of Hearing Reader, Fluff, Gender Neutral Reader

Taglist: @trash-dino-5000

A/N: Thank you, again, for everyone who’s read. This is the tentative end, but I may add an epilogue at some point!!

Just a reminder:

“Text.” Means someone is speaking.

“Text.” Means someone is speaking and signing.

Text, Means someone is signing.

Chapter 3 - Falling

I mulled over a data pad in my examination room, counting down the seconds until I could run to the mess hall for lunch. I felt an all too familiar signature approaching my door, making me look up before it had even opened. It had been a couple months since that spar with Obi-Wan, but we had both enjoyed it so much that we made a habit of it at least once a week. Though, not as intensely as that first one that left both of us rather sore the next day.

“Good afternoon,” Obi-Wan signed immediately upon seeing my eyes fixed on him. His voice rang out melodically, so I basked in it before it would inevitably become muddled.

My eyes widened when I saw his hair, “You got a hair cut?”

He paused, embarrassed because I’d noticed.

“Yes, yesterday,” he ran a hand through his hair, which was brushed over to the side, his mullet long gone.

“It looks good, I love it, Obi-Wan,” I complimented, his cheeks tinting pink almost immediately.

“Have you had—lunch?” He asked, stumbling over the sign at the end.

“No, not yet,” I stood and stretched.

“Come with me,” he nodded his head toward the door with a bright smile.

“What are you up to?” I squinted my eyes at him.

“You’ll see,” he winked.

I followed him, impressed with his progress every day. Obi-Wan led us away from the direction of the mess hall, toward the entrance to one of the gardens.

I smacked his arm to get his attention, “Where are we going? The mess hall is that way.”

“Patience,” he smirked and patted my shoulder. He led me with his hand still firmly on my shoulder while we entered the gardens. We weaved our way through to the back until we stopped at a sort of clearing. I felt him tap my shoulder before he dropped his hand.

“My Master and I used to—have mid-meal here often,” he explained.

“It’s beautiful, Obi-Wan,” I sighed in awe at my surroundings. I had been in the gardens hundreds of times but never in this specific spot, hidden just for Obi-Wan and his Master. I looked down, seeing a small blanket, just barely big enough for us to sit on, and lunch already spread out for us, my head snapping to him in question.

“You planned this?” I questioned.

“Yes,” he signed, then waved his hand for me to sit down. “An excuse to get you alone, nothing compares to conversation.”

“I agree.”

We sat facing one another so signing would be easier, our legs crossed and knees nearly touching each other. The food was off to the side of us for us to grab. As we dug in to the food he had brought, my involuntary sigh of happiness at finally being able to eat made him laugh softly, something so much easier to hear here where it was relatively quiet and low distraction. I waved my fingers up and down at him to get his attention as he looked off elsewhere.

“Obi-Wan, did you make this?

A laugh bubbled from his lips and his head shook, “Stars, no, ask Ana—kin, I can’t cook.”

I felt a smile tug my lips as I watched him stumble over fingerspelling, “That’s not good!”

He just shrugged, “He survived.”

“How is your Padawan?” I wondered, not having seen him in a couple weeks.

“He was knighted,” Obi was signed, mimicking the cutting of a Padawan braid with his fingers behind his ear.

My eyes widened in shock, “That’s amazing, Obi-Wan, congratulations!”

“Thank you,” he signed, then bowed his head.

He furrowed his brows and opened his mouth, “What does this mean?” He asked and mimicked a sign I had just used.

My cheeks burned a little at having to explain it, “It’s your name.”

“But, my name is signed,” O-B-I- — -W-A-N? He finger spelled his name.

“Yes, you’re right, but see how long that took?” I raised my eyebrows at him.

Yes, “It was a lot,” Obi-Wan half signed and half spoke.

“Of course, if it’s okay with you, I shortened it to that. It’s just your hand making an ‘O’ and a couple swipes to your jaw,” I explained and demonstrated it again.

“That’s so much easier,” he repeated the sign. “Why here, though?” He asked, gesturing to his jaw.

“Um, your…beard,” I stuttered slightly.

“Interesting,” Obi-Wan murmured, running his hand over said beard.

I stared at the way his fingers sifted and twisted in the hair. I snapped myself out of a trance and continued on explaining.

“Usually, personal signs like that have your initial and something distinctive about you. Something you wear, your favorite animal, your occupation…”

“I see, so what would Anakin’s be? Because spelling his was exhausting, too,” Obi-Wan chuckled. I smiled involuntarily at the sound of his laughter, not always able to hear it so clearly in our brief passings.

“You’ll get better at it in time,” I nudged his knee with mine and finger-spelled “Anakin” quickly.

“That’s not fair,” he nudged back.

“Well, Anakin has a scar, right? That’s identifiable, so maybe this?” I made an “A” and drew a line down over my right eye with my thumb.

“That’s…genius, how did I not think of that?” Obi-Wan sighed.

“It can be hard to come up with them sometimes,” I shrugged.

“What did you use for Master Plo?” Obi-Wan wondered.

The words decided, then, to muddle together making me look at him strangely, Repeat, I signed to him.

“Sorry, what sign did you use for Master Plo,” he repeated and added sign.

“I made a ‘P’ with both hands and did the gesture for teacher, pretty much,” I demonstrated it for him. “It got the point across as him being my teacher. Similarly, he made my initial and did the gesture for student for me.”

“Clever, though you’re not my student, so what would you use now?” His hand made its way back to his beard, letting his fingers smooth over the chin area. And he wondered why I chose that area for his name.

“Mmm…the closest thing we have to ‘healer’ is ‘doctor’ so maybe…” I trailed off as I formed my initial with my dominant hand and tapped the inner part of my wrist on my non-dominant hand with that palm facing up. “I’d never really needed it before, but that works pretty well.”

I watched Obi-Wan repeat the sign a few times to commit it to memory.

“Nice to meet you, Y/N,” he signed.

“Nice to meet you, too, Obi-Wan,” my shoulders jumped with laughter.

“How long do you have left on—your break?”

“Thirty minutes,” I answered after checking my comm for the time. I groaned and let myself fall backwards, my feet unfolding to land on either side of Obi-Wan. Most of my body was now in the grass behind me, not that I minded.

“Hey, you can’t nap, I can’t sign if you’re laying down!” Obi-Wan protested at my dramatic gesture.

“Relax, Obi, you’re doing well,” I rolled my eyes.

“But I’d like to get practice in!”

“We’re you a master’s pet? Because you sound like one. Oh, who am I kidding, of course you were,” I closed my eyes and rested my hands on my stomach.

I felt Obi-Wan move next to me and lay down, “I resent that.”

“But, was I not correct?” I opened my eyes and turned my head in his direction, seeing his head propped on his hand and looking down at me.

All he did in response was squint. Obi-Wan huffed and laid on his back, playfully bitter about not being able to practice, as if he hadn’t set up a whole lunch date. His hand fell into the grass, softly picking at the blades while the other rested on his chest.

“Obi, huh?” He commented turning his head slightly to raise an eyebrow at me.

“Sorry,” I murmured back, letting a hand slide off my stomach and fall into the grass, my pinky landing on his.

“I wasn’t complaining.”

“Your name is just so tedious that I have to shorten it in speech and sign,” I stressed the “and” by poking the back of his hand with my index finger.

“Yes, well I didn’t choose it, dear.”

“‘Dear’? How old are you?” I snorted.

“Our Temple Days are only five months apart, don’t insult me!”

“Says the man with gray hairs,” I mumbled.

“You’re insufferable. It’s a wonder I don’t have more, now,” he ripped a few blades of grass and used the force to fling them at me.

“You’re the one who invited me,” I sent the grass back at him, hearing him bat the grass off his face with his other hand.

I felt his hand shift under mine, taking it as a sign for me to move my hand, but as soon as I did his palm turned up and grabbed my hand back. I felt a blush rising up my neck, that I could probably pass off as a reaction to the grass, but probably not well. I could feel the contentment he was pushing through the force where our hands met, only making my blush rise faster.

What in the world was he doing?

He settled his hand when he was sure I wasn’t going to take mine back and let his fingertips barely pass through mine. Enough so, that if I squeezed my fingertips together just slightly, I could feel his next to mine.

“Why are you learning BSL, Obi-Wan?” I blurted out.

I did my best to shield my feelings, especially since we were touching, but I couldn’t help wondering why he was doing this. In the back of my mind, I knew it was for me but the fact of the matter is he was a model Jedi. He had no business growing so close to me these last seven months, learning a whole new language for me, and quite literally holding my hand in this moment.

I was too nervous to turn my head all the way but saw his Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed anxiously. I could no longer feel contentment though his hand, but a nervous, vibrating energy instead. Obi-Wan’s fingers slipped entirely passed mine, lacing our fingers together purposefully.

I could read into it without him saying anything, but I was not going to be the reason one of the Order’s greatest Jedi would be expelled, or worse, fall to the dark side. Not that I was entirely without fault here, either. I had definitely fallen victim to attachment toward him, as well; hard.

“Obi-Wan, I can’t d—,” I moved to sit-up, but Obi-Wan sat up faster.

Please, wait, he let go of my hand very briefly to sign.

“Not now, I—.”

Please.

I could see the urgency in his eyes and hear it desperately in his voice as he plead with me, so I paused my hasty exit.

You’re—important to me, he signed slowly, foregoing speech because of the topic, trying to figure out what he wanted to confess as he went.

This isn’t good, Obi-Wan, the Council—

—Can’t understand BSL, he interrupted.

No, but they can read the force. You forget my old Master is also on the Council, I let my arms flop down in frustration.

I’m on the Council, too, now, or have you forgotten? He challenged with a playful twinkle in his eye.

Regardless, they are very set in their ways and my shields aren’t as impeccable as yours, my signing was more erratic than normal, his eyes tracking everything and trying to understand as quickly as possible. If I wasn’t so terrified, I would have said it was good practice for him.

I’ll help you, he took one of my hands in his tightly.

I scoffed and shook my head, No.

I quickly stood up, dropping Obi-Wan’s hand, only to be stopped by a single string of signs.

I’ve fallen in love with you, he finally signed, almost defeatedly dropping his hands in his lap. His eyes were downcast, my entire body frozen as I stared down at him sitting on the blanket. That’s why I’ve kept learning, because I…, he trailed off.

I didn’t even try to pretend that I didn’t feel the same way in that moment, he was just brave enough to say it first. I stared at him for ages, in tune with how his signature had wilted ever so slightly during this extended silence. I finally stuck my hand out to him, to which he looked at and then up at me. I waved my fingers impatiently, so he grabbed my hand and pulled himself up.

We stood almost chest to chest, neither of us moving. I held his gaze, trying to bring myself to sign but my hands were shaking next to me. Obi-Wan brought his hand up, brushing his thumb along my cheek. He didn’t rush me but seemed content to just watch my nervous face. Finally, I brought my hands up, his eyes immediately focusing on them out of habit.

I—I’ve fallen for you, too, I’m…sorry. I shouldn’t feel like this, we shouldn’t…, I looked down, feeling guilt wash over me like a tidal wave.

“No, no, no,” Obi-Wan murmured, pulling me into a tight embrace. “Never be sorry, not for this.”

I allowed myself to sink into his arms, the guilt barely subsiding at the contact. At least until Obi-Wan metaphorically opened the floodgates and pushed through the feelings he had kept hidden from me. I gasped against his tabards, a warmth surrounding me and taking my breath away. I pulled my head back to look at him, running my hand over his beard and smiling as he nuzzled into my palm. Obi-Wan let go of me with one hand, taking my hand in his own so he could bring it to his lips. With his eyes closed and a desperate kiss to my knuckles, he let my hand go and dropped his other from around me.

Can I kiss you? He signed shyly, his cheeks reddening ever so slightly.

Pleas—

He barely let me finish the full sign before he was pulling me back into his arms. I had no choice but to wrap my arms around his shoulders as his mouth descended on mine.

There was nothing complicated or urgent about it, just a simple, exploratory meeting. I pulled away first, the location of this scandalous occurrence suddenly hitting me.

“I need to get back to the Halls of Healing,” I sighed as he pressed his forehead against mine.

“Let me walk you.”

I nodded, allowing him to hold me close as we walked until we got to the busy hallways. In the semi-safe enclosure of my examination room, Obi-Wan pulled me close and kissed me again. This time, more urgently than before, his tongue swiping along my bottom lip and making me clutch his tunics tighter.

I smiled into the kiss but pushed him back by his chest, You’re getting too excited.

Sorry, he replied shyly.

I’ll see you later, I signed, punctuated with a quick kiss.

I’ll be waiting, he stepped backwards toward the door until the door swooshed open. I love you, he signed with his back to the hallway.

I love you, too.

With that, Obi-Wan left the doorway, giving me a passing sign for “ILY” while waving with that index finder at the same time.