#still was forced to cook half the food btw

[shower-phantom-ideas]

Like always cold? Maybe his ghost half is keeping his human half too cold. Like a deep cold he can’t ever get warmed from? His body is working double time to try and keep him warm so he eats a lot more to keep up with the energy burned.

Or never cold. His ghost half now makes him immune to the cold and he just can’t feel it? Shorts in the snow with a tanktop kinda guy. His ghost core is keeping his body temp down but also his ghost powers have combined with his every cell to change him on a molecular level. He could feel the cold if he had control over this power but I doubt he will ever figure that out. Just a “oh I don’t feel cold anymore. Neat” kinda vibe and never try to actually correct it. I like to think his skin would still turn blue if exposed to extreme cold but thats just me

[caraetdeul]

Lay The Table With The Fancy Shit

Choi Seungcheol x fem!reader

The second time you forgave him.

TW: angst, angst, angst!!! Hurt/no comfort, somehow toxic relationship

A/n: so here's the second part! By this rate, I'll probably update once a week. So if u want to be tagged, all you have to do is ask ;) anyways, enjoy reading caratdeuls!

Btw, it can be read as gn!reader but there are descriptions of feminine clothes and things.

~Main Masterlist~ | ~Series Masterlist~

It’s been 2 weeks since the gallery happened. Since then, Seungcheol had tried his best to make up for his absence that day. The whole 2 weeks were filled with breakfasts in bed, flowers on a random afternoon, and movie nights.

To be fair, you’ve already forgiven him after he went to your apartment the next day to apologize but he insisted so you let him be (and you can’t say no once he brings out the puppy eyes combined with his infamous pout but that’s beside the point).

Yet despite his undivided attention towards you, it wasn’t hard to see that work has been hard on him these past few days. You can see it in his deflated shoulders and dragging feet as he comes through the door every night. You tried to ask him about it, doing your best to segue your late-night conversations toward it, but you were only met with uninterested hums or an immediate change of topic.

Forcing it out of him was a strict no-go. You really didn’t want a repeat of last time when you tried to stand your ground on something that was bothering him which only resulted in almost a week of cold shoulders and silent dinners. You realized then and there that if you wanted him to open up about something, you would have to be patient. But even then, you know you can’t just stand still and let things slide. You may not be successful in getting him to talk but you could at least do something that can potentially cheer him up.

It was already 2 in the afternoon when you decided to cook him something special tonight. If there was ever a sure way to cheer someone up, it was no doubt through food. You started listing the ingredients to his favorite food before getting up to get your keys and wallet. And with determined steps, you got into your car and drove towards the grocery store.

You do your best not to shop alone knowing your tendencies to go out of the shopping list you’ve made for the sole purpose of not getting swayed by discounts and deals. Because of this, you would typically ask Seungcheol to accompany you with this chore and he would happily oblige. It even came to a point where he would ask you himself if there was anything to shop for just so he could enjoy the domesticity of grocery shopping with you. The moment you heard those words from him was also the moment you knew that you were in it for a lifetime. But just this once, you’re letting yourself off the hook. You had no choice because it would ruin the surprise if you did otherwise. 

With probably the most focused you have ever been for quite a while, you got through your list efficiently. It didn’t take you too long before you finished and after almost an hour of going through aisles, you’re already on your way home.

As soon as you got to your apartment, you set to work on your surprise. If there was one thing that you could do, it is multitask. You have your younger procrastinating self to thank for, especially in times like these where you need to utilize every single moment within a time limit. Not a single tick of the clock wasted at all. In hindsight though, you should probably extinguish that toxic trait of yours but you can’t really focus on that right now when it’s giving you an advantage on the problem at hand.

For 2 whole hours, the kitchen was filled with the sounds of clanging pans and sizzling food. You were only reminded of how time-consuming this particular dish was when you glanced at the clock on your wall. You huffed, realizing you only had about an hour and a half before Seungcheol came home and you were nowhere near ready at all. Thankfully by the time you were done with cooking, there was enough time left for you to dish out all your finest plates and glasses as well as take a shower and look good for your impromptu dinner date. 

You smile at the thought of wearing the brand-new red dress you also bought earlier today. It was a spur-of-the-moment kind of thing when you passed by a boutique store as you were walking to the parking lot with bags of groceries in your hand. The red dress on the mannequin certainly caught your eye, not just because it’s Seungcheol’s favorite color, you also knew deep in your heart that with your body, you’ll certainly give that dress justice. Yet despite all of that, you were still hesitant to try it on. But if you want to do this surprise properly, you’re gonna have to do this right. And so, nothing was stopping you the moment you stepped inside the store.

You were just finished lighting the candles in the middle of the dining table when you heard your front door open. Taking a deep breath, you take one last glance around the table, making sure everything is in its proper place. You wipe your sweaty hands on your dress when you feel your nerves pick up, praying in your mind for all of these to be worth it in the end.

You didn’t mean to but you were so caught up in your thoughts that you didn’t hear Seungcheol as he walked across the living room and stood behind you, studying the situation in front of him with a raised eyebrow.

“What’s all of this for?” he asked, narrowing his eyes at the candles on the dining table. You jumped at his voice before turning around, your dress swaying with your movement.

Your eyes soften when you meet his tired ones, his name falling from your lips in a concerned sigh. You can see him observing your whole body and your surroundings, his eyebrows scrunching in confusion the longer he takes in what is in front of him.

“You still haven’t answered my question,” he said, looking back at you.

“Well, I know how much you’ve been working hard lately and I just want to do something for you,” you replied. Seungcheol didn’t reply back immediately, leaving you to your own thoughts. You started fidgeting with your hands as anxiety shot through your body. You try to gauge the emotions going through your boyfriend’s face but all you saw was indifference written all over it. You don’t know if it's a good thing or not. You certainly don’t want to think too much about it.

Before the silence gets too suffocating, you ushered him to the table, taking his bag and jacket and leaving it on the couch. He lets you maneuver him as you mutter something about not letting the food go cold.

Once he’s seated, you take the two plates full of pasta from the kitchen counter and place a plate in front of him. You then linger for a bit at his side, grinning widely as you waited for him to realize what was in front of him.

You probably stood there for at least 10 seconds before he finally looked up to you and mumbled a “what” with his eyebrows scrunched. Your smile faltered at his nonchalance, feeling like a fish out of water with the way he was eyeing you up and down. You’ve never experienced being a waitress in a snobby restaurant before but it probably felt close to this.

He’s probably just tired, you try to convince yourself, silently swallowing the lump in your throat. Yeah, he’s just tired.

“I made your favorite food,” you said lightheartedly, sitting on the other side of the 4-seater table. You tried to ignore the heavy air surrounding the table as he only hummed in response, eyes still glued on his phone as he started eating.

The silence was deafening.

You tried battling it with small talk but they were all soon executed by a single nod or an uninterested hum from the other side of the table. At some point, you gave up trying to elicit any other response from Seungcheol with a stifled sigh. No use waving a white flag in front of him when he couldn’t even look you properly in the eye.

Your thoughts were slowly being picked up by the wind as they drifted through your wandering mind, slowly turning into a natural disaster with every clink of his fork against his plate. You felt the air around your table grow heavy with unsaid thoughts and feelings. 

The image of an elephant in the room suddenly crossed your mind. It was a pretty good idiomatic expression to describe the situation you were forced into right now. But one thing that you didn’t account for was how the elephant was certainly laying its whole weight on your back. No offense to the elephant but you were certainly struggling with the added weight of its whole body over your heavy heart.

Fiddling with your fork, you watched him with scrutinizing eyes and a spoiled appetite. You watch him as he scrolls through his phone with one hand and feeds himself with the other.

You’re confused.

Disoriented and confused.

How were you two looking like you were in different corners of the world with only 2 plates and a bunch of candles in between the both of you?

How can there be a whole typhoon raining down on you and flooding every crevice of your body while he was feeling the calm wind of a sunny day on his unbothered skin?

How was the candle on his side of the table already halfway down its holder when yours was still glaringly tall and bright in front of your eyes?

The silence was fucking deafening.

The scraping of a chair was what pulled you from the depths of your dwindling sanity. You look back up to Seungcheol who is already walking towards the sink with his plate in hand.

You eyed him for a bit before asking, “You’re already done?”

“Yeah,” he grumbled.

You were taken aback by his tone but you decided to just let it slide. You didn’t know if it was for his benefit or your peace of mind but either way, you didn’t want to push it by mentioning it.

“So,” you started with a light tone, “How was the food?”

Seungcheol only shrugged, drinking a glass of water before replying “It’s okay. Needed more salt.”

“Oh,” you mutter, “I–I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Yeah,” he replied. He was already halfway across the apartment when you noticed him walking towards the door and not in the direction of your bedroom. You scrambled up towards him, ignoring the clattering of utensils as you dropped your fork on your plate in favor of catching up to your boyfriend.

“Wait, where are you going?” you asked as he shrugged on his jacket and put on his shoes.

“I have an early morning tomorrow. I need to go home right now if I want to have a good night’s sleep,” he replied, already halfway through the door with his bag, “I’ll text you tomorrow. Thanks again for the food.” 

And with that, the door closed.

You can hear your own breathing as you listen to his fading footsteps. You can hear the quiet hum of the air conditioner above your living room as you hear the elevator ding open from the apartment’s hallway. You can hear the echo of his voice around you as you hear your heart breaking at the realization that his home is not with you.

Silence suffocated you a while ago but now, it was all you wished for amid this numbing pain.

Taglist: @moonwonuu @belladaises @porridgesblog

[stitched-mouth]

give us some of your headcanons about valak x reader !! thank you 😽

Dating Valak Would Include…

Pairing: Valak x Fem! Reader.

Warnings: Valak is a warning himself, SFW & NSFW, Headcannons become nsfw after —///—, Fingering, Oral sex (male and female receiving), Public sex, Demon sex, Teratophilia? (Monster fucking), Implied murder, I kinda bully the reader in the beginning for dating a demon even though I’m desperate to

Summary: What it would be like to date Valak.

Writing Time: 40 minutes.

Word Count: 🤷🏽‍♀️

Format: Headcannons.

A/N:

Thanks for requesting! I love writing for Valak, I’m so wet for him, please request more for him. Headcannons become nsfw after —///— ! Only read the beginning half of you’re only here for sfw content!

• Girl I think you might be crazy.

• Like dating a demon? You might be mad.

• You know girls who typically date older guys have daddy issues? Right, well this can’t just be daddy issues.

• Might be a different kind of issues too.

• Like your parents must of forced to go to Church and pray and all that religious bs for you to be like this now.

• Religious issues?

• Anyway, despite all my bullying, I’d say Valak is a great lover.

• Seriously, he takes you and everything you do or care about seriously.

• For example, you get hungry but are too lazy to cook so rather starve, Valak will go out of his way to bring you food.

• Yes, human food. Obviously he hates or doesn’t have any need to human food but he still cares about you and knows you need it.

• Or someone at work is giving you shit, they randomly go missing.

• What did you expect? Valak is a demon, of course he’s a yandere type lover.

• Well, not exactly yandere.

• Like I don’t think he’ll force you to obey him and shit.

• He kinda just likes to watch from behind the scenes.

• So if you decide to go out late, he won’t stop you but he will absolutely follow.

• You really really want this expensive whatever (clothes, shoes, toy) but can’t afford it?

• Valak is already spooking the shop owner to steal it and give to you.

—///—

• Valak is the best lover in bed too, if you’re good with spooking shit.

• Which you should be, you’re dating a demon.

• He will absolutely tie you down and fuck the brains out of you with his gigantic humanoid cock.

• Yeah, his dick isn’t normal btw.

• Like far too big to be human.

• Also grey like the rest of him.

• He also like to just watch sometimes, give him a nice show and touch yourself and he will nearly cum just from watching you get yourself off.

• I’ll bet having his eyes on you whilst your doing something so filthy and private helps you get off too.

• Valak want to beg for his big dick but even if you do there is no guarantee he’ll give it to you.

• Valak has no shame.

• So yes he will make himself invisible and finger you in public.

• Will also eat you out in public too.

• You’re only hope is to run somewhere private and safe.

• Most of the time Valak will let you but sometimes he won’t.

• He’s can be a little shit sometimes.

• Easiest way to get him to do something for you is to suck him off.

• Even if you have no chance of taking all of him in your mouth, he still appreciates the effort.

• Or better yet, lay on your back in front of him, spread your legs, start touching yourself and beg for his cock.

• Again, no guarantee you’ll get it, but it will make him hard as a rock and probably jerk him dick off till his jizz is covering your face.

• Then he’ll be completely smitten for you.

[stitched-mouth-vs-the-world]

Dating Valak Would Include…

Pairing: Valak x Fem! Reader.

Warnings: Valak is a warning himself, SFW & NSFW, Headcannons become nsfw after —///—, Fingering, Oral sex (male and female receiving), Public sex, Demon sex, Teratophilia? (Monster fucking), Implied murder, I kinda bully the reader in the beginning for dating a demon even though I'm desperate to.

Summary: What it would be like to date Valak.

Writing Time: 40 minutes.

Word Count: 614.

Format: Headcannons.

A/N:

From my old Tumblr again.

Thanks for requesting! I love writing for Valak, I'm so wet for him, please request more for him. Headcannons become nsfw after —///— ! Only read the beginning half of you're only here for sfw content!

---///---

• Girl I think you might be crazy.

• Like dating a demon? You might be mad.

• You know girls who typically date older guys have daddy issues? Right, well this can't just be daddy issues.

• Might be a different kind of issues too.

• Like your parents must of forced to go to Church and pray and all that religious bs for you to be like this now.

• Religious issues?

• Anyway, despite all my bullying, I'd say Valak is a great lover.

• Seriously, he takes you and everything you do or care about seriously.

• For example, you get hungry but are too lazy to cook so rather starve, Valak will go out of his way to bring you food.

• Yes, human food. Obviously he hates it or doesn't have any need to human food but he still cares about you and knows you need it.

• Or someone at work is giving you shit, they randomly go missing.

• What did you expect? Valak is a demon, of course he's a yandere type lover.

• Well, not exactly yandere.

• Like I don't think he'll force you to obey him and shit.

• He kinda just likes to watch from behind the scenes.

• So if you decide to go out late, he won't stop you but he will absolutely follow.

• You really really want this expensive whatever (clothes, shoes, toy) but can't afford it?

• Valak is already spooking the shop owner to steal it and give to you.

—///—

• Valak is the best lover in bed too, if you're good with spooking shit.

• Which you should be, you're dating a demon.

• He will absolutely tie you down and fuck the brains out of you with his gigantic humanoid cock.

• Yeah, his dick isn't normal btw.

• Like far too big to be human.

• Also grey like the rest of him.

• He also likes to just watch sometimes, give him a nice show and touch yourself and he will nearly cum just from watching you get yourself off.

• I'll bet having his eyes on you whilst your doing something so filthy and private helps you get off too.

• Valak want to beg for his big dick but even if you do there is no guarantee he'll give it to you.

• Valak has no shame.

• So yes he will make himself invisible and finger you in public.

• Will also eat you out in public too.

• You're only hope is to run somewhere private and safe.

• Most of the time Valak will let you but sometimes he won't.

• He's can be a little shit sometimes.

• Easiest way to get him to do something for you is to suck him off.

• Even if you have no chance of taking all of him in your mouth, he still appreciates the effort.

• Or better yet, lay on your back in front of him, spread your legs, start touching yourself and beg for his cock.

• Again, no guarantee you'll get it, but it will make him hard as a rock and probably jerk him dick off till his jizz is covering your face.

• Then he'll be completely smitten for you.

[exchangestudentnova]

I just read your Yandere vampire OM brothers and I was wondering what about yan vampire Lucifer and MC who has a blood clotting problem like they cut their hand or whatever and the blood keeps pouring nothing you dramatic bit still like Woah u good??? (don't feel forced to do this btw, also I love ur writing!!!)

hey anon!! I sorry for being this late to your request, I hope my writing is a fine apology for that.

Haemophilia is one such genetic disorder where the person's blood doesn't clot easily. Although it is a reccessive gene, you were born with one. It did not pose much threat to you due to the advances in medical treatment keeping you alive for so long, so you never worried too much about it.

You did worry about it when you were asked to come to Devildorm for one year. "One whole year?? How am I supposed to survive there!?" You somehow managed to purchase almost months and months of medicines in your little suitcase, but ofc you were bound to run out of supplies in the far future.

Today was one such day. You counted the leafs of medicines left, and all of them were empty. You were being reckless by not keeping an eye on the medicine, and now you have none. Worried, you were trying not to panic in your small cozy room. After taking deep breaths, you came to a conclusion that asking Lucifer to help in this situation would be the best. With that, you went to the kitchen to fulfill Beel's craving of eating your handmade food.

The pot boiling with water and the sound of you cutting the vegetables filled the kitchen. "You called for me? Sorry I was busy with some student council work" you turn your head towards the source of the sound, a soft smile conquring your lips as you meet your eyes with him. He, with a click in his step and his long, black clock hanging from his broad shoulders came up to you and engulfed you in a hug. " how have you been MC?" he spoke in your ear as you continued your chopping. "I am well Lucifer, and yes I did call for you. I need to go back to the human world."

"But why?"

"Because I need to- ouch!"

You took your eyes off of the food to look at Lucifer, which was a bad idea because you now have a cut on your finger from moving the knife wrong. It hurt a bit, but to Lucifer, it seemed as if you have lost half of your body's blood.

"How could you be so careless!? Show me your finger" You could see that his eyes have started to dilate, his fangs have started to appear. Yet he is not even thinking about drinking blood. Instead his eyes, althought appearing to be bloodlustly, are actually filled with concern.

"Did you eat your medicines??"

"Ah, about that...." you told him about not having them, and he sighed. "Well wait here, I have some with me. Don't move from your place and stop cooking" Before he left the kitchen he spoke some words and created magic that collected the blood dripping from your hand. Now you had a small bubble of blood floating in the air that was oozing out.

Lucifer came back within two minutes and handed you the medicine. " Thank you so much Luci, but what will you do with this bubble of blood?" He just gives you a knowing look and brings his tongue near the bubble. You blush slightly as he savours the exotic taste of your blood, the medicine acting fast and stopping the bleeding.

" Why are you blushing MC? Your blood is only for me to taste. Now sit down, grab a dessert from the fridge, and let me finish dinner"

PS: anon you did not mention if Lucifer and MC are in an established relationship or not so I tried to write it in a way that you can insert a romantic/platonic relation between them^^ and also thank you for supporting my writing I appreciate it^^

[sugarcryztal]

Match up exchange with @unitheuniverse

info i’m going off of:

From CRK, I match you with. . .

Capsaicin Cookie !

- basically I took this from the fact you like spicy food (half joking)

- you guys are basically goofy guy who pulled a baddie because that’s what i’m taking from you I don’t make the rules !!

⟡ When he was pining for you it was so painfully obvious when he was trying not too.

⟡ Whenever you approached him he would physically jump and start stuttering over his words no matter how hard he tried. Prune Juice would always be near by and quietly giggle at Capsaicin because he was fumbling so bad. ☠️

⟡ The type of person to just cling to his crush without even realizing it.

⟡ When he confessed, he was so nervous. Like he’s usually a very loud and confident person, but he had to try and not mumble during his confession.

⟡ When he confessed he has to do it face to face because all the words he wanted to say just did not fit on paper.

⟡ Thankfully, you didn’t reject him! And he didn’t have to dig a hole to die in out of embarrassment! Hooray!

⟡ Tbh, I feel like as a boyfriend he’s like a big golden retriever

⟡ Doesn’t get what going on in your games, but will support you either way! “Woohoo!!! That’s my boyfriend right there!!”

⟡ Tries not to chew with his mouth open after he figured out you don’t like it, but sometimes it’s a force of habit.

“So I was like-“

“Capsaicin, Honey. Please close your mouth when you chew.”

“Oops! Sorry!”

⟡ It’s kind of funny because opposites attract.

⟡ He tried to listen to rock music once, but he couldn’t take it and started playing pop LMAO

⟡ “It ain’t that deep” IT’S SO DEEP. How dare anyone say that?! Who disrespected you! Tell him now!!

⟡ Nah I’m just joking, but he’s seriously lowkey protective of you..?

⟡ A lot of the time, when he’s trying to get into table top games, he always asks you for help and understanding.

⟡ Yapper x Yapper, Yapper x Listener, he can do it all!

⟡ The extrovert to your introvert. He has a bunch of friends that you will get acquainted with over the course of time because he doesn’t expect you to immediately click with any of them!

⟡ He also understand when you’ll need time for yourself though, but please assure him that you still love him because he will think at least a LITTLE bit otherwise.

⟡ LOVVESSSS to yap to you about different spicy foods! Like LOOVVEEE! It’s one of his favorite pass times!

⟡ His other favorite pastime is hearing you talk about your interests!

⟡ Finds taxidermy the most interesting, I feel like at first his immediate reaction was “Wow so you-!” No that’s not how that works!

⟡ His pet names for you:

- Babe

- Honey

- Love of my life

⟡ Ever since you guys got together he can’t call you by your name anymore, he has to call you by a pet name. It’s a habit now. But he will listen if you’re uncomfortable with it!

⟡ He tries to get into all of your interests, but some things make him really squeamish.

⟡ What I mean by that is when you guys watch horror movies instead of you jumping into your arms he’s jumping into YOURS.

⟡ You also won’t have to worry about minimalism with him! Not at all. Because I feel like deep down he’s a maximalist. I know it in my heart.

⟡ He won’t force you to, but he likes watching romances occasionally. Like the ones where they actually build the characters and give them character development.

⟡ He hates Hallmark shows though. Don’t make him watch those. He calls them an insult to any genre.

⟡ If it’s anything else though he will happily watch it with you though! As long as you’re there he will be there!

⟡ He can only cook spicy food btw so goodluck…

You and your boyfriend, who you lovingly call Caps, were currently sat down in the living room. Getting ready for your guy’s anniversary movie marathon.

Except now he would NOT stop screaming!

As another spooky figure popped up on the screen, he let out a squeal and hugged your side tightly. You rolled your eyes and pat his head, “Caps, it’s just a movie. None of it’s real.”

He blinks at you for a moment before laughing, “Haha! I guess you’re right!” And then everything is chill again and you guys start watching the movie again.

He won’t ever tell you, but he acts like that on purpose. Just to hold onto you for a little more.

08.24.24

[canonsinthehead]

Jujutsu Kaisen/JJK - Parenting Headcanons

(i wrote this fast please dont mind the grammar....)

Kento Nanami (w/ Itadori-chan)

Contolling mom

Way of the Househusband

Single parent by choice (things are easier if managed alone)

Itadori is his adoptive son

he makes fancy lunchs for yuji filled with veggies he cant stand BUT coming home with leftovers is assuring him a serment from Nanami.

Talking about lunches, Itadori loves the large 1-foot sandwiches the blonde man makes for him. At school, he loves to share half of it with Juunpei (when his friend doesn't have lunch or just for fun.)

Itadori always begs Megumi to make his dogs eat his leftovers veggies regardless of how much the black-haired boy tells him why it will not work. Nobara force feeds all Yuji's leftovers back to him (she thinks it's hilarious) because everytime he tossed them in trash Nanami somehow found out and pinched his ears into a coma.

unplugs wifi during the night

type of parent to catch you when you try to cook yourself a midnight snack

bad grades, skipping training = no roblox & PS5

likes to see his adopted son having friends but these gremlins better remove their shoes before stepping on freshly vacuumed and conditioned carpet (expect Megumi & Juunpei)

Nanami wakes up every morning to iron his clothes. to Itadori his ability to perfectly iron a shirt is pure witchcraft (he tried to exorcise it and failed)

he often comes off as harsh but Nanami sincerely cares about anyone under his care hence why he can be hard on certain things for the sake of that person's well being and success.

a bitter truth is better than a sweet lies

(in a regular non-sorcerer high school) he would on his official 1498538th visit to the school principal's office for his son getting into fights

would pat your head

early bird (4-5am)

love language: act of service and quality time

nanami is not the "physical touch" type of person but doesn't resist itadori's hugs.

Toji Fushiguro (w/ Megumi)

if you pull a "is that you?" or mention anything related to the Zenin clan, it's an AUTOMATIC beat down.

Megumi is embarrassed of him whenever they hang out since he is preserving his "broke man habits" especially how obnoxiously Toji eats inhales food. Megumi will never admit it but when it relates to food/table manners he prefers Gojo's conduct in public over his dad's by a millimeter.

showers at the 24/7 gym when he can. would sleep in the lockers when one of his sugar mama/"girlfriend" gets tired of him

bring his ladies home after-hour for a back-breaking session whether Megumi is there or not (YIKES)

type to get a job and get fired superrr fast (no more than a month or even as short as 2 weeks). he gets kicked out for various reasons: getting into fights, stealing, seducing or smashing somebody's gf/wife, bad customer service, etc. his longest-standing job was at a strip club (nobody knows what position he had).

own 2 pairs of shoes and one is falling apart

always late or absent to Megumi's event

DONT ASK!!! all his "girlfriends" think they can change like his wife did for him

talks loud on speaker phone (not for shady business tho)

goes to night clubs to antagonize people

night owl

love language (with his gfs): physical touch & receiving gifts. btw the gifts are for him and he takes the "physical" side VERY seriously. he always make sure the send his partner into pure ecstasy but dont get it twisted he still thinks about his wife.

love language (with Megumi): hey i'm here so... maybe act of service.

[myunghology]

hi jian,i hope you're doing well these days♡´･ᴗ･`♡!i've seen your post reharding about your inbox being opened,so i'll give it a try!can i request a scaramouche/wanderer and albedo hc with their s/o,g/n reader,who turned into a cat and how would they react?👀iyw to add more,you can add some domestic stuff.Its okay of this request is too much,you can ignore it!

ʚ scaramouche and albedo with an s/o who turned into a cat, + domestic headcanons ɞ

— ✦ gender neutral reader, headcanons, pure fluff! [ a/n : I think I'm in my Sabrina carpenter phase ]

ʚ SCARAMOUCHE ɞ

didn't realize it was you when he visited. tried calling you and said "what's this cat doing here?" but then you don't reply. are you not there? he looks around the living room and sits beside you and pets you.

but in his pov, he was wondering why you weren't there. so he tries asking the cat (he's a lil silly okay) and then you try to convince him that the cat is you. obviously doesn't believe you

and then, you finally convinced him.

he's mad. but not that mad. who would do this to you? or did you do it yourself?

you totally did it yourself.

"are you stupid" - scaramouche

asks if you can turn back into a human. "meow meow meow raaaaaaaaa hiss hiss" translation = "IF I COULD I'D BE A HUMAN RIGHT NOW"

"dang okay"

tries buying cat toys to tease you. and you just sit there with a :// sick and tired of his bs.

bought more like stole something to make you turn back into a human. but of course, things don't always go that well.

you basically turn into a cat for the rest of your life, but you can turn back into a human anytime. and to be honest? it's not bad.

you have sat on this man's lap multiple times, human or not, he finds it comforting

STAWWPPP im literally thinking of scaramouche with a s/o who turns into a cat when they're flustered

you definitely sit on his shoulder when he's working in your cat form

ONLY. LET'S YOU EAT IN YOUR HUMAN FORM. HE ISN'T FEEDING YOU CAT FOOD.

I'm gonna tell you. Living with him is a nightmare. No it's not those type of aesthetic couples let's be fr... You two literally have fights every hour. Playfully of course

"scara what do you use for your eyeshadow?"

"my aunts ashes"

"scara smile for me"

*smiles*

"ugly"

"fuck you"

MALE WIFE SCARA OMG

definitely knows how to cook.

also, definitely late night walks / dates.

buying lots of random shit in 7/11 is considered a date. to him at least. or mall dates!

SOMETHING LIKE THIS

+ taking baths together... not sexually omg

washing each other's backs and hair :), you accidentally got soap in his eyes and he hissed so badly HAHAHAH

"OH SHIT SORRY"

"(#(#(#(! #? @) @? @?? #(#() 1#(#("

oh btw he definitely does skincare. forces you to do it with him.

random goofy ass selfies in the mirror wearing face masks with scara >>>>

ʚ ALBEDO ɞ

he was definitely the one who turned you into a cat let's be honest

he. he doesn't really have that much of a reaction.

but he tortures you 'trying' to find a cure and says 'it's hard' BUT IT ISN'T. HE JUST LIKES TEASING YOU AND LIKES SEEING YOU AS A CAT

doesn't turn you back until he's satisfied. sorry.

you knock down some of his materials to annoy him LMAO, acts like he doesn't care but inside he's like "dyk how much I spent on that"

your paws on top of his hair gripping on to it forcing him to turn you back into a human.

eventually, he did.

but he was missing one material,, and apparently you can't get it anymore.

insert incoherent cat noises

and finally, you did turn back.

you'll still turn into a cat from time to time though.

he sends you to places when you're in your cat form because he thinks it's probably faster to get materials that way.

i don't think he's wrong though..

living with albedo... eh..

he's rarely home. most of the time he's in the lab— that's acceptable.

and half of the time he's taking care of klee.

but he all makes up for it, he can't leave you hanging just like that of course.

it's good that he gets home early, you two spend the rest of the day painting together, or either just doing random things together. also— when klee is there, is definitely more fun.

baking with them, coloring, playing hide and seek, making random potions!

“albedo do you know how to make slime” — klee

you three tried making slime. it got stuck on klees hair LMAO

eventually got it out after an hour.

swore to never make slime again.

klee sees you as a sister figure, and that makes albedo really happy :)

she keeps clinging on to you, while albedo just stares in awe at you two smiling and tilting his head slightly.

at the end of the day, you three all take a rest together on the couch looking like a cute little family. actually people have actually mistaken you guys for a famil-

©myunhology — all works written are made by ©myunhology. DON'T steal / copy my works. if you do see someone stealing my works, please report them :).

[almondmilks-posts]

Sapnap- plus size reader

Uhhh there are legit no plus size reader in general but like sapnap my guy I feel like he just fits like I can see him with a plus size girl idk why

*Oh it's a headcannon btw I haven't done one in a looonnngggg time

° Sapnap definitely needs a chubbier partner because he gives me them vibes

° He definitely spends most of his time with his head between your thighs (scroll down for NSFW)

° will defend you when people in chat are rude to you because come one your his baby

° oh and pet names he would create the cutest pet names for you like "sweet plum" and or "soft bunny" because to him you are super soft

°he would subconsciously just grab your belly not rough just to hold in his hands because it makes him feel same

° always brags about how hot and sexy you are

° will definitely definitely eat food with you omg he would take you to his and your favourite places to eat

° he might even try and cook something for you " I saw this recipe online and I know you might like it however I don't know what a wok is" you will have to help him ofc

° super happy when you show him some clothes you brought him or when you guys are shopping you ask for his opinion because damn the way you wear that dress or them shorts 🥺🥺

° would legit snuggle up to you at night because your so warm and cuddly and a great pillow especially your thighs omg

°loves when you sit on his lap  or when he sits in your lap because you feel uncomfortable and insecure sitting in his. He will tell you that it's fine and your not hurting him but you still wanna get off. Will sit in yours instead because why not ehh

° he gets a lil sad when people body shame him in chat yea he can deal with that you though... Perm band and will call that shit out.

° tweets about fan art and how he wants to see you drawn your actual size and not skinny because he loves your weight and thinks your look amazing and it upsets him when others don't.

Nsfw- ISH not much

°like I said earlier my guy absolutely LOVES how soft you are especially your thick thighs he just loves them, he will definitely give lots of hickeys and bite marks to them

° you cannot tell me this man isn't built to fuck a bigger girl because he is, he's just wider? And that is the best kind



° definitely loves that he has lots to grab and grip while he's going at it, it's one of his favourite things and he tells you that pretty often.

° loves to spank you and watch your thighs and ass jiggle as he does it "fucc y/n that's so hot"

° you've seen him sass so he's definitely talking about your body as a come back " yea well my gf has fat titties fuck you karl"

° understands that some positions maybe harder for you and would not force you in that position if you were struggling or didn't want to. "This ok for you, can you breath ok" while your legit foldeded in half and upside down

° you would be nervous to get ontop but omg does my guy not care at all and would actually enjoy you being in top because he just finds you so hot.

I wanna do more plus size reader stuff becuse we are so underappreciated.

[minubell]

If you ship Angmar/Khamul can you draw something or write something short for it? If you don't ship it or don't want to that's totally fine too I don't want to pressure you or anything (I love your tides of war fic btw).

So I'm like the Schrödinger's Cat of romance so uh....enjoy Part II of the Wrong Way to Write, set 1 week after Part 1. Aka the girls are fighting again!

As always, my ask box is open to requests!

The Wrong Way to Write II

Part 1

“What are you doing?”

Khamul pauses, only for the instant it takes for him to recognize the voice, before he resumes his stirring. He does not want anything to settle to the bottom of the pot and burn, after all. That would be a waste, which Khamul found he hates almost as much as their lord does. Almost.

Perhaps, if he ignores him, Angmar will go away.

“I asked you a question, Khamul.”

Or not.

“Oh yes, I heard you,” Khamul replies, forcing his tone light and jovial, never letting his stirring pause. His back is towards the door, though he must have been rather distracted to have not heard Angmar enter the kitchen. After all, Angmar has a tendency of stomping wherever he goes. Usually, it is hard to miss and usually, it is easy to avoid.

“Then why did you not answer me?”

“I thought it was rhetorical, as the answer is obvious; I am cooking.”

“Why?” Angmar asks, which is only the second stupidest question he has asked in the last few moments.

“…Because I am hungry?” Khamul replies. Why else would he be doing this, if not to eat whatever he has created in the end?

“But you do not have to cook for yourself. The goblins can-“

“I have seen the goblins eat one another if they feel particularly peckish. You’ll understand my apprehension to touch anything they have cooked, if you can call it that.” Not to mention that goblins did not seem to care about seasoning or not burning food. Honestly, it was surprising that Angmar put up with their food at all, given his propensity for pickiness. “Besides, I enjoy cooking, as foreign to you as that may seem. I am shocked you even knew where the kitchens were.” Shocked, and irritated since it seems one less place in the tower is now safe from Angmar’s attention. The kitchens can apparently join is own quarters in places that are not sacred, given that only a week ago Angmar had burst into there with equal amounts of discourtesy and quite literally dragged him out of his bed by his foot in order to try to learn how to write properly.

Which he had failed at.

“I am shocked you decided to take up cooking as a hobby,” Angmar comments from the doorway. Why is he still here? “It seems well beneath you.”

Khamul isn’t certain if he should be insulted by that or not. The comment is not quite jaded enough in tone to openly offend. Apparently he ranks highly enough in Angmar’s perceived worldview that labors suck as cooking are beneath him, which Khamul supposes could be a compliment if he squints hard enough at it and does not try to analyze the words too much.

“It is hardly a hobby, as I have done it near every day since I was a child,” Khamul replies idly instead. Perhaps, if he keeps his answers shorter Angmar will grow bored and leave.

“Every day?”

“As often as I eat, so yes. Sometimes even twice or thrice a day, if I find myself particularly hungry.”

“Does our master know you spend so much time each day devoted to frivolous things?” Angmar says, and Khamul can not only hear the smirk in his voice but can practically feel it upon his back.

“Does our lord know about the half-melted pile of scrap metal in your room?” He shoots back, and that is enough to make Angmar hesitate enough to go quiet.

Quiet enough that the only noise between the two of them is the scraping of the wooden spoon against the bottom of the pot.

Good. Perhaps he will take the hint and-

“It just seems strange, that you would grow up within a palace but still be forced make your own meals,” Angmar says, breaking the silence just as quickly as he made it. “Was it to ensure they were not poisoned?”

Damn.

“I did not grow up within a palace,” Khamul murmurs, having little desire to continue down that particular thread of a conversation. He forces the words out, lowers his tone pointedly.

Angmar, as always, drags him right back into that which he least wants to do.

“Some estate then,” Angmar responds flippantly, gratingly and Khamul wants to shake him. Surely, he has to understand his experiences are not universal? He must understand that. “Regardless, I am sure you had servants that could cook for you.”

It is only by biting his own tongue that Khamul manages to avoid yelling.

“Did you need something, Angmar?” He asks instead, forcing his tone to be as neutral as he can possibly bear.

“…No,” Angmar replies, lies, as if Khamul will not see right through the hesitant pause, the pitched up tone. Angmar is a particular sort of bad liar, the kind that is so obvious yet so oblivious in his obviousness. Khamul has met children who are more fluent in the language of deception, and having already endured this foolish, unnecessary conversation it’s enough to make him feel rightfully frustrated and too much to contain

“Then why are you bothering me?” Khamul hisses, spitting the word like a curse as he jerks the wooden spoon out of the pot and slams it upon the table next to him with a crack.

“Do not snap at me, Khamul!”

“Then stop wasting my time,” Khamul snaps, if only to spite him. “Stop pestering me for conversation I clearly do not wish to indulge in. Stop intruding on my space when there is an entire tower full of creatures that you can bully around.” He is tired of this charade of conversation, tired of Angmar specifically. How often did he have to escape to their lord’s workroom, choosing to subject himself to paperwork just to avoid Angmar? “I am busy, Angmar. For once, go bother someone else!”

There is a loud smack as Angmar slams his hand against one of the wooden tables by the door.

“Fine,” Angmar snarls venomously from somewhere behind him. “I’ll find someone else to help me.”

The door to the kitchen slams shut with such a force the stone archway shakes. It is quickly followed by the angry stomping of boots down the hallway.

Ugh.

Khamul does not know, nor care what Angmar needed help with. Something foolish no doubt. Something that Khamul is certain will only land him in trouble as well if he involves himself in it. It’s far better to distance himself from it. The less he knows, the less he can be punished. Their lord is fair like that, as long as Khamul is honest when he states he does not know anything.

He shoots a frustrated glance towards the door, when his gaze drops towards the table near the door where Angmar was standing. There is something laying on it that was not there before…A scroll? Frowning, Khamul gives the pot a quick stir before darting over to the table to grab the cylindrical scroll and quickly returning to the fire as not to leave the pot unattended.

He unrolls the paper and immediately fumbles the quill that drops out from inside, nearly swatting it into the fire on instinct. He manages to catch it between to fingers by the end of the feather before it is doomed to the flames, however, and sighs before turning his focus to the scroll.

It is blank.

For a moment he wants to be frustrated. He was interrupted and yelled at for what? The damned paper is blank, and a quick turn of his wrist confirmed that yes, it is blank on both sides. Khamul knows their lord hates waste, so the perfectly good scroll will need to be returned to their lord’s workroom. A long trip upstairs awaits him now since Angmar cannot even be bothered to clean up after himself. Oh no, instead he must leave his messes about for others to fix.

Khamul begins to roll the empty scroll back up, and starts to slide the quill back into it when he pauses, noticing something he had not before.

The quill is broken.

Or, rather, at some point it had been broken. It has been repaired somewhat haphazardly with a band of metal that is probably worth more than the quill itself does. The band makes the quill somewhat more awkward to hold now that it is thicker around the middle, and heavier overall than it should be. Moreover, it is clearly not their lord’s work keeping this quill together. The craftsmanship is shoddy, uneven, and bits of the feather have been smoldered as if held too close to the flame while the metal was being cast. Their lord would have a fit if he saw this, both for the wasted metal and for poor quality.

Still, the very familiar quill carries with it an unspoken offer.

“I will help you if you ask it of me.”

…Damn.

[7thcirclebaker]

More Crack Fic Ideas; (saw a fic w/ a HC that Gina is a retired model who now travels the world, it sprung thoughts) apologies it's long and I don't know how to do a read more on mobile

Alright so this has the secretly rich, possibly poly crack ship. Moderate to low sodium potential though not a Lila fan so won't be like hugely pro her also in the ship tbh.

IDEA

Its Families day at Francois DuPont! Gabriel got concerning looks from French authorities so is there in person, Amelie came to visit with Felix to drag him out of the house (and try and steal the second ring) He's unhappy. Audrey now has two children to judge so figured if Gabriel was actually going to be there, she'd go too, plus she can catch up with Amelie, because of course they know each other. Films, fashion, clearly long standing history w/ Gabe on either side. Kagami is invited to bring Tomoe because of the fencing academy. Lila's mother unfortunately can't make it (never found out) so she's just gonna hang with this crowd of rich kids and try and schmooze. (Amelie and Felix are like, whomst are you to try this with us??!)

Maris parents are busy with the bakery but that's okay because her Nonna was in town to teach her how to ride a Vespa she may be getting for her birthday. She'll gladly swing by but first she's gotta pick up her Nainai who came to visit from the airport so it'll be a little bit (came not only to see her family but also to see what's going on in Paris btw) She Brought Fei along to visit Paris too. Mari is busying herself making sure everything runs smoothly. Nonna Gina and Nainai Lin (fully can be renamed) and Fei appear. Mari greets enthusiastically

Cut back to corner crowd of disdainful rich people and poor tortured children. Mari is loud, they notice her (they were already keeping half an eye on her, prodigy their kids/ nephew never shuts up about okay) Notice that the family that came are noted former model and now travel photographer who can have a conversation with your team and immediately figure out the vision for set locations Gina Dupain and Lin Cheng who was from the notable Wen fighting family who can destroy a person 20 different ways or twenty men in under 5 minutes still, who took on a bodyguard role for the visionary head son of the Cheng family who helped expand their restaurant business into a global company that does everything involved in food supply chains for farm to table wherever you can cook it, and married him. Jaws don't quite drop but eyebrows raise. Children are informed in hushed and surprised whispers of who exactly they are and who that makes Marinette. Adrien exclaims he's so happy for his very good friend. Audrey, Amelie, Nathalie and Tomoe somehow all share a look. Tomoes doesn't quite have the undertones of "He's such a blend of his parents like my god". Gabriel notices the look and reads it as battle lines are drawn, this is a chess match I must now win. Lila is moderately unhappy because she alienated one of the richest most connected ppl at this school, damn goody two shoes. They have all not been keeping an eye on the family gathered.

The brief 2 minutes for lines to be drawn in stand and positions explained are enough for Maris Grammas to be like, So the cute boy, he's there yes, we'll go talk to him, I vaguely know those people we can have a cordial conversation while digging. They are a force of nature. The four approach the group of rich embattled people with surprising silence and a certain degree of steeling themselves to not make a fool (mainly Mari) The conversation goes well, Little stumbles but they're written off as cute, lots of mental gymnastics and hidden conversations that basically sum up to "Mari is a precious gem and if your child hurts her you die and so does your company, they must prove they are able to court her. Fei is also precious but will more likely kill you herself so slightly less worries" Fei is refreshing and sees through tricks (possible also polyship here to help with max courtship drama without worrying about like accidental incest in a poly ship) The conversation nears it's end, people are fairly confident they know the stances of the others in this group, they can play this game for sure.

BUT WAIT! A wild Jagged Stone appears because it's family day and he's here with Luka and Juleka! He and Penny come over to talk to his honorary nice and this group of well connected people. Penny reads the conversation in the air and in the eyes of everyone in the group. She smirks in a way that concerns Gabriel, Nathalie and Amelie. Audrey is not worried, she is fabulous. Tomoe is not worried because Kagami is unmatched and clearly Marinette has a family history of loving women who can hand you your ass. Luka with his quiet insightful nature and overly exuberant pushy parent has thrown out their plans.

And thus sparks a grand courtship! Marinette has no idea what's going on. Adrien has some idea what's going on but not until the alliance of Chloe and Felix explain. Alliances are made! And broken! Information is gathered! Bunnyx makes a large bucket of popcorn! Love akumas just keep happening! Fei makes a large bucket of popcorn! Lin and Gina have a scoreboard! Rowland is surprisingly okay with it because young people don't do courtship properly these days and these children have clearly been raised right, look at the carefully worded flower messages! (They really haven't but he doesn't know and he's trying to be involved) Simu Cheng swings by to visit for a bit! He agrees with Rowland about Courtship rituals! They argue a lot about cooking! They also share ancient family methods of their specific cooking! ( Think less gay Statler and Waldorf that are semi bonding through cooking and judging) Bunnyx makes the Kwamis a large bucket of popcorn! Marinette is confused! Nathalie needs alcohol! Tom is just confusedly supportive and glad his father's arguing with someone else! Sabine is worried about the scheming! The Gorilla is supportive! Members of the class form teams to help support various members! Kagami and Adrien's alliance gains her some additional Friends! Rose is overly excited about all the live shenanigans! Nino is using this as inspiration for a movie script! Who knows how this ends! I sure as hell don't because I ran out of concept

[bluefirewrites]

Prince Protection Program AU

The response to the last post has been amazing. Thanks guys. I don’t plan on making a full on story ( I did at one point, but I have a lot of WIPs to work on), but I still have some riffs to unleash. This is my take on the boys’ life  pre-PPP. Enjoy!

(Also changed the name of Reggie’s kingdom and swapped it for Luke’s btw) 

Link to first post and artwork

Palace life sucked ass.

Usually Lukas would experience that brief split-second of bliss waking up in the morning, where he would blink against the Mediterranean sun seeping through the cracks in his curtains, the feeling of his body cocooned in silk sheets hitting him first and not the fact that he was the Crowned Prince of Solaria.

But after that, it all came crashing down on him in the form of knocking on his door, followed by the more forceful opening of his door, and the filing in of his guardian.

“Ugh,” the prince rolled around, stuffing his head under a pillow, “Five… minutes…”

“I’m afraid that’s not possible,” James stalked over, tugging the covers off of him, causing Lukas to groan at the loss of warmth, “You know what today is.”

How could he not? It had only been the very thing his parents would talk about for the past year-

The day he would be crowned king.

As was tradition, he was seventeen years of age, the time for him to learn how to be a proper ruler to succeed his father King Mitchell.

Though the problem lay in the very fact that Lukas was many things.

But proper he was not.

Lukas rose, reluctantly, which struck James quite odd. Normally there would be more complaints, a bout or two before he would summon the guards to extricate him from the bed.

“I’ll-” A yawn broke out and the young man rubbed his eyes to rouse himself, “I’ll be there soon.”

James raised an eyebrow.

Lukas lifted a palm in good faith, “I promise.”

The older man stared at him for a moment before leaving to attend to other duties. As soon as he left, the prince quietly tip-toed to the doors, pressing his ear against the cool wood and waited. The sounds of footsteps faded, marking his guardian’s disappearance around the corner.

“Sucker,” Lukas laughed, before shrugging on a shirt, swiping his headphones off his desk, and booking it to his balcony.

He had about a minute and half to scale down the vines encasing his wing of the palace before the guards caught him. 

Over the years, he had to get a bit creative to evade palace security, with his parents sealing off most exits, doubling the guards stationed by his window at night, but nowadays it was much easier to do the riskier, more obvious way to escape. 

No one would expect it.

Hopping down to the lower level and pressing himself against the wall, he crab-walked until he found the door leading into the kitchen.

He slipped through, greeting the staff who all shook their heads at him. They knew better than to dissuade him from doing what he was about to do.  All Geneveive, the head cook, could do was send him off with a bag of food with a “Hurry back now or James will have our heads.”

Biting off a piece of bread, he thanked her with a wink and was off, dancing around the extra busy kitchen and putting on his headphones in the process.

With Nirvana blaring in his ears, Lukas made it to the waterfront and hopped into one of the more modest fishing boats (exchanging one of Genevieve’s sponge cakes for the keys. Thank you, Garrison) and motored off to the islet a few miles out.

20 minutes later, he moored to the dingy port where two other boats were stationed on the small piece of land.

“Oh my god,” he heard someone holler, a guy about his age with jet-black hair and swim trunks, “Is that the future King of Solaria?”

Lukas rolled his eyes, lugging around the small back, “Oh my god. Is that Reginald? The future King of the Crescent Cape?” he mimicked.

Another boy, blonde and tall, lay under the shade of a tree reading, scoffed, “Unfortunately.”

Reginald and Lukas locked eyes and smirked.

“Wait,” Reginald squinted at the blonde, “Is that- No way! It is, Lukas!”

“It so is!” Lukas gasped excitedly, “You’re Prince Alexander!”

“Of the Grybrian Isles? OMG!”

“Thought he’d be taller,”

“Thought he’d be more handsome,”

Alexander got to his feet, rolling his eyes, “Alright. Can you two be any more louder? Do you want them to find us?”

“Chill, they haven’t caught us yet,” Reginald reassured, leading the two other princes deeper into the patch of greenery on the tiny island, one that they all had discovered and have been running to to get away from prince duties for years now.

Lukas would have been driven to madness by royal duties if it weren’t for his friends from the neighboring kingdoms. He, Reginald, and Alexander had known each other their whole lives, their domains all clustered together that made visiting each other so easy. 

But every now and then, they needed to get away from the watchful eye of their parents and guards and the citizens and just be… them.

Lukas was lucky to know that he wasn’t alone in feeling this way, and that he could always turn to his friends.

“You goons better be hungry,” Lukas announced, tossing the bag of food their way.

Reggie dug into the snacks ravenously, “When aren’t we?”

Meanwhile, Alex was pacing, set on a nervous bender, “Aren’t you guys… I don’t know… kinda nervous?”

“Hey,” Lukas flicked a crumb at the other prince, hitting his calf mid-stride, “Thought we weren’t gonna talk about it today.”

“We’re all gonna be king soon, how can we not talk about it?”

The three of them sighed.

Alexander continued on the runway, “I mean, do you feel ready? I’m not ready,”

“Nope,” Reginald popped the ‘p’, frowning, “I hate being the oldest.”

“Why do we have to rule a country at 17? That’s stupid,” Lukas complained, searching through the bushes

“‘It’s tradition, Alexander. It’s what you must do. For the good of Grybria’,” Alexander impersonated, “Ugh. My brother just had to abdicate. Can’t I do that? Can I just abdicate?”

“Your dad would never let you,”

“Maybe if I told him I’m gay, he’d disown me?”

“Alexander,” Lukas warned.

“I was joking!” the blonde muttered, “...mostly.”

“Well what about me?” Reginald started, “I couldn’t take care of a bunny. How can I run a country?!”

Lukas felt around the ground until he hit leather and lugged out a guitar case he had stashed for safe keeping.

“Boys, let’s just… drop it today,” he deescalated. Funny, since he was up for coronation first, his rehearsal ceremony in a few hours, but he was determined to squeeze in some quality time with his friends before he couldn’t anymore, “Can we just chill? For a little while?” While they still could...

The other princes nodded.

“Okay. Now…” he took out his guitar and slung the strap over his shoulder, “Wanna jam?”

That brought a smile onto all of their faces.

They gathered in a circle, Lukas signaling at Alexander, who immediately began clapping a beat:

“1, 2, 3, 4-”

Tagging: @blush-and-books @lydias--stiles @echocharm17618 @rainfallingfromthesky @pink-flame @ourstarscollided @caffeine-catastrophe @nottheleastbrave @brightattheorpheum @thedeathdeelers @tmp-jatp   @lenacarstairspotterstewart @harpersdagger @annabelle-grisha-goddess @shelvesofgold @lwhoscribbles @futurearchaeologyprof @iridescentkippen @heademptynothoughts @crummycassidy @smolfangirl @a-dream-so-alive @that-one-utensil @lucid-h @homeinabookshelf @beaniesflannelandfannypacks @ilovefandoms @it-tastes-like-lizard

[i-desire-jake]

First meet (part 1)

Characters: Jake and female Mc

Genre: Fluff and romance

Summary: Everything's over except Jake and mc love which is growing more and more day by day. So fate decides them to meet each other.

-Oh man... I don't feel like cooking today, and I'm so God damn bored.

You huffed while lying on your couch on the weekend day.

-what should I do you think, and then an idea pops on your mind.

-Yeah, I should disturb him a bit. You grin cheekily at your idea and then grab your phone to text your love.

Yeah you will text Jake. It's been around two and a half month since Hannah was found and MWAF was caught.

You thought that Jake would immediately cut contacts with you after the case was over, but that didn't happen. Instead you both still text till today.

You both have confessed your feelings towards each other and he has even promised you that one day you both would be together. Jake is not the shy person which you thought he would be. Instead he is confident enough and his boldness is enough for you to give you butterflies and to make your knees tremble.

            _____________________

YOU

Hey Jake:)

How is my baby?

Jake is now online

JAKE

Hey beautiful <3

I'm good what about you?

YOU

I'm bored Jake -_-

JAKE

Wanna have some fun? ;)

YOU

Ugh! You and your dirty mind

JAKE

Only for you beautiful ;)

YOU

Baby, I miss you so much.

I so desperately want to meet you.

I want to hug you. Kiss you like there's no tomorrow. I want to be with you forever.

When will you come....?

JAKE

Hey love, don't cry.

Jake hacked your camera and saw you through it.

I have a good news.

YOU

You are free😲😲?

When? Where ? Time?

JAKE

Uh.....

I'm not free.

My pursuers are still after me.

But now this will only last for a few more weeks. I have figured a way to get rid of them and I'll soon be with you love.

YOU

Oh! That's wonderful😁

Can you meet me, somewhere please??

You can come at my house today. After all you'll get free soon, so you can roam around a bit right?

JAKE

I'm sorry love, today I'm busy a bit. So I can't come.

YOU

Oh

JAKE

Hey, hey. Don't worry. I will plan something soon and I promise you I'll do my best.

YOU

Thank you so much Jake.

JAKE

:)

YOU Elephants are jumping inside my stomach. I gotta go and eat something.

JAKE

Hehe

Bye beautiful  <3

YOU

Talk to you later love.❤

Jake is offline

________________________

Uh...

I don't want to spend my day on the couch.

You think for a bit to what to do next.

-I'll go to the restaurant, and get a take out. Then I'll enjoy my time in the park.

I should even visit the new botique by the restaurant.

You take a shower, then rummage through your closet searching for something nice to wear.

You wear a knee length yellow floral dress paired with white sneakers and a small hair clip on your beautiful beach waves.

You take a mirror selfie and immediately send it your man.

The picture effortlessly highlights your curves and your beauty.

One would be lying if they said that you don't look pretty.

Jake is online

JAKE

If I would have been there, then you  wouldn't be able to get off from your bed for the whole day.

Your cheeks blushed reading his flirty text.

YOU

Oh, really! I'd like to see😉

JAKE

Don't mess with me babygirl or you'll regret.

YOU

Bye babe 😆

JAKE

You really leaving after turning me on. That's not fair.

Jake is offline

YOU

Everything is fair in war and love babe☺

________________

JAKE POV

-God, that girl is really making me nervous. He mumbled before deciding to order food for himself.

Tring Tring. Tring Tring.

-Great now. Their home delivery service is closed today.

-Ugh! I'm really craving Chinese today.

 I should get a take out and come back quickly.

He mumbled to himself then went to his laptop to check the condition of his pursuers.

-Wow, I'm really progressing quickly. I'll be free soon. I can't wait to meet Mc.

-I should surprise her today with an unexpected home visit.

But wait.

Ugh.

She was going somewhere today. Ufff. Then tomorrow. And that's final.

He dressed in his usual black hoodie and a plain denim jeans then went to Chinese to fulfill his hunger for food.

MC POV

Hmm... this dress looks sexy. I should buy this.

You giggle at yourself then buy all the dresses you like and head to your favourite restaurant.

-I'm so glad they have elevators here, or else I would have died walking up to the sixth floor to the restaurant.

You sigh, then go to the counter to order your food. You notice a strange man dressed in all black ordering food for almost four people.

- Looks like that man really like Chinese.

You mumble to yourself then go back to the counter to pay for your food.

JAKE POV

- $120

-Sure, here.

He pays for his food in cash then start going back to the exit.

" Stairs under construction. Please use the elevator. Sorry for inconvenience. ⛑⛑"

- what the fuck!

Ugh..... Now I have to use the lifts.

Jake covers his head with his hoodie then enters the elevator with his head down.

He presses the the button for ground floor then wait for the elevator door to close. But before it could close completely, a woman sticks her shoes in between the doors the prevent it from closing.

Jake looks to up to see the person and gets shocked as hell when she enters the elevator and stands beside him.

MC POV

After paying for the food you rushes to the exit when you saw that the doors of lift were about to close.

Yiu stick your shoes there, then enters the little room.

"Thank God I entered on time or else I would have to wait for more ten minutes "

You glance on your side and saw the same hoodie man staring at you with wide eyes.

What's up with him. You think in your mind.

" I know I'm beautiful, mister. But if you would stare at me with that wide eyes then it may pop out"

You joke at the man who now seems embarrassed at his actions.

He clears his throat then look away. But his gaze is still on you. He observes your every movement like he adores you the most.

After a few minutes you notice that the elevator is going down really slowly. You must have reached down till now but you were still moving from 5th to the 4th floor.

- "isn't this lift to- aaahhhhhhh!"

You screamed loudly when the elevator started shaking rapidly and the lights were flickering on and off.

There was a loud thud on the roof of the elevator and you fell directly on the man beside you. If he wouldn't have hold you, you would have crashed your head roughly against the wall.

The lights went off and the room became dark. You started shivering with fear while still clinging to the man. He embraced you and patted your head a few times to calm you down. Minutes passed and then the  light came back.

You came back to your senses when you saw that you were hugging the stranger.

You immediately pulled back blushing and mumbling apologise

- "I....I'm so-....sorry"

- "It's okay beautiful" the man said with a smirk after seeing you blushing and stuttering

JAKE POV

Mc fell on me when the elevator crashed and started shivering. She really is a cute tiny little thing. Jake thought in his mind

When Mc let go off him, he saw that she was blushing like a tomato.

Wow, she looks so cute. I should tease her and see her reaction to a stranger flirting with her.

- "It's okay beautiful" I said after her stuttering apologies.

She blushed even more but then pulled herself together and said

- "Yeah, don't call me that"

- "Why not? You're beautiful so I can call you" I said smirking.

- "Uh....I should press the alarm button because we are stuck"

She pressed the alarm button a few times but it didn't work.

- "look what's written over there. It says the alarm is out of use. You should call that number which is given below it" I said pointing at the number.

I had no intention of staying in the lift forever, but if it's with my love then I can have second thoughts.

I took the phone out from my pocket then started disabling the cameras in the lift. I have already disabled the restaurant's camera before coming but not of the elevators. It's because, I never use lifts to change floors as they are too risky. But I was forced to use it today because the stairs were damaged.

I was in my own thoughts when I heard Mc yelling at someone on the phone

- "Yeah, what do you mean by 3-4 hours? You want us to die inside? I'll report you then you'll lose your fucking license. What kind of service do-"

Before she could shout more and make the situation worse, I snatched her phone away from her then spoke in a different voice "take your time but don't take too long or else we'll might suffocate here. Yeah thank you and please hurry"

I said to the manager then hung up the call returning her phone back.

- "Great. Now we are stuck here for an eternity"

She said in an irritating voice.

I should annoy and tease her more, I thought to myself then proceeded to my actions.

- "why are you worrying babe? You are here with a handsome man like me. Trust me I won't let you feel bored." I said in a flirty tone.

- "Stop calling me with those names. And handsome? Haha I've never heard a better joke. You look like an alien" She said 

*Mc in her mind- btw, he is really very handsome. Uh don't think like that for him*

- "What? alien? Me? I'm offended babe. But you can't do anything cause you are stuck here with me now"

I said, then took off my hoodie revealing me only in my navy blue tshirt.

MC POV

After his heavy flirting, he took off his hoodie showing him only in his thin tshirt.

You couldn't take your eyes off him. He was muscular and well built.

*Wow he's really something. Ugh stop drooling over her Mc. You have your Jake so no other men. But God he really depicts as I imagined Jake. Ocean blue eyes, shiny black hair and so nice-*" you were interrupted out of your thoughts when he again started flirting with you.

- " Stop staring at me, I know I'm handsome and hot but if you will open your eyes that wide then it will pop out" He said mimicking your previous words.

You cleared your throat and looked away saying " why did you removed your hoodie?"

- " Because it's too hot in here."

He said taking a step towards you.

- "yeah, wh-what do you think you're do-doing ?"

You stutterd at him backing off a bit.

Seeing you going back, he smirked and again took a few steps towards you until your back was pressed against the wall.

He put both of his hands beside your head and leaned a bit towards your face saying.

- "Are you scared babe? I won't do anything............without your permission "

You didn't utter a single word because you were completely shocked. Not by his actions but by yourself. You thought only Jake could make you blush and give you butterflies in your stomach with his flirty texts. But here this complete stranger is making you feel nervous as hell and you were blushing like a tomato.

- "Do you want to be my girlfriend? I promise I won't disappoint" He said leaning a bit more forward. Your faces were now only a few inches apart. He tucked a strand of your hair behind your ear seeing your reaction. Your whole body got an electric shock just with a simple touch of his.

"*No, this is wrong. I only want Jake and no one else.*" You thought to yourself and then pushed him away from you.

- "Stay away from me, you pervert. And don't touch me. And for the record, I already have a boyfriend."

He knew well that you were talking about him but how little did you know that your love was this close to you.

- "Oh really?"

- "Yes really" you said.

- "Don't worry babe. I'm sure he won't mind if you'd flirt with me. In fact he would be happy" He said making you confused.

- "Oh yeah? You don't know who he is. And if I'd tell him that there was an alien harassing me in the elevator, he won't spare you."

- "Why? is he a police or a psycho who would kill me?" He asked amused.

- "Trust me he's not a police but he's much more powerful than them. And he's not psycho. So mind your own business and fuck off."

You said to him visibly angry. You can't control yourself when someone bad mouthed him.

- "Hmm.. looks like you really like him"

- "No. I love him"

He let out a happy chuckle then said "Now your boyfriend will say you to kiss me"

He turned around from your side then started doing something.

You ignored him, then took out your phone for time pass.

You saw Jake was online so you immediately went to his chat.

YOU

Hey babe :)

JAKE

Hi beautiful. <3

I'm offended.

YOU

Why? Did I do something wrong?

JAKE

You didn't kiss him.

YOU

Huh, what??

You glance at the man who was still busy with his phone.

JAKE

I love you too.

Then your phone started ringing. It was Jake. He never called you before, not after the case was over.

You quickly received the call.

- "Hello. Jake?"

Silence.....

The man beside you turned around with the phone pressed against his ear.

- "I love you too, beautiful"

The man said and the same voice you heard in your phone.

You were dumbfounded and shocked.

- "You know you look so pretty in real life. And you're so cute. Especially with that angry expression of yours."

Jake or the man in front of you whom you considerd stranger till now said to you in a sweet voice making you completely shocked.

A/N : okay, so I don't know how I feel about this. I think something's missing but I can't figure out what it is. So if you find any mistakes please tell me. I'll try to improve it next time. There will be one or two more part after this.

[girlgrouptrash101]

Cooking with Loona

Request: "i know requests are closed and i’m reallyyy sorryyyy 🥺 i’ve been going through a lot and i just didn’t have time and didn’t feel right enough to ask this: maybe cooking with loona??"

A/N: to the anonnie that requested this, i hope you're feeling better and ily ❤️❤️

(had to put a keep reading tab cuz the post was too damn long f)

- C

Heejin:

we’ve all seen the cement brownie she tried to give to chuu on her birthday vlive..... yeah....

she always skips like half the steps when she’s following recipes and then gets confused when her food doesn’t turn out the same like,, Heejins sweetie pleASE-

lowkey can’t cook but she thinks she can because you hype her up too much

like she will serve you a dish that will somehow be both burnt and cold at the same time and you still tell her she did amazing because it makes her so happy and that’s all that matters

your guys’ favourite thing to make together is probably cupcakes or cakes

because you get to bake them and Heejin gets to decorate them, and they always end up looking and tasting immaculate

everything in your guys’ relationship works better when you’re together, you two simply complete each other :’)

Hyunjin:

not only does she make the most kickass bread but girlie really is a chef of all cuisines too

you still don’t know how or where she even learned to cook so well but you aren’t complaining at all

whatever you feel like eating, Hyunjin knows how to cook it to absolute perfection and she always offers to teach you how to make your favourite dishes

you two also have matching yellow cat aprons uwu

the kind of girl to either kick you out of her kitchen for distracting her while she’s making a meal or else back hug you and help you stir a bowl with her hand over yours all romantically

it literally just depends what mood she’s in at that very moment

highkey loves loves loves cooking for you and surprising you with dinner after a long day, because her favourite thing to do is put a smile on your face :D

Haseul:

starts off really strong and sticks to the recipe... but then her mind wanders and she's like,,, well,,, what if i add this????

and you're like haseul,,,, please don't put chilli peppers in Kim lips birthday cake, i promise she can do without them,,,,,

she finds cooking in the dorms a bit stressful, doing her best to feed the hungry members after a long day of practice

so cooking with you tends to be a much more therapeutic experience, just you two, a bit of music and some tasty treats

but she of course brings back plenty of wonderful bakes for her members to enjoy too, they're literally her babies she is can't just let them STARVE 😔🙄😢

lowkey pretends she's having trouble stirring so you'll reach from the back and help her with the spoon all romantically

miss haseul you are not slick we SEE YOU

Yeojin:

yes she did in fact bejewel her cookery book

"yeojin... I can't even read the recipes, there's too much glitter!!"

"Well Y/N, sometimes, sacrifices have to be made in the name of beauty."

said sacrifices are usually cupcakes and cakes that don't rise, burnt food or just complete mush that doesn't even look like food

however, when yeojin is fully dedicated she can pack a mean lunch, sometimes she makes them for you when you're going off to school/work, and she always makes sure presentation is A+

prefers to just go out to cafes/restaurants on dates rather than cook

but that doesn't mean there haven't been times where you and her have been in the kitchen at 2am, trying to make a gigantic cake for you and all her members to share 😌

Vivi:

has the most peaceful, lofi cooking playlist ever

you two work in harmony, always helping one another but never tripping over the other in the kitchen

it's so harmonious it's like.... y'all were meant to be or sumn idk 😳😳😳

however if u try to eat any batter she will smack ur hand and be like no ⛔ that is for LATER hfhdhd

her hair always gets tied up in the cutest little bun when she's baking, and that along with her fairy apron makes her look like an actual princess

she also LOVES cooking/teaching you how to make her favourite foods from Hong Kong that she'd always make with her mom

those meals always help her when she's homesick, and with you by her side make her feel like she's not alone 🥺

Kim Lip:

CEO of pretending she has everything under control when in reality she has absolutely no idea what’s going on

“Uhhh Jungeun, is something burning?” “NOPE NOPE IDK WHAT YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT HA HA HA........”

wants to put your apron on you every time but she’s always way too shy to ask so she just resorts to back-hugging you until you get the hint and let her tie a cute little bow behind your back with the apron string hehe

makes pretty decent food when she’s not flailing around and panicking over a single grain of rice that escaped from the pot or something

however she refuses to admit when she messes up in the kitchen

like she could burn something to a crisp or use completely the wrong ingredients but she’d still eat every bite just to prove she’s the best cook in the house

if your food sucks she will tell you to your face, followed by a kiss so you forget about the fact she just roasted your cooking skills lol

Jinsoul:

Jinsoul gives off Hawaiian shirt drunk uncle at the family barbecue vibes who won't let anyone near the steaks

and you're like,, Jinsoul do you even know what you're doing????????? to which she responds - "food, heat, it's cooking. isn't that all i need to know?"

chaotic but refuses to acknowledge the chaos she causes in the kitchen

so when you have baking dates u have to keep such a close eye on her to make sure she isn't going to poison anyone with her creations

once she gets into it tho, she's grooving around the kitchen in her little robot apron, dancing to Christmas songs when it's not even Christmas and just 10/10 having a blast

not really the biggest fan of cooking but she knows you are, and since you help her build her gundams she does like to try and help our properly in the kitchen when she can

perhaps Jinsoul best girl???? perhaps??????

Choerry:

hello this sunshine absolutely LOVES baking, especially for others because putting a smile on someone's face is her main goal in life

she loves decorating with icing too, her go to patterns are smiley faces, flowers and the sun!

her playlists are always so upbeat, the two of you end up bouncing around the kitchen singing at the top of your lungs as you work

LOVES LOVES LOOOOOVES backhugs, especially recieving them,,, it makes her feel all worm and mushy inside hehe

also likes to kiss face icing off of your face, just to have an excuse to give you as many little pecks as she so desires

choerry always makes you a birthday cake every year, and she puts so much work into it, it absolutely melts your heart

plus it makes her happy to see you eating well and having a good time, she truly just is the biggest sweetheart :']

Yves:

she always says yes whenever you ask her to cook with you, but only because she just wants to flirt with you for an hour

"why do we need to make all this food, when the real snack is right in front of me? 😏"

cooking with you actually really does make her happy though, she loves that she can be so domestic with you, it's such an amazing break from her hectic life

also lowkey makes her feel like you're a married couple... and you best believe Yves can't wait to wife you up

she doesn't suck at cooking, but has often times gotten,,, ahem,,,, somewhat distracted and has prioritized making out with you against the kitchen counter rather than how long the food has been cooking, which ends up in a lot of burnt meals

baking with her is really a time, and has more than once ended in a very messy food fight because Yves wouldn't stop smearing icing all over your face 💔

her specialty is dialing the local takeaway and ordering food instead ✨ okay Yves Ramsey go off ✨

Chuu:

this baby girl is just torn between actually wanting to cook or just asking you to cook with her so she can get affection from you (as if she doesn't get that anyway smh)

backhugs except she won't let go

whenever she's making something she calls you over and she's like "Y/N is this okay?" and always asks for kisses as a reward for doing good

will feed you every single ingredient no questions asked

she loves surprising you with meals on very random occasions though, for example that one time she cooked your favourite food because it was the anniversary of the first time she got sick while dating you

she's actually a pretty good cook when she puts her mind to it though, she loves making good food that'll cheer people up when they really need it

btw you will be forced to wear matching aprons and they will be the pinkest, loudest and sparkliest ones that she can get her hands on ✨

Go Won:

have the fire service on speed dial before you even think about cooking with gowon omg

you literally also need to have indestructible tastebuds because she WILL destroy them

her speciality is starting fires and combining foods that were NEVER. EVER. E V E R. meant to be combined 😭😭

"babe come try this dish!! it's ramen mixed with coca cola, jelly and vegetable soup!!! it tastes GREAT trust me"

at the end of the day you just leave her be in the kitchen because at least she's having fun LMAO

(just always have a fire hydrant by your side okay??? she set the loona dorm on fire making chicken nuggets once...)

despite all her chaos, she somehow always produces something edible at the end and.... sometimes it actually tastes good too???

Olivia Hye:

lets you do all the work cuz she's worried she "might mess it up" when in reality she just wants to order takeout and cuddle instead smhhh

will probably follow you around the kitchen or rest her head on your shoulder while you do all the cooking, because this tsundere is secretly the biggest softie for you

she's actually a decent chef when she's motivated to help though

like she even put together a cooking playlist for you guys - which she very shyly revealed to you one time, a slight blush on her cheeks as she played the songs for you

cuz miss olhye is very much a romantic, she just doesn't have the confidence to show you all that yet hehe

her favourite is making desserts because well,,,, she gets to eat the batter and also gets tasty treats at the end

10/10 cooking backhugs also 🖐️😌

[fakeloveaskblog]

Patty have you ever asked Janus to join for dinner when you meet him? Maybe that can somehow help Logan with his flirting? Or at least get Janus more relaxed?

(btw you're adorable ily!!)

(*cracks knuckles* Oh yeah baby we’ve gotten to the angst. Words: 2364 )

Patty: ": D Oh hello lil magical bird who just talked to me! I love you too!! I didn't want to barge in too much into their relationship but now when my honeypie has asked him out once already I guess I can help just a bit!"

Patty had sunglasses on to look like a secret agent. This was an important step in her plan, she swore on it. She sneaked into the open library while chuckling to herself.

She glanced around and almost immediately caught her eye on Janus standing in the reception. She did a few sneaky walks between the bookshelves before sliding up to him.

"Hello Janister!" She greeted with a bright smile while putting her elbows on the reception to lean closer.

"Hiya PatPat. Logan is off helping a customer but he'll be back soon"

"Oh silly I'm not looking for him right now. I am actually here to ask if you could come over to our place tonight. You see I'm planning on making Jambalaya but I always make too much! I'm talking leftovers up to the roof!! But if a third person was there maybe I would be able to make a perfect amount" She lied. She was making jambalaya for Janus purposes alone!

Janus' heartrate shot through the atmosphere "To- me?- your place?- tonight?- I uh- I don't know if I have time-"

She pouted and did her puppy eyes "You sure? You don't have to if you don't want to!! But it would be nice!"

He let out a happy sigh "Sure"

She took his hand and let out a sqeaul "aaah Great! It'll be so fun!!"

---

Logan was leaning down so Patty could help him with his bowtie. "Are you completely sure I look adequate?" He asked.

"Oh honeybee, You look super duper ultra adequate. You're literally wearing a sweater with a math pun on it!!"

"Hmm sound argument. I can not deny the sexiness of math puns"

A knock came on the door. The couple stared at each other. Logan stimmed out of nervousness. Patty gave him a quick kiss before pointing between him and the door. They did a good luck high five.

Logan combed his hair back and leaned on the wall to look cool as he opened the door. Janus stood on the other side looking like a sardine that had just been pressed into a can.

He had on a purple vest with embroidered flowers details and with a long sleeved black button up under. Also a very funky pair of stripped pants with even funkier yellow snake socks under.

"Greetings Jan. You are looking" Like a dream. Like someone he wanted to kiss right this moment. "Very good"

"Aww are you trying to be a snake charmer Log-boy" Janus replied with a smirk.

"I am not a log or a boy. I'm an adult man made out of meat"

"You better be because I'm starving" He had downed 2 shots of vodka before coming to try to and cool his extreme anxiety. He was a lightweight.

Logan lead him into the living room "Are....Are you implying cannibalism?"

Janus shrugged while smiling.

The apartement truly did look like a mismatch of the couple's personalities. The walls were filled with maps of constellations and uplifting cat posters. On the bookshelfs cook books and travel books were stacked next to thick philosophy books and essays. The decorations were either cute porcelain animals, magical anime girl figurines or figurines of characters from Lo's different hyperfixations. The sofa was filled with fluffy blankets and pillows and stuffies were scattered around the light blue carpet filling the living room.

“Do you want to watch star trek while eating?” Logan asked with a hopeful glint in his eyes.

“As long as I get to watch your beautiful face as well” Janus flirted back while doing an unsteady fingergun.

“Oh- Of course” His crush’s sudden forwardness was making his heart flutter.

Janus curled up in the corner of the couch, making himself as small as possible. Logan sat down pretty far away from him.

He started the first episode. Janus had a constant smile on his face as he listened to Logan go between telling him facts and gushing over his favorite moments. All while he could hear Patty in the kitchen half singing along to dad rock.

“Does she want help with that?” Janus, known gentleman and also nervous wreck, asked.

“She’ll tell us if she need it. She likes cooking. I like baking. It usually works out”

Janus got an amused look on his face “You’re into baking? So all those times at work when you brought desserts, that was your making?”

“Yes. And they were delicious. Anything wrong with that?”

“No. No. I simply didn’t take you for the type”

“Well cooking involves creativity and there’s room for your own ideas. Baking doesn’t. It is only about following a structure and doing kitchen chemistry. Of course I love it” He lowered his voice “It is also tremendously good for when you need to flirt without words”

“Oh really? I better start looking up recipes then” He pulled in Logan's bowtie “You have any favorites?” 

In his head he had the guts to say ‘Your lips against mine would be my favorite’ in reality he said “HehuHFKdjf jam drops in the shape of heart. The heart part is important. It adds to the taste”

“It usually does”

Janus slowly looked him up and down. And then he realized what the fuck he was doing. He shot back into his corner of the sofa like a naked rat. Logan sat still with blushing cheeks, staring at the tv but not taking in anything that was happening except his racing heart.

“Done!” Patty exclaimed, coming in with a big ass fucking pot of jambalaya and a just as big bottle of wine.

She saw the nervous state both of the guys were in and quickly made up a plan. She slammed the pot down onto the coffee table and moved the blankets so they took up about half of the couch. Then she sat down using up as much space as possible leaving the guys no choice but to move closer to each other, If both of them sat their hands down they would touch.

Patty cuddled up to her husband with a proud smile on her face. Logan moved his arm around her. 

“It looks great sweetheart” He pressed a kiss to her cheek making her giggle.

“So do you!! And so does mr. star trek captain man!”

 She enjoyed the hell out of her jambalaya while the two idiots sent each other awkward smiles. Janus downed his glass of wine in record speed. (He took it slower with the food, he didn’t want to seem disgusting). 

The whole star trek episode went by. Logan asked Janus a thousand excited questions about how much he liked it. All of his answers made the nerd happy stim. They put on a documentary none of them were really interested in the background while continuing to chat. Patty went on a long epic story about how a kid at her daycare had tried to bite her finger off last week.

“Soooo” Patty sudenly changed the topic. She said it with an innocent tone “My nerdy lil honeypie over here had the biggest crush on Data for a while. It was adorable. ANd while we’re on the topic” The look she gave Janus was happy but it still sent shivers down his spine “You having any crushes lately? Just curious!”

Both of the men internally gasped at the audacity. The gall! The sheer power!! Janus was sweating like a naked rat who had just been clad for the first time.

“...Well.......I have actually been meaning to....Ask about the polyamourous thing?” 

The couple exhanged knowing glances before looking back at him “Mhm yeah Mhm” “I am poly and also a thing so I am an expert in this”

“So...I totally haven’t fallen in love with 3 people. 2 of which I met in the span of around a week”

Patton did a double thumbs up. Logan took a long sip from his wine. “We’re all gossipy bitches here. Tell all about it”

“Well. The first one is Remy-”

“The one with the sunglasses?”

“...Yes...Are....Don’t tell me they’re a serial killer”

Patty broke up into a chuckle “Logie-bogie tried to kiss them while he was drunk once”

“I threw up on their shoes”

“He threw up on their shoes!”

Logan saw the terror in Janus’ face as he worried that maybe 2 of his crushes were exes and quickly added “We are only acquaintance and I was momentarily struck by the impressive lenght of their legs” 

Janus went on to gush about Remy and Remus. Why he loved them. All the dates he had daydreamed about. And then finally his voice was shaking when he mentioned just having a third crush.

Patty let out a long yawn before he could say anything more. She stood up “Well looks like it’s time to snooze! I assume 2 big burly ultra masculine men like you two can handle the dishes”

“It will be a challenge but we shall do our best. Goodnight honey” Logan kissed her.

She leaned in and whispered “Good luck Logie-bear! You got this”

She giggled mischievously while going off into the bedroom. She closed the door behind her. Only the two lovebirds were left now.

“So the third crush? Who’s the lucky gentleman?” Logan asked.

Janus held onto his newly refilled wine glass so hard it nearly cracked. He forced a smile “Wouldn’t you want to hear about the fake couples counseling I go to together with Remus instead?���

“Fake what now?”

“Well me and Remus, who I am hopelessly in love with even though he clearly doesn’t feel the same way, started going to a therapist pretending we were a couple to see how long it would take before he realized we didn’t know each other. He hasn’t realized anything yet. It’s great!”

It looked like Logan’s eyes was about to bulge out of his skull “That sounds illegal. It should be. You are dragging shame onto the face of psychology you double dumbass!”

“I have done nothing wrong ever in my entire life and frankly I deserve to waste even more therapist’s time” Janus replied.

He let out a deep sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose “Which therapist is it that you’re harassing exactly?”

“Dr. Picani”

Logan’s eyes widened and he shut his lips tightly “Emile Picani?”

“Yes.....Please don’t tell me he’s a serial killer”

He slowly looked away while taking a sip from his wine “I have had intercourse with that man”

Janus choked on his drink. He coughed while staring at his friend with wild eyes “YOU FUCKED MY THERAPIST????”

“No.......He fucked me” Logan replied in a quiet tone. “Besides he’s not even your real therapist”

“He is still a sort of therapist man to me! I told him I enjoy Lana Del Rey. That was a very intimate moment for me!”

“Well I had a very intimate moment with him too”

Janus looked at him with flushed cheeks and wide eyes. He let out a chuckle which turned into a laugh which turned into Logan not being able to not laugh along which turned into the room filling with nothing but flustered happiness and laughter.

Logan grabbed onto his crush’ arm just to have some contact with him while his eyes teared up from laughter. Janus leaned his head against his shoulder and curled up close to him while giggling so much his stomach hurt.

“Oh we’re idiots” Janus sighed.

“We are. We truly are”

They stayed sitting like that. So so close. Logan’s arm around him. Janus breathing being felt against the other man’s skin. Their hands touching. Only comfortable silence surrounded them.

A few minutes went by. Janus looked at him shuly. His thoughts worrying about everything and anything “Should we- ehm- the dishes?”

The moment broke. Logan moved away before standing up “I uh yeah- we should”

It was strange. Just dishing together with his crush made Logan happy. All he could think about was getting to be this close, this domestic, with him every day. Getting to wake up next to him. Kiss his knuckles. Share a morning with him.

“Who was the third crush by the way?” Logan asked, glancing over at his crush.

Janus stared down into the water “I- I can’t say it”

“Understandable”

He stopped and turned fully to look at Janus. He had never been more unsure of where to put his hands before.

“Well I can...Say it I mean....I....I...Janus.....You make me happy just by being near me...You are so wonderful...I....I love you”

Logan couldn’t hold himself back anymore. He took a step forward and cupped Janus’ cheeks. He leaned forward, so close, so close that their noses and foreheads were pressed against each other. It felt like had been starving for this.

Janus froze. His wide eyes stared in shock at the other man. His hand moved up to his chest on instinct, to try and push him away.

Logan noticed his reaction. Of course he did. It was blindingly obvious. He forced himself to move away. He forced the desire to kiss him to simmer out.

“I-I’m sorry-” He mumbled out.

“No....Lo..” Janus took his hand. Holding it so so lightly in his own “I know” He looked up at him “I know. I’m sorry. I should go”

A horrible feeling of guilt filled Logan’s throat “You don’t have to” 

“I should go” He repeated, letting go of his hand.

Logan walked after him as he went to get his jacket “A date. Do you want to go on a date? Not just a hangout. Janus I- I want so badly to be close to you. We could go to the zoo, look at the snakes?”

Janus held his hand on the handle of the door. He didn’t look at Logan “Thanks for having me over”

He left. Logan stood alone in the hallway. His arms hanging helplessly at his sides.

[lloydskywalkers]

There’s Insurance for That

In which Skylor buys lunch, stops a criminal, and learns the best way to blow up the kitchen electronics section, which is a pretty normal week for her, she guesses. Or, five places the ninja are no longer allowed into, featuring Skylor.

(been hitting a bit of a writer’s block with everything else lately, so here’s this...disaster, i guess?? because these ninja are definitely a disaster in this, but i was having fun so. this is the bed bath & beyond fic btw, in case anyone was wondering gdfkgdh)

1. My. Kazami’s Ramen Place

At this point, sadly, Skylor’s used to it.

It’s around a quarter to noon on a Monday, just as she's leaving the noodle shop for her well-deserved lunch break, when a familiar scream splits the relatively-quiet afternoon air on this side of Ninjago City.

The only reason Skylor does not immediately dissolve into panic at said scream is because she is — also sadly — familiar with the variations of it, and this one sounds less like it’s Lloyd’s “I’m-in-terrible-danger-and/or-pain-again” scream, and more like his “I’m-free-falling-on-purpose-from-the-sky-again” scream. Which is, in and of itself, not entirely concerning. In fact, it’d probably be more unusual not to see Lloyd go falling from the sky at some point during any of the ninjas’ higher-than-eight-feet battles, because somehow that’s become a habitual thing. The sky is blue, fire is hot, Kai uses hair gel — Lloyd is going to drop screaming from the sky at some point this month.

So instead of panicking, Skylor figures she’ll just stand in the vicinity until Lloyd either climbs out of another dumpster, or lands on top of her. Kai doesn’t seem to be around to catch him, so Skylor’s prepared to step up, even though it looks like Lloyd’s got a pretty good handle on landing, at the angle she’s watching him from.

Still though, she muses. You’d think he’d have started actively wearing a parachute at this point.

“Kai suggested that,” Lloyd says, after he’s finally able to stand straight, and he’s not quite as cross-eyed. He frowns at his reflection in a store window as they pass by, scuffing at his windblown hair again. “But it gets in the way, you know? It throws off my backflips.”

“That’s a nail in the coffin right there,” Skylor agrees, leading them across another sidewalk. Lloyd’s attracting a lot of looks, with his bright green battle gi and razor-sharp sword strapped across his back, but fortunately no one’s started crowding them yet. Probably because the razor-sharp sword strapped to his back. “Can’t have your fighting style completely crippled,” she adds.

“I don’t backflip that much,” Lloyd huffs. Yes, you do, is on the tip of Skylor’s tongue, because she’s seen him fight, but she decides not to pick that battle…this time.

“Besides,” Lloyd continues. “I don’t really need a parachute, anyways. I always make sure to aim for like, somewhere safe to land. Relatively safe. Safe-ish.”

Skylor eyes him. “You landed in a dumpster.”

Lloyd bristles in offense. “I did not! It was a perfectly respectable recycling bin.”

“Same thing, if you ask me.”

“Not even close. Dumpsters are gross. Recycling bins you just crash through a whole bunch of cardboard and old newspapers. It’s luxury trash diving.”

Skylor just sighs, shaking her head, and edits the text she’s been tapping out for Kai.

Skylor > found your kid in a recycling bin

Skylor > taking him to lunch bc you’re clearly starving him again

Skylor > he’s alive btw

Kai > oh thank fsm

Kai > tell him he’s grounded

Kai > u never take me for lunch :(

Skylor > maybe if u dropped on me from the sky sometime i would

“Hey, are the others busy?” she asks Lloyd in afterthought. “Like…fighting anyone?”

“Huh?” Lloyd blinks. He then flushes, rubbing the back of his head. “Ah, no. We’d pretty much finished up the fight when I, uh…there was a break-in, on the Bounty? We had the guys all taken care of, but they blew part of the mast up, and it left debris all over the deck, so I kind of…maybe….tripped…”

Lloyd is bright red by the time he finishes the sentence. Skylor wouldn’t feel so bad about it, if she wasn’t doubled over laughing at him in the middle of rush hour traffic.

“You are a trained ninja,” she breathes out, between snickers.

“I know,” Lloyd moans.

“You’re like, part god.”

“I know,” Lloyd moans again, into his hands this time. Skylor has to grab his shoulders and forcibly drag him along down the crowded street, trying not to cringe inside at all the looks they’re getting.

“Kai says you’re grounded, by the way,” she says, as the last of her laughter fades.

That snaps Lloyd out of it. “He can’t ground me,” he scowls. “I’m leader.”

“Stop falling from the sky, and maybe he’ll give it a rest,” Skylor replies, glancing down as her phone buzzes again.

Kai > I’d join u but I’m stuck on prison delivery

Kai > nya’s coming to pick up the demon spawn tho

Skylor > nice I’ve been wanting to buy her lunch

Kai > cruel

“—don’t know what you mean, I don’t fall that often, and most of the time it’s on purpose, anyways—”

Skylor chooses to ignore Lloyd’s slightly-concerning, sulking rambling, and pats his shoulder instead. “Nya’s coming for lunch, too,” she says. “Does ramen sound good?”

“Oh, yeah.” Lloyd brightens, seemingly cheered by the reminder he’s getting food out of this. “It’s been a while since I’ve eaten out.”

“I can tell,” Skylor says, eyeing him. “Cole hasn’t been cooking for you, has he?"

“No, but we put Zane on mandatory break so he could relax a bit, and we’re all suffering for it.”

Lloyd and Skylor both jump at Nya’s voice, not having heard her coming up behind them.

“Nya!” Lloyd beams. “Skylor is — ouch, hey, let go!”

“That’s what you get for giving me gray hairs again,” Nya scolds, digging her knuckles into Lloyd’s hair. She looks up from the hold she’s pulled him into, and smiles brightly at Skylor. “Hi, Skylor. Nice to see you.”

“Hi, Nya.” Skylor gives a little wave, watching Lloyd squirm out of Nya’s grasp in amusement.

“So, ramen?” Nya says, giving Lloyd one last elbow in the side before joining Skylor.

“Yeah,” she says. “I was thinking the place down on seventh, the Sobahouse, I think?”

Lloyd and Nya both stiffen, their steps slowing. Skylor pauses, turning to stare at them in confusion. “That’s not the one owned by someone named Mr. Kazami, is it?” Nya finally asks, hesitantly.

“Uh, yeah, it is, actually,” Skylor blinks. “He’s pretty nice, we go to the same grocer on weekends.”

“Ah,” Lloyd says, carefully.

“Hm,” Nya hesitates.

Skylor looks between the two of them, now completely stopped in the middle of the sidewalk.  She really hopes no one is getting pictures of her like this. There are enough flash articles about the rumored orange ninja cryptid on the internet as it is. “Is that…a problem?”

Nya pointedly stares at the sky as if it’s the most interesting thing she’s seen all day. Baffled, Skylor tries the weaker link. Lloyd swallows, avoiding her eyes as he bounces from leg to leg, as if the mere thought of trying to enter the restaurant is terrifying. Which is mildly alarming, because this is the same kid who power-walked straight into a prison full of escaped violent criminals, his psychotic ex, and his undead murderous dad without hesitation.

“We can’t,” Lloyd finally mutters, staring at the sidewalk. Nya elbows him in the side, hissing “weak link” as she does. Lloyd just glares at her.

“O-okay,” Skylor says, unsure. “I mean, that’s fine if you guys want to go somewhere else. I just didn’t know you…didn’t like this place…”

“No, we do,” Lloyd grinds out, and he looks more embarrassed than terrified now, so Skylor aborts her half-formed plans of speed-dialing Karloff. “We just can’t. Go in, that is. We’re not allowed to.”

Skylor stares at him. “You’re not allowed in? Why not?”

“Because,” Nya forces through gritted teeth. “They banned us.”

“They what?” Skylor gapes.

Nya presses her lips together tightly. Lloyd stares very hard at the ground, as if desperately trying to convince himself to keep quiet. Skylor can pinpoint the moment he breaks, his expression contorting as he throws his hands up wildly. “You blow their electrical system up one time—”

“Oh guys, no,” Skylor groans, before bursting into laughter at him for the second time that day. Lloyd looks incredibly unappreciative, his expression scrunching up in annoyance like she hasn’t seen since that one stupid skating match with Chamille, and that just makes her laugh harder.

“We were trying to save them!” Nya defends indignantly. “It’s not our fault they had weak wiring—”

“I just got a little too into it, it’s — it’s Nya’s fault, she’s the one that said it’d be cool if I tried to do shockwave thing like in—”

“That was a mutual thing and you know it!”

“Oh guys, no,” Skylor wheezes into her hands.

“It worked!”

“Poor Mr. Kazami,” Skylor manages, through snickers. Lloyd’s shoulders slump, his upper lip pouting, and Nya crosses her arms, as if refusing to look ashamed.

“It’s not like the other guys aren’t banned from anywhere, either—”

“Alright, alright,” Skylor waves her hands, taking pity on them. “We’ll go somewhere else.”

“Good,” Nya mutters, as Lloyd exhales in relief. Skylor just snickers again, leading them down the sidewalk in the opposite direction. She bites her lip, shaking her head, before a thought occurs to her.

“Wait, what do you mean, ‘it’s not like they aren’t banned from anywhere’?” she frowns. “You guys are banned from more than one place?”

“No,” Nya says firmly, before Lloyd can even speak up. “Forget I said anything.”

Skylor will do no such thing, but she decides it’s in her best interest not to pursue it. Nya is not the sort of person to trifle with, and she does want that ramen.

She gets her answer soon enough, anyways.

2. Ninjago City Aquarium

While Skylor has the early shift on Tuesdays, she does get the afternoons off, which is pretty nice for the most part, if it didn’t mean she’d be bored for the rest of the day. So she hits the grocery store and decides to take the long way home, partially because walking is supposed to be good for you, and partially in hopes that one of the ninja will drop in on her again.

She’s not disappointed.

Granted, a minor explosion going off from inside the Ninjago City Aquarium wasn’t exactly what she was expecting today, but the figures in bright red and white arguing furiously outside the security perimeter are par for the course.

It’s a little odd that they haven’t already rushed in yet, Skylor notes, but with the way they’re loudly yelling at each other in the middle of the street, she figures she’ll find out soon enough.

“No, Kai, it is our civic duty to follow the laws put in place for the safety of civilians—”

“Oh come on, you get brainwashed into a slightly-murderous emperor one time and now you’re a stickler for everything?!”

"One time was enough, Kai!”

“Uh, hi guys,” Skylor approaches the two, hesitantly. “Is everything alright?”

“Skylor!” Kai whirls on her, his eyes wild. “Thank FSM, you’ve gotta help us out — they won’t let us in!” He shakes his fist at the aquarium doors, before springing for the security gate. “Let us in, let us in—”

“Shaking the gate like an animal is not going to convince them, Kai!” Zane pleads, prying Kai away. He shoots Skylor an apologetic glance as he wrangles Kai into a gentle chokehold. “We would greatly appreciate your help, if possible. There’s a low-threat criminal with an unfortunate assortment of weaponry who ran into the aquarium, and we’re legally unable to pursue. If you could try to drive him out, perhaps?”

“I — you — you’re what?” Skylor has the weirdest sense of déjà vu, before it’s lost in confusion. Her head swivels from the frustrated expression on Kai’s face to the pleading one on Zane’s, then to the grocery bags in her hands. She looks back up at Kai, who’s now giving her the puppy eyes. Something from inside the aquarium explodes loudly.

“Sure,” she sighs, handing Kai her grocery bags. “Just one guy?”

“Just one guy,” Kai exhales in relief. “You’re a lifesaver, Skylor, I — hey, are these those snack cakes they made to look like us?”

“Yes, eat them and you die,” Skylor hisses. She turns to Zane, holding her hand out half-hesitantly. “Lend a girl some ice powers?”

“Of course,” Zane nods, letting her take his hand. There’s a brief moment as Skylor melds her power with Zane’s, absorbing the icy force and mimicking it to her own — a part of her notes vaguely that it’s stronger than the last time she borrowed it, but she shakes it off, pulling her hand back and tugging the hood of her jacket up, mentally hoping no one writes another article about the possible existence of a cryptid orange ninja after this.

“Alright,” she says. “Be back in five.”

“Thank you,” Zane says fervently, as Kai sputters, “Hey, why didn’t you borrow my power?”

“Because fire is explosive, and you’ve gotta be banned from here for a reason!” Skylor calls back, ice already misting over her fingertips as she sprints inside the aquarium.

“You’d be surprised,” Kai mutters, after her retreating back.

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

“So,” Skylor says, flexing her right hand and wincing briefly. That last right hook she’d thrown at the guy might have been a little too hard, in hindsight. But he was being a jerk, and threatening to set off a bomb near the little seahorses — and it did do the trick, so now the aquarium can have the host of cop cars off its back. Skylor feels pretty accomplished in her good deed for the day, actually. “Why, again, couldn’t you guys have taken care of that yourselves? Not that I minded,” she adds, quickly. Using the ice element had been fun. She’d forgotten what she could do with Zane’s powers.

Kai gives a nervous laugh that’s so fake it almost hurts, especially with the pained expression he makes at the end. Zane just rubs his temple with a hand, looking eternally weary.

“Like I said, we are legally not permitted to enter the aquarium, until…when was it again, Kai?”

“Five years from now,” Kai mutters. “Or whenever the director dies.”

“Yes, five years from now,” Zane repeats, with a dead sort of look in his eyes. “So your assistance was very much appreciated. Thank you.”

“It was no problem, but — wait, hold on, how are you banned from the aquarium for five years?” she stutters. “I mean, I can get Lloyd and Nya with the ramen place—”

“Ha! They told you about that? It was great—”

“Kai, please.”

“—and I can understand Kai, but you, Zane?”

She feels a little guilty for calling him out so bluntly, but it’s Zane. Zane doesn’t just get banned from places, she has to know. And he doesn’t look too upset at the question. Kai looks mildly betrayed, but not that much. They both know Skylor’s point is too valid for him to argue with effectively.

Zane gives another bone-weary sigh. “There is a small chance, that there was a time we were pursuing another villain here, and during that battle, I might have…underestimated the amount of ice I was putting out.” Zane shifts, looking pained. “Which in turn accidentally spread to any bodies of liquid that happened to be nearby at the time, which perhaps were filled with rather expensive aquatic life.”

“You froze a fish exhibit,” Skylor deadpans.

“They were merely in extreme hibernation,” Zane grits out. “They would have been fine, had Kai not tried to fix the ice.”

“Hey, it made sense! I could melt it quickest!”

“Except you didn’t just melt it, did you? No, you had an entire fish fry—”

“The poor fish,” Skylor says, staring at them blankly. “What were they?”

“Like, these rainbow fish, from way up north, I think?” Kai says. “I swear I didn’t make it that hot.”

“The water was boiling, Kai!”

“You fish murderer,” Skylor says, the corners of her mouth trembling with the laugh she’s holding back. Kai glares at Zane, then her, then Zane again.

“I didn’t freeze them solid.”

“Whatever the cause of their death, they died, and we’re banned now,” Zane says, hastily. “End of story. Would you like to take this back to the Bounty, Skylor? I know the others have been wanting to see you, and we can at least offer you tea in thanks.” He eyes the grocery bags Kai’s still holding. “Unless, of course, you wish to return home…”

“Nah, tea sounds good,” she smiles. “Besides, I bought the snack cakes for you guys to try anyways. They’ve got little squashed ninja faces in icing on ‘em.”

“You’re the best,” Kai says, looking somewhat relieved, and oh, he definitely ate one while Skylor was in there. She’s going to have to pay him back for that one…

“Tell me something I don’t know,” she says airily, figuring she’ll take her revenge later. “You can tell me more about the fish massacre on our way back. By the way, Pixal wouldn’t happen to have heard this story, would she?”

Zane gives her a look, and she almost feels bad about it. “I’m going to regret inviting you, aren’t I.”

“Maybe,” she grins. “Jury’s still out.”

3. An Entire Drugstore Chain

Wednesdays are always busy at the noodle shop, for reasons Skylor has yet to figure out. Fridays she understands, but the middle of the week? Nothing kills your drive like knowing you’re going to do this all over again in a day.

It’s good money for the shop though, she reminds herself as she locks up that evening. Any money is good money for the shop, because her stupid dad made sure she’d have a real hole to dig herself out of there, but Wednesday money is always especially good. Even if she ends up leaving the shop late and can’t get the noodle smell from her hair for the next three days.

Normally, she’d trudge home and crash into bed after these kind of shifts. But tonight is different, because she stayed long enough at the Bounty yesterday to get invited to game night, and once you’ve promised the ninja you’re going to bring snacks for Monopoly, you can’t just say no. Not unless you want Lloyd to shoot betrayed glares at you the rest of the month.

Besides, she’s promised Kai she’ll sneak out to the movies with him afterwards, and she can’t just go breaking that promise. Plus, she’s not heartless enough to deny Cole cake when he’s got the most spectacular black eye she’s seen all year bruising up around the left side of his face.

“Lucky hit,” Cole grumbles, after she’s been caught staring too long. She hasn’t wanted to ask him about it, since it seems a sensitive subject and he’s already taking the time to help her pick up (carry) all the snacks. But it’s impossible to miss, even in the dim streetlights they’re walking under, and Skylor cares about her friends, thank you very much. “We busted some drug dealers today, and I got too relaxed.”

“They normally really aren’t any match for you, to be fair,” Skylor offers.

“They weren’t this time either, that’s the sad thing,” Cole says, scrubbing a hand through his thick hair as they wait at the stoplight. “This was all on me. I kinda deserved it.”

“I’m sure it wasn’t that bad,” Skylor tries to console him, even though the ugly red at the edge of his eye says otherwise.

Cole gives her a bleak look. “Jay made a joke, and I laughed at it. And then I got hit across the face with a baseball bat, mid-laugh.”

“Ouch,” Skylor hisses through her teeth. “Never mind, that’s bad. Was it a good joke, at least?”

“No, that’s the thing,” Cole groans, as the light finally turns red, allowing them to cross the street. “It was terrible. And I still laughed hard enough not to notice a bat coming for my face.”

Skylor grimaces. “You were just being a good friend, I guess,” she says, and Cole snorts. “Like you are to me, right now,” she continues, glancing ruefully at the shopping list she’s been sent. “I was going to say I had it handled, then I actually looked at everything you guys asked for.”

Cole laughs sheepishly. “Yeah, that’s…that’s us, I guess. Sorry about that. We’re paying for it all, don’t worry.”

“What?” Skylor blinks. Oh no, no way. The ninja have done enough for her, the least she can do is cover a couple bags of popcorn and like ten things of M&M’s. “No, I got it. I owe you guys, anyways.”

Cole bristles. “No way. We owe you, if anything. The amount of times you’ve covered our tab at the noodle shop?”

“How about the amount of times you’ve saved my noodle shop?” Skylor shoots back. “That outweighs a few measly tabs.”

“The only reason we had to save it was because we were there in the first place,” Cole points out. “We’re danger magnets.”

“I’m sorry, I’m the daughter of Chen, remember?” Skylor huffs. “I can attract enemies all by myself.”

“Not as many as we do,” Cole says. “Also! You helped us beat Chen, and get Zane back. We’re eternally indebted to you.”

Skylor narrows her eyes. “Only after I stabbed you all in the back. So I eternally owe you.”

“Bold of you to assume we haven’t all stabbed each other in the back at some point,” Cole scoffs. “Trust me, you’re nowhere as bad as Lloyd — he like, single-handedly ruined our whole month by letting a bunch of snakes out.”

Skylor pauses at that, torn between refuting his argument and asking how in the world Lloyd, of all people, could possibly manage to wreak enough havoc to—

Actually, she doesn’t have any trouble believing that at all. But to be sure— “Lloyd let the Serpentine out? All by himself?”

Cole looses a bit of his fire, and scuffs his shoe awkwardly across the sidewalk. “I mean, we did give him a pretty hard time when he was like, eight years old and homeless and starving, so uh, it might’ve been a little...provoked.”

“FSM’s sake,” Skylor mutters, staring at the sky and trying not to be surprised, because she really shouldn’t by now. “I can’t believe you guys are all still alive.”

“Neither can we, if it helps,” Cole shrugs, grinning. “But you know, technically—”

“If you make another ghost joke, we’re skipping the cake section,” Skylor says, firmly.

Cole sulks. “Jay would’ve made a ghost joke,” he mutters.

“Jay also got you hit in the face by a bat, so his judgement is questionable as it is,” Skylor shakes her head. “Oh! There’s a drugstore right here, wanna hit that instead?”

“Sure,” Cole says. “As long as it’s not…oh.”

Skylor makes it another three steps before she realizes that Cole’s fallen behind. Confused, she turns to stare at him where he’s frozen on the sidewalk, looking up at the bright red drugstore sign and biting his lip.

“Everything okay back there?” Skylor says, wondering if he didn’t get hit in the head harder than he’s let on. Cole nods, but he also takes several steps back out of the streetlight, hiding himself from view of the store.

“Here’s an idea,” he says, suddenly. “How about we go anywhere else.”

Skylor stares at him, a sinking feeling in her chest coupled with the slowly-growing-familiar sense of déjà-vu. “Cole.” He doesn’t meet her eyes, and Skylor sighs. “Please tell me you haven’t been banned from somewhere, too.”

“It’s not just me, Lloyd and Jay also got banned,” Cole snaps, before realizing his mistake and ducking his head.

“You’re kidding me,” Skylor says flatly, looking back at the drugstore, then to Cole. “This is like, the shadiest drugstore on this side on Ninjago. How?”

Cole mumbles something under his breath, and Skylor strains to make it out. “Sorry, what was that?”

“I kind of, um, threw Lloyd through their wall,” Cole mutters again, looking as if he’d like very much to disappear entirely into the street side. Which is funny, because—

His sentence finally registers, and Skylor blinks rapidly. “Wait, you what?”

Cole’s eyes widen, and waves his arms quickly. “Not like — not like Garmadon-throwing him through a wall! He was fine after.”

Skylor has a brief, bizarre kind of moment to digest the fact that there is a distinction for throwing the youngest of their team through a wall, before Cole continues.

“I was aiming for the window — that one right there, see? The robbers were already on the move, so Lloyd was like ‘launch me, Cole’ and I said ‘great idea’, but we were also maybe high on adrenaline at the time and I forgot how much of my lava punch I had going, so I overshot and ended up smashing him through their wall, a little bit.”

“You smashed him through their wall. Just a little bit.”

“Hey, it worked. He took out all five guys in one go and only had a tiny concussion after—”

“How do you even have a tiny concussion—”

“I still don’t get why they were so mad, I mean we stopped the robbery! Sure, half their storefront wall sort of collapsed afterwards, but like, we got their money back.”

“So that’s why they were closed six months for renovations,” Skylor groans into her hands.

Cole crosses his arms, glaring stubbornly at the store’s sign. “It wasn’t six months,” he protests. “It was only like, four. I don’t see how that gives them the right to ban us for life.”

“For life—” Skylor can’t decide if she wants to laugh at him, or cry because her list of places she can hang out with the ninja is shrinking faster than she’d thought possible. She finally blows her breath out, rubs a hand across her face, and glances back down at the shopping list.

“You aren’t banned from the one on eighth street, are you?”

Cole bites his lips. “We’re uh, banned from all of them. It’s a chain store, so…”

“Of course,” Skylor sighs. “Walmart it is, then.”

And if anyone pesters them about being late, she’s going to ask how many times, exactly, somebody’s smashed Lloyd through a wall. Because really. This is getting ridiculous.

4. Bed Bath & Beyond

Thursday is normally her day off, but whatever she had for dinner last night gave her freaky dreams, so Skylor ends up puttering around the shop early that morning just to take her mind off it. It’s a bit overcast outside, and the forecast predicts rain, so Skylor’s already making plans to curl up in her bed and watch movies all day, and maybe get a bit of laundry done.

She should know better.

It’s a commonly known fact that the ninja, Kai especially, would do pretty much anything for their pseudo-little brother. Skylor’s actually heard Kai, on multiple occasion, threaten to die for Lloyd, then immediately try and make it reality. No one ever really appreciates that, Lloyd especially, but Skylor can give him credit for trying.

However, it’s a commonly overlooked fact that Lloyd would do anything for his pseudo-older siblings. It’s an even more commonly overlooked fact that Lloyd is the spawn of satan, and was raised at a boarding school for future villains and terrible children. Combined, these two facts mean that while you should definitely fear Lloyd trying to die for you, you should probably fear him trying to look out for you more, because it’s likely going to end with somebody dead. Or at least the total disruption of your plans for the day, as Skylor opens the shop windows to come face with an absolutely terrifying expression on Lloyd’s face, followed up by a deadly calm “Kai came home sad last night.”

Skylor scrubs at her eyes, and thinks, it’s too early for this.

A while back, when she was still stuck with her jerk of a father, Skylor might have found Lloyd’s part-Oni expression of doom intimidating. Now, however, she just rolls her eyes, and sticks one of the little ‘50% Off!’ stickers she’s been putting on rice cakes across his forehead.

“The dog died in the last movie we saw last night,” she explains, as Lloyd sputters at her.

He pauses, nose wrinkling. “Oh,” he says. “Boo.”

“Yeah,” she says, stepping back and allowing him to neatly front-flip through her window. Darned show-off kid, she thinks despairingly, watching him land perfectly on her freshly-waxed floors.

“Well, you’re good then, I guess,” he says, expression lightening. “That makes sense. How many movies did you make it into this time, by the way?”

“Only four this time,” Skylor sighs, turning to plaster the rest of her stickers on the nearly-expired rice cake packages. “We caught the beginning of that new superhero movie, then the opening fight of some spy movie, and the middle of that one horror movie with the dolls.” Lloyd shudders. “Yeah, Kai wasn’t a fan either. Anyways, we made it into this new romance one, but we ran into a theater employee on the way in and Kai had a guilt attack, so we stayed until the end of that one.”

Lloyd tsks. “Oh, Kai. And he’s so sold on his bad boy image.”

“One day he’ll embrace the fact that he’s just a big softie,” Skylor nods. “One of these days.”

“Yeah, when hell freezes over,” Lloyd snorts. He glances around at the empty shop, then back at her. “Hey, today’s your day off, right?”

Skylor gets a sinking kind of feeling in her stomach at that, alarm bells going off in the back of her head. “It might be,” she says, warily.

“Good,” Lloyd grins. “You should come to Bed Bath and Beyond with us, then.”

Well, she wasn’t expecting that. “Why…would you be going there?” she asks, blankly. Do they have a secret ninja weapon bargain bin she’s been missing out on? Is Bed Bath & Beyond secretly hosting an illegal crime ring she’s been unaware of? Does she need to return the shower curtain rings she bought there last week on basis of being a good citizen?

“Zane froze the blender solid before practice this morning,” Lloyd explains, his mouth twisting a bit. “We were making smoothies and someone accidentally brought up the Never Realm.”

“Ouch,” Skylor winces sympathetically. She’s still not heard the entire story of what went down during the ninja’s jaunt out of realm, besides a whole lot of panicked texts from Pixal and half-explanations from Kai, but she knows it wasn’t fun, especially for poor Zane.

“Yeah,” Lloyd sighs. “So now our blender is dead and we can’t make smoothies anymore, so we’re buying a new one before Nya can start strangling people. Wanna come?”

Skylor eyes him shrewdly. At face, it’s an innocent enough request. She’s certainly been invited to worse places than a household furnishings store, and picking up a blender is quite possibly the simplest thing the ninja have ever asked her to do. Which probably just means it’s going to go horribly and the store’s going to blow up ten minutes in, but hey, Skylor’s day was looking pretty boring anyway.

“Sure, why not,” she shrugs. “Lemme stick the last of these on, and I’m in. Just — hey, no, I’m selling those!”

Lloyd freezes in place, the rice cake package dangling from his fingers. He gives her the most pathetically sad-eyed look she’s ever seen, and not for the first time, Skylor finds herself wondering how this is the same kid who runs a highly-skilled ninja team of unimaginable power.

“Just the one,” she finally relents, because Skylor is a spineless weakling when it comes to puppy eyes, apparently. Lloyd beams, snatching the cakes up happily. “And just because you look like a starving vagrant again.”

“I do not,” Lloyd protests, through a muffled mouthful of rice cake. “I’m just super in shape. I’m jacked as heck.”

Skylor rolls her eyes. “Sure you are, you — hey, I said just one!”

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

So Skylor ends up at Bed Bath & Beyond on her day off, five minutes after the store’s opened for the day, and already wishing she’d slept in later.

Nya brings her coffee, though, and their bright-eyed enthusiasm at reclaiming their means of smoothie-making is infectious, so Skylor finds herself in high spirits as they walk through the store doors, almost to the point where she lets Lloyd go for stealing all her rice cakes.

However, she’s already let him get away with too much as it is, so Skylor decides to take her revenge by ruffling Lloyd’s hair, before informing the sales lady that it’s her “darling little brother’s thirteenth birthday, and he’s finally outgrown his kiddie bed, could you point us to the big kid ones, please?”

Lloyd’s attempts at strangling her are thwarted by Nya as the lady smiles airily, before pointing them to the back, and Zane has to drag Kai along with them before he suffocates on the laughter he’s choking back.

“Family shopping trips are always so much fun,” Jay remarks, as they browse the bedding section, having been successfully distracted by the animal-shaped pillows. They’ve already had to flee the lamp section, after Lloyd and Jay started having a little too much fun, despite Kai’s despair over being robbed yet again of a new lava lamp.

“One day,” he mourns. “One day, I will own another.”

Skylor pats his back consolingly. “I’m sure that’s what everyone else whose lava lamps got smashed by a giant stone colossi say.”

“I still don’t see why we can’t invest in a cappuccino maker,” Nya pouts, as they pass the coffee appliances section. “Look, there’s one on sale, too!”

“Because you can and will abuse the use of it, and then someone will end up going to the hospital for extreme heart rate elevation,” Zane glares pointedly at her. Skylor smothers a laugh as Nya scowls.

“I’m not that bad,” she grumbles under her breath, only for the others to all chime “ice cube incident” in unison. Nya goes a dark shade of red and glares at the floor as if she’s capable of lighting it on on fire with her eyes, but she doesn’t argue back.

Skylor doesn’t even want to know.

“Alright, here are our options,” Cole announces, when they’ve finally fought their way to the blender shelves. “We can get the same one we had, just a little smaller, or we can get this other one that’s half-off.” He squints at both tags. “Having looked at our bank account recently, I vote the half-off one.”

“No way,” Jay argues. “Do you see how small that one is? I can’t make my triple-espresso energy-drink smoothie with that!”

Lloyd stares at him in concern. “That’s…probably a good thing?”

Jay glares at him. “You’re one to talk, Mr. night owl.”

“I’m with Jay, that one’s way too small,” Nya says. “It won’t do.”

“What, and the other one’s better?” Kai shoots back. “Look how cheap it is, I could break this thing in my sleep.”

“The online reviews for both are perfectly fine,” Zane adds, half-heartedly, as if he already knows they’re all going to ignore that particular statement.

“What about this one?” Jay says, his eyes lighting up as he gestures to the extra-large, fancy blender. “Think of all the smoothies we could make, Cole. Think of the milkshakes.”

Cole pinches the bridge of his nose. “We are not investing in some fancy blender, just for you to complain it’s too complicated five seconds in.”

Skylor crosses over to the blenders, glancing at both. “I mean, you could always just return it…later…” She trails off, realizing that everyone’s suddenly gone deadly silent. She looks up, and starts as she comes face to face with the store manager, who is frozen in place, his mouth half-open as he stares at them with wide eyes. Behind her, Skylor is highly aware of six ninja going similarly still, all utterly quiet.

“You,” the manager finally squeaks out. “You are’t supposed to — you can’t be in here, not again—”

“On second thought, let’s get a blender next week,” Cole says, quickly.

“Yeah, I can live without smoothies a little longer,” Jay agrees, rapidly paling.

Skylor’s at a loss. “What’s going—”

Before she can finish that sentence, Kai and Nya both have hands on her arm and pull, hauling her along as they break into a dead sprint for the exit.

“Explain later!” Kai yelps, dodging employees as the manager shakes his fist at them, his yelling following them through the doors.

“I filed six restraining orders! Six!” he shrieks as they slip out. “Do you know how long that took?! Two of them don’t even exist in the legal system!”

Skylor doesn’t miss the incredibly unsubtle fist bump Lloyd and Zane share, nor the near-tears  sigh of despair from Cole.

She really, really doesn’t want to know.

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

Except that maybe she does, so there’s nothing stopping her from asking as they walk home, having bought smoothies from the corner store instead (that they are not banned from, which Skylor is starting to think might be miraculous).

“I don’t know why I’m surprised at this point, but how did you get banned this time?” she asks them, after a particularly long sip of smoothie. “Did you demolish half the store there, too?”

The ninja are silent for a moment, all refusing to meet her eyes. Then—

“It was Jay’s fault,” Cole declares.

Jay whirls on him, his expression wounded. “I trusted you,” he whines. “And you — you bed bath and betrayed me.”

“Because you bed bath and blew up the bedding aisle!”

“It was the kitchen electrics aisle, give me some credit.”

“Oh, because that’s so much better.”

“It is, do you know how hard I’d have to be trying to blow up the bedding aisle? It’s all weighted blankets and like, silk and stuff, no conduction at all—”

Skylor returns to her previous stance on not wanting to know, sips her smoothie in silence as they break into loud arguing in the middle of the street, and hopes once again that no one’s getting any pictures of this.

5. Jamanakai Village Candy Shop

Friday’s her busy day, so Skylor’s spared any chaos other than a jammed mixing machine for the day. It doesn’t come to a head until Saturday, when she cautiously accepts the ninjas' invitation to scout out potential terrorist activity in Jamanakai.

The terrorists turn out to be punk kids who got a little too obsessed with the idea of the Golden Master, which is an unfortunate choice of role model for them, when they have to face up to the ninja. Zane just looks mildly annoyed though, and Lloyd stares into the sun for a full minute before rolling his eyes, so the kids make it out alive.

“We weren’t going to kill them, geez,” Jay says. “Maybe just…lecture them, a bit.”

“Oh yeah, lecture them,” Kai scowls, cracking his knuckles. “The Golden Master, are they kidding?”

“To be fair, they don’t have the same experiences we do,” Cole points out, but he doesn’t look too opposed to the knuckle-cracking, either.

“No harm was done,” Zane says, a bit wearily. “We should simply let it go."

“I dunno, I say we should’ve hung them from a roof for a bit,” Lloyd says, evenly.

The other ninja all cringe in unison, except for Nya, who smothers a coughing sort of laugh. Skylor stares at them, bewildered. “Why would you hang them from a roof?”

“Not sure,” Lloyd says, his lips twitching. “Probably because crime doesn’t pay, muchacho, or something like that—”

“Alright, alright, we get it,” Kai says hastily, clapping a hand over Lloyd’s mouth.

“The guys would know,” Nya smirks, ignoring the looks of utter betrayal she’s getting. “That’s what they did to Lloyd, wasn’t it?”

“Nya, why,” Jay moans into his hands.

“You — hung Lloyd from a roof?” Skylor repeats, thrown for a loop. “Why on earth would you do that? What if he like, fell and died?”

“He was fine,” Cole assures her, hastily.

Lloyd is quick to protest, glaring at them. “No I wasn’t, it was literally scarring! Look, I got this scar from scraping my arm when I fell — oh, wait, oops, that one’s from the Never Realm, it’s this one here.” Lloyd winces as he finishes, suddenly looking contrite as he shoots Zane an apologetic look. “The Never Realm one was from Boreal though, don’t worry.”

Zane looks down, his face shadowed. “It was still my—”

“Nuh-uh,” Jay cuts over him, wagging his finger. “Remember the rule?”

Zane hesitates, looking as if he’d very much like to remember no such thing, but he finally slumps, relenting. “Scars dealt to each other while under the influence of malicious possession by person and/or ancient malevolent artifacts do not count, regardless of extenuating circumstances or deep inner psychological issues that may be brought to light during said influence,” he quotes dully, on a defeated sort of sigh.

Skylor doesn’t know whether to be impressed at that, or depressed that it needed existence in the first place.

“Exactly,” Jay nods. “Which means that any scars from you, Zane, or Lloyd — oh, and Kai, I guess — and Cole, technically, with the Hypnobrai that one time— wow, that’s, hm, that’s a lot of us.”

“If you count the dark matter, we’ve all been possessed,” Zane says, drily.

“Not me!” Kai says, mock-cheerfully.

Jay shakes his head. “Nobody got scars while we were on dark matter! I checked.”

“Why are you saying it like we were on drugs or something?”

“Speak for yourself,” Lloyd scowls. “I’ve still got that stupid ankle one.” He glares at the offending ankle, as if it’s personally disappointed him.

“That was the Overlord, not us,” Nya reminds him. “And uh, your dad, technically.”

Lloyd’s scowl just deepens, his eyebrows tilting downwards hotly. “If I had a dollar for every scar that’s from my dad…”

“I hear you,” Skylor sighs. “Dad scars are the worst. They really know where to hit.”

“Right? It’s always personal with them,” Lloyd shakes his head. “Dads are the worst.”

A beat passes before they both realize the others have fallen quiet. Her and Lloyd blink, and Skylor fights back the urge to cringe at the looks they’re now receiving.

“Well,” Jay says, bleakly. “This is a, um, miserable turn.”

“Hey, hey, no sad faces,” Lloyd scolds, reaching for Kai’s face, which is indeed sporting a pathetically teary-eyed kind of look. “Get that look off your face, off, off—”

“I’m not — stoppit — I’m just— hey, stop it— that’s my face, you brat—”

“Guys, c’mon, cut it out, you’re making a scene,” Cole scolds, pulling them both apart. “How about we stop and get ice cream before we go, okay? To like, cheer us up. Because that was completely depressing, no offense, guys.”

“None taken,” Skylor says, as Lloyd nods in agreement. Cole looks relieved, even if Kai’s still looking a little weepy, and he directs them down another street, heading toward a brightly labeled ice cream shop. Skylor can see tiny rows of candy inside, and there are a bunch of kids gathered around the little stand the owner’s set up at the door. It’s a cute place, all in all — the candy looks good, and it seems pretty cheap.

So it makes zero sense that Lloyd, of all people, would suddenly go painfully tense in the middle of the street, and refuse to take another step forward.

“I can’t go in there,” he whispers.

Skylor’s having that sense of déjà vu again. The rest of the ninja trade confused glances.

“Uh, Lloyd?” Kai says, hesitantly. “They sell candy in there, you know.”

“I know,” Lloyd grinds out, his teeth clenched painfully together. “I’ve been in there before.”

“You have?” Cole frowns. “You — oh.” Realization dawns in his eyes, and he’s suddenly biting his lip, holding back laughter. “Oh, I forgot.”

“Forgot wha—” Jay looks between the two of them, then back at the shop, before something sparks in his eyes as well, and he doubles over in laughter.

“Shut up,” Lloyd hisses.

“Why are we laughing at Lloyd,” Skylor finally sighs, as Kai and Zane break into barely-stifled giggles as well, and Nya rolls her eyes.

“So, um,” Lloyd swallows, shifting anxiously from side to side. “You know how I said they hung me from a roof? There might’ve, uh, been a reason for that.”

“Of course there was,” Skylor says.

“I kind of threatened them, a little bit, and uh, tried to steal half their shop, one time.”

“Of course you did.”

“Lloyd,” Nya sighs. “That was forever ago.”

“I stole from them,” Lloyd bites out. “If I show my face in there again, they’ll kill me."

“I highly doubt they will resort to murder, Lloyd,” Zane says, flatly. “Besides, you did not actually succeed in stealing anything, because we caught you and hung you from a roof. Remember?”

“Yeah, and then I came back with the Serpentine, and made it worse!” Lloyd exclaims. “Just go in without me, I’ll sit out here and cry.”

“We’re not just gonna leave you outside,” Kai rolls his eyes. “C’mon, let’s mend some old wounds. Just go inside and apologize.”

“I would literally rather die.”

“Lloyd, seriously.”

“I’ve done it before, don’t test me.”

“Lloyd.”

“You can’t make me, I’ll fight you—”

“Alright, alright, we’ll find a different shop!”

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

“Okay, I have to know,” Skylor finally asks, as they pass the outskirts of the village, heading back to the Bounty. “How many places are you all banned from, in total? Because this is ridiculous. I can’t take you anywhere.”

“I mean, you can’t take us anywhere even without the bans, anyways,” Cole says wearily. “To be fair.”

“We’re not that bad,” Lloyd protests, only to wilt immediately under Skylor’s stare. “There are just…a few places…”

“Zane, how many is it now,” Nya asks, rubbing her temples.

Zane is quiet for a moment, slowly ticking off his fingers as he stares upwards. “Did we ever decide if that one museum counted?”

“The vote was yes,” Jay mutters.

“And the Explorer’s Club, did we decide that one?”

“I’d say that’s a pretty hard ban,” Lloyd winces.

Nya huffs, crossing her arms. “I still say it doesn’t count, because like, everyone’s banned from there, with their stupid stuck-up membership requirements.”

Zane takes this into account, his eyebrows furrowing. “That leaves us with…seventeen places we cannot return to, I believe? Unless I missed one.”

Skylor’s left wordless, gaping at them. She knew there was a lot, but seventeen—?!

“I’m almost a hundred percent sure we’re also banned from the Never Realm,” Kai points out. Zane gives him the iciest look Skylor’s ever seen. Kai simply shrugs. “What? Just stating the facts.”

Lloyd frowns. “I don’t think we are? I mean, Akita wouldn’t—”

“Oh, Akita wouldn’t,” Jay cuts over him, a gleam in his eyes. “Would she, casanova?”

Lloyd goes scarlet, sputtering. “I told you, she kissed me! On the cheek! I just stood there, you can’t—” He buries his face in his hands, and despite her amusement (and rampant curiosity, because this is Lloyd and kissing), Skylor feels bad for him. “I can’t believe I ever told any of you about that,” he whines, sounding tragically upset with himself.

“You were the one having a mental breakdown over it,” Nya reminds him, almost gently. “You need to work on setting boundaries, bud.”

“It’s not like I didn’t tell her I had horrible issues with romance!” Lloyd throws his hands up, frustrated. “Because I did, in painfully honest detail—”

“And yet you refuse to open up to me about it,” Kai says plaintively.

“Turn into a dog for a bit, you might get lucky,” Lloyd grumbles.

Skylor doesn’t want to know. She really, really doesn’t want to know. “Well,” she finally says. “I do know one place you aren’t banned from.”

They all look up at her, and Skylor shakes her head. “You fly me back to the shop in time for dinner, and noodles are on the house tonight.”

Six faces brighten considerably. “Seriously?” Cole says. “Skylor, you’re an angel.”

“Seriously, the best person ever—”

“Our favorite cryptid orange ninja there ever was—”

“Yeah, yeah, keep flattering me,” Skylor sighs, trying not to smile, and failing woefully.

She doesn’t know why she still hangs out with these people, getting banned from everywhere in the city. What a bunch of nerds.