#this gave me emotional appendicitis

[hedgehog-hell]

it sure would suck to be thrown right about now!

[saistappen]

Mariquita | CS55

In which Carlos' appendectomy triggers a huge emotional chaos in you and makes you realise just how big your feelings for the Spaniard actually are

or

In which your concern for Carlos clearly shows the Spaniard that you probably feel the same way about him as he does about you

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The last few days have been pure confusion. You could clearly feel this at Ferrari.

After Carlos' appendicitis was announced, on which he had to undergo surgery, the young Briton Olli Bearman was brought in to replace Carlos and chaos began to reign in the team.

Some things had to be changed, such as the adjustment of the seat, as well as various other things up to the well-known gift in the social media.

The hustle and bustle could be clearly felt throughout the team. But the excitement was not just for the young 18-year-old Brit, but also for the Spaniard. Because most of the time, the team's thoughts were on Carlos, who should soon have the operation behind him.

" Have you finished the Instagram post yet? " Lucy asked me as she sat down at the table opposite me.

" Uhm, what? " confused, I lifted my eyes from my mobile phone, which I kept glancing at hopefully to be the first to hear the news about Carlos' condition.

But so far there was still no news, which slowly started to make me more and more nervous.

"I wonder if you've already posted on Instagram that Carlos has come through the operation okay," Lucy continued in a gentle voice and put her hand on my arm.

It took a few seconds for her words to sink in and for me to really understand what she meant.

" W-really? " I stammered, while at the same time a huge stone fell from my heart and I began to feel the tightness in my chest, which had been there since yesterday, loosen.

" But I didn't read anything in the group. How do you know that? " I was sure I hadn't read anything, because for the last ten minutes I'd been checking the Ferrari chat on my mobile phone, hoping I hadn't missed anything.

" Fred just came up to me. He was talking to Carlos Senior. Everything went well and he's now recovering in hospital. " Lucy gave me a soft smile as her thumb gently stroked my arm.

Not only was she my best friend on the team, she was also the one who knew how close Carlos and I actually were.

When I joined the team about a year ago, Carlos was the first to welcome me with open arms and show me around.

During my first day at work, the Spaniard kept coming round to ask me how things were going.

When he invited me for a meal at the end of my first shift and listened attentively to what I had to say about my first successful day at work, a friendship developed within a few weeks.

"Thank God," I whispered quietly as a relieved smile crept onto my lips.

All your fears and worries that something could have gone wrong during the operation vanished within a few seconds.

"I'll post it straight away! " I almost shouted as I reached for my mobile phone and then opened the Ferrari Instagram account that I was partly responsible for.

One of my tasks in the team was to keep the fans up to date via Instagram and Twitter. I also had a say in the C2 Challenges on YouTube, where I always created fun content for the fans.

It wasn't long before I had chosen a photo of Carlos and typed up a short text about his condition and then posted it.

"Now I can get back to work feeling better," I mumbled as I reached for your fruit salad, which had been sitting untouched on the table in front of me, and started eating.

" I believe you. It's about time my favourite colleague was finally back at work with a smile on her face. "

Yesterday almost flew by, which was probably due to the good news that had lifted my spirits so much that I was completely back in the swing of things.

Olli had done well in the third free practice session and in qualifying, as had Charles, who would start today's race from second place.

This lifted my spirits even further, so I entered Ferrari Hospitality with a smile on my face and greeted a few of my colleagues who were already having breakfast.

"Morning sunshine," Charles greeted me with an amused smile as I stood next to him at the buffet and reached for a plate.

"Morning my favourite Monegasque," I replied brightly and then reached for a croissant.

" Do I want to know why you're shining like the non-existent sun today? " Charles asked as he reached for a bowl of muesli and then continued. " Well, actually, I know what it is..."

Charles winked and then began to waggle his eyebrow dramatically, which looked rather strange.

"Are you all right? " I asked him, while I also secured a bowl of muesli and placed it on my tray.

" I'm doing great. I'm ready for the race, but that's not the issue right now. Try not to get distracted," he almost admonished me and raised his index finger in the air in warning before continuing. "Could it be that your good mood is back thanks to Carlo's successful operation? Because since this was announced, you seem to have changed. "

" It's race day..." I tried to talk my way out of it, but I couldn't, as Charles hovered his index finger over my lips to indicate that I should be quiet.

"I'm neither stupid nor daft. I know for a fact that there's something going on between you and Carlos. It's certainly none of my business, but I can see that you're good for each other and I think that's great. Don't stop doing good for each other, okay? Okay, great! See you then! "

Before I could open my mouth to give Charles an answer, the Ferrari driver had already fled, almost running, with his tray.

Shaking my head, I looked after the Monegasques for a few seconds before I ran over to one of the free tables with my tray and began to eat my breakfast in peace.

And as I sat there eating my breakfast in comfort, my thoughts kept wandering back to Charles' words.

Were Carlos and I really on good terms? And if so, was Carlos and my behaviour really so obvious that others had probably noticed?

Once again, a tightness began to spread through my chest, so I pushed the breakfast on my tray to one side in disgust and began to sigh softly.

But before I could even begin to think about Carlos and me, Lucy appeared in front of me.

Her blonde hair lay dishevelled on her face, her cheeks shimmered red and she put her hands on her hips, out of breath.

" Lucy are you okay? " I asked cautiously and all I got in reply was a squeezed " Water. "

After I handed Lucy my water, which she drank within a few seconds and then just stood there for a few more seconds, I got nervous.

I could sense that something wasn't right and the fact that Lucy just wouldn't come out with it made me even more nervous.

" Lucy... " I almost urged as you began to shift restlessly on the chair.

" Carlos is here! " she almost shouted so loudly that one or two Ferrari employees turned to us both and looked at me in confusion.

"Sorry, I meant Carlos is here," she repeated more quietly as she dropped into the chair opposite me and rested her elbows on the table.

" What? Why is he here? He just had an operation yesterday! " I looked at the person opposite me with wide eyes as I almost jumped up.

" I have no idea! I saw a story on Instagram where he's walking through the paddock. Or should I say crawling? He can barely walk, he looks absolutely pale and like he's in pain! " she continued, making strange hand movements that I couldn't interpret at all.

" What?! " I repeated again, almost stunned, while my heart began to beat faster.

Why was he here and not resting? He couldn't be serious.

I immediately began to worry so much that I jumped up and ran off without waiting for an answer from Lucy.

" Thanks for breakfast! " she called after me, but I hardly noticed because I only had one thing on my mind. Carlos.

I kept dodging various members of other teams as I ran, keeping my eyes peeled for Carlos.

It wasn't long before I found him and a few other Ferrari employees in the pits, where he was greeted warmly with hugs and a few words.

I stayed in the background and watched Carlos from a distance. And indeed, he looked anything but well.

His posture was more hunched than upright and his face was rather pale, which occasionally even showed that he must clearly be in pain.

Why the hell wasn't he lying in bed and resting?

It took a few minutes for the Spaniard to catch sight of me. Within a few seconds, his face brightened and he literally crept over to me.

"Mariquita," he greeted me with a smile on his lips and pulled me into a warm hug shortly afterwards.

I carefully wrapped my arms around him, hoping not to cause him any more pain.

" Carlos, what are you doing here? " was the first thing I said to him.

" How about a "Oh, hello Carlos. I'm glad you're doing well and that you've come through everything okay?" " he asked as he let go of me and then leant against the wall next to me.

He seemed to find it difficult to even stand up straight. He was even still wearing his hospital bracelet. It was as if he'd literally fled from the hospital and gone straight to the track.

" Are you crazy? You had appendicitis, had to have an operation and haven't even rested for a day? You can barely walk, you look incredibly shitty and you still seem to be in pain! " I spoke in an angry voice and didn't care if anyone was listening. Because apparently I was the first person to say these words to him.

And probably the only one who was thinking straight.

"I'm fine," he tried to reassure me, but he seemed to realise himself that this wasn't the case.

" No, you're not! " I looked at him seriously for a few seconds before turning on my heel and leaving.

Carlos' warm hand grabbed my arm and caused a slight electric shock to run through my body.

"I'm sorry, Mariquita. Let's talk in peace," his voice sounded soft and calm.

He carefully led me into a kind of storeroom that I had never been in before.

A few things were stored here, such as drinks and spare items for the mechanics, like a sofa that stood in the middle of the room.

Carlos slowly lowered himself onto the sofa, grimacing slightly, and then carefully pulled me next to him.

The sofa was so narrow that we sat there more or less pressed against each other and the touch of our knees and arms made my heart start beating faster again and I became slightly restless.

" You have every right to be angry with me and to worry. That's really sweet of you, but it was entirely my decision to come here. In hospital, the ceiling would have literally fallen on my head and I wanted everyone to know that I was okay."

"But you should take it easy, Carlos..." I almost mumbled and looked at the Spaniard, whose eyes were on me.

"I will, I promise," he assured me as he came a little closer to me and I felt his breath on my cheek.

Shortly afterwards, I felt his warm lips lightly on my cheek, which made the area start to tingle warmly and the heat shot up my cheek.

" I've heard from some people how worried you were about me. That was really incredibly sweet of you, Mariquita," Carlos began and gently stroked a strand of my hair behind my ear before continuing.

"We both know that there's more between us. And that's why I want to ask you if you'd like to go on a date with me? " His brown eyes rested calmly on me while a soft smile formed on his lips.

His words caused chaos to awaken in my stomach, as all the butterflies that had just been lying there quietly for a long time began to awaken and turn my feelings completely upside down.

" Yes, but only if you take it easy. Otherwise you can forget the date," I replied with a partly serious and partly worried look.

It was important to me that Carlos recovered fully from the operation and regained his strength so that he would soon be fit again and able to get back into the car.

"I promise, Mariquita."

[nativestarwrites]

”We need to get you into a hospital.” 👀👀

Thanks for the prompt! I hope you enjoy this little ficlet,

Jamie calls in sick for morning training with an upset stomach, but Roy has a hunch that something more serious is wrong.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The new key scrapes in the lock, stiff and awkward, mimicking how Roy feels. He shouldn’t be here, using the spare key Jamie gave him only last week. But something hadn’t been right with that phone call. Something in Jamie’s voice said this was more than an upset stomach, more than the minor inconvenience Jamie had waved off with I’ll be fine, coach.

And now, Jamie hadn’t answered the door.

“Jamie?” Roy calls out as he steps into the dark and quiet house. “It’s me, where are you?”

There’s a muffled curse from upstairs and Roy follows it to find Jamie curled up in bed, feverish, shivering and pale.

“The fuck you doing here, Roy? I called to cancel, didn’t I?” Jamie doesn’t sound sure of himself at all and Roy’s worry cranks up another gear.

“Came anyway. Wanted to make sure you weren’t faking,” Roy lies.

“Oh. Thanks.”

Jamie’s voice is flat, void of emotion and Roy’s not sure if he’s seen straight through Roy’s excuse or it’s simply exhausted sarcasm. There’s no bravado here, Jamie’s not even trying to pretend he’s feeling anything other than awful.

“This doesn’t look like food poisoning.”

“Mmm,” Jamie sluggishly answers and Roy’s hand is on Jamie’s forehead before he remembers that this isn’t Phoebe, this is a fully gown man who is--

Shit.

Burning up like a hot furnace.

“Did you take anything?” Roy asks.

“Some painkillers, just waiting for them to kick in.”

“When did you take them?”

“A while ago,” Jamie replies miserably.

They clearly haven’t helped much, Jamie’s wrapped protectively around his stomach, and Roy recognises the careful breathing of someone trying to control pain. It sparks a distant memory for Roy. Of being curled up around pain, of his mum’s hand brushing through his hair before he was bundled up in blankets and rushed to the doctor.

“Show me where it hurts?”

Jamie groans, but Roy can’t remember the last time he didn’t do what his coach asked of him and the duvet is reluctantly pulled down. Jamie waves at the area Roy was afraid of. Telegraphing his movements slowly, Roy waits until he gets a confused nod from Jamie before he presses down on his lower abdomen, careful but firm. Jamie moans in pain, swiping ineffectively at Roy’s hands. But when Roy lets go--

Jamie shouts in pain.

“Fucking hell, Roy. The fuck you do that for?” Jamie eventually gets out, his voice shaking as much as his body and he rides out the waves of agony.

Fuck.

“We need to get you to a hospital.”

“What?” Jamie whispers, confused, as if Roy’s just told him he’s dying. “Why?”

“I’m not a doctor, but my sister is and I also had appendicitis when I was ten,”

Jamie’s eyes turn wide but he doesn’t move.

“Look, if I’m wrong you can have a pass on burpees for the month,” Roy offers, not adding that if he’s right then Jamie will still be getting that pass on burpees, for a lot longer than a month. “But you need to get this checked out.”

“Fucking hate burpees,” Jamie mutters but he’s moving, cautiously getting himself upright with Roy’s hand steadying him.

An hour later, Jamie’s off to emergency surgery.

And Roy sits in the waiting room, really fucking glad he didn’t ignore that feeling in his gut.

[lesbehonestsstuff]

Chapter 9

Summary: Alex and Casey are called to the precinct where they find Olivia trying to get a little girl to open up.

Warnings: usual svu stuff specifically child ab

Chapter: 9/?

They looked like a mess walking into the hospital a few minutes later, Niki now in Alex's arms since Casey had handed her over so she could drive, knowing Alex hated driving. They were both in sweatpants, Alex with Casey's old softball hoodie on and Casey with a worn-out NYPD hoodie she had stolen from Elliot at some point. Niki's cries echoed through the room as a nurse walked over to them, and they quickly explained what was going on, the nurse guiding them to a room off to the side. Things started to move quickly after that, and soon enough, they had a doctor in front of them confirming what they feared. “It is indeed appendicitis; we’ll need to perform a small surgery to remove it, but I assure you, you have nothing to worry about. It's a routine procedure and minimally invasive.”

They looked behind the doctor to where two nurses were starting to get everything ready to take Niki to the OR. The doctor saw the look on their faces, and she tried to reassure them: “We’ll take good care of her; she’s in good hands.”

They looked back at Niki, the sight of the little girl pale, frightened, and in pain, brought tears to their eyes, and they struggled to keep their emotions in check. They reached out to her, waiting to at least explain what was happening. “Sweetheart, the doctors and nurses are going to take care of you, okay? You are going to go, and they'll help you feel better,” Alex told her, giving her little hand a squeeze. “We are going to be right here waiting for you.” Casey gave her a kiss on the forehead and allowed the nurses to start wheeling her away.

Niki's cries only intensified when she saw that Alex and Casey weren’t going with her, and with a broken sob, she uttered the words that almost broke them: “I want my mommies!!” It was a desperate plea, one that left them frozen on the spot as the nurses took her past the doors they couldn't follow.

They stood there dumbfounded by what they had just heard until another nurse gently guided them towards a couple of chairs in the waiting room. Niki had never referred to them as anything other than Casey and Alex, and they didn’t expect her to. They had never put any pressure on it because they knew it was not their place to push her to do something she wasn’t ready to do, and it wouldn't change how much they loved the girl. But hearing it, hearing her refer to them as their mommies filled them with a surge of emotions that left them breathless.

As they settled into the uncomfortable chairs in the waiting room, Casey reached for Alex's hand, twisting the ring on Alex’s finger over and over again. "Please tell me I didn’t imagine that?" she whispered, her voice choked with emotion. "She called us her mommies."

Alex tightened her hand around Casey's. "I heard," she murmured, running her other hand through her messy hair. "I never thought... I never imagined..."

They fell silent, the two attorneys who were usually so eloquent having been left speechless by a child. Their thoughts were swirling with a mixture of disbelief and joy before going back to the fact that Niki was still about to have surgery, and although it was minor, concern was still running through them. They knew they would have to talk about it later, see what Niki would do once she wasn’t in pain and exhausted.

So they sat there anxiously waiting for news of Niki's condition. About an hour that felt like an eternity later, a nurse approached them, a reassuring look on her face. "The surgery went well," she told them, smiling when she saw the way Alex kissed Casey in relief. "Niki is resting now; she should be waking up soon."

Casey and Alex breathed a sigh of relief, their shoulders sagging with the weight of tension that had been lifted. "Can we see her?" Alex asked.

The nurse nodded, offering them a gentle smile. "Of course. Follow me."

They followed the nurse down the hallway, reaching Niki's room where they found her lying in the hospital bed, her small form still and peaceful as she slept, the frown that had been plaguing her earlier gone. Despite the IVs and monitors that surrounded her, she looked every bit the resilient fighter they knew her to be.

The nurse who had accompanied them into the room assured them that they would be able to take her home in the morning and that her doctor would be by later to give them more details. Alex and Casey gave the woman a grateful glance and thanked her. "I'll check her over and then leave you two alone with her," she said, stepping towards the bed and meticulously checking that everything was alright.

The movements around the bed startled Niki; her eyelids fluttered open as she slowly blinked awake, her eyes darting around the room in confusion as she struggled to make sense of her surroundings. When the nurse tried to put a hand on Niki's shoulder to calm her down, she flinched, tears pooling in her eyes from the discomfort, the unfamiliarity, and the grogginess. She hadn’t seemed to notice Casey and Alex at the door and just started crying and repeated the words that made their hearts flutter. “I want my mommies,” her bottom lip wobbled as she pleaded with the nurse, “please.”

The nurse signaled them over and into the room. “Your mommies are right here, darling, look.” Alex and Casey approached Niki's bedside, each one of them standing by one side of the bed.

"Hey, sweetheart," Casey murmured, her voice soft and soothing as she leaned down to press a kiss to Niki's forehead. Noticing how Niki calmed down once she saw that they were next to her, she still let out a couple of tears, but they were swiftly wiped away by Casey's thumbs. "How are you feeling?"

"My tummy doesn't hurt anymore, but I’m tired," she mumbled, her voice faint with sleep.

Alex smiled at her, reaching out to brush a gentle kiss against Niki's cheek. "We’re glad you feel better, baby; you’re going to be okay."

Niki gave them a small smile as she reached out, her hands seeking the comfort that radiated from the two women. "I... I'm going to be okay,"

However, it seemed like in just a second Niki's brow furrowed as she glanced between Alex and Casey, her eyes filled with doubt. "I... I called you my mommies," she whispered, her voice trembling slightly. "Is... is that okay?"

Their hearts broke a little at the uncertainty in Niki's voice; Alex quickly reached out to gently cup Niki’s cheek. "Oh, sweetheart," she whispered, her voice choked with emotion. "Of course it's okay. We love you so so much, Niki. You can call us whatever you want."

With a small smile, Niki settled back against the pillows, her eyes drifting closed once more as she drifted back into sleep. As Alex and Casey watched over her, they were so happy that Niki was going to be okay and grateful that they were exactly where they belonged by Niki's side.

[shepherds-of-haven]

For the writing ask meme:

What is your writing ritual and why is it cursed?

What is your deepest joy about writing?

Choose a passage from your writing. Tell me about the backstory of this moment. How you came up with it, how it changed from start to end. Spicy addition: Questioner provides the passage. (i’m not picking one, just grab something that was fun to write!)

Thoughts on the Oxford comma, Go:

-emeraldgreaves

What is your writing ritual and why is it cursed?

My writing ritual, up until around May, was like a little bit cursed: I'd typically write from 10 PM to around 4 or 5 AM, which is obviously not great. I'd also put on a show that was guaranteed to not distract me on extremely low volume (like 1 out of 100) in the background, so a show I'd seen a million times before, like the Office or Bob's Burgers.

Since coming back from a trip to Europe, though, I saw an opportunity to reset a schedule I'd kept to for the last 12 years and have now been rising and writing at a more appropriate time! Nowadays my writing ritual is going to the library, putting on fantasy or TTRPG orchestral music (particularly by Ivan Duch, who is composing the music for the game) in my earbuds, and clacking away! This ritual is only cursed in that some really weird shit happens sometimes at the library, but sometimes I get around that by reserving a study room for myself or me and my partner. 😌

What is your deepest joy about writing?

Hmmm, it seems cheap to say all of it! I think the satisfaction of completing a story that you've not only mapped out and plotted through, but actually executed, and then elicited strong emotional responses from others (hopefully as according to plan) as a result of all of that hard work is a truly joyful thing to experience. But just writing about the characters, exploring their psychology, and especially building their relationships to each other is also a huge part of it, and it's also a joy to explore and flesh out and create an entire new world for them to exist in... I just love all of it!

Choose a passage from your writing. Tell me about the backstory of this moment. How you came up with it, how it changed from start to end. Spicy addition: Questioner provides the passage. (i’m not picking one, just grab something that was fun to write!)

Around him, Scythia stirred to life beneath the skin-soaking warmth of early morning. It was just past dawn, so the heat of the day was not yet beating down on the city like a hammer against an anvil; but in an hour or two, it would edge close to brutal. Herald tipped his head back and let himself absorb the sights and sounds of the city while he still could. Long-necked white herons—called sword-birds for their vicious beaks—dueled together in lazy displays in the streets. Charcoal-eyed concurs beckoned him from curtained doorways, then caught sight of his own brand of ownership and looked away. There was the heavy, acrid scent of fuel and machine oil as he passed the Metal District, where mechanics in their garages toiled away on the racers and war rigs that crisscrossed the Badlands in choking clouds of dust. Underneath a shabby awning, a suntouched fortune-teller gave advice to a lean, restless merc with scarred shoulders and a face studded with fearsome metal rings.

This is from my current novel manuscript, which I keep telling people is like a cross between Mad Max and X-Men, but it's really evolved to become this more magical and intricate science fantasy, because I can't stay away from magic and humanoid/alien races and disparate cultures and, like, oppression and persecution, I guess. I really thought it was going to be a gritty dieselpunk adventure with machine guns and monster trucks and things, which it still has, but I think this passage (from the first chapter) kind of showcases its latest vibe, which is a bit more mystical and fantastical, as well. I've rewritten the first chapter at least five or six times, with this particular passage only being appended in the fourth or so iteration, so I think it's a good way of seeing (to me, the only one who read the first few drafts) how far the world has come, when the city and its environs weren't really described at all! I also just like the rhythm of the passage: there's something about it that feels satisfying. :)

Thoughts on the Oxford comma, Go:

It's an absolute vital necessity to me. It actively bothers me when I see the Oxford comma not being used... I will always use the Oxford comma. You could pry it from my cold, dead hands and I'd still be using it on my gravestone!

[highfunctioningalcoholic]

A familiar burn in his throat. The chalice fell with a thud as he drank the last sip. An echo from the sound and then silence. At first he thinks it’s not so bad. He had been in worse scenarios than this before. There was the time when he had broken his arm from climbing a tree with Leo. Then there was the time he contradicted appendicitis and had to have it removed– oh and he couldn’t forget time in Sicily with Cole when he– 

The pain starts and he falls to his knees screaming. 

He can’t pinpoint where it is coming from; his head, his skin, his heart–oh god his heart. Fingers ripping at his shirt as he feels as if he was suffocating from the cocktail of emotions and pain that was surrounding him. It was familiar, all too familiar of the last time his heart gave out on him. The loud screeching of a car breaks, the impact of a collision, the last beat of his heart…he can still remember that last painful beat of his heart, only to be shocked back into life seconds later. It was the seconds between that seemed like hours as his mind slowly starved from oxygen and began to shut down causing him to slip into an endless sleep… 

Breathing quickened and it still felt like he couldn’t breathe even as his shirt lay on the ground next to him. The cloth was shredded in his eagerness to be removed in the middle of his panic. His vision began to blur and he was no longer at the temple but lying in the hospital room waiting for the unavoidable news.

White walls. The sterile smell. The pain in his stomach from emptying itself over and over as the words ‘all my fault…all my fault’ ran on repeat in his brain. That was what you got when you had been drinking since a young age. The alcohol was so ingrained in his blood he was sure that every time he drew blood it was zinfandel instead. Alcoholics weren’t supposed to just stop drinking; his body needed the fermented grapes and bittering hops to survive. Take it away and what was he?

a failure. 

He failed at staying alive. He failed at staying drunk. He failed at his marriage–

It had been his wedding vow, a promise, to cut back on the drinking. Cole understood that his job came with it but after work hours he could try couldn’t he? For him? So he had. He had been so in love that he had tried until one night he couldn’t anymore. So he had ended up at a bar, ended up calling his husband to pick him up, ended up trying to apologize to him through slurred words–

I'm so sorry. I love you. I can do better, I promise. Don’t leave me, I love – 

Just another empty promise and one that every part of him wanted to have believed it at the time. That an alcoholic like him could actually get better. It was also the last words Cole Monroe had heard from his husband’s lips as the bus slammed into the side of their car. 

It was also the moment his heart stopped twice.

They both had died that night but only one of them the paramedics on scene was able to bring back. How could he go on without the one good thing in his life by his side? The one person who saw the light in him when no one else did? There was no coming back from this, no moving on. 

So he ran because that was what he was the best at. It was how he got through life. He either shed his skin and slipped into someone knew or he ran when things got tough. This time he ran straight to the bottles of liquor and onto his twin’s couch wishing that death had taken him instead. 

It was like that for almost 5 years. Just going through the motions at work, still aspiring to be a Master Sommelier only to go home or a club so drown the memories. Until–

Light hit his face. Gasping, he sat up and looked around to see the camp he now called home waking up from its slumber. It was morning; he survived and yet tears poured down his face. He was alive with ambrosia in his veins and once again he was reminded how much of a failure he was. 

What all he had lost.

[ausbutlerhq]

1.) Who did you play?

I played Elvis Presley spanning from the 1950s until his death in the 1970s.

2.) What gravitated you to that role?

I've always appreciated older music, especially Elvis. I did a play with Denzel Washington and he got into contact with Baz Luhrmann, the director of Elvis and ended up getting me an audition. Also my previous partner. She encouraged me and kind of manifested it so to speak.

3.) What was prep like for your role?

Extensive. I prepped at home before flying to Australia. I spent nearly two years talking like Elvis, listening to every interview he ever gave, trying to replicate his laugh and mannerisms, dancing. I had a vocal coach and a movement coach. I started smoking. At one point I tried to gain weight for the end of the movie when I had to play Elvis shortly before his passing. I microwaved Haagen-Daz and ate a lot of donuts. Otherwise the pressure, the pressure of trying to uphold and portray someone as monumental as Elvis Presley has mentally exhausting. I loved it, but my body began shutting down the day after filming wrapped. I ended up in the hospital for a week with a virus that mimicked appendicitis. I'd wake up during those two years of preparing and everything to heart palpitations in the early hours of the morning and couldn't sleep.

4.) Was there anything about the role that didn’t resonate with you?

I think maybe how recording studios really work and what it was like to go on tour as a musician. I play music and I always have, but there's a difference between loving music and being a performer of music I think.

5.) Would you play this person again?

I don't think there's any possibility of Elvis 2 happening. All jokes aside, I'm dressed like him now, right? So I guess in a way, yes. But also no. I put my body under such stress and my mental and emotional wellbeing, I think I'd just crack if I did it now. Not to say I wouldn't, but I have my reservations and will always, always be so grateful for the opportunity.

6.) Did you find out anything about yourself while playing another person?

Yes, I found out that I'm not invincible and that I should give myself more credit for the work I've done. Also I've learned it's not a smart idea to not talk to your father for three years and when you do talk to him, maybe don't sound like Elvis.

7.) What was the most challenging thing about being in a biopic?

The pressure of expectations. Having to please Elvis's loved ones; Priscilla, his grandkids and of course the late Lisa-Marie. Having their blessing was a gigantic weight off my shoulders, but it was still so much pressure. Having to portray this man properly and gain their approval was one of the biggest things for me.

8.) Have you met the person you played?

I haven't, but I do feel that in some way he's been in me. I feel like I carry him with me still. I offered to let him channel through me and have had many conversations with him, even if they are one-sided. I have a feeling that he hears me. We both lost our moms at 23 and I was born 15 years and 1 day after his death. We have a lot of interesting and honestly a little scary similarities.

[thebeautyoffanfics]

hii i know you might be busy because of school so take your time! Could i please get a Dead!Mitsuba,,,Dead!Hanako,,,Dead!Tsukasa,, x reader (if you dont want to write for them characters right now than you can choose others i dont mind <3) where they think reader is dying??Any situation is fine :)

dead!mitsuba sousuke x gn!reader, dead!hanako x gn!reader, dead!tsukasa yugi x gn!reader

a/n: ahh thank you for being patient;;! And of course!! Thank you so much for requesting, and I hope this turns out alright! And I’m so sorry for the time it took;;

aahhh i constantly remember how difficult starting and ending fics are,,, sorry if it sounds awkward ;v;; i’m also sorry if this isn’t dramatic enough- i’m trying to get these out, but i’m in a funky phase, as i haven’t written in a while;;

warnings: vomit (in Hanako’s), blood (in Tsukasa’s)

word count: 2,765

mitsuba sousuke <3

It wasn’t uncommon for Mitsuba to watch you do everyday school things. He’d follow you around, playing it off as if he wasn’t. Even now, he sat under a tree, watching you assist one of the clubs.

You were always entertaining… or maybe, you were simply enough to captivate his attention in anything you did? Your arm held high as you caught the baseball tossed your way, grinning at the person who threw it. Though not fond of you smiling like that at another person, the glance you gave Mitsuba practically made up for it- though he still glanced away, as if he wasn’t looking in the first place.

Moments passed, before he peered back up at you.

Your smiling face, as you turned to speak to one of the club members- his eyes darting over at hearing someone yell your name.

“(Y/N)!! WATCH OUT-”

And, eyes back over at you, as the undeniable sound of a baseball smacking against a skull. Mitsuba froze up, only being able to watch as you toppled to the ground. The club members instantly panicked, and Mitsuba did the same- both he and the members running over to you, students shaking you as if that would do anything.

“Idiots!! Don’t shake them-!”

Unfortunately, all of his yelling was futile. Mitsuba was dead, after all, and he was sure that you were too. A bump already formed on your head, as you peeked your eyes open, reaching for your head. Your fingers grazed against the bump, then quickly retracted, as tears filled your eyes. Shouts from the club members to get an adult rang out, as Mitsuba placed his hands on your shoulder, shaking almost as violently as you were. You closed your eyes, shaking as you reached to your head again, only to retract once more.

“(Y-Y/N), it’s okay- a-are you okay?” Mitsuba stuttered out, trying not to get emotional. It was only an injury, right… you were fine. You had to be. You’d be fine. Right?

But, when you only shook your head, squeezing your eyes tighter, he couldn’t help the pure fear that filled his entire body. His eyes grew watery when a teacher finally arrived, already on the phone with, he hoped, the paramedics.

Too much time passed, Mitsuba thought. Too much time spent grasping your hand, tears threatening to spill, as the teacher asked you too many questions. And, the absolute dread at the teacher’s reaction to everything- hearing you attempt to explain that everything went black for a moment- seeing the teachers eyes widen a bit, then eyebrows furrow in frustration. Mitsuba wanted to scream. To yell at whoever threw the ball- he didn’t care if it was a mistake. To yell at the paramedics- it was an emergency! Why couldn’t the emergency vehicle get there sooner??

Finally, they arrived. Paramedics picking you up, Mitsuba following alongside them until you sat in the vehicle. His eyes flickering from person to person, then back at you, until they shut the doors and drove off.

The next few days were like a living hell for Mitsuba. No- he wasn’t living. It was as if he had been doomed to suffer for all eternity. He shook every time he walked past your homeroom, peering inside as he checked for you. Peering over at your desk, praying that he wouldn’t see flowers sitting there. The lack of flowers was the only hope Mitsuba had left. The lack of rumors, the lack of Sakura one day opening up the broadcast with “(Y/N)-san of the baseball field.” It sounded ridiculous, sure, but he couldn’t help it…

Yes, though he’d never say it to anyone- maybe you, but that was a stretch- Mitsuba had never been so worried… he thought, as he finally saw you again, clinging to you as if you were as fragile as glass- that your death would probably affect him worse than his own did. Because, a world without you, would officially be a world without life… without you, Mitsuba knew he could no longer even feel alive.

“You idiot… I hate you so much,” His voice broke slightly, as you wrapped your arms back around him. Much like the moment when he was so sure you wouldn’t show back up, tears threatened to spill. “I missed you. Dummy. I missed you so much-”

hanako <3

There was a part of Hanako slightly paranoid about your death. Not overly so- not in a way that would hinder you. Simply, in the sense that he would risk his well-being to protect you. Yet, there were many situations where he was… helpless.

It wasn’t uncommon for you to enter the girl’s bathroom, though it was almost always to visit Hanako. So, his face instinctively lit up when he saw you stumble into the bathroom- though he felt the color drain from his face when he saw your shakey figure. The color was drained from your face as well, he noted, as he quickly floated over to you.

“(Y/N)?? What’s wrong?” He questioned, pushing the hair from your face, getting a good look at your face. He was already positive you didn’t feel well. He just needed to know how- then, he could help. Surely, he could do something.

“I… I dunno- my stomach hurts, haha… really badly.”

Before Hanako could question further- where did it hurt, what kind of pain- you stumbled into a stall, spilling any contents that were in your stomach into the toilet. Instinctively, Hanako cringed a bit- quickly, he shook the queasy feeling he got off, and stepped over to you, rubbing your back carefully.

When you looked up at Hanako, tears running down your face, he instantly feared the worst.

“Please get a teacher, or Yashiro, or- someone,” You told him, arms securing themselves around your stomach. Hanako quickly nodded, rushing as quickly down the hallway as he could. He wasn’t a doctor, for Pete’s sake- not even close to it. So, he practically flung himself into Yashiro’s classroom, shouting at her from the doorway.

“YASHIRO, (Y/N)’S IN A LOT OF PAIN!!”

Hanako could only ring his hands nervously for a moment, as Yashiro asked the teacher to be excused, floating anxiously beside her for a moment, then rushing back to you when she explained that she was going to get a teacher- thinking for a split moment, as he explained to her that you already threw up. To that, Yashiro nodded, telling Hanako that she’d be sure to make sure your guardians were contacted.

Once he reentered the bathroom, Hanako’s nerves were at a new worst state. His eyes landed on you, practically curled up next to the toilet, sniffling to yourself- he was sure he never wanted to help anyone so badly. He was sure that, if he could, he would take your pain.

“Yashiro’s getting a teacher, (Y/N). A-are you feeling any better?” You shook your head, glancing up at the ghost boy. Your face was slightly flushed with what he was sure was a fever, and your eyebrows were furrowed in clear desperation and pain. All he wanted to do was help.

“I feel like I’m dying…”

Dying. The word “dying” stuck out, striking at Hanako’s nerves as if they weren’t already being tested. You felt like you were dying? Were you?? He sat in front of you, hands shaking violently as he attempted to seem calm. You couldn’t die. No- no, the teacher would come. You would live, wouldn’t you? You weren’t going to die… right?

“It’s okay, (Y/N)- you’ll be okay,” He spoke, rubbing your shoulders gently and placing a soft kiss to your forehead, half trying to convince himself. As he continued to do so, the teacher entered the bathroom, knocking on the stall- though the door creaked open, as you hadn’t had the time to shut and lock it. It wasn’t as if you needed to- the nausea was simply overwhelming.

“(Y/N)? Can you tell me what’s wrong?”

“I’m having really bad stomach pains… I threw up- it hurts to talk,” You muttered, glancing up at the teacher, giving them the same pained look you gave Hanako. They crouched next to you, placing a hand against your forehead, then nodding.

“Where does it hurt?”

Clearly not wanting to move, you sniffled, forcing yourself to sit back just enough to motion around your lower-right abdomen. As if it clicked, the teacher nodded, letting you fall back into the position you were previously in. “I have no room to say for sure, but it does sound like appendicitis. Your parents are on the way, and I’ll let them know to take you over to the hospital.”

Your grip on yourself tightened a bit, panic showing up in your face. Seeing that panic, Hanako could only fear the worst. He knew vaguely of appendicitis, sure- how likely was someone to die from it-?? If your appendix ruptured, he knew it was dire. Did it? How long did it take for an appendix to rupture? Before he could even acknowledge the thoughts running through his mind, the teacher lifted you up, carrying you out of the room.

Though Hanako followed, he was left standing at the doors of the school when your guardian carried you away. The final bell rang, all of the students finally emptying out of the school, as the car you were in drove away. He watched until it was out of sight, silently noting that it must have been the direction of the hospital.

The first few days were practically torture for Hanako. Yashiro’s comments didn’t help- her saying that you went into surgery only worsened his fears. During his lifetime, surgery was… unpleasant, to say the least. They could do it- you could certainly have your appendix removed, but- but what if something went wrong? How had things changed since he lived…? Had it ruptured, were you going to live? What if you died during recovery?

He couldn’t stand it. No, until several weeks passed, Hanako was a nervous wreck. The relief that washed through him when he saw you walking through the school halls was almost comical- that is, if he wasn’t clinging to you like he really had almost lost you.

“(Y/N)... I’m so glad to see you again.”

“Hanako, I’m so glad to see you too. Sorry for scaring you like that… but thanks for sticking with me.”

Of course, Hanako could only accept the praise, unsure how to word “I stuck with you because I didn’t want you to die alone.”

tsukasa yugi <3

Tsukasa, most were sure, wouldn’t necessarily… care if someone around him died. No, he probably loved the pained expressions of someone taking their last breaths. If it was a messy death? It would be better for him, right? Screams of pain, tears streaming down someone’s face, blood splattered around. Natsuhiko half joked that it would be a dream for Tsukasa, no matter if everyone else considered it a nightmare. Sakura remained quiet, shaking her head slightly. You… disagreed, as if protecting Tsukasa. Maybe he wouldn’t… as eerie as your boyfriend could be at times, you loved him nonetheless- and you were sure you didn’t fall for someone who would… enjoy…… others’ pain…?

Hm…

Either way! You were sure you didn’t fall for someone who would enjoy your pain!!!

Those thoughts were just that- little thoughts you had. Thrown into a few conversations between the fellow people who frequented the broadcasting room. Nothing you really wanted to prove, you know? No, you’d rather assume it, and not go through anything particularly painful to prove it.

However, those weren’t necessarily your thoughts as you tripped over the rug, one of Sakura’s tea sets in your hands. The hot tea in them went flying, landing all over you- but, that wasn’t really your focus, as you landed with a harsh thud. The glass cracked underneath you, the uncomfortable sound of shattering filling the room- accompanied by your scream- at first being echoed because of the fright of following, but being finished off because of the feeling of glass splintering you as if you were the fragile object.

Your scream ended in a cry, tears quickly clouding your vision as the sharp pain coursed through every spot the glass had harmed. Sakura’s eyes went wide, and she stood up, aiming to walk over and help you- Natsuhiko did the same, exclaiming your name once he saw you began to fall, a bit quicker than Sakura was- Mitsuba could only stare, as if his fight or flight was activated. Before any of them could reach you, Tsukasa was there, shouting your name and cupping your face.

Tsukasa wasn’t bothered by the blood, as if he could be bothered by any blood, pure worry crossing his face. It was a rare sight- Tsukasa genuinely concerned- but it wasn’t like seeing a bloody (Y/N) on the floor was exactly common. It was no one's focus, as the other three finally were gathered around you. Protectively, nearly forgetting your injuries, Tsukasa held your head to his chest- glaring at the others.

“Go get a nurse!! (Y/N)’s bleeding-!”

Natsuhiko nodded, rushing off, as Mitsuba glanced around panickedly- Sakura pushed Tsukasa away from you slightly, as if to let him know to be careful. His hands wandered to your arms, holding them carefully, peering at the glass, then up at the tears streaming down your face.

“Don’t pull out the glass. It could make the bleeding worse, and we can’t be sure where all the glass has landed. Especially in their arms.”

Tsukasa nodded a bit, glancing at his hand when one of your tears landed on it. He ignored the blood dripping onto his palms, quietly licking the tear that fell onto the back of his hand. That wasn’t enough to distract you though- he half hoped he could take away your pain, but was discouraged to only be met with your shaky sobs. His eyes wandered along the shards sticking out of your arms. Dangerously close to places he knew they couldn’t scratch- an artery, he knew, would be beyond dangerous… what if, when the glass gets pulled out, you’re met with the spewing blood that comes with a punctured artery? Looking around at the blood dripping everywhere- were you… dying?

Tsukasa froze up a bit. (Y/N)? Dying?

Well, he was dead… Amane was dead. Mitsuba was dead. But… what would happen when you died?

Would you become a ghost? Or would death be the final separation for the two of you- would Tsukasa be trapped on earth, while you moved on to whatever afterlife there was??

“(Y/N) can’t die,” was his only thought, as Natsuhiko returned, gently explaining that he was going to carry you to the nurse- then, your guardian could come at take you to the hospital. However, once Natsuhiko’s arms wrapped around your torso, Tsukasa grabbed Natsuhiko’s closest arm. “I- I can take care of them. I’ll carry, (Y/N).” “Runt, you’re a ghost. For real, don’t screw around. Let me carry them, hurry now,” He spoke, lifting you up. Tsukasa stood, balling his hands up slightly nervously. Oh, a nervous Tsukasa… it was also such a strange sight- watching Natsuhiko speedwalk with you in his arms, Tsukasa floating alongside them. In fact, Tsukasa remained with the both of you- holding your arms carefully, until you were entering the car, towels placed around you to keep the blood from spilling anywhere. He watched the car drive off, unsure how to process anything.

The next several days were… difficult for Tsukasa. He wasn’t sure how to deal with it, yet he found himself peering into your classroom to see if flowers sat on your desk. He found himself paying closer attention to the rumors spread- listening carefully for anything that sounded similar to you. He wandered the halls, as if he suddenly lost his purpose- keeping an extra eye out for a person, or ghost, with cuts from shards of glass littering their body.

Tsukasa was his… clingy self when you returned. He hugged you as tightly as he could, not wanting to release even when you warned him about your still healing arms. He placed countless kisses to your face, giggling out that he was so sure you were going to die. Even when you questioned his thoughts, Tsukasa continued on, kissing the scars, scabs, and few stitches on your body. Yes, he really was glad that you were alive. Be it for selfish reasons or selfless ones, he couldn’t be sure- he just knew he was glad.

[anxious-ace]

Marble Hornets, probably not including the graphic noval characters besides Skully and Jessica (+ ocs and Toby) headcannons:

Tim (can you tell he's my favorite?):

Tim is a trans, demisexual and gay man

He/him pronouns or Brian will kill you

34 years old

Brian and Tim moved to New York after entry 87 (yes Brian survived)

They're a married couple you can't change my mind

They've been married since 2016, so 5 years at this point

Tim has a little sister named Adelyn

He and Brian adopted Toby and they live in a separate little area together (you can blame/thank @master-of-cringe)

Separation anxiety, insomnia, depression, anxiety, D.I.D, P.T.S.D and Schizophrenia

Someone give him a hug

He and Brian have a 3 year old daughter (Kai)

He doesn't really talk about his past alot (understandable)

Has a severe fear of raccoons (Rakounphobia)

Is actually tough as shit

He will knock you the fuck out if mad enough

Is actually allergic to cheese cake (if anyone still makes the cheese cake joke I will bust your kneecaps and eat your appendix)

Has had appendicitis in his past

Doesn't really talk to his dad

Empathizes with Toby and Kate alot

You can usually find him and Brian just cuddling on the couch

Went back and helped Brian after entry 83

Got the 2 of them a service dog

(SHE'S AN AMERICAN BEAUTY, I'M AN AMERICAN PSYCHO!!!)

American-German with an immigrant mother

Almost always wearing Brian's jacket

Helen's (bloody painter) older cousin

Sleep walks

Sleep talks

Usually wakes up in the middle of the night because of nightmares or flashbacks

Kate is like his daughter

He and Brian actually adopted Toby recently

Chewing tobacco fiend

Gave up cigarettes because of Toby, Kai, Kate and Kenny

Has a journal of suicide attempts

Wakes up later than Brian when he actually gets sleep

Will just cling to Brian in public spaces

Did a bit of theater in highschool

He did lights while Brian was on stage

Met Alex and everyone else in highschool, only really talked to them in college

Probably the worse sleep schedule out of everyone

Does speak fluent German but rarely uses it except when mad

(Brian finds it hot)

Ultimate quiet kid

Will kick your teeth in if you hurt his family

His leg hasn't healed properly

Still has a bit of a limp because of what Alex did to his leg

That poor leg is being tortured

Brian:

Cis gay man

34 years old

He/him

Moved to New York with Tim

Got Tim an emotional support cat

The social one in the relationship

Will almost always be seen calming Tim down

Bought an extra hoodie for Tim to wear without having to steal his

Has a brother named Joel and a sister named Edith

Buys Kai clothes from both sections of the store and let's her choose what she feels like wearing

Will throw hands if you even look at his family wrong

Usually the one who carries Kai around

Had to be in a wheelchair for a bit

Got into mother mother and lemon demon because of Kenny and Kate

Parkour icon

The fluffiest hair

Actually likes pineapple on pizza

French/Native boi

Wakes up early and cooks for everyone

Excellent cook

Will just start flirting with Tim at anytime and anywhere

Has alot of medical knowledge (field medic)

Taught Tim French as a thank you for teaching him German

Being the oldest brother means he's responsible but still a giant goof

Will pick on you in a light hearted way

Massages Tim's leg in exchange for him massaging his back

Will stay up with Tim if he needs it

THE BEST HUSBAND AND FATHER!!!

Adelyn is his best friend, fight me

Excellent fighter

Will throw hands for his friends

Jay:

Bisexual disaster

Shy bitch

Dating Seth

Finnish

Older sister named Lumi

32 years old

Met Alex during a high school production of little shop of horrors

He was on set design

Perpetually tired

Still eats ramen alot

Has gotten his ass kicked by Brian

What is affection?

Mans is basically skin and bone

JUST EAT SOMETHING!

Did actually write scripts for other projects

There are kept in a box somewhere

He and Alex Koval vibe alot

Unironicaly likes Abba

His parents are Finnish immigrants

Learned English from his aunt

Stim toys galore

Adhd

Would collect the weirdest shit if he could

Gets cold easily

Jessica:

Lesbian trans queen

34 years old

She/her or she'll kill you

Best delivery person

She and Tim will just spend hours talking about their experiences being trans

Feels like she owes him for saving her from Alex

Aunt figure to Kai

Amy, Sarah and her are in a polyamorous relationship

Will alert Brian if Tim's panicking

Has been seen comforting him when Brian was visiting his family

Best baby sitter

Swiss

Mom friend

Always brings extra food, water, meds, clothes etc.

Amy:

pansexual demi-girl

33 years old

She/they

Dumped Alex for Jessica

Did costume design in highschool

One of the most adventurous bitches in the group

Australian

Loves baking

She and Brian have a deal where he cooks breakfast, lunch and dinner and she makes dessert

Archnophobic

Allergic to bananas

Sarah:

Lesbian disaster

33 years old

Was skeptical about the polyamorous relationship but now she absolutely loves it

She wasn't sure Amy was ok with it

Boy was she wrong

Did actually date Seth before figuring out she was a Lesbian

Did violin, piano, flute and drama in highschool

Major multi-tasker

She's really good at it though

Adelyn will tell her embarrassing things about Tim from child hood

Belgian sweetheart

Alex:

The only straight person

33 years old

Ran a production of multiple musicals in highschool

Major anger issues (basically cannon)

Lord help Seth's dog

(He bit him during filming that's why he's mad at Seth)

Not allowed near the kitchen

Has been trying to write another script

Major music fan

Austrian

Very confrontational

Wasn't even surprised Amy dumped him

Has tried to kill Tim multiple times

Got his ass kicked by Brian thankfully

Seth:

Shy asexual grayromantic man

32, the baby of the group

Questioning gender

"He/they is fine"

Loves his dog Tucker

Best uncle figure

Has dozens of photos and videos from trips

Did cinematography in highschool, still doing it today

Found Tucker at a bus stop and said, "poor guy, mine now."

Also makes music

"And dolly zoom time."

Met Jay freshman year in highschool and Brian basically said, "if they don't kiss by the time we're in college there is something wrong with them."

They ended up together by prom

Shy Dutch man

Toby:

17 years old

Adopted by Tim and Brian recently

Cis guy

Asexual

Chaotic but sweet

Best older step-brother to Kai

Sneaks her candy from time to time

Because of his tics, he will just start screaming

Stuff goes flying out of his hands usually

Has seen Tim and Brian cuddling

Vibes with Kenny and Kate

Pyrophobic (too much trauma from the near death experience)

Kai:

4 years old

Doesn't know much about gender identity and sexuality

Will cling to her dads

Chews on clothes

Brian and Tim have bought her stim toys

Autistic

Calls Kate "sissie"

Tim physically had her

Holds a stuffed rabbit named Cyrille

Hangs out with Abby (Kate's youngest cousin), Kate, Tim, Brian and Toby alot

Sees Toby as her brother

Is usually seen being held by Brian

Adelyn:

Asexual lesbian

33 years old

Will tease the shit out of Tim about his relationship with Brian

Badass mechanic and archer

Has only fought Tim once

They were raised by a survivalist who was raised by a war veteran

Mom is a sweetheart

Will bully you but will make you food and give you a place to stay

If you mock or misgender her brother, she'll fucking kill you

Tim bought her a switch blade in highschool

Has a scar on her back from homophobes

Almost killed Alex a few times

Sectoral Heterochromia (blue and green)

Joel:

Pansexual

Non-binary

The youngest sibling at 17

Parkour master

Almost as sassy as Tim

Has a scar from a fire

Lord get this kid some sleep

Wants go into film like their brother

Has stolen money from their siblings

Edith:

23 years old

Bisexual

Will slap her siblings around

Going into the medical field

Tired of Alex's shit

She would drop kick him if she could

(She has)

Brian taught her some medical stuff as well as her parents

Saved and patched up Joel after the fire

Lumi:

35

Asexual biromantic

She/her

Way smarter than Jay

In the medical field

Basically raised Jay

Lord help her sleep schedule

Brim time bitches:

Met freshman year of highschool

Started dating in 2008

Got married on Halloween in 2016

Moved to New York the same year

Had Kai in 2018

Third kid will be born in August

Wedding anniversary is on Halloween

So many couple costumes

Double dates with Amy, Sarah and Jessica

Brian will just flirt with Tim (bonus points if it's in French)

They have a cat named Roco (Calico, emotional support cat) and a dog named Cecilia (golden retriever, service dog)

Masky:

Tim's alter

Actual name is Leon

Gender-less bastard

They/them

Hoodie is their husband just as Brian is Tim's

Has agreed to not hurt the teens (Toby, Kate, Kenny, Jeff, Liu, Natalie/Clockwork, etc.)

Contrary to popular belief, they are capable of caring for others, just not most of the time

Is not a mindless slave

Bitch will kill slender if they can, so will everyone else

A bit of a stubborn neat freak

Lord help Tim and his almost non-existent sleep schedule

This bitch will just keep him up by repeatedly saying everything was his fault

Does actually care for Kai, they just don't show it as much as Tim does (Tim's her dad, of course he cares)

Hoodie/Tyler just sends them the weirdest messages

Hoodie:

Actual name is Tyler

you probably guessed that he's Brian's alter, you're right

Doesn't use labels for sexuality or gender

Uses he/him pronouns though

Leon's/Masky's husband

Is kinda mad at Tim for entry 83

Has agreed not to kill him for Brian's sake

Lord help Brian

Stubborn like Leon

Skully:

Feral

Jay's alter

Actual name is Eino

(Remember Jay's Finnish)

Uses the same pronouns as Jay

Same with sexuality and gender

(It's mostly because I can't think of anything)

More annoying than scary

Kinda scares Jay but mostly annoys everyone else (poor Jessica)

Leaves dead animals at Jessica's door for some fucking reason

Is at fault for the bone yard near the lake in the woods, so are Ryland and Jude (Kate and Kenny's alters respectively)

I feel like he acts like he's on drugs without actually being on drugs, you know?

Like either crackhead energy or just really caffeinated (same with Jay sometimes)

Christian:

13 years old

Demi-boy

He/they

Aroace

Part American-German from Tim and part French-Native (something) from Brian

(Same for Kai)

Got his dirty blonde hair from his shitty grandad

Lives with Toby, Kate, Kenny, Brian, Tim, Roco, Cecile and Kai

The first second gen proxy (I know Tim and Brian aren't considered proxies, I just like the crossover au)

He's still going through recruitment though

Kate sent him an email with all of the entries of "Marble Hornets" for him to watch

(That's how he knows about his dad's pasts and their current situation as proxies)

Got lost in the woods one day and Slenderman took him in without knowing he was Tim and Brian's son

Would be the youngest proxy if it weren't for Tim and Brian intervention

(That makes Kate the youngest, Gierison not Hayes)

Will steal shit just to piss people off

[louiszeastronaut]

“𝙸 𝚌𝚊𝚗’𝚝 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚢𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚎𝚕𝚜𝚎... 𝙸 𝚘𝚗𝚕𝚢 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞” - Tom Riddle x y/n

Note: So basically, I took the dialogues from a scene in Little Women, when Laurie proposes to Jo, but she rejects. Then I replaced the two characters with y/n and Tom. I tweaked some sentences in the dialogues, and wrote the sentences outside of the dialogues with my own words just to make it fit the story... I haven’t finished it (3/26/21 I guess I finished it?) because I wanted to know if you all think I should continue or not. Idk what this is man lol.

Warnings: terrible grammar and punctuation mistakes :)) Word Count: 1,447

March 19, 2021

    “Penelope married” you said aloud.

    “Nanette of to Europe.” there was a brief pause between you and Tom.

     “And now that you’re a graduate you’ll be off on a long holiday” you continued, panting as you walked down the sloping hill.

    “I’m not good like Padma, so I’m angry and I’m restless.”

    “You don’t have to stay here y/n” he suggested

    “Why?”      “Should we run off and join a pirate ship?” You joked, turning your attention back to him, grinning at yourself. You peered at him just after laying your eyes on the orange and red maple trees that lie so vibrantly, and vastly ahead of you. Then you saw his solemn face. And yours fell into a yearning grave of its own.

    “No. No…”  you stared blankly at him, knowing what he’s hinting at.

    “It’s no use y/n” he reached for your hands, but you neglected it and pulled away “Y/n we’ve got to have it out…”

    “No please don’t-

    “I have loved you ever since I’ve known you y/n I couldn’t help it!”

    “Tom… no-

    “A-and I tried to show you, and you wouldn’t let me, even though I struggle to show it to anyone-

   “But I must make you hear it now, and give me an answer because-” he said through a weighted sigh, “Because I cannot  go on like this any longer y/n!”

   “No..”

  “I gave up the dark arts, I gave up everything you didn’t like, I’m happy I did. It’s fine. And I waited and I never complained!” He cried aloud, spectacles of tears starts forming in his eyes, then rolling down his pale cheek.

    “Cause I-“ he paused, face angry and flustered that he’s showing his rather pathetic side to you, and letting the fact that he’s showing this just to profess his love, is absolutely harrowing and ludicrous! Even for him. But he can’t seem to hinder himself away from it, nor does he feel like he has to, because at this point he had to finish what he didn’t originally appointed to say.       “Cause I figured you’d love me y/n!” He yelled.

    “A-and I realized I’m not half as good enough-

    “No! Yes you are!” You exclaimed back.

     “And I’m not this great man, and-

     “No! No Tom, yes you are!” “You are.” He stopped talking, catching his breath so you finally had your turn of say.

     “You’re a great deal too good for me” you say as you pointed your finger on his chest, nudging it reassuringly. “And I’m so grateful to you. And I’m so proud of you and- and I just don’t see why I can’t love as you want me to“ you pleaded. “I don’t know why”

       “You can’t?” Tom asked in a whisper, his eyes darted away as you hear the echo in his voice.

       “No… I can’t- I can’t change how I feel. And it would be a lie to say that I do, when I don’t”

       “I’m so sorry Tom-“ your eyes still fixed on him, you could see him thinking, biting the insides of his cheek. “I’m so sorry” you repeated more imploringly. “But I just can’t help it…”

        “I can’t love anyone else y/n I only love you” he admitted

         “Tom it would be a disaster if we were married, okay?”

         “It wouldn’t be a disaster!” He argued

          “We’d be miserable-

          “GOD BE A PERFECT SAINT!” He yelled

           “I CAN’T! I can’t! I’ve tried it- and I’ve failed!” you exclaimed, your words trembling in the end. You realized you were staring directly through his cold grey eyes, used to be full of depth and sudden rupture, but now clouded with his blinded feelings that you can’t help but hopelessly deny. Both of you let the words hang over the air for a while...

           “Why does everyone expect it then?!” He continued, “Why does your family and my friends expect it?!”

           “Why are you saying this?! Say yes-“ he nudged his hand forward, offering you something you have stubbornly refused many times in this feud “And let’s be happy together.”

          “I can’t say yes truly. So I’m not gonna say it at all. And you’ll see that I’m right eventually and you’ll thank me for it“ you explained grabbing ahold of both his freezing hands in front of you, making sure he understood where you’re coming from. Your clutch loosened as he writhes away from hands.

         He breathed out more heavily than before, head shaking, headspace nowhere to be found. He was tired of rambling and letting his words foam out of his mouth. It was quiet for a brief moment that it felt like everything around you suddenly vanished, and you two were left alone with only your souls crying out to be heard by the other. The air was taut and quiet, that you noticed his uneven breathing patterns, and only then you recognized that your heart was beating the same way. Beat. Breath. Beat… Breath… Beat…..

       “I’d rather hang myself then realize this y/n.” He broke the silence.

        “Tom-“

       “I would rather be dead.”

       “Tom don’t say that!” you bellowed wearily. He put his hands in his pocket and started walking away. You could see his jaw clenching, you’ve learned from your time spent being with him that he does this only when he’s angry. But, not like this. He’s still trudging even more further down the hill, his shoulders bouncing as gravity pulled him down, so you had to catch up.         “Tom, listen...” “You’ll find some lovely accomplished girl!” you say as you flailed your arm in the air, then reach up to grasp his shoulder from behind, while resting your other hand on his tensed back. Only to find him tearing his arm away from your touch, rather harshly. You felt his hurt. You felt guilty for ever making anyone feel this way. Especially if that ‘anyone’ is him.

        “Who will love you and adore you, and- and she’ll make a fine mistress for your fine house! But I wouldn’t alright?!” 

        “Yes you would y/n...”

        “Tom. Tom- look at me!”  “I’m homely, and I’m awkward, and I’m odd!” 

         “I love you y/n....” Tom said in a monotone voice, watching you play out and degrade yourself as what you think your negative qualities are, just so that you could point out to him why you think you two shouldn’t be together. 

         “And you’d be ashamed me of me-” you added

         “I love you y/n.” He interrupted, repeating the same words but more clamorously this time.            “And-and we would quarrel, we can’t help it even now!!!” you shouted, later noticing how unapologetically you sounded. You wanted to keep talking but you decided to stop to catch your breath first. You could feel the burn rising in your throat from yelling, but you continued on.           “I’d hate elegant society, you’d hate my scribbling... and we would be unhappy, and we wished we hadn’t done it! And- and everything will be horrid-” You ranted. You opened your mouth again to say something but decided against it. Now, you’re looking down at the ground as you think how you might’ve made the situation even worse. You can’t imagine what Tom’s feeling right now... for all you know this was the only time he has ever confessed his bigger emotions that you didn’t know he had.                  “Anything more?” He inquired, laying his eyes upon you after looking away for a few seconds.            “No...” you answered,“Nothing more...”

          “Alright.” He whispered while nodding simultaneously, clenching his jaw again. He hiked up the hill slowly, dragging his feet along the sharp grass.

           “Except that-” you appended, not knowing what choice of words you should declare next. As you searched your thoughts, asking your own brain to form the correct words, Tom shot his head back quickly. Bobbing his head along as he approached you again, as if he was waiting for you to say that you might feel even the slightest bit of devotion that you are willing to give to him in that tethered heart of yours. Unfortunately for him, still, that’s not what you’re after.

       “Tom...” you started “Tom- I don’t believe I will ever marry...” you dismissed through a forlorn scoff, admitting this to yourself and to him for the first time because you believed that that’s where your fate have destined you.         “I am happy as I am, and I love my liberty to well to be in any hurry to give it up”

       “I think you’re wrong about that y/n...

       “No...

        “I think you will marry y/n.” 

        “I think you’ll find someone and love them, and you’ll live and die for them because that’s your way and you will...

        “And I’ll watch”

(Finished?)

[mimisempai]

Forgetting you would mean forgetting the love I have inside me

Summary:

After an operation, Mobius doesn't remember Loki... but can you really forget the one you love ?

Notes:

List here : X

19th day of my 30 Days of Domestic Fluff. - 19: Forgetting something

https://archiveofourown.org/works/33726832

1115 words - Rating G

Appendicitis, it was just appendicitis.

Even so, Loki couldn't help but worry and wander back and forth in the corridors of the TVA's medical ward.

Apparently it was a rather common operation for humans, but it once again brought him face to face with the fragility of the human body, with the fragility of Mobius.

He didn't like it.

Fortunately, a few hours later, he could verify with his own eyes the words of the doctor, who had said that the operation had gone perfectly, that Mobius had woken up and was just still a little disoriented because of the anesthetic and the painkillers.

When Loki entered the room, his throat tightened as he saw Mobius looking smaller than usual in the medical nightgown. His eyes were still cloudy from the effects of the anesthesia and his skin was pale, making him look even more fragile.

"Hey," Loki said softly as he approached, then sitting down on the edge of the bed, he took Mobius' hand as he looked up at him.

Mobius' eyes widened and with an expression of utter surprise, asked, "Um, who are you?"

Loki didn't know at that moment whether to cry or laugh.

"Um, I'm Loki." he replied with a small smile.

"And that's supposed to tell me something?" asked Mobius again, he ran his hand over his face, "actually I don't remember anything, everything is very fuzzy in my head. But the doctors told me it was normal."

He seemed to think for a moment, then pointing to his hand in Loki's he said, "I guess we know each other well, otherwise you wouldn't hold my hand like that, right? And then you wouldn't be allowed in my room."

The doctor had said that he was still disoriented so Loki didn't let himself be thrown off balance. Besides, Mobius was not hostile to him.

"Ahem, yes... we actually know each other very well, we are... together. We live together."

Mobius' eyes widened even more, "Together... like... lovers?" he asked incredulously.

Loki nodded, smiling softly.

Mobius ran his hand over his face again, then looked at Loki, "If that's true, it's really amazing."

"Why?" Loki asked, increasingly amused.

"How can someone as beautiful as you be with someone like me?"

Loki blushed slightly as he did every time Mobius gave him that kind of compliment, then pulled himself together and gently scolded Mobius, "What does it mean someone like you? I told you many times, and I hope you will remember soon, you are perfect for me, we are perfect for each other. But even if you forgot I'll remind you again and again."

Then he leaned toward Mobius and whispered, " May I kiss you?"

Mobius tilted his head to the side and scrutinized him for a long minute, then moved his hand forward and gently touched Loki's face. His face lit up with a soft smile and he murmured, "My Loki, sweetheart..." he pushed a strand of Loki's hair behind his ear and continued, "I remember... you, just you…" Loki closed the distance between them and placed a soft kiss on Mobius' dry lips before resting his head on his chest, exhaling a sigh of relief.

Mobius closed his arms around him and gently stroked his hair, repeating, "Loki... my Loki..."

No doubt Mobius would remember everything. But to know that Loki was the first and only thing he remembered was just magical.

*********

A few days later, Mobius finally returned home and collapsed on the couch, exhausted from the short trip from the medical wing to their home.

Loki looked at him with a concerned look, "What do you need?"

Mobius just held out his arms and answered softly, " You. Just you."

Loki smiled indulgently and moving to the couch, replied, "Then I'll give you what you need."

He sat down next to Mobius carefully, cautious not to pull in any way on the surgery scar. Mobius put an arm around his shoulders and drew his head against him.

"I missed you," he whispered softly, in a voice that was barely audible. He placed a kiss on Loki's head and continued, "I know we saw each other every day, but we couldn't do like-"

Loki placed a finger on his mouth and said, "Shhh Love, I know, I missed you too."

Then he put a pillow on Mobius' side where the stitches were and lay down in his favorite position, putting his head on Mobius' lap.

He sighed with relief as Mobius gently began to run his hand through his hair.

After a few minutes, Mobius shifted a little, and gave a little grunt, but he continued his touches on Loki's head.

"Are you in pain, love?" asked Loki, a little worried.

"Just when I make certain movements, but it will pass, don't worry."

Loki carefully turned his head to look at Mobius and replied, "Of course I'm worried, I love you, and you're in pain, it's normal for me to worry about you."

Mobius smiled at him, fondly, and replied, "So rest assured, it was just a little temporary pain. I am perfectly fine here." He forced Loki to turn his head again and continued his strokes through his hair.

After a few moments of silence, Loki asked him, "Do you remember everything?"

Mobius replied softly, "Everything."

After a short pause, Mobius continued, "But you know, even when I remember everything, I still only see you, the most important person in my life. When I remembered you, the first thing that struck me was the intensity of what I feel for you Loki. This love, our love, is impossible to forget, I am deeply certain of it."

As he continued to caress Loki's hair, Loki wanted to answer, but his throat was tight from the emotion caused by Mobius' words.

He cleared his throat and with a slightly hoarse voice, he said softly, "Thank you."

"Hm? why thank you?" asked Mobius, confused.

Loki continued, "I don't know if there is anything more beautiful than knowing that the first thing you remembered was me and especially the love you feel for me. In my quest for power, I dreamed of leaving traces of greatness from my time in the universe, but now, knowing that there may only be one person who remembers me and that he remembers me because of the love he feels for me, fulfills me in an incredible way, so yes, thank you."

He straightened up carefully and with eyes shining with emotion and love, kissed Mobius gently and then resumed the same position and Mobius resumed his gentle caresses.

They did not add anything. What was there to add when everything was in its place?

_________

30 Days of Domestic Fluff - Lokius

Next day : 20- A Heated Argument As always, bear with me as it is not beta'd and english is not my native language I hope you enjoyed it nonetheless🥰

[symptoms-syndrome]

Medical stuff, emotional neglect stuff, birthmom stuff, pretty heavy in general

So I went to the ER because I was in literally crying pain bc of a surgery complication, and things were going like. Pretty alright all things considered besides, obviously, the pain. But after the doctor did smth (sorry for being vague it's just this is kinda gross LOL) I was having non-stop, excruciating pain. Crying and moaning and writhing pain. And all my birthmom did was tell me to calm down because it's not that bad and I'm going to scare the other patients. It was pain so bad I couldn't even distract myself on my phone. And I was having the pain for like. IDK a really really long time because there was a delay with the meds or something. I have a really, really high pain tolerance.

And now that I'm not in pain anymore, I'm really mad. I was having strong physical outwards reactions to the pain, something that happens pretty rarely (I can only remember being like that once, after they gave me a medication I was allergic to post-appendectomy. I didn't even act like that when I had appendicitis!) And all I could think about was how it must've been bothering her. And it was. And I apologized. For being in pain and showing it.

I dunno. I guess I started to think she was getting better. She seemed really caring while I've been staying with her for recovery. But now this is just the sort of behavior that hurt me before that she says she never did.

[ao3feed-izuku-midoriya]

Even if It Hurts

even if it hurts by I am Eli

“I'm beginning to get concerned,” Nemuri said once she answered the phone. “I don't think you've ever called me this much in any amount of time for the…. How long have I known you?”

“I don't know,” Shouta said. “I need help.”

“Since when do you ask for help?”

“Please,” Shouta said. There was silence from the other side of the line before Nemuri's voice sounded, quiet and tentative and laced with worry.

“What's going on, Sho?” ------ Or, Aizawa is a mess, Nemuri is trying her best and Izuku is far more helpful than anyone gave him credit for.

Words: 3924, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Series: Part 24 of Little Cabbage

Fandoms: 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: M/M

Characters: Midoriya Izuku, Yamada Hizashi | Present Mic, Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead, Kayama Nemuri | Midnight

Relationships: Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead/Yamada Hizashi | Present Mic, Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead & Kayama Nemuri | Midnight, Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead & Midoriya Izuku, Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead & Yamada Hizashi | Present Mic, Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead & Kayama Nemuri | Midnight & Yamada Hizashi | Present Mic

Additional Tags: Sick Midoriya Izuku, Appendicitis, Midoriya Izuku is a Ray of Sunshine, Sweet Midoriya Izuku, Young Midoriya Izuku, Quirkless Midoriya Izuku, Parental Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead, Parental Yamada Hizashi | Present Mic, Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead is Midoriya Izuku's Uncle, Hurt Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead, Hurt Yamada Hizashi | Present Mic, Hurt Midoriya Izuku, Hurt/Comfort, Turmoil, Emotional Baggage, Marriage Proposal, Tired Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead, Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead is So Done, Autistic Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead, Autism, Supportive Kayama Nemuri | Midnight, Kayama Nemuri | Midnight is a Good Friend, Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead Needs a Hug, Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead Needs a Break, Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead is a Good Teacher, Midoriya Izuku is a Good Person, Supportive Midoriya Izuku, Helpful Midoriya Izuku, Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead Needs a Vacation, I Can't Believe I Wrote This, no beta we die like men, no beta we die like sir nighteye, Midoriya Izuku is a Little Shit, Midoriya Izuku is a Brat

Read Here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30989036

[ao3feed-dadzawa]

Even if It Hurts

even if it hurts by I am Eli

“I'm beginning to get concerned,” Nemuri said once she answered the phone. “I don't think you've ever called me this much in any amount of time for the…. How long have I known you?”

“I don't know,” Shouta said. “I need help.”

“Since when do you ask for help?”

“Please,” Shouta said. There was silence from the other side of the line before Nemuri's voice sounded, quiet and tentative and laced with worry.

“What's going on, Sho?” ------ Or, Aizawa is a mess, Nemuri is trying her best and Izuku is far more helpful than anyone gave him credit for.

Words: 3924, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Series: Part 24 of Little Cabbage

Fandoms: 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: M/M

Characters: Midoriya Izuku, Yamada Hizashi | Present Mic, Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead, Kayama Nemuri | Midnight

Relationships: Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead/Yamada Hizashi | Present Mic, Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead & Kayama Nemuri | Midnight, Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead & Midoriya Izuku, Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead & Yamada Hizashi | Present Mic, Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead & Kayama Nemuri | Midnight & Yamada Hizashi | Present Mic

Additional Tags: Sick Midoriya Izuku, Appendicitis, Midoriya Izuku is a Ray of Sunshine, Sweet Midoriya Izuku, Young Midoriya Izuku, Quirkless Midoriya Izuku, Parental Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead, Parental Yamada Hizashi | Present Mic, Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead is Midoriya Izuku's Uncle, Hurt Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead, Hurt Yamada Hizashi | Present Mic, Hurt Midoriya Izuku, Hurt/Comfort, Turmoil, Emotional Baggage, Marriage Proposal, Tired Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead, Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead is So Done, Autistic Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead, Autism, Supportive Kayama Nemuri | Midnight, Kayama Nemuri | Midnight is a Good Friend, Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead Needs a Hug, Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead Needs a Break, Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead is a Good Teacher, Midoriya Izuku is a Good Person, Supportive Midoriya Izuku, Helpful Midoriya Izuku, Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead Needs a Vacation, I Can't Believe I Wrote This, no beta we die like men, no beta we die like sir nighteye, Midoriya Izuku is a Little Shit, Midoriya Izuku is a Brat

Read Here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30989036

[maggielindemanns]

all mixed up - an elu social media au

summary: it’s simple really - eliott meets a guy at the bar, that guy gives him a fake number, and that fake number just so happens to belong to lucas. the rest is history.

[NINETEEN PART TWO]

[note: i’m putting my note here at the top this time but here is nineteen part two aka how the date went! i’m like . Scared to put my writing up but you know what, fear is my enemy and i’m posting to spite her so ! here is 3k words of elu date in the amu-verse i love you guys giving you all smooches on your foreheads <3 was gonna post this yesterday but i was attacked by the river i went tubing at so here she is rn instead <3]

    Thoughts of nerves and excitement were crashing into each other and around the walls of Eliott’s head space at a million miles a second as he made his way to Lucas’ dorm. His heart didn’t even feel like it was beating at this rate, more like slamming against his rib cage and rattling up the butterflies existing in his stomach. He made sure to send Lucas a warning text once he was down the hall — “countdown from 30 & i’ll be there”. Lucas, 'ever the charmer having such a way with words, simply loved the text in lieu of an actual response.

Once in front of Lucas’ door, he took a deep breath before knocking gently, stepping back after to await an answer. Every second felt like forever to him, especially when he could hear Lucas shuffling around on the other side of the door. He just couldn’t wait to do this, he couldn’t wait to actually have Lucas to himself for real.

Lucas opening the door suddenly pulled Eliott from his thoughts, overwriting the mess in his head with thoughts of Lucas instead. He looked at Eliott, seeming pleasantly surprised, and smiled brightly at him. Eliott wanted to give him the world and then some.

“Demaury,” he greeted, “hey.”

“Hey yourself. Ready to go?”

“Of course. You look so good, I’m kinda jealous. Am I under dressed?”

“No, you’re perfect.”

“Oh stop,” Lucas scoffed, starting to lead the way out already, “let’s go before you hit me with any more corny lines.”

Eliott just smiled, following Lucas close behind. He got the door for Lucas going out of his building, grabbing his hand before he could walk too far ahead. Lucas didn’t let go, though, actually giving his hand a squeeze and smiling at him. The silence as they walked to Eliott’s car hand in hand was comfortable and familiar, and Lucas loved it.

When they both got into the car, Eliott went to start it, but hummed as if remembering something. Lucas watched Eliott reach into the back seat as he put his seat belt on, his brows furrowed.

“What are you doing?” Lucas asked, and Eliott wordlessly presented a lavender rose, seeming proud of himself. He looked between the rose and Eliott a few times before dumbly asking, “Is that for me?” and Eliott nodded, handing it to him. He turned it over in his hands before looking at Eliott again, his chest tight with the slight urge to cry. Yes, he was emotional over a single flower, sue him.

“I didn’t take you as the type for grand gestures,” Eliott explained, “but... something small to remember tonight is nice, right? Even if everything goes to shit and you hate me after this, at least we started on the right foot.”

“I could never hate you, this is so sweet, Eliott. Thank you.”

“You don’t need to thank me. You deserve nice things. Always.”

Lucas just smiled slightly and watched Eliott start his car, starting to tell a story about a basil plant he accidentally killed. Lucas found himself oddly endeared by that, as well as his story about how he Jackson Pollock-ed his way through an entire semester. That led Lucas to tell him stories of how he tried multiple times to get out of gym back in high school with absurd ailments, one time even trying to use appendicitis as an excuse. That cracked Eliott right up, and Lucas was proud of that. He loved making Eliott laugh, it was his favorite thing.

They eventually were pulling into the parking lot of a very cozy looking building. “Len’s Den” was lit up brightly across the top of the building on a sign, and vased plants marked the entrance, along with a glowing, red open sign. Eliott shut the engine off after putting the car in park and looked at Lucas.

“I told him about you,” is what came out of Eliott’s mouth. Lucas must’ve made a face of confusion because Eliott laughed a bit before elaborating. “Len, I told Len.”

“Like...owner, Len?”

“Yeah. It sounds so random, but he’s been looking out for me since high school. I’ve done it all in here — cried, yelled, laughed, all three at the same time maybe?” Lucas chuckled at that, and Eliott smiled a little. “Point is, Len’s taken care of me in ways I don’t have words good enough to thank him for. He’s important to me, and so are you. I hope it was okay that I did.”

I told him about you. He’s important to me, and so are you. Those words were echoing in Lucas’ brain, doing a number on his emotions. It was heady to think that he was important to Eliott, so much so that he wanted to tell people about him.

“Yeah, that’s—I’m honored. That’s always okay, really.”

There was a beat of silence between them, the two of them just smiling and looking at each other for a moment. Eliott broke their gaze by starting to get out and Lucas followed suit, his nerves creeping back up on him suddenly.

How he was supposed to last an entire night of Eliott being Eliott was something he wasn’t sure of. Maybe if he didn’t think about it too much, the obvious would become clear - that being with each other was easy. They’ve done this before. Easy.

Upon entering, a few things caught Lucas’ eye - the photo booth in a far corner surrounded by countless strips of pictures, a piano set in the corner across, art littering the walls that resembled things he’s seen in Eliott’s apartment. Other pictures and band posters covered the walls, too, but nothing Lucas was familiar with. Eliott grabbing one of his hands and gently pulling him along shifted his focus back to him.

“You’ve got your thinky face on,” Eliott told him, “what’s on your mind?”

“Nothing, I just...like how you this place is.”

“Just screams art-kid-trying-to-find-a-place-in-the-world, huh?” he asked with a crinkle of his nose. Lucas smiled and nodded.

“Oh, a hundred percent, yes. Now let’s get some mac and cheese bites in our system, they are what brought us here after all.”

Eliott brought them over to the bar space where they sat close to each other, Eliott noting Lucas’ slight struggle to get onto the tall chair. He laughed a little on accident, and Lucas kicked his chair, mumbling for him to shut up.

Lucas let Eliott kind of take the lead here, ordering for the both of them with confidence that Lucas admired. Eliott in his element was always lovely to witness, no matter what. Conversation points never ran out as they sat and chatted (even when the heavenly bites did, Lucas ate two rounds of them), and Eliott even got him to take photo booth pictures with him at one point. Lucas being fussy about how the pictures were coming out made Eliott laugh so, so much. Lucas was shocked no one came over and was concerned with what was happening in this booth.

“To have not wanted to take these to begin with, you sure have a lot of opinions,” Eliott teased, and Lucas rolled his eyes, pushing his head gently and telling him to focus. Being in close proximity like this with a beautiful boy like Lucas was not helping him in the crush department, not by any means.

To only be date number one, Lucas felt like he had known Eliott forever, and the idea scared him a little bit. To know someone for only a handful of weeks and feel like everything is new and yet so familiar and safe between them already was a lot for him. He didn’t usually do this, he didn’t usually allow himself to get to this point. Infatuation with no return. But he kind of liked it. A lot.

Soon enough, it was just the two of them left as patrons, the only other person in the store being Len himself, waiting to lock up. He didn’t even make an attempt to kick them out, though, and Lucas had a feeling Eliott had something to do with that. Rather than dwell on that thought, however, Lucas found himself wandering over to the piano, Eliott following close behind.

“Piano’s lovely,” he commented, taking a seat. Lucas took note of all the etching done into the piano, making him wonder if one day he would get to add to them. There were people's initials inside hearts, stickers scattered on it, and messy scrawl in sharpie of people who came here before him. He pat the seat next to him to get Eliott to sit beside him and he did, their knees touching and arms brushing against each other.

“It’s old as shit, honestly. In tune, though. I tagged it somewhere way back when, actually.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Somewhere here...” His voice trailed off as he scanned the surface of the piano with his eyes, eventually humming in recognition and pointing for Lucas to see. Lucas smiled, realizing it was a raccoon, and nudged his arm gently. “What?”

“You and these raccoons, Demaury.”

“Spirit animal, what can I say.”

“Oh man, you’re a trip,” he sighed, plucking a few random keys of the piano. Eliott started laughing and Lucas gave him a look. “What?”

“Nothing. Just wanna say Len’s got a triangle if you wanna mess with that instead.”

“Oh, shut up, as if you play.”

“I’ll have you know I can play the Star Wars theme,” he scoffed, starting to pluck out the first few keys. “Mmh, and I do a mean Für Elise cover.”

“Cover? What the hell?”

Eliott simply started playing the first few notes slowly but surely. It sounded familiar to Lucas’ ears, at least until Eliott started playing a bunch of meaningless mess. Lucas laughed at that genuinely, like, belly aching laughter. Eliott stopped playing and looked at him, something warm erupting in his chest resembling love, but not quite there yet. Adoration, maybe, but strong. So strong, Eliott had to refrain from just grabbing his face and kissing him right then and there. He almost couldn’t think of anything else as he sat there, smiling fondly at the boy beside him.

Lucas wiped at his eyes, calming down after a minute or so and looked at Eliott, clearly amused. He cleared his throat and tried to be serious, nodding once. Eliott tried to stop smiling too, but he knew he was failing greatly.

“Mister Demaury, I have to say,” Lucas spoke, “I think you have a fine career as a pianist in the near future.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“Why thank you. Means a lot from you, you know, since you’re an expert and all.” Lucas got the sense that Eliott was teasing him a little, and he looked at him, squinting a bit. “What? I was being genuine.”

“No, you weren’t, you’re an asshole.”

“Well. Prove me wrong, c’mon.”

“Let me think,” Lucas told him, sitting up properly and getting his hands on the keys. He decided to play one of the only songs that came to mind right now, one of the first songs he ever learned - I Love You by RIOPY.

He plucked out the opening keys slowly, feeling Eliott’s eyes on him, watching intently. Once he got a good feel for the piano, he played with more confidence and ease, not missing a beat. He surprised himself, granted he hadn’t played much in a while with school and everything, but he was glad he still had it in him. As focused as he was, he felt Eliott’s eyes shift to his face, and that made him glance over at him mid-playing, taking note of the glint of wonder in his eyes. He looked away before he could start to think about it too much, but what he wasn’t aware of was how Eliott decided that in this moment, he liked surprising people. And Lucas was surprising.

When Lucas plucked out the final notes, he took his hands off and slowly looked at Eliott, who was smiling brightly. Lucas suddenly felt shy under his gaze - he’d never actually played anything for someone before, at least not a piece in seriousness like this. Silence hung between them for a moment before Eliott spoke.

“Way to show me up, Lallemant,” he said, and Lucas smiled back at him.

“It’s no Star Wars theme, but...” Lucas shrugged, non-verbally finishing the thought. Eliott kept looking at him and seemed to be thinking about what he was going to say next.

“Lucas, can I be honest with you?”

The question caught Lucas off guard, his heart hoping for the best but his brain thinking of worst case scenarios. He pushed those to the back of his mind, though, and nodded instead.

“I...am in so deep with you. The way I feel with you is unlike anything I’ve ever felt before.”

“Eliott—“

“Forgive me if that’s super forward but...I have to tell you, I’d go nuts if I didn’t.”

“Can I be honest, too?”

“Sure.”

Lucas felt his heart beating in his ears, his nerves creeping up on him. Being with Eliott was the easy part. Having feelings for Eliott and sharing said feelings was the hard part.

“I really, really like you too,” he said finally, “more than anyone I’ve ever met. Ever.”

Several more beats passed between them, the silence becoming the loudest thing in the room. The tension was suddenly palpable, too, at least to Lucas, and every thought that passed through his brain became nothing but please kiss me, please kiss me, please kiss me.

As if able to hear Lucas’ thoughts, Eliott took hold of his face in his hands before leaning in, just close enough for Lucas to close his eyes for a moment. He opened them enough to look at him when nothing happened, and Eliott smiled just a little.

“Is it okay? To kiss you, is that okay?” he asked. Lucas scoffed, making Eliott laugh.

“Yes, obviously, please do,” he told him quietly, and in that moment, their lips met and Lucas felt whole.

It felt like Lucas had waited his whole life for this moment - the kiss that all the books he’s read and movies he’s seen in his life talked about. The kiss that had your skin thrumming with desire for more, that made life feel like a movie, like sparks were flying. That’s what it was like to kiss Eliott. It was better than he could ever imagine it being, and he wished he could bottle this feeling up and carry it with him everywhere at all times.

When Eliott pulled away, Lucas felt dizzy with it, slowly opening his eyes and his brain feeling like a bunch of exclamation points were going through it. Eliott started to smile, but Lucas leaned back in, kissing him one last time to make sure it was real.

“Fuck, I’m so in love with you,” Eliott whispered, and Lucas wanted to scream from the rooftops about this moment. He wanted to live in this moment and with this feeling for all time.

•••••••

Lucas woke up comfortably warm, almost too comfortably, swimming in clothes that were definitely not his own. The only sound in the room was the gentle hum of a fan and traffic passing outside, letting Lucas know he was not at his dorm. That, and the fact that the room was too big anyway. The bed was also dipping beside him and he turned his head to find a very sleep ridden Eliott laying beside him. Eliott looked like an angel, the sunlight hitting him in the most beautiful of ways. If Lucas was a photographer at all, he’d be trying to capture this moment.

“Time?” Lucas mumbled, and Eliott blindly grabbed his phone to look, squinting at how bright it was.

“9:17.”

“Jeez...”

“Good morning to you too,” Eliott laughed, and Lucas breathed deeply, snuggling closer to him. Eliott wrapped an arm around him and pressed a kiss to his forehead, not saying anything else.

“You’re thinking so loudly right now.”

“Yeah?”

“Mhm. What?”

“Well...I’m lucky you’re here. Happy.”

“And?”

“I...have a proposition.”

“It’s 9:17 in the morning and you’re already using words like proposition? You’re unreal, Demaury.”

“Not the fact that I have one, just the word itself. You’re funny.”

“What’s your proposition?” he asked, looking up at him. Eliott continued to look up at his ceiling.

“My final. I want you in it. I want us to be in it.” Lucas made a curious noise, and Eliott continued. “I’ve struggled with a concept for months, like, since this course started, and I thought I had one. I really did. But I’m stuck with that and re-inspired, and...I want to do it on intimacy and human connection. I have to write a paper with it, so I wanna do that.”

Lucas sat up and looked at him, understanding what it had to do with him suddenly. Eliott looked at him, as if waiting for some kind of reaction.

“You hate it,” Eliott decided, and Lucas shook his head, running his hands through Eliott’s hair and smiling a little.

“No, just...intrigued, I guess. You’re makin’ a model out of me, Demaury, please just say you’re not putting us on a billboard.”

“No, no billboards,” he laughed, “just my professor. And the art panel at our school because they’re choosing one project to go in a gallery walk at the end of the semester.”

“Can we eat first? So I can think about it?”

“Of course. Please don’t be scared to tell me no, too, it’s okay,” Eliott insisted, grabbing one of his hands and pressing a kiss to the back of it. “It’s just a thought right now.”

“Okay.”

“Is now the time to tell you I’m the worst chef on planet Earth? Or should I have kept that in the vault?”

“In the vault, I’m out of here now,” he teased, and Eliott pulled the pillow from under his head and hit Lucas with it, making him laugh out loud.

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[archive link <3]

[PART ONE || TWENTY]

[the-moon-prince]

The Last Of us~Kurapika x Reader ~Chapter IX

AN: Hi my lovely fellows!

I’m sorry for the delay! Thank you so much for your patience and support! I love you all! This chapter is very long. In fact, this and the previous one would be one, but it already had more than 5000 words and I had not finished yet, so it seemed exesive to me. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it!

I wish you a pleasant read, and I hope you’ll enjoy the new chapter of my story.  (Chapter I) (Chapter II) (Chapter III) (Chapter IV ) (Chapter V) (Chapter VI) (Chapter VII)(Chapter VIII) (Chapter X coming soon!)

Paring: Kurapika Kurta x GN! Reader

Word count: 5 498

TW: None! Pure Fluff

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They were both impatient and excited for that night. It gave (Y/n) a warm nostalgia to share something so close to their heart with someone they loved. It gave Kurapika the feeling of not only being appreciated but of belonging. He perfectly understood how important traditions were to people in their position. It was something that, in a way, connected them with who they once were and with those who once loved them. At the same time, it could bring grief and yearning for it.  That (Y/n) invited him to be part of one of their traditions meant two things, which were essential to Kurapika: the first, they were contented enough to carry out the celebration; the second, those sorts of events are held with family, and (Y/n) considered him sufficient bosom to show him their traditions.

The hours until check-out seemed tediously long for both. But everything comes sooner or later.

The two kept close to each other as they prepared to leave. 

Melody saw them from afar. She hadn't seen Kurapika so happy and delighted regarding something. It was so pleasant to see her friend gleeful after so much.

They were the last to leave the Nostrade Mansion, checking that none of their co-workers were present to go through the door holding hands. They did not let go during all the traject to (Y/n)'s automobile.

"I propose that we go to your house so you can prepare changes of clothes if you'd wish."-they orated, a clear eagerness on their voice. A tone that wouldn't leave their voice through all that night.

"That would be very convenient, thank you"-He too was happy but better at hiding it behind his calm tone.

They drove Kurapika to his residence, chit-chatting during the entirety of the route. Kurapika had promised him that he would not be long-drawn and they could wait for him outside to speed things up. However, once alone at home, a wave of insecurity hit him. Something not proper in him. He began to question himself. It was something important to both of them, and he didn't want, for whatever reason, to ruin it. He was afraid of saying something perhaps inappropriate, hurting his feelings, or insulting his culture by accident. There was a whole list of things that could go through carelessness and were annoying. If someone did such actions referring to some tradition of the Kurta, he would sure be mad. Above, (Y/ n) had not been very specific with the type of event it was. He did not know if he would have to dress formally, or in his traditional clothes. He began to get distracted and discredit the decisions he made. Finally, he changed into his Kurta clothing, packed in a sack another change of his traditional clothing, his white loose pajamas, and one of his black suits.

When he returned to the car with his belongings, (Y / n) was distracted on their phone. For someone who liked playing on his cell phone so much, he responded very little to messages and calls. When he put his bag in the back of the car he noticed some grocery sacks. Which he was sure weren't there before.

"Did you went to the supermarket while I was inside?"-Kurapika inquired. They looked away quickly solely to return their sight to him.

"Yes... I did."- They thought it was a bit explicit.

Kurapika felt bad about the time he must have taken-"Did I really took so long?"

(Y/n) shook their head-"No, no, no, I mean, it was a bit lengthy, but I took the opportunity to go buy what was required!"-they reassured with a smile.

"I'm sorry for being overdue."-he apologized with a sigh, holding his forehead.

"No no! Don't apologize! It's fine! We only gained time. Plus you avoided the dull line at the store."- they also started to shake their hands. Truly seeking to comfort him, they even found it handy.-"Please don't worry, it's perfectly fine."

Kurapika sat in the passenger seat, put the seatbelt on, and headed to (Y/n)'s residence.

"I hope you don't have any allergies to almonds, since I purchased to make an almond dessert."-their expression suddenly changed to a deadpan one. Realizing they didn't even ask beforehand that important detail.

"No no, I don't."-he notified. Curious about the variety of sweet it would be.-"Will you make desserts repeatedly?"-His sweetheart maybe literally was a sweet heart.

"Yes!"-they cheered-"Are you good at cooking by any luck?"-another question, but this one with a blameworthy tone and a somewhat ashamed smile.

"I master the basics, why that question?"- were they planning on cooking together?

"Because I am terrible when it comes to cooking. It's no coincidence that I only have cookies or candy in my cupboard."-They admitted with rectitude. That person sometimes had brutal honesty about some things. Kurapika was very sure that they were capable of feeling shame and shame, even seldom they seemed not to be ashamed of some things that most people would be ashamed of.-"So more or less I depend on your abilities for this to be successful."

When they arrived at the house, a comforting smell filled Kurapika's lungs. It was so pleasant and familiar by now. He felt at home and relaxed. (Y/n) put the shopping bags in her kitchen and started pulling out a wide variety of pastry supplies. If it weren't for their earlier confession, Kurapika would think they know what they're doing. In fact, he doubted if they even had any clues.

"What are we doing, then?"- he questioned, wanting to make sure they at least had a plan.

"We are making Frangipane! It is a sweet almond-flavored custard patisserie!"-when they mention dessert, they immediately smiled-"it is exquisite! I like it a lot, although I have not eaten for a long time. I hope you will enjoy it too!"- they flapped their hands with emotion as they explained. At first, it was somewhat difficult for Kurapika to decipher what they were feeling, however, there were moments where their happiness and emotion were clear. That was adorable to him.

"It sounds heavenly! How do we make it?" his excitement seemed to have infected him as well. But she couldn't help it! If his lover was so smiling, he was as well.

"I don't know!"-they said it was still content.

Trouble hit Kurapika. Even if he could tell what they were feeling, their mind was still a mystery.

"How do you plan to prepare it in that case?"-he pleased, worrying all the event will fail. He didn't want to see their excitement and joy crushed.

"My mami- mami is how I referred to my grandma- taught me how to make it. Though I forgot."-they calmed and tilted their head."-Except, that's no problem at all. Do you mind waiting for just a miniature moment, please?" they added directing to their bedroom. They allegedly had some solution to the problem. But Kurapika still wondered how they could be so forgetful and brilliant at the same time. 

(Y/n) returned shortly afterward with a little book in hand. The book seemed to be handmade, the cover was made of fabric with a flower pattern, except there was no title on it.

"My mami made a cookbook for me!"- they sang as they showed him the book. Kurapika took it and started leafing through it. Why didn't they mention that part earlier?-"Recipes are nothing further than a sequence of instructions. And in general, I exceed in following commands. So everything should be under control."

Kurapika might know a lot about many things, but the language the book was in was not one of them.-"Darling, I cannot comprehend what is written." 

"I know. The exact reason why I will be translating it."- they explained like the most coherent thing ever. He returned the cookbook. They started reading it, looking for the recipe they needed.

Both traveled to the kitchen and (Y/n) started to read out loud the recipe.

"Let's start with the dough! This is the longest of the processes, and you would want to start with it. It's an inverted puff pastry. For it, a base dough is needed. Which you are going to envelop in butter multiple times..."-the safety of their voice dispersed as they read.-"How does she expect me to do that..."-they mumbled for themselves, although Kurapika was able to hear it. It was just the beginning, and they were already distressed.

"But don't stress (Y/n) even if it appears complicated said like that, it's easier than you might think. You just have to follow the steps I'll be giving you."-they seemed surprised at that encouragement.

"Did... did your grandma wrote that?"-even he was surprised.

"Yes... I... I guess she knew me extremely well."- it even seemed their mami was in the room, knowing exactly how they were feeling.

"For the base dough, you need to mix 15cl of water with 18 grams of salt and one teaspoon of white vinegar." (Y/n) started to measure said ingredients while integrating them into an ample aluminum bowl and stirred. "With the wet ingredients already prepared, append 350 grams of white flour and 115 grams of melted butter and mix until homogeneity... I can do that."

They melted the butter in the microwave and added the flour, followed by a quick stir.

"Spread the dough on a surface with flour and form a tiny square."-they weren't bad at following instructions. Kurapika stayed next to them, admiring their focused face while passing ingredients and supplies. He was somewhat nervous they were going to miss the recipe by accident and feel bad, but they were having so much fun he ignored it.

"Behold! Our base dough is finished! It was simple!"-(Y/n) looked so proud of their achievement.

"It is a well-done dough!"-It was the first time that both of them prepared something similar, he couldn't help but feel equally satisfied.

The dough was placed into the refrigerator. The succeeding step was to mix 150grams of flour and 375 grams of butter until obtaining a paste. The two of them were having fun with the preparation of the dessert. Serenely conversing added joy at the night.

"Earlier this day, you mentioned today was important. Is there a celebration?"-the blonde wondered, aspiring to know more about his beloved's traditions.

Their smile softened-"It is. Today Vere Solstitium starts. It was a big celebration for the Uniliums taking place during spring. It lasted 12 days."-they informed while spreading the butter mixture into a bigger square and placing the dough inside, enclosing it.

"What was intended to be celebrated?"-he continued, as he saw the dough being spread and folded two times in half.

"Being alive and together. We were a small clan. The fact that they were all good and united made us fortunate."-they explained with a soft voice and a kind smile as they placed the dough in the fridge again to let it rest. There was a sad undertone, the object of the celebration sure was warming and pretty, but given the fact (Y/n) was the last alive, it turned to be dark. Both sat on the couch to wait.

"I see. Is there a reason why it was feasted in spring?"-Kurapika continued to ask, even if once reflected the circumstances were sad, it seemed to be a topic close to their heart.

"Because that's when all the flowers are in bloom."- (Y/n) unexpectedly rested their head on Kurapika's shoulder. Not that it was unpleasant, totally the opposite. He loved their contact and affection, it was just that (Y/n) was peculiar with physical contact. Not because they didn't love him with all their heart, they just needed to get used.

"My people had a close relationship with nature in general, but especially with flowers. Each flower has a meaning for us. And each of us had an assigned flower. That flower symbolizes your soul. Your entire aura lived in your flower and was part of it."-their voice was sweet and nostalgic. It did it good to share aspects so dear to them with someone they cherished. Similarly, Kurapika was glad to be capable of grasping that kind of information. When you lose your home, sharing your memories is complicated and beautiful at the same time. It felt less lonely.

"Do you have a flower?"- he guessed. Having the opportunity to hear about the culture of (Y/n) made him feel comforted. And if he didn't listen to them, who else would?

They looked up at him with a smile and nodded-"I do! I'm the poppy!"-they exclaimed-"It has a mixed meaning, a small wildflower often perceived as childish and frail. It's often related to dreams, daydreams. Besides is a flower formerly used as an analgesic and sedative. The poppy is a flower of comfort and hope, particularly comfort in times of penury."-they cocked their heads to the right a little-"Although it has not helped me much."- chuckling a little to hide their sadness.-"The other one, I don't fancy it that much, although I terminated up growing used to it. It also contains a meaning of aggressiveness and fury. There's why it's a flower surrounded by mysteries."

Possibly they do not see it, or they still grieving, but they had brought Kurapika hope and lessened his pain in the lowest moments. He adored their mystery. Having someone by his side loving and supporting him was like a dream. While they could be childish at times, it was invigorating to him.

How long has he not laughed? 

How long has it been since he felt blissful?

 How long has it been since he felt emotion ticking his senses? 

How long has he not felt any hope for the future?

One of the mysteries of (Y/n) was how they remained innocent and well-meaning after extremely much. Kurapika had no idea how they were so impassive, but he was so glad that they did. To him, the poppy suited them pretty great.

"I think it is a tad funny how the poppy is related to medicine and I ended up in this career!"-they joked. Maybe the flowers were connected to their soul after all.-"We better keep working on the cake."

Not even themselves knew the time that had elapsed since they started talking. Kurapika was amused by how (Y/n) could at times be quiet for hours, and listen with all the attention that each fiber of their body allowed them to give; in others be so talkative. In any case, he loved talking with them and listening to them.

"Now the fun part! The filling!"-they grinned, really radiant, even if it was a simple cake. And it was a simple cake. Only it went further.

"Isn't it a little early to make the filling?"-he asked, starting to worry about the resolution of their experiment once more. He had taken, perchance, the part of "I rely on you to succeed" far too literally. They shook their head and whimpered in disagreement.

"It may seem that it is, however it is more useful to have it ready to spare time. And if you let it rest it will taste greater."- they explained, the idea was not foolish so discussing it would lead to nothing.

"Let's boil milk! We need 150 milliliters and a hint of vanilla!"-they pronounced vanilla a bit weird, yet Kurapika did too. It was perhaps a shared trait in nonnative speakers.-"I absolutely savor milk! I believe it to be the superior beverage."-they stated pouring the milk into a saucepan, it looked never used. 

"Because you're a cat?"-A hint of a tease as well as a bit of genuine interest in the question.

"Probably! When I was little, I used to give choccy milk to my cat each time I had."-another weird frank response-"Next, whisk two egg yolks with 25 grams of sugar."

"You had a cat? As a pet? Considering that you are a cat, it would not be bizarre to have one as a pet?"-He had no idea that (Y/n) had former pets, even fewer cats. A bit uncanny to own a miniature version of yourself as a pet.

"Mmm..."-they shook their heads from side to side in uncertainty-"Not really. Humans make friends with other humans. An accompaniment animal is just a friend or an adoptive member of your family. The difference is that since it is another species, humans treat it as inferior."- they exposed their point of view, as they quickly whisked.

"I think you are right."-he mumbled, feeling a bit ridiculous. After all, wasn't that the reason why they had been exterminated? The person in front of him was not even human; and yet they seemed to possess a more comprehensive notion of humanity than many humans.

"Sunshine, would you mind passing me the cornstarch, please?"-their request pushed kurapika out of his reflection.

"Sure, how...how much?"- he vacillated.

"15 grams, please."-he poured the cornstarch into a small jar and passed it to them.

"Thank you!"-they continuously added the starch into the mixture. It felt so homely to cook together.

Kurapika remembered seeing his mother cook, accompanying her in the kitchen and sometimes passing her some things. (Y/n) remembered how they liked to sit in the breakfast nook's chairs to read while their grandmother prepared meals that they still remember nowadays with affection.

"Now that the milk is boiling, we add it to the yolk mixture, and we return it to the saucepan!"-they announced.-"It says we have to be careful and to stir continuously until the custard thickens."

"At the Solstitium celebrations, what different activities did you used to do?"-the blonde continued to ask with a soft smile. He loved to hear his beloved's memories.

"Oh! We had a lot of activities! Some carried out by the different groups for the rest: Dogs and wolves had a chorus howling to the moon, rabbits, and deers their dance. I participated in the ball of cats and mice, but I was the only cat, which converted it rather the cat and mice dance."-they gushed, happy words flowing like honey.-"At those parties, we wore beautiful and distinctive gears. They were bright and full of embroidered flower decorations. We all got united to dance and roar around bonfires, the children drew pictures, made flower crowns, and presented plays, music was played. But what I loved the most was the spring dance. The participants gathered around a noble flower decor and we danced holding hands and ribbons until we could no longer stand. The last one to hold, for enduring all the dance, he was named spring's royalty! And had an honored seat during the rest of the celebration."-They continued to whip the cream until cooked, a soft expression never leaving their face. Once removed from the heat they added a tablespoon of butter and left to rest in the refrigerator.

Kurapika would have loved to see (Y/n) dance. A real shame. At least he already knew why they always used some embroidered flower decoration.

"Are you ready to make the almond cream?"-they continued, persistent in their crusade for the dessert.-"Kurapika, please put two entire eggs in a bowl, 100 grams of sugar, 125 grams of almond powder, and 100grams of soft butter, please. I'll mix it."-(Y/n) requested as they washed their hands. You couldn't tell they cooked poorly, but some practice was lacking, resulting in some spattering. Kurapika obliged their request, it was not uncommon for one to ask the other to do things. They didn't usually argue about "who was in the lead"; it was stupid. They just helped mutually.

"Hunny bun!"-another pet name (Y/n) liked. But how couldn't they? Kurapika was sweet as one! Hearing the honeyed name he came to them -"Here!"-The container with the almond cream was brought to his face. A very sweet smell filling his nose.-"It smells good, doesn't it?"-they bragged with a bright smile. 

He smiled too, seeing someone you love happy, spreads happiness.-"I can't deny that it smells delightful! We made nice work, darling."

"And we have not finished yet! The final result is even more scrumptious."-they announced.

(Y/n) stared a moment into the sticky sweet cream filling. They then directed silently towards their lover, resting a moment, supporting his weight on the counter. they took some of the mixture with two of their fingers and smeared it on his face.

"Boop!"-they started to laugh at the boy's face of surprise. They had already made some plays, but never pranks before. Oh! It was better for him to get accustomed to it, they were mischievous sometimes!

"Hey! Why did you do that?"-he of course faked some anger, but couldn't hide his smile.-"Come here! I will get revenge on you, sneaky cat!"

They screeched covering their smile with both hands. Kurapika started chasing them around the kitchen, as they slipped away and they avoided his grasp. They were there for a while. At one point, (Y/n) even got on all fours in their cat form as they jumped and ran from side to side just to complicate the situation for him. They eventually ran out of air and ended up getting caught.

"No, no, no, no!"-they started producing noises between hissing and laughing. Having them already in his grip, Kurapika cleaned the almond cream from his features with his hand and stamped it on their face. (Y/n)'s first reaction was to shrug their shoulders executing a grimace, wrinkling their face with a weird smile to next shook their head to the sticky foreign sensation.

"You asked for it (Y/n)! I told you I will get a payback!"-he mocked. It felt so gratifying to play a little!

"Jokes on you, my dear. I'm a cat!"-they snickered back, with their wands on the hips. They proceeded to wipe the candy with the back of their hand and lick it.-"Mouthwatering!"

They both laughed out loud, forgetting for a brief moment full of joy all their sorrows and desolations.

"You got fortunate. I want to taste it too. Let's finish the tart."-he smirked after giggling.

"It appears perfectly fair to me! We just have to incorporate the custard into the almond cream and the filling will be ready."-they continued to chuckle.

"And then we bake it?"-he inquired, really wanting to taste the dessert, it was merely the filling, but the smell was appetizing.

"I wish that, my love. But in the book, it says we must leave the dough rest some more time."-was the answer, accompanied with a light head shake. They had already calmed down completely.

"In that case, I will go sit down a moment."-Kurapika was starting to feel drained. It was late at night, and they had had a heavy day.

"Then I will prepare tea, is that okay?"-they said softly, realizing their weariness.

Between the warmth of the tea, the comfort of the armchair, and the feeling of peace the sleepiness grew in him. It was good at home. He didn't even realize he fell asleep.

~

Kurapika felt a poke on his right cheek and a sweet smell.

"Kurapika."- a whispering voice sang.-"My love, the frangipane is ready!"

His head was resting on the back of the chair. When he opened his eyes, he discovered a (e/c) pair with dilated pupils looking at him tenderly. He raised his head and looked around. As he looked down, he observed a padded blanket covering his body.

"You feel asleep."-(Y/n) whispered to him so as not to stun him.-"But the cake is ready and warm."-their eyes looked a bit tired too. A patisserie sitting on the coffee table in front of him. The cake was round, golden, and shiny. The crust had some simple flower-carved motif.

His lover was sitting by his side, waiting with an impatient stare and a smile. Kurapika sat back in his spot. (Y/n) approached the pastry and cut two pieces, placing them in round candy plates, passing him his share. It was two layers of golden puff pastry with a light almond luscious filling in-between. It had a sweet, buttery aroma. 

He grabbed the spoon and took a taste of the desert. The top was crispy and buttery, and the interior creamy, sweet and soft, a little fruity. It was a delicious homey and beloved flavor, as from an unknown childhood.

(Y/n) watched him waiting impatiently for his answer.

"It's deletable."-he smiled.

Then, they took a spoonful of cake. "Yummy!"-Immediately flapping their hand in happiness while savoring the candy.-"We did it! It tastes just like I remember."-they approved with a smile.-"My mami always doing what I can't, even believing in me when I don't."-they laughed.

"She left you a good recipe."-he assured.

"I'm certain she's proud of us in this precise moment."-they added, looking down at their plate.

"Did you do the flowers?"-Kurapika wondered, examining the crust of the tart.

(Y/n) hummed and nodded in confirmation-"With a scalpel!"

It made sense that they were skilled with blades, they were doctors after all.

"I used to eat this very often with my brother."-they mentioned taking another nibble of cake.

"You had a brother?"-he was surprised, they never had suggested the existence of siblings before.

"Not as such."-they tilted their heads, reflecting a way to describe it-" We were offsprings from different parents. Though we were both only children. In our community, in these cases, we were assigned a symbolic sibling. The fraternity was for taking care of each other."-The Kurta Clan didn't have something equivalent, but from what little they had mentioned, the Unilium were also a tiny community. Depending on their unison to preserve and care for each other. That practice, within its private Clan's rules, made sense.-"His name is Julian, he was a dog. As I was raised by wolves, by right of blood, I belonged to the order of wolves. Canis Lupus and Canis Lupus Familiaris, by proximity. Moreover, as we were from litters of just two years apart, we got joined."

Of the two, perhaps it was (Y/n) who spoke less about their origins and Clan. Kurapika had already mentioned, albeit vaguely: Pairo, his grandfather, and some adventures of the Lusko province. It also cannot be overlooked that (Y/n) liked to ask questions about it and always listened to him with application and interest in the subject. They generally cared about learning about the Kurta.

"And the cats? Didn't you had your order?"-he pondered, it was his turn to learn.

"Something similar. I was the only cat... I mean, not because it's something special, there just hasn't been a cat in a while. Finally, it was my turn."-they shared.-"The method of organization was somewhat tricky. If your parents were of a different race than yours, you belonged to their order; having been raised by them. Like a blood right, in that manner, no one was left without an order."-they specified once more-"The proximate orders were united. It was not a caste system, only that rabbits did not have the same abilities and dilemmas as wolves, for example. Having someone who had been through the same or similar as you eased."

They were silent for a few seconds, remembering. Kurapika wanted to ask more about their brother although he wasn't sure if it was convenient.

"Julian was a nice dog."-they looked down and stared at the tart piece a moment, with a trembling smile. Maybe they felt Kurapika's curiosity about the case. Perhaps they just wanted to remember him, who knows. But he started talking as if he knew accurately what was on the other person's mind.

"Poor him, they forced him to babysit me!"-they laughed, easing again-"His favorite food was egg sandwich."-they snickered-"Isn't that weird? One would expect something else..."-they continued to chuckle-"I don't know, something special. Some pasta, some stew, but no, just that. I mean, it was beneficial for me. Extorting him with food was pretty easy."- They always had been sneaky and playful after all! 

After that joke, they were silent for another moment. Kurapika wanted to say something to cheer them up, he had to. They continuously did. But they got ahead of him, speaking just as he opened his mouth.

"Kurapika, please wait here, I have something for you!"-they begged, heading to their kitchen. It didn't take long for them to come back with a large bouquet of beautiful flowers of different colors. The flowers were placed in several layers in long stems. They sat down next to him and offered them to him with a gentle and bashful smile. Kurapika had a surprised expression. He was not expecting a gift, less so unexpectedly.

(Y/n) avoided his gaze looking at the bouquet and tilting their head.

"They are gladioli."-they stated softly-"Its general symbolism is that of innate elegance. Its structure resembles that of a sword, recalling victory and strength. As well as the sources of ideals and honor."-they began to explain-"I also selected certain particular colors. White gladioli besides symbolize remembrance; oranges to others furthermore are an invitation to love; reds are for passion and strength of the spirit; finally, pink are a sign of good wishes. Gladioli are also known as the flower of victory."-their face was burning.-"I offer them to you as a genuine symbol of appreciation and love." Kurapika took the flowers and stared at them. He carefully touched the fragrant petals; they were fine. He was extremely touched by the gesture. He felt accepted and supported. The gift was overflowing with love and care, it was honoring. 

"Thank you (Y/n), they are precious."-he was not sure how to express all the warm feelings that were flooding him at that moment, and the drowsiness did not do him any favors-"thank you, dearly."- He had an immense desire to hug them, to hold them close and never let go.

"Kurapika, you're exhausted."-they delicately remarked, smiling lovingly-"We should go to bed, sorry for keeping you awake."-They got up and gathered the supplies before Kurapika could respond.

"No, it's okay. I'm fine."- he tried to reassure them when they came back.

"It's still 2:43 am. the most suitable thing is to go to sleep."- they couldn't deny they were tired as well.

"I suppose your right..."-he didn't had much force left, the tiredness was taking over.

They both marched to the bedroom. The bed was full of stuffed animals like last time. (Y/n) directed themselves to the bathroom.

"I'll use the restroom a moment if you don't mind."-they announced. 

"Are you taking a shower at this hour? Is it needed?"-he asked astonished. It was quite late and they seemed fatigued.

"Mmm... something alike, is intricate to explain. Although I promise I'm not going to delay."-they explained getting into the bedroom. Kurapika took advantage of that time to change clothes and put on his loose white pajamas. 

As promised, they didn't took long. When they came back with slightly damp hair, the blonde had barely had time to arrange all his belongings and was getting into bed.  (Y/n) got into bed on the same side as last time. This time they took the initiative and approached Kurapika, cupping his face. It was one of those rare moments when they looked into his eyes. He took those opportunities to admire their (e/c) catlike eyes. They were special and wonderful to him. They said nothing. (Y/n) slowly approached him and gave him a shaky kiss. It was the first time they had kissed him on the lips. The order of events in the relationship may not be the conventional ones. But Kurapika was aware that close physical contact costed them. He didn't mind taking it carefully either, it was worth it to him. It was a quick kiss. He leaned forward and kissed them again. They tasted sweet. Both finally leaned on the bed, close to each other, putting their faces together. (Y/n) slightly rubbed their cheek against his before snuggling. Holding him tight, they started to pet Kurapika's soft blonde hair.

"Goodnight darling." He whispered, feeling so loved, and being overcome by sleep.

"Goodnight sunshine"-they muttered back-"I'm assured they would have too loved you..."