#trigger happy golden retriever

[skellabelle]

Hermann does not appreciate Newt’s repeated attempts to get himself killed

Newt is just enjoying the attention

[sumechiayuu]

Me and the catgirl gf I scored by being normal

[hoe4sports]

Two blossoms on a single branch

Ona Battle x reader

Triggers; Post partum anxiety. Angst.

Ona was always very clear on that she wanted to be a mom. She wanted kids, multiple of them. A family, a golden retriever, an suv: the whole shebang. The process from you getting pregnant through ivf wasn’t very long, you got lucky and it sticked on the first try. Or, she sticked. Your sweet daughter, Sofia was born on her duedate a bright sunny day in July. She was the most perfect newborn: she slept through the night fast and would only cry if she was hungry. She was all over just a very happy baby.

That lasted until she was 3 months, and let’s just say; hell broke loose. Your normally happy daughter had started crying at every chance she got. She would only be quiet if she was being rocked in her stroller or if she was being bounced back and forth. Sometimes, bouncing wasn’t even enough. You had spent hours upon hours each night trying to calm her so that Ona would get her sleep as her restitution was a part of her job. Being one of the best footballers in the world had its benefits.

You were pacing in the downstairs living room while walking back and forth between the couch and the kitchen in hopes that it would calm Sofia down. The now 1,5 year old was crying even after food, diaper, cuddlesand bathing. Nothing seemed to help. Her high pitched screaming was awful, and you knew that Ona had been developed postpartum anxiety that she was still working on. It was normal for partners, especially female partners to develope it as they naturally would fear that the baby wouldn’t connect. Ona hadn’t felt connected to the baby since the era of crying had begun. Every time Ona stepped into the room while she was crying, it would only get worse and you wouldn’t be able to calm her down. You were trying your best to support her, but sometimes you wished that you could have some support as you were running on 3 hours sleep every night for the last 9 months.

“Shh, baby, come here, you are okay. Mamma is here, princesa” You shushed as the high pitched screaming started just five minutes after you had put her down sleeping in her stroller. The stroller was where she usually slept best leaving you to have an inside stroller and an outside stroller. The little blonde was red from crying, her icy blue eyes full of tears as she grabbed your arm. You stood up and started rocking her again. Her crying was only escalating, and you were just hoping that Ona wouldn’t wake up. “Baby, mamma dosent know what’s wrong” You said as you tried to adjust her position to a more upright one. You had done everything we could; taken her to a bunch of doctors, chiropractors and therapists. Nothing was wrong with her, she was just fussy. You brushed her hair back from her face as it was drenched in tears. “Ai, mamma wishes she could understand you better, preciosa” you said as you walked towards the kitchen hoping that she was wanting her bottle. It was more of a comfort than a source of food as she was getting older, but she was still taking it. You pressed the baby brezza. The machine buzzed as the milk was mixed and warmed at the perfect temperature. You grabbed the bottle and tested it on your arm before taking it with you to the living room. You sat up in the big larger chair and supported your daughter on a pillow as you offered her the bottle. She thankfully accepted it as she kept drinking making the cutest whines you could ever imagine a baby making. Everytime she stopped crying, you were reminded of how sweet she was and how much you loved her.

The clock was now 6.30 and Ona entered the living room. You quickly gestured for her to not talk as Sofia had finally settled down. When Sofia would finally sleep, you wouldn’t dare to move. “Hi” you whispered as she shoot you an apologetic smile while slipping into the bathroom. You frowned. You missed your wife. You missed how she kissed you on your forehead, how she could hug you, how she would hold you and how she would cuddle you when you went to bed. Life hasn’t really allowed for any of that lately. Sofia wasn’t at a place where you could bring her to the trainings as she only cried. You loved being a football player, but you loved being Sofia’s mamma more so going back to work was paused.

After some time, Ona reappeared from the bathroom as she was fully dressed to go to work. “No breakfast, grabbing something at the arena” she said as she kissed your forehead and walked fast towards the door. “Baby?” You asked as she stopped with her back towards you holding tightly on to the door handle. “Mmm?” She responded, not turning around. Almost like a deer in the headlights. Sofia then woke up and turns her head towards her mami while blinking slowly. “Que, mi-» Ona started before she looked at Sofia in horror. “Ai, no-“ she said again as she was cut off by the familiar sound of Sofia fussing while she was looking at her mami. Her little lips forming into a pout as her feet was kicking and her hands were reaching towards Ona. Ona quickly walked out the door before saying “sorry” as she left. When the door closed, Sofia was once again screaming. “Ai, mi princesa, what’s wrong” you cooed as you tried to cradle her in your arms. It didn’t work as she only became more wiggly, and you were forced to put her down to give yourself a minute to breathe. She had been walking for a few months, so as soon as you, put her down she shot up while launching unsteadily towards the door only to fall on her butt when she tried to reach the doorknob. “Mama” she said as she started crying. You sighted and walked towards her to pick her up. “NO, Mama! Mama!” She screamed as she tried to throw herself backwards. “Baby, I’m here, mamma is here” You said as you catched her and leaned her body into you and she grabbed your sweater with all the might that her tiny fists could hold. “Mama” she cried as you stood confused while bouncing her back and forth in the living room. You stopped in front of the window to see Ona pull out of the parking lot in her Mercedes. You could hear Sofia fumbling with something behind your back as if she was playing with the shelf. “Baby, be caref-“ you said as you shifted her position to sit on your hip. Except she had something in her hands. A frame of you and Ona before Sofia was born. Ona holding your waist as you laughed together. Your absolute favourite picture of you together.

The little girl pointed to the picture as she sniffled. “Mama” she said as she pointed and hugged the frame into her body. You sat down with her in the couch and grabbed the picture as you held it up infront of her. “that’s Mamma” You said as you pointed towards you. “And that’s Mami” you said as you pointed towards Ona. Sofia sniffled as she wiped her nose with her hand before pointing towards Ona. “Mama” she said as you took a look at her and realised that she was trying to talk. “Mamma” you said as you pointed to yourself. “Mami” you said as you pointed towards Ona. “That’s mamma and Mami” You repeated as she sniffed. “Mami” she mumbled as you started at her in shock. “Yes Sofia! Mami, that’s right! Estas mami!” You said as you cheered, Sofia almost immediately clapping for herself. It was the first time that Sofia had been able to separate mamma from mami and you couldn’t be more proud as I wished that Ona would be here for it.

Later that day you tried to feed Sofia lunch after her midday nap. She wasn’t having it throwing the soft boiled paprika to the ground before the potatoes and the carrots followed. She cried, and cried, and cried and cried and cried. You let out a sight as you picked her up. “Preciousa, mamma knows that you are hungry” you said as you looked at her while she was crying. You closed your eyes and let out a sighed before taking a couple of deep breaths like the therapist had advised Ona to. “Okay preciousa, how about mamma make you some porridge, si?” You said as you reached over to the little girl and picked her up. She was still crying, but not as bad as before. It had probably something to do with the smell of the familiar porridge spreading around the house. It was one of the few things she liked, and it was the same porridge Ona had grown up with. The smell of milk, oats and cinnamon was wrapping your house in a feeling of bliss, comfort and familiarity. As the porridge was done, you buckled Sofia into her chair again before feeding it to her. She was luckily eating this time, but you could see that the exhaustion was taking its toll on her. You picked her up and got her all cleaned off as you headed towards the living room. Originally, you had wanted to keep her toys in her playroom but motherhood was rough and toys were now in every room. You sat Sofia down as she reached for her train. It was a blue train that Ona got her for her first birthday. She loved the train and would always bring it to bed when you tried putting her down for the first time at night. After a good 20 minutes of Sofia playing soundly on the floor giving you some well needed time to refresh your mind: the lock in the door clicked. Your eyes shot up as you immediately got scared. Ona was at practice and all of your family were busy. You grabbed Sofia terrified of whoever was behind the door. You held Sofia close as she looked up at you and was feeding off of your nervous energy. Your hand searched for your phone to be ready to dial for help as you gulped. The door-handle suddenly twisted and Sofia started her high pitched crying when she saw the face behind the door. It was Ona that had been told to go home early as she seemed exhausted. Sofia cried as she screamed and Ona looked like she was about to fall apart in the middle of the hallway. Sofia screamed as she reached her arms out and threw herself back in your arms trying to wiggle loose.

Then it hit you like a brick. Like a train. Like a trailer. As if the sky had just fallen down. Sofia wanted Ona. She wanted mami, not mamma. She was missing mami, and her little heart was longing for her mami’s warm touches. Sofia and Ona had a good relationship before the crying started, and you were just now able to put two pieces together. You sat down Sofia on the floor as you stood up and looked at Ona. Ona gulped as the toddler was stumbling towards her terrified of what would happen and her hand instinctively reached for the door. “Ona, stay.” You commanded as your daughter made her way towards Ona. She reached her front and stood at Ona’s legs trying to be picked up as she cried. Her little arms reaching up to Ona as she wanted to be close. “Mami,mami!” She yelled as Ona closed her eyes and took a breath while once again, looking like she was about to break down. She took a step a side causing your daughter to fall on her butt making her cry even louder. “She wants you” Ona said as she ushered towards the staircase and your master bedroom. You sighted as you picked up Sofia, and just as you were about to try and soothe her; you decided that it was time to try something new.

You walked after Ona with the screaming baby in your arms. Ona was sitting on the bed, her face in her hands while she was sobbing. Sofia stopped crying as she looked nervously at you. “Mami” she said as she pointed towards Ona. “Si princesa, estas mami, Mami is feeling sad. Maybe you wanna give her a cuddle, si?” You said as you slowly moved towards Ona scared that she was gonna leave again. You sat down next to her on the bed as your daughter sobbed. “Ona, what does Sofia call me?” You asked as Sofia sobbed in your arms. “Mamma” Ona responded still with her face hidden. “Si, and what is she saying?” You asked as you tried to console Ona. “Mamma” Ona said as she looked up at you, eyes red from crying. Just as you were about to continue your rambles, Sofia reached her arms for Ona and got out of your grip leaving her to bolt at Ona. “Mami, Mami” she cried as she grabbed the fabric of Ona’s sweater tightly, like she was scared that she would leave again. “She’s saying Mami” you said as you looked at Ona who wasn’t able to put the pieces of the puzzle together even thought you were basically giving her all the clues. “Mami” Sofia muttered as she frowned and sat down on her butt after not getting any attention. Ona’s eyes lit up as it finally clicked. She looked down at Sofia and instantly grabbed the little girl holding her close like she did when she was a baby. Sofia’s big blue eyes met Ona’s and a small smile formed on her face as she closed her eyes and relaxed. “Ona, she wants you. That’s why she’s crying. She wants her mami.” You said as you rubbed Ona’s back. You could see tears forming in Ona’s eyes as she studied the little girl suddenly seeing how eyes were icy blue, just the the most beautiful glacier she had ever seen. How her skin felt like the most expensive silk she had ever touched. Her finger traced her noce as she saw the little ski jump nose already making its mark on her face. The roses in her cheeks making her look so vulnerable. “Baby, mami’s here. Mami is so so sorry, but Mami is here now. Mami is never gonna disappoint you again, princesa. Mami is gonna get better, for you and for mamma.” She said as Sofia’s body finally relaxed and drifted off to sleep. You looked at Ona who looked like she had just discovered oil. She looked over at you as tears were forming in her eyes. “I’m sorry, mi amor. I’m so sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I’m gonna take the week off, and we can have time together as a family. I haven’t been the best mami, but I’m gonna try to figure this out for you, for us. I’m sorry for diss-“ you cut her off with a kiss knowing this was finally it. Ona was finally ready to try to connect with her daughter again.

[shakespeareanwannabe]

As You Wish, Chapter 14

Summary: When arriving at Camp Silver Star, Abby Floyd was anticipating a summer of adventure with an ocean separating her from the three people she loved most: her mom, her Uncle Bob and her Aunt Natasha. But after a run in with Charlie Seresin, an extremely familiar looking and irritating camper in a different cabin, her summer plans take a turn that neither girl ever could have expected.

Trigger Warnings: reader's children are described as being blond with green eyes because genetics are wild and Jake's genes are strong, reader is canonically Bob's sister (but biological relation is never discussed), reader goes by Buttercup and is tattooed, angst, drinking, sadness, reference to divorce, kids doing sneaky things, swearing, references to the loss of a parent or parents, reference to past bedroom activities

Seresin Ranch, Clifton, Texas, Now

The ride home was spent in silence. The girls had quickly packed their things and mounted their horses after Savannah had shrieked at their father that she wanted to go home, right that second. Jake had nodded at them that they were going home, and they were all fully packed within a half an hour.

Savannah hadn’t made a peep since, only hissing at their father that his ‘chances’ with her father were now impossible before plopping herself onto a boulder and ignoring them all. Jake had only huffed a sigh and packed both of their bags up before tacking up the horses.

They had taken the short trail back to the ranch and took no stops, so they ended up back at the ranch just before dinner time, their mother peeking her head out of the curtains and frowning at them.

Savannah clumsily dismounted, Angel stomping her foot in discomfort until the petite blond had her designer cowgirl boots on solid ground. With a huff, Savannah whipped her hair as she turned towards their father and hurled her engagement ring at his chest.

“You could’ve been so much more than this,” she hissed at him, jerking her chin at his girls. “We could’ve sent them to a boarding school or to live with their mother, and you could’ve joined the Navy again like you wanted to! Instead, you’ll never be anything but some…some…farmer!”

Jake shook his head slowly at her, his eyes locked on her with a look that Charlie was very happy she had never seen directed at her.

“I would never have let you send my girls to boarding school. Being their father is the best thing I have ever done. And if you can’t see that, then it’s your fault,” Jake’s voice was calm and cool, but Rooster recognized it as he and Buttercup emerged from the house, trying and failing to look nonchalant as they rushed towards the tense looking confrontation. It was Jake’s mission voice. His Hangman voice. The same voice he had used when he had confronted Rooster about the Uranium Mission, about him not having what it takes to fly, about how he was only there because Maverick had flown with Rooster’s old man. Hangman was pure arrogance and jet fuel, with none of Jake’s tenderness and homespun, golden boy manners.

“Or is it your fault for not telling me there were two of those little demons?” Savannah sneered.

“Watch it,” Buttercup stepped forward. “Nobody gets to talk about my girls that way.”

Savannah rolled her eyes. “You can have him,” she scoffed as she turned her back on them all and strolled towards the big, black SUV that was thundering up the drive. “Nobody will want him now anyway.”

Rooster moved to stand next to Jake as Savannah clambered up into the SUV that her father was driving, offering the retired Air Force Colonel a sarcastic salute before crouching and retrieving the fallen diamond ring.

They watched in silence as the SUV roared away, a collective sigh of relief rippling through them all as it disappeared into the distance.

“I feel like I should burn this thing,” Rooster mused, staring down at the platinum band. “Y’know, douse it in holy water and set it on fire so it doesn’t attract any more hell spawn.”

Jake groaned, running a hand through his hair. “Shut up, man. Hey! Slow your roll, you two!”

Rooster peered over his shoulder at the twins, who were trying to make a sneaky exit into the house. Rooster chuckled as they glanced at each other and slowed their footsteps but didn’t stop.

“Freeze, ladies!” Buttercup barked, striding towards them. “You know what your father meant.”

With a sigh that heaved their shoulders, Abby and Charlie halted on the porch and turned towards their parents.

Jake crouched in front of them and scanned their faces with his pilot’s precision.

“Someone better start talking…” he murmured into the still air.

“Well, you see—”

“We didn’t actually do anything wrong—”

“It’s only that—”

“Nothing dangerous—”

Jake held up a hand and the air went still again.

“Chipmunks don’t just miraculously appear in a closed saddlebag,” he started, staring between them. “They have to be placed there. And I don’t know anyone better at handling rodents than my daughter Charlie, who has been helping remove chipmunks and squirrels from the hay loft since she was a toddler.” Charlie flushed, kicking at a stone beneath her boot. “And while I appreciate the concern you both had about Savannah having an allergic reaction, that doesn’t explain this.” He pulled the open packet of itching powder out of his jeans pocket. Abby gulped. “And don’t think I didn’t notice the hay around the tent spikes of Savannah’s tent either.” He looked between them. “All I want to know is why?”

He stared at them for a long moment, green clashing with green, until Abby groaned and crumbled. “I’m sorry, Dad, but Savannah was awful. She bragged about being a champion rider, but anyone with eyes could tell she had never been on a horse! And she was always hanging off you like she couldn’t do anything by herself. And…”

“And her vibe was way off, Dad,” Charlie added, stepping forward. “And I think you knew that. That’s why you didn’t introduce us until after you proposed.”

“I didn’t introduce you because you were off at camp,” Jake argued, biting back a groan as he stretched back to his full height. “And I’ll admit that I should’ve told her that you’re twins, but at the time, I thought you didn’t know about each other.”

“So, you kept Abby a secret from me, and I kept my feelings about Savannah a secret from you,” Charlie grinned slyly. “Sounds like we both did the wrong thing, old man.”

Jake rolled his eyes. “Maybe…but I’m the adult here. Which means I’m the one who gets to dole out any punishment for unnecessary pranks pulled on the trail ride.”

Charlie gulped. “You’re not going to make Mom and Abby go home early are you?”

Jake’s eyes softened. “I would never do that, Charlie-girl. But you and your sister are going to be doing extra chores around here. You’re going to have to muck out all the stalls in the morning, feed the horses, and polish the tack.”

Abby and Charlie grinned at each other. “Is that it?”

“Restricted phone time,” Buttercup shot them a stern look. “You can have your phones for an hour in the morning and an hour at night. But that’s it. I have no doubt you used your phones to help coordinate these schemes of yours, so this is just a natural consequence.”

“Can Abby still sleep in my room?”

Jake met Buttercup’s eyes and nodded. “We’re okay with that.”

“And we can still go to Uncle Javy’s football game?”

Buttercup grinned at Jake and rolled her eyes fondly. “I suppose that’s alright.”

The girls cheered and hugged each other. “We’re okay with that!”

They grabbed their backpacks and ran into the house, chattering away, and Buttercup sighed before following along behind them.

“Not so fast.”

She blinked and turned to him. “What did I do?”

Jake folded his arms across his broad chest and cocked an eyebrow at her. “You know what you did.”

Buttercup’s hands met her hips as she shifted her weight to jut a hip out. “Do I?”

Jake rolled his eyes as a smile played on his lips. “What exactly did Savannah say to you to make you bail on the trail ride? I know you. Spending time with Abby, getting to know Charlie, the opportunity to see me potentially make an ass of myself? You were ready and willing to go on the ride until I went outside to get the horses ready. So, what did my ex-fiancée say to my ex-wife to scare her off the ride?”

Buttercup scoffed. “I wasn’t scared. I figured it was a good opportunity for the girls to get to know their stepmother.”

“And if their stepmother got the chance to get to know them, and didn’t like what she saw?” Jake’s grin was sharp with challenge.

“Then that would be her loss, just like you said.” Buttercup tossed her hair over her shoulder and raised her eyebrows at him. “I don’t know what you’re implying here, Hangman.”

Jake’s answering chuckle sent a small thrill through her. “I’m implying that I spent three months with Savannah, and the only way she would get near a horse would be if there was a risk of her losing face. And the only person who would be willing to put her in that situation is you. But you wouldn’t do that without reason, so c’mon, darlin’. Out with it.”

Buttercup sighed lightly. “She asked me to write her wedding vows for her. Her vows to you.” She could’ve giggled at the way Jake’s eyes nearly bugged out of his head, but the whole situation had left her with an uncomfortable feeling in her stomach. “It was a power play, plain and simple. So, yeah. Maybe I got the feeling that the girls didn’t like her and would probably make her life hell on the ride, so I might have suggested to Savannah that she should go on the ride because it would make you happy and she would be able to bond with the girls.”

Jake chuckled in spite of himself. “You’re just as diabolical as they are, you know.”

Buttercup shrugged delicately. “They had to get it from somewhere. Too bad for you, I’m an adult too and you can’t dole out any punishment to me.”

Jake shifted on his feet, his quiet chuckle sending tingles through her body as the air around them spiked with…something.

“Not like I haven’t before,” he breathed, mostly to himself.

Buttercup folded her arms across her chest, almost as though she were afraid that her heart would beat right out of her chest. The memories of them, the things they had done together, surged through her brain, her bloodstream, lighting her up like a firefly. But he was still Jake, and any fire between her and Jake had been doused a long time ago, and it had to stay that way. For the good of everyone involved.

“Um,” she swallowed. “Rooster made chili. He said it was some sort of post-trail ride tradition. We were just setting the table when we heard the commotion.”

Jake nodded and patted Firewall’s flank. “Let me just take care of these guys, and I’ll be right in. Make sure you save me a bowl, alright? Charlie would eat the entire pot if we let her.”

Jake groaned as he pushed his bowl away.

“That was your best batch yet, Uncle Roo,” Charlie grinned a sleepy smile, inching towards food coma territory.

“I’m still pissed you couldn’t cook like this when we lived together,” Natasha grumbled, though the smile on her face stole any bite the words might have held.

Bob nodded in agreement. “The whole squadron would be shocked that Mr. Ramen and Burnt Toast has a degree from culinary school.”

Rooster grunted at them. “I only burnt my toast once. You two just won’t let me forget it.”

“More than once,” Javy grinned at him, leaning back in his chair, and Jake smiled. It seemed like, for tonight at least, Javy and Nat had called a truce. They hadn’t glared or shot thinly veiled remarks at each other all night. Of course, they hadn’t spoken or looked at each other either, but Jake found himself grateful for the lack of anything between them.

“Alright, well maybe I should prove my badass kitchen skills then, huh?” Rooster leaned forward, a smirk tugging on his lips. “I think it’s high time for a Daggers Reunion. What do you say? We can celebrate the fact that Jake isn’t gonna marry that absolute pain in the ass he called a fiancée.”

“Rooster!” Buttercup looked shocked. “I know you didn’t like her, but Jake wouldn’t have asked her to marry him if he didn’t have feelings for her.”

Javy scoffed. “More like feelings about his future. Your boy here didn’t want to have an empty nest when Charlie grows up, so he was gonna—ow, shit!” Javy winced as Jake’s foot connected with his knee. “Dude, what the hell?”

Buttercup felt the blood rush to her cheeks. “It’s alright, Jake. I get it. They’re almost 12. In six years or so, they’ll be off and we’ll be left on our own. I don’t know what the future holds for me either, and it’s a scary thought.”

“Don’t worry, Mum,” Abby yawned, leaning against her sister. “We’re not going anywhere.”

Buttercup grinned. “Thank you, baby. But I do think maybe you two should go upstairs to bed. You’ve had a busy day.”

Abby nodded and tugged Charlie off her chair before hugging her mother, then her father.

Charlie followed suit but stilled at the landing of the staircase. “I like Uncle Roo’s idea. A Dagger’s reunion sounds like a lot of fun.”

“Alright, kiddo. We’ll see if we can make it happen,” Jake smiled softly at the girls as they ascended the staircase.

“Can we also go out to dinner tomorrow?” Abby paused a few steps from the top. “Just the four of us? As a family?”

Jake nodded. “Sure, baby. Whatever you want.”

“Okay. Night, Dad. Night, Mum. Love you.”

“Love you, too,” their parents chorused.

“Dude, you’re such a softie now,” Natasha smirked at him over the lip of her wine glass. “They just cost you your fiancée, Bagman. And you’re letting them call the shots.”

Jake fixed her with a look. “I’m not soft, Phoenix.” He grinned. “In fact, everyone else on this ranch have been pulling their weight, except you two. So, I’d really appreciate it if you and Baby On Board would do the dishes while Javy and I go make sure everything is locked up tight.”

Natasha gaped at him. “What about Buttercup? Or Rooster?”

“Rooster cooked,” Jake shrugged. “And Buttercup’s been working on her novel. What have you and Bob been up to? Other than drinking my wine, eating my food, and eating up my Wi-Fi?” Natasha glared and he grinned. “Enjoy. C’mon, Javy.”

The two men rose from their seats and left the room, clearly headed to make sure the ranch was locked up for the night. Rooster rose with a groan and mumbled something about watching the football game in his room, leaving after patting Buttercup on the head.

Natasha looked around at all the dirty dishes and grumbled. “Your husband is such an asshole.”

“Ex,” Buttercup clarified quietly, running her finger over the lip of her glass. “Besides, you shouldn’t have shot your mouth off with the softie comment. You had to have known he’d retaliate.”

“Yeah, but did he have to bring me into it?” Bob sighed, already gathering dishes and taking them into the kitchen.

Buttercup giggled as her family disappeared into the kitchen, the soft sounds of their bickering carrying through the archway as she stared at the darkened front door, waiting for Jake to return.

The next day passed smoothly, and the four occupants of the main house (plus the grumpy uncle living in the attic) fell into a rhythm of sorts. Jake and the girls were out of the house by the time Buttercup woke up, jetlag and a sleepless night weighing on her mind. However, she found a breakfast of cinnamon oatmeal and fruit salad waiting for her on the stove and a box of her favourite tea sitting next to the kettle. Buttercup settled into the desk in her bedroom and cranked out a few more pages of her book, the characters finally deciding to play along and follow the plot, though the plot wasn’t turning out exactly the way she had imagined it. By the time noon came around, she had wandered down into the kitchen, where she helped Rooster prepare barbecue chicken Ceasar wraps for everyone before going out into the ranch and calling her family home to eat. After their meal, Jake stole them all away to the local high school, where he assisted Javy with coaching their football team. Even when they had been together, Buttercup hadn’t been much of a football fan, but she found herself enjoying the time spent in the bleachers, especially when Jake would demonstrate a play for the rookie quarterback (though she would deny that last part to the ends of the earth and back).

By the time they got back to the ranch, the girls were hustling their parents into their bedrooms to change for their family dinner.

“Babe, we didn’t even make a reservation,” Buttercup sighed as Abby shoved her make up bag into her hands and pushed her towards the ensuite bathroom.

“Any place that would dress code me for not wearing a suit would be booked up months in advance, kiddo,” Jake protested as Charlie tossed his navy-blue suit onto his bed.

“Don’t worry about it,” both girls had reassured their parents. “Our aunt and uncles took care of everything.”

The statement had been less than reassuring, but both parents were determined to play ball. Buttercup had conceded to wearing her aqua coloured midi dress (a dress Charlie had insisted she pack once she had seen it in her mother’s closet back in London) and had even put on the diamond necklace that had been a joint Christmas present from her family last year. Jake had begrudgingly put on his navy suit and the silver and blue aviator watch he had bought on a whim a few years back. The girls had dressed up in matching black dresses (no doubt a gift from their Uncle Bob) and ushered them out of the house before they could say goodbye to Bob, Rooster or Natasha. 

“Alright, ladies,” Jake grinned, spinning his car keys around his finger. “Ready to tell me exactly where we’re going?” He started as Charlie clamped onto his wrist, dragging him down the dirt path towards the dude ranch.

“Right this way, old man.”

Jake craned his neck back just in time to see Abby take a much gentler grip on her mother’s arm, steadying her as the heels of her shoes sunk into the dirt.

“Charlie, your mother is going to break her neck out here without much light.” In truth, the sun would be going down in a few hours, but the way it hung low in the sky had shadows painting the path in darkness. Charlie blinked up at him, a challenge gleaming there, and Jake sighed. “Let me go, kid.”

He shook off his daughter’s grip and strode backwards until he could offer Buttercup his elbow. “C’mon, darlin’,” he murmured. “Can’t have you breaking an ankle out here. Don’t want a lawsuit on my hands.”

Buttercup chuckled as she wrapped her arm around his. “Thank you…” she whispered as Abby pranced up the path to join her sister. “Honestly, I don’t know how they come up with so many harebrained schemes.”

“You think they’re scheming?”

She shot Jake a knowing look. “Do you know any family friendly restaurants where the diners dress up like this?” She gestured to their semi-formal clothing. “And if you do know any, are any of them located down this dirt path?”

Jake nodded his head towards her, conceding her point. “They’re your daughters, alright.”

She elbowed him lightly in the ribs. “I’m not the scheming parent, thank you very much.”

“Seriously? Wasn’t eloping in Vegas your idea?”

She bit her lip to hide her grin. “That wasn’t a scheme. That was taking advantage of the air show in Vegas and the fact that everyone we loved was there. Besides, that didn’t run the risk of potential bodily harm.”

Jake shook off the zing of pain that ran through him at the memory and forced the smile to remain on his face. “Maybe for you, but I have only the haziest memory of the morning after our wedding. Rooster and Fanboy kept pouring marga-beers down my throat even though you told them to stop.”

Buttercup giggled, and something warm flared in Jake’s chest. “Maybe they get it from them then. Rooster, Javy, and Natasha are all pretty heavy handed with the schemes, aren’t they?”

“Oh, more than you know,” Jake laughed as they approached the gazebo that overlooked the manmade pond. They’d put both features in a few years previous, trying to make the dude ranch more attractive for people who wanted more of a vacation than a chance to prove themselves on a ranch.

“Girls?” Buttercup called as they jumped up onto the gazebo before ducking out of sight. Within seconds, the whole structure was lit up, the tiny fairy lights glittering off the water.

“Speaking of schemes…” Jake muttered, guiding Buttercup over the rocky terrain and up onto the gazebo.

In the center, a small, round table for two sat invitingly, a vase of fresh wildflowers pushed to one side to make room for the plates, cutlery, and linen napkins that waited to be used.

“Hoo boy,” Buttercup whispered as he pulled out one of the wrought iron chairs and helped her sit comfortably.

“Girls, what are you doing?” Jake turned to find them standing by the stairs of the gazebo.

“We…wanted to thank you!” Charlie grinned. “Y’know, for being so nice about us switching places.”

“And blackmailing you,” Abby added.

“And blackmailing you,” Charlie nodded her agreement. “Oh! And we wanted to apologize for chasing off Savannah.”

“And you decided that a romantic dinner for two was the best way to do that?” Buttercup’s face was filled with such bemusement that Jake had to laugh.

“Well, if you’re going to coparent, you need to be able to get along,” Abby chirped cheerfully. “Consider this our way of trying to make that happen!”

“We’re going to leave you to eat,” Charlie grinned. “I really hope you can make it through a simple dinner without arguing. That would bode really well for all of us.”

Jake groaned as the girls skipped away, then groaned again when a shadowy figure stepped into the gazebo, carrying two serving trays.

“Hey man, don’t groan at me. Those two little demons are your spawn,” Javy muttered as he set the two trays of food on the table. “They’re better at finding information and using it to their advantage than the freakin’ Navy.”

Natasha scoffed as she stepped up beside Javy, brandishing a bottle of wine in each hand. “If they weren’t so damn cute, I’d want to kill them.”

Buttercup blinked at them. “You got sucked into another one of their schemes?”

Natasha shrugged. “Apparently, I need to watch what I say when Abby and I are watching trashy TV and eating junk food. The kid’s got Fort Knox as a memory. Don’t know what his excuse is though,” she added, jerking her head at Javy. “Now, do you want red or white? Because Rooster said either will work with the food, but Abby will throw a hissy fit if I don’t play along.”

“They got Bradshaw into this too?” Jake turned to Javy, who shrugged.

“You two somehow managed to raise two extremely intelligent blackmailers, with zero input from the other person and an ocean between you. It’d be impressive if it wasn’t kinda terrifying.” Javy sighed. “Natasha and I will be watching from the cabin. Buttercup, as much as you may want to, please don’t drown him in the lake.”

Buttercup stifled a giggle as their friends strolled away. “Well, at least they’re not arguing anymore,” she mused before lifting the lid off her meal and smiling. “Penne a la vodka with a side salad. How did they know?”

Jake gulped and hoped the dim lighting did enough to hide the redness in his cheeks. They had gone for Italian food for their first date, and that’s what they had both ordered. Buttercup because it was her favourite, and Jake because he’d been so taken with her that he had just said “Same” so that they could get back to their conversation without the waiter being present.

“I might’ve mentioned it once, I guess,” he murmured, taking the lid off his dish and picking up his fork.

“Should we toast or something?”

Jake smiled softly and picked up his glass of red wine. “To…fresh starts?”

Buttercup smiled so sweetly at him that his chest ached with it. “Yeah, fresh starts sound good.”

Buttercup couldn’t remember the last time she had laughed so hard. Her sides ached and her cheeks hurt and she desperately hoped that she had put on waterproof mascara because, otherwise, she would have racoon eyes from the tears of laughter she had shed.

She had to keep reminding herself that it wasn’t real. This was the part of her relationship with Jake that had been easy. Falling in love with him had been as easy as breathing. He could make her laugh until she cried, and he would hold her while she cried until he could make her laugh. He made her want to pull her hair out, but one look at those bright green eyes and that sinful smile, and she would forget all about why he frustrated her. She always counted herself lucky that he was there to frustrate her. It hadn’t taken her long to realize that she would rather run the gamut of emotions with Jake Seresin than risk not feeling anything so strongly with another person.

Loving him was easy. Making it work with him was another story. And now, they had two young daughters who were depending on them. She wasn’t about to risk letting them down again. Still, she found she couldn’t quite keep her guard all the way up around him.

“…and that is why I will never take Charlie to another baseball game,” Jake finished his story to Buttercup’s peals of laughter.

“Oh my god, I can’t believe you two,” she giggled breathlessly.

“Hey, she’s half you. She doesn’t get those nerves of steel from me.”

Buttercup rolled her eyes. “Oh please. How many confirmed air-to-air kills do you have under your belt?”

“Hey! That’s totally different. Having nerves of steel in the air while facing down enemy aircraft is completely different from having your six-year-old daughter try to beat the shit out of the opposing team’s mascot because it kinda looked like a monster from her nightmare.”

Buttercup snorted. “I don’t know about that. Sounds like you were both protecting yourselves with those nerves of steel.”

“You were too,” Jake said quietly, taking a sip of his wine.

“When?”

“When you left…” Buttercup froze, and Jake almost regretted saying anything. Almost. “It took guts to leave. I didn’t want to admit it at the time, but you were doing what was right for you.”

“I…” Buttercup took a fortifying sip of wine. “I hope you know I didn’t leave just because of you. I mean, I hope you know that I didn’t leave to hurt you. I never wanted to hurt you.”

Emboldened by the wine, Jake reached out and took her hand. “C’mon, darlin’. Of course I know that. I know you never wanted to hurt me, and I know it felt like you were ripping your own heart out to leave Charlie behind.” He gave her hand a firm squeeze and something squeezed in his heart when she returned the gesture.

“I wish the pandemic had never happened,” Buttercup sighed. “It would’ve been so much easier to keep to the custody schedule if air travel hadn’t become so dangerous.”

Jake nodded. “I wish the court lady hadn’t transcribed our phone numbers wrong.”

Jake had called his lawyer earlier in the day and found that both of their numbers had been written wrong in the paperwork. It had happened to a few other clients, and that’s how they had come to realize that the court stenographer had been drinking on the job.

Buttercup scoffed. “Yeah…the odds were stacked against us at every turn.”

“You really think so?”

Buttercup blinked at him. “You don’t think so? Your deployments, my diagnosis, the pandemic, the clerical error? You don’t think that was fate stamping a big red X on our family?”

Jake leaned forward, close enough to her that she could smell the sharp tang of his cologne and the deep woodsy undertones that were pure Jake. “I think we had a hell of a lot going for us but neither of us knew how to handle the bumps in the road and we fell apart. Tell me, Buttercup. If we knew then what we know now, would we have made it?”

The question made her pause, made everything inside of her freeze. If her past self had all of her present knowledge, would they have made it? Would they have been able to dig through the tunnel of bullshit and make it out clean on the other side? She could imagine it. The open communication, the therapy, the fights they’d have, but together, not against each other.

She shivered at that imaging and met his green gaze. “I’m getting cold,” she whispered. “I think it’s time we go inside.”

Jake sighed but nodded, taking off his suit jacket and draping it over her shoulders. “Yeah, I think that’s a good idea.”

Knowing that Javy and Nat were on dish duty, he offered Buttercup his elbow and slowly guided her down the path, the silvery light of the moon illuminating mere feet in front of them. She leaned against him more now than she had when they had initially walked the path, but Jake knew that was the jetlag and wine working against her.

“We’ll have to thank Rooster for dinner,” she mumbled as they strolled. “That was probably the best penne I’ve had since—shit!” Her heel caught on a rock in the path and she pitched forward. Quick as a flash of lightning, Jake had her secure against him, one arm wrapped around her waist and one pressing between her shoulder blades.

“I’ve got you, you’re okay,” he murmured into her hair, only realizing how close they were when the scent of Hawaiian orchid wafted over him.

“S-sorry,” she whispered, leaning into his chest more as she steadied herself. She looked up and met his gaze, their noses almost brushing. All it would take was a tilt of her head, and they would be—

Buttercup abruptly pulled away from him, leaning down to take off her shoes and dangling them between her fingers.

“Sorry,” she murmured again. “I didn’t mean to…I can’t…”

“Hey, it’s okay,” Jake’s hand warmed the middle of her back. “No harm done, right?”

Buttercup gulped back the knot in her throat as she nodded. “Yeah…no harm done.”

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[ineedjesusverymuch]

Diabolik lovers headcanons pt. 3 (even more stuff)

Hi, it's been a while, no? Even though I feel a bit like I'm screaming into an empty void, I do enjoy writing my thoughts down.

The Diabolik Lovers fandom gets smaller and smaller and since just a few blogs are active, I wanted to post more! I know that without Rejet producing more content (that is canon and not "just" new merchlines, even though I deeply love the art), the dl fandom is bound to shrink. But: now, there are a lot of very respectful blogs, which I do enjoy! The toxicity just shrinks a lot on smaller fandoms. And I really love that no slander of Yui is happening!

Now, lets get into the headcanons after my short ramble.

I won't write anything nsfw this time, just a quick psa.

⚠ I'll try to mark anything that could be triggering with this: ❗trigger warning ❗

⚠This post will briefly discuss topics like: parental trauma and childhood trauma.⚠

The topics in this post will be mostly happy or cute (?), asks are always appreciated!

As always, I'll try to be at least a bit true to canon. But... Well.

this time I did not just ramble about Kanato, I think I talked about Laito quite a bit though...

Headcanons under the cut ⬇

First of all: Shu.

Genuinely loves dogs (remember the scene with Yuma? The little puppy? Yes.)

All fluffy dogs are loved, just as all other dogs.

Loveslovesloves Golden retrievers and sheperd dogs. Likes big dogs a bit more than small dogs, more to hug.

Deeply hates toads. Not frogs, toads. He thinks they're quite ugly and hates how big they can get

Shu is Not dumb but being a little fuck by not-obeying-karlheinz's-orders-like-being-good-in-school

Has only socks with terrible obnoxious patterns, like the weirdest psychedelic shit? I'm talking about rainbow colored mushrooms on sunyellow backdrop and comical faces. (Ngl, it's a vibe)

Huuuuge crush on Yuma. He likes his long hair and the fact that Yuma doesn't try to lie to him. Shu likes honest people and Yuma with his blunt approach is amazing for him. Also, he is convinced that Yuma is very simple to understand, nit at all complicated like some other people.

Next in Line is Reiji! What a surprise.

Has a huge collection of Hand cream and lotion. He has those long, slim fingers and his nails are manicured so impeccable that they don't even look real anymore.

Wears only black socks. Its a hassle to sort them since some of them have different lengths or fabrics

Has pet rats. Definitely pet rats.

They're cute and all but he's named ever single one outrageous names like Berthold and Brunhilde, the typical old german names you'd read in very old books.

Reiji Is able to speak not only german, japanese and the demon language but can also speak latin (even though shu is on a much higher level), a bit of French and russian.

Would be the type to do things simply out of sprite. Shu once mentioned not liking blue curtains and now all curtains are blue.

Has an academic rivalry with Ruki. All the other students (including Ruki) think they're flirting, only Reiji is oblivious.

Next: our boy Ayato!

Hates bees with a passion.

Kanato once "gifted" him a box of bees out of spite (the little shit put the whole bee hive in that box), ever since then Ayato runs as soon as humming from a bee can be heard in a ten mile ratio. (Being outside is very exhausting for everyone, himself included)

Very much enjoys shows like Brigderton and say yes to the dress. Loves the drama and the intrigue.

Ayato actually? Doesn't hate his brothers??? He likes to bicker with them, especially his other triplets, but genuinely cares about them. He's just a bit too emotionally stunted on that front (thank you cordelia).

Likes not only takoyaki but also any type of japanese festival food. I'm talking about mochi, dango and tayaki, etc.

the type to have lactose intolerance and ignore it completely to seem "cool"

went on an ice cream date with Yui once and spent the entire night in the bathroom because he was too proud to say no

Actually wears makeup? I'm not talking about full-on glam but a bit concealer and eyeliner. Ayato has red mascara and omfg he looks so good with it???

Laito and he enjoy playing those multiplayer games for nintendo

He has an entire village on animal crossing that is managed by him and Laito together

Next in line: Kanato!

I have made quite long posts about him in the past so I wont elaborate on some things that I already wrote down.

Very skilled at makeup. Like top-level skill. Wears eyeliner, liptint or gloss and glitter under and on his eyes. Light blush is a must-have!

Can crochet and knit but is often too impatient to make bigger projects

Will hyperfocus on things like historical fashion and garments for weeks at a time.

Once was so focused on the black plague that he didn't drink blood for like five weeks and passed out until he was fed some blood

Gremlin.

Has a friendship with Yuma? They plant plants together and since Kanato (canonically) likes apples, Yuma will bring him some after plucking.

Kanato enjoys tea time with Reiji

Kanato also likes to gossip with Laito. Or more like: Laito gossips and Kanato sits next to him and munches on some sweets.

Huge crush on Azusa. (I went into more detail on that in earlier posts but I'll answer any questions on that matter! Feel free to send me asks or prompts!)

He and Ayato have both the same interest for old fairy tales and will read them together on those nights were everything just comes up again

❗Laito will comfort him when Kanato has nightmares and Kanato will be there for Laito, since they went through a bit if the same things even though Laito's was much more intense

Cuddle time with Shu

Quiet time with Subaru

Now Laito!

Can speak a fuckton of languages.

I don't care if its canon but Laito is like B2 Level of French. Is able to discuss theological matters is perfect french.

Can also speak italian like all the triplets but he's also able to speak a bit german, polish and romanian

Friends with Kou! ❗They're really good ffriends and can understand what the other went though. Laito stays often over night at Kou's and they spend the night watching funny movies (Deadpool is Laitos current favourite)

Laito enjoys comics. He likes Marvel and DC a lot!

We know that Laito likes crossword puzzles but like. He's so good at them it's almost frightening. Is able to not only do japanese ones but also french.

So intelligent???

Not only booksmart but also "people smart". He notices the smallest things on people around him, constantly analizes everyone. Knows a lot about medicine and psychology.

Loves learning new things.

Has immense knowledge about the universe, is able to name every single star sign on the sky.

in the games we often see Laito wear casual clothing. My headcanon is that he likes the sort of style skaters usually wear.

Really likes cargo pants since everything fits in all of the pockets

Wears oversized hoodies and shirts

Has those two piercings on his left earlobe but also has a lip piercing on the right lower lip and a septum that he got when he was bored

As soon as he's alone, he let's the perverted fassade fall down. He doesn't smile a lot actually, more along the lines of a serious face most of the time.

It took a bit for him to be able to drop that fake face of his in front of Kou and his other triplets but after some time he got used to not fake being friendly and perverted.

Dropped the infamous "bitch-chan" after some time, now uses Yui's actual name. The -chan stayed though.

Last but not least: Subaru!

has very soft plushies in his coffin

Loves those tiny fluffy bunnies. Lionheads especially!

Very gentle with animals.

Animals love him (#disneyprincesssubaru)

once tried to color his hair, it went horrible and his hair was a patchy muddy color for eight weeks

Wears eyeliner. The black, brush-tip ones

Long eyelashes. They genuinely look fake.

So pretty

Is naturally more fair and frail-looking than some other vampires so he tries to roughen himself up

❗Bruises his knuckles and bites his lips to look more dangerous. Even though the scowl he usually wears is more than enough to ward off anyone who wants to pick a fight...

Also friends with Kou (Kou really collects Sakamakis like pokemons)

Wears black nail polish but it chips off pretty fast due to the gardening Subaru does

Bonding time with Kanato is applying nail polish together

Enjoys playing pool and darts with Shu when his older brother has enough motivation

Knows he is fucked up from all the stuff with his mother and wouldn't be opposed to therapy (at least after some sweet talk from Yui... And a whole lot of promises for new seeds for his garden and a new set of black clothes)

Has a motor bike and it's his entire pride

Polishes it every week and has a lot of clothes for biking

Takes trips to somewhere when he's bored and/or annoyed by his other brothers

does not realize that Kou flirts with him every time they do something together (obliviousness lies in the family)

So! That's it? I guess? Sometime in the future I'll write about the Mukamis too, I promise!

If there's anything you'd like me to write about, just send me an ask.

And to whoever reads this: I appreciate the time you took to read my post and I hope you have an amazing day/night !

you are truly appreciated!

[sarahowritesostucky]

📖"Temporary Custody"

Rating: Explicit

Pairing: Steve x ofc x Bucky; Steve x Bucky

Word Count: 4861

Tags: Dom/sub, bdsm au, dom Bucky, sub reader, hurt/comfort, enemies to lovers, gay sex'n'stuff, straight sex'n'stuff, Steve being a literal Golden Retriever, mental health issues, dub-con, forced submission, referenced childhood abuse and resultant mental health issues, bakery au, m/f/m, gentle domination, total power exchange

Summary: The stigma and shame of being a submissive has kept Mary unfulfilled and in the closet her whole life, until an inciting incident leads to Bucky and Steve taking her in and giving her everything she was always too afraid to ask for.

Trigger warnings: This story contains themes of eating disordered behavior, body image issues, childhood abuse, self-harm, mental illness, and alcohol abuse.

Wait! I haven't read an earlier chapter of this fic! Story Masterpost

11. Palmiers

Bucky

Because he’s on the far end of the spectrum, Bucky’s sex drive is affected by his condition. He wakes up hard almost every morning of his life, and Steve doesn’t need much encouragement to get himself worked up into the same state very quickly. Mutual morning jerk offs were always bound to become part of their routine.

They take a shower and stand toe to toe, hands sliding and groping all over each others’ slick bodies, pulling on their cocks until both of them are shooting off against each other’s bellies. The water washes it away, and Steve gives him a deep, happy kiss. “Mmm. Mornin’.”

“Blegch. Go brush your teeth, you heathen.”

Steve laughs and gets out of the shower. Bucky stays in for a few minutes longer, adjusting the spray to its hardest setting and letting the hot water beat down on his back and shoulders. He sighs and stretches his neck this way and that, trying to get his vertebrae to pop, but his muscles are all too tight, and the stretching just seems to make it worse. Bucky drops his head in defeat. In all honesty, his shoulders and neck and back are all pretty fucked after months of near-constant use of his prosthetic.

Steve’s right: he doesn’t usually wear it this much. And he’s also right that Bucky’s been wearing it all day every day because he wants to feel powerful and able bodied in front of Mary. As per usual, Steve is the first one to have noticed what maladaptive behavior pattern he’s doing and why, and pointed it out to him. It really is for the best, Bucky knows. Because he can’t sustain wearing the arm all the time anymore. The thing is just too damn heavy.

The engineers who designed it have made tweaks and adjustments over the years. They’ve done all they can to lighten the load as much as possible, but the thing still weighs over twenty pounds. Twenty pounds doesn’t sound like much, but when it’s pulling on the same muscle groups day in and day out, everything in Bucky’s body winds up getting strained and unbalanced. He understands better now, how women fuck up their necks so badly from shouldering their purses (or their tits) around. A little bit of weight makes a big difference.

As a Dom, Bucky may have a tiny problem admitting when he needs help. He has to be in quite a bit of pain, trouble, or both, before he’ll ever speak up and allow himself to be vulnerable like that. It’s an inherent behavior that shrinks have been trying to therapize and medicate out of him since he was a kid, but nothing ever changed it much. Falling in love with Steve helped; Bucky can let himself be more vulnerable around him. But even still, it’s no small thing that he regularly approaches his husband to ask for help in getting his arm back on correctly (Bucky can do it, but it’s a pain in the ass, getting the mechanism lined up just right before it’ll take). 

He gets out of the shower and dries off, then approaches Steve with the prosthesis. “Gimme a hand?” 

Steve makes a cheerful noise of acknowledgement around his mouthful of toothpaste, spits and rinses, then takes the arm from Bucky. He lines it up just so, and then Bucky feels the deep shudder of the arm’s inner workings coming to life as they recognize their mate. The arm attaches and Steve lets go. 

“Thanks babe.”

“Uh huh.” 

It’s as Bucky’s bending over and pulling up his underwear and joggers that a spasm runs through his back and he cries out in a pained, “Ah!”

“Babe? What’s wrong?”

Gritting his teeth, Bucky slowly stands back up. He’s able to get his pants up, but when he tests the movement of his neck and shoulders, the pain flares again. It feels like everything between the base of his skull and his mid back is seizing up. “Fuck,” he hisses, frustrated. It’s his day off. He’d been planning to go to the gym for his long workout. 

Steve steps up and puts a worried hand on his left shoulder. “Babe? Do you need it off?” 

“No. I need some painkillers and a magnesium tablet,” he grunts, already turning around (full body, because turning his head is a bad idea right now). “Fuck.” He starts off for the kitchen. 

Steve follows along with worried protests, telling him to lay his “stubborn ass” down and he’ll get it for him. Bucky ignores him and goes to the kitchen cabinet where they keep their supplement stuff. He winds up yelling again when he tries to reach up and grab the ibuprofen. “Fuck!” he says angrily.

“Babe, I said to let me do it,” Steve scolds, his hand back on Bucky’s shoulder. “And let me take this off. It’s hurting you.”

“Steve, back off,” he snaps, angry and waspish from being in pain, and from being frustrated with his own goddamn body. 

“What’s going on?” 

Bucky turns his head without thinking, hisses in pain, and then turns himself full-body to face in Mary’s direction. She’s standing there looking at the two of them in concern, one hand holding one of those swirly, flaky, crack-cookies that she makes, and the other holding a cup of tea. Her eyes widen at the sight of Bucky’s arm and body, reminding him that this is the first time she’s seen him without a shirt on. “Nothin’,” Bucky grunts.

“Shit,” she says. “Are you guys fighting? Is this a couples’ fight? I’ll just …” She turns to leave back towards her room.

“We’re not fighting,” Steve says. “Buck’s just being an ass. He gets that way when he’s in pain.”

Bucky would turn his head to glare at him, but it isn’t worth another flair of agony in his shoulder. “I’m fine,” he says, when Mary comes back over. “It’s fine,” he stresses. He opens the pill bottle and dumps three capsules into his palm. “Jeez, will everybody stop babying me? I just need a glass of water.” 

“I’ll get it,” Steve says, causing Bucky to huff once again. “Don’t be a jerk, babe.”

“Why are you in pain?” Mary asks, her eyes tracing all over the left side of Bucky’s scarred up body. “Is it … does your arm hurt?” 

“No. It just fucks up my muscles, sometimes.”

“Your muscles?”

Bucky sighs impatiently. “Steve, do you know where the heating pad is?”

“I’ll have to look.” Steve has returned with a glass of water, and Bucky tosses back the handful of pills, wincing at how even the slight motion of raising his arm up makes his trap twinge in protest. “Ugh.” 

“You should get a massage,” Mary suggests, and Bucky fights not to lash out at her. She doesn’t know that one of his biggest pet peeves in life is having other people tell him what he “should” do.

“My PT maxed out back in October,” he tells her. “Doesn’t renew again till January.”

Steve takes the water glass from him once he’s done. “Go lie face down on the bed,” he murmurs. “I’ll find the heating pad.”

“Well I could do it,” Mary blurts out. Both Bucky and Steve pause and look at her. She looks surprised, too, as though she hadn’t been planning to say the words until they were out of her mouth, and now doesn’t know how to continue  “Um, that is ..." she gestures weakly with her cookie. “I just meant I know how to, if you wanted.” Eventually her cheeks color and she looks away. “Erm, Nevermind.”

“Wait,” Steve says. When Mary turns back, he’s looking at her earnestly, and Bucky thinks, Oh no. “You know how to give a back massage? Like a real one?”

“Yeah. My, ah, my ex always had neck problems, so.” She shrugs, looking embarrassed. “I took a class at the community college, learned the basics.”

Bucky blinks. That’s the subbiest fucking thing he’s ever heard. “You did this for the husband that beat you?” he drawls, immediately regretting it because it comes out sounding way more derogatory than he intends it to. “Sorry. I just … actually would pay good money for a massage right now. If you know how to do it.” 

Mary bites her lip, looking deliciously shy and sweet. Bucky’s mood sours as he realizes that she doesn’t really want to. He’s about to let her off the hook, but then some unconscious movement he makes without meaning to has him flinching in pain again. “Sheezus,” he complains. 

“It’s not usually this bad,” Steve worries.

“I must’a slept on it wrong.”

Mary nods, as if this settles it. “Okay. Well, go in the bedroom and tie your hair up so it's out of the way.” She turns to Steve, all but dismissing Bucky now that she’s got a task to complete. Bucky fights back an amused smirk as he heads towards the bedroom, and he hears Mary bossing Steve around, telling him she needs dry oil, the heating pad, towels, and all the seat cushions off the couch. 

The fuck does she need those for? Bucky thinks as he pads back into his and Steve’s room.

He finds out a moment later, when Mary and Steve come in with a couch cushion each, and Steve goes back out to get another. They lay them in a line on the bed, and Mary directs Bucky to lie on top of them, with his body placed just so and his face down just there, and … Oh. He gets it.

She’s left space between the cushion under Bucky’s chest, and the next cushion up, which supports his forehead. The gap creates a drop through for his face—like a massage table. And when she shapes the towel into a donut shape and sticks it there, it's pretty much perfect.

“Oh,” Bucky says, as he’s settling into place. “Oh, that’s actually really smart.” He can’t see Mary from his position, but somehow he senses her preening over the praise anyway. Steve returns from the bathroom with the heating pad and oil. “Found this stuffed in the back of the linen closet. I don’t know what ‘jojoba’ is, but, um … it’s either that or the virgin olive out in the pantry.”

“Do not use that,” Bucky grumbles. “Shit’s expensive, and I don’t wanna smell like garlic truffle for the next three days.”

“That’ll work fine.” Mary is totally task focused, ignoring Bucky’s surliness and telling Steve to apply the heating pad across Bucky’s shoulders and neck for thirty minutes before they get started.

“Thirty minutes?!” Bucky complains, unable to see anything but the top of the bedcovers as the two of them go out into the hallway. 

“Just relax, Babe,” Steve says (and if Bucky isn’t mistaken, he sounds amused). “Take a nap.”

“I just woke up!” He scoffs at the bedspread when the door quietly ‘snicks’ shut and he realizes that he’s been abandoned. “Well okay then,” he mutters petulantly. Steve is right: he does turn into an ass when he’s in pain. Hmm. Maybe he should work on that.

Steve

Steve turns the tv onto a low volume so they can talk without Bucky hearing. “Sorry about him,” he says. “He’s a humongous jerk whenever he’s feeling crummy.”

“You mean it’s not just all the time?” Mary drawls.

“He’s … just one of those people you have to learn to love before you like them.” Mary raises an eyebrow, and Steve winces. “Er, that sounded harsh. Don’t tell him I said that.”

She twists her lips and looks down. “Your secret’s safe with me.” 

“Thanks, Hon. You want more tea?” 

“Yes please. There’s more of the palmiers in a baggie next to the coffee pot, if you want any.” 

“Heck yeah, I love those things.” Steve had thought the prepackaged ones at Starbucks were good, hadn’t even realized that they weren’t supposed to be all stale and hard like that. Just another commercialized pastry that Mary’s gone and ruined him for. He goes into the kitchen and makes himself coffee and Mary tea, knowing by now how she takes it.

She thanks him silently as he returns and joins her on the couch, both of them sitting close to one another on the chaise, since it’s the only part of the couch that still has its cushion.

"Palmier is French. Know what else they call these?" Mary asks.

Steve's lips quirk. Mary's always got these little facts she knows about the origins of this pastry or that. It's cute. Endearing. "No," he plays along. "What?"

"Elephant ears, because of the shape, see?"

"Oh yeah. Huh. That's neat."

She goes back to eating and sipping at her teacup, and after a moment of unrequited, affectionate staring, Steve looks away. "Elephant ears," he murmurs, trying not to be mopey. "That's funny."

They split the palmiers between them, and aside from the sounds of them munching cookies and sipping their drinks, it’s quiet for a long time. Steve made both the tea and the coffee very hot, so they at least have the excuse of cradling and blowing on their steaming mugs to keep the silence from being too awkward. Mary keeps her eyes trained forward, but Steve gets the sense that she isn’t really paying attention to the home renovation program that’s playing on the tv. His suspicions are confirmed when she eventually asks,

“So: His arm.”

Steve inhales slowly. “Yeah. His arm.”

“What happened?”

Steve frowns. He can tell by her inflection that she’s asking not just about the arm, but about the state of Bucky’s entire left side from shoulder to hip. “We were in the army,” he confides. “Deployed overseas. I made captain young, but he was a specialist in the field: a sniper. So I wasn’t put into the same types of situations as he was. His convoy got blown up by an IED. And when the dust settled …” He shrugs. “No more arm.”

“Oh.” Mary sits there and absorbs that information. “I guess I kind of figured it was something like that. I mean what else is there, besides like, a shark attack or something?”

Steve’s mouth twitches. Shark attack, ha. He’ll have to suggest that one to Buck. Might be fun to lie about, the next time a stranger asks. “Naw, just a boring old bomb. And afterwards, well. It was a long road for him, after. He didn’t have the arm when I met him.”

Mary turns her head, surprised. “Oh. You two didn’t meet in the army?”

“No, after. I met him at the V.A., when he was already angry, hurt, and didn’t want to be where he was.” Steve looks over and gives her a meaningful look. “Kind of like when I first met you.” 

Her eyes widen, and then her face colors and she looks away again, pulling her knees up and hunkering over her mug. “Was I really that bad?” she mumbles.

“... You were pretty bad, Honey.”

She frowns and doesn’t say anything, and Steve decides to leave it alone. “So yeah, his arm. He got into a program for experimental cybernetics. It was a big gamble. Back then, he still had his arm down to nearly the elbow, which meant he could use a lot of the different types of prostheses they had on the market. The less arm you have, the less they can do for you. The surgeries for the implant required removal all the way up to and including his left shoulder blade. So if he went through with it and the procedures didn’t work out, he’d be left with less function than he started with.”

“Jeez.”

“Hm, yeah. It was a risk.” Steve stares across the living room as he remembers all of the hospital stays and surgeries and revisions and therapy appointments. “Luckily it worked out. They replaced some bones with metal supports, some of his natural muscle with enhanced synthetic tissue. His body didn’t reject any of the junk they were putting in him, which was the biggest worry. All in all, it took five surgeries over the course of three years, and then a shit ton of physiotherapy. Buck says it was worth it, now, but it wasn’t a walk in the park when it was happening, I’ll tell you that.”

Beside him, Mary makes a sad little noise in her throat. “But … all that and it still gives him pain?”

“Yeah. He gets PT for it, but like he said; it never winds up lasting the full year. I force him to my veterans' support group when I can, but he’s gotta be in a really charitable mood for that.” Steve snorts humorlessly. “He’s always hated being disabled. It doesn’t jive with his DPD. You know that stereotype about men: never wanting to stop and ask for directions?” 

“Yeah.”

"Well it's true. And then you take a guy who’s as far on the spectrum as Bucky is, and it’s ten times worse.” He widens his eyes in emphasis and gets a little giggle out of Mary for it, which makes him warm with pride. He pulls his feet up onto the couch next to Mary’s and nudges her knee with his. “Just fair warning: He’s the worst patient I’ve ever seen. So don’t take it personally if he’s grumpy at you in there.”

Mary frowns and looks away. “Well, I mean I don’t have to do this. If he doesn’t want to.”

“Pretty sure he wants to. And he needs help with it, whether his stubborn ass wants to admit it or not.”

She nods, though she still doesn’t look confident. “It’s been over a year since I worked on anybody …”

“Well then this’ll be good practice for you, won’t it?” Steve nudges her again in encouragement and tells her to finish up her tea: He doesn’t expect Bucky’ll lie around patiently for much longer.

(“Oh, and Hon, maybe don’t tell him we were out here talking about him this whole time.”)

(“Duh.”)

In the bedroom, Mary climbs onto the bed next to where Bucky is laid out on the couch cushions. She takes the heating pad off his neck and puts it aside, looking nervously over the broad expanse of his back. “Um …” She reaches for the oil bottle and pumps some into her hands. She spends a long, long time just spreading it between her hands and staring at Bucky, until finally he snaps,

“What’s the holdup?” 

“Babe, be nice,” Steve warns. “Mary? You need anything?”

“Um, no. It’s just … usually I'd ..." She makes an aborted move, like she's thinking about repositioning herself, but winds up staying where she is. "Right," she mutters to herself. "This'll work fine." She reaches forward like she’ll start rubbing Bucky’s back, hesitates, shuffles closer to his side, then sets her hands on his shoulders.

Bucky doesn’t so much as twitch, but he’s not used to new people touching him, and Steve would bet money that his eyes are clenched shut right now.

“Okay,” Mary warns. “I haven’t done this in awhile, so don’t get your hopes up for a miracle or anything.”

“Anything’ll be better than what I can do myself,” Bucky says gruffly, voice somewhat muffled by the cushions. “Just go to town. You can’t hurt me any worse.”

Steve can see Mary’s face, and he knows by now what she looks like when she’s flustered. Awkwardly, he steps to the side, heading for the door. “I’ll just go watch some—”

“No!” Mary squeaks, and when Steve turns back around she’s looking at him with wide eyes. “Don’t leave,” she says, like being left alone touching Bucky is the worst possible thing that could happen. Steve doesn’t miss how the muscles in Bucky’s arms do tense at hearing her plead for Steve to stay. 

“Uhm, okay. I’ll just … be over here.” He leans back against the dresser, feeling almost painfully awkward. Once again, he’s reminded how Mary has shown absolutely no desire to engage in sexual contact with them. He hopes she doesn’t think this is a ploy to force physical contact. She was the one who suggested it, after all.

She starts at the base of Bucky’s skull, rubbing her thumbs in small circles. “As I go along, try to tell me which areas feel the worst,” she murmurs, and Bucky hums in acknowledgement. Steve watches as she pushes and circles and kneads Bucky’s neck, working down on into his shoulders. He’s struck by how feminine and tiny her hands look against Bucky’s body … and then has to steer his mind away from the thought of how tiny they might look in other places.

“Ah, fuck,” Bucky gasps, when she reaches a certain spot on the left side of his neck.

She freezes. “Bad?” 

“Nngh. Good,” he slurs. “That whole area from there goin’ down into my back ‘n all around my shoulder blade is where it’s worst.”

“Okay.” She tentatively presses around in and around the left side of his neck and shoulder. “Oh, yeah. It starts right here and goes down.” She slides her hand down the muscle and hums. “Oh, I can feel it.”

(Steve tries really hard not to think sexual thoughts.)

“Riiight here? and … here?"

Between the cushions, Bucky’s voice comes out in a series of garbled moans.

“That’d be a yes,” Steve interprets, and Mary actually shoots him a grin at that. Glad to have cut the tension a bit, he dares to take a few steps closer to the bed. He peers down at what Mary’s doing, the way her fingers dig in at sharp, focused points in some places and rub more gently in others. “It’s your trap that’s the worst,” she mutters distractedly, feeling around with her hands and staring off into space with the tip of her tongue poking out at the corner of her mouth. It’s cute. “Mmm, but probably your levator scapulae, too. Those tend to get fucked up hand in hand.”

“Mmrr.”

“And here: your rhomboid.”

“Ooh!”

“Tender?” 

“Shuyeahhh,” Bucky grunts, then his breath hitches when she digs into another spot. “Oh, yep yep right there. Was’that?”

Steve can’t help but grin. Bucky sounds like he’s drooling at this point.

“Your trapezius muscle. It's big. Does a lot of work, covers a large area. Probably the main offender.” Mary hums and feels around a little more. “Oof, yeah. You’ve got a whole bunch of tension right here.”

“You can feel it?” Steve asks, fascinated. He can't see anything.

“Yeah. Here, gimme your hand.” Steve is taken aback when she grabs his hand and guides his fingers into place, her own smaller hand pressing down. “Riiight there. You feel it?”

Steve swallows thickly. “Ah, yeah.” His eyes flick from her hand on his hand on Bucky’s back, up to her face, and back again before she can catch him looking. “Y-yeah it’s hard.” He grimaces at his choice of words (If he's not careful, "it" soon will be).

“I’m gonna focus on this one for a few minutes,” Mary tells Bucky. Then you can guide me around to the other bad spots.”

“Sounds good,” he slurs. Steve is about to take a step back again, but then Bucky calls out, “Hey Babe?”

“Yeah?”

“Pay attention to what she’s doin’. It feels really fuckin’ good.” 

“Yeah?” 

“Mmhm. You can learn n' do it next time,” he says dreamily. On his back, Mary’s hands still for the briefest of seconds. “S’goood.”

Steve nods and comes back to sit on the bed. “Okay,” he agrees, scooting in close and glancing at Mary. Her face looks pinched all of a sudden, her expression stiffened as if in annoyance. “I promise I’m not as dumb as I look,” he jokes, and watches as her face smooths out and she smiles a little.

“Oh! Oh no it’s … it’s okay, I don’t mind. I’ll teach you how.”

“Don’t mind me, m’just a teaching tool,” Bucky drawls, and Steve laughs and pats his shoulder. 

“Yeah you are. So shut up and let her teach.”

Bucky grunts and shuts up. Steve looks to Mary for instruction. He can tell she’s uncomfortable, but she manages to hide it well and keep herself on track. The more he pays attention, the sooner she can get herself out of this and never have to do it again. “Ready to learn,” he tells her.

“Now when you’re doing this, you can get more leverage if you straddle his waist.” She says this like it’s a foregone assumption that she would never dare to sit on Bucky’s waist, and Steve is sure she doesn’t notice the grumpy huff of breath Bucky gives.

“Right,” Steve says, pained. “Okay, so where are the bad spots again?”

“Put your hand here.” She takes his hand again and places it just to the left of Bucky’s spine at the level of his shoulder blade. “Slide your fingers out. There. Feel that difference? Feel how it changes when you move out to just … there?” She guides his fingers, and Steve nods. 

“Y-yeah.” Mostly, he’s just thinking about how nice Mary’s warm, oiled, tiny hand feels guiding his hand around. “Yeah.”

“The trap’s on top, but there are other muscles underneath of this one, and that differentiation you feel is where the rhomboid is ending and the—”

She keeps talking, and Steve tries to pay attention and learn, he really does. But his mind is a veritable sieve, for how well he retains the information. It’s all in one ear and out the other, ninety percent of his attention stuck on Mary’s hands on him, guiding him, pressing on his fingers and gliding his touch over Bucky’s skin. Fuck, how did they wind up here? 

Eventually, having taught Steve the basics, Mary lets him go and works on Bucky’s shoulders for a little while more. For the most part it’s quiet, with Bucky making soft grunts of pain whenever she finds a new cluster of knotted muscle, and sighs of relief once she works them out. 

Her hands linger on Bucky’s mid back when she’s done. She doesn’t seem to know what to do. “Erm. Okay. I think … I think that’s it.”

When neither Bucky nor Steve says anything, she retreats on her own, getting off the bed and looking between Bucky’s prone form and Steve’s sorrowful expression. “So, kay. You can get up, if you want. Just move slowly.”

Bucky’s right hand gives her the thumbs up symbol, but the entire rest of his body doesn’t move. “Thanks Mare. Just give us a second. That was really good. Thank you. Thanks for teaching Steve.”

It’s the “Thanks for teaching Steve” that seems to do it. Mary’s expression firms up and she nods curtly, leaving the room and shutting the door behind her. Steve stays sitting on the bed next to Bucky in silence for a long minute, then says knowingly, “Got a boner?”

“Yep.”

*To anyone who's only ever had store bought, pre-packaged palmiers: I'm so sorry. Along with Madeleines, those should never be eaten more than a few hours max after they've been baked.

Series Masterlist

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This has been a fill for:

@anyfandomdarkbingo

Card: sarahyellow / sarah-writes-stucky

Square N3: Body Swap

@matchat3a @bethexo07

[manikas-whims]

Do you know any mangas that have that Gojohime couple dynamic?

sorry for such a late response anon..i’m not even sure if you check my blog these days but here's some mangas that remind me of GojoHime arranged in the order of most to least similar:

♡ Namaikizakari

• Similarity: its quite like GojoHime in that the female lead is older than the male lead. They are senpai-kouhai just like Gojo and Utahime.

• This is a Sports Shoujo Manga. There's gonna be a lot about basketball as the male lead is a basketball player at his school and the female lead works as a manager for the team.

• Boy likes the girl and decides to pursue her.

♡ The Apothecary Diaries

• Similarity: LITERALLY GOJOHIME IN A HISTORICAL SETTING. the amount of times I've heard people call them gjhm coded. Plus all the crossover fanarts I've seen as well as the fact that Gojo’s ENG VA also voices Jinshi.

• This is a historical, seinen drama. It will revolve around the concubines of the emperor and the royal court politics and conspiracies a lot. Female lead is an apothecary and the male lead’s position in the royal court is somewhat ambiguous but he definitely holds a high position. (DO WATCH THE ANIME)

• Boy develops an interest and later on, a crush on the girl. She dgaf about him. She's very much like Utahime in that 😆. The girl realises her own like for him slightly later. “Hissing Black Cat GF + Happy Golden Retriever BF”

♡ Kaichou wa Maid-sama

• Similarity: very similar because the male lead seems to be good at (and better) at everything, and is quite insufferable. Female lead does not bother with his shit 😆 “the one who easily gets Annoyed + the one who loves to Annoy” dynamic.

• This is a famous classic Shoujo and it’d be surprising if you don't know it already. High School Romance with a lot of comedy, and the occasional heavy moments. The development of the female lead and male lead, and the conclusion is one of my favs.

• Boy develops an interest in the Girl and slowly falls for her. Girl too, slowly begins to see the better sides of him and begins falling for him.

♡ The Script

• Similarity: the hair color? lol the hair colors are similar but aside from that the male lead and the female lead have similar dynamics as the above mentioned.

• Fantasy Romance Manhwa. It also has a light novel (right cover pic) which imo is better. The male lead shape-shifts into a white tiger. The female lead is a shaman and an exorcist. She helps undo curses on people. Love the plot!

• Boy fell first when they met during their childhood. The girl has forgotten him but soon remembers and her feelings reignite as well.

♡ Dreaming Freedom

• Similarity: just like the rest above. Sly Guy and Naive Girl who slowly becomes equally sly 🤭

• ⚠️ TRIGGER WARNING: Yandere Male Lead, Toxic Relationship, Self Harm, Physical & Emotional Harm to others. This is a psychological, sorta surreal manhwa. It's about lucid dreaming and it's long term effects with a magical twist added so please do look that up if you don't know already.

• Boy fell first is obsessed with the Girl. Boy is possessive and jealous. The Girl becomes equally jealous and possessive of him so if you're into that you'll enjoy.

Hope at least one of these recommendations is to your liking and you have a great time reading! 🥰

[fiber-optic-alligator]

I mentioned to my friend your drift series. Curiosity they asked in about it and I went on a rant. And my friend. Being the jerk that she is went “At some point that human gonna figure out the cypertronian language and snap at the worse moment.. like someone”

Referring to my learning a third language and losing it in server where nobody knew I spoke it. And it amuses me greatly: like just the idea that human had learnt cypertronian to a efficient level but had not revealed It at all, one day while being carried around on drift shoulder they get to be witness to a conversation and someone just triggers them. Making them snap and yell at them in broken but understandable cypertronian until they’re out of breath. And leaving everyone stunned.

It might just be me. But seeing a face change to a mixture of shock, confusion- all of that. Is amusing to no end. Like drift would he going though so many emotions “They know cypertronian!? They.. know cypertronian- when did they- OMG- they understand me” mental rollercoaster. Or maybe he goes full blown golden retriever with pure joy. Like no questions asked. Just happy thoughts.

Oooh yes, this is a cool concept! The reader in Desperation vs Domestication does actually have a very limited understanding of Cybertronian after living aboard the Lost Light for so long. If they actually had the language capabilities to just start cursing the mechs out in broken Cybertronian, Drift and everyone else who hears it would be stunned! Drift of all would be pretty horrified by it in the long run because it’s instant proof that humans aren’t just primitive animals.

[dreamzghostz]

TELL ME ABOUT THE TALENTSWAP AU NOW!!!

OKAY, I'M SO GLAD SOMEONE FINALLY ASKED ME ABOUT THIS.

So, this Talentswap AU, it's like the average killing game

*Oh no, Celestia (the protag) got kidnapped and forced in a killing game with 15 other students. She finds Kiyo (the support), and they have to escape, waaaah*

To be honest, what inspired me to make this are Danganronpa V3 (I like how they have features like Scrum Debates, Argument Aranments, and Mass Panic Debates), and the Danganronpa: Another series

So, yeah, everyone's talents are swapped. If you click on the "Danganronpa: A Dice of Despair" tag, you can see everyone's designs and talents. So, what I mainly want to talk about are the characters, their talents, and their personalities, backstories, etc.

There will be a LOT of yapping below, so keep reading if you wanna

‼️‼️TRIGGER WARNING FOR MAJOR SPOILERS IN DANGANRONPA, DARK IMPLICATIONS, AND PERSONAL/SENSITIVE TOPICS‼️‼️

Celestia Ludenberg - Ultimate Lucky Student: So, in this AU, Celestia is the protagonist. She has a mix of her and Makoto's personalities. She can be cold and a douche at times, but she does care about everyone. Here, she has a mix of good luck and bad luck, but they both work at the same time... Somehow? Her real name is still Taeko Yasuhiro, and she made up her fake name to hide who she really is since her family has very dark secrets that could easily crumple her reputation if spilled. Hence why she also doesn't believe that she's really the Ultimate Lucky Student.

Korekiyo Shinguji - Ultimate Swordsman: Here, Kiyo is the support/deuteragonist. Celestia runs into him after escaping into the gym. In this AU, he's aloof, smart, but also starts showing kindness after a while. In Chapter One, he's the one to snap Celestia back to reality after she has her initial panic. He can come off as a bit hostile, but that's because growing up, he didn't have many friends as he spent most of his time training since his family are mostly famous warriors.

Sayaka Maizono - Ultimate Gambler: In this AU, she's more of an anti-hero then an antagonist. She's pretty rude and demanding, and she uses Kiibo to her advantage since he's the Ultimate Butler, and growing up, she had many butlers and maids to her aid whenever she needed them. Eventually, in Chapter Two, Sayaka starts to see that Celestia isn't a bad person, and starts to open up to her. Sayaka's cruel and sadistic personality stems from her childhood where her mother was killed by being burned, and her father basically abandoned her, so Celestia's really the only person she likes. Also, she ALWAYS wins every gambling match (Always? ALWAYS.) As well, she's a bit narcissistic, and thinks she's above everyone.

Byakuya Togami - Ultimate Gamer: Here, Byakuya is more of like an AI (like Chiaki), because his father wanted an heir, and none of his kids were "fit for it". So, Mr. Togami got a friend to create Byakuya. Though, Byakuya was never interested in the Togami Corporation, and took an interest in video games instead. He's a bit insensitive, but does mean well. He doesn't express much emotion, but is protective of the people he cares about, and he has a deep sense of justice. He knows his father doesn't love him, but as long as he has video games, he'll be happy.

Chiaki Nanami - Ultimate Pop Sensation: In this AU, Chiaki is a human. She's a lot more energetic then her game counterpart, and is like who she was in Danganronpa 3. Ever since she was a little girl, Chiaki had dreamed of being a famous star, despite her parents' wishes. She loves to write songs and sing with her group, even though after Chiaki gets trapped in the killing game, her girl group gets killed by the Ultimate Despair, which sends Chiaki into despair, though she masks it well. She'll write a song for everyone in the place, and she'll sing it as loud as she can. She's a great friend to have, like a golden retriever!

Gundham Tanaka - Ultimate Traditional Dancer: So, growing up, Gundham's home life was pretty bad. His family was VERY strict on what he ate, what he wore, and what he said. His house was near a street, and every afternoon, he would sneak there and feed all the tabby cats, making him gain their trust, and making him feel a sense of comfort. He's kind of an asshole in the AU, since he had a bad home life, and it left a huge mark on how he viewed people. Unfortunately, he doesn't want to warm up to anyone, as he's secretly scared they'll just use him, so he closes himself off, and he only trusts the tabby cats.

Hajime Hinata - Ultimate Inventor: Hajime's mother was rarely in the picture, causing him to develop a very close relationship with his father. When his father got ill and passed when Hajime was ten, he found all his father's unfinished inventions. Determined to finish them, Hajime worked for hours, nights even, to make his father proud. Hajime gets his vulgarity and bluntness from the highschool he was at before Hope's Peak Academy, since the crude and rudeness was basically the norm at where he was. Also, yes, Hajime is Izuru in this AU, though I'm still trying to figure out how to write that.

Mahiru Koizumi - Ultimate Astronaut: She's the Antagonist of the AU, so I probably should have placed her up way higher, but I'm too tired to change it. So, Mahiru's mother was an astronaut, and Mahiru has always been intrigued by space. In the village she lived at, she would tell the younger kids stories about space and amazing astronauts, forming a close bond with them. Unfortunately, a few months before Hope's Peak, Mahiru's village was burned down, leaving Mahiru homeless. When she saw the advertisement for Hope's Peak, she took it in a heartbeat. She's kind, a little naive, and protective to make sure she can keep everyone as safe as she can.

Mikan Tsumiki - Ultimate Pianist: School was a very tough time for Mikan, as she was always the targeting of bullying, though she felt safe in her music class. After a very traumatic event, Mikan basically clung to her piano, playing it every day, as many times as she could. She's shy, but also very determined and kind, and she's quite skilled at the other instruments other then piano! Which she personally finds to be very cool!

Nagito Komaeda - Ultimate Anthropologist: Nagito's house was very close to a library, so every day, after school, he would stop by the library and find a book. The ones about culture and evolution were the ones that intrigued him the most. He spent most of his childhood in the hospital, so the library was like a safe space for him. He's also aloof, but somewhat disturbing and also mature. He has to keep a close eye on Hajime, so he's basically Hajime's babysitter (lol).

Sonia Nevermind - Ultimate Detective: Sonia was always very smart, even as a young child, so she didn't have very many friends as she got frustrated by people who weren't as smart. One day, the detectives brought her in to see if she could help them with a case, and she solved it, pretty quickly. She can solve cases quicker then the average detective can. She's pretty quiet most of the time, but she also has a strong sense of justice, is no-nonsense and quick, and she really doesn't have as much empathy as she probably should.

Kaede Akamatsu - Ultimate Princess: So, Kaede is the princess of Japan, so she also has to follow strict and unfair rules. She often but heads with her parents since she wants to actually be her own person and not follow their rules. Her parents had arranged a marriage for her, and when she found out about this, she quickly signed up for Hope's Peak to escape this. She's kind, charming, curious, and always willing to learn. She may not give the best advice, but she tries her best!

Shuichi Saihara - Ultimate Artist: Shuichi here seems like your average Joe. He doesn't really talk highly of himself, and he just does art as a hobby, so he wasn't really expecting it to become his actual talent, lol. Despite all of this, he's fairly nice and pretty chill, but can also be pretty morbid due to the fact he was born and raised in an unusual church. No, he isn't religious. Also, he loves art, but he doesn't draw eyes when he draws people, as he finds it difficult to do (this will come in handy later).

Kirumi Tojo - Ultimate Magician: Growing up, Kirumi always loved magic. She was a street magician for a while before being allowed to enter a school that allowed her to embrace her interests. She's kind, energetic, and kooky since she had been seen as a "weird kid" by most people growing up. Despite this, she's incredibly loyal to those around her, and she can be scarily serious when she needs to.

Kiibo (Idabashi) - Ultimate Butler: So, in this AU, Kiibo is also human, so I will refer to him as Kiibo Idabashi. He always loved helping people, despite what they asked him to do. His father, Professor Idabashi, spent a lot of time on robotic engineers, so that led Kiibo to wander off... a LOT. He always enjoys to serve people, and he enjoys Celestia's company. He doesn't like Sayaka much though, as she uses him. There are also times where he feels empty, like a robot. Though, he's hardworking, devoted, and can take on even the hardest of tasks.

Rantaro Amami - Ultimate Photographer: Rantaro still has twelve sisters in this AU, and they always loved for him to take pictures of them, to where they would even ask him daily to take pictures of scenery they liked and outfits they liked. Rantaro found himself enjoying photography, even in the darkest of times. At first, he's bossy and a bit stubborn, but he eventually learns to trust his classmates and even befriends most of them. After that, he's kind, still a little stubborn and bossy, but more willing to hear others out. Also, him and Korekiyo become quite close very quickly!

I'm SO sorry that I talked more about the characters and their backstories then their roles!! I'll make a relationship chart of them in a post eventually. Also, this took a long while and isn't my usual content, so my bad! Also, if you read all of this, thank you 💕

[alexawynters]

Scarlet Whispers pt. 9

A/N: Apparently I wrote two chapters of smut back to back so uhhh.. here's a second chapter of terribly written smut. Anyway sorry for the delay in posting schedule for like.. two weeks. I don't have much of an excuse, as most of this was already written in advance, just briefly editing before posting. But I moved recently, and there was some roommate drama with moving out, and just in general moving bullshit. Plus my last job was refusing to cooperate with my ADA (despite the fact that doing so landed me in the hospital for a fucking week...) so I fortunately was able to land a new job that's hybrid. However I did just start it so like.. super busy with training and getting settled in to the new place. Plus trying to make sure I dedicate time to my gf since we're on different continents so like.. timezones are a bitch lol.

Gif not mine, as always

Trigger Warnings: Smuttttttt. Horribly written smut.

Pairing: Wanda Maximoff x Female!Reader

Rating: M. Minors DNI

Masterlist with parts 1-8 here

The next few days were absolute bliss for you. You were certain of your feelings for the former Avenger and knew that she felt the same way about you. This newfound confidence allowed you to freely express your affection. While you had been somewhat clingy in the past, you had never been this openly affectionate before with anyone, always afraid it would be used against you somehow.

As usual Wanda would cook for both of you, and with your desire to be closer to her at the forefront of your mind, you would inevitably find a way to snuggle into her arms, even if it wasn’t per se the most convenient. Wanda had already reassured you she didn’t mind, always welcoming any chance to be close to you. Now was one such example. Letting out a sigh as she wrapped one arm around you and kissed the top of your head. While she stirred the food, you tilted your head and gazed happily at the slightly taller woman who held you.

Curious green eyes observed you thoughtfully, wondering what brought on this bout of cuddliness. Seizing the opportunity with the witch's face so close to yours, you leaned up and gave Wanda a chaste kiss on the lips before burying your blushing face in her chest. The older woman chuckled softly at how adorably shy you were and embraced you even tighter.

While eating and conversing, you found yourself insisting on maintaining physical contact with the witch. Thighs brushing against each other, and at one point you were feeling particularly bold and rested your hand on her thigh. The witch couldn't be happier about this development and even going so far as to lace her fingers with yours, bringing a contented smile to your face. At one point, Wanda could swear that you were wiggling in place while she was playing with your hair. As she subtly glanced behind you, she half expected to find a tail wagging there. It was only a mild disappointment there wasn’t. 

The definition of golden retriever girlfriend, you were such a puppy, and it was adorable. It seemed like you couldn't get enough, following Wanda around the house and even the grounds whenever she got up to take care of things. Despite her reassurances that you could continue whatever activity you were engaged in, you were insistent upon helping. Every step of the way, you offered your assistance, basking in the witch’s presence and happy to be helpful. Whenever your skin happened to touch, even briefly, a pleasurable shiver would run down your spine, making whatever chore you were working on even something as mundane as gardening (a green thumb, you were not) worth it.

Not once did Wanda deter your need for affection, doing her best in fact to reward it at every opportunity. Part of it was for her own selfish reasons, she always relished in your touch. A larger part however was an attempt to heal your inner child. She recalled your painful memories she had witnessed where your attempts at garnering affection from your family were rudely and oftentimes even violently rebuffed. This caused you to believe that’s how all requests for affection would be received, leading you at a young age to stop seeking affection from anyone going forward. 

Now, if you reached out to Wanda, she would return your touch reassuringly, even going so far sometimes to pull you into an embrace or press her lips to yours. The witch never wanted you to question whether she would accept your touch ever again. Anything she could do to associate positive feelings with your attempts at affection, Wanda would give. Every time she did, she was rewarded when you practically vibrated with happiness in her arms.

For the first time in your life, you felt safe and dare you say it, happy. Wanda truly was everything you could ever hope for in a partner: devoted, caring, and attentive. You weren’t sure whether it was her magic, or simply how attuned she was to you - seeming to anticipate your wants and needs almost before you yourself even realized them. It had been this way before you two had slept together, but something about this added layer of trust and intimacy you never in your wildest dreams believed you could be lucky enough to experience, enhanced your connection with the witch.

Attributing this factor to why you were so needy for any scrap of attention from the older woman, you were positively thrilled any time she so much as looked at you. Which, admittedly, was often. Whenever your insecurities raised their ugly heads, darkly whispering that you were going to get on Wanda’s nerves if you kept up, the woman would invariably find ways to reassure you just how pleased she was that you were finally comfortable enough to be yourself around her.

The only thing you were really still concerned about was how Wanda hadn’t let you return the favor yet, so to speak. After that first night you both slept together, any time you attempted to turn your lovemaking around to focus on Wanda, she would redirect you, distracting you with kisses until, breathless, you forgot what you were trying to do in the first place. You never forgot for long though, and by the end of each evening you were beginning to think maybe she didn’t want you to touch her. Insecurities returned full force, you found yourself wondering if maybe the witch regretted taking things this far and was using this tactic to keep herself from unwanted advances.

What if Wanda was only continuing this because she realized too late that you hadn’t measured up, and she didn’t want to hurt your feelings after going so far in her promises to you that she wanted you no matter what? Maybe she was stalling until she could find a way to extricate herself from this situation?

Knowing the woman was a mind reader, you fought valiantly to keep these thoughts buried as much as you could. By the fourth night though, it was taking a toll on you mentally. The pair of you were cuddling after she had provided you with another set of mind-blowing orgasms, Wanda periodically peppering your face with sweet kisses.

As always, the witch could sense your change in demeanor. “What is it, detka? I see your mind working a hundred miles an hour from here.”

Using her thumb the older woman gently smoothed out the crease on your forehead, before kissing the same spot, the key indicator you had been lost in thought. Your heart twisted traitorously, and you tried to escape instead in relishing in the sweetness of her behavior, fearing it may possibly be the last time she ever does so. It’s not that you were dying to know, per se, but rather that you loved her so much and if she wasn’t happy with you, you wanted to know. Either so you could fix it, or free her from her supposed obligation to you. Even if… even if that would break you, knowing in your heart that you loved her and couldn’t bear the thought of holding her to you out of mere obligation when she could have the opportunity to find happiness elsewhere.

A deep exhale was released from you prior to you looking up at her, eyes filled with vulnerable honesty. Your voice was meek, clearly dreading the answer but needing to know at the same time. “Why won’t you ever let me touch you?”

Now it was Wanda’s turn to furrow her brow in thought, trying to figure out where your thoughts were at. “What do you mean, lyubov moya? You’re touching me right now.” The redhead placed her hand atop yours on her chest, giving it a brief squeeze, to emphasize her point.

To add to your dread, now your stomach flipped with anxiety at having to explain yourself.

"I- when... when we're in bed, anytime I try to... touch you, you turn it around back on me. Do you not want me to touch you? Do you..." you gulped. "Do you regret what's happened between us? Am I not living up to your expectations? If it's something I can fix, Wanda, I like you too much not to try. But I can't fix what I don't know is broken. Or, I mean, it’s totally okay" It wasn’t. “If you’ve changed your mind, if you don’t want me, you don’t have to pretend.”

Green eyes turned glassy with tears as they widened in surprise. Oh, her poor kotenok, how had Wanda not realized how her behavior was making you feel? All she wanted was to love you and take her time savoring you after waiting so long to be with you again. She just hadn't wanted for you to feel pressured to reciprocate her advances. Knowing you had always been a tender-hearted person who needed to be eased into things, Wanda wished she had realized it sooner. She had never meant to hurt you; in fact, that was the opposite of what she wanted with you. As if she could ever not want you. As if the mere thought of ever letting you go didn’t make her want to burn the entire multiverse to the ground in grief. 

"Oh dorogaya, no! I'm so sorry for making you feel that way, it wasn't my intention. It's just... I've waited so long for you, Y/N. I only wanted to cherish our time together. I didn't want to pressure you into doing anything you weren't ready or didn't want to do. That doesn't mean I don't want you to touch me, my love. In fact, it's quite the opposite, I can't wait for you to touch me, sweetheart." By the end of her declaration, her voice had become considerably lower.

The witch leaned into your personal space until her forehead was resting gently against yours. She closed her eyes briefly, enjoying the closeness, before she opened them to look deeply into your eyes, willing you to understand the seriousness of what she was about to tell you.

“I love you, Y/N. So much. If you want to touch me, if you feel ready for that, I promise that I won’t turn you away again. Alright malyshka? I just didn’t want you to feel pressured to do anything you weren’t ready for. You mean too much for me to rush what we have for mere physicality. I have waited so long for you lyubov moya, and if you needed I would continue to wait forever. I never meant to hurt you. I want you so much I feel like my body aches for you, but I never wanted to push you, in case you weren’t ready. I’m sorry that in doing so I was making you feel unwanted, that’s absolutely not the case. Please Y/N, tell me you understand tha-”

You interrupted Wanda’s rambling, eagerly pressing your lips against hers. Your hand, previously resting on her chest, now gripped her shirt, pulling her closer to you. The surprise on the former Avenger's face was evident. The passionate intensity of your kiss ignited a strong desire within her, causing her arms to wrap around the back of  your neck as you practically threw yourself on top of her.

Although initially frenzied, the kiss simmered slowly and sensual. While you were excited to finally have the opportunity to touch Wanda the way you had been dreaming of (far longer than you were even willing to admit to yourself), you didn't want to rush it, still nervous having never done this before. One of your hands that had been clutching her shirt to keep her close, gently slid up to cup her cheek, savoring the feeling of her soft skin against your hand.

Briefly, you pulled away to catch Wanda's eyes with a silent question, your thumb grazing across the apple of her cheek softly. Feeling warmed that you wanted to check in, the witch tightened her arms that were behind your neck and nodded. You leaned in again, and as your lips met hers, you gently took her lower lip between yours, sucking on it, eliciting a deep moan from her. As the kiss deepened, Wanda's hand wound itself in your hair, nails lightly scratching your scalp. The older woman was willing to let you do anything, as long as she could ensure that you stayed close to her at all times.

Unhurriedly you trailed your lips down Wanda's jawline, leaving a series of soft kisses along her skin. Your hands started to explore her body, tracing the curves and contours that you had longed to touch. Wanda's breath hitched as your fingertips danced across sensitive areas, sending shivers down her spine.

As your lips continued their journey, you found yourself exploring every inch of Wanda's body, relishing the taste and texture of her skin. Hands moving with a blend of tenderness and desire, expressing your love and admiration for her. Breathy moans filled the air, a delightful melody to your ears, as Wanda eagerly responded to your touch. Lips caressing the swell of Wanda's breasts, moving from one to the other before settling on one to worship. With tentative strokes of your tongue, you swirled around and then across the hardened bud of her nipple, eliciting a groan from the witch that caused your core to clench around nothing.

For a few days now, your fantasies revolved around finding out if Wanda tasted as good as she looked. Said fantasies were coming to fruition, and you practically couldn’t wait. Replacing your lips with your hand as you lowered yourself down her body, leaving hot, wet kisses down her abdomen til you were situated comfortably between her legs. You were greeted with a mouthwatering sight - evidence of her pleasure slicked down her thighs, dripping onto the bed. Gods, this was all for you? Because of you? You did this to her, no one else. You bet she tasted divine, nectar of the fucking gods. 

Unintentionally you spent so long staring, that if your flattering thoughts hadn’t been so loud, Wanda would have felt self-conscious. Seeming to snap out of your reverie, you raised your eyes to capture the witch’s gaze, looking for any sign of hesitation or discomfort. Sensing none, you lowered your lips to press a soft kiss to the hood of her clit, listening as Wanda’s voice caught in a small gasp.

Never breaking eye contact, you ran a cursory swipe of your tongue over her folds. Your eyes fluttered shut as both you and Wanda moaned in unison - Wanda from the sensation of your tongue on her most intimate area, and you from the delicious taste. It had a slight tanginess, with a unique flavor that belonged solely to Wanda. In that moment, you knew that if you were ever on death row, she would be your choice for a last meal. Nothing would ever compare to the taste of her, and you were certain you would never be able to get enough.

You eagerly immersed yourself in Wanda's essence, like a woman starved. Paying close attention to every detail that elicited delightful sounds from her lips, you memorized them for future reference. Although you may have lacked practical experience, your enthusiasm and ability to learn quickly more than compensated for it.

Wanda's moans and whimpers were soon reaching their peak as her thighs tightly wrapped around your head. Aware that she was close, you took her pearl into your mouth and gently sucked on it while flicking your tongue against it over and over again. Sharp nails dug into your scalp as she held you firmly in place, urging you not to stop. Despite feeling a bit lightheaded from the lack of oxygen, you had no intention of stopping, not that you could with her ankles locked behind your head.

A broken cry escaped from Wanda as she climaxed, her thighs trembling near your ears. You eagerly licked up her slick, relishing in the signs of her pleasure as she reached her peak. Wanting to explore something different, you positioned your index and middle fingers at her entrance, feeling it contract around nothing, and effortlessly slid them inside.

You groaned as you were enveloped in her tight heat, feeling her clenching around the new intrusion. Recalling how she had made you see stars, you began curling your digits, looking for that spongy spot, all the while never letting up on your tongue’s ministrations. The redhead all but screamed as her first orgasm slammed head long into a second one with no time to breathe in between. Her core was spasming around you, practically drawing you in, and fuck if this wasn’t the hottest experience of your entire life.

If Wanda hadn't gently tapped your head, pulling at your hair to lift you as her oversensitive body transitioned from pleasure to borderline pain, you probably would have continued until you were both completely spent. Deciding that while you enjoyed it when the older woman touched you but touching her was an almost spiritual experience. It wouldn't be surprising if this became your newest favorite hyper fixation, though not one likely to disappear anytime soon if ever. To avoid causing any discomfort to Wanda, you accepted her request and moved away.

Face completely drenched, you smiled, using your fingers to savor the remnants of her release. Both of you moaned - Wanda at the sight, and you at the return of your favorite new dessert to your taste buds. Breathless, Wanda chuckled at the self-satisfied expression on your face and reached out for you to join her. Taking the hint, you draped yourself over her body, gazing at her with a love-sick expression. The woman didn't waste any time before pulling you in for a passionate kiss, her smile pressing against your lips.

Eventually parting for air, you stared into each other's eyes, before both of you burst into giggles. Her toned arms wrapped around you, holding you close, and you relished her proximity. Tucking your head under her chin, a happy sigh released from you while Wanda hummed in delight.

“That was wonderful, malyshka. I know you were worried about “measuring up”, as you would put it, but I want you to know, you exceeded any expectations that I might have had.” Satisfaction dripped from her voice, making you feel content with your efforts. For so long now you had wanted to make her feel even a fraction of the happiness that she had brought to you. It brought you immense joy to know that you had succeeded.

“I’m glad I was able to make you feel good, Wands.” you murmured. “I like making you happy.” You nuzzled under her chin.

The former avenger chuckled at your submissive nature. You were so perfect for her, and you didn’t even know. “Darling, you don’t have to make me come to make me happy. You do that just by being here with me.”

She followed up her words with a gentle kiss to your forehead, and you tried to keep your happy wiggles as subtle as possible. This made her almost burst out with laughter. “You’re so cute, Y/N. You don’t have to hide your happiness from me, dorogaya, I would never judge you. It’s adorable.”

You hadn’t thought it was possible, but she had unknowingly wrapped another metaphorical magical tendril around your heart with those words. Raising your head to make eye contact, you gazed at her as if she had hung the stars. How could this woman be so perfect for you? Always knowing what to say, how to attenuate your insecurities, making you feel safe to be your most authentic self in her presence. Was this woman even real?

Although it was too early to utter those three cherished words that you never expected to say to anyone, you undeniably felt them in your heart and soul at this moment. You longed to express them out loud, but you held back. Now was not the right time. Perhaps soon, though. Instead, you gently pressed a pure, innocent kiss on her lips, hoping to convey the emotions that you weren't quite prepared to vocalize yet. Reciprocating the pace and pressure of your kiss, Wanda followed it up with a brief kiss to the tip of your nose, making you giggle. 

“Let’s get cleaned up, lyubov.” She conjured warm, damp cloths for the both of you, insisting on helping you clean up before taking care of herself. Once all traces of your nightly activities were gone, you cuddled up to the witch. You crawled back into her embrace, feeling comfortable enough to entangle your legs with Wanda’s as you laid practically on top of her.

Briefly considering teasing you but being unwilling to jeopardize your newfound confidence with her Wanda simply giggled, placing kisses atop your head, and holding you close. Things couldn’t be more perfect, and the former avenger felt her heart overflowing with love and affection for you. Using her magic, she turned off the lights for the night, murmuring a sweet “Good night lyubov moya.”

One day you resolved to ask her those and all the other words in her native Sokovian specifically meant, but as always, once your eyes began drifting closed, all thoughts left your mind. For now, you were blissfully content in Wanda’s arms.

[mar3ggiata]

professional help, c18. India 0-1.

simon riley x original character.

trigger warnings: violence, sexual assault, mentions of rape, trauma, sexual themes, swearing, use of alcohol and drugs.

song to listen to when reading this: Where this flower blooms, Tyler, the Creator - Frank Ocean

abstract: it's Jude. this is a light chapter and the turning point of my life! my new job you know, I couldn't be happier. you're getting to know stuff about me as well, and I don't have a problem with that cause I trust you. it's someone else who just seems to know too much…

'I think you're one of the smartest people I've ever met, actually.' Kyle certainly knew how to charm women. His pearly white teeth, his dimples, his kind eyes. His face lit up when she was speaking, showing how interested he was in what she was saying. 'That's so interesting, you actually did that?' He walked her out of the building, he approached her as soon as the meeting ended. He asked her how it went with Laswell and how she was feeling about her new position. She replied that she wanted to be of help for them, and he agreed she would do just fine. He asked her a lot of questions about university and what she had studied while they walked out, the other soldiers parting ways to get back to their duties. She offered him to smoke with her, he declined saying he only smoked on night outs. Still, he was standing with his back against the wall in the smoking area outside the base. She felt his gaze on her while she lit her cigarette with her purple clipper lighter. She saw him look at her lips wrapped around the cigarette, and exhaling the smoke in the air around them. She made sure to exhale away from his figure, big clouds of smoke dissolving in then wind. She asked him where he was born, he wasn't much older than her. He asked her how many languages she spoke. She didn't include her Neapolitan dialect, which is technically considered a language, you can look it up. Plus, she had told him she was from the north, from Turin. I wish, she had thought.

'Translate my name in Italian… or Croatian', he had asked, to which she chuckled. 'It doesn't translate… it would be just Kyle.' She stubbed out the cigarette in one of the ashtrays. 'And what about your real name?', he got closer. She turned around and tilted her head the side, squinting her eyes. 'You're not supposed to know.' She replied. That made him take another step towards her. 'What if I want to find out?' His voice was lower, soothing. She looked up at him, taking in his gentle features and bronze, smooth skin. 'You can do a little digging… but you're not getting it from me' she smiled, gently teasing a step back. She already had enough of that conversation, it was starting to be way too much, too soon. She felt trapped between the boy and the wall even if she wasn't. He was holding her gaze and not moving from that position. She did the honours and stepped away from him, began her walk to her car. He followed like a happy golden retriever. 'Just a hint!' He tried. Fuck off, she thought. 'Come on! You strike me as a Cassandra… Or Juliet. Is it Croatian or English?' It's none of your business sweet boy. She opened the door to her car and put the bag in the back seat. She gave him a final glare. He was sweet, he was funny and attractive, too attractive to be smart. She didn't need anything serious or casual to do with someone who wasn't at her level, they wouldn't understand… just about everything. He was pissing her off and she didn't have time for this. Plus, your spooky Lieutenant already knows, one is enough.

'Call me however you want' she said, batting her eyelashes a tad too much to make him laugh and possibly not think she was serious. He laughed. She drove away leaving him in the parking space alone. Alone, smiling and looking at her car. Simon stared at him from the window in his office. He went upstairs straight after he saw them walking together. They looked nice, he was talking to her, scrunching down to look her in the eyes, she walked with her arms crossed, turning towards him to answer his questions. He looked at her smile at him and giggle at something he said. What did he say to make her giggle, what was so funny… He got a bit closer to Alba and Simon felt his chest tighten in jealousy, although he didn't even want to acknowledge it could be any kind of feeling. It was like being best friends with the cool kid in kindergarten and then see them play with another kid. It seemed so easy with Gaz as well, she seemed so relaxed. Earlier that morning, he thought he scared her, he thought she was annoyed at him, and rightfully so. He would think he actually could talk to her and she told him her crater story first… He started slowly coming back to reality when he was packing up his gear. He cleaned and sharpened his knifes, she would never want to have anything to do with him, and it was better this way. Setting up guns and rifles on the plane, she didn't belong in that world, she would be better off going back to counselling after that mission. The thought of her didn't leave him all day.

At night, it was the same all over. He would turn around in his bed she would be there, her lips slightly parted, her eyes shut and brows slightly frowned in that angry expression of hers. He would turn around to try and run away from her, and then his eyes would open widely at the feeling of her soft hand running up his shoulder, down his side, on his stomach. He was petrified. He would feel her forehead pressed on his back, her feet tickling his calves under the blanket. A small whimper from her mouth, she was so close he felt like she was gonna crawl inside him. She was warm. She smelled like tangerines and jasmine flowers. He would turn back to face her, she would wiggle to get closer to him, her hair loose and spread on the pillow. Go away, he wanted to say. She pressed her cheek to his chest, gripping his shirt in her fists. She would only disappear when he tried to reach for her. They had another briefing once they got to their headquarters, how the fuck was he supposed to get her out of his head if she was gonna work with him. 'Jude will give us clearance on this…' he thought about her eyes, 'Jude is gonna alert us if that…', he thought about her hands.

She was everywhere, her name was in the air, he felt like she was inside his skin, inside his head. They would attack that night, it wasn't a difficult mission per say, he endured worse. At the same time, the lack of coverage and places to hide on the side of the crater was going to be a big problem. About thirty minutes from the attack and he wasn't focused, he felt a weird sensation in the pit of his stomach, maybe he was nervous, but the mission was nothing different from the usual deals… It was her, she was going to get him killed, she was poisoning him, he could even hear her voice right now… No wait, he really heard her voice. He heard the captain speak to someone from inside the main tent they had set up and when he peeked his head through he realised it was her. She wasn't there obviously, she was speaking through a video call, but still. 'Okay, you're all sorted then… What time is it over there, 2pm?' the captain was asking, which she had replied '3, sir.'

'I'm just gonna put it out there, Alba', the captain knew her name, 'I had my superiors run a quick check on how your mom is doing, just to make sure we're in the clear with possible ties with the Middle East…' Her mom…?

'Oh for fuck's sake I already told you, why would she have anything to do with this, would you stop being so fucking…'

'Simon?'

She stopped talking. Price saw him. His face was blank, he thought about just turning around and pretending he didn't hear anything. But he did. Alba's mom, she was from Croatia. Why would she have to do anything with them… 'Come in… need something?' He realised his captain was actually talking to him. No I don't need anything I just heard her voice and I thought she was in my head, but she's not, and I'm actually loosing it. He stumbled over his words, saying something about hearing him talking from outside. 'You really don't know how to lie, don't you?' She spoke from the screen, her voice low and hoarse. He could feel the sound travel down his spine even from the speaker. His ears were red under the mask. Why, cause you lie so much Jude you know how to do it perfectly uh? Price looked down at the screen and gestured him to come closer with a nod. When he approached the table he saw her image on the tablet screen. She looked like a different person. She had her hair tied up in a slick bun, she had a black turtleneck on. She was sitting at a desk and looked like she had pens and papers scattered around her. She had the black glasses he saw in her apartment, they looked a little bit too big for her face. She looked professional, put together and capable.

I can paint the picture for you. Alba looked like Diabolik's girlfriend. If you don't know, Diabolik is one of the most popular series in Italian comics, about a nameless criminal mastermind thief, genius and assassin with a mask on, named Diabolik. His partner in crime is as clever as him, and her significant trait is her blond slick bun and black clothing. I won't give out her name, just because it might be important for the sake of the story. But I digress… When she looked at him, her smile disappeared. He realised it was her first time seeing him with the skull plate mask on. Not really a sight for sore eyes. 'This one's different…' she said, probably referring to the mask. He didn't have the chance to reply, Price's burner phone rang and he quickly excused himself out of the tent, leaving him alone with Alba on the phone. Great. Come on you kept thinking about her, now she's here, talk. She studied him form behind those huge lenses, crossing her arms on the table. She admitted, it wasn't really pleasant to look at him. The image wasn't really clear on the screen, but she felt chills down her spine nonetheless. The mask looked like a real human skull, somehow sawn on the balaclava. It was creepy. Every inch of his skin was covered, his eyelids were painted dark, he had gear and weapons strapped to his chest. Again, just a terrifying sight. It made her realise what she was gonna do in 15 minutes. Direct an operation that would bring death to a lot of people. It was starting to sound real all of a sudden. 'You ready?' he asked, snapping her back to reality. 'I'm good', she replied, a small nod.

All she wanted was for Price to come back and close that damned call, she could't look at him anymore. She thought he had noticed her discomfort because he suddenly disappeared from the screen. Shit started to go down after that. She put her headset on, turned on the microphone. She set up her screens and make sure she had her papers in order. After a few minutes, every body camera started to switch on, revealing the desert around the soldiers, them getting in position. The first thing she heard came from the Boeing aircraft. She felt her heart rate go up. 'India 0-1, this is Eagle 0-3, standard check in, over.' She cursed under her breath and switched channels. 'Eagle 0-3 this is India 0-1, loud and clear, out.' She replied. She let out a shaky breath and checked she gave the correct response with the correct form. She did. She stayed silent, hearing the conversation and radio checks from the soldiers. 'All stations, five minutes to dispatch, get ready.' She figured it was Price speaking. 'Gentlemen, say hello to India 0-1', she chucked, hearing a few voices saying hi, she thought she recognised Kyle saying a chirpy 'hey Jude'.

'Hi everyone' she replied with a small smile.

'Good luck.'

notes: I did my best keeping the conversation on the radio as close to reality as possible, but, you guessed it, I'm not in the army!!!

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[vampsquerade]

Hi! hope you have a good day! Can you do a poly "Ghost x male reader x Soap" (if you comfortable writing poly relationship) with slow burn, angst and fluff at the end?

Where Ghost and Soap already in a relationship until the reader came into their team The two male thought the reader wasn't talkative around people but few weeks later, things change at first Ghost seems interesting in the male skill using gun and how fast he can run and Soap like the male sense of humour.

Both of them thought it only a friendship type of things. Until the male save Ghost from the enemy on the battlefield and him laughing at Soap jokes. That when the two males known what happen to them, they weren't sure if M/n would comfortable in a relationship with them, so they start doing small things for him like making coffee or helping training,..

And M/n notice it, he even started to fall for the both of them. But he keep denying the things they did for him because he thought that what friend do. and M/n don't think he is ready for a new relationship, he wasn't sure he is good enough for them (the male got trauma from the previous relationships) (more angst please, I would like to suffer for a little bit)

(・∀・)

After a while, the three of them got into a mission together, everything went good until the male got shot. He thought he going to be de@d soon (only to find out that he only got shot at his leg) so M/n confessed how he feel about the two of them which got him embarrassed when Ghost mention it when they got back to the base.

(andddd I don't know what to do with the ending cause I'm ran out of idea. I would want to see how the treated each other when got into a relationship. Sorry about the grammar, English isn't my first language)

hello anon! thanks so much for your request, i’m sorry for having taken so long to get to it because i will be honest, i rewrote this 29 fucking times…anyway, thank you for being as descriptive as possible because that really helped me out. and it’s okay! if you would like, feel free to leave a request in your native language so it’s more comfortable for you, i can translate it easily!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Ghost x Male!Reader x Soap: One’s Company, and Two’s a Crowd

Trigger Warnings: angst wth a happy ending, DEAD DOVE: DO NOT EAT, gunshot wounds, past abusive relationships, relationship trauma, accidental confessions, reference of domestic violence

Simon and Johnny had, despite their slight differences, found themselves in a relationship together. Behind closed doors, the relationship was as domestic as it could get with an angsty man who’s had the worst of the worst happen in his life and a golden retriever boyfriend whose purpose for his traumatized lover was to show him there is some good in this world. Though his biological family is gone, Simon’s found his place in the Task Force and SpecGru; and a new member was just about to join the family. You walked into the room where Simon and Johnny were sitting, and his eyes grew wide when he saw you do a double take once you saw them. “Hey—who the fuck are you? How the fuck’d you get in?” he asks, quickly standing up.

Johnny’s quick to do the same, grabbing Simon’s hand tightly to hold him back. “Easy, Simon—let’s give him a chance to explain himself,” he says. His ocean blue eyes are soft as he looks at you, meanwhile Simon’s dark brown eyes are glaring into you so hard you feel like you’ll suddenly feel the blade of an invisible knife ghost against your neck before digging into you. “I’m new around here, sorry. The main contractor was telling me to try and introduce myself to anyone who’s around,” you explain. Your voice is so soft and so gentle, despite your military build. You’ve even got your arms raised in the air as a form of surrender. Simon, still wary of you, walks over to you and begins to frisk you for weapons. Satisfied that he doesn’t find anything, Simon lets you lower your arms before walking back to Johnny.

“You should probably learn how to fucking knock,” he scolds, glaring at you hard still. “He doesn’t need to knock Bonnie, this is the common room,” Johnny says before shaking his head slightly. “Sorry about that—what’s yer name? I’m Johnny and this here is Ghost,” he asks in a more kind manner. “Ah, cool. Nice to meet you two, please call me Y/N whenever we’re not on a mission or anything,” you say, giving the two a more peaceful and gentle smile. “Y/N…very nice name, I’ll say. Glad to have you on our side, too. I’m sure all of us will make some real good memories now that you’re here,” Johnny says. You can’t help but smile, nodding your head a bit, “Can’t wait to see what the future holds for us—this is going to be really exciting. I’ll be out of your hair now, see you around,” you say.

The duo then watches you give them a little wave once you step back out of the common room. It makes Simon sigh deeply, looking back down at Johnny. “M’sorry, love. I didn’t mean to snap on the kid like that…you know how I am…” he apologizes. It makes Johnny laugh, leaning over and giving him a kiss on the cheek as he leads him back to the couch. “It’s okay, you’ll eventually warm up to him…I hope,” he says, wrapping his arms back around Simon. He does the same, holding onto Johnny once more and closing his eyes. “He seems…a bit promising, however. I’ll try my best to warm up to him…” Simon mumbles, nuzzling into Johnny’s chest. “Go at your own pace, alright?” Johnny reassures. Simon nods, sighing again as he closes his eyes. His lover’s embrace always seems to calm him for the better.

Time seems to fly, the more you spend time on base and out on missions, the more Simon and Johnny seem to notice you’re completely reserved to everyone else. The only time you ever speak is on missions, and even then, it’s only when you need to make call outs or call in a UAV. The two of them are impressed however, your ability to run and gun down enemies is something that they haven’t seen in quite some time. The way you carry yourself is with so much pride and a determination to do your job the best you could now that you’re in the big leagues, met only by the silence of someone who actively acknowledges just how good they are. It’s not arrogant or anything, as you tend to give everyone a thumbs up once you’re asked how you’re feeling before, during, and after a mission.

Outside the field, you’re even more isolated and really only hang around Johnny and Simon whenever they invite you to. You laugh at Johnny’s dumb jokes, picking up on some of his Scots and occasionally using it whenever the time is right. Johnny starts to feel drawn to you, and with your expertise in handling weaponry and staying cool in the field draws Simon closer to you too. It’s shocking, but it’s what draws the romantic duo closer to wanting to know you better. Johnny comes up with the idea to make you more comfortable, following Simon’s suggestion to get you closer to the two of them. It’s a big risk, he says, but Simon’s more than willing to make that risk for you.

You warm up to them both, talking more and more only when you’re with them. The prospect of potentially adding you to their relationship makes Johnny and Simon a bit excited. They begin to treat you nicely, waking you up whenever you’ve slept long enough, giving you coffee or tea if it’s too early in the morning, and treating you with a kindness you haven’t really felt in a long time. It almost feels…a little domestic. It’s a form of intimacy you didn’t even have in your last relationship, and in turn it makes you a bit wary. Still wanting to be friends with them, you just return the gestures whenever you can. Acts of service seems to be Johnny’s love language, and quality time seems to be Simon’s.

For you, it’s gift giving. You give them little trinkets and stuff you find—out in the field and in the cities you all travel to—showing them that you’re their friend and want them to know you appreciate them. It scares you, after a few months of doing this, as you eventually find yourself catching feelings for the both of them. It felt wrong, having such strong emotions for two men at the same time. It almost reminds you of your past relationship, except you were forced to share yourself with two different people who ended up forgetting you in the end. They’d exclude you and eventually started hurting you physically whenever you protested the relationship.

So once you wake up from a nightmare recounting that verg relationship while sleeping on the couch of the common room, Johnny and Simon are immediately alerted by this as they sit and talk seated at a table in the corner of the room. They see the cold sweat dripping off your forehead, your chest heaving slightly as you try to regain your breath and rush over. “Are you doing alright? What’s the matter?” Johnny asks, looking at you. “G-Get away…please…” you plead softly, shocking the duo slightly. “Bonnie, come on…we just want to help you…” Johnny says, reaching out for you. You crawl further back into the couch, as if scrambling to get away from them.

Simon, despite wearing his usual skull balaclava, is clearly distressed by your sudden behavior. “Do you…feel scared because of us…” he asks softly, trying to show his concern for you. Not a word comes out, however, a gentle nod of the head is the only answer given. “Do you feel comfortable enough to talk about it? We just want to understand…” Johnny says. You just remain silent, not even realizing that your body’s begun to tremble. “Please, let us understand…help us understand…” he continues to urge you. Feeling overwhelmed, you just push them away and quickly storm out of the common room.

The duo doesn’t move or go after you, opting to give you the space you clearly need right now. Weeks go by, and you’re sent back on another mission with Johnny and Simon. They could tell you’re still very much not willing to talk to them. The distance aches their hearts, as all they want to do is understand what’s hurting you. They don’t even realize that they’re the reason; you’d swiftly fallen in love with the two men, and you really don’t want to have a repeat of your previous relationship the more you fall. It hurt, and you didn’t want to see them hurt from it either. It’s distracting, especially on such an important mission like this. Suddenly, you can faintly hear your callsign being yelled.

“Liquid…”

“Liquid!”

“Liquid! Get the fuck down!”

You snap out of your thoughts once the disembodied voice yells at you, managing to hear a bullet whizz past your ear. Immediately you drop to the floor, clutching your TAQ-56 tightly in your hands. Not realizing the enemy’s become fully aware of your presence long before you started zoning out, the realization of three of you being pinned down where you were positioned really rang in your ears. Maybe it was just the bullet that whizzed past, or the thundering gunfire that surrounded you making your ears ring. Whatever it was, you forced yourself to wait for the enemies to call out to their own teammates when reloading to return fire.

The shootout lasts for a while and as a last ditch effort against the remaining 4 scattered enemies, one of them hurls an active frag grenade towards Simon. “Ghost, move!” you exclaim. Simon looks down and quickly moves back, firing at an enemy that appeared from the left of a different building. Running from your cover, fire is immediately opened on you as you grip the grenade and hurl it back to the one that threw it. A bullet pierces through you in an unknown area, pain immediately surging in your body as you fall to the floor. The grenade explodes on the enemy that tossed it, as well as his friend that happened to be unlucky enough to move forward. “Y/N! Streamin’ bloody Jesus!”

“I-I can’t go on anymore! Just know—I really love you guys!” you exclaim, not even paying attention where you had been shot at. Johnny comes out of his cover and fires at the remaining enemy before joining Simon at your side. Simon’s already removed your body armor and was in the middle of checking where the bullet hit you, and he seemed to have frozen in place at your confession. Johnny turns his attention to your leg before looking up at your face, “You uh…you’ll live, Liquid…you got shot in the meatier part of your calf,” he says a bit awkwardly. Instantaneously upon hearing you weren’t even dying, your heart dropped even further into the seemingly bottomless pit.

You just accidentally confessed.

The once talkative trio was now completely silent, being treated by medics and being moved to get further care for your gunshot wound. Simon and Johnny patiently wait to be allowed to see you and once they do, the tension in the room is just as heavy as it was back when you first joined the whole operation. “Y/N…we need to talk about what you said earlier,” Johnny urges gently. A deep sigh escapes you as you sit there in the infirmary cot. You’ve begun to play with the stitching to your jeans, huffing softly. “It was the heat of the moment…” you make an excuse for yourself, blaming it on the situation.

Simon raises his brow after, “You do know that that makes it all the more true. This isn’t something you can easily avoid,” he says, reminding you of the other side of the coin. Feeling defeated about this situation, your shoulders slump as you reluctantly look up at the couple. “Okay, fine—I’ve…I’ve had feelings for you two for quite some time but…ah…” You say, trailing off as different points come through your mind. Deciding to start on one, the look in your eyes becomes somber as the duo watches and patiently waits to hear what you have to say. “Can I first explain why I started pushing you guys away…?” you ask, hoping they’ll provide you a safe space to speak.

“‘Course ya can…go in and tell us, lad…we’re listening…” Johnny reassured you. Simon nods silently, waiting to understand why you began to act so distant in the first place. “Well…when my partner and I were dating, they decided to add another person to the mix…except, it was a blatant slap to the face,” you begin, feeling a bit overwhelmed as the story of your past relationship comes to light. Johnny and Simon both reach for your hands, gently holding onto and caressing them. They give you a moment to recollect yourself, clearly treating you much better than you had been treated. “It was only like that because it was basically a way for my partner to distance themselves and cheat on me.”

The last sentence makes Simon furious, and he squeezes at your hand a little tighter. You couldn’t help but keep going, “The two of them had degraded me and…sometimes they hit me…whenever I asked them to join or made a protest to the whole thing.” Johnny’s eyes, usually soft, looked immediately protective, “Oh bonnie…you didn’t deserve to be treated like rubbish like that. Is the ended relationship why you ended up joining the military, and eventually us?” he asks while reassuring you. A silent nod is your only response, as well as the quivers of pain and fear your body gives.

“I pushed myself away to keep myself from hurting like that again…from personal experience, I’ve become so afraid…” you say. Your own hands then hold onto Simon’s and Johnny’s a bit tighter, and they do the same. “We wouldn’t let that happen at all. Johnny and I here, well—the two of us have fallen in love with you at the same time. It’s completely understandable if you want to join or not,” Simon confesses, rubbing at the back of his still balaclava-covered head. “Promise we won’t ignore how you’re feeling…a relationship as big as ours relies heavily on trust so…” Johnny says, looking at Simon before you.

“Will you trust us?”

The question comes out of their mouths perfectly in sync, showing that giving you the move you’ve always deserved is something they both agreed on doing. A heavy and apprehensive silence filled the room, the 50/50 chance of you agreeing or not waiting to be flipped by a singular figurative scenario. “I’ll trust you…” eventually came out of your lips and confirmed your answer. Not even realizing they had been holding their breaths, Simon and Johnny sigh in relief. “Thank fucking God…” Simon says, putting a hand in his chest. Johnny chuckles as he leans forward and kisses your cheek.

“Best choice, Y/N…you’re going to be so loved…you’ve even got Simon all exasperated about this,” Johnny says, slightly joking with you. Simon grumbles, rolling his eyes as lifts his balaclava up before he leans forward and kisses your other cheek. “That’ll do…” he says, ruffling your sleeve a bit. “Thank you—I’m really hoping this could work out for us…” you mumble softly, kissing both Simon and Johnny’s cheeks. This was the staff of a new beginning, and the first step from healing what you’d experienced before. So much love was on its way to you, and you were just so happy.

[beanibon]

I've been reading your publications lately! I love them all!

And I read your time list, I saw that you write about kaisen jujutsu too, but then I thought, wow, a crossover between kaisen jujutsu and Trigun would be cool.

ANDSo, you could write a reader that could possibly be gojo's sister and accidentally during a battle against a curse, the reader stops in norman's land, Since it would be cool to see the reaction of Vash, Knives and Nicholas with the reader who is a Jujutsu sorcerer

Ooooooh! Absolutely, I haven't watched JJK in a hot minute and I need to rewatch for the newest season so if some of my terminology is a bit wonky I do apologise in advance.

Warnings: Not any really, maybe some blood warning in Knives part cause he's Knives. And maybe an asshole warning for Knives too.

Context: reader has a curse that allows her to bring certain fake replicas from other dimensions through, but a failed domain expansion ends them in the middle of an unknown dimension. Reader is Gojo's sister :3

Jujustu Kaisen Reader Isekai

You had convinced Gojo you could handle a Grade 1 curse by yourself, finally happy to break free from his overbearing mission babysitting. Yet your childish older brother made you pinky swear to call the moment things went belly up, but you couldn't hate the way he just wanted you to be safe. Even though it did piss you off at times.

Yet what you haven't expected was the Special Grade curse awaiting you, no Grade 1 in sight as this flailing creature of limbs and teeth gnashed its horrendous form towards you. It had you startled as you struggled against the power of the curse, yet it left no opening to call for any kind of help.

Once you managed the call, Gojo picking up instantly, you had no time to talk as excruciating pain exploded on the side of your body. That's what triggered it, the domain expansion that swallowed you and that wretched curse, worlds flashing by you as this thing screeched trying to reach you.

When the sky opened, sun bright and burning hot did the Curse flee as you descended into the sandy desert below.

You can imagine Vash's shock when you collided into him from out of nowhere, falling from the sky as crushed him under your unexpected weight.

This poor man confused, now in pain and groaning as he struggled to sit up only to realise that some oddly dressed woman faceplanted comically into his chest. What was more confusing was he was in the middle of nowhere, so your appearance was even more bizarre.

Vash was very patient the moment you gained your composure, panicking at the unfamiliar terrain, the unfamiliar man who was probably sprouting a face sized bruise on his chest.

He was very confused once you calmed enough to explain who you were and how you theorised you came here, not understanding what curses were, or domain expansions or anything that you said. Vash simply just smiled and nodded, though you knew this equivalent of a golden retriever had no clue what you were saying.

It had been a few months now since falling into the arms of your blonde companion, following Vash in his journey of constant misfortune. Every chance you got, if Vash's ridiculous bounty didn't have you scrambling away from raining bullets, you attempted to return to your home. But no matter how hard you tried it seemed as if your domain expansion just didn't want to cooperate, fizzling into existence only to dimish seconds later.

After what felt like the millionth attempt, you screamed, picking up Vash's neglected glasses and ditching them a fair way into the sandy wasteland. A sigh was heard behind you, before Vash went after his glasses, a half eaten can of stew on his hands.

For nights Vash witnessed your desperate attempts, angry tears and homesickness, he felt helpless at not being able to help. He wanted to be able to tell you that one day it'll work, but he didn't understand what these techniques of magic were, instead watching as you gave up more and more.

Brushing the sand of his signature yellow tinted lenses, the Humanoid Typhoon made his way back, stopping in front your angry, hunched over form. He crouched down, offering you an encouraging smile, flinching out at the handful of sand thrown in his face.

"What was that for?" He whined, rubbing sand from his eyes.

"I hate that you're always happy, it pisses me off! How are you so positive?" You groaned, turning away from his returning smile. At times the blonde reminded you of your older brother, Gojo Satoru, except you were thankful Gojo couldn't wield a gun for shit.

Vash shrugged, sitting back down comfortably. "I don't know, guess it just comes naturally. If it helps, I have a pretty amazing partner right now, despite how she always wants to leave my side." You knew his words were light-hearted, Vash was your biggest supporter and he did everything to make sure you could return to Tokyo.

Hands held yours, one metallic and cold, the other soft and warm. Vash pressed his glasses onto your nose gently, ruffling your hair as he stood and walked back to his abandoned meal.

Tears welled in your eyes, those stupid glasses identical to your only remaining family. And that simple action? It was exactly what Gojo did when you were frustrated, forever the best brother despite his ridiculous antics.

"Here," a half full canteen of water and warmed can of soup were held out to you, Vash's smile widening as you took them. "You'll get it eventually, but you can't do anything on an empty stomach, eat up."

A faint smile graced your lips, thanking Vash quietly as you took your share, growing use to the taste of provisions at this point.

And Vash was right, you will return home, even if was sad to leave someone as amazing as Vash behind.

Wolfwood couldn't compute the strange looking worm fleeing the scene, hideous screeches echoing across the desert plain as your form collided with the ground in a plume of course, hot sand.

Yet despite your clingy ass, he let you trail behind him like a lost puppy. Answering whatever questions with teasing falsehoods, which you believed at first... until you found out he was full of shit.

Bleeding and coughing blood, Wolfwood was tempted to just leave you to die, but something warned him against it. So that's how he became stuck with your annoying ass, wailing nonsense the moment you woke in that hospital bed. It gave Nicholas a headache.

For months you trailed behind the cross-bearing Undertaker, finding odd comfort in the way he shielded you from outlaws, throwing you out the way of gunfire.

"You do not have worms the size of skyscrapers!" You accused, glaring at the back of Wolfwood's skull as his shoulders shook in laughter. You were tired of his stories, lying to you constantly.

"I ain't lying sweetheart, we got some big ol' bugs in this world, hope you aren't queezy around them." He barked out a mocking laugh, looking back at you with that infuriating smirk of his, always paired with a crumpled cigarette.

You scoffed, arms folded over your chest as kicked sand towards him, cursing at it filled your uniforms boots. There was no point emptying it out now, it'd just make it worse. It made you wonder how Wolfwood could traverse No Man's Land in those tattered Vans.

"You're so full of shit."

Just then an sound akin to an explosion shook the ground, you instinctively leapt forward and clung to Wolfwood's arm. Sand showered down onto you two, the gigantic creature roaring as it buried itself back into the sand, disappearing.

Your body shook, eyes wide as you stared at the now soft quick sand, unaware of Nicholas's unbothered form smirking at how you latched onto him.

"What the fuck was that?"

"A worm," Wolfwood chuckled as you realised your position, releasing him instantly. "Believe me now?"

You hated to admit he was right, even after telling the truth for the first time. "So you told me the truth once, that doesn't make up for the fact you had me believing giant emu like birds are your desert horses."

Nicholas said nothing, but that damn smirk widened a centimetre and you began doubting it was false.

"You're fucking joking! Have you been telling the truth this entire time!?" Nicholas snorted, lighting another cigarette as he began walking again, leaving you to run after him.

Knives was in the middle of kidnapping a plant, when the sky opened revealing a woman desperately fighting off a hideous, snarling creature. The sight intrigued him, never before seeing that kind of worm before nor a human attempting to fend it off.

Watching boredly as your form fell, landing a distance in front of him. He was heading that way anyways, so he'd be able to assess your worth then.

When you released some kind of energy, the ball exploding against the strange worm, rendering it to a sizzling pile of flesh, Knives lips pulled into a cruel grin.

The man ignored your warnings, finding your pathetic attempts to thwart to his mission's destination infuriating. But when you persisted, begging him to turn back, that's when something sharp flew your way, finding enough strength to dodge it.

Your eyes were wide at the bladed tendril, panicked at the idea of another Special Grade Curse meeting you in this odd plain. Before you could even begin to make sense of what just happened, an ear-piercing shriek sounded from behind.

That hideous mass of limbs and teeth had finally caught up, drool dribbling down its mouths, causing the teeth to glisten at its hunger. You couldn't put up a barrier in time, body strained from the original battle and the energy it took to conjure a domain expansion. All you could do was throw weak curse techniques its way, like before to slow it down so you could flee.

Yet before you could even speak the technique, thousands of those bladed vines lashed out towards the Special Grade. Shock froze you in place, watching as blood splattered everywhere as the curse dissolved into a darkened dissipating mist.

Scared eyes turned to what you could only describe as a stronger Special Grade, fear causing you to shuffle away from the approaching Humanoid Curse.

"What are you?" His voice was angelic, full of intrigue as he towered over you.

"You should know what I am," You shrunk under his gaze, not oblivious to an inhuman power resignating from this curse. "I'm a Jujutsu Sorcerer."

"You speak as if I'm suppose to know what that is?" Those tendrils returned, flicking the blood from their reflective surface as they retreated into his spine.

"Aren't you a curse?"

"A curse?" The man scoffed out a laugh, eyes turning cruel as he leaned dangerously close. "I am a god, here to rid this planet of the plague you humans bring."

Those words sent shivers up your spine, but his words reminded you of Gojo's mocking tales of the King of Curses: Sukuna. Perhaps this man lived on his agenda, fulfilling Sukuna's orders.

"But that's not why I decided to save your pathetic, mortal life," You hadn't realised this man was still speaking, blinking up at the handsome face, free of his cloak. "I saved you because I wish for you to join me, to use this power of yours to serve me and free my brethren."

Startled as you scrambled to your feet, taking several steps back from this scarily handsome curse, hands held out as if it'd stop his advances. As he continued to approach, grinning wickedly at your fear as you fell backwards, landing on your backside. As this thing kneeled before you, features filled with amusement, you groaned.

"I appreciate the generous offer, but I need to go home Mr Curse, so I'm gonna have to pass on the destruction of humanity." A brow was quirked your way, mocking laughter filling the empty expanse of sand.

"I wasn't asking," Those same bladed tendrils wrapped around your squirming body, hoisting you high into the air as he continued his path, deafening your shrieks and pleas.

"You may refer to me as Millions Knives, your new god."

♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡

A/N: Hope you enjoyed your request Clouduru-Chan! I actually had so much fun writing this, especially Knives part, that may just be cause I'm the biggest Knives simp.

Love you heaps! 💜💜

[coleszzzworld]

My yandere college! jock head canons!

A/n-(yoooo , these are just some random head canons for my yandere jock series ! I just wanted to push something out , and it’s been forever since I wrote for kai lol lowkey this is some character backstory for Kai , happy reading enjoy!❤️)

TRIGGER WARNING ⚠️- suggestive content , daddy issues, mentions of murder? (Kind of) just some crazy stuff lol and yandere behavior. Do not read if easily triggered!

•I already said this in the first chapter butttttt kai is definitely a golden retriever boyfriend, he’s just so damn stupid, and he has a bright personality. But when someone fucks with you in anyway … let’s just say he gets scary 😭 , and I don’t mean that in a cringe way , that man will kill for you . And make sure you’ll never find out 🧍🏽‍♀️he could go to 0 to 100 real quick !!!

•Kai loves being around you , no matter what . Oh your going back to your dorm ? Or home (that’s if u don’t live on campus) it doesn’t matter he’ll be behind you , and he’ll lowkey invite himself to stay the night at your place , like this man literally lives at your dorm/house , like I’m not joking his toothbrush, clothes, blankets etc . Is at your place even if you have a roommate or you live with your family , surprisingly your roommate/family love him! And says he’s welcome anytime! , yeah you definitely need space from him. “Y/n!! Let’s watch a movie!”

•I don’t want to be that person but I will be , he definitely has home problems , that boy ain’t got a daddy (just like me fr 🤠) when he was two years old , his dad left . And his mom always works . She’s barely home , and when she is , they don’t really talk , and when they do they always fight about the dumbest things , so basically he ain’t got no dad , and his mom is a workaholic, and he’s a insane psychopath! w for his parents fr !!!🥳 that’s part of the reason he stays with you , he’s alone most of the time , that and he likes to have you close.

•also I will be that person again🙃, when your sleep , and he’s laying on the floor next to your bed (he refused to stay in the guest room , he says your room is more comfortable.) he definitely the type to get hard from just being near you , and he has to release his aching pain some how ….👀 now he’s respectful he’ll make sure he’s quiet (even tho he doesn’t want to be.🤠) and he’s makes sure to clean up after , don’t hate but he’s definitely a whimper 😩 like he bites his lip when he’s coming to his high , his hand going up and down on his length. 😵‍💫 he just thinks about how you would feel on his length and how he would just claim you as his , all he can think about is how tight you would be … “f-fuck , y-y/n I’ll be g-good , just be mines , p-please”

•now let me tell you this , he’s definitely not a virgin, his body count is two , everyone on campus thinks he’s a play boy but naw 😭he has a low body count and he’s loyal to one person and that person is only you. That and all of his team mates and friends are play boys so that’s were the expectations come from fr lol .

•now , he does have siblings(he has 3 other siblings), but he has never met them (well kinda of) ,the first thing he knows about his dad was when he was starting college and football he was meeting everyone and he met a cheerleader , she kinda of looked like his dad , I mean the pictures of his dad he had she looked like him , and she had the same last name as his dad (Kai has his moms last name) curiously he wanted too know more , so he went digging and fount her instagram, he saw photos of her family and sure enough he saw his dad … he definitely stayed away from her when he fount out his dad , left and had a new family, a family with another woman , and new children, a child that HE goes to school with , someone HE shares the flied with basically, he lost it , bro was definitely feeling all types of Emotions , actually as matter fact , when he first fell for you , yk at the football game , the reason why his head was out of the game and the team was losing , was because his dad was their , not for him , hell his dad probably didn’t even recognize that Kai was playing, his dad was their for his daughter. The cheerleader. Kai was feeling anger, sadness, he wanted to go up on those bleachers and beat the hell out of his dad…all that was running through Kai Head was “how dare he leave me , and have a new family. How fucking dare he come here . And act like I don’t exist. How dare he.” But when break time happened and he bumped into you near the concessions stand that’s when he met you .Suddenly he felt wanted, he knew he had to have you.

•now let’s talk about Kai’s mom , like I said she’s a workaholic, she wasn’t married to Kai’s dad when he split , and she works as a nurse, she picks up shifts and works all day / night ,she really didn’t talk about Kai’s dad , while he was growing up , and refused to talk about him , when Kai wanted to get in contact with his dad . She’s a nice lady tho , when she was at home , Kai dragged you to his house to meet her , and surprisingly you and her bonded , then she left for work . Kai looked disappointed but he’s used to it 🙃

•Kai just needs love and attention, bro is , Touch starved too😭 he just needs some love fr , so no matter where y’all are , he will always be holding you hand or holding your waist , or just lean against you , bro just down bad fr 😭

•he’s your best friend, as you put it , but I’m telling you now , that man is trying to be more then friends, like he’s literally insane over you . And even if you don’t like him like that , that’s okay , you’ll never get rid of him!

•this man drives , so your a passenger princess , so when you guys go out , he likes to blast music and put his hand on your thigh , and he says it’s not werid, but you’re like “🤔” he definitely has no chill , like I said he loves holding you . So his hands go to your thighs when he drives you , too school or anywhere else

•I have a feeling that this man listens to indie and rap , I’m talking like gorillaz and Marc demarco , jid , sometimes Kodak and nardo wick when he’s feeling devious 🤭 he also listens to glass animals, anddddd tame impla and Tyler the creator😤

•let’s do say , someone fucks with you , In anyway I mean he fought Cameron Harris for you , he definitely was trying to kill him , and he would if his friends didn’t pull him off Cameron , but let’s say someone disrespect your name or spreads Nasty rumors about you , that man is ready to split whoever skull open for you , like I said he’s bat shit crazy, he literally thinks of you as a god . He thinks your his savior damn near 😵‍💫 like he can’t have no one talking down on your name 🗣️

•overall If I had to rate him on how dangerous he is I would say 8.9/10 like he’s insane and basically he has nothing to lose , he’ll go to war for you any day , if you say to , he will , he just real like that🤭💅🏽.

“Nobody will talk to you like that y/n . I’ll forever love and protect you . You’ll see I’m the one for you! And If not …I’ll make you love me .”

[not-poignant]

Birthday Spotlight - Nathaniel 'Nate' Prince

[17th January - Capricorn]

Nate made his debut appearance in Falling Falling Stars as a minor/side character who was the 'angry wet cat' to Janusz' 'happy golden retriever' personality. A tenor in a queer choir, Nate was a young, grumpy, but secretly compassionate poet. He rubbed Efnisien the wrong way almost constantly, until Efnisien realised Nate reminded him of him.

People fell in love with Nate and Janusz, especially once learning of hints of Nate's traumatic back story with an abusive ex named Christian. I realised his romance with Janusz was pretty magical, and decided to give him his own starring role as the main character (and omega) in Underline the Blue. He's a grump, and he can be pretty scathing and judgemental, but when people realise what he's been through, they tend to understand just how important his anger and impatience is when he expresses it!

He's a lesson to all people pleasers out there that sometimes the goal in life is not to become a nicer person after all.

‘Ignore Nate,’ said the friendly guy. ‘He’s a grump. One hundred percent bona fide grump. He only likes cats and Jude Law.’

Falling Falling Stars

Falling Falling Stars - A minor character who is part of two choirs and more than one poetry group. A certified grumpy character and minor antagonist, he shows Efnisien unexpected solidarity, and reveals that people with PTSD are, ironically, a PTSD trigger for him after an abusive ex used his PTSD as an excuse for abusive behaviour.

Janusz adores him.

Underline the Blue - Nate's main story, an m/m omegaverse romance where he is sent to be turned into a 'good omega' and put under the care of alpha companion for hire - Janusz Bodanowicz. But Janusz quickly learns that Nate was being severely abused, and the centre Nate's placed at decides to never send Nate back to his abuser again. Love grows as a slow, fractious healing commences.

Janusz will always adore him.

Underline the Gold - Cameo, he's a friend of Flitmouse's.

Poet

Appreciates nature

A sour, cat-like personality, quick to judge and feel judged, with an inner snarky voice determined to try and protect him from being hurt again.

Definitely more of a pessimist and nihilist than an idealist or optimist.

Black lanky hair, and black eyebrows, with a 'sharpness' about his face and dark brown eyes.

His personality attributes include being deeply soft, but hiding it. Being judgemental and often closed-minded. He loves fiercely and protectively. He is argumentative, even when he desperately doesn't want to be.

Insulting Efnisien to his face (how rude!) and making him angrier than just about anyone else in Falling Falling Stars

Bridge solidarity (iykyk)

Nephew to a very mysterious character indeed - one Corbyn (Raven) Prince

PTSD being his PTSD trigger

Suspicious and hates to be seen as vulnerable

Always falls in love with Janusz, who protects and cherishes him for who he is.

PTSD in all worlds

Needs some help coming out of his shell

Always concealing something (either his mean streak or his compassionate side!)

Never intended to be any kind of main character, but he worked so well as an antagonist I realised he could be extremely useful. After that, it was fascinating watching readers react to him - he was a good foil to Bridge. Readers were quick to trust her, but she was ultimately abusive. Readers were often quick to distrust Nate, but he was the one who came through as Efnisien's ally. An amazing teacher of 'don't trust first impressions.'

Nate's journey was inspired by a couple of friends who had been abused by people who both had PTSD at the time. As someone with PTSD myself, I found it insufferable that these folks used their PTSD as an excuse to harm, hurt and bully others, before falling back behind 'but you triggered me' or 'you can't confront me that's a trigger.' So while Nate isn't based off anyone in particular, Nate's abuser, Christian, is based off a specific kind of abuser that often flies under the radar, because people sometimes give extremely bad interpersonal behaviour a pass when it comes to mental illness.

'Is it really okay to be nice to me?'

Underline the Blue

[drakiandh]

Shifting Jewels - Chapter Two, Strawberry Trip

Another one. Imma update every Saturday in hopes that I can make these chapters without stress. I am in love so far, and am currently making their designs. Anyways, happy reading! Words - 4,265

Star’s gaze lingered on the fallen gem, its vibrant red hues now dulled by the golden corruption that had taken hold. His weapons returned to their places within his gem with the flick on his true hand. The air around him hung heavy with a mix of emotions, a complex tapestry woven from joy, grief, and fear.

Joy surfaced at the sight of Painite, an old companion he thought lost to the ravages of time. Grief welled within him, knowing that despite the years that had passed, Painite still harbored resentment and hatred. Fear, however, clutched at his core, an icy grip that tightened with the looming threat of the corruption that had claimed his friend.

Approaching cautiously, Star moved towards the gem as if the very act of proximity might trigger the other’s reform. He hesitated before gently nudging it with his foot, as though testing the waters. When no reaction followed, he reached down and cradled the corrupted gem in his hands, a sense of regret lingering in his touch.

“I’m sorry,” he murmured, his voice barely audible, as if speaking too loudly might shatter the fragile moment. His finger traced the intricate cracks on the gem’s surface. “I’m sorry I didn’t find you sooner.”

Before Painite could attempt to reform, Star enveloped the gem in a sphere of deep navy blue, cradling it gently. He hesitated to send the other gem to the temple back in Beach City, opting instead to shrink down the bubble small enough to fit it into his pockets. Clutching the bubbled gem in his hands, he stood and walked over to the nearby pillar. Retrieving his jacket, Star concealed the gem under the fabric, beginning the journey back to the nearby human town. As he walked, he couldn’t bear the silence, so he decided to speak aloud.

“Things have gotten better, at least in my combat skills,” Star murmured into the open air, absentmindedly rubbing the bubble with his thumb. “When I last visited Rose, I could handle nearly three whole minutes in a fight with her. I wonder how she is; it’s been, what, a hundred years since I’ve visited?”

He was certain that if Painite could hear him, he’d be complaining about Star talking his ears off. Star weakly chuckled at the thought, the memory quickly tainted by their current relationship. “It wasn’t my fault,” he began, hopping down the stone path while keeping the gem within the bubble steady. “Well, it was, but could you blame me? I couldn’t bear the feeling of being just some slave to them. Blue was cold and rude to me, assigning me a purpose without even checking if I was functioning properly. Sure, I’m glad she didn’t, because if I wasn’t, she would’ve shattered me, but the thought would’ve been nice. Yellow was just an ass to me, telling me to ensure Pink would win the war. I’m not even going to mention White; she was terrifying. Pink was a lot better before, well, you know. She was the only one who treated me like someone alive, but even then, she was distant and only really interacted for war-related matters.” Star rambled.

“When Rose offered my freedom, she treated me like I was something alive, not just some tool to see into the future. How could you have stayed? Did you like being their slave? Being nothing more than what you were made to do?”

Star could already imagine the words Painite would say if he wasn’t poofed and bubbled in his hands. “My purpose is what I am made to do. Why should I fight it?”

“But what about after it?” Star responded to the whispers of the question. “After the war, would you be shattered? Poofed? If you were lucky, you’d be taken by Yellow and sent to fight there. But is there really nothing for you other than just claiming worlds filled with life to make more repressed gems? Earth is a free world, Painite. It’s not too late to renounce your allegiance to the Diamonds. I doubt they would even take you back if you somehow get to Homeworld again. They’ve probably already made thousands of Painites on some claimed world of theirs, and maybe they’ve already created thousands of Star Sapphires too. So what’s the point when they’ve already got copies of us?”

They arrived in town before Star could continue, prompting the blue gem to sigh and tuck the blue bubble safely into his pocket. After ensuring the bubble wouldn’t pop when he moved, he shook his still-blue hands back into their false brown color and began his trek toward the nearest warp pad, conveniently located on the other side of the human town.

“Hey, Star!” The Sapphire turned his head toward the human who walked up to him, smiling nervously. He recognized this person as the one who had encountered him in the forest.

“Hey, Carl,” Star greeted, faking a warm smile. He chuckled, clearly nervous.

“I heard a big bang earlier; did you find that big beast and take care of it?” The human asked. Star’s hand drifted down to the bubble hidden in his pocket.

“Yep!” he responded, popping the ‘p’. “You won’t have to worry about it now.”

“Thank god,” the human sighed before offering a genuine smile. “Want to stay over for a while? I know a good hotel-”

“No, thank you, though.” Star cut the human off, still smiling. “I’ve got to get back home.”

“You sure?” The human asked.

“Sure,” Star nodded. The human watched him for a moment before shrugging.

“Your loss.”

Star walked off before the human could say more, his smile falling when the human was out of sight. The Sapphire pulled his hood up to cover his expression, walking as casually and as fast as he could. He’d been to this town many times before, unintentionally earning himself a friendly traveler reputation. And true to his nature, he strived for everything to be pleasant around him.

He smiled and waved at each human that greeted him, engaging in brief conversations with those who asked him questions, and graciously accepting any small gifts offered. By the time he arrived at the edge of the village, the sun was dipping down the horizon, and Star felt the weight of exhaustion settling in.

“Alright,” he muttered, more to the gem in his pocket than to himself. “The warp pad should just be down this road.” The shadows of the night devoured the last remnants of sunlight, and hidden pockets of light illuminated his path. His own gem began to glow with its blue hue, casting a gentle radiance that helped him navigate through the darkness. Intrigued, he took out Painite’s gem, holding it in his hand to see if it, too, would glow. Surprisingly, it did, but the light was subdued and took on a purple hue due to the blue bubble encasing it. Star wondered how Painite’s true red color would look in the dark, but he dismissed the thought, assuming it would be dull and muted, much like Painite’s current appearance. Star pondered what might have happened to his once-vibrant friend for his colors to fade into a pale pink. Was it the corruption? It seemed unlikely, as most of the Corrupted gems he encountered retained the vibrant colors of their original forms. So, what had happened to change Painite’s appearance?

The warp pad glowed subtly in the surroundings, concealed yet unmistakable. Star felt a tired smile spread across his face as he stepped onto it, clutching Painite’s gem close to his chest to ensure it wouldn’t slip from his grasp in the beam. The white light enveloped him, a low hum filling the air as he traversed to his home. The journey took only a few moments, and as the light dissipated upon arrival, he stepped off the pad and took a deep, unnecessary breath. His home, Mask Island, was saturated with the sweet scents of nature and pure water. Though he didn’t require air, he appreciated the olfactory experiences it offered. His smile grew a bit as he strolled down the familiar path he had tread countless times.

His eyes lifted to the split mountain in the center of the island, a frown creasing his features as he recalled the event that had caused it to crack open. He was grateful that Rose, Pearl, Garnet, and Amethyst had managed to thwart the Cluster, just as he had foreseen many years ago. When he first glimpsed that timeline, concern had gripped him about Rose’s fate, fearing that it might be altered, as if she wasn’t truly there. Yet, as the world beneath his feet still flourished under the first rays of the sun, he found ease, finding he had nothing to worry about.

His home, aside from being part of Mask Island itself, consisted of a simple cave within the mountain that had remained unscathed. While it lacked the embellishments he had envisioned, its dull grey walls still emitted the comforting yellow bioluminescence. It wasn’t filled to the brim with decorations, but it was home—his home. However, he knew there was one more task to accomplish before he could retire for the night. Stepping to the center of the cave, he summoned his shadows, drawing them from his gem’s light to form a large, protective dome. Placing Painite’s gem at the dome’s center, he stepped outside, ensuring Painite wouldn’t escape. Using one of his shadow hands, he punctured the blue bubble, and Painite’s gem fell to the ground.

Star stared at the freed gem, nerves coiling in his chest as he waited. He recalled that Painite had only poofed once before during the many years they’d known each other, and it had taken a considerable amount of time for him to reform. Star wondered how long it would take now that he was corrupted.

As it turned out, not very long. Painite’s gem began to glow in its vibrant red hue, illuminating the cave as his form emerged. Star winced as it shivered and glitched from the crack, but Painite reformed with a gasp. The red gem fell to his knees, frantically surveying his surroundings, eyes wide with shock. Upon spotting Star, an animalistic hiss escaped from his mouth, and he instinctively retreated as far as he could. Star winced, raising his hands in a gesture of surrender to try and calm the other gem down.

“Hey, it’s okay, I’m not gonna hurt you,” Star said softly, slowly, keeping a careful eye on Painite. The red gem continued to stare back, his mind not fully present, as he emitted a low growl. Star took a few steps back, recognizing it as a warning growl from past experiences. He patiently waited as Painite gradually regained his composure. After a few minutes, Painite blinked and slowly looked around.

“…Where am I?” Painite asked, his gaze returning to Star. The Sapphire didn’t respond immediately, lowering his hands and allowing Painite to stand, leaning on the dark navy of his containment.

“You’re on Mask Island,” Star explained gently, enunciating carefully to ensure his words reached the red gem. “You’re in my home.” To his surprise, Painite emitted a sharp laugh.

“I’m in your home? This hardly looks like a temple,” Painite remarked, his voice trembling slightly from exhaustion. Star frowned, torn between leaving Painite to rest and pressing for the information he sought.

“How did you survive the Diamonds’ blast?” he inquired, stepping forward until he was a foot away from the dome. Painite glared at him, his teeth clenched and bared in an obvious threat, but he appeared too weary to do more. In fact, it seemed Painite knew he was too fatigued to fight, so he opted to provide an answer instead.

“I hid in Earth’s crust,” Painite replied simply.

“But how?” Star pressed, unsatisfied with the brevity of the explanation. His insistence drew a hiss from Painite.

“The Cluster didn’t get corrupted,” Painite explained slowly. “It was too deep for that. I thought if I got deep enough, I would be safe.” He paused, shifting his weight slightly. “I was not fast enough.”

That was all Star needed to hear. “Okay,” he breathed, nodding to himself. His eyes snapped to Painite’s leg as it glitched, forcing the red gem down with a shout. Star responded by shouting the other’s name and bringing a hand to his gem, summoning the old healing liquid from the depths of his memories. Luckily, the glitching on Painite’s form faded quickly, leaving the red gem on the ground. “Pain,” Star called, waiting until the other’s single eye stared at him. He lifted the liquid floating in his hand, holding it out in an offering. “I can heal your gem if-”

“No!” Painite hissed, wincing as he got to his feet again. Star recoiled as if he’d been hit, surprise evident on his features.

“No?” Star repeated, confused. “What do you mean no?”

“I will heal my own gem,” Painite responded, leaning heavily on the wall of the dome. “I do not need your help to do so.”

“Dude,” Star said incredulously. “Your gem is cracked, a good hit and it would shatter.”

“Then so be it,” Painite responded, finally gaining enough strength to only leave a hand on the wall in case he fell again. “But I will heal on my own.” Star stared at him, mouth slightly open in confusion.

“Wait? You don’t mind being shattered?” He asked, watching as Painite slowly began to walk closer, using the wall to guide him.

“No,” Painite responded simply. Star waited for something else, an explanation, a reason, anything, but all he got was silence. So instead he prodded. “Why?”

“Why?” Painite repeated, stepping closer. “Why not?”

“Why not? Because if you get shattered, you’d die,” Star said. “You want to die?”

“I don’t mind dying,” Painite responded, his arm slowly lifting in a gesture Star recognized well.

“Well, you should,��� Star responded, keeping his eyes on Painite’s face. “You shouldn’t mind dying. There’s so much to live for on this planet.” That got a laugh from the other, short and fake.

“There is nothing on this planet worth living for, other than it being a good gem-producer planet,” Painite responded. “Besides, it has a new purpose. Soon the cluster should emerge; I felt those quakes.”

“The cluster has already been calmed,” Star said, causing Painite to pause. “I saw it 5321 years and two weeks ago. The cluster has been subdued, and I don’t see it returning anytime soon.” Star didn’t flinch as Painite’s arm thrust forward in a pathetic attempt to hurt the other. He did flinch when Painite’s arm pushed against the dome before recoiling with much more force than necessary, forcing the gem back and knocking him off balance.

Painite landed on his back, and a horrified gasp escaped Star as he heard the tell-tell sounds of a gem cracking. Painite’s form erupted into glitches, lasting much longer than the one before. When it settled down enough for Painite to reform fully, the red gem rolled onto his side and laid there. Star saw a few small yellow shards fall to the floor, bringing a kind of dread Star hadn’t felt since the Diamonds decided to corrupt the rebellion.

“Painite! Your gem!” He said, dissipating the dome and rushing forward. He knelt by the other, earning himself a weak hiss. He held out his hand with the healing water, his hand shaking slightly. “Please, please, please just let me heal you.” He begged, hating how the Diamonds had made him. To never give, to never act without being asked first. He hated how he was made to just be a future seeing and better pearl.

“…Only the Diamonds… can heal a gem…” Painite said weakly, glaring at Star.

“Come on dude, all you have to say is yes! You know how I was made, you know!” Star begged, tears beginning to pool in his eyes as fear caused him to shake. Painite simply stared, his expression softening from the hardness Star was so unused to. But just as quickly as it came, it vanished, leaving Painite to turn away.

“No.” He hissed.

“What is your problem?!” Star yelled, dropping the water and allowing it to fall to the ground as he stood up. He was tired of his friend’s attitude, hating the stubborn nature he had once loved. “Why won’t you let me heal you?!” Painite didn’t respond, only laying still as he looked away. Star groaned, burying his hands into his hair as he fought the urge to go destroy something.

“Fine!” He finally yelled. “Be that way! I’ll be back in the morning, and when I do, I better get an explanation as to why you’re being such a stubborn and stupid ass!” He reerected the dome with a grunt and turned on his heel, storming out in the open night. He left for the warp pad, knowing exactly where to go to vent his frustrations.

╭──────────.★..─╮

┊ ⋆ ┊ . ┊ ┊

┊ ┊⋆ ┊ .

┊ ┊ ⋆˚         

✧. ┊         

⋆ ★

When Star returned to Mask Island the next morning, he wasn’t surprised to find his cave empty. Instead, he stood there, gazing at the tiny yellow shards scattered on the ground. A heavy sigh escaped from Star’s lips as he stepped off the wall he had leaned on, embarking on the paths he had etched into the earth. He wandered aimlessly, not actively seeking Painite, already resigned to the likelihood of not encountering the other gem for another millennium or so. The idea of visiting Rose crossed his mind—it had indeed been a substantial span of time.

With that contemplation, he altered his course toward the island’s warp pad. As he strolled, he observed the quaint watermelon creatures that now populated the island. Star had even picked up a smattering of their language, learning from them that his vision of the Malachite fusion had indeed come to fruition. The thought was disheartening, but he found solace in knowing that the remaining Crystal Gems had managed to handle the situation in his absence.

A sudden voice interrupted his musings, prompting him to shake off the inquisitive watermelon beings who had tagged along. Swiftly and quietly, he dashed towards the voice, halting in astonishment when he beheld Painite, forcefully pressing his corrupted foot onto the warp pad. Painite’s countenance twisted into a snarl, and it seemed as though he was barely restraining himself from summoning his weapon and assaulting the pad. “Why won’t you work?!” Painite bellowed in frustration.

Star hesitated, well aware of Painite’s propensity for coldness and hostility. Despite the lingering anger that urged him to confront Painite, his concern for his former companion took precedence. “Painite?” he called out tentatively, taking a cautious step forward. Painite’s head snapped towards him with a sickening crack, and for a fleeting moment, Painite softened slightly with surprise. Yet, that softness vanished as quickly as it came, replaced by a snarl as the red gem bared his teeth.

“What do you want?” Painite hissed, his attention fixated on activating the warp. Star assumed Painite regarded him as either too insignificant a threat or had already accepted his fate.

“I was just going to visit someplace,” Star said, maintaining a distance. Painite continued to glare, and Star respected his space. “Is something wrong?”

“You,” Painite hissed bitterly. “You’re the problem. If it wasn’t for you cracking my gem further, I would be able to leave this diamond-forsaken planet.” Star sighed, nodding apologetically.

“I am sorry for that,” Star said earnestly. “I can heal you if you want.” He flinched as Painite’s glare intensified.

Painite scoffed, and his expression hardened. “You think I’d trust you after what you did? I don’t need your help. I will find that damn fountain of yours and heal myself.”

Star paused. “Wait, fountain?”

Painite sighed. “Yes, the rumor of some healing fountain the rebellion used to heal gems. If it exists, I intend to find it.”

“Oh, it does,” Star said, earning a slightly less angry, confused look from Painite. “I helped make it.” Painite stared at him for a long moment, causing Star to fidget slightly under the gaze. Suddenly, Painite seized Star’s coat, pulling them close enough that their noses nearly touched. Due to Painite being on the warp pad, Star found himself shorter than the other, causing his face to redden from the unexpected proximity.

“Take me to the fountain,” Painite commanded, utilizing the authoritative tone Star had missed. The closeness and the rough voice almost next to his ear made Star melt momentarily, surrendering himself to the unexpected intensity. A good shake, however, brought him back to his senses, and he straightened up.

“R-Right! Sure!” Star stammered out, offering a crooked grin. Painite scoffed and released the Sapphire. Star yelped as he fell, his legs too jelly-like to hold him up. He groaned as he hit the ground, laying there for a moment before sitting up and rubbing the back of his head.

“You’ve been around too many humans,” Painite stated. “You’re acting like one.” Star laughed sheepishly before standing and hopping onto the warp pad, determined to push aside the warmth of the other’s breath on his face. Now was not the time to dwell on past connections.

“To the garden!” Star declared, waiting for the white light of the warp pad to envelop them. Nervousness crept over Star as the warp pad failed to illuminate, and Painite shot him a pointed look.

“Well?” Star flinched, rubbing the back of his neck.

“The warp pad to the garden must’ve been damaged,” he admitted, laughing nervously in an attempt to defuse the growing tension beside him.

“What?” Painite demanded. Panicking, Star scrambled to find a solution.

“I can take you to the next closest warp pad!” he suggested hurriedly. “A-And I can take you there directly!”

Painite seemed to ponder the option, studying Star intensely. Just as Star was about to propose another alternative, Painite spoke, his tone gruff, “Fine.”

“Wait, really?” Star asked, taken aback.

“Do not act like an idiot, Sapphire,” Painite hissed. “Just take me to the fountain, and I will let you live until I can repair the homeworld warp.” Star furrowed his brow but nodded nonetheless. With a simple thought, the warp pad activated, transporting them to the next nearest warp. The short journey was enveloped in silence, with only the subtle hum of the light surrounding them. Star considered offering an apology, as he had done millennia ago, but he hesitated, turning his gaze away.

The light subsided, revealing a sprawling field of strawberries and butterflies drifting gently on the breeze. Painite inhaled sharply, prompting Star to steal a glance at his reaction. The corrupted gem appeared lost, gazing over the field with an expression Star couldn’t quite decipher. After a moment, Painite blinked and stepped off the pad, unintentionally crushing a strawberry in the process. He then turned toward Star with a pointed look, his expression now devoid of the earlier confusion. Star nodded and hopped off, following an invisible path. Yet, curiosity got the better of him, and he couldn’t resist the allure of conversation.

“Sooo….” Star began, glancing at Painite from the corner of his eye. “Did you ever fight here?” Painite remained silent, and Star assumed he wouldn’t respond.

“Yes,” Painite finally replied, prompting a surprised “huh?” from Star.

“Wait, really? That’s cool! What was it like?” Star inquired, turning around and walking backward to face his travel companion. Painite frowned and swatted away a curious butterfly.

“Were you not there? You should have seen it for our Diamond,” Painite retorted, earning a wince from Star.

“Well, I had foreseen it. I told Pink that the battle would be horrible, but that there were going to be multiple. There were so many that I don’t exactly remember the details,” Star responded.

“Speak her name with respect,” Painite hissed before continuing. “This place is where the rebellion turned the tide of the war. And I was there from the beginning.”

“Really?” Star asked. “What was the biggest one? I remember you were a commander then.” Painite frowned, but Star knew just how to encourage him to share war stories.

Star could see the internal struggle on Painite’s face, but eventually, he sighed and began recounting the tales, much to Star’s delight. “The most significant battle I led was the one that changed the tide. It was destructive, and in the first half, we were winning.” A slight smile appeared on Painite’s face, lost in reminiscence. “We nearly shattered half of the rebellion forces with barely a scratch on our own. I could easily see their attempts and their paths, making it easy to thwart their plans.”

However, his smile quickly faded into a solemn expression, and Star noticed Painite absentmindedly rubbing his gem. “I became too confident, too cocky, and I paid the price. A single gem’s strike took out the leader of our forces, and the battle shifted in their favor. With my crack, I couldn’t fight on the front lines or guide my forces, and that’s the only reason you won.”

As the atmosphere turned somber, Star chimed in with a meek “Oh.” After a brief pause, he ventured, “I remember that day. I’m sorry.”

“Your apologies will not change the past, Star,” Painite responded, saying the name with a surprising absence of hatred, momentarily catching Star off guard. However, the resurgence of resentment was swift, and Painite’s gaze transformed into a piercing glare. “Now, how long will this ‘trip’ take?”

“Oh, just a little over a month.”

“What?!”