#& also?? giving children 'experiences' over 'stuff' can be good but can mmm also be a slippery slope

[dordey]

minimalists will really be like :/ mmm wow i sure have accumulated a lot of Stuff *points to small pile of materials relating to a hobby that brings them joy* i don't need it.....time to declutter it.....stuff is ephemeral, empty surfaces and bare walls and owning a single set of cutlery and making your home look like an empty soulless hotel or hospital room is aspirational

[nightingaelic]

Companions reacting to the couriers birthday

Thanks for the lighthearted one, anon, lately I've been getting some super plot-heavy, game mechanics-heavy or just plain heavy requests, so a birthday is just what the doctor ordered 🎂 Also a happy birthday to @profess0rjam!

The courier had been acting a little strange. They slept in for once, something that had hardly happened since the mess at the dam. They seemed like they weren't paying attention to anything around them, even though Freeside was in rare form that day with caravan traders, pickpockets and children hunting rats all over the place. It wasn't until the courier tripped over a crate of barrel cactus fruit outside a farmer's trading stand and had to apologize by buying all of the bruised produce that their companion finally turned a questioning eye on them.

The courier looked down at the armful of fruit they had acquired and sighed. "Remember when we went through Primm last month? I stopped in at the Mojave Express branch there, and Johnson told me he got those records in from the Hub. Most of it was stuff I already knew- height, weight, eye color, hair color, shoe size for some reason... but they also had my birth date. It's today."

Arcade Gannon: "Whoa." Arcade straightened his glasses. "Uh... happy birthday. How do you feel?"

The courier looked from side to side and shrugged. "I don't know. I don't feel any different. Is that normal?"

"Um... yeah?" Arcade chuckled nervously. "I mean, you know you're a year older, but it's not like a switch gets turned on or off. You were still getting older even when you didn't know when your birthday was, Six."

"Yeah, but now it's... marked," the courier replied, wrinkling their nose. "Like when Mr. New Vegas talks about me on the radio. I feel weirder about his news bulletins than I do while I'm actually out doing the things he reports on."

"Well, you're alone on that one, Six," Arcade said with a hint of jealousy in his voice. "Not everyone can attract that DJ's attention the way you do. Then again, if I ever wind up on the radio, it probably won't be good news for me."

He patted the courier on the shoulder reassuringly. "Come on. Let's get rid of the cacti fruit and head to the Atomic Wrangler to celebrate. I'll buy you a drink."

Craig Boone: "Did their records tell you anything else?" Boone asked.

"Uh... no," the courier replied. "Well, a couple of things, actually. They kept track of most of my trips when they first hired me. I've been all over the place, apparently: Circle Junction, Fort Abandon, around the Big Circle a few times, even Utah. They also wrote down that I refused to tell them where I came from, so no new info there."

"Mmm-hm." Boone frowned. "It's a start, for sure. Maybe you can retrace your steps, someday."

"Yeah." The courier picked a piece of fruit and held it up, inspecting its color. "We should do something fun tonight. Celebrate."

Boone cracked a rare smile. "For your birthday? Sure."

"Want to go see a show at the Tops with me? I think the Lonesome Drifter is playing the Aces again. Maybe we can catch him after for a drink, ask him about his travels."

Boone moved to accept a few of the cactus fruit and lighten their load. "Sounds good to me."

Lily Bowen: "Well isn't that just grand," Lily said with a smile. "How old are you turning, dearie?"

The courier made a face and giggled. "How old are you, Lily?"

"A lady never reveals her age," Lily answered primly. "Point taken, pumpkin. You should walk that fruit home to the icebox while Grandma gets going on her shopping list."

"Shopping list?"

Lily nodded. "Of course. Flour, eggs, butter, sugar, and a few other things."

The courier gave her a sly look. "What are you up to, Lily?"

"It's your birthday, dearie!" Lily replied, seizing them and the fruit they were carrying in a hug. "We have to bake a cake!"

Raul Alfonso Tejada: Raul grinned. "Feliz cumpleaños, Six. Happy birthday."

The courier looked back at him with frustrated helplessness in their eyes. "What am I supposed to do with that information? What do people do for their birthdays?"

"Well, it's a bit different now than it used to be," Raul answered, scratching his bald head. "But back in my day, we threw a little party if we had the time and money. Some years were better than others, and some were bigger milestones. In my experience, once you got past 18 there wasn't much left to celebrate except staying alive for another year. Or if you were en los Estados Unidos, 21."

"Okay." The courier nodded, then kept nodding. "Okay. Can you do me a favor?"

"Sí."

They dumped the armful of fruit into his hands. "Take those to the Old Mormon Fort and pass them out to anyone who looks hungry. I need to track down some friends and see what they're doing tonight."

Rose of Sharon Cassidy: "It's your birthday?!?" Cass was positively beaming. "Well shit, Six. Could've told me sooner, and I'd have planned some kind of surprise."

"Eh-heh." The courier looked sheepish. "That's what I was afraid of."

"What?" Cass put her hands on her hips. "I didn't think my surprises were that bad."

"No, no, it's not that," the courier reassured her. "It's me. You know what I do, what I've been up to. I wasn't sure I'd... I have a lot of enemies, Cass!"

"Ohhhhh, I get it." Cass threw an arm around their shoulder and steered them through the Freeside marketplace. "You weren't sure you'd make it to today, so you didn't say anything. Gotcha."

"And I'd feel like crap if I told you my birthday was coming up, and then I bit the dust after you'd already bought me a present or something," the courier added.

"Pffft." Cass waved their concerns away. "I'd just give that present to myself, then. Don't let the ones gunning for you dictate how you live your life, Six. Now come on, let's pick out something new and shiny for your gun cabinet up in the Lucky 38. My treat."

Veronica Santangelo: "Six!" Veronica squealed and did a little dance. "Happy birthday! Oh my goodness, there's so much to do, we need to round everybody up, we need to go book a table at the Gourmand, we need to-"

She stopped when she caught the courier biting their lip. "Orrrr we could not do any of that. Whatever you like, it's your birthday."

"Can we just... I don't know." The courier shuffled their feet in the dust. "My life has been kind of crazy lately, and the people on the Strip won't leave me alone if I show my face in one of the casinos. I went up to the cocktail lounge in the Lucky 38 last night and pushed some tables together. I think we can fit everyone, even if the Securitrons will have to squeeze around us to serve drinks."

Veronica's smile returned. "Okay. Yeah, that'll work. But I don't know what kind of food House has in his pantry, nowadays."

The courier answered by holding the cactus fruit up. "This'll help."

"That's not nearly enough." Veronica looked around the marketplace. "Stay put. I'm going to go find some of those kids chasing rats. They'll probably help us carry some groceries back to the Lucky 38 for a few caps."

ED-E: The courier's eyebot bobbed and beeped quizzically, as if unfamiliar with the term.

"Um, how do I..." The courier wracked their brains. "Today is the anniversary of my... creation. My assembly."

ED-E blipped a few times in quick succession, surprised.

"No, no, that's not- no." The courier shook their head. "How do you know what that is, but not understand what a birthday is? Today is the day I came out of my mom, ED-E."

The eyebot blatted understanding and disgust, as if displeased with the mechanics of biology. The courier laughed. "Well, that's what it is. Yes, I know, humans are strange, and no, I don't know why it's important. It just is. Come on, let's go hand these out to those kids we saw earlier."

Rex: Rex cocked his head to the side, tongue lolling happily. A cactus fruit escaped the courier's arms and fell to the ground, but the cyberdog gently picked it up again and offered it to his companion.

The courier smiled down at him. "Thanks, Rex. Let's go see if the King has any more refugees in need of a meal."

[bansheeoftheforest]

Look!! Another dead bird for you!!

---

Okay, have you seen Wolf Children? Because that's my thought process here. One of Jekyll's parents was a cat-shifter and Jekyll inherited that ability. When he gets emotional he can start transforming, so at times he might have to hastily smooth his hair back in an attempt to hide a sudden cat ear or something. Nobody knows what he is because his human parent was kinda sorta ashamed about him, so he's hidden it all his life.

Just.. Cat Jekyll napping in Maijabi's lap. He feels so guilty because no one knows it's him but Maijabi pets so gently and coos at him in a language he isn't quite fluent in and he feels so safe. Cat Jekyll going to injured Lodgers to purr and nuzzle them. Cat Jekyll pointedly knocking things off of tables that could very well end in Lodger stupidity if left intact. Cat Jekyll climbing Adam/Creature and he is so enamoured with this little animal that doesn't fear him in the slightest.

Okay but also Jekyll slipping up in human form. He slow blinks at Jasper and Maijabi and Zosi and everyone else he likes. He starts to purr whenever he's happy and scrambles to cover it with a cough. He plays with string and gets tangled in it. He hears someone mention that Jekyll Jr. looks a bit funny with his curled ears and bob tail and just grumbles 'that's a standard appearance for Highlander cats, you arseholes-'

Does he bring people dead animals? Does Hyde? Hyde definitely would, just 'oh there's Rachel! I'm gonna put a dead mouse in her pocket :3' and she gets a feelimg of deja vu because it feels like Hyde's pranks but cats don't prank do they?? Cat Hyde showing off his new injuries proudly to the others then trying to run away when they try to patch him up because NO, he wants them to SCAR so he can look TOUGH.

If you go the Jekffin route, maybe Griffin's cat is normally skittish of others but just.. adores Jekyll. They're always rushing to greet him and rub on his legs and Jekyll just understands their body language and needs so well and is so patient with them and ah FUCK, he's crushing on Jekyll, god this is the worst-

Y'all at this point I get so many dead critters from you guys I could make a tiny graveyard sdfsdf

I have not seen wolf children but in all fair honesty, it looks like something my weeb-friend-trying-to-force-me-to-watch-anime would force me to watch <3 ANYWAYS. Still love that idea. Ooohohoho I don't know what's better, his father being the catshifter and his mother being deeply ashamed of the relationship combined with the premarital stuff bc of societal rules (hence why she was immediately scolding Henry for that dead bird) or his mother being the catshifter in a classic fairytale-esque way but being ashamed of it herself or knowing the father is ashamed about it, trying to hide all cat-ness with both her and Henry... Mmm, angst and parental trauma my beloved <3

...My brain immediately started thinking Henry's father getting seduced by a catshifter, accidentally fathering Henry, only for the catshifter to leave bby Henry on his doorstep and then just... Fuck off into the woods again. Does not make sense bc Henry has a mo- NO WAIT. OOHOH I GOT A BRANCH IDEA. His father already being married when Henry was born or his father marrying when he already had Henry, but telling Henry that his wife is his mom and that Henry was cursed from birth and that's why he can transform into a cat? Idk if Highlanders can be black but especially if he is a black cat??? ohoohohhoho ...Maybe that's why Morcant took such a liking to him immediately when they met, because he was supernatural? oohohoOHOO

I also just want to imagine that, despite his catness, his parents still loved him, even if they were a bit ashamed of who he was. Bby Jekyll having nightmares and it made him so upset he is stuck in cat form for a bit, creeping down the stairs to find his parents in the living room in front of the fireplace, him slowly creeping up on them and his parents immediately cuddling and doting on him when they see him... <3 (also this is just a bit of a branch, any other idea /idea for how Henry's relationship w his parents are welcome! <3)

--

I'm half if Maijabi should know about Jekyll being the cat bc of his spirit eye or not, bc that is used so much in my aus that it's kinda becoming cliche so I'm going to use the route that he doesn't. Just finding this lil cat with funny ears and a bobtail and immediately taking a liking to it. Debating adopting him because he knows that Jekyll would not have had the heart to kick Jr out if he has already adopted him. Scratching him under his chin and being the only one allowed to rub his belly. Henry getting so used to Maijabi's cuddles that the moment he is near him (in cat form) he stands on his hind legs and reaches his front legs up like a child wanting to get picked up and Maijabi always chuckles and picks him up, resting him against his shoulder. Henry sometimes getting a bit possessive bc Maijabi is his favorite lodger and tries to groom his beard and hair because it's always so wild. Maijabi just getting used to carrying a basket around or an extra shirt where JR can hang in bc he is so clingy and always wants attention. The Lodgers joking that Jekyll JR can sense sadness like a shark can smell blood and immediately rushes towards them to cuddle the everloving fuck out of them. The Lodgers cooing over him and telling him that he is so smart when he accidentally saves them from disaster, making sure to give him extra treats. Henry prowling the Society where he suddenly meets Adam. Adam stops dead in his tracks, having never seen this tiny cat before and being thoroughly confused as to why he isn't running away from him. Henry immediately walking up to him and rubbing his face against his leg, Adam hesitantly crouching down and reaching out his hand and Henry continues to happily sniff them and rub his face against them in that "I'm going to rub my teeth against your hand so you are mine now and you can't do anything about it" kinda way, Adam being close to tears bc this is the first time a living thing hasn't immediately run in fear away from him, Henry immediately using him as a stepping stool and climbing his arm until he can lounge over his broad shoulders, which quickly becomes his favorite nap spot.

(Adam secretly being very very amused when this tiny lil cat loves him immediately but hisses at Frankenstein)

--

Catboy Henry my beloved <3 Henry often not noticing how long he lets his nails grow until he accidentally scratches a Lodger (or the Lodgers clip his claws in cat form and it suddenly feels like his nails are going down to his bone. He never forgives them for that, even if he reluctantly accepts the treats). Loving to run his hand through his own hair with the perfect excuse that he is just making sure it doesn't get in his eyes. Him being so caught up in an experiment he doesn't notice that happy little butt wiggle he makes when he is focused. Him just being very loud and very yelly whenever someone isn't listening or giving him attention (although it's much more whiney and "PaaaaYyYYY aaaAAaAattention to meeEEeEEeEEE" kinda way). Just... Oh my god. Such an adorable lil bastards sjdfhsjdfh jshd <3<3<3

--

I have a feeling his instincts would get the best of him and he would start hunting the rodents around the Society when he is bored or hungry. Sometimes he sees a Lodger staying up late and the cat in him decides that they are not taking care of themselves and if they aren't taking care of themselves, they need food. Or that they have done such a good job and they deserve a reward. Maybe the longer he stays in cat form the more he gets into that "cat mindset" and doesn't realize what he just did until he is human again. Just... Drags a dead mouse over to a Lodger, jumps onto their table, proudly sets it down, and yells for them to get a snack. Maybe he would do a good job at hunting the invisible mice around the Society? Hyde definitely would hunt and bring in dead animals just because, although mostly bc he wants to show off his hunting skills. Him parading injuries and running away when people try to help him is so on brand sdfsdfsdfs

--

Griffin's cat loving Henry more than Griffin my beloved <3 Griffin realizing quite quickly that if he can't find his cat, they're with Henry. Griffin being so confused as to why his cat was never scared of Henry when they were even scared of Maijabi and Lavender. Griffin wondering if his cat genuinely fell in love with Jekyll JR bc he always finds them cuddled up together. Would Henry be able to understand Griffin's cat and be able to speak with them? Would he understand other animals as well? Jekyll and Cat having a deep conversation about the best lodger to cuddle or who gives them the best treats <3

[rpmemesbyarat]

RP meme from "Chapter Two: The Kithain" in Changeling: The Dreaming (20th anniversary edition) Part One of Two

"Humans define themselves by more than just species. They identify with certain races and cultures, separate themselves by generation or ideology, and express individuality while simultaneously looking for ways to connect with others like them. How they look, who they love, where they live, what they believe — these are all building blocks of identity."

"This desperate aversion to moving on does have its own consequences."

"Though the wisdom to temper the idea is sometimes there, the sheer excitement can sweep anyone off their feet quickly enough to disregard it."

"While these impulses aren’t usually much of a problem, it’s easy to forget that not every dream is a sweet one — nightmares can come to life, too."

"Every teddy bear protector is there to fight something,

after all."

"These things can be distracting at any age, especially for someone working in a dreary office or in a highly repetitive job."

"With little care for consequences or thinking through the details, they don’t consider the harm that will come to others, intentionally or unintentionally, in their pursuits."

"While they don’t have an inherently negative outlook, they are more likely to put their personal interests over those of others."

"Becoming jaded and unwilling to take risks is the death of childhood."

"Something may captivate them for a time, but once all the mystery is gone from it, they’ll just as easily drop one pursuit for another that still has questions to answer."

"Wonder lies in the discovery of a new species or an unexplored biome, and beauty in chemical bonds or lines of code."

"Repetition can quickly become a rut, and make even the most wondrous work commonplace and mundane."

"Whether they fight to preserve or subvert the ruling class as it stands, they all long to make their mark in one way or another."

"Even when caught, they are unlikely apologize for their actions, and instead have a dozen ways to justify them."

"Some enjoy collecting art and creating galleries to inspire others, or amass vast libraries of literature or music to the same purpose."

"They have an innate knack of deciphering relationships and picking up “overheard” tidbits of information."

"They explore the world with wonder in their eyes and will talk to anyone who will sit still long enough to listen and put up with the incessant questions."

"Their reputation for being consummate craftspeople is well learned."

"This does not apply to a sworn enemy."

"Rowdy fools, the lot of them."

"Rowdy fools, the lot of them. Still, they can be quite entertaining. . .so long as you keep them from breaking the china."

"They make wonderful guests and tell the most delightful tales, but they never stay for long."

"Pay heed to their stories and you may learn something."

"Their obsessions tend to make them boring conversationalists."

"Never leave them alone in a room if you want to be able to find anything afterward."

"They are quite entertaining at parties, but never stick around to help clean up."

"Foul mouthed and rude beasties, they are."

"Be careful how much wine you offer them. They can become quite. . . err. . .enthusiastic."

"No place on land, no friendship, and not even love can hold them."

"A selkie’s heart belongs to the sea and to the sea they will always return."

"They still understand the old ways but they do not always understand our ways."

"Things have changed and they are going to need to learn to adapt."

"It seems that they value little other than honor and duty."

"They are strong, yes, but they are more than simple brutes."

"They don’t lie outright, but they do love to tell a tall tale, often embellishing the story for the sake of humor or to build excitement."

"A good donnybrook clears the air, breaks the tension, and reveals hidden passions and personality traits."

"Nothing wrong with cutting loose a bit now and then!"

"Don’t leave them alone with your prize possessions; you’ll never know what’ll come up missing."

"They don’t understand limits — their own or anyone else’s."

"What a bunch of bullies!"

"Don’t underestimate them."

"Graceful, beautiful, mysterious, and always just beyond reach."

"They stayed by us and fought. That’s worth something."

"What we do today will live long after us, carried in the stories told by our children and our children’s children."

"Nothing new to learn here."

"Anger and foul language doesn’t make for a very good tale."

"There’s joy to be found in their revels, but take care!"

"They think themselves the kings and queens of this world, but they’ve never walked its many paths."

"How can they rule what they don’t understand and have never really valued?"

" I’ve heard it said that the real hero is the one who stays."

"I know I know. . .I’ve worked on the damned thing all week and it’s still not right."

"Maybe if you stop breathing down my neck, or better yet, just leave me the fuck alone and I’ll get it done."

"When they are forced to have social contact they are eminently sarcastic with everyone around them, and blazingly critical of anyone in charge."

"Artists, builders, crafters, and even writers all know the torment of “knowing” that their work is not good enough, that it will never be understood."

"People are mercurial, have feelings that can be easily hurt, and once broken they cannot be repaired in the same way as a tool or device."

"They are willing to take chances in order to come up with the newest and most fantastic design, often resulting in catastrophic (and sometimes humorous) failures."

"Rather than seeking the newest and most innovative designs, they have a deep desire for perfection — which, much to their chagrin, they can never attain."

"Sometimes all it takes is a kick and a few harsh words to scare a machine into working again."

"They’re fast, so they’re either cheap or good, too. You don’t get all three."

"Drunks and power tools don’t mix."

"Sorry, was that insensitive? Bite me."

"They just don’t know when to shut up."

"Sometimes they have something important to say, but you have to sift through the meandering drivel to find anything useful."

"Unruly and reckless children."

"Useless furballs!"

"Dangerous folk, but sometimes useful, especially if you want to dispose of some unwanted evid. . .err. . .garbage."

"Hedonistic freaks, the lot of ‘em."

"Don’t fall in love with one."

"Damn dusty in here."

"They think they’re hot stuff, but they don’t understand this world and its workings as we do."

"They want to rule, and who are we to say no."

"They pay well and I’ll happily take their commissions."

"Buncha creepy a-holes, if you ask me."

"Skulking around, up to no good, I’m sure of it."

"They are the strongest and toughest of us all, but their hearts can be surprisingly tender."

"I don’t know how it found its way into my pocket. Of course you can have it back. . .unless you don’t need it right now. I’d be happy to hang onto it for you until you do."

"I can’t imagine being tied down like that."

"We’ll wander many paths together, but in the end, they are who they are, and we never really are anything quite that specific."

"What is truth, but something we all agree upon? So, if we all agree upon a lie, isn’t it then truth?"

"Anything they say is likely to be peppered with lies, half-truths, and misinformation."

"Humans have always dreamed of a better, more carefree life."

"Lazy and reckless. And they keep all of the cake to themselves!"

"Drunken reprobates, every last one of them."

"Not exactly the most even tempered folks. Playing pranks on them can be a lot of fun though."

"It must be wonderful to always be at the center of every political intrigue."

"They start the shit that we have to finish."

"Just don’t get them started on how they’re royalty or some crap."

"You want to pound back a drink or wild out on the town, they’re the place to be."

"Mmm, seafood."

"You’d think such pretty folks would be easy to intimidate, but make that mistake and you’ll bite off more than even you can chew."

"Those nearby may experience a brief frisson of pure lust."

"How can such a simple life be a truly satisfying one?"

"A fight’s only as good as the kissing and making up after."

"So sweet and innocent. Cover their eyes before they see something naughty."

"Their passions are too dark and frightening."

"Someone so beautiful should never want for passion."

"I will return. . .one day. . .I promise."

"The sea gives and the sea takes away."

"A person’s secrets should be their own."

"Sharks that walk on two legs. Trust them at your own peril."

"They too are gifted with great beauty, but they wield their allure like a weapon."

"You think nobility a privilege, and you envy and resent us for it, but you cannot see that it is also a burden few would truly wish to bear."

"They must learn that respect must first be given in order to be received."

"Tremendously useful and occasionally even trustworthy, but beware what you allow them to slip into their pockets. You may never see it again."

"Who are these strange creatures?"

"What they know is invaluable, but can you really be certain they are sharing their knowledge with you alone?"

[that-was-anticlimactic]

📂 hmmm let's see... how about Toph?

aw Toph Beifong, how I love you,

Okay. So. First:

Obviously, Toph can tell when people are lying, but much like how the gaang always forgets that she’s blind, they forget that she’s a living lie detector. After the war ends, the kiddos are all obviously traumatized and always ask each other how they’re doing and they usually always say “fine” and Toph can feel that they’re lying but she just... doesn’t do anything. Sometimes it’s obvious a person is lying, but sometimes they can really pull it off and Toph is the only one who knows. She just lets them be, though, because she would want to be left alone too. In her mind, if it was a big enough deal, they wouldn’t say that they’re fine (also because that’s the reasoning she gives herself to not talk about her problems). She doesn’t want to push them.

Eventually, and let’s use Aang here because poor kid suffers so much trauma and no one really talks about that much (myself included, I need to pay more attention to Aang), Aang’s mental health really starts declining and everyone is really worried but Toph always lets it go because she doesn’t want to push him or stress him out. One time, it’s so bad that they ask Toph to out Aang for lying and she just shrugs and says “he wasn’t lying” even though he definitely was.

After a week or two like this, Aang kind of just breaks down and Toph instantly feels guilty because deep down she feels like she could have prevented it, but she didn’t. It’s one of those times when she learns that letting people believe a lie, no matter how good intentions are, is worse and more hurtful than telling the truth.

It kind of starts making her more honest than before. She began by calling everyone out on every little lie until she realized it would probably be better to talk to people in private and I just... mmm... I feel like Toph wields so much power after the war because everyone will always say “I’m fine” and she knows, she knows, they’re lying.

And now for an angsty Toph-related headcanon because I said so:)

Toph’s parents. Mmmm. I have not read the comics and also I heard they were... iffy... so we’re disregarding comics here. Toph’s parents kind of suck. Like, once she talks to them after the war, they treat her like a helpless child again and not the LITERAL HERO she is. She doesn’t live with them, but she wants a relationship with them, even though she physically cannot make her say it out loud. So, eventually she blows up at them and Earthbends and her parents are like “okay, if you’re not a child, then start acting like an adult” and COMPLETELY misread the intention behind what Toph was saying. Ontop of that, they constantly complain about everything to her. Like trivial things. They complain about trivial things to a traumatized child (not to mention they did like nothing during the war smh, they just sat there and were rich). Like, they complain about each other to Toph say all of these things that she never wanted to hear ever and that no parents should actually burden their child with. Eventually she just... stops.

She just never answers letters, never returns to the city, much less the house. And it just... it kills her because she wanted to fix their relationship. She wanted to try and be a family again and she tried. She tried so hard but her parents never pit any effort in.

It was actually Zuko (or Azula...) who kind of made her realize. Like, I’m just gonna say: Sokka and Katara HATE Toph’s parents, like, with a burning passion. Toph offhandedly mentioned some of the terrible things her mom said about her dad and vice versa to the gaang and Katara was about to go give them the biggest lecture they had ever received. Katara lowkey got all mother hen (but sometimes Suki would have to drag her back and be like “you’re smothering her” so Toph wouldn’t feel like Katara was acting like her parents) (and again, Toph would never say it outloud, but she could never think of Katara in that way ever. She’s SUCH a better person than her parents could ever be) and would try and... not be the mother Toph never got to have, but give her the support she never had.

Anyways, Zuko or Azula talk to Toph and are like “take it from one abused child to another, your parents are abusing you” which just confirms the suspicions she had deep down but refused to believe. She was just filled with so much rage because it’s not fair and she was trying so hard but her parents really don’t care about her in the way that they should of and she gave them so many chances to be better but they never took it.

okay so, sadness over, let’s make Toph happy:)

Toph is asexual (and maybe aromantic, unsure as of right now) because I said so:))

Toph takes great pleasure in going to The Jasmine Dragon and just... listening to make sure no one is ever rude to Iroh or any of the other employees ever. If they are, she causes trouble so they can feel ashamed for being mean to people in food service.

no you know what? Am I going too overboard? Yes. Do I care? No. One friendship Toph headcanon for everyone in the gaang.

Aang: Toph and Aang both help remind the other that they’re children because they both forget sometimes. Toph is great at taking Aang away from work and making him take breaks and spend time for himself rather than others. Aang is great at giving Toph the “having friends as a child” experience she never had. He teaches her games he learned from all four nations as a child and sometimes they do really ‘childish’ things like playing bending tag or even like regular tag with each other just because it’s nice.

Katara: oooh the Toph and Katara friendship is one of my favorites in the show. The two are both ridiculously competitive. Like. Out of everyone in the gaang, they are the most competitive (let’s be real, Sokka is too petty and WE NEED TO FOLLOW THE GAMES RULES to be competitive and Zuko just gets angry and rage quits). But eventually, they learn that they’re stronger when they work together and make a competitive truce. So whenever people need to team up for games, they immediately go to each other and they destroy everyone.

Sokka: Sokka and Toph ahhhhh I love them so much. Sokka adopted Toph as his daughter-sister, as in he can’t choose whether he wants to replace her dad and be her dad or be the protective but not overly protective older brother she never had, so he calls himself “father-brother” and everyone hates it, but Sokka was never good at naming things. Also, one time they were really bored, so they decided to try and invent a language that is never spoken, but can be interpreted through Earthbending. Like, different methods of bending meant different things and stuff. It worked... kind of? Sokka likes learning and Toph likes kicking dirt and making people confused about what they were doing. They both have short attention spans, though, so they didn’t get far. They each still remember s=certain things and still talk through it (since Sokka is not an Earthbender, he taps his foot on the ground or kicks dirt a certain way. It’s kind of like morse code, bit different because only Toph can feel the taps).

Suki: Suki Suki Suki I love you! Suki is Toph’s go-to for fake relationships. Like. These two have been in a fake relationship with each other too many times to count. Toph’s parents invite her to a formal event but she needs to bring a date (and also she doesn’t want to go but she wants to repair the relationship)? Suki is her date. Suki needs to attend a royal event because she’s the highest Fire Nation palace guard (because I said so)? Toph comes as her date. A random person is hitting on either of them and they don’t know how to respond without unnecessary violence? Find the other and kiss their face.

Zuko: Zuko and Toph, what a pair. They both find beauty in nature (in different ways, obviously), so they’re walking buddies. They’ve gone on hikes together, like week-long hikes together. They’ll walk around the palace together... sometimes they’ll just sit together in silence because they don’t always need words to be friends.

Azula: (because yes, I am including the three girls): y’all. These two together can scare the entire world. Not just because they are actually insanely powerful, but because they make the most horrific self-deprecating jokes known to man and say it with intense seriousness that everyone has been genuinely worried at some point before they caught on (if it’s serious, they say it as a joke). One time, they both made these depressing jokes at lunch and Aang choked on his food. He didn’t die, but like. He was so unprepared that he choked. What I’m saying is, these two have a really weird relationship that takes place entirely through insults at each other, theirself, and everyone they love.

Ty Lee: Toph was actually scared of Ty Lee at first because of her chi blocking abilities. Not like terrified-scared, but like if you even take one more step towards me I will smash you with a boulder no matter your intentions-scared. Also, Ty Lee was so perky and kind of loud and Toph found that suspicious at first. It wasn’t like an Aang perky or loud, it was like... well, Toph couldn’t explain it (as in, I, op, cannot explain it), but it was a bit overwhelming? And then one time Ty Lee just. randomly visited her at her parents’ house even though they “weren’t friends” and Toph was just ????? but let her come in for dinner anyway because she kind of wanted to see how her parents would react to this peppy girl. Her parents ended up making a kind of snide remark at Toph’s expense during dinner (which was the usual but Toph didn’t realize it was a b u s e) and Ty Lee went off. That’s when Toph knew there were reasons to be terrified of this girl, but she would never be on the receiving end of her fury unless she really deserved it. They have very different family situations, but take pleasure in actually talking about it to each other. Because Ty Lee is a very open person and Toph is not. Toph thinks it’s nice to just let Ty Lee ramble on (kind of like Mai) and Ty Lee thinks Toph gives really good advice and has good insights (plus strives to help her feel more comfortable with her feelings). They become spontaneous buddies and randomly show up at each other’s houses when they’re living at home and it’s just nice.

Mai: last but never least, Mai and Toph! These two. feel for each other. so much. Rich kids, only children, parents who ignore them, ahhhhh, do you smell that? The repression of feelings:) Sometimes, they prefer to just be around each other because everyone else can kind of be overwhelming. They can communicate through few words and they both like throwing things, so they like sparring together a lot, It gives them a chance to throw things with another person who likes throwing things. For them, sparring is like this connection and it’s own method of loving each other (as friends do) and it’s just really nice for both of them.

Okay. I am done. Thank you, Grace, for fueling me.

I love Toph and I don’t give her enough attention.

[petri808]

The Truth is not far from Fiction

@nalu-week bonus day AU prompt. Ghost story, modern setting, 7k words

Based on a real life experience.

One day late in the afternoon, Layla Heartfilia hears talking and pops her head into her toddlers bedroom. She sees the four-year-old playing with a doll in the middle of the floor, just babbling away and smiles. “Who are you talking to Lucy?”

The child’s brown eyes beam at her mother. “Mishi wanna pway wich doll.”

Assuming it was just an imaginary friend, the woman plays along. “I see. And are you being a good girl and sharing your toys?”

“Uh-huh, mommy.”

“That’s a good girl. I’ll be back shortly to get you for dinner, okay, you just keep playing nicely with your friend.”

“Otay,” Lucy giggles and looks at the girl sitting across from her, “Mishi you hungy too? Oh.” She then looks back at her mother, “Mishi say no can eat.”

“Why is that dear?”

“Mishis dead.”

><><><><><><><><><

From all outward appearances, Lucy Heartfilia was just your typical teenage girl. She had her tight-knit group of friends, a girly-girl when she wanted to be, but deep down was just as comfortable hanging with the guys. Fangirling over the latest manga heartthrob or relaxing with a good book were her two favorite things to do, well that and spending time with her best friend slash boyfriend Natsu Dragneel.

Natsu was born and raised in Hawaii whereas Lucy was a transplant to the islands. After her mother’s death, her father moved them to Hilo when the opportunity to invest in some new property developments came about. It was a small town compared to the big city they’d left behind, but it was a beautiful place and Lucy fell in love with it quickly. She knew her mother would have loved it because if there was one thing Layla Heartfilia had instilled in her daughter, it was a love of the stars.

Every cloudless night on the island provided a perfect opportunity for stargazing thanks to the role of the observatories on Mauna Kea; the islands largest volcanic mountain. Nothing brighter than an orange amber glow was allowed by law, cutting down on the amount of light pollution in Hawaii. Lucy loved it and took any opportunity to simply kick back under the stars picking out her favorite constellations.    

It was now the summer of their graduation from high school and the friends wanted to do something together to kick it off. A few options were thrown around, but when the idea of relaxing under the stars came to mind, Lucy suggested a camping trip. Campfires and smores, maybe some hiking, or even better, snuggling after dark. The group was sold.

“Gajeel’s dad said his contact will let us stay at K.O.E.C in volcano for the weekend since it’s not being used during the summer.” Levy McGarden was the first friend Lucy made after moving to the island and Gajeel Redfox was the girl’s boyfriend.

Lucy tips her head in confusion. “Where’s that? I don’t think I’ve heard of it before.”

“Oh,” Levy chuckles, “sometimes I forget you weren’t born here. In elementary school, all the kids are taken camping there. It’s like an educational retreat cause it’s right next to the national park.”

“Ah, gotcha. So, it’s a camping ground?”

“Mmm, sort of. There’s a building and a big grass area and a bonfire pit.  I don’t know the details if they’ll let us use the main building, but it’ll probably be fine if we just set up tents. Gajeel said the guy will give us a key to the gate when we arrive so we can go in and out.”

“Sounds perfect to me.”

Despite her father’s wishes for Lucy to go to a bigger college in the states, she decides to stay local for now, though that still meant relocating to a different island. It was true her decision was partially based on where her boyfriend was also attending school, but Chaminade University had a good reputation as well as the programs she was interested in. Natsu had graduated the year prior and received a football scholarship to attend the University of Manoa.  He’d be home for the summer in just a couple of days and she was excited to spend as much time with him as possible.

Starting fresh in a new place during middle school after leaving all of her friends behind in California can be tough on any young person, so it was really thanks to Levy and Natsu for making her feel so welcomed in Hawaii. On the first day of class Levy had befriended her and introduced Lucy into the group of kids that would stick together all the way from Waiakea Intermediate through Waiakea High. They’re like a second family for the girl who didn’t have any siblings and a father who was too busy to pay much attention.

But that was part of the beauty behind her and Natsu’s relationship. It wasn’t something that happened overnight, rather blossoming over several years from a friendship until one day their friend Gray Fullbuster pointed out they were already a pseudo couple so they might as well just make it official. Whenever Lucy thinks about that moment, it always makes her smile, because Natsu had simply chuckled, asked if she wanted to be his girl, she said yes, and they went on with the conversation as if nothing had changed.

Bright and early on a Friday morning, the group meets up at the local McDonald’s parking lot before the caravan heads out as a group to the Volcano area. Lucy rides with Natsu in his pickup truck, while everyone else were in other vehicles. There were eight of them total on their way for a fun filled weekend out in the countryside. It was the first time Lucy would be spending an extended amount of time in the area. Prior to this trip she’s only visited the park to do the typical tourist things like seeing the Jagger Museum or hiking the sulfur banks.

As they make their way to the area, no matter if the vehicle slows or accelerates, the road ahead blends as Lucy stares out the window. Greens, browns, mixed with multiple colors when they pass buildings. Her mind drifts with it, strangely lulled by an energy she cannot place, nor is even aware of its pull on her. The radio playing becomes a background noise with only the bass beats standing out… the drums especially calling to her and lulling her into a spell.  

“You okay, Luce?” Natsu questions her as she stares out the passenger window. The normally chatting girl was surprisingly quiet through the drive.

Lucy breaks out of her trance and looks over at her boyfriend. “Yeah, sorry I was just spacing out.” She smiles to allay his concerns. “I was so excited for this trip that I didn’t get much sleep.”

He reaches over and squeezes her hand with a smile. “How about I set up the tent first thing so you can take a nap?”

“I think I’ll be okay once we start doing stuff.”

“Whatever you say,” he winks.

She really wanted to enjoy this trip but the closer they got to the area the more a churning knot tightened in her stomach. It was a dubious feeling to place, not sick as if she were coming down with a cold, and she didn’t get motion sickness like her boyfriend, it was more like a foreboding feeling. Though a strange time to kick in, she had been a little stressed out about going off to college in the fall, so perhaps it was just a case of nerves.

That must be it, Lucy chalks up the weird feelings and rationalizes them as nothing more than a case of the jitters. Going away from home to a new place was a scary proposition, but she reminds herself she won’t be totally alone. Natsu will be on the island and so will Cana Alberona another close friend. And hey, thanks to the internet, those like Levy will be a simple click away too. She takes a deep breath and releases the churning emotions. It was time to focus on this camping trip and make it memorable.

When the caravan of vehicles pulls into the parking area, everyone waits with their vehicles while Gajeel settles up with the caretaker. Once that was complete, the group starts the task of setting up their gear. They break up the work, with the men focusing on the bigger jobs, erecting the tents, tables, and carrying the heavier items. The girls follow up with the sleeping bags, getting the food and other supplies squared away.

It was a nice place, just like Levy had described to Lucy. To the left of the parking lot was a large main building that housed expansive rooms used as classrooms. Downstairs were restrooms and showers, along with maintenance rooms. The caretaker had turned on the hot water and electricity for them to use on the bottom level, but the upstairs rooms were locked for security purposes. There was also security lighting around the building and on the street, but from what Lucy could gauge, once the sun goes down, the area would be quite dark. Good thing they brought a bunch of lanterns and flashlights.

In front of the building and parking lot, it opened up into a sprawling grassy area surrounded by trees. Beyond the trees were homes and subdivisions. At the very edge of the lawn, Lucy could see the bonfire area her friend had mentioned tucked in a corner. According to the caretaker, it was no longer used for full bonfires due to the threat of starting a forest fire, but they were allowed to make a small, normal sized campfire for doing things like roasting marshmallows or for warmth. The pit was also ringed with fallen Ohia tree logs to sit on.

The place was serene alright… but why was that nagging feeling eating away at her? As she stared towards the bon fire area, every fiber of her being was screaming at her to stay away from it. She didn’t like the vibes this place was giving off, which made absolutely no sense to her. It looked completely safe and quiet, they brought children here to camp for Pete’s sakes! Surely, the county wouldn’t allow visitors if this place wasn’t safe.

A shiver rushes along Lucy’s frame despite the lack of a breeze. Maybe she was just psyching herself out, so she turns away from the pit and focuses on something that did make her feel safe. Natsu had just finished setting up their tent. It was time for her to get their bedding down so they could settle in. Perfect, she could do that.

“So, how do you like it?” Natsu asks her as soon as she walks over to him. “Nice, right?”

“It’s a really scenic place,” Lucy agrees. She didn’t want to concern or spook him with her true thoughts of the place. “Is the tent ready?”

“Yup,” he grins, “pretty sure it won’t cave in.”

She chuckles, “I’ll get our sleeping bags and stuff set up.”

Natsu pulls her close and wraps his arms around her waist. “Just make sure I’ve got easy access to ya,” he wiggles his eyebrows. “After six months apart, I need to make up for lost time.”

That brings a flush to her cheeks and a giggle from the woman. “I think I can figure something out.”

He places a soft, lingering kiss on Lucy’s lips. “Remind me again how I managed to make you my girl?”

Lucy grins coyly, “by being an adorable dork.”

“Dork? Says the weirdo,” he chuckles and kisses her again. “Okay, you get cracking on this and I’ll be back in a bit after we set up the campfire for tonight.”

She just nods and watches him walk away for a moment, before turning her attention to the tent. Natsu had even added an additional tarp over the top in case it rained, how thoughtful and smart considering the weather here could turn without warning. Everyone had set up their tents, five in total, at distances from each other. Lucy chuckles in her head, knowing they weren’t the only ones with a little hanky-panky on the agenda.

Instead of using the sleeping bags as they were designed for, she unzips the two sets completely open, using one as the bottom and one as the blanket, finishing off their makeshift bed with the pillows. She then takes the bags that holds their clothing and toiletries and places it in the corner of the tent. Lastly, she double checks that their lantern was working properly and stores it near the entrance, so it was easy to turn on when needed.

With their accommodations ready, she could relax a little while she waited for Natsu to return. Since she didn’t know how long it would take the men to finish, Lucy decides to lay down and close her eyes. He’d suggested she take a short nap, and well, it seemed like a good idea now.

The moment she closes her eyes, the sunlight fades away behind her eyelids as her body slowly gives in. ‘This sleeping bag… is really comfortable…’ She felt peaceful, a sense of stilling calm like in the eye of a hurricane. The blue skies brought warmth streaming through the thin nylon fabric of the tent, pacifying the nervous pin pricks licking along her frame. Is that music playing somewhere? Lucy wonders as the edge of oblivion comes calling... Does someone have their bass cranked up?  

‘Did I sleep the afternoon away?’ Lucy looks around as the hairs on the back of her neck stand on edge and the sickening feeling pitted in her stomach tightens. Something’s wrong, her mind screams. Where was the tent?! Why was she in the forest?! Where did everyone go? She was taking a nap and suddenly she was in the middle of the dark Ohia forest.

It was deathly silent save for the drumbeats and chanting getting louder— so loud that she felt it in her bones. No other signs of life, of crickets or coqui frogs, nor distant sounds of the homes she knew were laid out around the campsite. Only the drowning of drumbeats and the word kapu (sacred) repeated over and over. She covers her ears in a useless attempt to shield them from the noise, but it was as if they were coming from inside her head.

‘Stop it! Stop it! Stop it!’ Her voice cracked and trembling, desperate to get away from the torment. Fight or flight takes hold and she starts to back away, but her legs feel like rubber, her feet like dead weight. She looks down as a silent scream bubbles up in her throat. Why is her feet sinking into the mud! The ground had been solid a second ago!

She opens her mouth to cry out for Natsu, anybody, but no sound leaves her. Panic sets in, sending her mind into a tailspin, and energy surges through her body. She claws at her throat in desperation, why wasn’t her voice coming out! Her mind is begging for someone to please hear her screams. Natsu! Where was Natsu?!

Something grabs her from behind and her arms begin flailing out desperate to fight back.

“Lucy, wake up!”

“Natsu!” The blonde screams, kicking and punching as she sits straight up on the bedding. Still in a panicked fight for her life, she scrambles away until her back hits the wall of the tent. Her brain is struggling to take back control from the dreamworld, but the sounds were all she could hear roaring in her eardrums.

The hold around her center felt as if something very strong and powerful was squeezing the life out of her. All she could hear in her head were her own screams and that incessant drumbeat! Make it stop! Make it stop! The tears are pouring down, clouding her vision and marring the scene in front of her. Get me out of here!

“Lucy, Lucy!” Natsu grabs hold of her wrists to keep her from hitting him. “It’s a dream, Lucy, you’re okay now.” His own panic was rising faster than a flood. Why wasn’t she responding to him? Her eyes are open, but she was staring past him as if he didn’t exist just screaming for help.

“Lucy?” He feels what he can only equate to as sticking your hand in an electrical socket. His hands start to tingle and the air around them heats up. “W-What the hell is going on?!” Natsu squeaks out as a true fear takes hold. He could understand daymares, but this… this was abnormal!  

She thrashes against his hold for a few more seconds, shaking her head as tears pour in torrents down her cheeks. But despite the eerie shocks Lucy was giving him, he holds on tight until the opportunity presents itself to pull her into a fierce bear hug. Natsu had no idea what had set this off, so he fights off his own panic and does what he can, cooing and speaking softly to calm her. He couldn’t tell if his voice even had any weight behind it, but it was all he could muster.

“Shhh, babe I got ya now. Whatever it was, you’re safe.”

Natsu cradles her head, keeping it locked against his chest. There are footsteps around the tent along with a few ‘are you guys okay’ being asked. He responds that it was just a bad dream and not to worry. Lucy must have been much more tired than they’d realized for her to fall asleep so deeply and enter the dream stage in less than 30 minutes. He and Gray had only completed a third of the firepit when Levy had come to get him. The woman had heard distressing sounds coming from his girlfriend and they’d been enough to concern her.

Though Lucys mind was coming out of the dream world, and reality was taking hold again, a heavier panic sets in. How was she supposed to explain this to him? There was something about her life that she’d kept secret from everyone for fear of being looked at as a freak, and most of the time it wasn’t a problem to keep it hidden. Lucy fights to gain back control and to stop shaking. ‘It was just a dream Lucy,’ she tries to psyche up the lie in her head. ‘Nothing paranormal about a dream. It’s the stress manifesting itself.’ She didn’t want to worry anyone.

She takes several long, slow, deep breaths until the panic attack starts to wane. “Thank you, Natsu I-I’m fine now. I’m so sorry. I think all the anxiety of college is just getting to me.”

“No need to apologize Lucy, leaving home is scary. But you know I’ll be there for you right?”

“Yeah,” she cracks a smile. “I know you will be.”

“That was a pretty crazy dream though. Do you remember what it was about?”

Kapu… “No,” she shakes her head as if accentuating the word, but in reality, wishing the sounds echoing in her head would disappear.

“Okay.” His gut tells him not to push the topic until she was ready. Natsu kisses her forehead, “well if you do and you wanna talk about it, I’m all ears.” He smiles at her, “hey, why don’t you go wash your face, catch your breath, and maybe hang out with the girls to distract yourself while I finish up what I was doing?”

Lucy nods, “That’s a good idea.”

Of course, the moment she sat down with her concerned friends they bombarded her with questions about the daymare. Cana the ever-budding ‘spiritualist’ of the group pressing for information so she could discern the meanings behind what Lucy had seen. But she feigned not remembering anything once she’d been awoken by Natsu. She didn’t want to remember, rather forget it had ever happened. So, she falls back to the same excuse she’d used for him. Why not? At least if it were a consistent lie it would be easier to keep up.

“Are you sure Lu?” Levy reaches over and places a hand on her friends knee, “cause the way you were screaming… I swear even I was getting chills.”

“You literally sounded like you were being murdered.”

“Blunt enough, Cana?” Levy rolls her eyes. “She doesn’t need to be freaked out any more than necessary.”

“I really appreciate you’re guys concern, but I swear I’m fine now. I don’t remember what it was about and if it’s as bad as you’re saying, I’m glad I don’t remember.”

Levy fixes Lucy with a stare. “At least promise me if it happens again, you’ll talk to me.”

“I promise.” Lucy smiles back hoping to allay her friends concerns. “I think my nerves are just fried over college.”

To Lucy’s relief the rest of the group quickly switched into that topic. Juvia Lockser, Gray’s girlfriend was already a Sophomore in college, but she and the others shared their feelings of anxiety. It turns out they all felt similar to her, maybe even more so. Levy and Cana were born and raised in Hilo and had never travelled outside of the state before. Juvia is a transplant like Lucy except she came here for college from Seattle, Washington. It was only after meeting Gray at the University last year that she was folded into their group.      

“Lemme see if I can explain it,” Levy taps her chin. “A lot of islanders feel like they’re stuck here— okay maybe not stuck, but like… they don’t wanna leave their comfort zone. So, going away for college is really nerve wracking, that’s why I’m really anxious about it and excited at the same time.”

“Speak for yourself,” Cana chimes in, “I’m nervous sure, but I can’t wait to go to Honolulu! First thing I plan to do is hit the clubs! And I plan to drag you with me Lu.”

“Oh, no, no, no,” Lucy waves her hands excitedly while laughing, “don’t drag me into that!”

“Aww, come on, think about it! I’ll get you all hot and bothered and unleash you on Natsu.” Cana winks, “I’m sure he won’t mind.”

“OMG!” Lucy throws a handful of ripped grass at her friend as the other girls burst into laughter.

It’s not long in chatting with the girls that Lucy’s fears subside and the daymare is semi-forgotten. They talk about the rest of their plans for the weekend, like how tomorrow will be spent in the park checking out the latest volcanic activity and hiking the trails. Someone needs to stay behind to watch the camp, so Cana and Loke de Lioncourt agree to do it. Their reasoning is let the couples have fun exploring, but everyone else knows that the pair wanted some “fun time” to themselves.

Things were still quiet for Lucy by the time the men finish prepping the fire pit. The girls had made a simple lunch of sandwiches for the gang, so the guys join the conversation and things continue to flow smoothly into a relaxing afternoon. With Natsu by her side, Lucy feels an additional calming energy and that helps to settle the remnants of creepy sensations she was still having. She didn’t know how of why he was having that effect on her but welcomed it regardless.  

No matter where you go, there are spirits and because of her abilities, Lucy did what she could to acclimate to her surroundings. After moving to the islands, she familiarized herself with local legends and lore, about the gods and aumakua’s (spirit guardians), and so much more. There were tons of spirits here. But that didn’t mean she knew everything or when or where she may encounter them, and she certainly was no expert in how to deal with it. There’s no training manual for this stuff. The lucky ones find someone to mentor them, but beyond picking up tidbits where she could, Lucy worked by intuition most of the time.

After the incident in the tent, Natsu’s instincts were heightened. He couldn’t get a good read on what Lucy was thinking or feeling, but he could tell something was bothering her despite her downplays. But unless she was willing to tell him, he could only guess why her energy was spiking in an unusual manner and as darkness approached it was only increasing.

He watches her closely and starts to notice more troubling signs. Clearly, she was trying to hide them, but her mood was starting to change from engaged to removed. Where she was chatting normally at lunch, Lucy had slowed to only answering when spoken to. It was as if her mind was elsewhere and her energy level was waning. It reminded him of her behavior in the truck on their way to the site. Was it returning again?

“Here you go,” Natsu hands Lucy a plate of dinner. The group had barbecued some meat and thanks to the buildings electricity were able to make rice for a starch.

“Thanks,” she smiles, though the look behind it gave off a disinterested vibe.

Lucy had been holding her arm around her stomach as if it were bothering her. He’d just hoped she would say something if that were the case, but she never had. He sits down beside her, eating, and continuing his vigil. Was Lucy getting paler, or was it just the waning light? Even her eyes seemed dimmer.

“Are you feeling ill, you don’t look well.” Natsu finally whispers hoping not to gain attention from the group.

“Huh? Why?”

“You just look a little peaked is all.”

“I don’t know,” Lucy picks at the contents of her plate, “maybe I’m still tired… I kinda feel zapped all of a sudden.” She was feeling ill, as if an unexpected flu was kicking in, but she didn’t want to admit it. Her stomach was queasy, and her head was starting to get dizzy.  

“If you’re not feeling well, I don’t mind taking you home.”

“No, no,” she shakes her head determined to push through this bout. “I don’t wanna ruin your weekend.” But shaking her head was a bad idea and now she really felt dizzy. Why was this happening now? She’d been perfectly fine when they were in Hilo.

“Luce, helping my girl out isn’t gonna ruin my weekend.”

“Are you sure? Because…” her voice trails out and eyes roll back seconds before Lucy collapses forward. She never had a chance to finish.

The next 30 seconds is like a slow-motion scenes in a movie. Her name is screamed, and gasps ring out. Natsu reacts on instinct, dropping his plate and shooting his hand out to grab her before she face plants onto the ground. Everyone around them is on their feet in a flash, rushing over for support. When he lands partially under Lucy, Gajeel and Gray help him to get back into a sitting position with the unconscious woman still cradled in his lap.  

Natsu could feel a dark energy gathering around her that hadn’t been there before, triggering electrical sensations along his skin, similar to what he’d felt in the tent. This was not good… not good at all! Whatever had affected Lucy earlier in the day was intensifying. “I better get her to the hospital, somethings not right!” He scoops the unconscious woman up and gets to his feet.

Gray reaches out to support some of Lucy’s weight as Natsu stands up. “Yeah, man, do what you gotta do.”

“And don’t worry about your stuff, we’ll take care of it,” Gajeel chimes in. “You just worry about you’re woman.”

Levy places a hand on Natsu’s arm, her eyes clouded and barely holding back the pain of her concern. This was her best friend. With such an eventful afternoon, every worst-case scenario was running through her mind. Was Lucy sick? What kind of illness could strike a healthy young woman down so quickly? “Please call us as soon as you find out what’s wrong, okay, promise me.”

“Will do, Lev, I promise. Thanks guys.”

As Natsu secures Lucy into his truck, the girls grab the couple’s personal belongings like Lucy’s purse and a duffle bag of clothing for him. The camping gear, tent and such will be safe in the care of their friends. He was doing all he could to stay calm because the last thing he needed was to lose control and wreck his truck or something. When he climbs in and starts up the vehicle, he notices Lucy starting to stir a little. She was strapped in so she wouldn’t fall over, and her body stayed slumped, but her head was working to hold itself up. “Lucy? Can you hear me?”

“Yeah…” she mumbles with her eyes closed.

“I’m taking you to the hospital.”

“What… happened?”

“You collapsed.”

Once he makes it out of the country roads and clears the forest, the truck roars it down the highway. Natsu wanted to get Lucy to the hospital as quickly as possible since it was about 40-50 miles away. Lucy was healthy, so he was concerned with the speed this illness had hit her, fast and hard.

He keeps his eyes on the road but checks on the woman in his passenger seat every few seconds. When they’d put her in the truck, she was barely ambulatory and coherent. Lucy still had her eyes closed as she rested her head in the crook of the door frame and seat. She was breathing normally as far as he could tell and at least her arm had relaxed away from clenching around her abdomen.

If he didn’t know better, it was as if Lucy had fallen asleep again. But the longer he watched, the more he could tell the situation was changing. After 10 minutes of driving and reaching the Fern forest area, she had shifted in the seat, stretching out her legs and sitting upright.

“How ya feeling Lucy?”

“A little better,” she responds. It was strange, but the heavy pressure she had felt back at the camp was slowly lifting the further they got away from it. Her body still felt tired as if all the energy had been sucked from it, but at least the foreboding vibes were melting away and she could breathe easier again. It was a complete reversal of how she felt going to the area.

“That’s good to hear.” It wasn’t just her words that brought him some relief. Natsu could sense the shift. The aura around her was no longer as dark as it had been at the camp.

Another 10 minutes or so passes by and they’d reached the town of Mountain View. Here Natsu was forced to slow down due to a slower speed limit and higher traffic flow. They come to a red traffic signal, so he takes the opportunity to make a better assessment of his girlfriend. Not only was Lucy’s eyes open, but they looked bright and her skin wasn’t as pale anymore. She was sitting fully upright just looking around as if taking in the view. Certainly not the look of someone being rushed to the hospital.

“Could we stop and grab food,” Lucy asks out of the blue when they’re about to hit Keaau town. He turns and looks to see her smiling at him. “I’m really hungry all of a sudden.”

“Um, yeah sure,” his eyebrow raises in confusion, “we could stop at McDonalds.”

“Great!”

“You know,” he pauses, “you seem a lot better Lucy, like completely normal and that’s kind of freaking me out.”

Lucy averts her eyes and her lips curve down in a small frown. “I’m really sorry for worrying you Natsu.”

“Is there something you’re not telling me?”

“I don’t really like to talk about it…”

“Well I think I deserve to know considering you just scared the hell out of me Luce.”

She sighs, “You’re right— I-I don’t know exactly what happened back there, but there is something I haven’t told you or anyone else.”

Natsu can see the moisture building in her eyes, she was clearly torn and upset over whatever it was. He wasn’t angry that she’d withheld something from him, maybe a little annoyed, but he assumed she had a good reason for it. Lucy was never one to lie to him, so this must be a big deal to her. “You know I’d never judge you, right? You can tell me anything.”

“I know you wouldn’t,” she sighs again. “You don’t need to take me to the hospital, there’s nothing medically wrong with me.”

“Are you sure?”

Lucy nods. “Can we grab food and go back to your house? Then I’ll come clean… a-about everything.”

He picks up her hand and kisses it, nodding before turning off into the shopping complex’s parking lot. They order food through the drive through, then set off for his parent’s house in Hilo. It takes them about 20 more minutes to arrive and after giving a half-hearted explanation of cutting their trip short to his parents, the pair settle upstairs in Natsu’s bedroom.

Starving had been an understatement as Natsu watched Lucy inhale her burger. Normally he would finish meals first and would have to wait for her to catch up. It was eye opening, and probably the first time in all the years they’ve known each other he’s witnessed it. Of course, the whole day has been filled with new experiences with her, and this was the least concerning of it all.

With her food gone, Lucy pushes herself up and sits back against his headboard contemplating exactly how she should explain things to Natsu. She didn’t know why she was so worried about telling him, since he’s never been judgmental before. In fact, he often teased that he found her quirks endearing. But this wasn’t exactly normal. For his part, Natsu just sat on the bed in front of her in a cross-legged position, patiently waiting.

With her fingers fidgeting in her lap and her eyes boring holes into his comforter, Lucy starts out with a question of her own. “Do you believe in ghosts?”

“Never seen one before, but I believe it’s not impossible for them to exist.” He shifts in his position to let his legs stretch out and props himself with his arms behind his back. “I mean growing up here and being bombarded by the culture kind of gave me an open mind to it.”

“W-What if I told you that I’ve been able to see them since I was a kid? Would you think I’m weird?”

“You mean weirder than I already think you are? No,” he chuckles, “I wouldn’t.”

“I’m serious!” she pouts.

“So am I,” Natsu laughs harder. “Hey, I’m sorry,” he leans forward and pats her foot, his expression softening. “I’m just trying to show you that it doesn’t bother me. I’m not making fun of you, I promise. Is that what is was back there, a ghost?”

Lucy shakes her head. “I don’t think it was a regular ghost, and I still don’t fully understand what happened.”

“How about starting from the beginning. You were distracted before we even got to the place.”

“It was strange… like, as we drove into the area, I was getting a creepy feeling, you know, like when the hair stands up on the back of your neck? I tried to ignore it, but it only grew stronger once we reached the site. I kept telling myself it was nerves and then that daymare happened.” Lucy didn’t want to admit it, but in hindsight all the warning bells were there, and she’d chosen to ignore them. The creepy feelings, the energy drains, that daymare… If she’d listened to her instincts, she could have invoked a protection barrier. Of course, with how strong the energy source had been, she didn’t know if it would have worked, but trying would have been better than nothing.

“Yeah, the daymare. Do you remember it?”

She squeezes her eyes shut still wishing she couldn’t, but nods, “I do.” Sometimes her abilities came in handy and other times it was more like a curse. Lucy couldn’t see ghosts, but she could feel them, hear them, and being a sensitive attracted them to her. Most were benign, simply stuck in this realm, while others were angry and strong enough to affect the living world. As a sensitive, Lucy was more likely to become a target because just as she could sense them, they could sense her.

“Are you up to telling me? You don’t have to if you don’t want to cause you were pretty freaked out about it.”

“I should…”

Natsu realizes just thinking about it is triggering a small panic attack again. He sees her body start to shiver and shake. “H-Hey,” he quickly crawls over, pulls her into his lap and cradles her. “Don’t force yourself.”

“No, I-I want to. Maybe if I let it out, i-it’ll help.” Lucy releases an exhale. “I was in the forest hearing all these drumbeats and chanting and it was getting louder.” Her hands cover her ears as if she was re-living the dream. “I was so confused, no idea how I got there. My feet started to sink into the ground, and I couldn’t fight back when something grabbed me. I-I started to panic and the word kapu kept ringing in my head. I was screaming for you, for anyone… ugh the drums! A-and that’s when I woke up.”

He moves her hands away from her ears and tightens his embrace in a bid to make her feel safe again.

“After you calmed me down, I was able to forget about it for a while. I figured it was just a bad dream and moved on. But then during dinner I started to feel drained, like all my energy was being sucked away. I tried to ignore it thinking I was just tired and the next thing I knew, I woke up in the truck.”

“And this has never happened to you before?”

She shakes her head no. “At least not this bad before.” This wasn’t the first time Lucy had encountered an area heavy with spiritual energy. The islands were rife with it, but this was the first time that it had affected her to this extent.

“So, it has happened before?”

“Sort of… like once before when I went to a place that I learned later has evil spirits.” Lucy relaxes a little. “Best I can explain it, is when there’s really strong energies around me, it makes me feel weird, like zapped. Maybe there were powerful spirits around the camping area.” A chill runs along her spine causing her to shiver. “Definitely not going back to that place again.” Lucy looks up at Natsu. “Do you think I’m crazy?”

“Far from it.” He hugs her tighter. “You just have a gift and there’s nothing wrong with that.”

Lucy snorts a laugh, “can I return this gift?”

“Mmmm,” he chuckles too, “probably not. But you know, you’re not alone, right? I mean, you’re the only person I know that’s actually seen stuff, but as far as being sensitive, you’re not the only one. My mom says that I have a little bit of empathic abilities. I don’t know,” he shrugs, “I just know I pick up on how people are feeling around me. That’s why I kept asking if you were okay.”

“Wow,” her eyes widen, “I had no idea.”

“Yeah, cause I don’t advertise it,” Natsu laughs. “The guys know about me, but it’s not something I talk about to others.”

She sighs, “guess we were both hiding something from each other.”

“I won’t hold it against you, if you won’t hold it against me.”

“Thank you Natsu.” Lucy leans up and kisses him softly. She cups his cheek in her hands, “I really appreciate you being so understanding.”

He places his hand over hers, eyes smiling, just holding the special moment. “I’m just glad you’re okay.” He then pulls her head against his shoulder.

Lucy settles happily on his lap just relieved that the whole ordeal was over. It was disheartening that she wouldn’t get to hang out with their friends this weekend but having Natsu with her was enough for now. They still had the rest of the summer to spare.

While she recuperated in his arms, Natsu sends a text to Gray and Levy explaining what happened. To his surprise the girl sends a message back saying she may know what Lucy was experiencing. There was a Hawaiian legend from the volcano area that may explain it. So, he calls Levy and puts her on speakerphone.

According to the girls readings, during the time King Kamehameha the First was working to unify all of the islands, many battles took place with local chiefs, including in the volcano area. Legend holds that sometimes spirits of deceased soldiers will continue to march in death. Such ‘Night Marchers’ have been seen right around the area where K.O.E.C. is located. They come out at specific times, which Levy had no idea when that could be. But perhaps, that was the source of what affected Lucy?

It was as good a guess as any.

Levy, “Some say that if the living encounters them, unless there is an aumakua in the procession of marchers to protect that person, they can become ill or even die from exposure. Course no one’s ever verified any of that.”

“I remember reading about the night marchers. I always thought it was exaggerated like a lot of claims are.” Lucy frowns, “but it sure explains what I might have been sensing.” She’d studied local lore because it was interesting to her and the culture in Hawaii made it fairly easy to research things. Stories of ancient tales and ghostly encounters abound here, but there was so much information, it wasn’t always easy to tell fact from fiction.

“Do you think they were warning you or something?” Natsu questions. “Cause it wasn’t even fully nighttime yet and I heard they come out later in the evening.”

“Ugh,” Lucy groans, “I have no idea because I really don’t fully understand all this stuff yet. Like I said, I thought night marchers were just folklore, so I never believed all the stories. But thanks Levy, knowing what it might have been makes me feel a lot better that I wasn’t going crazy.”

Levy, “Aww, you’re welcome Lu! It’s kind of late to pack it in for the night, but everyone agrees we rather find somewhere else to camp so you guys can join us for the rest of the weekend.”

“Wow, really? That’ll be so great!”

Levy, “Of course! It’s always better when everyone’s together. Take care you guys, and don’t worry about us. I’ll text you as soon as we figure out the plan.”

Natsu hangs up the phone and bundles Lucy close. “So, what’dya say? Spend the night here with me?”

“Your parents won’t mind?”

“Pfft, my parents love you. Just kinda bummed we can’t… you know,” he grins.

“I’m just as bummed about that too,” she teases, “but there’s always tomorrow.” Lucy cuddles against him and closes her eyes. Natsu’s energy was so soothing to her and now she knew why. It was kind of amusing that she ended up with a guy who had gifts like her, albeit a different one. Still, it made her feel normal for once in her entire life. “Thank you again Natsu, you know, for everything.”

He kisses the top of her head and leans his against hers. “You’re welcome, weirdo.”

“Yeah, well a weirdo you’re stuck with.”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

><><><>Notes<><><><

Much of the spookier elements are based off an experience I had when I was around the age of 11 when we were taken to this location for a school trip. By the end of the day I was getting so sick a chaperone had to take me home, but just like in the story, once we were away from the area, I was completely fine. I’ve had many experiences over the years, this one isn’t even the scariest. No idea how you label me, all I know is I am sensitive, possibly an empath, I absorb and affect energy. I don’t actually see spirits, I just sense them and generally unless they are strong like those in this story, they don’t bother me or can’t because I can repel them now. Oh, and the reason I made Natsu have something too is just because lol. My husband actually sees stuff, and I think it’s ironic that I picked someone that has gifts too. 

[addercharmer]

Izumi had slept next to Keigo again, he had woken just after midnight with a scream and both Izumi and Nezu had raced their way into his room to find the boy curling up as small as possible under the desk in his room. 

It took half an hour for the stoat to coax Keigo out and back into his bed, where the elder had shuffled around blankets and pillows until it felt more like a true nest. 

Nezu then had Izumi climb into the base of the bed, Keigo had quickly snuggled into her side, Nezu then climbed into the nest and settled above their heads. They had all fallen back asleep and no other nightmares had woken them. 

Izumi's inner alarm woke her and she groaned a little at the weight that was sprawled on her chest. A squeaking laugh from near her head had Izumi sighing at the fact that Nezu now would have photo evidence of them sleeping together. 

"Morning dad." Izumi croaked out, then she started to wiggle her way out from the nestling. 

"Bathroom, then we gotta talk." She tells him, there hadn't been any time the night before. Nezu had gotten an emergency call to do some analysis on a well known villain group of this time. 

Izumi stumbled to the bathroom, she emptied her bladder and washed her hands, before making the snap decision to take a shower. 

She didn't let herself linger under the spray no matter how much she wanted to, she washed her hair and put in the conditioner to soak in as she washed her body, then rinsed out the creamy substance. 

Wrapping her hair and body in towels she then scurried to her room. Izumi had no plans to do anything today unless it involved her rosefinch so she pulled on a pair of black leggings and a lightweight sweater dress. She stopped in the bathroom long enough to grab a brush and hair ties, and hang her towels up to dry. 

Skipping down the stairs Izumi was greeted with the mingling smell of coffee and tea, in the kitchen there were cereal boxes and a half liter of milk already on the table, along with bowls and spoons. 

Izumi sat quickly and combined the cereal and milk into a bowl, she dug in with a hum of enjoyment at the sugary meal. Nezu slipped a large cup of coffee on the table by her elbow before taking his own seat. 

"I didn't get to tell you, but some stuff happened at the mall." Izumi started the conversation after they had both finished their food. 

"When we got the preening brushes I suggested we look at the ones for hawks and Keigo flinched pretty hard." Nezu's eyebrows scrunched a little and he let out a hum. 

"The specialty stores for physical mutations had hardly anything for winged people, but when I was little originality my mom was friends with fashion designers...if you were okay with it I could try to make contact, they were family friends and I could maybe tell them that Inko is my sister, aunt Mitsuki never had the best memory, and if we could find and doctor some photos it would work as evidence." Izumi rambled, she was a little nervous about suggesting this, but at the same time she believed it could be good for the future if she could put herself in an older sibling or aunt role for some of her friends. 

"Good idea, what would you say about wanting to get back in contact?" Nezu asked her. 

Clearing her throat a little, Izumi thought carefully as she sipped her coffee. 

"Aunt Mitsuki has always had a huge soft spot for kids, not that anyone could tell. Inko from what her medical history says had been in and out of rehab for the last four years, it's caused a lot of problems with her mental health. It would make sense to say that you adopted me after you found me bleeding from being bullied at a foster home, and not in Inko's care." 

Izumi sighed deeply. "But that's more the in depth story, in reality I could simply explain I am Inko's sister trying to get in contact with Mitsuki because I remember she was into fashion and I need help with my newly adopted siblings wing mutation." 

"Hmmm, good good." Nezu's tea cup clacks when it's put back on the table. "Let's go braid your hair and we can work more on the back story and get those photos ready." The stoat directs already moving to the living room.

Izumi followers close on his tail, sitting in front of him after putting the hair brush and ties on the couch. She's also pulling the coffee table and her laptop closer so she can find pictures as her dad works his magic on her hair. 

"Lay out your life as Inko's sister." Nezu tells her as he starts running the brush through her hair. 

"Well, I was a sickly child, I spent most of my early life in hospital. It wasn't until I was ten that I got better, I was back in my parents care for a year and a half before the accident that took their lives happened. I was quickly placed into foster care when Inko refused to take me in, five months later you found me and adopted me. Then we can just say the truth from there. My quirk developed under extreme stress, I had a lot of healing, I finished school within six months of living with you, I have several degrees, I am a fashion disaster, and now you are adopting a severely abused boy." As Izumi speaks she's hacking through Inko's computer, phone and cloud account for photos.

Nezu is finished braiding her hair into twin tails when there are feet thumping their way down the stairs. Nezu gets up and goes to help Keigo in the kitchen as Izumi starts doctoring the photos to include her. 

She can hears dishes flatted as Nezu loads them into the dishwasher, then he's dragging a box into the kitchen, it's one of his case file boxes that he gets from the police force to help solve crimes. 

 

It takes two hours for Izumi to doctor the photos, replace the originals with hers in both Mitsuki and Inko's devices and cloud account. When she's done Keigo is just sitting down next to her with his hair and wings still wet and a towel in his hand. 

"Let me help rosefinch." She laughs lightly. 

Gently she rubs the towel through her hair, it's not as thick as her own so it takes less time to get it only damp, with his wings she carefully runs it down in the same direction that his feather go, it takes time but soon they are only slightly damp as well. 

"Give them a fluff and a shake for me." Izumi tell Keigo, she had looked up some care tips before she first went to bed last night. 

Keigo follows her direction without any hesitation, when he's done he looks like a fluffy baby bird and Izumi falls a little more in love. 

"Go get your oil and comb, I'll give you a preen before we figure out what to do today." Izumi drops the towel she had been using over Keigo's head and it earns her a laugh before the boy is sprinting away.

He's back faster than Izumi thought he would be, just before he sits again Keigo fluffs his wings and Izumi spots his hair fluffing up with the feathers, Izumi has to work hard to stop herself from laughing. 

Once the oil is in her hands and the comb is sitting on the couch between them Keigo stretches his left wing out, Izumi opens the bottle noticing it's a light vanilla scent as she posts some out into a cupped hand. 

Snapping the bottle shut again she puts it beside the comb and then runs her hands together. 

Making her hands into loose claws she starts at the joint where wing meets skin, she takes her fingers through the feathers twice just to be sure she has them all coated before moving on to the rest with the same care. Izumi needs to recoat her hands with oil three more times before the whole wing is finished. 

Next she picks up a wide toothed wooden comb and starts to drag it through the feathers again, realigning any with her free hand as she goes. Izumi does this twice before she and Keigo switch sides to do the right wing. 

The longer Izumi presents Keigo's feathers the more relaxed he becomes, little chirps and coos leaving him. 

"All done." Izumi tells Keigo, she hands him back the preening items and gets up herself to clean off her hands. 

"Nee-chan, what are we going to do today?" Keigo asked Izumi from the stairs. 

"What do you want to do?" Izumi asks right back, as she starts pulling out things to make sandwiches. "Lunch first though. You too dad." 

Izumi quickly puts the sandwiches together and on one big plate. Keigo had come and grabbed smaller plates for each of them to use. 

"Can we play a game after?" Keigo asks as he grabs a sandwich. 

"What kind of game? I know my friends picked a few out, those should be in your room. But we can go outside too." Izumi eyes Nezu who still hadn't taken a sandwich, as he hits to reach for another paper Izumi taps his paw and pointed looks at the food. 

"Really?" Keigo asks, sounding more excited about being outside than he had about playing a game. 

"Mmmyep, I even know where the park is." Izumi tries to sweeten the deal, and with all the cyber stalking she has done on Endeavour she knows that Rei takes the kids there every Sunday afternoon. 

Nezu must hear something in her voice that has his head snapping towards her, she lets her grin turn a little feral. 

"Mmm dad will even come, I saw a family there, two children had ice quirks and one had a really powerful fire quirk, the fire user looks about your age." Nezu's answering toothy grin is enough for Izumi to know she was understood. 

"I haven't been to the park since I was taken." Keigo says with a sad sniffle. 

"Why don't we make it even better and I can invite my friends too, then you can meet Oboro and Nemuri." Izumi offers, she knows that it's going to be hard, Keigo had been deprived of so much that everything was going to be a new experience again. 

"Shō-nii and Zashi-nii?" Keigo perks up a little, and Izumi is so happy that her little rosefinch liked them. 

"Yep!" Izumi says back just as chipper. "I just have to message them and ask, dad has to clean up his papers and the dishes."

Mouse?Bear?Human?: My rosefinch hasn't been to the park since the commission took him, he would like to play with you all. 

IBreakGlass: be there in under 2 hours gotta finish my chores ಥﭛಥ

FemFatale: shō and I will be there in 30

LoudAssCloud: u sure? 

                           : I just mean what if were 2 much?

Mouse?Bear?Human?: He will be fine, he loves Zashi and Shō. 

                                        : He's already dubbed them Zashi-nii and Shō-nii, and I'm sure you will be Obo-nii soon enough. 

LoudAssCloud: (　-_･) ︻デ═一 ▸

                           : (*ฅ́˘ฅ̀*) .｡.:*♡

                           : be there when I can

LoudAssCloud is offline.

[specialmindz]

“PAPYRUS! PAPYRUS WHERE ARE YOU?”

BUBBH!           

“PAPYRUS!”

Sans poked the baby bones currently playing the bathtub. “hey uh, bro? i think dad wants you…”

“PAH-PYRUS!”

SPLASH SPLASH!

“WHAT YOU WANT STINK DADDY? I’S MAKING MOOSIC OVER HERE!”

The infant continued splashing in the tub, the bubbles floating gently through the air with each slap the water received. “UNDER DA’ SEA! UNDER DA’ SEEEA! DOWN HERE IT WETTER, DOWN HERE IT BETTER, TAKE IT FROM BAY-A-BEEEEE!”

CAP CAP CAP!

CA-THINK, WHAM!

“ugh! dad, you don’t have to slam open the door like that-”

“WHERE’S MY KEYBOARD, YOU LITTLE SHIT?”

SPLASH SPLASH!

“I don’t know what you’s talkin’ bout’. What is dis ‘key-board’ you speak of? Is a board game?”

“YOU KNOW WHAT IT IS! YOU USE IT WHEN YOU’RE USING MY COMPUTER! TELL ME WHERE IT IS THIS INSTANT!”

SPLASH!

Papyrus stopped. “Why you need it so bad? You’s a scientist, not a moosician! I’S the only one with musical talent round’ here! Listen to mah jams!”

SPLASH SPLASH!

“UNDER DA’ SEA-”

“THAT’S THE WRONG KIND OF KEYBOARD!”

“uh oh,” said Sans, studying the water. The surface of it was almost completely obscured by bubbles, but he had a good idea of what lay beneath. Papyrus normally didn’t even like bubbles, as they got in his eye sockets and made it hard to see where he was swimming, but today he actually asked for extra suds in order to create “special effects” for a “concert” he was performing.

It looked like Gaster had the same idea too, as a trademarked sigh of unmistakable misery escaped him.

Heh heh, it’s like watching a balloon slowly lose its will to live…

SPLASH SPLASH, SPLASH SPLASH!

“It’s under the water isn’t it?”

“Nyeh?”

“My keyboard. It’s underwater.”

Papyrus looked down at the water and then back up at his father. “I do bad Daddy?”

“Yes Papyrus, you’ve made a mistake...”

“I fuk up yo’ life?”

“Yes Papyrus, you’ve ‘fucked up my life,’ now give me my keyboard so I can repair it.”

“Mmm…no. No, I’s gonna fix it. I already has an idea, in fact! I can still make dis work.” Papyrus licked the water. “Yep. Daz the problem. That’s the problem right there. I got the suds, but the water not be salty enough. SNAS!”

“AHH! wh-what? what do ya’ want pap?” asked Sans, putting a hand against his skull.

“Well FIRST, I’d like you to pay attention,” said the baby. “We gots a situation over here and you’s dreaming bout’ eating Sabastian!” The infant pointed to a dead crab floating in the bath near his feet. It had CLEARLY been eaten a long time ago by someone else, probably a human seeing as Papyrus got all his stuff from the Dump, but apparently the shell was all he needed to play pretend.

“I needs you to search the Powder Place and finds the salt,” said Papyrus, now pointing at the bathroom cabinet.

The bathroom cabinet was where the family keep their cleaning supplies. Heavy-duty powder that was used to clean up serious messes regular soap couldn’t handle, pest control bottles that sprayed foul-smelling chemicals, and copious amounts of baby powder lined the floor of the cabinet. Some of the bottles and boxes were neatly arranged, but most of the supplies had been knocked over, their contents scattered everywhere due to a combination of missing lids and an unsupervised baby…at least that’s what Papyrus said.

His little brother didn’t like the Powder Place very much, and at one point he even tried to do something about it, admitting fully that he had once purposely spilled the contents of the baby powder in order to make the area smell like an infant rather than Catty’s litterbox room. It was Papyrus’s argument that cleaning supplies should never smell like fresh fruit.

“Be careful Snas, it may smell delicious in there, but erything be poison. Big people’s use it as a trick to kill off fat babies.”

“Don’t be absurd! That’s not even close to being correct.”

“Yes it is. Big people’s like their monies and a fat baby is a baby that eats alllll the time. Food costs money, so they buy poison that smell like food to get rid of the baby without legal con-see-quences.”

“That’s not true, who TOLD you that?”

“Dirt-Butt.”

“*Sigh*”

Of COURSE it was Dirt-Butt.

“Dirt-Butt” was ALWAYS saying nonsense, though it really didn’t bother Gaster as much as every other source of knowledge the infant found. He was usually relieved in fact. Papyrus was used to getting stereotypical info from the media, but the things Dirt-Butt told him more often than not, actually kept him out of trouble.

If only headaches weren’t still the norm…

 “NO DADDY, DON’T USE DA’ LECTRICAL HOLE! DIRT-BUTT SAY PICHU LIVE IN THERE!”

“…What?”

“dirt-butt told pappy that pikachus were electric mice who made their homes in electrical outlets,” explained Sans, playing a game on his phone.

“IS TOO! PIKACHU’S BABIES LIVE IN THERE! YOU’S GONNA POKE EM’ IN THE BUTT!” Papyrus covered the holes of the outlet with his hands, Determined to save his fellow infants. “Dirt-Butt says only big people can get poked in the butt, he also say-”

“Pikachus do NOT live or make their nests in electrical outlets.” Interrupted the scientist. “No one does.”

“Yes they do! Dat’s why the tricity gets used up. Pichu eat da’ power so they can gets big, is their nutrients!”  

Gaster shook his head. “No. The reason you don’t want to stick things in here is because you’ll be electrocuted. Dirt-Butt lied. You need to pay more attention to people when they’re talking Papyru-”

“You gets elly-cuted cause’ you piss off Pikachu.”

“Did you not hear me?”

“If you poke the babies, you gets zapped.”

“Papyrus.”

“I KNOWS MAH ANIMALS DADDY!”  

“SNAS, MORE SALT!”

“NO, do NOT put salt in your brother’s bathwater, it’s terrible for bones,” said Gaster reaching into the cabinet. He pulled out the salt, but was immediately met with a wet keyboard to the face.

CACK!

“PAPYRUS!”

“GIMME MAH SALT STINK DADDY! IS MINE!”

“No, it is NOT yours-”

“GIMME MY SALT OR I’S GONNA TELL UPON YOUUU!”

“You do that.”

“I WILL! I’ll tell upon you and you’s gonna get in trouble! I tells em’ you taked the salt and tried to make a baby stew…” said Papyrus smiling.

“Wh-”

“I’ll tell eryone you putted salt and carrots in mah bath and eryone will hate you. They’ll go ‘poor baby Pappy, he has such a bad wife, his daddy try to cook him for supper! We should ah-rest that bad guy and donate lossa monies to that baby’s fundraiser so their family can eats!”

“…What fundraiser?” asked the father, sensing trouble. He immediately regretted saying anything. In fact, he regretted it before the second word even came out of his mouth, but by then it was already too late.

“MY fundraiser. Baby Pappy’s Happy Nappies for Crap Bs!” Papyrus grinned and spread his arms out wide as if in celebration.

“’Crap B’s…?”

“Crap babies. Babies who not geniuses like me. Snas say, other baes not as fortunate as us, so I should be nice and share mah toys.”

“…”

“I don’t wanna do that, so instead I makes a fundraiser to get the inferior infants nappies!”

“Papyrus-”

“Nappies is diapers.”

“I know what nappies are,” said Gaster, already annoyed. Though the fundraiser’s name was enough to prove to Asgore that he wasn’t responsible for whatever came from his youngest’s latest money-making scheme, he still had to put an end to it. If he didn’t, he’d have the king’s citizens knocking at his door, and things were already getting bad in that regard.

More and more monsters had fallen ill from Hotland’s toxic fumes due to the fact that the Underground’s air filter lacked the power to operate and the more…unreasonable, individuals were getting upset. With the Lab being the closest medical building, the sick were often brought in and placed into the renovated Medical Ward. What was once mostly a living room was now a warehouse of beds, stretching almost from one end of the room to the other and lined with monsters of every variety.

Not that he was running out of room or anything.

The monsters there weren’t being cured, but rather drained of their magic to create magic crystals, a brilliant, if cold-hearted idea to be sure. This however, was necessary, though it had a severe consequence as it resulted in an increase of the Fallen; monsters who had lost too much magic and so had fallen into a comatose state. If the comatose had a chance of waking, he wouldn’t have dozens of family members banging on his door and flooding his email with questions, but sadly that wasn’t the case. Those that fell, fell to dust. There was no waking them…at least he didn’t THINK so…Gaster admittedly hadn’t bothered to experiment with that kind of thing yet.

I’m raising two children, keeping the oil reservoir under control AND a secret, trying to come up with a permanent solution to our power problem, logging the names and the number of incoming patients, making magic crystals, recording Papyrus’s progress, AND fixing HIS messes; I don’t have the TIME to meddle in monster mortality.

“uh, dad? papyrus just ran out the door giggling.”

“Wh-what?” Gaster looked about the bathroom to find that it was, indeed, missing a baby. “Why didn’t you stop him?!”

“he ran right past you, so i figured it was okay.”

“Papyrus by himself is NEVER okay, you should know that! Where did he go?” He poked his head out of the doorway and looked down the hall. A wet trail of baby tracks led into the darkness and he could just faintly hear the clacking sound of tiny bone feet getting farther and farther away.

“he said something about ‘customer satisfaction’ or…whatever. i wasn’t really paying attention-”

“GET OFF YOUR PHONE AND GO GET YOUR BROTHER!”

“*siiiiigh* FINE. PAPPY? WHERE YOU AT BABY BRO?”

“I SAID ‘GET’ NOT ‘YELL’ SANS!”

Lazy little…

“uuuughh!” Rolling his eyes, Sans shoved his phone back into the pocket of his hoodie and walked out the door. “PAPPYYYY! HEEERE PAPPY!”

“NYEH HEE HEE HEE!”

Wiping off his ruined keyboard, Gaster tucked it under his arm and followed his oldest.

He already knew where the little bastard was headed.

Earlier in the week, while he was sweeping dust off the beds, he had found a little white diaper under the covers. ALL of the beds that once held the Fallen, had them in fact. It was obvious that Papyrus was putting diapers on the comatose patients, but until today, he never knew why.

“…those aren’t babies pappy,” said Sans from far off.

“Course they are! Daz why they sweep so much. Cwap babies don’t do much Snas, they just eat, sweep, and doody in their diapies. Some of them pay wit toys, but-”

“PAPYRUS GET OUT OF THE MEDICAL WARD!”

Papyrus turned his head to look down the hall, then, waving at his daddy, he turned back around.

“PAPYRUS!”

“Shoosh, stink Daddy! You wake da’ babies!” The tiny skeleton looked at the fluffy, unconscious dog-monster. “So tell us, doody-dog…how satisfied are you wit mah pro-duct? From one to a hundred?”

“…”

Papyrus lifted the dog’s head, “Eleventy-six!” exclaimed the baby bones, “I’d definitely wear another! Mah only complaint is the lack of hole for my stupid dog tail-”

“*pfft!* pap-”

“THERE SHOULDN’T BE ANY COM-PAINTS!” yelled Papyrus into the dog’s face. “DIS A FUNDRAISER, YOU BE GATEFUL FOR WHAT YOU GET, SUCK-BABY!”      

“…”

“he’s not answering you bro.”

“Cwap babies not talk much Snas, but the result be clear. They satisfied…and now I must expand mah business!” cried Papyrus, raising a finger in the air. “TO WATERFALL!”

“huh?”

Using his wingdings, Papyrus picked himself up and placed his little body atop his brother’s skull, apparently expecting Sans to take him to his destination with haste.

He didn’t.

“pap, i don’t know what EXACTLY you’re trying to do, but it’s probably not a good idea; you’re naked and dad was-”

“TO WATERFALL SNAS!!” repeated the baby, louder this time. “TIME BE MONEY, HONEY!”

“don’t call me that.”

SPL-SPLASH!

Teleporting to Waterfall, the two brothers fell into the water near the docks, Papyrus slipping from his sibling’s head almost at once.  

“NYEHHHHAAH! WHY YOU PUT US IN DA’ WATER SNAS? THE FISHIES SEE MAH BUTT!” The infant covered his rear end with a tiny hand, using the other to grab hold of Sans’ hoodie.

“then you shoulda listened to me huh?” replied Sans, CLEARLY not sorry at all. “besides, you know i can’t control exactly where i show up!”

Just the area in general…

“DON’T LOOK AT MAH BUTT CWEEP FISH!”

TAP!

A strange tapping sound drew the older boy’s attention, and Sans turned his head to see old man Gerson walking along the docks, cane in hand, while the baby batted at the curious fish.

“What’s all the commotion over here?” asked the turtle, scratching under his chin. He looked a lot more ancient when he was in full view. Sans usually only saw him in his shop, as did everyone else. It was rare to find him wandering around, as Undyne had a habit of taking it upon herself to scavenge for supplies at the Dump and present it to him to selling. Because of her, he never really HAD to leave anymore.  

TAP, SHIFF!

The old man got closer and peered down at the two in the water, holding a magnifying glass to his eye. “Wahhaha, of course, of course it’s you, Papyrus. Giving your brother trouble I see!”

Does he bring that everywhere with him?

“it-it wasn’t pappy’s fault, i made a mistake,” said Sans quietly.

“Is that so? Well you two shouldn’t be bathing in the same place we water folk get our food, might get a taste for skeletons! Wahhahaha!” He laughed again, but the little Horror wasn’t as amused.

“DON’T EAT DA’ BABY!”

“we weren’t bathing…i just…took a wrong turn or something…”

“You weren’t? Then where are your brother’s clothes?”

“CTHULHU TOOK EM’! I seens it, wit my own widdle eyes, Wrinkle-Man!” said Papyrus, splashing in the water.

“Really? Well that’s just awful! Isn’t that awful Sans?”

“please don’t encourage him.”

“They must be pretty mean to do something like that; picking on a poor little cherub like you.”

“Yep, I’s a sad cher-chero-cherrio. A very sad cheerio Wrinkle-Man, baby’s don’t gots lots of monies ya’ know? How I supposed to buy new jammies wit no monies?”

“That IS an issue,” said Gerson warily, sensing an approaching problem. He turned to Sans, but the child only glared at him, his expression giving the answer to the old man’s unsaid plea.

You started this, now YOU can deal with it.

I’m not helping you.

“Ya’ know what would make this little cheerio happy again Wrinkle-Man?”

“cherub, pappy.”

“*Sigh*…What’s that?”

“If you would accept dis diapie.” The baby bones held up a soaked diaper, possibly getting it from out of Sans’ pocket.

“oh, that’s right, i didn’t check my pockets today.” He looked down at his clothes sadly. Whatever was in there today was probably ruined now by the water.

Papyrus tended to hide things in his brother’s hoodie.

Every once in a while, the kid comedian would reach into his pocket to find crayons, candy, a kaleidoscope, bouncy balls, a yo-yo, and sometimes even makeup in his pocket. They were fun little surprises that he enjoyed, like tiny gifts. They obviously belonged to his sibling, but liked Papyrus liked to say “what’s mine is yours,” so he considered them gifts.

The big treasures were his favorite, as they were rare and akin to getting surprise packages in the mail. He’d wake up in the morning and go to the place on the floor near the dresser where he always threw his hoodie and be excited to find a big lump covered by his clothing. A sign that his brother had hidden something neat.

You’d think he’d quit hiding things with it by now. He’s gotta know I’m stealing em’…

One time, Sans even found a skateboard hidden under it. He played with it a lot, and got pretty good, but when he started doing tricks, Papyrus became…unhappy. He remembered his baby brother screaming in terror and crying when he showed him a kickflip for the first and last time. He remembered feeling super guilty about it too. He only had 1 HP after all; if he fell, it was bye-bye big bro.

The skateboard now sat in a corner collecting dust, a sad reminder of what could have been.

“I don’t need a diaper yet kiddo!” said Gerson, slightly insulted.

“Sure, you do! All old peoples need diapies and all we asks in ass-change is dat you gives us a small donation.”  

“A small donation’ hm?”

“Yep, for just thirty-twelve G, you could have this super absorbent, long-lasting diaper. Yo’ donations go to the Happy Nappies Fundraiser where we will buy MORE diapies and gives them to the less fortunate.”

“…It sounds like you’re selling diapers for 3,012g, FAR more than they’re worth. That’s thirty-twelve right? 3,012g?”

“Correct. We uses the extra monies to buy more nappies.”

“That’s not a fundraiser young’un’, you’re supposed to be raising money for charity. If you’re selling these to the babies here in the Underground-”

“I not sell to babies, I GIVE to da’ baes!”

“…But their parents pay for them.”

“Yes.”

“That’s not a fundraiser, you’re ‘hustling’ as the kids say.”

“No! I not hustle, I BUSTLE! The fundraiser be for babies, THEY gets the diapies for free, not the big peoples.”

“you’re either not understanding bro, or you’re trying to cheat people.”

Probably the latter.  

“Daz not too. I buys diapies for the peoples who needs em’ and I use the rest to buy stuffs dat I need...like my jammies. Erybody wins.”

Papyrus attempted to climb out of the water and then, realizing his arms weren’t strong enough to pull him up onto the dock, he summoned his wingdings and placed himself onto the planks.

RATTLE RATTLE RATTLE!

“ugh, pap!” Sans covered his face as his tiny and inconsiderate sibling shook his body back and forth like the dogs in Snowdin, attempting to rid himself of the water.

“Wahahaha!”

SQISH!

THAP THAP THAP!

The infant squeezed the diaper in his hands and whipped it in the air, sending beads of water every which way. He knew it would probably not be the most absorbent product he ever sold, but perhaps the old monster would still want it for catching doodies…?

“bro, that diaper’s ruined, you’re not going to be able to sell it. look, it’s torn…”

“Nyeh?” Papyrus looked at the nappy in his hand. It seemed fine just a minute ago, but now it was all stretched out and worse yet, the sticky parts that were meant to hold the diaper in place wouldn’t stick anymore. He tried several times to get them to, but the front kept falling open.

Sans was right.

His product was ruined.

“NYEHHHHHAAHHHH! SNAAAAAAAS!”

“*sigh*”

“MY DIAPIE BE BOKEN SNAS! NYEH-HAAAHHHH!!!”

Sans got out of the water and picked up his baby brother. “don’t cry pappy,” he said, bouncing him up and down in his arms. “it’ll be okay.” He patted him on the back, but the baby bones refused to stop crying, still clutching the diaper in his little hand.

“Oh dear…hmm…tell you what,” said Gerson, pulling a wallet out of his shirt pocket. “I’ll buy your nappy at 2,000g, since it’s damaged. A young’un’ needs a pair of clothes, right?”

“our dad didn’t sell his clothes if that’s what you’re-”

“Shu up Snas, YES PWEASE MR. WRINKLE-GUY!” yelled Papyrus, suddenly all smiles. “I WOULD VERY MUCH AH-PEA-CIATE THAT!”

“PAPYRUS!”

“WAHHAHAHAHA!” laughing loudly, the tortoise-monster gave him the money. “Looks like this old man’s been outmaneuvered in marketing! I better watch out!”

“Nyeh hee hee hee!”

“…”

“Oh, don’t look so glum, my boy. Your brother needs this practice in order to protect you in the future! He’s gonna be quite the young warrior, isn’t that right Papyrus?”

“…There will be war.”

“WAHHAHAHAHA!” Mr. Gerson laughed again and walked back towards his shop. He tended to laugh a lot when Papyrus was present, though seeing him also made the elderly monster a bit sad too.  

Sometimes I miss the old days when a lot of these little guys were around…

Maybe one day, nature will fix our past mistakes. I just hope it doesn’t need help…or that it’s not too late.

TAP, SHIFF!

TAP, SHIFF!

“…that wasn’t very nice bro.”

“The business world is a harsh one, Snas,” said Papyrus, counting his G. “You needs to pactice too big Buther. One day, you’s gonna need to help da’ baby, ya’ know? Is sad dat you has no monies of your own. Just cause’ you gots 1 hp, don’t mean you’s useless. You gots a brilliant mind, put it to good use.”

“i don’t need life advice from a crook.”

“Kay’ when you gets a life, come see da’ baby.”

“i HAVE a life, you little asshole! it’s just isn’t a life of crime.”

“No crime no dime, big Buther. Sometimes you gots to break the rules to get da’ jewels! Tell Daddy he either pay you for help, or he pay fines for child labor.”

“that’s blackmail.”

“Is genius is what it is.”

Sans chuckled and put the money in his hoodie. “why would you need my help bro? unemployed monsters down here are a dime-a-dozen!”

“…”

“all jewel need to do is lie and they’ll help you out. i don’t need to do anything, heh heh…”    

“…You needs to pactice yo’ font too.”

“fine-”

“SOMEWHERE AWAY FROM DA’ BABY!” yelled Papyrus, kicking his legs.

“i can’t leave you here, child abandonment is a crime-”

“DAZ NOT EVEN A PUN!”

“besides, crawling all the way home would be a bit labor-ious, wouldn’t it?”

“IIIII HATE CHUUUUUU!!”

CAP, CAP!

CAP, CAP!

Oh crap, someone else is coming. I need to get Pappy back in some clothes or-

“HEY! NO BATHING IN THE FOOD SUPPLY, IT’S ILLEGAL!” cried a shrill voice Sans knew all too well. Startled, he dropped his brother in surprise, but luckily the infant didn’t seem to care.

“HELLWOE FISH-LADY!” Papyrus threw up his arm in greeting. “DA’ WRINKLE-MAN JUST LEFT!” The baby pointed towards Snowdin.

“He was just here?”

“yeah, he headed back to his stall a few seconds ago,” replied Sans, glaring at his brother. “while you were…underwater. why were you underwater? this is the breeding area…”

“Right, I was talking to the fish. Gotta make sure no one’s stealing them, so everyone can keep eating-”

“Fish Lady’s growing an army to fight the homos!” said Papyrus excitedly.

“SSHH!! Shut the fuck up Papyrus!” whispered Undyne harshly.

“homosapiens baby bro, you have to say the whole thing or…you know what? just say humans, kay’?”

“Homo humans!”

“…not better. also, are you talking about actual fish, undyne or water monsters?”

“WHO CARES?” yelled the young girl. “THE MORE SOLDIERS THE BETTER!” She grinned proudly, her hands on her hips. No one would expect an attack from the water AND the land, the next war against humans was as good as won.

That is, if no adults found out about it. They didn’t appreciate Undyne’s ingenious war strategies like Papyrus did.

No matter how helpful or cool they were, adults always seemed to have a problem with her ideas, and unfortunately, Sans and Gaster were no different. For most of them to work, she needed science nerds, but they saw her plans the same way they saw Papyrus’s, terrible and “asinine.”

The Royal Scientist’s words, not hers.

She didn’t know what “asinine” meant, but it had the word “ass” in it, so she assumed their father was calling her ideas booty.

My ideas aren’t ass!

My ideas are GREAT!

Stupid, crappy, science dweeb, is just lazy. How hard can it be to build a giant robot? Isn’t there already someone asking him to do that already?

“…A giant robot can destroy entire towns, I saw it in a movie.”

“what are you talking about? are you still on about that robot army?” Sans sighed, a trademark sign of his that meant he thought she was being stupid. Undyne had heard it many times before.

“IT’S A GOOD IDEA!!” she screamed. “AND IT WASN’T AN ARMY, IT WAS JUST O-”  

“for the last time, if you saw something already done in a movie undyne, the humans know how to COUNTER it; they make the friggen’ things!”

Undyne’s so dumb…

“Yeah, but the movies are old, Sans! They’re in the Dump, because no one watches them anymore! We’ll have the element of surprise.”

“I wish to pilot a Gundam, big Buther.”

“SEE?! Papyrus wants it!” she said, pointing at the baby bones. “You want to blow up a town widdle Pappy?”

The infant smiled and bounced up and down on his rear end excitedly. “Yeah yeah yeah!” he said, ignoring his sibling’s frown. “I’s Middle Eastern ya’ know…is mah calling.”

“still don’t know what middle ease is, pap.”

“Middle East Snas! It mean I comes from da’ center of the earth…only is a liiiittle East.” The infant pinched his fingers together, squinting with one eye to make sure there was space between them, hoping he had solved the mystery.

“The center of the earth…?” Undyne looked confused. “You mean Hell?”

“i’d believe that.”

“Noooo! I’s on the WOOF of Hell…cept’ is a liiittle East.”

“Yeast…isn’t that the stuff bread is made from?”

“he’s saying east, undyne. it’s a direction.” Sans pointed towards where he knew the Lab was located.

“…That’s left, Sans-I MEAN RIGHT! That’s your right.”

“NYEH HEE HEE HEE!”

“SHUT UP PAPYRUS, I WASN’T WRONG!”

“you are.”

“YOU SHUT UP TOO!!”    

“how old are you?”

“YOU CAN’T ASK ME THAT! I’M A WOMAN, IT’S ILLEGAL!”

“Is you a baby like me, Fish Lady? If so, I gots a great product for you…”

“I’m NOT a baby, I’M GROWN!” Undyne stomped her foot angrily on the planks of the pier, scaring Sans a little. He had no idea how long those timbers had been there, but he knew people walked on them every day. Eventually, they would break and need to be replaced…probably by the pines in Snowdin.

There are some people who use them for firewood too though, I know Grillby does. What if we run out? How long does it take a pine tree to grow?

…

Who planted them there to begin with?

“Nyeh? You spacing again, big Buther?”

It was something he thought of often whenever he was bored, and he highly doubted it was the monsters doing.

“Come back down from space, Snas!”

No one knew what the inside of Mt. Ebott was like, which is why everyone in the beginning not only scrambled for a home as soon as possible, but also refused to leave it behind for something better. It didn’t make sense to begin with for the monsters to carry saplings with them into a mountain with little to no sunlight. Even if the sunlamps in Snowdin had been immediately installed, it would’ve taken time. Could the trees survive that long without the sun? Why were they all pine trees to begin with? If the monsters came from different environments all over the world, wouldn’t some have brought cacti, palm trees, and other tropical plants?

It’s like someone made preparations for us to live here…

“EARTH TO THE SNAS!”

“AH!”

“Stop daydreaming and tell da’ Fish Lady how great mah fundraiser be! She doesn’t want to buy my diapies…” said Papyrus quietly.

“Why are you naked?”

“s-sorry bro, i was thinking about the trees. how come there’s only pine trees and fruit trees in the underground?”

“Nyeh?”

Why was his brother always thinking about trees?

“There’s a fern in the Resort Area,” said Undyne, hoping to change the subject. She’d rather talk about plants than diapers.

“why though? who was the guy who went ‘hey, yeah, i know i’m being ushered out of my home with little to no warning and should prooobably pack everything i think will be needed to maintain my survival-”

“But this fern doh…” The young girl laughed, imagining the scenario. “I gotta take this fern, man!”

“*pfft!* c’mon undyne, for real-”

“FERNS BEFORE FOOD! FERNS BEFORE FAMILY!”

“NYEH HEE HEE HEE HEE!”  

“AND THESE FLOWERS, DUDE! I NEED THESE GOLDEN FLOWERS IN MY LIFE!”

Sans laughed in spite of himself as his baby brother let out a high-pitched screech of delight. As curious as he and it was, the comedian had to admit it was also pretty funny.

I guess back then, people didn’t have to worry so much about survival as they do now. They probably weren’t expecting things to be so hard down here.

It’s good that kids like us don’t have to worry about that sort of thing…most of us anyway.

Dad’s a douche, but our generation depends on him and he’s doing his best to deliver. Without him, the Underground would be doomed.

He didn’t want to admit it, but he was one of the worrying kids. The future frightened him; his father frightened him.

One of the perks of being invisible, aside from whenever the Royal Scientist needed him, was that Sans could go anywhere and do anything he pleased when off the clock. He knew about the Fallen and what his father was doing before Flowey even appeared to tell him, and he was willing to bet his brother did too.

Papyrus didn’t mess with the draining machine.

Sans noticed he didn’t talk about it either. There were no questions, no threats, no mentions whatsoever. In fact, these days Papyrus seemed to mellow out a bit in general, his pranks becoming fewer and fewer in number until the labs horrendous reputation began to fade. The baby bones had even gone out to recruit other bright minds to help in the lab, no doubt sensing his father’s incoming mental collapse.

Despite how serious their power problem was, the truth remained that they HAD oil. It was dangerous to use, but it was a choice Gaster had other than draining that he didn’t favor. He CHOSE murder, their father CHOSE to drain sick monsters who came to him for help, and showed absolutely no remorse or concern for his actions.

Not good.        

“Does Onion-chan gots ferns?”

“huh?”

“It’s Onionsan, Pappy. You’re spelling it wrong, and yes, those are ferns.”

“oh, you’re still talking about ferns…who’s onionsan?” asked Sans. He didn’t know much about the monsters that lived underwater, but apparently no citizen was safe from his little bro. He hoped he hadn’t caused too much trouble…

“Onionsan-chan be a monster from Japan, man!” replied the infant, enjoying his tongue twister. “I doesn’t know how he got here dough…”

“OnionSAN, Papyrus-”

“They too big for mah diapies, so we not visit the tentacles today.”

“what?”

“Onionsan is a monster that looks like an octopus. I’ve never heard of Japan though.”

“Is where the woah-bots come from, Fish Lady! Da’ Vocaloid and the Gundams and the aira-planes…”

“airplanes aren’t robot birds baby bro,” said Sans smiling.

“Nyeh? No bird? Tsundereplane lie…?”

“huh?”

This alarmed Sans. Papyrus was behaving himself more in the lab, but that meant he was spending most of his time outside where it was dangerous.

Who’s Tsundereplane? How many people is he talking to?!

“you know what? it doesn’t matter. stop talking to strangers papyrus, it’s dang-PAPYRUS!”

BEEP BEEP!

Taking Sans’ phone out of his pocket via wingdings, Papyrus called his “friend” on speed dial.

“Hellwoe?”

“papyrus, stop!”

Who the hell gave him their number?! How long has that been in my phone?!  

“Yep, is da’ baby…”

“hang up, papyrus. whoever gave you their number isn’t a sane person-”

“Snas say you’s not a whoa-bot bird Tsundereplane. Why you lie to cute widdle me?”

“…”

“…”

“…”

“WELL SCU YOU TOO, STINK ARROW-PLANE! I BEAT YO’ ASS!”  

BEEP!

“…”

“…Tsundereplane not my friend no more.”

“Aww…poor Pappy…” Undyne patted the infant’s skull.

“don’t feel sorry for him! that’s what he gets for talking to strangers, maybe next time he’ll think before putting numbers in MY phone!”

“Yep, woe is me Fish Lady…”

“are you even listening to me?”

“…First they steals mah jammies and now they lie and call me an idiot-face. I am the saddest of cheerios…”

“THEY STOLE YOUR CLOTHES?!”

“you little shit.”

“STEALING’S ILLEGAL! Don’t worry Pappy, THE UNSTOPPABLE UNDYNE WILL GET YOUR CLOTHES BACK!”

“he’s lying undyne-”

Sans reached out to stop her, but Undyne was already off towards Hotland.

Damnit!

There’s no way he’d catch her, he didn’t even know who or where Tsundereplane was.

I don’t even know what they LOOK like…an airplane probably, but…

“Nyeh hee hee hee!”

“*humph!* i bet you’re pretty proud of yourself, huh baby bro?”

“Yes.”

“you think you did the right thing?”

“Yes.”

“what do you think’s gonna happen when undyne finds out you were lying?”

“She gonna come back and do the accu-sa-tions and Imma say ‘they throw my jammies in da’ lava?’ then I’s gonna cry reeeal loud, and she gonna feel sorry for me.”

“…”

“She’ll say, ‘aww, I didn’t think of that! Poor baby Pappy…I should go out and buy you NEW jammies!’ and then I say, ‘no, no, you’s done enough.”

“…is that right?”

“Yep. I say, “Just gives me some monies and I go gets em’. Shopping be boring.’ Then she gonna go ‘you’s right! Shopping IS boring. Here are some monies…and a widdle extra for the accu-sa-tions.”

“…”

“That’s when I be reeeal nice and say ‘keep da’ extra, you deserves it for being a good friend to da’ baby.’ Then I buys candy and I eats it, then we all live happy ever after.”

“…i’m calling undyne.”

“WHY YOU GOTS TO DESTROY MY HAPPY AFTER?”

BEEP BEEP BEEP!

“I’M NOT SELLING YOU NOTHIIIIINN’!!!” screamed Papyrus, “NYEH!” Snatching his brother’s phone, the baby bones took off running towards Snowdin.

“PAPYRUS! PAPYRUS, NO!”

“NYEH HEE HEE HEE HEE!”

“DO NOT GO INTO TOWN NAKED, PAPYRUS!”

Friggin’ dumbass! There’re dogs everywhere there, he can’t be showing that many bones, he’ll get eaten!

Or they would.

Probably the dogs.

Either way, Sans knew who would ultimately be blamed.

“GOOD LUCK FINDING ME IN DA’ SNOW BIG BUTHER!”

“ugh, shit!”

POOF!

With an enthusiastic smile, Papyrus leapt into a snow poff as soon as his sibling lost sight of him. There was no way Sans would find a tiny white skeleton in a snowfield. It would be like finding a needle in a haystack…whatever a haystack was.

Finally, his Michael Jackson syndrome was paying off.

“Nyeh? *sniff sniff*”

That was odd. The snow poff he was in smelled like doody. Well, actually, the whole town smelled like a barnyard, but this was especially bad…

“*huff puff* pa-papyrus…”

“…”

“papyrus, i know you’re in there, your tracks lead right to the snow poff field!”

“…Those could be anybody’s tracks, there’s no baby here, skelly-man.”

“really? heh heh, well that’s weird. most people who live in snowdin avoid the snow poffs.”

“…I had to move cause’ I missed my rent. This my home now.”

Sans laughed; his brother had no idea. “woooow, that sucks. i’d personally hate to live in a poop-igloo, but you do you man, ha ha ha!”

“What?” Papyrus poked his head out of the snow poff and looked down.

“yep. the reason the snow is built up in this area and nowhere else, is because this is where people dump their chamber pots.”

“…”

“the snow tends to build on top of the droppings and that’s what makes these little mounds, cool huh?”

“…”

“asgore is trying to get plumbing up and running, but it’ll be a while before THAT happens, what with the power issue and all. personally? i don’t see it happening. people make money gathering these snow poffs up to sell for fertilizer.”

Without saying a word, Papyrus climbed out of the snow poff and walked towards the Ruins. It was the longest route to a river, but at least it didn’t cut through town.

“papyrus?”

“Shut up.”

“aww, what’s wrong pappy? paaappyyyy-”

SPLASH!

The baby bones jumped into the river, using his wingdings to hold himself steady in order to keep from being swept away by the current.

“…”

“oh no, pappy! you can’t just hop into the river, the fishies will see your butt!”

“…”

“you know what you need to catch those doodies? what every baby needs?”

“Choke on bread.”

“a dia-”

SPLASH!  

“heh.”

[ninjakasuga]

Sonsal Celebration Year 2, Day 8

The final day is here; and this one took me a bit to figure it out but here we go! I’ve enjoyed the celebration hosted by @boundforfreedomsonsal this year and look forward to more events to come. I honestly haven’t felt a drive for my solo writing like this in awhile. Sure I’ve had some projects cooking in the wings but they’re slo-mo going for various reasons. Maybe I just needed an injection of my favorite furry couple to light the fires? XD  In any case, enjoy and can’t wait to hear what’cha all think.

PROTECT:

Flipping her book to a new page, Sally’s eyes began to read over the new lines of the beginning paragraph. The curl of a smile began to form more as she read on with the book. Said book was actually was not the full release novel. Wanting to encourage her friends’ new hobby, Sally had offered to be a beta-reader and thus the manuscript was in her hand; a manuscript that Nicole had already bound as a book to ‘sell the experience’, a rather cute gesture Sally appreciated since she did enjoy the ‘feel’ of a book in her hands. As she moved to the next page, she softly chuckled. “I think Nicole is channeling you into the male love interest, he reminds me so much of you Sonic.” The book was actually a thriller but there was a romance subplot, and Sally couldn’t help but notice two of the lead characters channeled Sonic and herself. There was another female character who seemed to be trying to romance both, and this made Sally raise an eyebrow as that character felt like a fusion of Nicole and Bunnie. Was Nicole just being creative or was she projecting something into her hobby?

With the book obscuring her view, she didn’t see Sonic but could hear him walking back into their bedroom from the adjacent bathroom, having finished brushing his teeth. “Oh? So how does this fictional guy remind you of moi?” He playfully inquired, his footsteps softened as the bed shook, indicative of him crawling onto it from the bottom edge.

After she finished scanning the current paragraph, the skin under her fur began to blush as a ‘love scene’ started, and again she had to wonder if Nicole was somehow psychic or if she could ‘see’ things through the nanites regardless of her wishes; or in a worst-case, ‘Sally-did-not-want-to-believe-it’ scenario, a voyeur. Especially since the scene described the two characters slipping into a utility closet for a ‘quickie’; which invoked a memory or two Sally had of Sonic and her doing similar things. Shaking her head, she dismissed such a crazy notion; it wasn’t an uncommon romantic story set-up, so that was probably the case, making her feel silly for even considering Nicole would have peeped on Sonic and her.

“Long and short of it sweetie, he’s got your flair for ‘smooth style’ as you put it.” She answered her husband, moving to the next page. Suddenly she felt her nightgown being pulled up past her thighs and belly, making her lower the manuscript and stare at her husband with a slight frown and raised an eyebrow. “Sonic, what are you doing? I’m not in the mood.” She flatly told him; and she wasn’t despite the slight spicy turn in the novel she was prereading.

Looking at his wife, Sonic put a hand to his chest fur as if wounded by her accusation. “You think I would start being frisky without checking with my wife? For shame Sal!’ He ‘tsked’ and wagged a finger in the air. “Much as I enjoy lovin’ on you, my goal is to do this.” With that statement said, Sonic then laid his head on Sally’s four and a half month pregnant belly. His ears began to twitch as he nuzzled and listened for any sounds or signs of movement within. A hand rested along her belly where his head was not resting, slowly, softly stroking in tender circular motions. The expression on his face was a mixture of pride, love, happiness, and something, Sally could not put a word to it; but it made her heart melt seeing her beloved husband so, in-love with the lives growing inside of her.

Smiling Sally put a bookmark between the pages of the manuscript and set it on the nightstand, content to just watch her husband rest on her belly. “You can’t get enough of that can you?”

Flashing his own smile her way, he made a sound that was just joyful as his cheek nuzzled her swollen-with-child belly. “They need to hurry and come on out.”

“Three and a half months at the least Sonic, you can wait a little longer. Not that I don’t wish they could hurry from time to time myself.” Sally couldn’t help but giggle some at his impatience but ultimately she also sympathized. She wanted her little bundles in her arms as well. So far she was enjoying her pregnancy; the highs and lows together even if the lows were sometimes unbearable. Sally was someone who liked to be in control of her faculties, and her hormones making her irrational at the drop of a hat was not entirely her idea of fun.

Still, the upside outweighed that, but she would be happy to not have her bladder kicked every half hour! After a moment’s debate, Sally gripped her nightgown bunched up just under her chest and pulled the article off and cast it aside.

Craning his head, Sonic sent her a playful smile. “I thought you weren’t in the mood?” Laughing she playfully smacked his arm. “I’m not, I just got a hot flash, and well- these!” She gestured to her chest which had gained some growth. “They felt too confined, and urgh heavy! How much milk does my body think I need to produce?!”

Unable to help himself, Sonic laughed as his lovely wife hefted her breasts while looking out of sorts with the recent hormonal developments. As she pouted at him, he waved a hand apologetically in the air. “S-sorry Sal, just watching you juggle them around is too damn funny! P-plus if I may be frank it’s kinda probably a thing since you’re having twins. Remember how much my Mom got bigger in the chest when she was pregnant with Sonia and Manik? Plus if our kids have my metabolism they’ll be hungry suckers.”

Pouting she quickly if carefully stops hefting her chest and crossed her arms. “The next time ‘YOU’ have our child. I am making it a royal decree. Let’s see how much you laugh with the back-pain, bladder control issues, cravings, and hyper mood-swings.”

Snorting Sonic sat upon his knees, a hand still on her belly. “I kinda lack the equipment Sal, so decree all you want.”

As Sally opened her mouth to make a retort, she slowly closed her mouth, then opened it again but yet as before closed it as she could not think of a solid argument. Pouting in frustration she threw her hands up in the air. “Fine you win this one.”

Having dealt with her mood swings enough, Sonic could see she was one-foot in the midst of one; hence her insistence he carry the next kid despite being a biological impossibility. Moving his hand from her belly he scooted down the bed toward her upper half and gently slid his hand around one of hers and squeezed. “Hey don’t frazzle yourself hun, I just got one over ya’ this time. No big.”

“I know, it’s just mildly annoying when my hormones make my mind or mouth run away without a clear thought.” She murmured, rubbing the bridge of her nose with her free hand. Looking his way, she smiled warmly. “I appreciate you putting up with me when I get out of sorts.”

“Hey fair’s fair, you put up with me.” He winked, which as he hoped got her to laugh. “There we go, have a chuckle hun, let the bad vibes out of your system. Plus heck if you really don’t wanna do this again we don’t have to have anymore kids.”

She nodded, looking thoughtful as she pondered this. “Suppose we do?” “We can adopt.” He pointed out.

Sally couldn’t help but consider all angles; “Suppose I lose my mind and want to be pregnant again?”

Sonic shrugged, “Stuff to consider when we come to that bridge Sal. Right now, just focus on these two. I have a feeling they’ll keep us busy and on our toes well enough. Whatever we decide we decide together.”

Unable to not smile, she brought his hand to her lips and kissed it. “I love you, and thank you for putting me at ease about those future thoughts.”

“S’what husbands are for right?” He chuckled kissing her back before moving back towards her belly. Once back in place, Sonic resumed resting against his wife’s belly, planting a warm kiss against the lump housing their children. “Mama and Daddy kicked all the bad guys butts for you before you were born, but we’re gonna protect you still when you come into the world.” He coo’d, as he continued to massage his wife’s abdomen which had a soothing effect on Sally as she relaxed against her pillows.

“Damn right we did, and mmmm, don’t stop.” A low moan of contentment left Sally as she found her eyes fluttering. She guessed it was time for bed after all. “...I want… I want to give them the best lives we can Sonic. That’s all I want for them.”

Glancing her way, Sonic slid a hand up to wrap around hers, squeezing as he then moved up the bed, now laying beside Sally and kissed her softly. “We will, that’s always gonna be the plan Sal, they ain’t ever gonna go through the crap we did, nor will they question if we love em’.”

Nodding softly as her eyes fluttered, Sally squeezed his hand, then moved her arms around him to pull him against her side like he was a cuddle toy. “I hope we’re ready, I want this but I worry I might not be good enough-.”

“I worry too Sal.” He gently interrupted, kissing her tired eyes as her sleepy expression grew across her face. “I worry too, but I know we’ll figure stuff we go together. Like we always have.” Nuzzling her cheeks, he reached down to pull the covers over her so she wouldn’t catch a cold. “Sleep sweetie, I love you.”

“Mmm love you too my sweet Hog’.” Sally murmured before sleep fully and utterly claimed her. Leaving Sonic to kill the light by the nightstand before he curled back against her, watching her sleep as he lets his own body relax. Sleep would come for him eventually, until then, he wanted to keep watch on his wife and unborn children.

Even in peace, he would keep protecting. It’s just how Sonic was, and always would be.     

[jbbuckybarnes]

Imagine

Raising children with Cevans.

Description: I wrote a super long imagine for @marmariavel at the beginning of the year and I thought I’d put it into a thing you all could read. The only thing I didn’t change was the bilingual aspect and some stuff I couldn’t flesh out more. Beware: Tons of sentences that start with “You” & time jumps. Pairing: Chris x german!bilingual!Reader

M A S T E R L I S T

You'd been together for a little over 3 years and he had proposed to you very on the down low at home after a beautiful day planned by him a few months before. You had talked about kids but you didn't really plan them soon. Well...you didn't think that your birth control would've just stopped working because of some antibiotics for your gripal infect a few weeks back.

He was gone for a movie for two more weeks and you sat there in the middle of your shared house in the bathroom, staring at the two pink stripes after being late, panicking and wanting to ease your mind...well, that kinda backfired.

You'd call a friend and go crazy for a minute or ten before they would be like "Yo, relax and let a doctor confirm it. I can come with you." And that's what you'd do that week.

You would get the confirmation and be happy but also super fucking insecure about it even though you knew he wouldn't have a problem with it. It's still your body and you didn't know how to handle it mentally. Your friend would just stay with you that night, take your mind a bit off things, eat Ben & Jerry's with you, and the rest of that program. And the next day you'd start planning how to tell him since you had two weeks to prepare for it.

So you kinda had the opportunity to make it a bit bigger and exciting but also not super big but like cute big. You decided to get some books about pregnancy, baby clothes and shoes, baby food and probably something Baby Captain America themed. After getting it in the mail you would start putting together a big box, neatly decorated so he could see all the things at once. At the center, you stuck the test. The outside neatly sprayed in a gender-neutral color and a few stickers.

You would start emptying your office room carefully and put the stuff in his office. He was used to you rearranging his whole house all the time so he wouldn't be super surprised by that part at first. You would put the box in the middle of the room and be super excited for him to come home.

You'd write to him that you had a surprise for him and he'd be like "don't tease me" and you'd dance around excited until he gets in through the door. You would run towards him with a big grin and he'd just bear hug you.

You'd take all his stuff away from him excited and tell him to leave everything right in the hallway and that the surprise couldn't wait.

So you'd drag him towards your old office, open the door and he'd be like "You rearranged again?" with a smile at you before you almost ran to the box, picked it up and held it out to him. "Open it." He'd look at you a little bit '???' but happy. And then he would open it slowly and instantly stop in his movement as soon as he had a full view of the inside of the box and his jaw would just drop and he'd eye all the different things in there and would be looking up at you speechless.

"Welcome to your future child's nursery." you'd smile with happy tears in your eyes before he would set the box down and envelope you in the best hug ever and kiss you and cry and mumble "I'm finally gonna be a dad."

He'd pick you up in the air with the biggest smile ever and ask you how far you are and you'd say something like 2 months and he'd jump like a happy little boy before setting you down, kissing you again and saying "Let's go through the box, plan what you want in here and order pizza, baby." he'd say with just pure love in his eyes before going onto both knees in front of you and holding your hips "Because Baby Evans needs to get strong." and you'd just burst into tears right there.

You'd sit down on the floor and start looking through the books together, talking about marrying a little sooner, your fears, your ideas for the room, names, public announcements, milestone ideas. You'd start crying every time he'd say "Baby Evans" or "Little Bean" or something. Hormoooones.

Also: "Now nobody can judge me for my big appetite anymore." "Or your giant sweet tooth." "I feel called out!" "Blame it on the baby." "Believe me I will. It's gonna be just like me when it's here. Constantly eating." "Two of those in my house. Can't wait for those food fights in a few years." You: *starts crying again*

You'd take at least one mirror picture per week. You'd tell your parents the following week. You'd tell all of your friends after inviting them over for a get-together. You'd announce it at the beginning of the fourth month with something Captain America themed. You'd plan the best wedding ever and marry in your early sixth month. You'd find out it's a girl and he'd be so over the moon to have a little princess that he could take to Disneyland all the time and dress up with. You'd make the room peachy orange-pink themed on one wall and have like a photo tapestry of clouds in that color on the other one. You'd get all the cute baby stuff over the time. You would do some rad maternity pictures that the internet would probably go crazy over. He'd push you to go and get facials and shit to relax cause he's a good husband. You'd learn about all birth stuff together, go to a pregnancy sports class cause why not.

He'd be relatively chill about the whole birth experience probably. He'd just read up on a lot of things and stuff. He'd get you all the weird things you crave, massage you all the time. Hold you when your hormones would go crazy.

Baby Evans would probably come late and doctors would want you to try natural things to start contractions so you would just dance through a hospital room and film it for the world later on. He'd be so sweet all throughout the actual pain and shit and you'd literally almost break his finger to be honest.

And the moment he hears a baby cry you just see his face switch. Like an actual "I'm dad"-switch.

He would go with them while they do all the first stuff with the baby and then you'd get it onto your chest and big hug moment and exhaustion.

While you would be sleeping he'd hold her and sit with her in the chair beside your hospital bed. You'd wake up every now and then and see him staring at her with sparkly eyes and count her fingers.

*mini sneeze* "Bless you, my little Princess." *mini sneeze again* "Don't look at me like that with your big cute eyes, I didn't make it tickle, baby girl."

You'd name her Amelia Jillian Evans. He'd be super good at changing diapers while you were still laying in pain. You'd take her home two days later dressed in a Captain America body. Obviously posting the news online then.

The first weeks would be exhausting but his family would help where they could with making your life easier. He was on Baby Workout duty since the little bean needed to learn how to turn around by herself and he would be so proud every time she did it. When she started being able to recognize you and started laughing he was just constantly carrying her around when you didn't have a grasp on her. She was definitely going to be a daddy's girl

When she starts crawling he's the first one to see it since it happens while he's laying with her on the ground and you were in the kitchen making food. "She just crawled!" he'd yell. You'd come running with a proud smile. "Show Mama what an independent girl you are Amy." She'd laugh and crawl a little more and you’d melt so damn much.

You'd raise her bilingual, and he's walking in on you both a lot when you talk German and understands nothing. But he tries to learn it a bit at least. "Are you two gossiping about daddy?" he'd touch her nose before giving you a kiss.

She'd grab his beard all the time and giggle and that would be his favorite thing ever.

As soon as she starts drinking from bottles he just takes her to the gym with her sometimes on days he knows it's almost empty and he doesn't have big weights. He just has the crawling blanket, toys and her bottle with him and just working out.

One day she would just look at him while he's doing push-ups with her right under his face to make her laugh and for his own motivation and she'd just laugh up at him and say "Dada" and he just stop in the middle of the push up with a jaw-dropping smile and say "Am I your Dada?" And she'd just giggle more and grab his beard again and say "Dada" before making one of those happy “baby moves all limbs at once”-dances on her back.

He'd drive home and burst in with her on his arm and you'd be confused and he'd be like totally in shook still "She said Dada." And right at that moment, she would say it again and you would melt.  And he would point towards you "Mama." "Mmm...ma." You'd giggle, "Close enough."

You would start seeing her pulling herself up on your furniture and from her baby bed and one morning just be like "If you also get to see her walk before I see it I'm suing." and he'd chuckle and continue drinking his coffee while you made airplanes of applesauce into her mouth.

You'd hold her hands and helped her walk forwards slowly while he was the goal they wanted to reach. You did that for a couple of weeks now and you gave her less and less hold over time and today you let her go completely and she walked three steps before landing on her behind. A few weeks later you were holding her hands one each and went for a walk completely proud of your little bean. "Mama?" She looked up at you and let go of Chris' hand completely and held her arms up so you picked her up. "Amelia?" you'd answer. "Müde." she'd say. Her first German word outside of the basics and you'd be over the moon smiling over at your husband that had a questioning smile on his face and you mouthed 'tired' while she laid her head on your shoulder.

By the way: Dodger would be protective and super chill around her. From the moment she came home the first time. He never nudged her, always just smelled and let her grab him sometimes even if it was uncomfy for him.

He would always be up to play with her over the next two-three years until she had her first big detachment phase. "Do you wanna play, Amy?" "No." and his eyes would be proud but also ouch.

She'd walk around in a princess dress and with a toy car most of the time and went to kindergarten a few days per week.

"Honey?" He'd say one evening hugging you from behind while you were cooking. "Hmm?" you'd smile at him. "I want another one." he'd mumble. "Are you sure?" you answered, "We still don't have our sleeping pattern back to normal." "I want her to have a sibling," he said kissing your neck. "Let's talk about that after bedtime, okay?" You'd say squeezing his hand.

By now she spoke both languages with both of you and Chris really needed to get his German game up. "Daddy?" "Yes, princess?" "Liest du mir Buch?" and in that moment, he knew...his child was more intelligent than him lmao. "She wants you to read her a book." you'd say from the next room. "Which one?" She'd pull out an easy German one but damn was it hard for him to pronounce it right.  You'd stand in the door frame proudly smiling at them.

The weeks after that you let her do a lot of sleepovers at friends. Was it a cover-up to get pregnant again? Yup.

And like three months later you both sat there together on the living room table waiting for the test. 5 minutes could be so fucking long. When you turned the test around and the second pink line was there he jumped up and almost threw you into the air. "You better pray to my vajayjay from now on," you'd joke. "Believe me. Already been doing that every day." he'd be like serious but also chuckling and you'd just hug so tight and squeak.

After going to the doc you would just send the ultrasound picture around with DJ Khaled's "Another One" over it. Cause you both are dorks like that. "Please stay Amy's rock, okay? I don't want her to feel left out when her sibling comes."

You'd both tell her that she'll get a sibling and she was jumping around and holding her hand on your Belly all the time.   You'd find out it's another girl. "Oh lord, three of them?" Would be Chris' reaction after the doc says it and a chuckle goes through the room. "A lot of food we need to have at all times." you'd laugh.

She would find it so fascinating how the belly moved. "When does my sister come?" she'd ask almost every day.

You'd have a trip to Disneyland together with her in a Cinderella dress and a Captain America Helmet. She was proud to have a superhero daddy. And it was good for paparazzi to not see her completely on pictures. She still couldn't hold the Shield tho. It was still like two thirds of her size.

You'd all eat so much in all the places there and he'd get her anything princess-like. "What do heroes eat, daddy?" "Whatever they want. Just like princesses." "But princesses only eat special food." "A princess can also eat a burger if she wants one, right honey?" he'd look at you. "Yes. Princesses and heroes both can eat whatever they want. It's super important to listen to what your belly wants, Amy." "What does your belly want, Mama?" "Two cheeseburgers, a salad, and ice cream." you deadpan and Chris would giggle.

He'd probably put a dress on himself just for her to see, that gender roles are shit. And school will shake that for her but he will make sure she knows that she can love 'masculine' things like cars, tech & science.

She'd probably be super good at math but also start drawing and writing early. You both would probably put her into a dance class but also let her try a sport that's a bit more like Taekwondo.

If she would feel in any way threatened she would use what she learned and say "You better stop. My dad is a superhero and he will kick your behind if you don't stop."

Your 6/7 yo daughter would kick ass so hard. Promise.

Then the little sister would come and she would be old enough to hold her and all that. You both had asked her for a name she liked and took that as a second name for the little sister. This one was more of a mommy's child.

Her name would be Chloe Jordan Evans and after the birth, you would be "You won't get more," to Chris completely exhausted.

You had already talked about not wanting more children after that but the steps of growing up were so much cooler now that a bigger sister could watch all of them happen.

You decided to raise this one on bottles mainly which made sleep a bit easier for you both since you didn't need to be awake for it every time.

Amelia & Chloe would not be revenge siblings as soon as Chloe could walk and talk. They were close and Amelia was very thoughtful and definitely into sports and science while also loving pink and stuff.

Chloe would be more of a singer and would love makeup and dressing up. She wanted to learn more about her daddy's job pretty early on and loved coming to little events of Chris' management. She was super extroverted and loved being around people.

But she still was super focussed on you with everything else. A mom's child.

She'd cook with you, play video games with you and loved going on walks when Chris was gone filming and Amy at elementary school.

She also was obsessed with Daddy dressing up. The shield was her goal. He always told her she is too small for it so her big goal was growing faster. The first time he let her wear it was with his friends being over and Seb or someone just being like "Just let her. I'm sure she is responsible enough to keep it safe, right Chloe?" And a heavy nod would come back. The shield went from her shoulders to under her knees and was clipped to her back. All the men in the room were just smiling at her. She definitely had the attention of the room as soon as she came in. She'd run around with the Shield on her back and a Nerf Gun and shoot all the men with the soft little things and they played dead. When you walked in you looked around confused but then she jumped out of her corner and pointed the Nerf Gun at you which made you put your hands up. "Miss? I need to arrest you." And you'd play into it and internally smile at 1. The shield on her back. 2. How good she was at this.

[bisexualterror]

All the even headcanons?

at first i was confused and then i made a noise and went ?? really!!?? now i’m blushing 😊 ok so!

1. Light sleeper

altheia for sure. they have to deal with a lot of abrupt attacks during the war so yeah 😔

2. Has non stop puns

nova does use a few. but mainly remy and her dad richard. omg they’re jokes are terrible together, dwight has to leave the room sometimes lajfjdjfhj

3. Will cut you if you hurt their loved ones

almost all of them?? except a few dick side ocs. but nova was the one who came to mind first so her the most. she does a lot for the people she loves.

4. Has a dysfunctional family

uhhhhhh the correct question would be who doesn’t have a dysfunctional family 😅 maybe spencer? they love their parents but.... yikes!

5. Likes rock music

so many!! but nova and bo listen to it the most!

6. Will give you the middle finger

dkjdjdh most of them tbh but nova and bo again for the most!

7. Is a sweet angel

a tie between remy and zephyr appleby!! remy is so precious and zeph is such a soft boy i love them 🥺

8. Can kill you with a pencil

nova would 100% wanna stab a vampire with one. but corvina is the one who would kill you with one.

9. Looks sweet but will murder you in cold blood

mmm probably my only anime oc akane! cause she’s pretty violent but she looks cute!

10. Looks like they will murder you but is a sweetheart

alex and mars! ive done so much rewriting for mars, made her softer on the inside than she looks on the outside, which is the cliche ice queen slytherin look.

with alex she has a pretty bad case of resting bitch face but she’s probably my kindest oc, loves helping people, esp people in pain, no matter how much she denies it.

11. Will eat everything if they could

ljshdsg nova, she loves going to other people’s houses and stealing their food.

12. Wants to run away from everything

alex is constantly running away from stuff until she finally embraces her new world and begins to run towards people.

also noor, she does sometimes dissapear/runaway from serious sibling arguments and her job is basically her running from being truly intimate with people

13. Knows random facts about everything

altheia!!

14. Owns a motorcycle

i think a few of them do actually? but alex is the one that rides hers the most and takes care of it herself very well. she just loves driving anything from motorcycles to cars to that one time she has to emergency land a plane!

15. Is book smart

a few but al came to mind first!! altheia consumes books with a real hunger for knowledge of all kinds. the moment they step out of gallifrey they begin to see that somethings are best learned through life experience.

16. Is naïve

says a lot that it took me a second to think for this one. probably zeph or reyenna in her pre s1 years, although their naivety is because of their young age

17. Would steal a penguin from the zoo

1000% mars!!

18. Has very exaggerated facial expressions

remy and nova but nova the most tbh she has so many different looks she uses on people and only bonnie and her best friends can read them all

19. Likes Harry Potter

a lot of them but zaria and nova make the most references kshshjs

20. To solve other peoples problems, they say to murder the problem

skhsjaksj a lot lmaooo but corvina is probably the only one that’s not joking

21. Is a nervous wreck

alex has a lot of anxiety so her def

22. Likes dragons

nova, mars and zaria. mars just a little bit more though, very enthusiastic over animals, especially ones that are big and can kill you

23. Will laugh as they kill you

hhhhdg corvina mostly just to scare you but yeah

24. Would bake a cake for a friend who is sad

nova and zaria! nova keeps her friends well fed and loves cooking at random hours. zaria is pretty good at baking, for the most part, if only because she loves sweets.

25. Is the comforting one

a lot. alex, nova, noor and zaria.

zaria is a full on empath so she’d probably be the best at it.

26. Acts like they don’t care, but do

a few! but elena and corvina the most in their first season(s). corvina is a bit better at keeping up the facade though.

27. Loves children

roma!! she’s really good with her baby brother and other kids too!

28. Gets lost easily

talia and mars! talia with driving anywhere cause she prefers portals and mars trying to figure out all the twists and turns of hogwarts. she will probably be playfully upset w Harry for keeping the map to himself for so long 😆

29. Likes to work out

alex for sure!

30. Will sends meme in the group chat

a lot for sure but remy will send the most, sometimes she’ll only express her emotions with memes

31. Knows every song ever

probably my only fully formed singer oc audrey! she likes rock, indie and classical more but tries to keep up with every genre for the most part.

32. Likes socks

the first that came to mind was al! they have a collection of weird and funny socks, but remy has some pretty great ones too!

33. Can’t sleep without something special

noor can’t sleep without the lights on. usually dimmed but still light on always.

34. Has a sweet tooth

zaria!! no competition.

35. Has amazing hair

most of them probably?? but dessa and nova’s hairstyles are the ones i would want the most personally

hey!! i love you!!! thanks so much for the ask!!!

[kamekamelea]

the one where Jake learns to trust his daughter (or not)

~Special thanks to amazing @feeisamarshmallow​ for beta-reading and editing 💕(check out her writing - it’s great!)~

This fic is a little birthday present for Adele @b99peraltiago​, who requested #43 (parties/first time drunk) from @meepmorpperaltiago​ kids prompts list some time ago and I hope it brings at least a small smile to your face on your bday :))) (and thank you for letting me borrow the name Anana for this one, you know how much I love it)

Happy birthday, Adele! 💖

read on ao3

“That’s not fair!”

Jake’s heart breaks every time he’s a witness to his two precious girls fighting. And since Ana recently got into the rebellious stage of her teen life, it’s happening quite often now and Jake hates it.

“I’m not changing my mind, Ana! You’re not going to this party and I don’t want to hear any more of it!” Amy’s not shouting but her voice is so sharp it could cut. This is the authoritative Amy Santiago-Peralta speaking.

“No one ever invites me to this kind of stuff and do you wanna know why?!” his dear Anana’s eyes are full of angry tears now, her cheeks are red and puffy from crying and Jake thinks he’s too soft to have this kind of conversation with his kid. “Because guess what - both of my parents are fucking cops! That’s why!”

Well, this is new.

“Anana! Mind your language!” The shock he’s feeling is evident in his tone. “If you are not able to maintain a certain level of respect for your mother, this conversation is over. Now.” Jake is not the shouting type of parent, so he reprimands his daughter very calmly. And even though the disappointment and look of betrayal on Ana’s face almost breaks him, he doesn’t give up - there are boundaries that cannot be crossed, and using such hurtful words definitely does so.

Ana looks him deep in the eyes for a few more seconds before she turns around and runs to her room, closing the door with a loud thump, and making Amy jump. She’s still shocked from the turn their conversation took.

“Can you believe it? I feel like I don’t recognize her anymore.” His wife starts to voice her frustration, caused by their daughter’s behavior, but Jake’s buried too deep in his thoughts to pay any attention to her rant.

“I think we’re making a mistake, Ames.” He stops her mid-sentence.

“What?!”

And there she is, back to her furious mode.

“Are you saying what I think you’re saying? You think we should let her go to that boy’s party? That’s ridiculous. What if she drinks herself unconscious? What if she does something stupid?” Suddenly Amy’s eyes get wide and there’s a look of terror on her face. “What if she does drugs?!”

“First of all, Ames, none of this will happen ‘cause we raised her better than this. She’s our daughter and we need to learn to trust her. Secondly, at least we know this guy - it’s Tommy, for God’s sake! You adore him - he aces every year’s spelling bee, he does math camps and he helped you recently with your crossword puzzle - he’s our daughter’s best friend of your dreams! Besides I don’t think this kind of guy is gonna organize a crazy party.”

“If our daughter is as naive as you, I’m worried even more. You’re so easy to fool, Peralta.” Jake’s a bit taken aback by his wife’s insult. “I’ve known guys like him - they charm you with their knowledge of physics or chemistry fun facts and than bam! There they are - trying to get to your pants!”

“God, who have you been with?” Jake’s disgust quickly changes into anger “Who was he? Did he hurt you? Do you need me to teach this guy a lesson?”

Amy’s expression softens a bit at her husband’s concern.

“I was twelve years old and all he wanted was a kiss but it was enough to scare me. Tony beat him up. Got suspended for it.”

Jake feels a sudden wave of affection towards Amy’s younger brother.

“Good to know. Anyway, I think we can trust Anana with this. She’s sixteen and it’s true what she said about her peers not inviting her to parties, you know it.”

There was an incident few months ago, when a boy from Ana’s class got arrested by cops from Amy’s precinct and it was Captain Santiago-Peralta herself who had a talk with him about the consequences of possessing drugs. Life has been hell for Ana since.

“Well, it’s not her fault that boy was trying to destroy his life.”

“True, but it’s her who suffers now from it.”

There is a moment of silence between them as they stare at each other - Jake knows it’s a hard task convincing his wife about something like this, but he is also certain about the rightness of his move. He’s not going to back out. And Amy must see the determination in his eyes cause she eventually buys in.

“Fine. But it’s your responsibility altogether - if she ends up in a hospital from alcohol poisoning, it’ll be you who sits by her bed and worries about her.” They are both aware that Amy’s bluffing right now - there’s no way she’d be able to sit still, if one of her children was suffering.  

“Nothing bad will happen - wanna bet on it?” There’s a hint of excitement in Jake’s voice at the thought of rivalry.

“Jake, I am not betting on our child’s well-being.”

“Right, yeah, sorry. Got a bit ahead of myself. That’s not good parenting.”

Amy shakes her head in an act of resignation.

“I can’t believe I’m saying yes to this. It’s crazy. I’m so scared.” Her voice is quiet as she speaks her fears. Jake has known from the beginning of this argument that Amy’s opposition is fueled only by anxiety. But that doesn’t change the fact that he believes that this kind of behavior is wrong. They have to trust their soon-to-be-an-adult daughter. No matter how difficult it is for them. And all he can do now is offer his wife some comfort in a hard moment as this one, when it’s the first time their child goes to an almost adult-like party.

So he embraces her, kisses her temple and mutters into her hair soothing words.

“Anana will be fine. It’s completely natural for you to be worried, but she’ll be fine. She’s a smart girl.”

***

Five days after that conversation, Jake thinks he couldn’t be more wrong as he watches his daughter puking into their neighbours bushes.

He made a deal with Ana, that she can go to the party but he’ll pick her up at exactly 1 am and the moment she got into the car he knew she was totally drunk. It was Tommy who helped her out of the house and Jake should be probably thankful for it but instead of showing him his gratitude, he gave him a stern look of disappointment. The boy paled at the view and muttered quietly “Sorry, Mr. Peralta” before running back to his house.

And now Jake finds himself standing behind his precious offspring, who is pouring the contents of her stomach out of herself, with a hurtful expression on his face. There are so many emotions bustling inside of him - there’s anger of course, a bit of disappointment - there’s no point it denying it - but mostly worry and compassion, because his kid is in pain. There is no need for him to hold back her hair - she has it tied up in a bun, that reminds him so much of her mother. So he just stands there feeling a bit weird.

She finally finishes throwing up and he squats beside her.

“Better?” he pats her shoulder awkwardly. He’s taken care of many people who suffered from too much drinking but it’s a whole different experience when it’s his kid.

“I’m so sorry, dad. I know it was you who convinced mum and now I’ve disappointed you.”

“Not gonna argue with that. But we’re gonna talk about it in the morning, Ana.”

The absence of his pet name for her doesn’t get unnoticed as a quiet sob escapes her mouth.

“I’m really sorry. I’m so stupid.”

“Hey, don’t call my daughter stupid!” He cracks a smile in attempt to cheer her up a little, and strokes her hair. He can’t stand her seeing sad, she’s his precious little girl. “You’re young, not stupid. And this -” he points at the vomit in front of them “- this is just a mistake. A mistake that you’re gonna learn from, right?” she nods biddably. “Come on, let’s go home before your mum gets suspicious.” He makes an attempt to stand up but Ana’s tuck on his jacket stops him.

“I love you, dad.”

“I love you too, Ananas.” he plants a kiss on her forehead and offers her a hand to help her stand up.

They sneak into the house without waking Amy up, and Jake thinks it’s one of his greatest achievements as a father.

***

“Babe, why is our daughter up so early after a party and mowing the lawn?”

Jake’s making coffee in the kitchen when he hears his wife’s sleepy voice. He turns around to greet her with a quick kiss on her cheek and smiles at the sight in front of him. Amy looks beautiful as always, even though she’s wearing not very fancy plaid pajamas and a silk robe on top. Her hair is already combed regardless her waking up just minutes ago.

And she’s right - it is very early in the morning, Ana doesn’t get up this early even on week days, not to mention the weekend.

“Well since I’m not allowed to spill anything regarding last night’s events, all I’m gonna say, is that what you see is me enforcing some good old days discipline.”

There is now a playful smirk on Amy’s face as she approaches her husband with a glint in her eyes.

“So, you’re saying this is some sort of punishment for Ana?”

“That’s one way to put it. I spend most of the night thinking what would be a perfect lesson for her and I came up with the best idea. The effect of consuming too much alcohol is a penalty itself. All I have to do is to make sure she remembers this hangover.”

Yes, he has a whole list of chores for his little Anana to do and mowing the lawn at 7.30 on Saturday morning is one of the most pleasurable ones.

He watches their daughter from the coziness of their kitchen, as she dutifully performs the task he gave her and he’s not able to fight the proud smirk that creeps it’s way on his face. He shouldn’t be so smug about this, right?

But his ego is stroked even more when Amy speaks, hugging him from behind and kissing his neck.

“Mmm you’re such a brilliant dad, I think it turns me on a little.” She almost purrs into his shoulder blade, making him beam.  

“So, you’re saying you have a thing for dads?” He chuckles before turning around to face her and his hands immediately find their way to her waist.

“Nah, just the father of my children.”

And that’s it for Jake, he can no longer hold back as he dips in for a kiss. His wife responds very eagerly to his actions and it surprises him a bit even though it shouldn’t. His hands slide beneath the top of her pajamas and he starts caressing her back with his palms, knowing how much she enjoys it. It’s a completely innocent touch but it earns him a moan from Amy nonetheless.

After a moment of hot kisses, hectic touches and whimpering sounds it’s Amy who eventually comes to her senses even if just for a second.

“Atlas is still asleep and Ana is gonna be busy for at least half an hour or so. You’re thinking what I’m thinking?” There is a radiant smile on her pretty face, her cheeks are pink, eyes are shining and there is no way Jake could ever say no to her.  

“Definitely.”

And so he dutifully follows his wife to their bedroom.

(Next time Jake picks Anana up after a party, he still can tell she’s tipsy but she hides it really well. What she can’t hide though is a big hickey on her neck and this time it’s Amy who has to calm him down when they have another difficult conversation with their daughter the next morning.)

[internetremix]

You Know What You’re Doing, Obviously

A/N: Camp StreaMix is never over in Kristen’s heart and Alex commissioned her for something cute and wholesome like a monster. Here’s some CS fluff or something.

Every day at Camp StreaMix somehow managed to be the worst day ever. This was a bit of an overdramatic thought, the Murder God could admit that. But also it was right and frankly more people should be sympathetic to her suffering. This included a number of things- oversized t-shirts, the mosquitos, the humidity. The obligatory swimming lessons in the smelly mud puddle these idiots called a lake. There had been the whole debacle with gum in her hair, which had resulted in her campers having to use peanut butter of all things to get it out.

No self-respecting God should smell of peanuts for a week straight.

At any rate, today was the worst, as was standard. Wednesdays were Wild Wednesdays (!!!!), which were supposed to feature time with nature or something. This meant Team Murder was supposed to hit the wood chip trails and this meant the Counselor’s lovely heels were going to get stuck, again. She still staunchly refused to switch to the smelly tennis shoes Grand Scoutmaster Darby had so helpfully dug up from the lost and found, because she had standards. Also she wasn’t ready to complete her apparent transformation into a soccer mom if she could help it. But that meant mud on her heels and she’d had enough. So the Murder God thought “well, we’ll try this off-roading business, it can’t be that hard.”

It was very hard, as it turned out. It had rained the night before, and also she was seemingly always the perfect height to get slapped in the face by whatever branches they passed. So now she had scrapes all over her stupid frail human body to pair nicely with mud on her heels and dress, again, and that meant she was stomping into the main office for the first aid kit, again.

Herself damnit, today was the worst.

“Fuck!” She snarled over the slam of the screen door as she entered. She kicked off her muddied shoes as she stomped past the splintery waiting bench to the front desk. There was a moment’s pause as she scratched irritably at one of her arms, then began to rifle through the desk drawers.

“Language, Miss Murder~” Grand Scoutmaster Darby’s voice called from the back room.

“Oh fuck off!” She snarled back.

“Ah, I thought I smelled peanut butter.” A voice drawled from the corner.

The Murder God paused, glancing up to see Counselor Alex seated on the waiting bench. As was standard, he had not so much as glanced up from his phone, which somehow made his presence even more insulting. Damn millennials.

“What are you doing here, Meatsack Number One? Don’t you have children to ignore?” The God snapped as she finally pulled out the first aid kit.

Alex shrugged, still not looking up from his phone. “I could say the same for you. Walrus, however, seems to have a case of heatstroke, so here we are. I’m just sticking around to make sure it’s not too serious. The rest of Team Fallen can handle themselves for a few minutes. Probably.”

The Murder God snorted. “Wow, look at you, actually doing your job and taking care of your little snotbag’s human frailties. I’m sure Counselor Sunshine is so proud of you.”

“Didn’t Shyner very nearly cause a forest fire last week with your help?”

“Third degree burns are an important life lesson all children should learn.” The God hissed as she slathered disinfectant onto her cheek. She paused again to scratch at her wrist, then continued.

“Uh huh. You know there’s no way the band-aid’s gonna stick with that much disinfectant, right?”

“I know that!” She snapped as she tried to subtly scrub some of it off. How the fuck did he know what she was doing without looking up from his phone? She dug deeper into the kit, still scratching absently at her wrist. “Ugh, who are these colorful monstrosities and why are they the only bandages we have?”

“Because the kids like superheroes and ponies.”

The Murder God wrinkled her nose. She then glanced up, making sure Alex’s stupid cow eyes weren’t looking before she chose the pony ones. They were cute.

Again she scratched at her arm, growling in frustration. “What is with this disgusting mortal coil? It’s so itchy, why is this happening to me!?”

Alex finally glanced up, then sighed and stood. “Lemme see it.”

Her response was to very quickly slam her palm on the desk, pointedly keeping the injury from view. “No. Why would I do that? I’ve told numerous stories about the various ways your disgusting forms can take damage, I think I know what- HEY, DON’T TOUCH ME!” It was not difficult to move her stupid tiny stick arms so Alex could take a look, apparently.

“It’s just for a second, you’ll live,” Alex’s was all too casual about this indignity. She scowled and pointedly averted her gaze while he looked her arm over. “Huh, looks like you walked through some poison ivy.”

“What.” She monotoned as she pulled her arm back.

Alex shrugged as he leaned against the desk, looking back to his phone. “Oh, I’m sure you’ve heard of it. Little plant out in the woods that gives you a rash if you touch it. Mostly just annoying, it won’t kill you or anything… unless you’re super allergic. It’s pretty easy to avoid as long as you stay on the trails. But then, you knew all that, of course.”

“I-I… y-yes, of course Meatsack Number One, I am well aware of this disgusting Earth bullshit!” The Murder God felt this was a very convincing lie. She also felt her own lie to herself that the first lie worked was pretty good. Yes.

“Uh huh. Anyway, it should go away on its own, as long as you stop scratching it. So probably stop doing that.”

She paused mid scratch to glare at him. “I wasn’t doing that.”

“Mmm. You’re gonna wanna wipe that down with some of those alcohol wipes.” He reached across the desk to pull out the wipes in question, then also picked up a small bottle of pink lotion. “Calamine should help with the itching. Don’t cover it up or anything, air’s gonna help it heal faster.” Alex said as he set them in front of her.

“Excuse me? I don’t need your pity or your disgusting human healing methods. I will remind you I am a God and can clear this up by will alone!” She declared, folding her arms in a way that was definitely threatening. So was the way she stuck out her tongue between her fangs.

“Okay.” Alex shrugged and went back to the bench.

The two sat in silence for awhile, the only sounds coming from the whirring ceiling fan overhead and Darby’s gentle murmurs from the backroom. The Murder God glared at Alex, waiting to see if he’d look up again. He did not. Then, grudgingly, she cracked open the bottle and poured some of the lotion into her palm- ugh, gross. It was worse on her skin, why was flesh like this?

Also it helped pretty quickly so there was that.

This task done, she put everything back as she’d found it- again, standards. Then she stomped toward the door, eager to end this entire scene as quickly as possible.

“You should probably take that stuff with you. If you got a rash your kids probably have it too.”

The Murder God snarled under her breath and stomped back to the desk to retrieve the objects in question. The first aid kit was finally re-returned to its drawer with a much louder bang than necessary, then punctuated by aggravated footsteps.

She flopped onto the bench next to Alex, tugging her shoes on and grumbling as she tried to brush off dried mud. Once this was done she stood with as much dignity as she could muster.

“Well, this has been an experience I will be eager to erase from my endless memory.”

“Yep.”

The Murder God stood there for a moment, fidgeting with her shirt. “Thanks,” She finally mumbled quickly out of the corner of her mouth.

Alex gave a small smile. “You’re welcome.”

“Ugh, you’re the worst,” She hissed as she finally ducked out of the office, screen door banging shut behind her. The Murder God paused outside for a moment, taking a deep breath. Her fingers twitched to scratch at her (admittedly much better) arm, then she shook her head and stopped herself.

Today was the worst. But maybe a slightly less worse. Kind of.

[cerillosvillage]

Answering ALL QUESTIONS ON THE ASK MEME

thanks a lot @habby-fr

1. Name, Username, and Lair Number?

Wright, WrightNDesk, #39268

2. Why did you choose your username?

So a few years ago I was pretty into Monster High, y’know, the fashion dolls who are the children of public domain monsters? I also tried to get into its sister series, Ever After High, because frankly the plot of EAH was better than MH, but I just didn’t like the pancake faces the dolls had. 

Anyways, I made an MH OC (a punk gargoyle named Notre Dormer, themed around graffiti and construction, based on my trip to Belgium) and I thought of making an EAH OC. I got so far as making a teacher, who would be a raven, and came up with the name ‘Wright N. Desk’ as a play on ‘writing desk’, as in, why is a raven like a writing desk? Anyways, I like the name so I kept it as a screen name.  

3. How many dragons do you have?

Dragons that I intend to keep: 45. Total: 53.

4. How many do you want to have?

I finally have a completed row at the top of page 3, so I plan to stop there. If I get any more it’ll be a one in, one out policy. I’d prefer to have just 2 pages, actually, so I may make some cuts. 

5. Favorite dragon breed and why?

Tundras bc I’m gay and like bears

6. Least favorite dragon breed and why?

Coatls bc they’re ugly smash-faced corgipugs

7. Prettiest color? Ugliest color?

Prettiest: Umber. Ugliest: Orca.

8. Prettiest gene? Ugliest gene?

Prettiest: Skink. Ugliest: Iridescent. 

9. Color you would add? Color you would delete?

Answered this already.

10. Gene you would make? Gene you would erase?

Uuuuh... I’d like some more stripe options I guess? And I wouldn’t mind getting rid of spines, that gene makes me uncomfortable to look at, it sorta mess with my dermatillomania. 

11. Most overrated color combo in your opinion?

Triples of any colors. Hell, even XYYs. XYZs are the way to go, baby. 

12. Random color combo that you find appealing that no one else would?

UMMM... idk? I don’t really spend a lot of time looking through color combos. 

13. Best name of one of your dragons?

Maybelline.

14. Worst name of one of your dragons?

ScriesInBio. Will take suggestions for her. 

15. Favorite Flight and why?

EARTH FLIGHT BEST FLIGHT. STRONGEST DOM LEADERS. CHILL PEOPLE. 

16. Least favorite Flight and why?

Uuuhh... idk, even though I’m a goth I don’t really care about Shadow. 

17. Flight you would switch to for eyes?

None, love Earth eyes, especially now we can get black eyes. 

18. Flight you would switch to for lore?

None, Earth encapsulates everything I like.

19. Do you have any OCs as dragons? Who? Why?

Answered this already.

20. Do you have any fan dragons? Who? Why?

No.

21. Coli grinding or fairgrounds?

Fairgrounds. I prefer having a goal and G&G only takes like 20 minutes to max out.

22. Your coli team?

These assholes

23. One piece of apparel you want?

EARRINGS. PLEASE STAFF GIVE US COSTUME JEWELRY. 

24. One familiar you want?

A bison.

25. If you had infinite treasure, what would you buy?

Idk. More Boneyard Tatters maybe?

26. Worst kind of FR people?

People who bright capital D D.iscourse into dragon times

27. Best kind of FR people?

People who randomly send gifts to strangers.

28. Petpeeves?

Mmm, more fanbase than site itself but people who romanticize sexual slavery in their lore. No thanks. 

29. Favorite artist, skin, or accent maker on FR?

Already answered.

30. What do you spend most of your money on?

Geneing up non-gen1s. Fight me.

31. If you could save for one thing, what would it be?

Eeeeh. Idk, I keep my saving and spending realistic. I don’t get attached to Kickstarter stuff or stuff from fests before I joined because I know they aren’t achievable. Saves me a lot of heartache. 

32. Collect anything? What and why?

Dainty Wavehoppers. They are my children.

33. Best AH find?

Already answered.

34. Worst AH mistake?

Uhh... haven’t had one. 

35. Something you’re very good at on FR?

Making treasure.

36. Something you wish you’d be better at on FR?

Networking.

37. Popular FR opinion you agree with?

Umm... idk, what ARE popular opinions? Earthshaker is a Daddy? Is that a popular opinion? 

38. Unpopular FR opinion you have?

AS WE LEARNED A WHILE BACK AND WHICH EVERYONE MADE A BIG STINK ABOUT OVER A JOKEY POST: Edgy Roundsey headcanons boring

39. If you were admin for a day, what would you do?

Permaban a certain shitstirrer :)c

40. If you could sum up your experience on Flight Rising in one word, what would it be?

Gay

Bonus Question: What do you think of Pink Daisy Cabbies?

Cute but has limited uses/appeal

[kristallioness]

Of comfort and connections

Summary: Aang thinks about things while being in Katara's embrace for a change.

Word count: 2,027

Author's note: This early Saturday morning I happened to go through a thread on a random forum (where people discussed some things that I indulge myself in) and I began reading how this sweet young man talked about what he liked to do with his girlfriend. He admitted that it felt weird to him when she wanted to be the one who'd cuddle him and let him listen to her heart, since he felt like HE should be the one who offers her protection/comfort and not the other way around (obviously he let her do it anyway, which is why he seemed like such a caring guy). I can understand the reasons why he might think that, but at the same time I thought of a certain other couple who has it both ways. It sparked this idea. (I'm not a member in that forum, so I couldn't add my opinion, but personally I really like and believe it can work both ways.) The story takes place some time after "The Rift". Also, there's a reference to how Aang/Raava survived based on the exact opposite of what Vaatu said to Wan (about how he could become stronger). I should probably stop writing/drawing so much fluff about these two and save some ideas for Kataang Week (I already sketched something new and I might use it for a prompt that fits, I'm not gonna post it yet because it's too good).

----------x----------

Aang's finger traced a path across the soft blue fabric, drawing the shape of a heart above hers. The sensation made her giggle. Katara grabbed his left hand for a second and laid it flat in the middle of her chest so he'd quit tickling her. He didn't mean to do that, but he got the message.

Aang was simply pondering why listening to her heartbeat felt so soothing. Why it made him wanna doze off, yet sort of felt like a wake-up call at the same time. He didn't get to do these kind of things so much before. Snuggling up to each other was new for both of them ever since they'd become a couple. Sure they'd hugged and comforted each other many times during the war, all of which helped build their friendship and lay the foundation for their relationship.

But this.. this was something much more intimate. His head resting on her chest, her left hand supporting his back and holding him close to her side. A blanket underneath them and a pillow behind her head for support. Cuddled up at the back of the saddle in the warm summer evening, getting ready to fall asleep and rest, only to wake up the next morning when new adventures would await their small gang.

He'd felt a bit.. okay, a lot awkward when Katara had offered that they took these poses, being first in their makeshift bed that night. He wasn't used to being the one who was cuddled, much less by a girl and in the position she'd suggested. He was supposed to be the cuddler.

His rosy cheeks had returned to their normal colour once he'd gotten used to the feeling of the side of his face squishing her breasts and found a comfortable spot that didn't bother either of them. Focusing on the steady rhythm of her heart helped a little.

Katara had laughed about it, saying that he needed to feel protected by her just as much as she did by him. That she wanted to give him that feeling. And that meant he'd get to experience what he'd previously allowed her to do - snuggling close to her side and resting his head above her heart. Yeah, this was something that only a couple could do without feeling embarrassed.

His head slowly rose and descended according to her breathing. Aang raised his head a bit to look into her eyes, but she wasn't even looking at him. Katara was busy gazing at the stars in the northern sky. Her diamond blue eyes shimmered similarly to them. She wore a loving smile that grew a little when she sensed that he was staring at her. She seemed so calm and happy, her mind free from constantly worrying about the state of the world. She had him to thank for that.

Aang lowered his head and pressed his right ear above her heart to continue listening. His fingers tiptoed a bit lower to a less awkward position as he rested them below her ribcage. One of them still rubbed at a rib that moved up and down under her right breast as she breathed. Why did this seem so familiar to him?

His hand nearly clasped her tunic from that spot when he finally remembered. It'd only been a short moment, but it was the sound that'd stopped him from leaving her. It went crazy at the thought of losing him forever. It was the first sound he'd heard when he came back to her, after she'd revived him with the spirit water. Her heart racing when she couldn't accept what'd just happened - that the water didn't work.

But it did work. She'd poured her love out, all over his limp body, which had helped revive his Avatar Spirit. He grumbled and managed to get a short glance of her relieved smile when she held him in her arms before everything faded into darkness again. Except that he could still hear that drumming in his ears for a while longer, until eventually that faded away, too.

He didn't know how it was possible, but she did. She'd held him close to her side all the way from Ba Sing Se to Chameleon Bay, not daring to let go for a second. The way she'd defended him had given him strength to recover. Hearing her beating heart tell him how much she loved him had given him breath to continue fighting. And it'd brought him back to life during that fateful night.

Aang frowned at the thought of what kind of hell he must've put her through during those following weeks. He pulled his left knee up a bit and curled up like a baby, trying to close what little space remained between their bodies. He nuzzled his nose against her chest and pulled his hand back under his chin, laying it over her heart before clenching it into a fist.

"Aang.. you okay?" she wondered, running her hand over his head a few times when she felt how his body tensed up. He looked up at her with a worried gaze, but simply seeing her being concerned about him helped wash away his sorrow and he offered her a reassuring smile instead.

"Yeah, I'm okay. Just thinking about stuff."

"Mmm.." Katara hummed, her finger running down his nose and over his lips before she leaned forward a bit to give him a tender kiss on his temple. She rested her hand above his and gave it a gentle squeeze, making him relax his fist.

"Cosy?"

"Mhmm," Aang nodded against her chest, attempting to resume his train of thought. He startled a little when her stomach growled. She lifted her right knee up a bit, as if she had a stomach ache.

"Hungry?" he asked in return, seeing how she blushed and scratched the side of her face.

"Not really, we had a good supper. But I wouldn't mind a small snack."

"Psst! Momo.. Hey, Momo!" Aang quietly called the winged lemur, who'd been napping on top of Appa's head. Momo's big ears, followed by the rest of his head, popped up from behind the front of the saddle and he quickly leaped closer to the airbender, licking his face in the process.

"Ha-ha-ha! Cut it out, buddy! I need you to bring me something."

Momo quit licking him and jumped onto Katara's belly instead, tilting his head curiously to look at Aang.

"Momo, bring me an apple, please."

The winged lemur chirped a few times, then leaped over Katara's head to land on the luggage behind them. He sniffed through their bags and quickly found a backpack that was full of fruit, picking a nice juicy green apple for the Avatar's girl. Momo grabbed his loot and flew back to her side, handing the fruit over to Aang.

"Thanks, buddy! Here you go, sweetie."

"Thanks, sweetie. And thank you, Momo!" Katara said as she grabbed the apple in her right hand, then stroked the lemur with the back of it before biting into her snack. Momo yawned and curled up like a ball beside the couple to fall back asleep.

Aang began rubbing Katara's flat belly, like he was trying to ease a nonexistent pain while she ate. Running circles around that area reminded him of something else. If he'd thought about their past before, then now he started to think about their future.

He remembered what she'd told him during the battle for Yu Dao. How she'd seen a future where people from different nations could live together, where they're married and have a baby. He'd never thought about that before, what his life could look like in the future with Katara after the war was over.

Sure they'd stay together as a couple, but marriage hadn't crossed his mind since Aunt Wu predicted that he'd become her husband. At least not until Ursa and Ikem had pointed it out again on the two of them - how lucky they were to have found each other at such a young age. Aang did feel lucky that she'd found him in that iceberg. That Katara was the first person he'd woken up to a hundred years later. That during the final year of the war, they'd begun falling for each other. And that they were a couple now.

His palm stroked her tummy. That was another thing he hadn't given much consideration yet - starting a family with her. He'd never had to think about having children with someone before. Now he felt like it was his responsibility to think about it. If for no other reason, then for saving his people from extinction. Bringing a new airbender into this world was the only way to do that. Because even though sky bison were the original airbenders, he doubted that Appa would live to see the next Avatar and teach him or her airbending, especially since that would be the last element to master.

The idea made Aang feel a bit sick to his own stomach. Having a child simply because it's his duty to save the airbenders. If he wanted to have children with Katara, then it'd only be because both he and she wanted to. Because they'd love their baby for who he or she is, airbender or not. He'll figure something out when it concerned his next life, and Katara would certainly help with that. Yes, he decided that sounded a lot better.

And since she'd already imagined a baby in their future, then he concluded that she must want one. That she'd definitely love to have one with him. Honestly, he was glad that if that happened, then it would be with Katara, because she'd be the most caring and loving mother in the world to their children. The whole concept seemed scary now, but Aang felt sure that if and when she was ready to do all of those things, then he'd be ready, too.

"Katara?"

"Hmm?" she tilted her head while she took another bite from the apple.

"Remember when you first told me how you saw our future?"

"Mhmm.." she answered with a hum, nodding in agreement before swallowing.

"It got me thinking," Aang went on, his finger tenderly running around the edge of what he guessed was her belly button under that blue fabric.

"Yeah.." she said in a teasing tone, waiting for him to say whatever it was that he wanted to tell her.

"I'd be honoured to be your husband. And I'd love to raise a family with you, whenever you're ready. That is, if you wanna marry and have a baby, of course! No pressure!"

Katara chuckled as she took one last bite and threw the remainder of the fruit on the grass beside Appa. She licked her fingers clean and dried her hand against the side of her tunic, then cupped Aang's cheek.

"Yes, I'd love that, too. Very much," she murmured to him, caressing his cheek with her thumb. Aang propped himself up on his right elbow to look at her. Her cheeks were decorated with a tint of red, but she never broke eye contact. She was smiling back at him, her eyes half-lidded.

Katara beckoned him closer by softly pulling her hand away from his cheek, tugging him to follow. He shifted a bit so his face would be closer to hers, close enough for her lips to meet his so she could kiss him. He cupped her cheek in return after they'd broken their kiss, admiring her beautiful face.

"I love you so much, Katara," Aang said in a slightly shaky voice. He buried his face in the crook of her neck and wrapped his arms around her for a very tight hug, almost as if he was afraid of losing her. She was his whole world and he really didn't wanna let go so soon.

He felt how she snaked her arms around him, too, and rubbed his back in return. She hummed in delight, feeling both their heartbeats reciprocating the same against their chests.

"Mmm.. I know. I love you, too, Aang."

[sapphicdepressionn]

Lena seducing Kara at home, trying to distract her from working. With Kara being all shy and cute, wanting to give in, but she knows she can’t.

A/N: here’s your filthy, dirty smut you nasty children It wasn’t specified but I’m just gonna assume that Lena knows Kara is Supergirl and go from there ;) also i apologize bc i don’t think i’m very good at smut but here you go anyways lol

Kara was typing away on her laptop as she sat on the couch in her living room.

“Kara.”

The blonde heard her girlfriend call her name and she let out a hum of acknowledgment, but didn’t take her eyes away from the article she was editing.

“Kara, why don’t you take a break?”

“I gotta have this to Snapper by-”

Suddenly, Kara’s laptop had been yanked away and shut, her hands still hovering over where the keyboard was as she saw Lena’s bare thighs standing in front of her.

Her eyes slowly trailed up Lena’s body seeing that the only thing she was wearing was a matching set of black lace panties and a bra.

“Oh Rao.” Kara whispered as she met Lena’s green eyes that seemed a little darker than usual.

Lena smirked and moved to place her knees on either side of Kara’s hips, dipping down to capture her girlfriend’s lips in a needy kiss.

Their lips met with a frenzy and whatever control they had, had vanished without a trace.

Kara’s hands were in Lena’s hair and vice versa. The brunette yanked the gold tinted locks, causing the blonde to moan in absolute pleasure against Lena’s bruising lips.

It sounded almost like a growl and Lena couldn’t deny how much it turned her on.

The (technically) younger woman’s hands raked through Kara’s hair at the nape of her neck before they moved down and frantically unbuttoned Kara’s shirt and pushing it off her shoulders.

Their breaths came out in short puffs as Kara placed sloppy, open mouthed kisses down her cheek and began to work on her neck.

Lena whined and bucked against Kara, grinding down onto her toned thighs as the Kryptonian bit down on the sweet spot below her jawline.

“Fuck!”

Lena moaned once again, panting into Kara’s ear. The journalist pulled back and smirked

at Lena which only caused the brunette to get more frantic.

Being with Kara in real life was nothing like those hot, arousing dreams she woke up to panting and sweating, needing an hour long cold shower just to calm down.

It was better.

So much better.

Kara could feel her own heart beating in her stomach as she felt Lena moved her hips against her thighs again. Lena, wanting more pressure, instinctively bucked and rolled her hips into the other woman’s hips and that’s when Kara pulled back, panting and out of breath.

Lena just took that as an opportunity to have her way with Kara’s neck and the alien moaned loudly as Lena bit down on her neck harshly, had enough that if she were human, it would’ve drawn blood.

“Baby, baby, mmmm we can’t. Not yet.” Kara husked as the CEO worked to pull Kara’s hair out of the bun it was in.

“Please.” Lena was breathing heavily and the sound of the human’s pounding heart only made Kara want to go against her better judgment even more.

Lena yelped as she was suddenly being thrown onto Kara’s bed, the blonde using he show speed and zipping them into her room.

Kara quickly crawled onto her bed and moved to straddle her half naked girlfriend.

“You okay?” Kara whispered as she caressed Lena’s beautiful face.

The green eyed woman nodded as she leaned up and kissed her girlfriend, placing a hand on the back of her neck, pulling her down onto her.

It didn’t take long for Kara to move downward and nip at the skin below Lena’s bra line, right on the dip of her ribs.

Lena inhaled sharply.

“Kara.”

The blonde pulled back quickly scared that she might have hurt her.

“Did I hurt you?”

“No! No! Just hurry.”

“Lena, I.. I’ve never..”

Lena could almost slap herself.

How could she let herself forget that Kara was a virgin?

Gently, Lena reached for the blonde’s hips, shifting and flipping them over. Kara settled in against the fluffy pillows with a look of confusion.

“What?”

Kara was confused at what Lena was doing as the brunette’s experiences hands landed on Kara’s abdomen, trailing down and quickly unbuttoning and pulling Kara’s jeans off.

“I want to do this right, Kara. This is your first time and I want it to be about you first.” Lena hummed as she leaned down, kissing the blonde before trailing down to her neck.

Reaching behind Kara’s back, she unclasped her bra, gently removing it off of the Kryptonian and her breath catching in her throat at the sight.

“You’re so beautiful, Kara.” Lena whispered.

She wasted no more time as she leaned down and took one of Kara’s nipples into her mouth, tongue swirling around it as the blonde choked out a combination of low and high pitched moans.

Kara’s hand hovered over the back of Lena’s head, not touching her because she was too afraid that she might lose control and hurt her.

“Lena.” Kara whimpered as the brunette release her nipple from her mouth but quickly moving over to the other one.

The blonde regretted waiting this long for something that felt this good. She more regretted the fact that she had deprived her girlfriend of what she was now feeling.

This was so good.

Lena decided that she had given Kara’s chest enough attention as she was growing impatient herself and she began to kiss her way down Kara’s taut abdomen, the feeling of Kara’s straining muscles beneath her lips made her grow wetter between her thighs.

Lena stopped and pulled back slightly as she reached Kara’s red lace panties.

“Are you okay with this? I can stop it you want.”

“No! Don’t stop, Lena! Please!” Kara quickly shut down any ideas that Lena had of her not wanting to keep going.

Without and more hesitation Lena nodded and hooked her fingers around the waist and of Kara’s underwear, pulling them down her long legs.

Seeing Kara exposed for the first time was like a blessing to Lena’s eyes.

Her girlfriend was so beautiful.

The CEO situated herself between Kara’s raised thighs and leaned down to have her first taste of Kara.

“Oh- oh Rao!” Kara moaned as Lena’s tongue ran flat against her heat, crying out again as she felt the vibrations of Lena’s own moan against her.

A few more kitten licks and then Lena decided that it was time for the real stuff.

Kara shuddered as Lena’s younger darted out, flicking against her clit making her see stars with every flick. Alternating between that and long licks, the brunette changed it up again.

Her tongue sunk into Kara’s entrance and Kara swore that she would never again deny Lena after experiencing how good this felt.

Entering with one finger, Lena watched as Kara gripped tightly onto the bed sheets, afraid to touch Lena.

“You can touch me, Kara, it’s okay.” Lena assured her flustered girlfriend.

“I..mmm- I don’t wanna hurt you.”

The raven haired woman reached up with her unoccupied hand, taking Kara’s right hand, and placing it on top of her head for the blonde to tangle her fingers in her own dark locks.

“I trust you.”

Kara was about to say something else when she felt Lena’s finger begin to move in and out of her and the only thing she was capable of was another moan.

Lena watched Kara’s eyes shut and her face morph into a look of pure bliss as she performed her ministrations.

“Ohhh. So good.”

Lena curled her finger up, running it along the roughness of Kara’s g-spot watching as her hips bucked up and another moan, the tightening of Kara’s hand in her hair confirming that she liked it.

“Faster. More.” Kara begged.

Lena complied, adding another finger and more pressure, knowing Kara could handle it. She leaned forwards and added her mouth back into the equation, locking and sucking away at the swollen, sensitive bud.

“Please.. please, Lena. Don’t stop.”

Kara was rutting her hips against Lena’s tongue and fingers, losing the rhythm she had developed as she got closer and closer.

Lena felt Kara clamping down almost too hard and she knew she was going to have to pull out before she came or she with have two very broken fingers.

“Fuck- oh.. Lena! I’m gonna- Lena!”

Kara was becoming incoherent as Lena pulled out her soaked fingers and moved them to grip her girlfriend’s hips as tightly as she could, trying to steady her as she got closer and closer.

Lena decided it was time for her to let Kara cum, so with all the strength her mouth had, she bit down on Kara’s clit and sucked hard, making the blonde completely lose her mind.

With a cry and a scream of Lena’s names, Kara lost all control.

“Are you okay?

"That was.. oh Rao, Lena. That was so good.” Kara groaned as Lena climbed back up her body after she had successfully brought the blonde back down from her high.

Lena kissed Kara deeply, the Kryptonian moaning as she tasted herself on Lena’s tongue.

Suddenly, Kara had flipped them over and she was already working away on Lena’s neck and chest.

“Wait, Kara. You don’t have to right now if-”

“I want to make you feel as good as you made me fee, Lena.” Kara told her through her hooded eyes.

Those words sent another rush of arousal through the billionaire’s body, straight to the apex of her thighs.

Kara could smell Lena’s arousal and she was eager to taste it.

“Can I.. try something?”

Lena nodded and before she knew it had happened, they were both standing and she was pressed face forward against a wall, with Kara’s solid body pressed heavy against her.

“Fuck.” Lena husked surprised at her girlfriend’s forwardness.

“Is this okay?”

Lena nodded eagerly, waiting for Kara’s hand to dip down lower. She noticed Kara’s hand was a little shaky as it trailed across her stomach, unsure of what to do next.

The brunette was happy to take the blonde’s hand and guide it downwards to where she need it most, stopping just short so Kara Gould be the one to send her into overdrive.

“Fuck me, Kara.” Lena moaned.

That was all it took for Kara’s fingers to dip down into Lena’s wet heat.

The low moan that Lena made as she threw her head back against the blonde’s shoulder, told Kara that she was doing it right.

A few slow circles around Lena’s clit caused the brunette’s breathing to quicken and her left arm reached back to tangle into Kara’s hair.

“You like that?” Kara hummed as she took the opportunity to nibble on Lena’s exposed neck as her head was thrown back against her.

She worked circles between Lena’s legs for a bit until she decided to go a little slower, slipping two fingers into Lena without warning.

“Baby, fuck!” Lena whines bucking her hips against the fingers inside of her.

“Kara- oh fuck.. I’m gonna cum, Kara!”

Lena was frantic as she pulled on Kara’s blonde locks. She had already been close due to how immensely hot Kara was and being able to be with Kara, and these actions were sending Lena right up to the ledge.

“Cum for me, baby.” Kara whispered as she bit down on the lobe of Lena’s ear.

The normally composed CEO fell to pieces as she rocked against Kara’s soaked hand, cumming harder than she ever had before.

Kara was mesmerized by what she was seeing.

What she was feeling.

She never wanted it to stop.

Then Kara got an idea.

She retracted her hand and spun Lena’s shaking body around.

Feeling bold, Kara kneeled down and situated Lena’s legs over her shoulders and lifted her up off the ground, burying her face in Lena’s wet sensitive heat.

“Oh god, Kara!” Lena screamed, the stimuli after such an intense orgasm almost too much.

Kara wasn’t scared that she was hurting Lena anymore and if she was, Lena fucking loved it.

She had quickly figured out how to distinguish between Lena’s cries of pain and her cries of ecstasy, and none of the sounds she was making fell into the pain category.

“Don’t stop. Don’t stop! Don’t stop!” Lena begged, gripping onto Kara’s head, not being able to hold onto anything else due to her being five feet off the ground.

Kara loved that the tighter Lena held onto her head, the deeper her face was buried into her girlfriend as she licked away happily.

“Kara, I’m so close! Keep going.” Lena hummed.

The CEO’s brain was shutting down as the knot in her stomach tightened and tightened, her body buzzing with growing delight for the second time that night.

“Kara!”

Lena tumbled over the edge, climaxing hard again as Kara’s tongue worked hard to allow her to ride out her orgasm.

The blonde hummed as she lapped at the remnants of Lena’s arousal, not able to get enough of her girl’s taste.

“Kara, Kara. Stop! Stop, I can’t..” Lena was twitching on Kara’s shoulders, thighs quivering.

Kara had completely wore Lena out.

She gently let the brunette down and pressed into her against the wall as she kissed her lovingly, over and over again.

“Where on earth did you learn that?” Lena panted as she leaned against Kara’s body, still wedged between the wall and the solid muscles that made up her girlfriend.

She was still shaking a little from her two very intense orgasms and Kara was gently massaging her head through her hair with her nails as Lena rested her head against her chest.

“I saw it on a video back in college.” Kara blushed but quickly became insecure and worried about Lena, “was that okay?”

“That was amazing. Please don’t let me go, I don’t think I can stand right now.” Lena said playfully but also with an underlying truth to it.

Kara chuckled as she gently scooped her naked girl friend into her arms, bridal style.

She laid the brunette in the middle of the bed and crawled in next to her, pulling her into her body.

Lena rolled over and snuggled into Kara’s chest, resting her head against her shoulder right beneath her chest.

“I love you, Lena.” Kara whispered as she buried her nose into dark, sweaty strands.

“I love you, Kara Zor-El.”