#[ made a small starter here for you i hope it's alright ]

[mr-yuugo]

Special Someone

-Jamil Viper X Reader [Gender Neutral]- [Fluff]

Words: 938

Summary: During a tour of Silk City Jamil and his friends run into you.

Posted this on my AO3 account as well as Wattpad!

Najma smiled at Jamil as she began getting dragged by her friend so they could have fun together. "Alright, I'll see you later Jamil." She told him as she began to leave. She also looked over at the other Night Ravel students and told them goodbye.

She paused in her steps for a second before turning abruptly. "Oh and make sure to visit Y/N. I'm sure you are dying to have a chance to go talk to them!" She snickered as she winked at him before she and her friend went running as they laughed. He looked to the side embarrassed as he murmured a quiet okay.

He let out a sigh and jolted as he felt a hand go on his shoulder. "So Jamil! Caycay is picking up that you have someone here in the scolding sands that you haven't told us about!"

Jamil grimaced as he looked at Cater. "Oh please Viper, now I am intrigued as well," Malleus smirked as he placed his hands on his hips. Yuu jumped up, "Oh! is it perhaps a special someone?" They smiled.

"Well for starters it's no one important... let's just keep going with the tour." He sweated as he walked in front of them hoping they would drop the conversation.

He closed his eyes for a second though a chill soon ran through his spine as he saw Grim talking to someone a few food stalls ahead.

"Mhyaa!! I want another one!" Grim said as the person in front of him gave him another piece of dried-up fruit. "You're just so cute!" You laughed as you kept feeding Grim's black hole of a stomach.

The others saw the scene going on as their eyes drifted to Jamil. "Is it just me or is that Jamil's special someone? What crazy luck we have have!!" Carter giggled.

"By the way Jamil's blushing I think it is!" Yuu laughed alongside Cater. "Oh please just be quiet..." Jamil murmured out. You began handing Grim more dried fruit as you looked past the tiny mage and your eyes lit up. "Jamil!!" You called out as you waved at him.

"Would you look at that? They seem very happy to see you, Jamil." Trey teased. Malleus patted Jamil's shoulders. "It's disrespectful to keep them waiting." He smiled as he walked past him, the others doing the same so they could go find out more about his special someone.

Jamil sighed as he fixed his posture before he started walking to catch up with his friends. You were already talking to all of Jamil's friends, introducing yourself to them. Jamil finally got in reach and you smiled widely.

Between you and him was your fruit stall, a number of different types of fruits placed nicely on the table. As you smiled your body bent over the table slightly, your arms extended as you quickly clung to his body.

You gave him a big hug and he began to stutter. The table moved a bit as a few pieces of fruit fell. To which Grim greedily picked up and ate. "Oh, Jamil! I'm so glad I got a chance to see you!" You beamed as you let him go, your hands sliding down his arm and finally you took his hands in yours.

Cater, Malleus, Trey, and Yuu watched in surprise at your interaction. Trey looked away feeling as if he were interrupting something. On the other hand, Cater and Yuu had small blushes on their face. Almost letting out a squeal as they looked between the both of you.

Malleus just stood there in silence as his mouth fell open.

"I missed you so very much..." Jamil whispered as he tightened his grip on your hands. You nodded your head. "So did I." You smiled as you slowly let go of his hands. You then turned to Jamil's classmates who had then told you more about themselves. The whole time Jamil just looked at you and only you.

He loved watching you talk and it made him happy that his friends were making you feel comfortable enough so you could converse with people you don't know. "Ah, I see so you're also in the same club as Kalim! I hope he isn't too much trouble." You laughed as they told you about their own school life.

Jamil snapped out of his daze when you mentioned Kalim. "We're losing track of time!" He freaked out as he realized they had been too caught up in talking with you.

"I'm sorry didn't mean to hold you guys back." You smiled as you waved your hands out in front of you apologetically. Yuu shook their head. "Nonsense Y/N!"

"Yeah, I don't see the harm being a few minutes behind," Trey said. Jamil let out a sigh. "We should get moving though. We're supposed to be meeting up with Kalim in a bit."

You nodded your head. "Well, I hope to catch you guys for the fireworks at least." They all nodded their heads, looking forward to you joining them later in the day.

They began turning around to leave but you told Jamil to hold on a second. "Well?" You asked him with a grin. "Well, what?" He mumbled. You looked surprised for a second before he laughed. He leaned in and gave you a kiss.

"I'll see you later." He whispered out. Once you separated you told him to extend his hand. He did and you gave him a little clear bag tied with a ribbon. Inside were different types of dried fruits.

"Make sure you give them to the little mage." You chuckled.

[ldouble]

Safe House | Bucky Barnes x Reader

gif not mine

summary: Bucky takes care of you as best he can at a safe house

fluff, mentions of blood/injury, slow burn but cute :)

“I never thought I’d see the day a super soldier couldn’t body slam a door.”

Bucky grumbled, before giving some side eye.

Your head rolled back so it was flat against the wall. The very wall you’d been leaning against for what felt like years. You didn’t deserve the attitude. You’d followed him here, to this supposed safe house, without a peep. The least you could comment on was him not using the one skill you knew he had.

You didn’t trust him when he said he knew a place. Now you couldn’t trust him to open a god damn door.

You opened your mouth to tell him about his one job, when a sharp pain erupted in your side.

The pain was a not so gentle reminder of why you were locked outside an unknown apartment.

You’d gotten caught. The mission had gone bad and you had ended up injured and on the ground. It took firing off the rest of your rounds over Bucky’s shoulder. You wouldn’t have been able to run away fast enough. It took a carry from him the stashed grenade you kept for emergencies.

No comms. No weapons. And a whole lot of hurt.

And a door that couldn’t be opened by a former honorary Avenger.

“If I shoulder it off its hinges, I won’t be able to close it.” Bucky said to the doorknob that he stared down. “Kind of defeats the point of a safe house.”

His blue eyes were focused. So clear you found yourself focusing a little too much on them when it was the matter at hand that needed attention.

“Not getting in beats the house part.” You nudged him out of the way and replaced his stance.

“You alright?”

“Fine.” You said between gritted teeth. You weren’t. You were hurt. More badly than you’d want to admit. For some reason you didn’t want to show weakness in front of him. You two were unofficial partners but for some reason showing him you needed help as a non-starter.

The lock clicked open - loud enough that you hoped it masked the grunt you made when standing up.

Your disappointment in the interior couldn’t be coveredd by the sound of the door shutting.

Two steps in and you were past the small kitchen and into the living room turned bedroom. A bare mattress laid on the pull out couch that stared at an old dresser. The cracked mirror that sat atop it distorted the image in front of you almost made you believe this was all a dream. But another wave of pain reminding you this was all very, very real. Then again, maybe you had lost enough blood to be seeing things.

“Never said it was the Ritz.” Bucky said once the security guard was locked.

“Didn’t expect it to be.” Again, you said through tight lips.

“You’re hurt.”

“I’m fine.”

Bucky strutted toward you - a mere three steps with his large stride and the small room - and before you knew it your shirt was being lifted up. He looked larger than life in such a small space. It didn’t freak you out like it should have. Instead, you were comforted knowing there was little place he didn’t take up.

“Hey!”

“Bullet wound.” He twisted you around quickly. You wouldn’t have minded if the action hadn’t include him touching the very wound he just commented on. “In and out. That’s good.”

“Ah, yes, something good.” You winced.

“Come on.”

You tried to resist but there was no use. All the strength he didn’t have at the door he regained - lifting you like you weighed nothing.

He sat you on the closed toilet before rifling under the sink.

“Aren’t safe houses supposed to have first aid kits?” He grumbled.

“I don’t think this place would pass the standard.”

He disappeared and you felt your whole body both stiffen and relax. You had some room to breathe but without him near you felt less safe.

Ok. Too much blood loss. You were thinking more about Bucky than you ever had in all your time knowing him. Maybe it wasn’t blood loss. Could you chalk it up to the creeps of this so called safe house?

“Hold this. Grab that.”

“I thought I was the patient.” You chuckled which only made it hurt more.

“Yeah and you’re gonna be dead soon if you don’t listen.” Bucky said as he wiped off cobwebs from the first aid kit. His tone didn’t leave any room for suggestion. You hadn’t heard him be that dry ever - not even with Steve.

Your left hand squeezed the towel he had handed you and th other one found his hand.

“Bucky.”

The desperation in your voice scared even you. If you didn’t hear it yourself, one look at Bucky and you knew this wasn’t good. His eyes had gone nearly white - just like his knuckles as you clasped onto him.

“This hand.” He moved your grasp to the metal arm. “Let me use the human hand to stitch you up.”

“James.”

It’s what Steve called him in only the utmost of serious times. A bullet wound....seemed pretty serious.

Bucky got the message, his eyes doing a quick once over to make sure you weren’t really bleeding out.

“You’re going to be fine.”

You felt his metal hand wrap around yours. It squeezed it to the point of pain that felt good. Any feeling at all was a good sign.

“Okay?”

You didn’t have enough in you to answer so you just nodded as he guided you. He stood to lean your head against the wall, soothing you by wiping your sticky hair off your forehead. When you felt him struggling to calm you down and prepare to play doctor, you moved your hand to his grip his shirt.

He paused, looking down at you.

“You didn't bring me a towel to bite down on.” You whispered, closing your eyes.

“Hey.”

One eye peaked up at him but that wasn’t enough.

“You’re going to be fine. You’re safe.”

He meant it. You felt it.

And then you felt an incredible amount of pain. But his comforting words seemed to take the edge off.

[maximotts]

𝙻𝚎𝚜𝚜𝚘𝚗 𝙾𝚗𝚎; 𝙸𝚗𝚝𝚛𝚘𝚍𝚞𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚜 :: 𝙲.𝚘.𝚆.𝙼.

a/n: alright, here we go! I think I've mentioned it already, but most of these chapters are written and in my drafts so knocks on wood the schedule should stay as planned. I hope you all enjoy this series as much as I do and big special thanks to @furys-eyepatch for sending me the idea for Kinktober uh... obviously it got Quite Long

✎— priest's daughter!Wanda x college student!reader

✎— confessions AU; it's only been a few weeks, but Wanda won't get out of your head. With how small your campus was, you thought sure you were bound to run into her; until you realize she's the one person never on the invite list

✎— warnings: this is an 18+ series, minors DNI; this first chapter is pretty tame tbh, but we've got name calling, mentions of Wanda being an innocent little bean, allusions to bullying, and Brock Rumlow being a jerk

✎— words: 2.5k

series masterlist. || main masterlist.

That semester, you shared three classes, but your Folklore and Terror class was where you’d first seen her and just for that, it was your favorite. Three times a week you’d walk into the small lecture hall, barely on time, and Wanda Maximoff would already be settled at her chosen spot with her notebook open, books stacked neatly, pen and highlighters ready to be picked up as soon as your professors opened their mouths. She was like that for every class no matter what; from day one it was clear Wanda enrolled in college to learn, not socialize. 

Upon first glance, she’d single handedly convinced you she was the standard: focused, task-oriented, and studious. And just as quickly, you’d found Wanda was the exception instead of the rule. The rest of your classmates were exponentially more relaxed, talking to one another about anything from their massive workload to the current flatmate drama between dormitories. It was a tight-knit campus, most of the students having gone to school together since kindergarten and grown up in the tiny isolated town of Westview about an hour away. 

You’d expected to turn into a loner for a while, especially with transferring here in your third year, but new people were exciting front page news to young adults who’d seen the same faces for two decades and soon enough, invitations for study sessions over coffee, bonfires, and late night parties with weed brownies came pouring in. Everyone was surprisingly welcoming and you were grateful for the introductions, the companionship, all of it.. but wherever you went, Wanda was absent.

Eternally polite and quiet Wanda was nowhere to be found outside of class, and it only piqued your curiosity further.

After some casual prodding, you found out Wanda also grew up in Westview, but she was only a topic as an excuse for a few particularly annoyed girls to roll their eyes and sneer. Smart as she was, Wanda wasn’t ever invited to study groups, not that she asked either, no, she didn’t speak a word to anyone besides instructors and a few select people you recognized from your transfer orientation— the only kids that didn’t know her from town. 

A handful of times you’d caught her staring your way, but as soon as she noticed you looking back, she whipped around or turned her eyes back to her notes. For the first few weeks, you tried to pretend her avoidance didn’t bother you, but seeing her chat with other students made you wonder why she wouldn’t do the same with you. Sure you hadn’t approached her yourself, but honestly, you hadn’t worked up a good enough excuse to past “hey you’re pretty cute, please talk to me” and it just sounded too weird in your head to say aloud. 

Unfortunately, before you’d gotten a chance to think of a better conversation starter, Wanda started walking to your desk after class and your brain went into panic mode not only wondering what to say, but also what she could possibly want after seemingly avoiding you since the semester started. It was fine, everything was fine, she didn’t look mad at all, maybe… nervous?

You were moments away from speaking up as she made her way over… only to stop dead in her tracks when Brock Rumlow slung his arm over your shoulder. Just as soon as he began running his mouth about the next soccer game, Wanda spun around and made a beeline for her chair as if she hadn’t acknowledged you at all. While he ranted on and on, you tried to quell the disappointment, but it tugged the corners of your mouth down into a frown anyways. Not that the loud athlete noticed. “Shut up for a second… What do you know about Wanda?”

He only scoffed, both of you turning your attention to where the shy brunette now hurriedly packed her stuff into her red messenger bag. With all of her notebooks and pretty stationary, you wondered if her bag ever felt heavy… and if she’d let you carry it to class for her some time. “That religious little daddy’s girl? Stay away from her.” 

The strong reaction shouldn’t have caught you off guard, not when anyone who talked about her did so with the same distasteful tone, but it never failed to feel kind of… harsh. You didn’t need to grow up with a group of people to know how easy it can be to target one person and exaggerate every aspect of them until they grew to be a much bigger monster than they ever were in the first place. 

“She seems sweet though… Is she really that bad?” It was hard to believe anyone could dislike her that much when she was all oversized knit sweaters and gentle enough smiles to make you melt from across an entire lecture hall.

“Hey! Put those heart eyes away!” Brock poked your hip until you looked at him instead, ignoring your annoyed huff, “What’d I just say? She’s a total narc who goes running to her father as soon as she hears anything. I’m assuming you’ve never been to Westview?” You shook your head; the drive to your new school didn’t take you past the town and you’d been too busy with classes to explore yet. “Right, well Wanda’s dad runs the church, the one all our parents go to; whenever he got wind of something going down, all of us got a speech at home. Bit of a shame, she’s kinda cute, but can’t tell that bitch anything unless you want it blown to shit-” 

You might not have been friends with Wanda yet, but that didn’t mean you’d let someone, especially anyone as sleazy as Brock, demean her so boldly. It was in that sentence you discovered Wanda most likely kept her distance because of your new friend group. If so many people treated her how he did, you couldn’t blame her for staying away.

A hard elbow to the stomach left him choking on his own words, killing two birds with one stone to both shut him up and force him to let you go; you never liked how touchy he was anyways. “We’re all years into college now. She can’t still be like that.” 

“I’m not gonna chance it,” he shrugged, slinging his bag over his shoulder as if you hadn’t just knocked the wind out of him, “She goes home a lot more than anyone else, heard Mr. Maximoff picks her up too even though he pays for her apartment here. Something about her needing her own space to stay focused without ‘distractions’... weirdos, don’t know how her brother turned out normal. Trust me, the most you’ll get with her is maybe a walk through the courtyard.” 

A walk didn’t sound too bad right about now, particularly far away from this eye-opening, but awful little chat. “Well her dad doesn’t know me or my parents…” Maybe one day, hopefully, if you played your cards right, he would. 

Clumsily grabbing your stuff, you rushed out the door Wanda crossed through just a few seconds prior, looking around and finding her rushing down the stone path. “Wanda!” She had to have heard you, stopping briefly before continuing on, walking purposefully away even as you yelled out her name again. “Wait up a sec!”

It was a quick sprint to catch up with her, speeding a little ahead to jump ahead, forcing her to stop so as not to collide with you. “Wanda.. Hey!”

“Hi,” Even after weeks of lectures, you’d never seen her this close and already Brock was wrong; Wanda wasn’t just kinda cute, she was beautiful. Green eyes regarded you cautiously, narrowed ever so slightly. Her stiff posture showed she was already on guard, so different from the easy way you’d seen her open up to anyone else and you couldn’t lie, it stung a bit. You didn’t want her to be so worried; maybe the people you sat with didn’t like her, but you’d never said a mean word and even if you tried, you couldn’t think of one to say.

You could barely think of a coherent sentence to offer her.

“Hi… sorry for yelling,” You were a little out of breath, weighed down by your bag and still groggy from your professor’s boring lecture. For a second, you were scared Wanda would simply side step you and keep walking, taking advantage of your fatigue to avoid you entirely, but her expression softened, turning almost apologetic for her hostility. She even had a cute pout. “Didn’t you hear me calling you?”

Faint laughter sounded out behind you and the classroom was a ways away now, but Wanda’s eyes darted over her shoulder, catching Brock and a few of his various pals now on the grass, waving your way. You would’ve shouted at them to quit it, but you heard Wanda’s sigh and chose to ignore the ruckus for now, not wanting to accidentally egg them on further. “I hear a lot of things. Doesn’t mean I should pay attention to them.”

“Right…” Shit. She must’ve caught bits of your conversation, Brock wasn’t exactly a subtle guy. Wanda was gone by the time you cut him off; given how openly disliked she was, it couldn’t have been the first time she’d overheard herself being talked about. No wonder she practically ran out of the room. “Sorry about that.”

You felt for her in a sense, could empathize with being ostracized from your peers. Typically, going away to college fixed that, but Wanda was still stuck with the same group of people. Not that you wanted to talk to her out of guilt, not even close; the first thoughts you’d had about Wanda were far more lustful than pitying. All you wanted was one chance to get to know her for yourself. “Can I walk you to your next class?”

Wanda didn’t even try to hide her shock and you tried to pretend her reaction didn’t scare you that your other classmate was right about the courtyard walk. “That was my only class today.” 

“Mine too,” In truth, you had two long classes filling your afternoon; missing them just once wouldn’t hurt. Besides, you’d still be learning, replacing Wanda Maximoff for Governmental Statistics and World Literature. “Have lunch with me then?”

You could see her working through the proposition in her head, gauging your persistence against your seemingly genuine smile. She’d wanted to talk to you just as long as you had her, but there were…obstacles. Not only the crowd that drew you in, but also the beginnings of what she was just recently coming to terms with as a crush. Initially Wanda brushed it off as you being brand new, but when she caught herself making excuses to look your way and thinking about you while she grocery shopped, she knew her feelings wouldn’t pass by so easily. 

As much as she knew her inexperience combined with her bottom tier social status meant she had about zero chance with someone like you who she’d seen flirting with more than one girl already in your short time here, Wanda couldn’t get herself over it— over you. 

And Wanda wanted to have faith in you, to trust this wasn’t some awful prank you got roped into after you and her constant tormentors somehow sussed out her growing feelings and decided to poke at her new weakness for a laugh, it wouldn’t be the first time she’d fallen into that trap. 

The first experience was traumatizing enough, Wanda would rather not have to relive it as an adult. If the words religious little daddy’s girl weren’t still ringing in her head, she wouldn’t have thought twice. “You want to have lunch with me?” 

“Well I’d ask you out to dinner, but it’s only 1pm.” Not to mention, you’d been helpless thinking of some introduction that wasn’t clearly leading her on. Your usual smooth pickups felt too forward for a girl like Wanda, given what you knew about her; she’d take a lot of work to get to where you got with some people in just a few minutes and you really, really didn’t want to mess this up. 

Wanda’s cheeks blossomed pink at your cheeky comment and you were glad to have caught even a glimpse of it before she could hide her face behind her notebook. At least you could bank on her not being too extremely prudish, that gave you some wiggle room. “To make up for that asshole back there, please? We can get whatever you want, I’ll even pay.”

The terms sounded like a date, a lunch date, but it was all the same to Wanda who’d never successfully been on a date as well as to her fluttering heart. You learned right then Wanda was beautiful when annoyed, but positively gorgeous when she smiled at you. There were a million and one ways she could’ve responded, from disgust to polite rejection to even an overly gushy yes, but Wanda had to at least try to reply with a fraction of your ease. “I didn’t say no the first time.” 

“Well then, take us to your lunch spot of choice, sweetheart.” You stepped aside to let her go ahead, just missing Wanda’s cheeks darken to a tomato red from the sudden nickname, following close behind as your date led the way to her mystery destination. 

“There’s not much around here, you probably know where you’re going…” She was right, all walkable campus things were familiar to you now, but you could care less. 

“Shh, let me have this surprise-” Your phone buzzed in your pocket and unlocking it revealed an obnoxious text from Brock filled with kissy faces and laughing emojis. By the end of the day, it’d surely get around that you decided to hang out with their Public Enemy No.1, but you’d choose watching Wanda’s pretty pleated skirt bouncing ever so slightly as she walked with her adorable cautious glances, making sure you were actually still behind her, over the smell of sports sweat and hefty doses of Axe body spray any time. “I think you’re taking me the prettier route there anyways.”

Wanda’s mouth fell open when she realized your gaze wasn’t on the sidewalk or the leaves, but her, bashful yet again as she whipped back around. With less self-restraint you would’ve pulled her in for a hug, maybe nuzzled into her hair if you thought she’d accept that out here in the open. But girls like Wanda were a special kind, requiring time and coaxing and just the right words. 

You were willing to give her all of that and more. If no one else wanted her, you’d sure as hell take her before some other idiot could.

[m1d-45]

hidden blessings

summary: thoma takes you to the teahouse, but you two are interrupted. you don’t know whether it’s fortunate or not, but it will affect your trajectory within inazuma.

a/n: this one goes out to @shizunxie and @alexteea, who asked for a part two to small miracles. i now fear talking in the tags [/hj].

word count: ~2.1k

-> warnings: spoilers for inazuma archon quest, spoilers for ayato story quest, probably out of character ayato…. green tea?

-> lowercase intended!

taglist: @samarill

<< first part || < masterlist > || third part >>

komore teahouse is warm.

the moment the door opens, it’s the first thing you notice. the air smells of honey and spices, heated by some invisible fire. your hand is still in thoma’s, leading you behind him as he moves into the teahouse.

taroumaru sits up a little straighter on the counter as you two approach, but doesn’t seem on guard. strange, considering you’re not a member of the kamisatos, but since you have thoma with you…

“hey there taroumaru! is anybody here?”

the dog barks once. you don’t know what that means, but thoma seems satisfied, pulling you to one of the tea rooms.

“komore teahouse is owned and operated by the yashiro commission, so only those approved by the con can enter. whoever your hiding from-“ how did he know? “-can’t get in here, alright?”

he waves at a cushion and starts to fiddle with a tea set, lighting a small flame on the end of one of his fingers for the heating element. it’s strange to see such nonchalant usage of his vision… but wouldn’t that be normal here?

people with dendro visions selling herbs grown to order, hydro users automatically refilling their drinks, anemo wielders catching a dropped pen or paper before it hits the ground…

not for the first time, you wonder how you ended up in such a world.

“there! that should be ready soon. i’ve made you green tea, hope you don’t mind.”

you shake your head. even plain water would be fine to relieve the burn of salt on your tongue, and the fact that he went so far to make you tea when he barely knew you..

you lick your lips, “thank you.”

he waves it off with a laugh, sitting down himself. “oh, don’t worry about it. and please, save your breath, id hate for you to irritate your throat on my behalf.”

you swallow. salt stings. you’re quickly getting tired of the taste.

“that being said, i do have some questions, if you don’t mind. for starters, you are hiding from the shogunate, right?”

you pause, watching the fire flicker. yes, he’s with the yashiro commission, but he personally had to hide with yoimiya from the vision hunt decree, didn’t he?

you nod.

“thought so… well, the good news is that i can help you, but you have to tell me why they’re looking for you, alright?”

there it is. the fact that he went so long without asking why you were hiding is a testament to his character, but even he couldn’t trust fully when he’s so close to the kamisatos.

though, he did bring you into the teahouse…

“you stay here, and i’ll go get a notepad from the back room. if the tea’s done by then, feel free to pour yourself a cup!”

he stands up from his spot and exits the tearoom, hesitating for a moment in the doorway before undoing the string keeping the cover tied above the doorway. the mat rolls down smoothly, swaying, and you’re suddenly alone in the room.

though being ‘alone’ probably doesn’t apply in a tearoom belonging to the kamisato clan. you don’t remember seeing the girl at the front, nor have you heard the other two NPCs inside, but that must only mean there’s more security elsewhere.

and that the clan must have moved the prior personnel.

…like to hunt for the imposter running around teyvat.

no matter how kind they looked, they were still involved with the shogunate. there’s no way they haven’t heard of the situation, and have likely dispatched some of their best to find you.

and you’ve walked right into one of their bases.

suddenly the warmth in the room feels oppressive, the soft smell of green tea overwhelming. you shouldn’t have caved. you shouldn’t have agreed to come with thoma, shouldn’t have let his kindness pull at your bruised, beaten heart, you shouldn’t you shouldn’t you shouldn’t-

“-ot necessary, my lord, i-“

“-best for you. please, allow-“

words outside your room pull you from your thoughts, muffled by your heartbeat in your ears. it’s familiar but you don’t know why, footsteps and voices passing through the thin walls. three men are speaking, and are quickly approaching your room.

you tense, but settle for grabbing a spoon to try and soothe yourself. they won’t come in here, you tell yourself. you have to trust thoma.

the footsteps stop.

“is this the room?”

it’s not your room. it’s not. you’re safe in the teahouse. you have to be. thoma is on your side.

fingers fit between the mat and the floor, carefully curling the edge to roll it back up.

no.

three sets of shoes appear. two are dark, one dressier with a golden design on it, and the third are taller, heeled, with a buckle. the mat rolls higher, almost ridiculously slow, revealing details you struggle to place.

white pants. brown striped shorts. a black belt, a jacket lined with purple on the inside, yellow tassels and black gloves and you hate that you don’t know who it is.

the mat reaches the ceiling, hands you now recognize as thoma’s tying it back up.

to his side are two men. one is dressed simply, like the many NPCs around the city, and the other…

kamisato ayato.

his clothes are far simpler than his model, but he’s unmistakable. calculating lavender eyes, framed by deceptively soft eyeliner and baby blue bangs. the vision dangling off his hip, the set of his shoulders….

it’s only by sheer will that your terror doesn’t show on your face.

the unidentified man hums, crossing his arms, and thoma looked between the two of them with obvious unease. they must be the voices you heard.

“hello.”

ayato is the one who breaks the silence, and you almost wish he hadn’t. his presence is far more intimidating in person, very much so what you should have expected from somebody of his status. you clutch your spoon tighter.

“i don’t recognize them, my lord,” the unnamed man says, and something in ayato’s eyes shift. you can’t decide if it’s better or worse.

“so you’re the one that’s caught thoma’s eye.” ayato walks into the room, taking a seat across the table from you. “why?”

you shouldn’t be surprised he knew that. you still are, as information couldn’t possibly be passed all the way to him in time for him to arrive.

thoma walks in, taking off the pot you didn’t notice was boiling, attempting to break the tension by pouring out two cups of tea.

the pot hesitates over the third cup. “hisashi, would you like some tea?”

hisashi. why is that name familiar?

the man—hisashi—shakes his head, but does walk in to lean against the doorframe. “no.”

the teapot is set back down on the table, but ayato raises a hand as thoma steps away.

“please, stay. i have as many questions for you as i do for…?”

his eyes turn to you and you can feel the bitter taste of salt burn away any thought you have of responding. the tea looks too hot to drink, and you’re not sure if green tea would taste the same here anyway.

“ah, i never got you your notepad!”

thoma tries to leave for a second time, and ayato stops him again with a questioning look.

what had you gotten yourself into?

“they’re sick, and their voice doesn’t sound too good. i was getting them a pen and paper to ask my own questions before..”

a small smile crossed the commissioner’s face. “excellent job, thoma. you may leave; and please, take your time.”

thoma quickly bows before leaving with hurried steps.

ayato’s gaze returns to you, and he picks up his cup, swirling it twice before taking a small sip. his eyes sweep your figure, pausing momentarily on the hand with the spoon. you let it go, pulling your hand back into your lap, and he hums. after another drink, he sets down his cup.

“you should really try some,” he says, nodding at your untouched tea. “thoma always makes excellent tea.”

you don’t doubt it, but you’re not keen on drinking something still steaming. it may be wise to drink it, something something green tea has medicinal properties and the warmth will ease your throat…. you still don’t touch it.

his eyes flash, and you feel like you passed some sort of test.

“are the shogunate after you?”

you nod.

“do you know why?”

you hesitate. you technically do, as it’s likely the same reason you were chased out of liyue and everywhere prior, but you still don’t know why they’re accusing you of such things. you didn’t do anything initially, you’d barely gotten out your name before…

“interesting.” you look back from where your eyes have wandered, seeing his smile has grown. apparently your silence was answer enough. “you’re not from inazuma.”

it’s not a question, but you shake your head no anyways.

“and yet you know me.”

why wouldn’t you? he’s the head of the yashiro commission, a prominent figure in inazuman politics. even outside of inazuma, surely there’s people that know the yashiro commissioner, right? you know he stays out of the public eye most chances, and that ayaka handles that side of things, but still. it can’t be that rare.

ayato takes another drink of his tea. you wonder when thoma will come back. ayato told him to ‘take his time,’ but finding a pen and paper shouldn’t…

…oh.

kamisato ayato. what else did you expect?

“do you have any plans to stay in inazuma?”

you didnt have plans at all, really. you fully expected to die in the ocean, whether by the fall or the waves or the rocks below. perhaps even osial, if you were unlucky. all you wanted was food and maybe some clothes; you didn’t think you’d get this far.

you shrug.

“given your state, i doubt you can leave,” he points out. “do you even have any mora?”

the jab works better than you thought it would, the memory of the kind hilichurls sharing the mora from the chests they guarded for you to get things from marketplaces sparking defensiveness. of course you have mora, because you had friends.

“even if you did-“ oh, he is far too good at his job “-i don’t believe it’s enough for you to make yourself presentable enough to get a job.” he’s speaking to his teacup, watching the tea swirl. “so i offer you a deal.”

of course. of course he wants a deal.

“you tell me why the shogunate is after you, and i will protect you from them.”

what.

there’s no way he could do that. he couldn’t just go against the tenryou commission like that. there’s no way. there has to be a catch.

“i can see you’re confused.” if you weren’t certain it would hurt, you’d have said something sharp in reply. “thoma is an excellent judge of character. though he is sometimes far too kind for his own good, he still knows a criminal when he sees one. i am inclined to agree with his judgement, and this wouldn’t be the first time the tenryou commission has unwittingly accused an innocent.”

…huh?

the sudden tone shift sends your brain in a loop, repeating his words over in your mind. he was offering you an out? why was he willing to go so far from his duties for somebody he didn’t know?

ayato finishes his tea, setting down the empty cup on a platter. he seems to be waiting for your response, surprisingly, and the only problem is that you don’t know what to say.

you’re faced with the same dilemma again: trust, and get involved with people that could get you in severe trouble were you to be caught, or decline, and risk getting caught quicker by giving up that safety.

footsteps project thoma’s rearrival. he hesitated in the doorway, likely sensing the tension, but comes in anyway, placing down first a plain notepad, then a similarly simple pen on top.

“would you like anything else, my lord?”

“sit, please.”

thoma pauses again, and it’s comforting to know that not everybody here knows everything.

that point is driven further home when he chooses to sit next to you rather than ayato.

the commissioner himself seems shocked, his eyes widening slightly as he sits up straighter. beside you, thoma’s hands twist in his lap, and you wonder if even he knows why he chose what he did.

ayato clears his throat, catching your attention once more.

“do you accept?”

[drunkenbagel]

Enchanted to meet you - Part 2

Pairing: Pedro Pascal x Spanish f!reader Contents: slow burn, a bit of strong language/swearing, mentions of alcohol and drunk behaviour, implied sexual ambiance/tension but not actual smut. Word count: 3,1k A/N: I had some issues with my acc, which got deleted (and all of my posts/likes/etc🥲) but I'm back! anyways, here is the second part to the story! hope you like it :) Taglist: @canpillowscry @lxdyred (thank you so much for reading! <3) Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4

You sighed while picking up your things from your work table and started heading to the elevator.

“Nora, it's not like that. I think you're taking it a little out of context.”

“What?! You're telling me that somehow befriending Pedro fucking Pascal isn't that big of a deal to you? Is that what it is? What the hell has New York done to you?”

“I'm not saying that! It's just- I don't think I am his public friend anyway.” You sighed again. “He's a celebrity, and I'm just a regular girl. Hell, I'm sure he sees me as his kid. He actually calls me kid, Nora. And I just happen to have the biggest crush on this man! Do you know how embarrassing that is?”

“Well, you got me there. But what if he's faking it and he likes you too? You may have a chance. You can still manifest your way into this man's ass anyway.”

You snorted loudly, and some people on the hall gave you a weird look.

“You always know how to cheer me up, that is a fact.”

“And I'm also the funniest, best sibling you ever had” she said laughing too.

“You are literally my only sibling, Nora. You're my rant dump. The best racoon, maybe. I could give you that title.”

“Are you kidding me? You know I love racoons. They're my favorite beings. And they are so funny too. I actually feel weirdly honored.”

It had been a little more than four months since you met Pedro, and the two of you had been getting closer. In the first month of knowing each other, much to your surprise, he gave you his personal number, and since then you started exchanging text messages almost constantly. Especially since you didn't saw each other again apart from a couple times at the beginning of your friendship, because he had a lot of work and had to travel back and forth. Schedules are real shitty sometimes, more since yours both didn't exactly coincide.

The elevator made a small sound and the doors opened.

“You know that I-”

Your face fell and you froze as you saw the secretary speaking with someone that looked an awful lot like Pedro. You instinctively hid behind a wall on a random hallway.

“y/n? You alright?”

“He's here.”

“What? Who are you-”

“He is here. At my work! What is he doing here?” you whisper-shouted while cautiously looking at him again. There was a brief silence on the other line.

“You mean to tell me that Pedro showed up at your work? Out of the blue?”

“Yes! He was supposed to be in Canada for some filming or some shit! Oh my god, what do I do?”

“Eres tonta?” Nora said. “Go talk to him like a normal person, estúpida! I bet you're hiding somewhere now.” (Are you dumb?)

You straightened and looked around as if you could see your sister looking at you.

“I fucking knew it” she said, and you heard her laughing on the other line.

“Shut up! You know this kind of things make me anxious. What do I do now? I look like shit, Nora.” You looked at your reflection on a nearby sign and started to fix your hair a little. “What is he even doing here? Why not tell me he was coming?”

“It's something called a surprise, y/n. You show up uninvited.”

“Ha-ha” you mockingly laughed. “What should I tell him? How do I react? I don't want him thinking I'm a big weirdo by making things awkward or something.”

“Just talk to him, for starters!” she scolded you.

“About what?! Hey, funny seeing you here, do you want to hang out? No! I don't think we can be seen in public without him being recognized, and less with me. Go somewhere closed? Same thing. And I can't take him to my shitty house, that place is a fucking dump and you know it.”

“Okay, okay. Breathe, y/n. Please.” You closed your eyes and took a deep breath, then exhaled it. “Good. Now, maybe he just wanted to say hello, and go about his day. You're getting a bit ahead of yourself.”

“I know, I know. Okay, I'll just... Casually go out. I guess?”

“Good. And keep me updated right away or I'll call the cops.”

You laughed while shaking your head. Oh how you loved her.

“Thank you. Talk later. Bye!”

“Bye, you dumbass” she said, and hung up before you could say anything else.

You looked into your reflection again, and went to the exit as if you didn't see him in the first place. Only when you got out, he wasn't there anymore. You frowned. Maybe I just imagined it? You shook your head, and went to the door, when the secretary called your name.

“y/n! Here, Ashley told me to give you these reports for Monday. Oh, and by the way, there is someone waiting for you over there” he said, pointing towards the small book aisle that was on the waiting room.

You then saw him standing there in between shelves, looking through some books. You couldn't help a small smile from appearing in your lips.

“Thanks, Carter. See you next week” you said, waving at him while you walked to Pedro. You stood behind him, and he was so concentrated on the books that he didn't hear you approaching.

“Hm, Cien años de soledad, good book.”

He instantly whipped his head to your direction, a little startled, but when he saw your face he smiled widely.

“Hey!” he said, and grabbed you by your shoulders to give you a brief side hug.

“Hello. What are you doing here? I though you worked.”

“Yeah well, we finished a bit earlier than expected and I don't have to go back until Tuesday, so I wanted to surprise you. I hope that's okay.”

“Yeah, yeah. Sure. I just- I don't know if you wanted to...” be seen with me? “Anyways, fancy a drink? I sure as hell could use one. Or two”

“Oh, hell yes” he groaned.

“Good, because I know a good Irish pub just in this street.”

“Después de tí, señorita. You lead the way” he said while bowing slightly. (After you, young lady.)

After a bit of small talk and a 5 minute walk, you two walked into McCarthy's, your favourite pub ever. You had gone a couple of times with Ana and some friends there. Had a whole lot of good alcohol too.

You sat on a table that was a bit hidden from the rest, and you thanked Marcus for that. The kind bartender had been your friend since you started being a regular here. You two even dated for a while back then, but in the end you both preferred to stay as friends. Also, the amount of times he had to drive you home drunk was a bit embarassing.

After what seemed to be the shortest time of laughing and drinking, Marcus approached your table.

“Hey lass, we're closing. You need a ride?” he asked while putting a cloth on his shoulder.

“Already? Thanks for telling me, Marcus” you said, words a bit slurred, clearly a bit drunk. “Don't worry, I can walk home”

“You sure? I don't mind driving you, you already know that.”

“Yeah I'll-”

“I'll go with her.”

You two turned to look at Pedro, who had been awfully quiet during your coversation. Marcus stared at him for a little while, and then at you.

“Wolf?”

“Rabbit. Soft, white rabbit” you answered laughing, remembering the code names you made back then. He wanted to know if he was bothering you or if you were okay with that. He was such a caring friend. Pedro just looked at you two back and forth, without understanding. He didn't know why that interaction bothered him, but it did.

“Alright, then I'll have to ask you to leave like the rest so I can close up for the night.”

You two picked up your things, and on the way out, Pedro got ahead of you to open the door. You stopped briefly to say goodbye to Marcus before leaving.

“Always nice seeing you ‘round here, lass. Take care, please” he said.

“Thanks, Marc” you said, bringing him closer to give him a hug. After that, you kissed his cheek, and left off to the door. You didn't notice, but Pedro was clenching his jaw for the whole time, for a reason unknown to him too.

After a small silent walk, you went to reach for your phone, and in the process you realized your keys where missing.

“Shit. Please, no, no, no...” you muttered while frantically searching your bag.

“What happened?” Pedro asked, a little worried. “You alright?”

You sighed, defeated.

“I left my keys at work. And they are obviously more than closed right now. And until Monday” you said, groaning loudly. “Joder! I will have to call a locksmith, and then make copies of keys... Shit, this month is going to suck so fucking bad.” (Fuck!)

“You could stay at my place.” The words left Pedro's mouth before he could stop them, and he panicked for a second. You froze too, feeling your already alcohol-warm cheeks heating up. Did he just say that? You raised your eyes to meet his.

“Are- Are you sure? I don't want to disturb you.”

“C’mon, kid. I have some free days and an empty home. Besides, we could continue the party there if you're up for it.”

“Oh, like you could handle it?” you said, challenging.

“I know damn well I can” he answered, now widely smiling.

“¿Me estás retando?” you asked. (Are you challenging me?)

“Oh, sí.” (Oh, yes.)

“Then it's on.”

When you arrived there, you started drinking basically a bit of everyhthing on Pedro's shelves, and it ended with the two of you being very drunk. You had drank quite a lot more, never backing up on the challenge, even when he told you that you had already won, while trying not to piss his pants because you had slipped and fell to the floor.

“I know I won! I always do” you said, laughing as you got up.

“Okay, kid, you win. Now let's get you to bed” he said while still laughing, also visibly drunk. He took your hand to lead you, and you felt sparks just from that touch. “It's one of my guest rooms, so you don't have to worry about anything. You have spare chargers on the drawer by the bed, and in the bathroom are also spare hygiene things if you need them.”

“Y’have any clothes?”

“Ah, yes. Wait a moment” he said, and stumbled a bit to his room next door. Meanwhile you tried to take your shoes and pants off on your own, but given that you were heavily drunk, it was quite a challenge. Pedro arrived short after with a shirt and some plaid pajama bottoms.

“Here” he said, leaving the clothes beside you in bed. You then tried to take off your sweater, but it got stuck on your head. You heard Pedro laughing, but he helped you get out of it. He folded it the best he could, and went to leave it on the chair beside the bed. “I'll leave this here for-”

He turned around, but you were right behind him. So close. Only in your underwear. His laugh faltered, and he shallowed hard, feeling his head spin.

“Pedro” you whimpered, while tugging at his shirt. He could feel his heart thundering in his ears. He knew he was attracted to you, but you never gave him any clue that it was reciprocal.

He saw you moving your lips, saying something, but the loud sound of his own beating heart didn't let him hear what you said. You tugged again at his shirt. He instinctively started to take his shirt off. Was this happening? Was this really going to happen?

Without breaking eye contact, you took the shirt, and reached for the clasp of your bra. He closed his eyes and shallowed again. Okay, Pedro, calm down. Blindly and not wanting to intrude you, he took off his jeans. He then felt you taking his hand and leading him to bed. When his leg touched the matress, he opened his eyes and found you looking back at him, but you were wearing his shirt on. Wait-

You threw your arms around his neck and pulled him towards you, collapsing on the bed. Pedro tried to avoid falling with his full weight on you, but you were hanging off of him for dear life.

“Warm” you whispered sleepily, clutching his head onto your chest. He radiated a lot of heat, and you found that very comforting. That's why you asked him for the shirt he was wearing. Now you were using him as your personal heater.

“Wait, y/n- I think I-”

You shushed him, and when he realized what was going on, he let out a small laugh. Without getting out of your grasp, he took the duvet and covered you two with it. Then, he accomodated himself on top of you, since you didn't seem to be letting him go anytime soon. You were also warm, and within a few minutes, he fell asleep too.

You woke up some hours later, with a dry mouth and a proper headache. You also felt your chest heavier than usual, so you opened your eyes briefly, and saw Pedro laying on your chest. Ah, it's just him.

Wait.

You opened your eyes abruptly this time, looking at him again. He had his arms around your waist, and you had yours in his hair. You the realized that you had only his yesterday's shirt on, and with one brief look below the covers, you saw that he was practically naked too. You frantically tried to remember last night's events, but you only remembered getting into his house. Then, all blank. Oh no, what the hell did I do?! Did you just ruin the brief but amazing friendship you had? Did you two had sex?

You then started making your way out of the bed, trying not to wake Pedro. You picked up your phone and made your way into the kitchen. Your body was sore as hell. While you poured a big water glass on the sink, you dialed Nora's number. She picked up at the fourth tone.

“Hello?”

“La he cagado. Monumentalmente.” (I fucked up. Tremedously.)

“¿Qué has hecho? ¿Estás bien?” she asked, sounding a bit worried. (What did you do? Are you okay?)

“I think I had sex with Pedro.”

There was a small silence. “What do you mean 'you think'? Did you or not?”

“I don't remember, Nora! I just- We drank a lot yesterday, and I woke up with only his shirt, on my underwear, and him practically naked too! I am freaking out!” you whisper-screamed while running your hand over your hair.

“Oh shit” she laughed. “You two had sex!”

“Don't laugh! I don't know what to do, he is-”

You felt two hands snake around your waist, and a raspy voice say good morning, beautiful into your neck. You froze, and ended the call.

“Hi” you said in a whisper.

“Did you have a good sleep?”

“Y-yeah... You?”

“Definitely. After last night's, I slept like a baby.”

You shallowed. Oh no. So you two really had sex. Sounded like very good sex. And you didn't remember! Fuck. The universe was taunting you.

What you didn't know was that Pedro woke up as soon as you left the room, following you to the kitched without you noticing. And, of course, heard the whole conversation. He then had the wickedest idea, and wanted to test you on how far you'd go without telling him what you really thought.

“What do you say? Do you wanna go again? Or are you too sore? I hope I wasn't too harsh on you.”

“No, I'm...” he kissed the back of your neck, and you felt a shiver run down your spine. “I'm fine”

“Good, then...”

He turned you around and lifted you by your thighs, forcing you to cling your arms around his shoulders and legs around his waist. You let out a small yelp, and buried your head in his neck as he carried you into the bedroom again. Your heart was beating very fast, and you thought it was going to pop out any moment now.

He laid you down on the bed, and trying to contain the laughter, he lowered his forehead to touch yours.

“Are you sure you're okay? You're a little tense.”

“Yes” you answered, a little too fast. It took everything in him not to burst laughing, and he tried to cover it by leaving small pecks on your neck. You sighed at the feeling, but tensed up again when he started lowering his mouth. One of his hands started to lift your shirt over your hips when you couldn't take it anymore.

“Stop! Stop please. I can't do it” you said, pushing him and getting off the bed.

“What? You can't do what?” he said, trying not to break character.

“I just- I cannot pretend anymore. I'm sorry if something happened, but I don't remember shit about yesterday and I'm proper freaking out right now. I don't want to ruin our friendship based on some drunk decision, and-”

You stopped talking when he suddenly burst out laughing. You looked at him in confusion.

“What? What's so funny?”

“y/n... Your- Your face-” he said, wheezing.

“Stop fucking laughing! I'm serious.”

“Nothing happened, love. I was just messing with you. I wanted to see how far you'd go.”

“Wha- But you were... I-I am... And you said...”

“I know what I said” he answered, wiping his tears. “I heard you on the phone”

You felt your cheeks burn.

“All of it?”

“All of it.”

“And you were going to let me do this, you fucking asshole?” you said, hitting him with a pillow.

“Ow! You think I'd let you? That hurts my feelings” he said, while fake pouting.

“Oh, I'm going to hurt you, Pedro. Te voy a matar!” (I'm going to kill you!)

You started hitting him repeatedly with said pillow, until both of you were laughing and panting on the bed.

After that, the bond between you two grew stronger, now going from friends who only texted to best friends who chatted, video called and saw each other at any chance they had. You had no idea how everything in your life was going to change.

[a-girl-named-angel]

starter for: @bolinity

@bolinity

It wasn’t exactly the best way to make an exit. Especially after purchasing her weeks worth of rations. But this odd habit of sneezing ten feet in any odd direction didn’t exactly happen overnight. For that matter she couldn’t quite remember when their air related stuff kicked in for her. All she knew was one moment she was her normal self, the next she was flying sneezing and accidentally shoving people across rooms without meaning too. It was even starting to startle her eaglelion Meili who was pretty unstartleable.

After offering what little she had left of her odd job money as an apology and gathering what she could of her supplies and packing them away, a voice echoed though the streets as though giving her an answer to her own internal questions.

“Come one come all and witness the amazing Airbenders!”

“Hold on,” she quietly said to herself as people began to flock towards the spectacle in question “did he just say Airbenders? As in it’s not a legend anymore? Like this could answer what’s going on?” She turned her head to her companion to which it only gave a small tilt of her head in confusion. It was nice to travel alone at times, however it did leave you limited in people to talk to.

“Right, we should just see what it is before jumping ahead.” She said before taking the lead. Though by the time they reached the attraction, the crowd grew so big, she couldn’t get a decent view. Unless she hoped onto her companion of course.

It was a sight to see indeed. No strings that she could make out. They were indeed true blue Airbenders. She could feel her heart flutter at the sight. But nearly feel from her seat at the sight of the skybision the flew above them soon after. The stories shared by the elders were true… if only her family were here to see this.

As soon as the show was over. Instead of asking for handouts, they asked for anyone who had the ability to bend air to come forward so that they could be trained. This was it! Her golden opportunity to fully learn her people’s heritage and better control her sneezes! However it had been a good while since she last had a full blown conversation with anyone much less spill what was once a shut secret past.

Fortunately, there were quite a few who came forward to the most intimating (to her) two. Tenzin and Avatar Korra. Perhaps reaching out to anyone else in the group would be a better way to integrate.

Out of the rest of their ragtag team, the one with the clearly fake mustache currently giving his fire ferret a friendly scratch behind the ears seemed the least intimidating, so she approached.

“Nice announcing out there.” She started, hoping to ease into the while Airbending thing. “Though you may want to use something a little more stickier to keep it on, I noticed it starting to slip towards the end. Though it could’ve been the excess breeze going that.” Despite the friendly tone and smile as soon as she said that she immediately felt herself mentally fall over flat on her face. She felt like this may have not have been the best way to start a conversation.

After a lighthearted chuckle in hopes to kill any of the potential tension, she spoke up again. “Anyways. Sometime ago, I’ve discovered that I’ve started to bend air uncontrollably, and while I knew my family had ties to some Air Nomads, I didn’t realize I’d have their ability in me. Now I’ve found myself doing a lot of damage from things as simple as a sneeze. Its even made my friend Meili uneasy.” Just as she mentioned the name, the large hybrid creature approached from behind as if waiting to see if it was alright to come out or not.

“If you guys are really offering a way for people like us to better hone our abilities, I’d be honored to learn.”

[0nlythrowharrybeaux]

sorry i can't stop thinking abt those two and how harry made her come a gazillion times 😩😩🥵🤌 when are you feeding us again? 🤲

Ahhh this means so much coming from you! I love your writing so much! 🥲🫶🏻 But part 2 is already in the works! Here is a sneaky peek 👀

As soon as he scooted his chair in you felt his thigh brushing up against yours; it was a tight fit around the table, so you were all a bit close. Your lips twitched up in a smile when he glanced at you quickly. He spread his legs further and you nudged at him a bit, trying to keep a straight face. Caleb was distracted talking to the person on his left and so Harry reached off to the side, as if he was going to grab his chair, but then you felt his fingers just graze the outside of your thigh. The slit on your dress leaving your skin exposed and available for him to touch. You let out a breathy giggle and his lips twitched up in a small grin. When you glanced up at him through your lashes he bit his lip for a second.

“I wish I could have you as my main course.” He whispered with a smirk and then placed his hands back on the tabletop. Your body tingled as a chill passed through you, you wished that you could touch him at the very least. Every now and again your thighs would brush, but he was mostly talking to Caleb and you were just focused on your food because if you looked at Harry you would end up doing something stupid in front of all these people.

When the first course was brought in you smiled excitedly at just how beautiful and delicious the starter looked. It was a miso citrus salad, your mouth watered at the fresh scent emanating from the dish. And then you felt a gaze on you and you quickly looked up and your eyes met with the girl sitting at Tamika’s left, as soon as your eyes met her gaze flitted off to something else. Over and over it was happening, you kept making awkward eye contact with her. Finally you got the chance to look at her while something else had her attention; you wanted to see if maybe you knew each other from somewhere. you observed the slightly pained look in her eyes and the small frown on her lips. So you followed her line of sight and stopped at Harry, but he was leaned down eating his food. And when you leaned back a bit and saw Cal mirroring this woman’s expression the realization hit you like a ton of bricks. That was her! His mistress. Suddenly you lost your grip on your fork and it clanked against the porcelain plate loudly several times, causing everyone to look at you. You blinked a few times and forced a smile.

“Sorry, butter fingers.” You excused and everyone chuckled before they resumed their previous actions. You look down at your plate of food and suddenly felt disgusted by the fish and vegetables that had been unbelievably appetizing just moments before. Harry cleared his throat and you turned to him.

“Are you alright?” He asked lowly

“I ummm…I think so. I just…” you started and then just shook your head, “Never mind.” You smiled and forced yourself to have a bit more food. Thankfully, there was a nice break between the main course and dessert and so you took that time to go to the room and grab a business card for Tamika from your purse. You were just putting your wallet away when you heard the bedroom door open. You had hoped it was Harry, but when you heard the door click shut behind you quietly you knew it was Caleb. 

“Are you upset at me?” His voice was soft and had a hint of caution to it.

“You’ve been seeing someone else and she’s here tonight isn’t she?” You said instead as you turned around, hands on your hips. You just wanted to know how much there was to it. You were ready to face this right now.

[leiasources]

a walk to remember sentence starters. (part one) a compilation of sentence starters from and inspired by a walk to remember (2002). feel free to adjust as necessary but do not add to the list. thank you!

‘ i'm sorry i haven't treated [ name ] the way i should have. they deserve more than that. ’

‘ it's like the wind… i can't see it but i feel it. i feel wonder and love and joy and beauty. it's the center of everything. ’

‘ when i lost them, i was afraid that my heart would never open again. ’

‘ well, my parents aren't home, if you want to come inside. ’

‘ i'm not going anywhere. please tell [ name ] that. ’

‘ maybe you inspire me. ’

‘ i'm not applying to college. ’

‘ i do not need a reason to be angry with god. ’

‘ [ name ], your behavior is sinful. ’

‘ that boy's dangerous, he's careless, he's the worst kind of bully. ’

‘ it's different with her, okay? she makes me want to be different. better. ’

‘ will you do something for me? will you marry me? ’

‘ do you want to buy some raffle tickets? we're trying to raise enough money so we can buy the school some new computers. ’

‘ i thought i saw something in you, something good… but i was very wrong. ’

‘ it's the quiet ones you got to watch out for. ’

‘ listen, [ name ], i was hoping we could run lines together. ’

‘ i came to say that i'm sorry. ’

‘ [ name ]'s asking me for help? okay, i'll pray for you. ’

‘ it's like she chose you, and you may not understand why, but i do. ’

‘ number one on my list is… getting out of [ place ]. ’

‘ why, you're [ name ]. you sit at lunch table seven, which isn't exactly the reject table but is definitely in self - exile territory. ’

‘ be back in an hour, alright? don't flake. ’

‘ hey… your mom called me. talk to me. ’

‘ okay, so you don't care about classes or graduating, but you like school because you're popular and you'll never be on top again? ’

‘ you are a child. ’

‘ you know i'm just messing with you, right? i'm going to be there opening night, front row, and you can count on it. ’

‘ sending a check once a month doesn't exactly make him my father. ’

‘ oh my god, look who's here. ’

‘ your acting didn't suck too bad. ’

‘ [ name ], i love you. ’

‘ what do you want, [ name ]? i've known you for years. you've never been the first one to come up and say hello. ’

‘ you couldn't pull this off if you had three months, man. ’

‘ it's time for you to start experiencing other things, start spending time with other kinds of people. ’

‘ don't even worry about it, okay? order whatever you want. ’

‘ she's the best person i've ever known. ’

‘ i don't think getting out is going to be a problem. it's more like figuring out what you're going to do when you get somewhere. ’

‘ i might kiss you. ’

‘ stop acting childish. ’

‘ [ name ]… i'm trying here, okay? ’

‘ the custodian thing kind of suits you. ’

‘ i thought we might get a bite after the show. ’

‘ i can't wait to see you in some stage makeup. that's going to be kind of cool. ’

‘ you can do anything. ’

‘ how do you know about that? you read about it in your precious book? ’

‘ i need help… with my lines. ’

‘ no, no, you know the real reason why you're scared? it's 'cause you want to be with me too. ’

‘ is this your idea of small talk or something? because if it is, your social skills need some work. ’

‘ i would tell you… but then i would have to kill you. ’

‘ i made you do too many things, i kept you out- ’

‘ are you sure you're okay? ’

‘ maybe… maybe i miss spending time with you. ’

‘ love? believe me, you don't want to go falling in love with someone like me. ’

‘ come on, [ name ], nothing's changed. it's over. ’

‘ so, would it kill you to try? ’

‘ are you scared? ’

‘ butterfly, rosebud, or star? ’

‘ your act only works on an audience. ’

‘ einstein said the more he studied the universe, the more he believed in a higher power. ’

‘ you've obviously never asked anybody for help before, right? ’

‘ okay, one foot here, one foot there… now, you're straddling the state line. you're in two places at once. ’

‘ listen.. thanks for letting me come over and run lines. ’

‘ you know i got three weeks to memorize this stuff? ’

‘ i'm so sorry. i really should have told you sooner. ’

[mrszarapotts]

closed starter for @ccogsworth location: claude's office

Passing by Claude’s office, she originally had no intention of actually stopping to speak with him, but there was a flash of white through the door window that caught her eye and had her freezing in her step. She couldn’t make it obvious that she was looking, but that wouldn’t be a problem because all she needed was one more glance to see that it was indeed who she thought draped across one of those chairs. Forcing herself to continue walking, Zara returned to her desk outside of Adam’s office as a million thoughts and questions raced through her head. The biggest one was the easiest to answer - why was Claude talking with the owl lady? About the curse, of course, there was no other reason for him or anyone in their friend group to need anything from the elusive self-proclaimed wild witch. But how had he found her? How long had they been in contact with each other? How much did they know? Those were the questions that continued to swirl round her mind as she waited, trying not to be too obvious in the way she watched his door.

When it finally opened though, she kept her eyes locked tight on her laptop screen, typing away as if busy at work and refusing to risk making eye contact with the woman. For all Zara knew who she was, she could only hope that the owl lady didn’t recognize her as well. She wasn’t as prominent of a figure in the magical community, not the way that the other woman was, and everyone knew Eda tried her best to stay out of the politics of the witch world anyway… so it wasn’t very likely that she would have known Zara even if they had directly spoken to each other, but she couldn’t take the small chance of being exposed right in front of her friends. It wasn’t until the blonde was out the door and a few minutes had passed that Zara stood from her desk and made her way to stand in the doorframe of Claude’s office. “I didn’t have you down for a meeting today,” she points out, tilting her head to the side ever so slightly and watching the man closely as she asks her next question. “Is everything alright? I don’t think I recognized that woman from being around here before. Is she a new vendor or partnership we’re looking to reach out with?”

[deputygonebye]

@lunarruled asked: 'Don't pretend that you cared about me.'

Dark and Angsty Sentence Starters

Bourbon and warm water hadn't ever felt so good. A steamy shower that soothed sore muscles, shampoo and soap that cleansed the body and nourished curly hair, Edwin's generousness that extended beyond a hot meal in a safe place. The CDC wasn't home, not by any stretch of the imagination, but Shane and all in the group knew that it was better than what was outside. What had been deep in those woods back where their camp used to lay - the gravesite to so many of their friends and family. Amy and Jim left amongst the fallout, Ed just as alone as he deserved to be, a meaningless heap of tissue, so many wonderful people buried in a makeshift cemetery. Fort Benning a distant dream, votes not cast in Shane's favor nor opinion, he would've rather had the CDC than another day of that hell that he had been living. Protected were those walls and the sole man within them. Powered by food and electricity, hole torn sleeping bags replaced by actual beds, pillows and blankets and more pillows, but more than happiness had the CDC encouraged.

Kyleigh and Shane had gotten into an argument. A disagreement that had started small, was no more important than any one thing that had been talked about at the dinner table, over the group's first real feast in days. Facts on the matter forgotten about just as soon as the whole ordeal was over, still was Shane hot about it minutes thereafter. Comment that passed over Jenner's lips as smoothly as his wine was sipped by them; a suggestion to Kyleigh that affected the one time deputy more than expected. An indication to something dark, the chance to end it all, if such a choice presented itself, a hint of secret that colored the doctor's voice too easily for Shane's liking. It was a strange remark to have been made. Unwanted, reason to make leave for Fort Benning all the more sweeter, almost urgent, after a quick retort passed over the stunned silence of dinner, he left from his seat at the table. Feet loud in their stomps away, heard from down the other hall.

Into the bath had Shane gone. Hoped to literally wipe his sorrows down the drain, rather instead took to the company of Jim Bean and drank until anger doubled. Bubbled and splattered all over the surface of his patience, clothes were hardly dressed into properly before he stormed into Kyleigh's room. Black khakis and a black belt with a silver buckle, blue button-down completely unbuttoned, hair still a little wet and dripping at its ends. And that was just how the conversation began. A door slam echoing in every corner of the CDC Georgia branch.

"Don't start that shit!"

Shane said, emotions unleashed in ways that they hadn't been before. Never in such a display for Kyleigh. "Don't you dare look at me and tell me that what you heard that doctor say was any sort of normal. No way! And don't you ever, ever tell me what I do and don't care about. I care about the folks in this damn place! I've risked my life to get them safe here!"

"God. You're such a..." Shane trailed, the glisten of tears shining in brown eyes.

"Yeah, alright. I didn't care about you. I didn't care about you the first time I laid eyes on you. I didn't care about you all the days thereafter when Rick said you were stayin' with us. Hell, I didn't even care about you when everybody else did and I was the odd man out. But let me tell you somethin', Ky. That changed. All those feelings, they're long gone now. You say that I pretend? You think that I don't care? Just stop it!"

Shane whispered, in a voice far more broken than it had ever sounded, chipped and cracked and desperate, "truth is, I care about you so much that it physically hurts. I love you... I'm in love with you, Kyleigh Marie Thompson."

[ladylilah]

closed starter for @berlifamille location: the theater i forgot the name of

Having met two of the other three children Tristan had fathered and then kept hidden from her up until his death, Lilah was feeling confident that some form of a relationship could bloom between the two families. Of course she’d never try to replace their mother by any means, but with the borders still strictly locked down, she wanted to at least offer them some place where they could go if they ever needed help. While she may be a former stepmother to these triplets and they had never even met their father in the first place, she still felt it was the least she could do. If the roles were reversed and her children were separated from her, she would want someone to be in their life when she couldn’t.

Though, she should have known perhaps that this last meeting might not go as well as the others had when Berlioz requested through his mother that she meet him at his place of work rather than somewhere they could have an easier sit down conversation. But Lilah was determined to make the best of whatever amount of time the youngest Bonfamille child would offer her. Entering the theater, empty of anyone other than a figure playing piano in the orchestra cockpit, a small smile grew on her face as she made her way down to the front of the room and listened. A few moments passed before the song ended and Lilah gently clapped her hands, finally catching the boy's attention. “That was amazing,” she compliments, raising her hand in a wave. “I’m Lilah Deare. Your mother told me to meet you here. I know I’m a little early, I hope that’s alright.”

[mercury-lurks]

Elijah's Conversation

Elijah cradled the walkie-talkie in his hands, fiddling with the antenna. His heart pounded in his chest as his finger grazed the talk button.

He needed to make a call. He'd been needing to all day, but could never find time away from people. Being the new guy really sucked, especially when surrounded by terrorists and murderers. Elijah was sure everyone knew something was up with him, but since nobody had brought it up he was probably in the clear.

However, he'd found solace in a small bathroom in a far hall of Fort Stevenson. Since it was a bathroom, Elijah had hoped there were no cameras or microphones to record anything, but with lunatics like these he wasn't sure.

He knew as soon as he hit that talk button, someone would die. As soon as the information he'd gathered was in Quine's mind, nothing would stop them from killing someone. The thought made him a little giddy. They deserved their revenge.

Checking once again to make sure he was well and truly alone, he pressed the button.

"Hey, this is Elijah, checking in. Anyone there?" He released the button and waited with baited breath, pacing around the stall.

"Eli," Finnegan said, "How are you, dude?"

He let out a shaky breath and spoke again. "As good as I can be here. I've got some information I'd like to tell."

"Already?" Elijah could feel the skepticism from the other end of the walkie-talkie.

"Already." He confirmed. "And I also already have some words for you when I get back."

Finn cackled into the microphone. "Oh yeah pretty boy? What kinda words?"

"Doesn't matter right now, I don't have that much time. I don't know when somebody might walk in." Elijah eyed the door once more, swallowing his nerves.

"Alright. What's-"

"Elijah! My favorite brother, please tell me what's going on." Quine joined the conversation, interrupting Finn.

Elijah paused, gathering his thoughts. "Well, for starters, Mercury is here, alive, and seems to be happy."

Quine breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh thank the Stars.."

"She seems to have Stockholm Syndrome."

"WHAT!?" They screamed, getting closer to the microphone. "W-what do you mean Stockholm Syndrome?"

He bit his lip, eyes darting towards the door again. "He.. seems to think of the Freelancers as family.."

Elijah heard an audible growl from Quine, one that made the hair on his arms stand up. "Those bastards.."

"But!" He was quick to interject. "The Freelancers don't seem to know about the genocide! I'm assuming this batch wasn't part of it, or that it was a higher up thing. Maybe they weren't even employed?"

"Doesn't fucking matter. I want them all dead."

He knew there was no arguing with them. Not like he wanted to, of course. "Anyway, there's.. there's another Grea'esi here. Her name is Glitter."

Quine slammed their hand on something. "Of course they fucking stole some of us for their sick experiments."

"She seems to like it here. She's been adopted by a soldier named Fox. They don't seem to be aware of what happened at all, I feel kind of bad for them."

"What else? What's been going on?" Auburn piped up.

"Most of the people here are dead. Or.. well, undead. It's kind of worrying. I'm pretty sure there's been human experimentation here. And everyone seems to think it's normal."

Auburn sighed over the mic. "If they weren't part of a terrorist organization I would love to help them.. but unfortunately they're too far gone."

"They've hired a cannibal zombie as one of their commanders. Who does that?!" When nobody responded, Elijah continued. "Everything here is so messed up. I hate it here. God, I just wanna go home." He took a deep breath. "It's fine, I can do this. I'm already this far in, and I think I'm starting to gain their trust, at least a little bit."

"It's alright, hijo," Auburn said. "When you get back we'll take a break from jobs. Just the seven of us hanging out, getting Mercury used to everything."

Elijah nodded, sighing. "Yeah. That sounds great, mamá. I should- I should get going-"

"Elijah." Quine interrupted. "That soldier you mentioned earlier. Fox. Tell me more about them."

He didn't hesitate to keep talking. "Apparently they were part of some program that turned them into a super-soldier if sorts. They and one of their girlfriends, Isla, were the only two to survive it. If we're going to kill the Freelancers, it would be wise to start with them."

Quine hummed. "I see. Then I suppose I'll come down and kill them myself. If they're a super-soldier, they must have been involved with Arieala's destruction. This just got personal."

"A-are you sure? Right now? That might cast suspicion onto me, it's best if we wait-"

They slammed their hands on something again, growling. "I don't fucking care! I want every single one of those filthy dogs put down, and I'm tired of waiting!"

After a brief moment, Elijah nodded. "I understand. Just.. be careful, hermosa. There's a lot of people here."

"I'll meet up with you tonight. You know where to find me."

"I do. See you later, Q."

The walkie-talkie went dead, and so Elijah turned it off. He checked to see if he was still alone, and was satisfied when he saw he was. "Can't believe I just got away with that."

The walkie-talkie sat heavy in his hands. He looked at it almost regretfully. "..don't know if I'll get away with this.."

He shook his head and stood up, pocketing the walkie-talkie. Elijah opened the bathroom door and walked out.

Tonight, then.

[lobsessed-fanl]

From beach to beach!

Read here or on A03

Summery: Akari goes to Sinnoh’s temple for the last time. She gets a quest to go to Paldea. She awakes at a beach, meeting a person a little too eager to battle her. And a little grass cat joins her on this new journey.

Read below the cut!

Akari had finally finished the pokedex a few weeks ago, fought and caught Arceus, sent Ingo to his home, and now was told to go to Sinnoh’s temple, again. Well, orders are orders, it’s not like she'll die anyways.

She had a feeling it would send her to a new region. So she said her possible farewell’s to those she cared for, mostly just giving Kamado the finger for how he treated her and quitting, finally. She may or may not had thrown her Survey star rank pin at his face and ran. She saw the face on Kamado, and it was hilarious. 

Adaman and Irida held a festival for her! They even built a statue! Sick! She didn’t know how they did it so fast, but they did. Akari took her pokedex along with another empty one that professor Laventon gave her if she wanted to use it. Adaman and Irida gave her plenty of stuff, and warnings and blessings to stay safe and careful, and to take care of herself. Rei made a small but detailed drawing of her and Chili! It was small enough to fit into her satchel, so she wouldn’t loose it or have a hard time carrying it! Captain Cyllene, as stern and blunt as she is, ordered for her to take care of herself, and not to get herself in any more danger or to die out there, to which Akari said she couldn’t make any promises but did promise she would try. 

But she needed to get to Sinnoh’s temple! ‘Enough Delay! Time for departure!’ As Ingo would say.

She walks there, having a full team with her, today it consisted of Chili, her Typhlosion and starter, Dede, her beloved Alpha Clefable, Tiki, her determined Alpha Sneasler, Sacro, her shy Alpha Goodra, Bith, her little Bastidon, and Skirt, her Violent alpha Gliscore. 

Now that she thinks of it, it makes sense that people are scared of her. 

But she makes it to the temple quickly and without issue. And like when she fought Arceus the first time, a staircase to the sky appeared, and she walked and walked and walked and walked and walked and walked up it to the hall of origin. 

“Mine hero, I thank thee for coming to my call. I have a new area for thee to journey. But not for a quest, no, for a break from your hard work. I do hope that thee will be able to relax there. I am sending thee to a region known as Paldea. It is in the distant future, close to a time when Ingo hast returned to. I thank thee for thine work, and shall give thee permission to summon me when thy wish to.” Arceus spoke. 

“Paldea? That’s interesting, I’ve never heard of it. I-” Akari started to say before she felt herself falling again, it felt weird, but eventually she landed on a sandy beach like before. Unfortunately she landed face first, getting a face full of sand. 

She rolled over to get back, but didn’t get up, too tired to do it right now, her exhaustion that has built up in the past year must be getting to her now, screw you Arceus for forcing me to actually feel how exhausted I am, she thought. 

She could hear walking in the distance.

“Oh my! Are you alright? I saw you from a distance when I was coming down this way to train my Pokemons, but you landed face first in the sand from the sky! Ar- are you okay? Are you injured?” The girl asked, her presence encouraging Akari to get up and brush herself off and fixed her bandana to look presentable. Wouldn’t want to worry others, she thought. 

“I’m fine! It is good to meet you ma’am! I am Akari! Pleasure to be meeting you!” Akari said cheerfully, giving the woman a polite greeting bow. 

“O-oh. ¡Hõla! I am Nemona! You are very polite. It is good to meet you too, Akari! Where are you from?” Nemona asked.

“Oh! I am from H-” Akari started before getting interrupted by an old man.

“Miss Nemona, have you found the person who fell from the sky?” Some old, white man asked.

“Yes I did Director Clavel! She says her name is Akari!” Nemona answered.

“Wondrous. Well, Akari, it is good to meet you. I am Director Clavel, the Director of Uva academy here in Paldea. Do you have anywhere to stay? Or any family here? Perhaps you could join our school for the time being. Arceus knows we have the space.” Director Clavel stated. Huh, a school? That seems interesting. 

“Huh? I mean, I don’t see why not. I could give it a try.” Akari said, interested in this new plan. Finally, something to do rather than just sitting down and doing nothing.

“Wonderful! I will add the pokedex onto your rotom phone, you do have one, right?” Clavel asked.

“Oh! I do have a … phone, I suppose you could call it one.” Akari said as she pulled out her arc-phone, but now it looked different, it looked a lot smaller, and much more… normal? The arc part of the phone changed to just be a phone case! That was cool! It would be a lot easier to carry around now.

“Perfect. What a day we live in now, Pokedex’s are digital and you can just scan the information in and it automatically tells you everything you need to know about it. Back in my day we had to write it down on paper in a book or read a book about the pokemon.” Clavel reminiscenced, she decided to keep to herself the fact that she created the pokedex by hand. She didn’t want to reveal too much yet.

“Wow Director, I could never imagine that, it sounds like a lot of work.” Nemona said with a sigh, rubbing her head at the thought of that work.

“Hm. I suppose you couldn’t. But now you have the pokedex app on your phone. Since you are a new student, you are going to get a starter pokemon for school policy.” Cleval stated, bringing out three pokemon. “These three pokemon are Sprigatito, Fuecoco, and Quaxly. You may pick one of them to accompany you on your journey. Their types, in order, is Grass, Fire, and Water.” 

“Oh- oh this is a hard decision. Hm… well, I guess I could go with Sprigatitio…” Akari said, she knew she needed a grass type on her team, Sacro had water covered. The little Grass cat also seemed cute and brave, and determined, so she thought she would give the Sprigatito a chance. 

“Wonderful decision Miss Akari! Would you like to give her a nickname?” The director asked. 

“Hm… how about the name Sihnon?” Akari asked the Sprigatito. Sprigatito's eyes widened in excitement and practically sparkled as she nodded her head, jumping onto Akari’s shoulder. “Well, welcome to the team, Sihnon!” Akari welcomed, giving Sihnon some pats on her head.

“Ooh! Director! Can I pick a Pokemon too?” Nemona suddenly asked.

“Ah, but you did get one when you joined, didn’t you?” Director Clavel asked.

“Not back then, no! I was too busy raising my team to take in any at the time.” Nemona admited.

“Hm, then I suppose you may pick one to join you.” Director Clavel gave in.

“Yes! Alright then, if Akari picked Sprigatito… then I am going with Quaxly!” Nemona picked excitedly. That would be giving Akari the advantage in battle. “Now that you have a pokemon Akari, we should battle! The court is right here anyways!” Nemona challenged excitedly, running to the far away part of the court.

“Alright then! I accept your challenge!” Akari accepted. Walking to the closer side of the court.

“Yes! I like your attitude! Now… what pokemon team should I use this time… maybe-” Nemona started before being cut off by the Director.

“Now now, Miss Nemona. Remember Akari is wholly new to battling. You should use your new pokemon, Quaxly for this battle, don’t you think?” Clavell stated. Well that was a rude assumption, but she would roll with it. She didn’t want to seem stranger than she already did.

“Ah, right. Sorry Director, and Akari! I guess I will try out my new partner! Let's go Quaxly!” Nemona said excitedly, bringing Quaxly onto the field.

“Let’s show them what I already know, Sihnon!” Akari said, Sihnon going onto the court with a determined look on her face. “Sihnon! Use Tailwhip to lower Quaxly’s defense!” Akari said excitedly. Sihnon quickly did so, making Quaxly sneeze as her tail brushed up against it, lowering its defences. 

“Quaxly! Use tailwhip as well!” Nemona said, doing the same thing. 

“Alright Sihnon! Use leafage!” Akari shouted out. The move did a lot of damage, practically bringing lower than half health.

“Oooh! I see you’ve been studying type advantages! You’re better than I thought! Quaxly! Use Water gun!” Nemona commanded. The move didn’t do much damage, but did more than it would have without the tailwhip. 

“Sihnon! Good job on taking the hit! Again, use leafage! Show them what we’re made of!” Akari said with determination. Sihnon quickly did the move again, defeating Nemona and Quaxly.

“And the winner is Akari! Excellent job! You two battled as if you had known each other forever.” Director Clavel praised. 

“Oh-m-gee! You battled so well out there! We should do it again! This time I want to use a different strategy!” Nemona said excitedly. Wow, this girl really loves to battle huh? 

“Not now, miss Nemona. Akari is still a new trainer. You should let Akari and Sihnon take a break.” The Director said, stopping Nemona from continuing.

“Oh, you’re right. I am so sorry Akari! And to you too, Sihnon! I get so caught up in battling that sometimes I forget to give others a break. I hope that you can forgive me.” Nemona apologized.

“It’s fine, Nemona. We should battle again soon! But for now, I think Sihnon deserves a break.” Akari said, accepting the apology. Bringing Sihnon back into her pokeball. Nemona had a bright smile that flashed upon her face with excitement. Akari hoped she hadn’t bit off more than she could chew.

She decided that this had started her journey through Paldea. Hopefully this would give her a break from all the drama she deals with, but deep down inside she knew that she wasn’t getting any breaks anytime soon.

[coolstorysister]

lyrics starters 30

You never know what lies beneath the surface.

I'm getting nervous.

There's only so much I can control.

I'm trying to cope.

I'm doing the best that I can.

I'll never get over it.

It's hard to move on.

I'm learning to live with the pieces of me.

I can't change the past, and I need to let go.

I'm learning.

I was a bad girl.

I did some bad things.

I did it all for fun, and it meant nothing.

It never happened.

It was a secret.

I didn't think twice what it would do to you.

I was a wild child.

It was a matter of time before I blew it.

Karma's a bitch.

I should've known better.

If I had a wish, I would've never messed around.

What goes around comes around.

She is a good girl.

I think she's boring.

The universe has given me what I deserve.

I'm not a donor, but I'd give you my heart if you needed it.

"You're a professional." "No, just a good samaritan."

Write what you know.

Looking backwards might be the only way to move forward.

The story isn't mine anymore.

You're an animal.

You are bloodthirsty.

You have no idea.

Way to go, tiger.

You look ridiculous.

We all vowed to keep it from you.

She almost drowned.

We must stop meeting like this.

It felt like breathing.

What a charming Saturday.

Hearts are her's for the breaking.

There's escape in escaping.

It felt like freedom.

Forgive me.

Is it something I did?

She said she was trying.

Was she lying?

I thought it was just goodbye for now.

You said you were gonna grow up then you were gonna come find me.

I've heard great things.

Life was always easier on you than it was on me.

We both did the best we could do underneath the same moon in different galaxies.

I didn't want to hang around.

I hoped you'd return.

Love's never lost when perspective is earned.

Please know that I tried.

Burn the bitch!

When the truth comes out, it's quiet.

They killed (name) first.

They filled my cell with snakes.

Do you believe me now?

They say what doesn't kill you makes you aware. What happens if it becomes who you are?

They knew the whole time that I was onto something.

They all said nothing.

Bet they never spared a prayer for my soul.

You can mark my words that I said it first.

No one heard.

It's so quiet.

I got cursed like Eve.

Was it punishment?

I guess a lesser woman woudl've lost hope. A greater woman wouldn't beg.

Please, I've been on my knees.

Change the prophecy.

Who do I have to speak to?

It was sinking in.

I sound like an infant.

I look unstable.

Even statues crumble if they're made to wait.

I'm so afraid I sealed my fate.

It'll be okay.

I had died the tiniest death.

I spied the catch in your breath.

I'm afflicted by the not knowing.

I look in people's windows.

I still ponder what it meant.

Does it feel alright to not know me?

It was always the same searing pain.

All that time you were throwing punches, I was building something.

I can't forgive the way you made me feel.

Fuck you (name).

I can't forget the way you made me heal.

It wasn't a fair fight or a clean kill.

I couldn't wait to show you it was real.

Everyone knows that my mother is a saintly woman, but she used to say she wished that you were dead.

Your words are still just ringing in my head.

I built a legacy that you can't undo.

There wouldn't be this if there hadn't been you.

Maybe you've reframed it and in your mind you never beat my spirit black and blue.

I don't think you've changed much.

All that time you were throwing punches, it was all for nothing.

Our town, it looks so small from way up here.

Thank you (name).

The stars are stunning.

[purityran]

open starter. open to everyone. plot: your muse rescues mari from a creep.

❝ ... ❞

Mariana has never been to a bar before. In fact, the only reason she was here was because a fellow runaway (who had made her an excellent fake id) had told her it was a quick way to find whatever she was needing. Room & board for a night, free food, a drink, a way to feel normal. Of course, she didn't understand what the other had meant. She's eighteen -- run far from the clutches of the members of the cult she had been raised in.

She has no knowledge of the world outside of Windfall just yet. And therefore, she has no knowledge of what liquid courage could do to a man with loose morals. The man beside her was twice her size: his breath reeked of alcohol; his clothes of cigarettes; his mind of filth. She's making small talk; voice meek. ❝ No, that's alright, sir. My friend is coming soon, so I won't be needing a ride anywhere. ❞

It isn't until she's noticed another presence that she decides to do what she can to escape the situation. Looking up to meet the eyes of [your muse], she calls out to them as if she's known them for years. It feels silly and performative, but she hopes it works. She doesn't know a soul in this town. She felt like a ghost more than half the time.

Hopefully, they'd be a hero and she'd feel a touch more corporeal. Eyes light up; her smile nothing but a mask. Just for now, she'd pretend they were close.

❝ Hey! [...] I haven't seen you all night. ❞ She darts her eyes at the man beside her, then back to the person she was speaking to. Please get the hint. ❝ Where have you been? ❞ 

[zorrostep]

Mar 28, 2022

Day 547 Hey Diary, Hope things were well for you today. Me? I'm quite alright. Thanks for asking. If anything interesting happened? Well, during work, a customer, an average, polite hedgehog approached us. Well, they approached me. Melvin was asleep. The customer asked me, "What's the hardest part of running your shop?". I'm not sure why they were curious, to be honest, but the answer was rather complicated, I found. For starters, creating a product is certainly difficult with only two contributors. Not to mention, most of our items are one of kind so we're forced to invent new items constantly. I thought this would be my answer but, it quickly dawned on me that even if we make an invaluable product, we won't make anything when no one knows we exist. Advertising is a monumental task for people with nothing but a table and a few trinkets. No connections or money to get ourselves seen either. I thought "Surely that's my answer". And it is what I ended up telling the hedgehog. After a bit of small talk, they went about their day. I'm telling you this because my answer would shift once more later that day. The work hours dragged by and after their conclusion, I woke Melvin. It was only 3 PM, but we had planned to go on an expedition today. And that we did, which is when my thoughts on the hedgehog's question changed. I am sure now that resource gathering is the most exhausting part of our business. The Shop of Myth is unique in many ways, but this feature is the most troublesome for us. Most blacksmiths can order their metal and tools from an in realm shop. Not only do we have to collect our own materials and hop realms. The materials are often rare even in its realm! This time we were looking for these special flowers. They aren't magical from the recordings, but they do possess an unnatural element only found in what we call "Solheim". The issue is, Solheim is nothing but sun with many bright colors and the flowers are white. Melvin says it was "Worse than shoveling snow in the Frigid". While I've never done such a thing, I must agree with the notion that the task felt practically impossible at times. After that, we went to Niflheim for icicles. In hindsight, that was a bit foolish on my behalf. I wondered why Melvin wore a hoodie when we set out for Solheim. The chilling realm provided my answer upon entry. Its cold air always surprises me. I should invest in a Frigid-made hoodie like Melvin's at some time. Thankfully, our target was much easier to locate this time, but the environment was much harsher to me here. That was all we had time for today so we hopped back home afterward. Dinner should be ready soon so this is all for today. See you later, diary. Sincerely, Ricardo