#[Ah Ask backlog]

[st0rmyskies]

The Zeldas’ love lives? Lore grabby

Hello bae, this one has been sitting in the askbox for a while!

Lullaby - The queen regnant has no significant other and no public love life to speak of. She has her hands full ruling a modern kingdom and maintaining peace as much as she can. Rumors abound surrounding her and Time having involvement, and maybe once in their past they had a fling that neither would admit to. We were all young once.

Dusk - The austere second-in-command of the matriarchy has entertained very few suitors over the years, and the gossip rags will claim that she's too cold to maintain a meaningful relationship. Truth be told, Dusk has been seeing Midna in secret for a long, long time now. What started as close friendship in adolescence has blossomed into true love.

Sun - Need we even ask? She met Sky during Royal Guard training and hasn't looked back. He's the whole package: sweet, funny, handsome, and a 'safe' guy who would never try to abuse her power or take it from her. They're going to have so many kids.

Tetra - There's nothing serious going on in Tetra's love life right now. She's much too busy inventing new ways to screw around and piss off her sisters in the process, especially when it comes to creating "anonymous" social media and streaming accounts. She may or may not have become acquainted with another Link that we know through this venue.

Flora - Her heart belongs to her work! It's questionable whether all her time spent with Purah is truly innocent in nature, but that's only because of how late their nights tend to run. I hc HSH Flora as ace, personally.

[crimsonretainer]

🎄

if they were awake enough to realize it, they would consider it another misfortune that they had chosen a mistletoe to nap under. as it is, they're already grumbling under their breath as hubert approaches, his heels on the floor responsible for the sound that rouses them, rising to their feet and trying to draw on their most wide-awake expression so as to avoid whatever unwanted opinion hubert sees fit to regale them with.

HUBERT ISN'T ANNOYED, not when the mistletoe had only been placed there after Lin had managed to find somewhere relatively peaceful to nap. In fact, he hadn't intended to wake the Crest Scholar at all, merely planning to quietly move the mistletoe before they awoke from what looked like a rather peaceful sleep. With the fast approaching holidays, even the monastery seemed to care little for work, students and faculty alike beginning to wind down for the remainder of the year.

No, Hubert doesn't mind at all that his fellow is stretching out from a long nap, instead reaching to pluck the mistletoe from its resting place in one fell sweep. Still, he's aware of the enchantments ticking down like a timed spell, rolling on the ball of his foot to place a kiss to the magus' forehead before it can unleash whatever nasty trickery it held.

"Next time, it may be easier to sleep in the dorms than somewhere you can be so easily pranked." A hum as the retainer walks away, satisfied at managing to one-up the scholar who'd swapped rooms with Caspar to avoid the constant bickering between the retainer and Ferdinand.

[xavieremix]

okay so the tags on that last post got me feeling those melon collies so i'm just gonna. tagdump in here. slightly sensitive topics? so uh. scroll down (or press J to jump to next post). or read my thoughts like the morning paper. sorry. cheers.

[ghostlysoaps]

A Minor Annoyance

They’re back at base again and Ghost has been holed up in his office for the majority of the week in an attempt to get back on track with his ever-increasing backlog of paperwork. The knock on his door is therefore welcome, though surprising. He sits up straighter, wincing when several joints pop in protest, calling for them to come in.

Gaz leans himself against the doorframe. He, too, looks exhausted. Exhausted and irritated.

“I need your help wrangling Soap,” he says without preamble or an arduous attempt at small talk.

Ghost blinks at him.

“What?”

“He’s a stubborn bastard who won’t listen to reason,” Gaz shrugs. “And if it comes down to knocking him out in order to get him to rest, I’d rather have help carrying his leaden arse back to his room.”

Ghost blames sleep deprivation for the way he snorts.

“Alright,” he acquiesces, following behind the sergeant with amused wariness dogging his steps.

-

They find Soap outside surrounded by the scent of petrichor and bleary-eyed recruits. A gust of wind weaves around them, its chilling bite unmistakable where it tugs upon their hair and clothes, rustling through the pine-ridden area like an unexpected whisper. Ghost waits for Soap to send the group out on the track before he approaches, brow furrowed in response to the thickness layered over his voice. He'd sounded as if he spoke from deep in his throat, and with an air of a man pretending as if it didn’t pain him to do so. As he draws closer, Ghost allows the gravel beneath his feet to shift deliberately.

Soap jerks, swings his head around when Ghost comes to stand at his side, looking up at him with bloodshot eyes. The tip of his nose is red too, his cheeks a tad puffy, though he carries himself admirably regardless. Straight-backed and refusing to huddle into the oversized jacket he's wearing.

"Lt.? What're y'doing ‘ere?”

“I'm relieving you of your duties. Garrick can take it from here,” he replies, throwing Gaz a look that is met with surreptitious thumbs-up. He'll ask Price to look into leave for him. Soap's not the only one itching to work himself into an early grave by the looks of it.

It must be a cold day in hell, he muses, if I'm the one with the healthiest work-life balance at the moment.

“What?! Get tae and dinnae talk pish! I'm fine. I can work, Sir, I dinnae need–”

“That was an order, Sergeant. You can either leave on your own two feet or slung over my shoulder. Choice is yours.”

Soap's eyes narrow, his shoulders drawing up defensively, lips pulled back in a sneer. “You wouldn't dare.”

Which is about the worst thing he could've possibly said.

All at once Simon is twelve years old again with a defiant Tommy glaring daggers at him from across the stained rug, those fateful words a hiss through clenched teeth. Even the keen knowledge of their mother’s impending disappointment, how she'd give him a hushed dressing down in the aftermath of their scuffle, hadn't curbed his need to lunge for him. It's like the flip of a switch. Three simple words and suddenly Ghost is vibrating with the desire to prove Soap wrong. Some previously dormant code ingrained deep in his DNA flaring to life with all the speed of an oxygen fire.

Those memories carry him forward and the sudden shift in Johnny’s expression, the moment he realises he’s sealed his fate proper, sends a thrill skittering down his spine.

“Wait, Ghost, I–” is about as far as he comes before the words change into an unintelligible blend of Scottish nonsense, voice strained from having his diaphragm compressed. “Put me doon ye clarty bastard! Gaz!”

“Dream come true for you, huh?” Gaz says with a jaunty wave at their retreating backs, mirth etched into the crinkled lines around his eyes.

“I'll fuckin’ kill ye, ye clipe wopper! Lemme doon so ah can wring ‘is bleedin’ neck!” Soap barks, squirming in Ghost's grasp like a recalcitrant eel. It's a blessing that Soap's already running on fumes since, true to his callsign, it's damn near impossible to keep him securely slung over his shoulder.

By his third attempt to claw Ghost's back to shreds, Ghost sighs and pats him firmly on the rump. Soap instantly stills. Flushed to high-heavens if Ghost were to hazard a guess – not that he can see him from this angle. “Settle down, Sergeant, and I might be convinced to let you walk on your own.”

“Hate you,” Johnny wheezes.

Ghost grunts and maneuvers the door open, settling Johnny back on his feet again when it swings shut with a resounding thud. He steadies him when he wobbles on his feet and Johnny lets him with little fuss. Resigned to his fate he shuffles along after Ghost, who detours briefly to score each of them a cuppa. He ladles honey into Johnny’s mug and presses it into his freezing hands. Gets a muttered, unenthusiastic and intentionally mocking “cheers,” for it.

“You're a right cunt when you're sick.”

“Yer a right cunt all o’ the time,” Soap fires back. He's glaring mutinously into his least preferred beverage, cradled close to his chest while he watches Ghost tidy up after them. “Jus’ hate bein’ sick ‘s all. Feel proper boggin’ no matter how many times ah shower an’ my nose is both runny and stuffed as if th’ physics of tha is s'pose to make sense. Could'a powered through it.”

“That's how you end up forcefully strapped to a bed in medical suffering from pneumonia and severe dehydration.”

Johnny pauses. A small smile graces his face and Ghost hastily turns back to wiping down the counters to keep himself from being blinded.

One shouldn't stare directly into the sun after all.

“Speakin’ from experience, sir?”

Ghost doesn't answer, as if that isn't a reply in-and-of-itself, merely nudges Johnny back into moving. He gets him all the way to his door before Soap's brow creases in confusion. His mouth opens, closes, opens again while Ghost trudges inside with little fanfare, door left gaping in silent invitation. Johnny seizes it with both hands after dithering at his threshold a second longer.

He examines the impersonal space with keen interest, slurping obnoxiously at his tea as if to detract from how his hands flutter over scuffed paint and barren walls, his gaze catching over the miniscule signs someone is living there at all.

“Why'ahm I ‘ere, Ghost?” Soap asks when he's done, pinning him in place with the intensity of his stare. It's the same focus he dedicates to a particularly difficult math equation or sketching up blueprints with the precision of a surgeon's scalpel. It's a heady feeling to be on the receiving end of it. Heady and terrifying.

“Figured you'd appreciate the en-suite,” Ghost says, violently stamping down on the truth until it comes out in a statement easier to digest. “And someone needs to make sure you stay in place. Bloody flight risk that you are.”

You'd look good in my clothes, in my bed, as a permanent fixture here. This is as much for me as it is for you. A taste of what I can't have.

He hopes Soap doesn't read between the lines this time – always too perceptive for Ghost's questionable sanity.

“An’ where d'ye plan on sleeping?” Johnny smiles, a mote amused and as sweet as the honey lingering on his lips.

“Floor. Or Gaz's room if he doesn't delete those pictures he took.”

Johnny’s eyes go dark as sin.

“Oh, that'll be th’ least of his worries.”

“Sleep, MacTavish. You can come up with your convoluted revenge plot later.”

“Yes sir.” He gives a lazy salute and flops down on Ghost's bed with a grunt – boots and all, the absolute heathen. Ghost watches him rearrange himself into a position more befitting a person who's suffered a recent spinal fracture when Johnny peers up at him again from under thick lashes. “Dinnae think you're exempt from those, Lt. Ah know where ye live now.”

Ghost sighs and tosses the hoodie folded over his chair at Johnny’s face, taking great pleasure in closing the bathroom door in the face of Johnny's indignant name-calling.

-

Prompts via @whumperless-whump-event and @seth-whumps

[ithebookhoarder]

(BAU Headcanons) Spending a day off with your S.O.

Aaron Hotchner

Ok. So. First of all... Aaron's casual wardrobe is sinful and I feel like I need to mention it when talking about days off. After all, he's not going to turn down the excuse not to wear a shirt and tie, knowing jeans and his usual polo shirts are better suited to both relaxing and possibly chasing after Jack.

If you two ever got a rare day off then he would do his best to make you breakfast in bed, knowing that having an excuse to stay in bed is a luxury.

If Jack is with you, and not at Jessica's, then you know Jack would be right next to him in the kitchen, begging to help. I mean, if you watch Bluey, picture the episode where Bingo is trying to make that omelette for Bandit on his birthday... that's basically the vibe here.

Hotch wouldn’t try to force you out of the house if you didn’t want to go, as he’s perfectly happy to stay in and play with you and Jack. After all, you have the most recent lego set, which you bought him for his birthday, to finish building.

"You up for that buddy? Six hands are better than four, after all."

Or, if you don't have the energy or patience, then you three can curl up on the sofa together and watch movies and the backlog of tv shows you’ve missed out on whilst you’ve been away working. 

Fun Fact: Aaron would rather die than admit to the rest of the BAU that you got him hooked on reality shows like The Real Housewives of Beverley Hills or Below Deck -but he is. He finds them fascinating case studies in human behaviour... or that's his excuse anyway when you call him out on it.

However, if you do want to actually leave the house and get outside then he’d be pretty relaxed about whatever it is you wanted to do, as long as you could all do it together. 

He'd also love it if you both got the chance to go for a run, enjoying the rare opportunity to race you through the nearby park. You can just soak in the sunshine and watch the other people as they make their way through the world, before grabbing a coffee on your way home.  

David Rossi 

Rossi is a man who knows the value of creature comforts, as we've seen repeatedly in the show. You know this man enjoys having time off to indulge himself - and you too.

As soon as he knows he has the day off, you can bet he's driving you to the local farmer's market to buy all the ingredients needed for a home cooked feast. 

Despite promising to be there only an hour, you know he's the kind of person who would talk to each and every vendor, learning all their names and asking after their families as if they've been friends since birth.

You'd end up spending almost the entire morning - and part of the afternoon - shopping, sampling various treats and wares, and buying several bag's worth, before you're finally able to drag him back to the car.

As he's cooking, Rossi would definitely play his favourite records. He alternates between crooning along and telling you tidbits about the artists - and the many crazy memories he has about these records.

"Did I ever tell you about the time I first heard this? We were in this tiny little motel, in the middle of a horrific blizzard, and several whiskeys in..."

It's hard not to get distracted, drawn in as he pulls you close and starts dancing about the kitchen. You'd get so distracted that you almost let dinner spoil and only remember it's even there when you start to smell something burning.

"Ah! Merda!"

After dinner you know you'd end up outside on his patio, enjoying the view as the sun goes down, over a cocktail of his choosing.

Derek Morgan

You know this eager beaver would not be spending a day off with you doing nothing or letting the day ‘go to waste’.

He’d be at your doorstep bright and early, looking unfairly energetic for someone who has been running on minimal sleep all week.

Thankfully, he brings coffee and breakfast with him which is his way of bribing you to get your ass up and out with him. 

As for the day itself, he’d either have the day planned to a ’t’ or he’d have nothing planned at all. 

“Relax, sweetness, we’re letting the day take us where it may. Enjoy the ride.” 

He'd love having a reason to take you to whatever property he's renovating, hoping to share his vision for the place and getting your opinion on it all.

He'd even let you have a swing or two with a sledgehammer if there's a dry-wall that needs taking down. It's a great stress-reliever for you both, and there's nothing like hammering along in the time to beat of whatever playlist he's chosen.

He'd also order you a pizza, or whatever take-out you fancied, as payment for all your hard work.

You know he'd also been keen to help you wash up later, running you both a hot bath to soak in as you actually have the time to enjoy it.

And just between us - he knows Hotch and Rossi would have his guts his they found out - but he may or may not have left your cellphones on the bed-side table just to ensure you get an hour of peace, undisturbed...

Emily Prentiss

Ok. So. Emily loves having a day off almost as much as she enjoys working.

She doesn't require much in the way of plans. In fact, her ideal day off from the BAU involves you, a crossword puzzle, and your usual table by the window at the coffee shop around the corner.

It's right by the window, so you can bathe in the sun whilst you nurse your way through coffee after coffee.

The whole place reminds her of one similar that she spent her time in, in Paris. Just like then, she loves reading books, and completing the daily crossword with your help.

"Damn it. This is what time in Europe gets you - I forgot there's no 'u' in color. No wonder it wasn't fitting."

Emily also has a game she likes to play, watching the people around you, guessing what their stories are and imaging outlandish profiles for them all. It's a privilege to enjoy it when it's for entertainment and not out of a need to be aware of your surroundings or an ongoing threat assessment. 

Afterwards, you'd go for a stroll around the park and most likely visit the shops you rarely get a chance to.

You both spend ages going through the racks and modelling outfits for one another, knowing you need some new things to fill out your wardrobes other than work-attire. It's a like private treat for yourselves.

Once you're home again, I feel Emily would want to cook and would do a pretty good job when she has the energy. However, she is not above ordering takeout when you both can’t be bothered. 

After all, it gives you both more time together to lie in bed, with Sergio curled up between you, purring loudly as you take it in turns to pet him.

JJ

Depending on when you two got together (before or after Will), she would love to have a chance for the both of you to spend the day with Henry.

You're her family and the most important thing in the world to her. It's why she can't stop beaming as you spend the afternoon at the park together, running rings around the place and clambering all over the playground.

"I swear this kid is faster than most of the Unsubs we chase - and more sneaky too."

JJ would bring all your favourite snacks with her so you can all lie out on the grass and feast once your energy levels drop. She doesn't even mention the sugar content or how many E-numbers there are. You all deserve a treat, Henry included, so she's willing to put her 'mom hat' aside for a minute.

I feel like she'd also try and put her mom hat aside so you two can have some time without a child in tow. She'd try and make a last minute arrangement to get a sitter so you two can have some 'adult' time.

This normally involves making a reservation at your favourite restaurant, and insisting on you both dressing fancy just for the fun of it.

After all, you never get to play at being grown ups and just enjoy wearing something because it looks nice and not because you can run around in the field in it.

"I've had these heels for years and I swear I've only got to wear them like three times - and this skirt! I love this skirt."

Once you get to the restaurant, you spend hours just talking, drinking, and eating before taking a stroll on the way home.

You then curl up in bed and fall asleep to the sound of the TV playing your favourite movies, safe and warm in each other's arms.

Penelope Garcia 

This girl is the queen of relaxing. If she doesn’t have to be awake before noon then you can bet your ass she’ll be tucked up and toasty till 12:01. 

Once she's awake, however, she's a flustered mess, struggling to pick between her various plans for your time off together. There's just so much she wants to do with you and never enough time.

"What? I'm the queen of fun and I just want to make sure we make the most of our time together, sugar plum. I can't help it. I'm excited to have a day just you and me, not that I don't love the others too. I do, but you know, just having it be us is rare -"

You stop her rambling with a kiss, which of course makes her melt.

I feel like Penelope would always try and spend part of the day with you in the kitchen, baking a new recipe to take to work for the others to try.

She'd also love spending the day on the sofa with you, watching either a Rom-com or a Sci-fi marathon (depending on your moods).

Once the decision has been made, she'd insist on gathering supplies - AKA: onesies, takeout and face masks.

"It's the holy trinity of self-care," she explains, holding up your choices. "Now, do you want the tea-tree or coconut face mask?"

However, if you do feel like getting out of the house, then Penelope would take you on theatre trips - which are booked last minute but with amazing seats (courtesy of Penelope’s connections and slightly unorthodox know-how).

The others are still jealous after finding out she got you tickets to Hamilton, front row, with the original cast.

Dr Spencer Reid

You know Spencer is the kind of person that has a list of things the size of his arm that he’d love to do with you on a rare day off. 

You’d probably have to negotiate with him to figure out which ones you could reasonably do in just 24 hours - and you try to find a balance between appeasing his interests and yours. 

For example, you don’t mind sitting through a Russian movie festival if afterwards he agrees to let you wander around your favourite bookshop and spend as long as you want exploring the shelves - without him critiquing or spoiling the endings before you even have a chance to read the blurb. 

If you also happened to let it slip that you'd never watched every single episode of Doctor Who that's ever been made, then you know your future days off will be spent marathoning on the couch. 

"I'm just saying that he's underrated as the Doctor as arguably the narratives of his episodes are far better developed and reflect the point of the show, which is that the Doctor isn't perfect but rather a time-travelling refugee who acts as a healer, counsellor, and protector of the universe. It's why he calls himself 'The Doctor' ..."

He always looks so adorable when he gets excited about something he loves. It's hard not to fall in love with him all over again.

Apart from watching TV, you both also love spending days off on that couch, curled up together, reading your way through the stack of books you both had in your never ending ‘TBR’ pile. 

Spencer would love listening to you discuss whatever you're reading, doing his best to memorise the characters, plots, and your thoughts on both. It's the least he can do when you listen so patiently every time he starts rambling on about whatever his latest hyper-fixation is.

"Can I... can I borrow that when you're finished? I'm now curious - just don't tell the others, ok?"

Masterlist

[darqx]

Snakes on a post

Another particularly long answer dump since i, once again, have a backlog of things to potentially answer |D

❗️For commonly asked qs please see my BTD FAQ

Got jumpscared with my own old art for a hot minute there LAUGHS.

(For those wondering, the naga doodle from here was attached to the ask)

That is every other Royal that exists in the Nether and also at least some of the demons that challenged him for his Royal title lol.

Believe me, no one was or is more surprised then me XD;

So, the thing about where Rire's ichor manifests is that it kinda exists and doesn't exist at the same time. Meaning that his upper back is where the manifestation point is anchored, BUT it can still manifest with a bit of space in between it and his back hence why it will manifest over his clothes and not through them.

So if you touch where the manifestation point is sans the ichor, than you are just straight up touching his back. With the ichor, he still gets sensory input from the tentacles to his back but it's a lot more soft and muted esp the further away it gets from him. As you've seen implied though, he would feel a very sharp pain if a great deal of damage was done to the ichor where it clusters at the manifestation point, since he'd DEF be feeling that straight in his back lol.

He is definitely a top and the only way he would bottom for anybody is if they somehow forced him to.

Ah i knew i'd answered this a long time ago [finally found it]! Holy crosses (those that have been blessed) can also burn him but they would need to be in contact with him the entire time. Being a Royal he also has more of a tolerance to these than normal demons.

Well, unless said person actually has the undeniable ability to make good on their words, Rire would just stand there rather genially with that little smile he sometimes has and let them finish.

And then he might use them as reverse suggestions for dealing with said person (why would you give him any ideas!!?)

both

In BTD canon it is quite possible that they actually haven't in person. But we are using creative license here haha.

Rire heals a lot faster than a human. Cain is not my character so I don't know how his stacks up.

I've grouped these asks cos they kind of have similar answers - 360° (jk sorry sorry to the second q that is just a very common spelling mistake and I couldn't resist XD; )

Now, even though we mashed all the characs together in BTD, they all actually come from different storylines and so their canons outside the "BTD canon" may differ. This tends to bleed in. With this in mind:

The rules of Rire's canon (eg the concept of Battle Royales and how to become a Royal) don't apply to Cain. Anyway, they don't live in the same place either.

Cain is canonically the oldest and most OP character in BTD lol so yes he is stronger than Rire - you might've noticed, but Rire is never in the same drawing as Cain voluntarily. I play with this along with the "natural weakness" aspect - which I've also referred to as scissors-paper-rock rules XD Basically; demons beat humans, angels beat demons (purely because demons have weakness against holiness).

It would (be insane) but I hope you are not looking at me to fulfil this :d

Not really

His coronation day is a public holiday in his sector so yes XD

Aww thank you very much for your interest! ≧(´▽｀)≦ It's really cool that some of you guys want to actually fund such a thing - I'd have thought you'd have enough of him killing you in BTD1 XD Unfortunately, I have no plans for a Rire game at the moment as I'm working on a webcomic which looks like it will take up all my free time (that being said, he will be in the webcomic at some point).

Nope! Although i can kinda see why you might think that lol.

Whatever that one is where he doesn't particularly care what someone else identifies as. It really makes no difference to him or how he will act.

There are viruses in the Nether that if contracted could potentially kill you, yes. Part of being a Royal is becoming a lot more robust than normal Demons though. As for if/when Rire dies, I dunno maybe either in a Battle Royale somewhere thousands of years down the line or by old age (which is rare for a Royal but not impossible if you play your cards right).

If you are asking if he has a heat/rut of some sort, he does not |D

[ladykailitha]

Spellbound Part 4

Normally I would go back and forth between the two stories, but this one had more chapters backlogged, so it gets to go again.

Just a reminder, starting next week, I'll be taking a break from posting. I'm recovering from all the crazy writing I did this month. 12 ficlets, 1 multi-chaptered Christmas story, and a shorter one-shot of one of the ficlets. All total roughly 30k words in a month. So... yeah. I'm taking a well deserved break.

In this we have Dustin and Mike being teenagers, Robin spots a rogue Chrissy, and Steve has to deal with a very angry brownie (fae, not food).

Pt 1 Pt 2 Pt 3

~

A curly haired boy came bursting through the front door and Steve glared at him. “Dustin, how many times do I have to tell you to not just barge in?””

Dustin skidded to a stop and looked up at Steve like he didn’t know his ass from his elbow.

“Bav lets me,” he said smugly crossing his arms and grinning with that stupid gap-tooth grin of his.

Steve put his hands on his hip and sighed. He looked up at the roof, pursing his lips as he fought back the angry response. “Bav is not the only being with thoughts and feelings and while she ‘lets’ you it doesn’t mean you should. Because I sometimes work on dangerous things and if you come barging in, you might get hurt.”

Dustin scoffed. “Like she would let me in if you were doing something dangerous or whatever.”

The walls seemed annoyingly smug and tinted a shimmering grey-green.

“If these walls could talk,” Dustin continued with a smirk, “she would be agreeing with me.”

Steve pinched the the bridge of his nose and sighed. The truth was, he didn’t want Dustin bursting in because he was trying to find a ‘don’t hate me’ spell or charm to get Eddie to ease up off him a bit. But while there were friendship charms and love potions, neither really fit what he was looking for.

“What did you need?” he asked instead. “Or are you here to harass me?”

Dustin put his hands over his heart. “Ah! I’m offended that you think the only two reasons I would come visit are harassing you or wanting something from you.”

“There is another reason you come over?” Steve asked with a huff. He walked over to the bookshelf and began skimming the titles. He pulled out a large blue tome and flipped to a specific page as Dustin watched with suspicion. “How quickly do you think I could brew a truth potion and slip it in your tea?”

Dustin held up his hands in surrender. “Fine. All right. Sheesh. I wanted to beat Mike to the deliveries today because Mr. Jenner is making his apple cider and he always pours a glass for the one who delivers your asthma medicine.”

Steve blinked at him for a moment before throwing his head back and laughing. “Mike beat you by twenty minutes, man. In fact he should be back here in about five minutes.”

“Nooooo...” Dustin wailed, “that’s so not fair!”

The walls drooped and turned a pale blue. Steve shook his head. “It’s good thing I love you both,” he huffed stomping over to the icebox.

He pulled out an earthenware jug and took down two glasses. He filled both of them with a cool amber liquid and handed one glass to Dustin and then poured the other glass out the window and on to the foundation.

Dustin looked down at the cup and took a cautious sip and then a more enthusiastic gulp. “When did you get this?” He shook his head. “Wait before you answer that, did you just pour out a perfectly good cup of Mr. Jenner’s cider out onto the ground?”

Steve stroked the door frame to the back garden. “Sure, Bav deserves some too.”

The house seemed to get a little bit bigger as the walls turned a pretty, happy dusky pink.

Dustin blinked a moment before he finished the rest of his cider. “Seriously, though. I thought Mr. Jenner doesn’t make the cider until the afternoon.”

“The perks of being the town witch,” Steve said sagely. “People are very superstitious and I’ll often get the first wool or the first bag of flour. In this case, the first jug of cider.”

Dustin looked down at his empty cup and then up at Steve. “That’s actually kinda badass, you know?”

“Thank you,” he murmured. “I was about to make lunch if you would like to stay. Mike will be joining us...just...about...now.”

There was a knock on the door and Dustin went to go answer it. Sure enough on the other side of the door was Mike Wheeler.

Dustin looked back at Steve in shock. “How did you know it was Mike? Did Bav tell you? Can you see through walls?”

Mike just shoulder past him to get into the house, greeting Bav briefly before sitting down at the tea table.

“None of the above,” Steve said placing the cold meat sandwiches on the table. He pointed to the window. “I know how long each of you take on your runs and when I looked out the window, he had just passed in front. No sit down and eat your sandwich.”

Dustin grumbled but did as he was told. He took a big bite and hummed happily around his bite of food. “You make the best sandwiches, Steve.”

Mike nodded. “Thanks for the food. I just get so hungry these days and my mom keeps threatening to rehome me because I eat so much.”

Steve chuckled and sat down with his own plate of food. It was actually a normal amount because he hadn’t used magic today. “I remember what that was like, I’m not much older than you two, so I don’t mind sharing a meal or two to take the burden off your parents a little.”

“I think that’s why Ma doesn’t mind me hanging out over here,” Dustin said around a bite. “She knows you’ll take care of me.”

Steve smiled and shook his head, taking a bite of his food. Claudia Henderson was notoriously protective of her son. She wouldn’t trust the Pope with Dustin and she was Catholic. But somehow, someway she trusted Steve to take care of her Dusty.

He sent them off with full stomachs and cakes for their moms. They didn’t need to know that the cakes, which he was with absolute certainty never actually made it home, were just little charms of be nice to your mom magic. Karen Wheeler and Claudia Henderson deserved a day of their sons being so sweet to them.

Which was the real reason their moms were okay with Steve. Because they were always so nice when they came home from spending time with him. Or on the off chance the cakes did make it home, they had a nice cake to eat and were nicer to their families afterwards. All in all, win/win for everyone.

Robin chose that moment to come home. “I’m in love with your house, Steve. She made the journey home take a little bit longer so I could avoid the buttheads.”

Steve laughed. “Yeah, she’s great like that.”

“So guess who I saw coming out of the Munsons’ house on the way home?” she said, putting away the groceries she had into town for.

Steve paused his clearing of the lunch mess and straightened up. “No...really?”

Robin pursed her lips and nodded. “Apparently Chrissy Cunningham is branching out since her dramatic break up with Jason Carver.”

Steve finished the dishes with a sigh. “It’s no surprise that his confrontation with Eddie and Bav was public knowledge by breakfast the next day, but even I think visiting another man so soon after your ex went insane and tried to break into someone’s house is little reckless, honestly.”

Robin winced. “Ooh, yeah. I didn’t even think about the crazy ex. Yeah. Ooh. Maybe she was trying to come here and, I don’t know, apologize?”

“I don’t put the ‘no return’ spell on the love charms,” Steve said, drying his hands. “I like it when they find their truelove and they come back all happy and smiles. If she was looking for me, she missed the mark a second time.”

Robin spun around. “Wait is that why?” Steve nodded. “Are there other charms you don’t put your ‘no return’ spell on? Or is it just that one?”

Steve just shrugged. “My medicines, I guess. That’s where I make the most money or get the best trades. But as for the other things, I saw what happens when you don’t set a boundary with people asking for charms. They’ll start asking for charms for everything. They’ll want to be cured of every ill, want everything handed to them, so I created the spell myself. It’s unique in all the world.”

“I didn’t know that,” Robin said softly. “About...well any of that I guess. You really don’t talk about your past. Of your life before Hawkins.”

Steve sat down at the table and placed his hands palm down on it. “Look, I don’t talk about it because for the large part, other than a couple of years apprenticing in her shop in the city, I grew up in a town of witches.”

Robin’s eyes went wide and she sat down next to him. “So you can’t talk about it?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know if I would say can’t talk about. But it’s hard sometimes when I say something and everyone stares at me blankly, like I don’t know what I’m talking about.”

“And with each look and with each comment about how weird you are,” she said softly, taking his hand, “the less you want to bring it up. I’m sorry, Steve.”

“And with there being trouble in town with the whole Chrissy situation...” He sighed. “I’m think starting to wonder if Bav sensed something about her and tried to keep her away.”

The house seemed to shrink on itself a little and the walls turned a light grey.

Steve looked up at the ceiling and cooed, “I’m not blaming you, Bav, I’m blaming myself for not taking in everyone’s advice and giving it to her. Merlin and Circe didn’t like her either. Especially Merlin.”

Robin nodded. “As my familiar I should I have listened to him, too. He’s been giving me the cold shoulder ever since she showed up, as well. It’s a whole mess.”

Just then Circe came bursting through the window cawing angrily.

Steve buried his head in his hands. “Fucking hell! As if this day couldn’t get any worse.” He sighed heavily. “Tell Dustin to keep his shirt on and I’ll be right there.”

Robin sighed dramatically, throwing her head back. “Who would have thought that a Roman Catholic would even have a house elf to anger? Scratch that, who would have thought that house elves even existed?!”

Steve stopped half way to rising. “Like everyone knows that house elves exist. We don’t have any because Bav thinks they’re pests, but like even my dad knew better than to insult Mom’s house elf. Her name was Nora and best seamstress I’ve ever met.”

Robin stared at him blankly. “You want to run that past me again?”

Steve just rolled his eyes and got out a cup of milk and a little bowl of sugar, setting them carefully in a basket. Then he added honey, walnuts, and mint. He wanted to cover all his bases he didn’t know what this elf favored and wanted to make sure they weren’t offended further.

Then he went over to the bookshelf and after skimming the titles for a moment, he pulled out a small green book. He handed it to her. “Read that while I’m gone. The whole thing is useful, but I’d start with page eighty-six. The chapter on house elves.”

Then before Robin could even squawk a protest, Steve was out the door following Circe at speed, running to keep up.

He skidded to a stop in front of the Hendersons’ door to find that Dustin and Walter had been locked out of the house while screams could be heard from inside.

It didn’t sounded pained, it sounded indignant.

“Stand aside please,” Steve said sternly. Dustin and Walter looked back at Steve, thinking he meant them, but suddenly the screaming inside stopped and the door opened. “Thank you.” He turned back to the Henderson men. “Please wait here.”

But before either one of them could protest, Steve had already walked into the house and closed it tightly behind him.

He surveyed the damage. Claudia Henderson stood on the kitchen table battling a broom with her rolling pin. It was worse than he feared. He set his load down on the counter and began unpacking his treats.

The broom stopped moving, and then was slowly, cautiously put down. Once Steve had finished unpacking the honey, suddenly there was a little round faced woman about the size of Steve’s palm standing next to his basket with a red flower as a hat and bright clothes.

“What is that?” Claudia hissed, jumping down from the table.

“You’ll excuse her manners, little one,” Steve murmured, “it appears that she’s never heard of house elves before.”

The elf glared Claudia over her shoulder and then turned back to paw over Steve’s prizes.

“I didn’t have any cream,” he continued. “So I hope the milk is fine.”

The elf put her little hand in the milk and then stuck her hand in her mouth. “It’s good milk. You do your mother proud.”

Steve grinned at that. “So I take it you know Nora then?”

“Who’s Nora?” Claudia asked drawing closer to the two of them at the counter.

“Of course I know my own sister!” the little squeaked. “I’m Nona by the way. Please to meet you, Stevie.”

Claudia stopped dead in her tracks as she realized what was going on. She turned on her heel and began rummaging around in her ice box. “Eureka!” she cried.

She brought over a bowl and set down on the counter next to Nona. “I’m sorry little one. I wasn’t raised with knowledge of your people. I’m new to this town and was not aware of its different ways.”

Nona turned around and sniffed at the bowl cautiously. She looked up at Claudia in awe. “Clotted cream!” She put her hand in and pulled out a handful of the cream. She shoved it in her face with a contented hum.

“I didn’t know your family wasn’t from Hawkins,” Steve murmured. But he turned to Nona. “Would you please let the boys in, they must be so worried about Claudia.”

Nona looked up from her feast in wide eyed shock. “Oops!” She snapped her fingers and suddenly both Dustin and Walter spilled out on the ground as the door opened under their weight.

Steve went over and helped them to their feet. “Sorry about Nona, she didn’t know you weren’t familiar with house elves and thought you were actively insulting her.”

Dustin and Walter shared a shocked glance then looked over at the little woman eating their clotted cream.

“This is a house elf,” Steve said as Nona curtsied. “Her name is Nona and she helps out around the house. This has been her home for longer than this particular building has stood here. She will do the laundry or any chores left over the night. All she asks in return is a treat of her choice.”

“Does it have to be clotted cream every time?” Dustin asked as she wiped the mess of cream from her face with her apron.

“No,” Nona said. “But it was nice apology, though. I like honey and milk. So as long as you keep a bowl of of one of the two out, your food will never spoil and I will help out around the house.”

The Hendersons all exchanged glances and then Claudia nodded.

Walter stuck out his finger for her to shake. “Welcome to the family, Nona.”

~

Tag List: CLOSED

1- @itsall-taken @redfreckledwolf @zerokrox-blog @sadisticaltarts @dolphincliffs

2- @gregre369 ​@a-little-unsteddie @chaosgremlinmunson @cryptid-system @kultiras

3- @maya-custodios-dionach @goodolefashionedloverboi @val-from-lawrence @carlyv @wonderland-girl143-blog

4- @bookbinderbitch @bookworm0690 @forgottenkanji @dreamercec @blondie1006

5- @yikes-a-bee @awkwardgravity1 @genderless-spoon @fearieshadow @thesecondfate

6- @dragonmama76 @ellietheasexylibrarian @thedragonsaunt @useless-nb-bisexual @disrespectedgoatman

7- @counting-dollars-counting-stars @tinyplanet95 @ravenfrog @swimmingbirdrunningrock @lingeringmirth

8- @gutterflower77 @a-lovely-craziness @just-a-tiny-void @w1ll0wtr33 @beelze-the-bubkiss

9- @wheneverfeasible @micheledawn1975 @gloomysoup @dotdot-wierdlife @tartarusknight

10- @ollyxar @yesdangerpls @two-vampires-kissing @themoonagainstmers @estrellami-1

[angel-of-the-moons]

MK11 Kuai Liang x Fem Reader ?

can be fluffy or smutty <33

I want this man so bad.

I am finally working on backlogged asks!

Petal-Soft

MK 11 Kuai Liang (Sub-Zero) x Fem!Reader

TW/CW: None! Decided to be fluffy with this one!

EDIT: SOMEONE BROUGHT IT TO MY ATTENTION I WROTE THIS INITIALLY FOR THE WRONG CHARACTER NONNY I AM SO SORRY I FIXED IT AND I HOPE YOU CAN FORGIVE ME AKHSLHDLHD 😭

Dividers by @saradika-graphics (Your work is awesome Ilysm)

"This is... not what I was expecting when you told me you had a surprise." Kuai Liang said, blinking at the obnoxiously cute plush sitting on the floor mat by your shared bed.

Yes, your relationship was still fresh, but after losing so much, Kuai didn't want to let you slip away.

"It's for your birthday!" You told him, waving your arms as he picked up the stuffed bear.

"My... birthday." He said suspiciously, looking at the clan sigil of the Line Kuei carved into a little button pinned to the shirt of the toy. It even had a little face mask similar to his on its cute face.

"Yeah..."

He looked at you, and squinted. "I never told you when that was."

"Well... ha ha..." You laughed, a flush bubbling up in your cheeks as you rubbed the back of your neck.

"I kinda asked Sonya, who asked Cassie, who she asked Johnny to ask Liu Kang, who told him to ask Raiden and then Raiden... Said to ask Hanzo..." You babbled.

"And then he told me what it was."

Kuai laughed, shaking his head as he tucked you beneath his arm in a sweet, warm embrace despite the chill in the air. "You could have just asked me."

"Well, that would have ruined the surprise," You giggled. "You would have figured out I was planning on doing something."

Kuai looked at the bear in his hand, smiling fondly at it, "I assume it is supposed to represent me."

You grinned widely and looked up at him, "Yep~ Jacqui helped me look up custom toy-makers online, and we sent them a few references and... Poof. A fluffy you!"

Kuai laughed, and shook his head, "The, ah, button is a nice touch."

"Isn't it? He's a loyal member of the clan. You never even have to worry about him leaving the Line Kuei palace..." You snicker.

The ninja sighed and finally grinned back at you, "Oh, but I have a feeling he will not be able to do much but lounge about the bedroom all day, laying in bed, skipping his duties..."

"Well... at least you don't have to worry about him skipping lessons to sneak off to meet his girlfriend or anything." You replied, waggling your eyebrows.

"Like a certain someone..."

"You are a worthy temptation." Kuai Liang laughed softly into your hair.

"And I seem to remember how quickly and easy it was to convince you to stay in the palace, my love..."

"What can I say? Like a moth to a flame."

Kuai's nose scrunched as he pulled back to look at you puff out your cheeks to avoid laughing at your own ironic, dry, maddeningly stale pun.

"It is obvious your great destiny is not stand-up comedy." He deadpanned.

You gasped offensively, swatting his arm and reaching for the bear. "You jerk! That's it, gimme that bear back! If you're gonna be mean, you don't get to keep 'im!"

Kuai Liang easily pulled the toy out of reach, laughing as you jumped after it.

"Oh, but it was a birthday gift, remember?"

[five-rivers]

The next part of my pollfic! You guys got me with a tie last time. I tried my best!

Previous.

(Edited to actually put the poll in, sorry about that.)

.

For a moment, Danny was paralyzed by indecision.  Who should he go to?  Who should he help?  But then he remembered that this wasn’t a combat situation.  He could help both, one at a time.  

There were, perhaps, some negative side effects from spending his formative years as a ghost as a superhero and satisfying his Obsession through combat.  It was very unfortunate.  Useful in combat!  Less so at other times.  

But he should ask the large man first, or else by the time he finished translating for the attendant he might be done.  He inched closer, hovering so he could actually see what the man had spread out on his table.  

His heart sank when he saw clay tablets and papyrus scrolls covered with the tiny, black squiggles of Coptic.  

Danny knew a fair amount of Akkadian cuneiform.  While Pandora tended to focus on the immediately and practically applicable when it came to language lessons, Clockwork had a more chronological method.  As in, he seemed intent on teaching Danny languages in the order of when they were first written down, except for when a certain language was necessary for one of the time field trips he sometimes sent Danny on.  

(He had not, perhaps, revealed the extent of those trips to his parents.  A story for another time.)

Coptic was, sadly, not among those.  

Still.  He was a bit more concerned about the expressions of abject suffering the man was making.  

“Um, excuse me?  Sir?  Are you alright?” asked Danny.  He bobbed in the air, near the man’s shoulder.  “Do you need help?”

The man looked up in clear surprise, eyes flicking over Danny from head to toe.  Not that there was a whole lot of Danny to look over right now.  “Ah,” he said, “I am afraid I have reached beyond my grasp, but unless you have the Coptic and the language of Blessed Sargon both, it is not to be.”

“I know some Akkadian.  I could translate it into English and then you can put it into Coptic?” suggested Danny. 

“Alas, I am going the other way,” said the man, pulling slightly on his curly beard.  “The Coptic, into mine own language, yes?”

“Oh,” said Danny, deflating further.  “Okay.  Sorry.  You just looked, um…”

“Wait,” said Dad.  “He’s from ancient Sumeria?  Ask him what that was like!  He’s got to know so much stuff!”

Danny was not going to ask him that.  That would be rude, considering how hard he was working, and edged just a little too close to asking a stranger about their death for Danny’s peace of mind.  

“That is very dear of you, to come see,” said the large man.  “Perhaps after this, our paths cross again, hm?”

“Maybe,” said Danny.  “Sorry for interrupting you.”

The man waved him off, already refocusing on his tablets.  Danny gathered up his things and hurried to the attendant’s desk only to discover that she had been watching him.  But for how long?

“Hi!” he said, a little nervous from the pressing need of his Obsession.  “I finished this translation, and I was wondering if I could help you out with the others you mentioned?  Or other Elysian ones?”

The attendant stared at him for a long moment, and Danny got the distinct and vaguely embarrassing sense that his Obsession had been correctly clocked.  

Then her face scrunched up into the expression people made when they had seen something indescribably cute.  Ugh.  

“Oh my goodness,” she said, “that’s so lovely and sweet of you to offer!  Like I said, we have a pretty big backlog, so any help you can give us there is greatly appreciated.  But… if you don’t mind doing something that isn’t strictly translation, there’s something else you can help us with that needs Elysian Greek.  Among other things.”“Er, Danno,” said Dad, “why are we doing this?  I thought you just wanted to give us a look around the library?”

[flippyspoon]

Unstuck

Note: SNW Spirk drabble. For @introvertia' s prompt! More aggressive flirting than pining oop lol.

“Damn,” Jim Kirk muttered behind Spock. 

They had just returned from salvaging a collection of data logs from a freighter wreck in an asteroid field and Jim was wrestling with his EV suit in the small EV suit dressing room as Spock hung his up in a locker, down to a compression shirt and leggings.

“Lieutenant?” Spock turned around and regarded Kirk, who grumbled as he yanked on the zipper down the middle of his chest. 

“Zip’s stuck. Help me out, Spock?”

Spock’s fingers twitched and he stood close to Kirk, who dropped his hands and watched Spock as he tugged on the zipper. Spock could feel the gaze and felt too hot in his clothes.

“Say, what are you doing tonight?” Kirk said.

“I am…” Spock pursed his lips. “I am going to have a meal in the mess-”

“Obviously.”

“And…perhaps catch up on a backlog of-”

“Hang out with me instead,” Kirk said. “I’ve got nothing to do and no one to do it with. You’re my first choice somebody.”

Spock lost his concentration and tugged so hard on the zipper that he instead tore the EV suit right down the middle. “Ah…”

Kirk snorted a laugh. “That’s one way of doing it.”

“Apologies.”

“If you want to tear my clothes off, Mr. Spock, just ask me first,” Kirk said, and nudged his hip as he peeled out of his sleeves, letting the suit hang off his waist. “Lemme see your hand there…”

Spock blinked at him. There was no reason to show Kirk his hand. It wasn’t as if he could have injured his hand just pulling too hard on the zipper, even if they could be a little sharp. 

Still, he dutifully offered his hand and Jim held it gently, inspecting the indentation along the edge of Spock’s ring finger as Spock breathed in.

Jim looked up at Spock who said, “Are you satisfied?”

“Not really,” Jim muttered. “But every time I touch your hand your ears turn such a pretty color. I never really have a good reason, but you seem to fall for it every time. So, what’s a guy to do?”

Spock licked his lips and said, “Then…have you considered there has been no deception?”

Jim’s tongue snuck between his teeth and his thumb moved down the center of Spock’s palm. “Is that right?”

Spock deliberated for a moment and said, “You are returning to the Farragut in two weeks. It would be ill advised to begin a sexual or romantic relationship with you. Or…both. If that is indeed an option. However-”

Jim leaned in and kissed him softly and Spock closed his eyes, reason and the careful maintenance of control dwindling rapidly as Kirk’s warm hands came up to stroke his cheeks.

“That is one way of doing it,” Spock murmured. “And…I wish to take you up on your previous offer.”

“Yeah?” Kirk kissed Spock’s bottom lip with a pleasing little smack. “You wanna hang out tonight?”

Spock skipped a dissection of that particularly odd old Terran idiom and said, “Yes, but… I would also like to tear your clothes off.”

“Ah.” Kirk sighed against his lips and said, “Well, now I think my ears are turning pretty colors, Spock.”

“Affirmative,” Spock said, and kissed him back.

[deusvervewrites]

"I suspected that was a Worm reference. But seeing as I have not read Worm, I do not know Worm."

Yeah, that ask is basically a description of the Worm MC's power.

How long did Izuku spend in the other dimension?

I'm assuming that Izuku's "Quirk" could be played as a really weird mutation of Inko's (attracting small things => controlling small things => controlling insects).

How does Koda react to his quirk? On the one hand, he's entomophobic, so he'll probably be terrified of him. On the other hand, it's kinda implied that his entomophobia is because of how they communicate, so he may be relieved he doesn't have to deal with it. On the other other hand (I have three hands) Even if their thoughts are alien and disturbing, he's still puppeting living, thinking beings, so he may be disturbed.

Lastly, While I personally think that it would be funny to make the AU name a Worm reference I remember all the posts you've answered about nobody shutting up about it so instead, how about Anansi for both Izuku's hero name and the AU name?

Ah missed this one in the backlog. I already answered about how long he was in Aletheia, so let's move on.

You could probably explain the bug control that way, but his nature magic--including spells and shapeshifting--would not be so easily explained. Any one of them could probably be explained as a Quirk, but all three (bugs, spells, wild shape) is a bit much.

Koda basically can't get a response from the bugs in Midoriya's control because they're effectively part of Midoriya while he's nearby. Koda would indeed find that a little off-putting.

Anansi isn't a bad Hero Name. I don't know if I'll go for it, due to the fact that Midoriya isn't part of any cultures with Anansi stories, but the trickster spider theming is solid.

[circle--of--confusion]

Wip wednesday!

I got a sudden Idea from a @ficandkaboodle post about the cardinal and his mysterious, evil vibes.

So here I give you, my attempt at a reader fic where a mysterious and evil Cardinal Copia seduces Reader into helping him rise to the Papacy. [i literally just started writing this in the past hour lol]

~enjoy

The clock ticks by slowly, sluggishly you think. Your job as Sister Imperator’s assistant is important and exciting but it comes with its lulls. Papa Emeritus the Third is off on a tour of the various ministries that your Satanic clergy are connected to. He along with a few ghouls and cardinals have packed for a month-long trip. Your Papa is away and Sister can come in now to actually work.

You’ve been sent off to grab lunch for the two of you and upon arrival, your desk outside of her office has a visitor. A cardinal, waiting rather impatiently as he stands in front of the vacant desk.

“Cardinal. I’m so sorry, I hope you haven’t been waiting for long,” you attempt to soothe, setting down the boxed lunches and give your full attention to who you’ve discovered is the Cardinal Copia. His intimidating white and green gaze watches as you fumble for a response. “She’d mentioned a meeting around this time but insisted on eating before it started, and the kitchens were backlogged, and it’s such a long walk here and back I-“

“No need to apologize, Sorella.” Copia responds, taking off his biretta and smoothing down his hair. He smiles down at you. “She can have her, ah, moments I hear.” He winks.

You sigh, “Yes you can say that.” You spare a glance back to her closed office door. “I’m just going to check and see if she’s ready for you.”

Copia nods, letting you walk over to knock softly a couple times and peek your head through the door when she responds. He watches the scene of you leaning into her office through the small crack of the open door, speaking softly. You’re too nice, he thinks. You’d probably believe an angel gets it’s wings every time a bell is rung, he chuckles to himself. Copia wonders how someone like you has lasted so long as Sister Imperator’s assistant. Maybe you can be of use for him with what he’s been planning.

You turn back around, closing the door. “She still wants to eat. Very sorry, Cardinal.”

Copia waves his hand, settling in a chair in front of your desk. “Not a problem. I can wait, I’ve done enough of it so far.” He grumbles.

“What’s got you frazzled, Cardinal?” You ask, opening your box of food.

He laughs to himself at the concern. “Nothing you need to worry about, dolcezza.” Copia turns his head, propping his head up on his fist to stare into your eyes as he rests his elbow on the armrest.

You blush at his endearment and attention, lowering your head to hide the red tinge to your cheeks. “Shouldn’t I? If it pertains to Sister, shouldn’t I know?” Your head rises back up to look directly into his eyes, meeting his intensity but in a playful way.

Copia grins, clicking his tongue as he moves his gaze elsewhere. He rolls his eyes and leans back into the chair. “Oh, I suppose you’re right,” he sighs. “Our dear Papa has left me with his leftovers when it should’ve been finished before leaving for a month.”

Your eyes go wide and you gasp. “How much?” You’ve been missing a couple forms.

“Enough to keep me busy for a week,” Copia scoffs, turning towards you. “One of the budget forms will be delayed now, cara mia.”

Another endearment, another blush. He smiles softly as your eyes look off anywhere but his face. “Noted. Thank you for letting me know, Cardinal. Is that why you’re here? Ratting out our dear Papa?”

Copia frowns, glancing to the side with disdain. He turns to look straight ahead with a blank face, hands clasped together in his lap. “You could say that.” Copia sneers.

Oh. You stumble, blinking a few times towards him. “Well, I’m sure that’s the correct thing to do in this case, right?” He turns towards you. “You can’t just ignore your duties!” Copia smiles and you almost let out a breath in relief. An upset Cardinal Copia, however brief, felt wrong to you in some way.

“Thank you, dolcezza.”

“Oh, don’t worry about i-“

Sister Imperator emerges from her office, adjusting her jacket as she stands there. “I’m ready for you, Cardinal Copia.”

He stands, holding out his gloved hand for you to take. Slowly, he lowers to press a small kiss to the back of your hand. “Until next time, cara mia.” He mumbles, looking into your captivated eyes.

All you can do is nod. Sister beckons Copia inside and closes the door behind him. You sit back against your chair, in a slight daze from your interaction with the Cardinal.

---------------------

Anyway! I have no idea how long it'll be or when i'll have it posted but I will definitely be rotating this idea in my mind

[billdenbrough]

from our flash fic challenge on 21 july 2024: @vykio prompted me kevin + aaron + dog. going through my backlog of flash fics before the next one and umming and ahhing over posting them LMAO -- this one i decided i'd expand on and turn into something more, but i've got a few things on slate rn so i figured i could post this for now before revisiting the verse later lmao

“I’m just really worried,” Kevin confesses. He’s feeling a little jittery, drumming his fingers against his thigh.

The vet—Aaron, Kevin reads on his nametag—looks up at that.

“I hadn’t noticed,” Dr. Aaron says dryly. He’s lifting up Helenus’ paw, examining the movement of his wrist—wrist? Kevin resolves to study up on canine anatomy tonight—carefully.

Kevin’s cheeks colour. Dr. Aaron glances over, even as his fingers are still probing gently at Helenus’ leg.

“You’re fine,” he says. “Is he your first?”

“Yeah,” Kevin says after a moment. “Never really—I didn’t grow up with pets. I’m not sure what’s… normal.”

Dr. Aaron hums. “That’s pretty normal,” he says. He wraps an arm around Helenus’ belly and heaves, tugging him up. Kevin’s a little distracted for a moment by the way the sleeve of his scrubs gets caught between his torso and Helenus’ body, tightening on his bicep. Then Dr. Aaron looks at him again, quirking his lips a little to the left, and Kevin schools his expression back into one of active listening. “You’ll figure it out,” he says. “It’ll come with time. Well, as long as you’re observant.”

“I am,” Kevin says immediately, almost-indignantly. Dr. Aaron is looking at Helenus’ jaw now, not at Kevin, but he thinks the vet is fighting back a smile. It makes something in Kevin’s stomach float, just for a moment.

“All right,” Dr. Aaron says. “Then you shouldn’t have any problems.” He pats Helenus’ head, scratching at it in a way that makes Helenus let out a low, pleased keen.

Kevin shifts in his seat.

“Why Helenus?” Dr. Aaron asks. He’s feeling around Helenus’ mouth, pulling back at the skin to examine his gums.

“Uh,” Kevin says, then clears his throat. “It’s – he’s from the Trojan War.”

Dr. Aaron makes an odd sound, somewhere between surprise and recognition. “Cassandra’s twin,” he says, after a moment. It sounds like he’s placing the name.

Kevin can’t be normal about that. “Yeah,” he says, and then, almost too quickly, “Do you like history?”

“He’s relevant to special interests in a different way for me,” Dr. Aaron says wryly. He looks over at Kevin. “I’m a twin,” he says by way of explanation. “My brother used to reference any twin he learned about in casual conversation just to annoy me. He’s got – he’s got a good memory.” He shrugs. “Some of them stuck in my head. Usually the sad ones.” He tilts his head, releasing Helenus’ gummy mouth with a soft thwick of saliva. “So is that why? You like history?”

Kevin watches as Dr. Aaron scruffs behind Helenus’ ears. Helenus’s tail wags happily.

“Yeah,” he says. “I’m finishing up my thesis for it, actually.”

“Oh?” Dr. Aaron asks, looking at him again. “New dog and major academic work at the same time? Sounds stressful.”

“He wasn’t exactly… planned,” Kevin says. “I wouldn’t trade him for anything, though,” he adds.

Like he knows he’s being discussed, Helenus looks up at him and makes a happy, snuffling noise.

“Mmm,” Dr. Aaron says, watching Kevin carefully. “Yeah,” he says. “I think you’re going to do just fine. He’s doing well already.”

[goldenamaranthe-blog]

Thighs

Nora: Hey, Yang! (holds up the biggest watermelon she's ever seen in her life) Bet you 100 lien that you can't crack this baby in half with your thighs!

Yang: (glances at the watermelon for a moment then back at Nora with a confident smirk) Fucking bet!

Blake: (walks into the room) Yang, I'm back! (sees Ruby, Sun, Neptune, Nora, Emerald, and Marrow all in a circle and cheering) What is going on?

Weiss: Yang and Nora have a bet. Yang has to destroy a watermelon between her thighs.

Blake: Come again?

Weiss: No, I think that will be you in about thirty seconds.

Nora: (moves the masses away enough to reveal Yang wearing her boxer briefs and tank top before placing a watermelon the size of her torso between Yang's thighs) Ready?! In three...!

Crowd: Two!... One!!!!

Yang: (completely destroys the watermelon between her thighs and gets splattered with the juices before throwing her fists in the air triumphantly) Yeah!

Crowd: (some cheer while others groan as money changes hands)

Weiss: (sees Blake's crimson face and pinched together thighs) Ah, there's the sound of a faucet dripping.

Blake: Oh, come on! First that Grimm in the Justice League universe, and now a watermelon?! When's it going to be my turn?!

In dedication to @deadly-knightshade. I still have your ask in my backlog for the Blake wanting to be scissored in half by Yang like the Grimm in the RWBY x JL2 movie.

[giggly-squiggily]

A Fae's Sensitivity (Cafe Enchante)

Whoops I fell in love with Cafe Enchante oarkjeakjrjkea

Hello everyone! :D A little goal I have this year is to work through the backlog of visual novels on my switch (I feel like I say that every year- whoops) and recently I decided to play Cafe Enchante! :D Lemme tell you; this game is so good??? It's cozy and comforting and at times heart wrenchingly angsty (looking at you, Ignis) but it's just- AH! Y'all!!!

I started with Canus' route, so that's who this fic is dedicated to! I hope you like it! :3

Summary: It's hard to tell if a headless knight is ticklish, but Kotone and friends find a rather successful method.

“Ehehehe, stahp!”

Kotone laughed, delighted at the small squeaks Kariya let out as her fingers poked at his belly. “No way! You’re so ticklish!”

“Shut up! You are too!” With quick fingers, the younger boy managed to poke her ribs, making Kotone jump back with a squeak of her own. “See?”

“Oh it is ON!” She cried, quickly diving back in as she mostly trapped Kariya against the counter, giggling up a storm as they jabbed and poked at each other's torsos. In the background, the regulars snickered quietly to themselves.

One in particular, Canus, was watching them fondly. At least- that was what was assumed given he had no face. Flames puffed and danced with a shimmer of happy green at the sound of the pair’s fight carried over. “The cafe is lively today.”

“Pff- this is normal.” Ignis rolled his eyes in mock annoyance, the tips of his cheeks getting red when he heard Kotone squeal once more. “Oi, don’t let him beat you; you’re older than him, Kotone!”

“I’m trhihihying! Aheahha, Kahahariya!” Somehow the tables had turned, now she was pinned against the counter as Kariya squeezed her sides. “Sahhahave mehhehehe C-Cahahahanus!”

The knight startled, flames blue with surprise at his name. “Huh?”

“You heard her. Go save the princess.” Miysr teased, gesturing at the two across the way. “She needs a hero, doesn’t she?”

“Perhaps he’s nervous because he’s also ticklish?” Il mused, making everyone look his way. Even Kariya and Kotone paused their tickle fight at the statement. “Fae’s are known for being rather sensitive.”

“Wait, real-eheheahhhahahah!” Kariya’s statement was cut off as Kotone squeezed his sides, gently moving him out of the way with curious eyes. “Kotone!”

“Is this true, Canus?” She asked, returning the attention back to the knight. “Are you ticklish?”

The flames sent from blue to a growing shade of vibrant pink the longer the question hung in the air. Canus’ fingers seemed to tighten on his biceps, stiffening up at the question. Despite the body language, he didn’t radiate discomfort- just mild embarrassment. “Erm…that is to say…yes?”

“Oh, really?” Ignis and Misyr shared a look, standing up from their places as they began encircling the knight. “Sounds like you’re not entirely sure. Mind if we..test it out?”

“Ignis…Misyr..do not forget. I might not always use it, but I am quite knowledgeable. If you insist on going through with this, I will be forced to share certain facts with Miss Awaki.”

That made them both pause, Ignis’ face flushing a few shades of pink while Misyr looked nervous. Whatever it was must have been pretty detrimental to make them back off like that.

Luckily for Kotone, Canus had nothing on her the group didn’t know already.

“In that case, here I come!” She cried, running across the room and into his arms. Canus barely had a chance to respond, yelping when she grabbed his sides. “Tickle tickle tickle!”

“Mm! Hhmmhmhmhm!” Canus made a few startled noises as her fingers pressed into his ribs, shivering all over. His arms remained crossed against his chest, but they trembled with restraint. “K-Kotone!”

“Oh, I can hear you starting to laugh!” She grinned, eyes twinkling as she doubled her efforts. The pink flames seemed to bounce and dance with each shake of his body, hands knuckle white as they dug into his biceps. Still- despite her words, he was just barely cracking. For a brief moment, she wondered if he was uncomfortable.

“Keep going, Kotone- he’s smiling!” Kariya cheered from the back, vanishing any worries in an instant. “He’s fighting it, but he looks like he’s gonna break!”

“I am n-not!” Canus grunted, voice shaky. Ignis and Misyr shared another look overhead before slowly starting to smile.

“Well…technically we didn’t start this, did we Ignis?” The demon asked.

“Nope, not at all. That means his threats no longer apply.” The firewolf agreed with a devious grin. “Shall we?”

“Lets.”

Canus didn’t get a chance to defend himself, barely yelping out a “wait-” as Ignis grabbed his wrists, pulling them up and out of the way. Misyr sweeped in beside Kotone to deliver a series of scratches and scribbles against Canus’ ribs. With that, the headless knight was finally laughing.

“Pffft-gehahhahahahaha! HEheahhahahhahahammmph! Hehahahahahaha! Ceeeahahhahase this aahahaht ohohohonce!” He yelped through breathy giggles, twisting some against Ignis’ grip. “Mihihiihstyr! Kohohohohtohohohne! Gehahahhha, pleahahhahahse!”

“Oh wow- check it out! His flames are growing!” Ignis observed, grinning as he watched them rise higher than usual. “Kotone, poke him there again!”

“Okay!” She squeezed the softer parts of his stomach, watching his flames grow in height and color. His laughter seemed to increase as well. “Is this a bad spot?”

“Let me try something.” Misyr winked as he dropped a hand, squeezing Canus’ thigh. “If my hunch is correct…”

“EEH!” Canus let out a shriek of mirth, full body jerking at the touch. “MIHIHIHISYR NOHOHO!”

“Ooo, it worked! It worked- he’s really ticklish here!” Misyr laughed like a child, squeezing more. Kotone was giggling just as hard, her fingers pressing and pinching into the Knights torso with ease. Each gasp and giggle she relished, picturing Canus’ smile in her mind and what it looked like. He must have looked so happy.

Eventually, all good things must come to an end. Canus, remembering he was stronger than Ignis, pulled a hand free from its encapture. He gently tapped Kotone on the head- signaling he was done.

“Okay- enough!” She called to the boys, pulling her hands back. Misyr followed suit as Ignis released Canus’ other wrist. The knight doubled over with a few wheezy laughs as they gave him space, sharing looks of pride with one another overhead. “Canus, your laugh is so cute!”

“He’s adorable, huh? For someone so knightly.” Ignis snickered in agreement. “Don’t you think, Misyr?...Misyr?”

The purple haired demon wasn’t responding, currently doubled over with shaking shoulders. Before Kotone could ask what was wrong, he bursted into snickery laughs.

“Gehahahhaha! C-Cahahhanus, dohohohn’t! Noohohoho fahhahahair!” He cried, his own hands latched onto the Knights as he got his revenge. “Nohohohohoho!”

“I told you what would happen if you did this. Now you must accept the consequences.” Canus growled, his tone playful. His flames turned to Ignis and Kotone standing by, flickering with interest. “Ignis…Kotone…”

“Oh hell no! Not happening- run, Kotone!” Ignis cried, grabbing her and throwing her over his shoulder before taking off running. The cafe owner could only squeal in surprise before laughing, hanging on as Ignis took her from the shop. On the way out, they passed a surprised Rindo.

“What-” He began.

“RUN!” Ignis yelled out, unable to fight down the laugh. “Just run!”

“We’re fine!” Kotone called, giggling when she saw Canus round the doors. “Bye Mister Rindo!”

They could only avoid their fate for so long, but Kotone had a great time all the same.

Thanks for reading!

[crackedpumpkin]

|| ᴏʙʟɪᴠɪᴏᴜꜱ ᴘᴛ. ꜰᴏᴜʀ || 2k12! ᴅᴏɴɴɪᴇ x ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ ||

a/n: Hello hello, and welcome to the final part of Oblivious! :) It's very delayed and a teensy bit rushed, and I apologise for that. I've been so busy with work, studying, and planning for my trip to Korea that I've been neglecting some of my writing lately. I'm currently backlogging chapters for various fics, so my good friend @theblindhag(Hey I know this is super last minute but can you help me out lol)) can help me post them when I'm overseas!

Thank you guys for loving this mini-series I continued from kite-anon's initial request. Kite anon, if you're seeing this, look at the legacy you've left behind lololol :) Enjoy!

[ 𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 ]

“What do you think?”

You do a quick spin in the knee-length sundress you’ve just tried on, April humming in thought before giving you a thumbs up and a wide smile. You grin in response, giving yourself a glance over in the mirror.

“Do you think he’ll like it?”

“He’d be an idiot.” April snorts, dismissing your concerns with a simple wave of her hand. You giggle at her remark, doing one last twirl before nodding with a satisfied smile. You like the design and might even dare say that you look relatively pretty.

You pay for the dress, leaving the store with a quick thanks to the staff who assisted you both earlier. “I guess this was a successful hangout,” April says, handing you your shopping bag with the dress inside, transferring her own into her left hand so it won’t bump against your legs while the both of you walk.

“So, who’s this guy you’re going on a date with?” April hums with a teasing glint in her eyes. You hit her shoulder lightly with a playful scoff. 

“I see, so this was all so you could get the details outta me.” 

“Can’t help it if I'm curious.” She shrugs nonchalantly in response. “So? Who’s the lucky guy?”

“...Josh…”

“Which one? We have too many in our school. I swear, it’s like a plague.” She mutters.

You hesitate. “Josh Curtis.”

She gasps. “From Chemistry class?”

You nod with a sheepish smile, her wide eyes drawing a chuckle out of you. “I heard that he had a crush on someone in our class. Turns out it was you!” She gives you an impressed nod.

You laugh, pink tinting your cheeks as you shake your head. “I’m probably not them. I barely even speak to him.” You spot a cafe up ahead, relieved by a change in subject. “Didn’t you say you were craving a croissant? I’m starving. Let’s eat!”

April lets it slide with a raised brow and knowing smile, following you inside the quiet cafe. You order a latte and sandwich for yourself, along with a croissant and Diet Coke for April. You insist on paying since April took time out of her schedule to help you shop for your date.

You both sit in a secluded corner of the cafe, your phone vibrating in your pocket. You grab it, confused when you see the black screen. Ah. You reach into your pocket again, pulling out the T-Phone and answering the call without looking.

“What’s crackin’?”

“Not much, just wondering when you were gonna come over and pick up your jacket before your date.” 

You pause, speechless, when you realise it’s Donnie on the other end. You fumble for words, April watching your visibly stressed state with an amused grin. Ever since that day when you had asked to go back to how the both of you were before, he had resumed as if nothing had happened.

Sometimes you catch the little forlorn glances he gives you, brushing it off as guilt for not accepting your feelings. It was a little off-putting, though, how quickly Donnie had adapted to it. Sure, you’re the one who suggested pretending as if the whole heartbreak thing never happened, but he was getting over it quicker than you expected.

You frown slightly. He could’ve at least pretended to be affected.

“My jacket?”

“Yeah, I helped you wash it. Getting the tomato stain out was a little hard, but I figured something out.”

You huff with a thankful smile, running your fingers through your hair. “Thanks, Don. You didn’t have to.” You say gratefully. 

“Don’t worry about it. It’s no problem,” He replies with a chuckle. You feel your heart stutter ever-so-slightly, ignoring the sensation. It’s nothing to think about.

“I’ll swing by in a while, just gotta get ready for tonight’s date.” You glance at the clock, relieved when you realise there’s more than enough time to prepare. The server comes with the food you’ve ordered, and you thank him quickly before taking a sip of your latte.

“Alright, see ya then!” He hangs up promptly after his cheerful goodbye, and you lower the phone once the monotonous dial tone reaches your ears.

“So, how’s it going with you and Donnie?” 

You choke on your coffee, coughing as you process the sudden question. April hands you some tissues, gently patting your back as she waits for your response. Your coughs finally subside, looking back up once you pull yourself together.

“It’s going fine. We’re back to being friends now.” You say calmly. Well, as calm as you can be after choking on your drink.

“Are you happy?”

You flinch. You hesitate, looking down at your cup and nibbling on your lip as you think of how to respond. It’s not that you aren’t happy. You had Donnie back as a friend and recently hung out with the rest of the boys. You even had a date!

So why do you feel like something’s missing?

You shake your head, ridding yourself of such thoughts. 

You’re happy.

You are.

You have to be, right?

“I am,” You reply confidently, though the hint of uncertainty in your words says otherwise.

“Okay then,” She begins to eat her croissant. You smirk, an idea forming in your mind for some payback. You take another casual sip of your latte, setting it down and readying your ammunition.

“So, I heard that Jones asked you out in the hallway.”

You grin as she chokes.

— — — — — — — — —

“What’s crackin’?” You greet Mikey with a fist bump as he skates past you, making your way to Donnie’s lab after Mikey hollers his greetings in response.

You pause for a moment, taking a deep breath before you push the lab doors open. You hate how you still have to do that every single time, nervousness crawling around in your stomach like a worm about to consume its very first apple.

Donnie turns around, about to greet you, before his jaw goes slack, lips parted as he stares at you. You flush, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear before subtly checking for any dirt on the dress you had bought. Was your makeup smudged? You’re pretty sure it isn’t. 

You straighten your back, coming to your senses. Why were you even concerned about what Donnie thought? You’re happy with how you look. 

You do a quick spin with a confident smile. “What do you think?” 

As if your voice snaps Donnie out of his daze, he clears his throat, averting his gaze and nodding. “I-it looks good. You look good.” He stutters slightly, shifting to grab your jacket. 

You take it with a grateful smile. You hear him swallow thickly when your eyes meet, taking the jacket from his hands. 

It couldn’t be…could it?

Nah, it’s probably nothing.

“Thanks for all the flashcards, Donnie,” You add, pulling out the stack of conversation starters from your purse and handing them back to him. He takes it from you with a simple nod and grin, seemingly having composed himself.

“I hope you have fun on your date. Make sure you get back safe and stay away from the trouble hotspots that I warned you about. Call me if you need anything, and if it gets chilly, make sure you wear your jacket. If he tries to pull anything, just let me know, and he’ll never see the light of day again. Do you have enough money for the cab fare, just in case-”

“I’ll be fine, Donnie.” You cut him off with a laugh. “If anything happens, you’ll be the first I’ll call,” You promise with a playful wink. 

“No,” He sighs, shaking his head. “I’ll accompany you there from the rooftops, just in case.”

— — — — — — — — —

The walk to the cinema is quiet. 

You cast a glance at Donnie, who’s walking beside you, eyes skimming over the way the skin between his eyes furrows as his lips purse into a slight frown. You lick your dry lips, glancing back down at your hands. 

“So,” You try to break the silence, tilting your head with a smile. “How’s it going?”

“Mmhm.”

“You good?”

“Mmhm.”

“You want some pineapple pizza?”

“Mmhm.”

You stop in your tracks. Donnie doesn’t notice, too engrossed in his thoughts. You prop your hands on your hips, brows furrowed in growing concern for your friend. “I got attacked by a Kraang last night.”

“Mmhm,” He hums again but pauses, rapidly blinking once he processes your words. “You got attacked by the Kraang?” His voice is filled with disbelief, hurrying back over to you and gently taking your wrists. He lifts them with worry, checking your arms for any bruises or scrapes.

You watch him for a moment, slowly placing your hands back down. He looks back at you with an uncertain gaze, breath stuttering when you look up at him with glitter-dusted eyelids, the subtle shimmer making the colour of your eyes pop.

You chuckle. “No, silly. You just looked so distracted. I figured this would be the only way to snap you out of it.” You spot the cinema up ahead and quicken your pace, wanting to avoid whatever awkwardness this entire exchange is.

“Well, I’ll update you on what happens,” You say, hands grazing the cool metal of the fire escape’s railings. You risk a look at him, only to find that he’s already staring. 

Neither of you looks away.

The beep of your phone signals a message, serving as a medium for you to snap out of whatever the hell this staring contest is. You clear your throat, checking your phone to see a message from your date for tonight. 

“Well, looks like I gotta go.” 

You begin to walk down the stairs, but you’re stopped by a hand grasping your elbow. You turn back, looking into conflicted auburn brown eyes. You raise your brows, waiting for Donnie to speak first. 

“I- uh,” He stammers, eyes darting all over the place. His hands are clammy, and you could easily tug your arm away from him.

But you choose not to, waiting patiently in silence. 

He’s scrambling for words to form a coherent sentence, and the corner of your lips tugs up into an amused smirk. If you didn’t know better, you’d have assumed that he’s trying to confess to you or something along those lines.

But there’s no way, obviously. 

 “It’s nothing.” he finally says, meeting your gaze with a newfound resolve. You’re surprised by the sudden change in attitude, your arm falling to your side when he lets go. You’re…oddly disappointed. 

“Okay…” Your steps are unsure, casting another look over your shoulder every few steps, almost as if you’re waiting for him to call you back – to stop you. Once you’re at the bottom, however, you look back up at the shadowed figure on the rooftop, watching him turn and leave the way you came. 

Your heart grows heavier with each step away, glancing back into the empty alleyway before taking a deep breath and standing upright, rolling your shoulders back. You couldn’t have a date like this. It’d be disrespectful. You enter the cinema, looking around for Josh. 

“Hey,” You greet Josh with a warm smile, walking up to the blonde head of hair you spot easily in the crowd. He moves away from the wall he’s leaning against, sliding his phone into his jacket pocket. 

“Hey,” He grins, handing you a small bouquet of flowers. It looked clumsy, the ribbon slightly messy. It looked handmade. His eyes are anxious, seeking yours for some form of validation. 

“Josh…” It’s too sweet of him, really. Your heart melts at the flush on his cheeks, accepting the flowers with a bashful smile. You take a moment to admire them, fingers brushing against the delicate petals. You look back at him, realising he’d dressed up for today.

He coughs, adjusting the collar of his shirt with a nervous smile. “Shall we?” He offers his arm out to you. You glance back at the entrance, your smile faltering when you remember Donnie’s gone. However, those thoughts are banished from your mind with a quick shake of your head.

You take Josh’s arm, and the both of you chat away as you walk to the theatre hall where the movie’s showing. The date is relatively peaceful, and you find yourself enjoying every moment. Josh is sweet, kind, and everything you could ever want.

But he’s not Donnie.

That in itself is enough to bring on a crushing weight on your chest, finding it hard to continue brushing off the wistful glances and goofy smiles Josh sends your way. Finally, the date ends where it began, having made casual conversation in the cafe next to the cinema’s entrance. 

Now’s the hardest part.

“Josh…Listen,” You’re caught off guard when he smiles, eyes hinting at the fact that he knows what’s about to be said. His hand rubs the back of his neck, a soft chuckle falling from his lips. 

Honest and sincere blue eyes meet yours, and the words die in your throat. But he nods, a silent encouragement for you to continue. God, how could you do this to someone so sweet? 

“I’m sorry,” You start, cheeks burning in shame. “I really appreciate everything you’ve done, and I really hope we can continue to be friends still… Would that be okay…?” 

He’s silent for a moment. “Sure. I’d like that.” He replies breathlessly, though his words are resigned. Your heart feels as if it’s torn in two, but he catches your eyes, smiling lightheartedly. “He must really be something, huh.”

“Yeah.” You manage a nod. 

“Well, I hope everything works out for you. You can keep the flowers, by the way.” He gestures at the bouquet you’ve placed on the table. “They made you smile, and I’m happy enough with that.”

If you didn’t already feel horrible for turning down a gentleman like him, you definitely feel awful now. “Thank you. I enjoyed today.”

He stands up, hands in his pockets as he flashes you a grin.

“No problem.”

— — — — — — — — —

He wants to stop you. To tell you never to go near this ‘Josh’ guy ever again. 

He pauses, steps slowing to a halt when he sees you smiling at something the attractive boy beside you quips. 

This is wrong.

You didn’t have a thing for blue eyes. You preferred earthy tones. You preferred him.

Donnie watches you wave goodbye, walking past the alleyway he’s hiding in. You’re a few steps away from passing it. His heart stings in his chest, sucking in a harsh breath through his teeth with a wince. 

You’re about to leave.

He feels nauseous. His stomach lurches slightly, the sensation enough to make him feel horrible. He didn’t understand why he felt this way, only that he was sure he’d lose you forever if he let you go now.

He doesn’t know what overcomes him, vaguely registering hurried steps, his arms reaching out to you. You turn at that exact moment, catching a glimpse of him in the corner of your eyes before he sees his hand wrap around your wrist.

You’re tugged back, falling into Donnie’s arms as your back presses against his plastron. Your breath hitches in your chest at the sudden contact. You don’t dare to look behind you. 

You’re scared of what you’ll see. 

You feel him inhale shakily, his warm breath sending tingles down your spine. His fingers curl around your wrist, holding it firmly. His touch is electrifying, but you dare not break the silence. 

Your cheeks warm when he moves to wrap his arms around you, holding you flush against him. You can’t take it anymore; you’re sure your face is the exact colour of the traffic light only a few feet away. 

You part your lips, afraid to let even a single word slip past them. Maybe your voice will come out shaky. You swallow thickly, willing your heart to stop beating so goddamn loudly in your chest. You hesitate.

“Donnie?”

— — — — — — — — —

tags:

@cowabunga101

@urfavarab

@mellytumbles

@etherealyblue

@shakeyourtrees

@theblindhag

@mikavoltron

@creat0r-cat

@gingerdraw-blog