#���he's not that scary” with THREE WHOLE PEOPLE ON THE COUNTER

[cairafea]

my favourite genre of seventeen is when they're straight up lying

ref:

[thevoidstaredback]

It's always graveyards. Why is it always graveyards? They're creepy as hell and, well... that's it. On the bright side, the Protection Spirits watching the gates recognize him and realize the danger he's in. Well, maybe he wasn't in real danger because the Bats and Birds don't really do the whole purposefully harming civilians things, but they are scary as hell! Chasing him down like a bat straight outta hell- obviously he was gonna run! They cornered him! Maybe he'll invest in getting them lessons in how to interact with people in and out of costume?

Honestly, Nightwing, Danny expected better of you. At least Red Hood and Signal know how to treat innocents.

Here's the thing about Protection and Guardian Spirits, though. They don't like intruders. If you're running from something and you don't have time to ask permission to enter, you best say "thank you" and bring them shiny things on your next visit. If you do have time to ask permission, you ask permission. If they think you're a threat or rude, they won't let you enter whatever they're guarding.

"Thank you," Danny said as he slowed to a walk further into the graveyard, the sound of the gates slamming closed behind him confirmation that the Bat and his gaggle wouldn't be following him in.

Wasting no time, Danny pulled a piece of chalk from his pocket. It was a handy little thing he'd picked up during his stay in the House of Mysteries. Draw and door, tell it where you wanna go, open it, and go through! Beetlejuice style. Though, unlike what the Handbook for the Recently Deceased says, these doors won't actually open a door to the afterlife. He fixed that tiny glitch a while ago.

Anyway, a quick few chalk lines on the side of a mausoleum later, and Danny was opening a door to Fawcett, Philadelphia. Probably not the best choice, considering that he was trying to stay away from the Justice League, but it's better than Metropolis.

"Whoa." Damn it! He should've stayed home. "What was that, mister?"

Danny made sure the door closed behind him, praying for strength. Why did he feel like several deities were laughing at him? "Hey, kid. Can you, um, maybe not say anything about that?"

The kid, short brown hair and a red jacket stood out the most to Danny for some reason, seemed very amused. "You're gonna have to buy my silence."

Again, Danny let out a quiet, long suffering sigh. "Coffee is so not worth it." Looking at the kid, he said, "Alright, fine. I was getting coffee anyway, I'll buy ya lunch. Know any good places?"

Grinning, the kid cheered, "Hell yeah! Follow me!"

Resigned, Danny followed after the kid, easily keeping pace. About a block later, he figured he should probably get the kid's name. "I'm Danny."

"Billy."

"No last name?"

"Fae rules, dude. What's your excuse?"

He had to give it to him. "Touché."

Another three blocks of walking, Billy finally stopped at a cafe. It was a quaint place with stained white brick and a dark grey roof. There were metal chairs and tables outside the building surrounded by a wrought iron fence. The table umbrellas and the awning over the black door were light blue, matching the curtains in the inside.

The inside walls were painted baby blue with a white ceiling and a pinewood floor. The tables and chairs were all stained black with light pink cushions and table cloths. The curtains, as observed before, were all baby blue, tied back with baby pink ribbons. The lights were barely yellow, giving the room a warm feel. The counters were white with black paneling on the outside and white granite as the tops.

"Welcome in," the young man at the register greeted with a smile, "What can I get you two started with today?"

Danny envied the man. He'd obviously not been doing this long enough to gain the veteran's shine to his eye. He turned to look at the menu after telling Billy to get whatever he wanted. A mistake he'll probably pay for. "I'd like a large Red Eye, equal parts coffee and espresso, with cinnamon, honey, chocolate syrup, mint, and vodka, please."

The 'newbie' light in the man's eyes dimmed a little bit. "Um, we don't carry vodka." Glad that's the only thing he's worried about. Priorities.

Danny clicked his tongue. "Oh, well, it was worth a shot. I'd like everything else, though, please. Mix it at your own discretion."

"Alright," he was very valiant to go back to grinning, "Anything else?"

Danny motioned for Billy and the kid stepped up. "Can I get a large mocha, three chocolate chip cookies, and two sandwiches?"

The blond entered the order. "Of course! That'll be $25.37." A quick card swipe from Danny. "Thank you very much, we'll have your order out to you soon!"

The two didn't say a word as they chose a table in the corner. Danny let Billy take the seat that was open to the rest of the cafe so he wouldn't feel cornered. He had a good view of the door, though, so he wasn't complaining.

"So, how'd you do that?" Billy asked after they'd gotten their orders.

"How'd I do what?" Danny sipped his drink.

"How'd you walk outta that wall? It's solid!"

"Magic."

"I guessed that much."

"Then why'd you ask?"

"Will you teach me?"

"No."

"You didn't even think about it!"

"Okay," He paused. "No."

"Not fair." he pouted.

Putting his drink on the table, Danny summed as much fake-it-till-you-make-it energy as he could. "Magic isn't a toy and takes years of practice to get a handle on, not to mention you have to actually have an aptitude for it before you can even try. Besides, I don't know you nearly well enough to trust you with anything else."

Billy finished the cookie he was eating. "I can do it! You just gotta teach me!"

Another sigh that Danny had stopped counting. "Look, you seem like a good kid, but I'm not gonna teach you magic."

"Why not!"

"However," he continued, ignoring the demand, "I'm not gonna leave ya fully defenselessness."

"What do you mean?" Billy backed away slightly, his eyes narrowing as he moved to be able to run quickly.

Another sip. "Based off of the dirt you're covered in, the grease in your hair, and the overall poor condition of your clothes, I'm gonna bet that you're a street kid. So," he pulled a small card from his pocket, very aware that Billy was watching his hand aptly, "I'm going to leave you with this."

Slowly, the brunet took it and turned it over. "What it is?"

The white card had the initials DP in the middle, circled by an Ouroboros. The initials were completely solid, but the snake of the Ouroboros was made up of tiny runes of protection and health and healing and good fortune.

"My calling card. If you're ever in danger, hold that to your chest and ask for help. I'll be there."

Still obviously suspicious, Billy took a moment to scrutinize the card. It was cute to watch the kid act like he knew what he was looking at or for. When he seemed satisfied, he shoved the card into the inner pocket sewn into his jacket. "Thanks."

"No problem, kid," Pulling out his phone, Danny saw the time and stood, "I've gotta go now. I assume I've sufficiently bought your silence on the whole magic thing?"

Billy grinned, "I guess, but you gotta come visit me, okay?"

He chuckled, "Sure thing. See ya."

Part 2 Part 4

(I don't drink coffee, so Idk how that shit works)

Tag list: @zaiothe4th

[lostintransist]

Fallen Angel | Sweet Girl

Simon’s teammates began to show up more and more in your everyday life. They didn’t just come for kisses either. Kyle began to drag you to a new coffee shop every time he came back to town. He would pay despite your instance to cover the drinks at least some of the time. He loved to talk books with you.

He introduced you to his favorite used bookstore, a magical place that seemed to go on forever. In the back of the building, he showed you a narrow staircase and enticed you to follow him down. What you found was a dim, but not dusty basement. Shelves with flopped over books and copies of National Geographic from 1920, still with the classic yellow border, dotted the space. The basement seemed to run the length of the deep building.

At one point Kyle slipped from view as you stepped into a concrete room taller than you by at least twice. When you turn around, he had disappeared. Starting to panic you focused on working your way back through the dim to the staircase.

You made a horror movie actress proud when two hands shot out of the dark to grab you. Kyle laughs as he pulls you close, dropping a kiss on your hair. He apologizes repeatedly when you start to cry.

“Fuck, I hate scary things, Kyle,” you push away from his chest.

He does not let go. Fucker uses all those muscles to keep you tight to him as he rocks back and forth and apologizes again.

“I’m so, so sorry sweet girl. I won’t do it again. Now I know that scary movies and haunted houses are out of the picture.”

“Better fucking not be in the picture. Scary movies are fine if I can laugh through them, but absolutely no haunted house. I refuse to almost catch another case,” when you pull back from his hold you pat the tear stains on his chest. Mementos to remind him not to do it again.

“You almost caught a case from a haunted house?” Kyle looks both disturbed and intrigued.

“You see, haunt actors don’t like getting hit. I mean, fair, I don’t either. I had a bad ex that dragged me to one, despite repeatedly telling him not to do it. He left me in the haunted house, and I punched out of fear. They pulled me out the side and I got stuck in the manager’s office until the police could come and sort everything out. Broke up with that bastard and caught a ride home from the officer.”

Kyle looks more and more concerned for you the longer you go on.

“But you went to a scary movie with Roach?” He sputters.

“First off we laughed through that whole movie and when the scary bits did happen he let me hide in his shoulder.” You stick a finger in his face, “And secondly why do all of you call him such a mean name? I don’t get it! Gary is a perfectly good name.”

Kyle leaned forward and pressed a kiss to the tip of the finger you pointed at him with. You glower at him.

“It’s not a mean name sweet girl. Gary has made it out of so many impossible situations people started calling him Roach, because he’s damn near unkillable. That man could have a building dropped on him and only come out with a broken collar bone. It’s a sign of respect that he has a call sign.”

“Fine,” you narrow your eyes at him, “But I will still be calling him Gary. I don’t like bugs. Is that why all the guys call you Gaz?”

“Yep, and why Johnny is called Soap, and Simon goes by Ghost. Well, Simon goes by Ghost for a lot of reasons but a call sign is one of them.”

Wiping your hand over your face once more to remove any leftover fear you hold out your other one to Kyle.

“I feel like you owe me for making me cry.”

He takes it, sliding his fingers between yours.

“How about I buy you a book?” He cajoles.

Narrowing your eyes at him as you follow him out of the dark you counter.

“How about three?”

“Make it two and you have yourself a deal,” he tossed back a devastating smile.

“Fine. You are forgiven.”

Using your interlaced fingers Kyle pulled you close dropping a kiss on your lips.

“Good, would hate to have you mad at me, sweet girl.”

You didn’t know how to feel about the pet name but let it ride for now.

Fallen Angel Masterlist | Masterlist

[kenananamin]

Family, meet family

Summary: After leaving the jujutsu world behind and moving away to start his family, Nanami Kento wonders if his kids will ever meet the people he considers his family back in Tokyo. fluff, time skip, everyone is happy and everything is ideal (just let me pretend and be delusional w me pls), nanami x fem!reader, the very end implies a big spoiler (a/n: for easier reading I will be giving the kids names but feel free to imagine another name if you'd like. and going along with the fact that nanami is a girl dad, he's got his girls in this story. the eldest is june and the youngest is kai. this will be what happened after the ending of my other story "All I ask, all I want". thank you anon for this idea, i hope you enjoy 🖤)

It was a busy day at the bakery and Nanami had taken the girls upstairs to get them ready for bed. It has been four years since Nanami left the jujutsu world and although he wanted to go as far as as he could to escape everything and everyone that could harm his family, your family settled in Iwakuni, Japan. It was a small city and not the secluded town Nanami thought he'd end up in once he had a family, but it was comfortable enough for Nanami to live in and a perfect sized community for his kids to grow up in.

Nanami had bought a newer built house for the family and surprised you when he said he wanted to add space to the house... for a bakery. You were a few months pregnant at the time he brought up this idea and as scary as it was to start a business during such a changing time, the sparkle in his eyes when he brought up the idea convinced you. He had the addition finished when your eldest was 3 months old and Ami Bakery was opened for business by the time she was 7 months old. Your house always smelled like bread from Nanami's trial and error baking and neighbors quickly flocked to the new bakery. You were both more than thankful for the business, but it did leave the whole family tired at the end of the day.

You finish wiping down the counter, turn off the lights, and lock the door from the bakery leading into the rest of the house. You hear very soft giggling from the girls upstairs and you smile while ascending the stairs and heading into their room, "It's time to sleep, close your eyes and stop giggling." Your three and two year old giggle a bit more before snuggling into their blankets and giving a soft ok. You lean down to kiss them goodnight before leaving their room to find your husband.

Nanami was sitting at his desk in your joint office with only a small desk light on and a small opened box in front of him. You close the gap and hug him from behind to look at what he's so focused on. Your head is next to his and you wait for him to speak after seeing the picture he's holding.

Nanami turns his head to kiss your cheek and begins, "June is learning about family trees at daycare. Mom, dad, aunts, uncles, grandparents... she asked if they had any aunts and uncles from me." Nanami tilts the photo in your direction, a beach outing that Gojo had insisted on. The first and second years were present and everyone was smiling or at least looking at the camera. Nanami is in the corner, but you could tell he stepped closer for the photo. "This is all I could think of. I have my family here, you and them... but they were my family too. This is their family, their aunts, uncles, cousins even if they'd like that instead."

He puts the photo down and grabs the Jujutsu pin from the box with a few more photos. You rub his shoulders and rub your face in his neck while you say, "Yuji hasn't called in a while, why don't you call and ask if he'd like to visit for a few days? He can tell the others and we'll set up the rooms for them. And we'll even put them to work in the bakery, they might bring in some more customers wanting to see their pretty faces."

Nanami laughs at the suggestion but shakes his head, "They're too busy. None of them can leave Tokyo for a few days right now." He sighs and puts the pin and photo back in the box.

You snuggle your face into the crook of his neck and ask, "What if we went to Tokyo instead? Besides Yuji coming down to visit and a couple calls with Megumi and Gojo, nobody else has had the chance to meet the girls."

Nanami looks at you, somewhat surprised by the suggestion of visiting Tokyo with the girls. He looks at the opened box and after a moment of contemplating, Nanami smiles and kisses your cheek again.

———

Nanami stops just outside the steps of the school and kneels down to eye level with the girls, "You need to tell me if you see something weird or if something scares you. Please, tell me if you feel uncomfortable and want to go, we'll leave immediately." The girls nod and impatiently jump to start ascending the steps.

Nanami had always wondered if the girls inherited anything. He didn't want them to see any curses and would exorcise any he would see before the girls even noticed. He never wanted the girls to know fear at such a young age and he'd protect them from it as much as he could.

He stands back up and faces you, "You need to tell me if you feel anything too. Even if you don't see it, I don't want you to be uncomfortable." He knew you were a non-sorcerer but he'd always check in with you for any bad feelings. You nod and smile to try to ease his worry and nerves from being back in Tokyo.

"Nanamin!" You both hear fast steps heading towards your family and you turn to see an excited Yuji running at full-speed.

Nanami steps away from the girls sensing that Yuji would jump on him as soon as he got close… and he did. Yuji was not small by any means and Nanami stumbled but he held him tightly as the young man wrapped his legs around his old mentor.

On the way to Tokyo, Nanami told you everything he knew about what the students were doing. Gojo would occasionally send him updates but Yuji was the one who would blow up his phone at least once a month with updates from everyone.

Yuji had graduated from Jujutsu High and was working as a full-time sorcerer with a few of his classmates. Megumi joined Yuji as a full-time sorcerer and both would go on missions while doing special field classes with the current students. Nobara was designing her own clothes and working as a photographer while in fashion design school, but would get called in if she was needed. 

The students who were in their second year when Nanami left were in similar situations. Maki was still based in Tokyo but was planning to make her return to the Zen’in Clan soon, Yuta had returned to Tokyo and would often get sent to special overseas missions wherever needed like Gojo, Inumaki and Panda were working alongside Yaga and were very important factors to the current student’s education and training. 

Gojo was still as Nanami described, “just Gojo.” Only this time, he would say it with a smile on his face instead of the annoyance previously there. Gojo had tried visiting before but those plans were always interrupted by some other thing. Nanami would smile and say it would happen next time, but you could clearly see his disappointment. He would spend those early mornings before the cancellations getting the girls in their best outfits and would make more of his special bread that was usually just reserved for you and the girls.

But now, even with the young man dangling on his body and putting more strain than usual on his back, Nanami was happy. He held onto his student - no, his friend, and would not let him go until Yuji himself got off.

“Itadori, get off of Nanami-sensei,” Megumi calmly walked to the group and slightly bowed to you and the girls.

Yuji puts his legs down and stands before leaving Nanami’s arms and going straight to you. You open your arms for him and he gladly accepts with a tight hug that’s followed by him picking you up and slightly wiggling you, “I’m so excited you’re all here! I have so many places lined up but you can choose where we go! And I have so much to tell you!”

You laugh and nod, the tight hug not really letting you speak. Yuji lets you go and you finally see his wide smile again. It’s the same smile he had when he first visited you guys in Iwakuni, healthy and happy. Yuji turns to the girls and kneels to open his arms. Megumi follows suit next to Yuji and extends his hand to give them a handshake. Kai turns to Megumi after her hug with Yuji and lifts her arms for him.

———

Yuji is carrying a giggling June on his shoulders while skipping. Megumi is carefully holding a quiet Kai who is just quietly staring at him like her life depended on it. “Like calls to like,” Nanami says while holding your hand and laughing at the scene of his kids all together.

You hear a few quick clicks as soon as everyone is entering one of the buildings on the grounds. You turn and see a young woman holding a camera. She stands straight and starts bickering with Yuji about them taking too long. She ignores Yuji’s last remark and goes to greet you both with a warm smile. She introduces herself as Nobara, and she is even prettier than the photos you last saw of her.

She shows you the photos she took of the girls with the 'idiots' and a photo of you and Nanami smiling at the kids, then hands you her card “for any future photographer needs.” She turns back around towards the girls and starts complimenting June on her beautiful hair and Kai on her beautiful light brown eyes. She tells the guys to let them down and points her camera at the girls. Nobara moves around while getting different angles before asking if they could go out to the yard for the natural lighting.  

Down by the trees Nobara wanted to take photos at, a female voice called out for Nanami. You both turn and you immediately recognize the woman who once helped you as Shoko and the man who would always talk very highly of your husband as Ino. Nanami waved to Shoko as she returned a warm smile while Ino dismissed a few current students that were with them both.

"I'm sorry if you were in a class, I didn’t mean to interrupt anything," Nanami stepped towards his old friends and Ino reached for a hug. It wasn't the same clinging hug as Yuji but Ino had his eyes closed and was completely focused on the hug. After a hug that might've been too long for most people, Ino stepped away from the hug but was still laser focused on his old teacher. You could see his eyes drifting all over Nanami's face while he spoke. He was looking at his friend while he spoke, but noted the crows feet and smile lines that were finally being marked after decades of a stoic face, and his overall aging face. You knew that Nanami had noticed Ino's stare as well, his observation skills from being a sorcerer never departed and he noticed everything, but he knew better than to point out certain things. This was one of them, he did not mind Ino looking at every detail of his face... because he was doing the same.

Everyone was older. It was amazing to see the students get older, but seeing the people he grew up with get older even by a bit was a happy but grim reminder of the time that passed without each other. He was truly thankful that he could spend another moment with his family and friends after years of not being in the same space as them. It had only been a few years, but it was far too long for everyone.

Panda, Inumaki and Maki start coming down to the yard from the same direction that Shoko and Ino had come from. Panda starts a light jog towards the group and you hear an audible gasp from the girls after seeing a panda act like a human. Kai went to hide behind Megumi, or Goomi as she started calling him, and June went to Nanami's side while staring at the approaching Panda.

"Nanami-sensei, it's been a while," Maki smiled at you and her old teacher while swinging the staff she was carrying behind her arm.

"Salmon," Inumaki waved to the group followed by quiet giggles from beside Nanami.

"Salmon?" June giggled but still hid behind Nanami and kept an eye out for the panda.

After June's giggles as the trio all got closer, Gojo just... appeared. Despite Nanami telling you what Gojo could do, it was surprising to see anyone appear anywhere in a split second. "Well, looks like I'm the last one to the party." Gojo takes off his blindfold and puts on his glasses.

"Don't worry, we expected that," Maki waves him off and lightly grazes Kai's hand that's tightly holding onto Megumi. She might not be as playful or expressive with the girls as the other kids but she was trying to get close in her own way.

With Gojo's arrival, Nanami leans down to pick June up and motions for Megumi to pick up Kai and bring her to him, "I want you guys to meet someone," Nanami takes Kai from Megumi's arms. Holding both girls in his arms, he tells you to step closer before pointing his head to the adults and his old students that have now gathered as a small group, "Family... meet family."

June and Kai look at the group and start with small smiles. They both had opposite personalities but the girls were very warm with any new people they met. But June broke into a wide smile first, "Family?" Nanami nodded with a big smile and June turns back to the group, "Family!"

June reaches for Shoko's hand and she steps forward to playfully shake your daughter's hand while Kai lays her head on Nanami's shoulder. Gojo got close to Kai and stroked her back to get her to look at him. "I'm Uncle Gojo," he smiled at the little girl, "you can call me if you're in trouble but don't want to tell your parents."

"Gojo, she's two. And please don't tell my daughter that," Nanami sternly told Gojo but the small grin on his face made Gojo double down on the girls calling him for help.

Nanami puts the girls down so they can say hello to everyone and June takes Kai by her hand and goes to introduce herself and her sister to each person... and Panda. She left Panda for last but you could tell she was intrigued by him and would most likely keep going back to him.

Gojo pulls out his wallet, then a card, and gathers June and Kai to his side to explain how to use the card. Nanami stops him with a hand on his shoulder and shakes his head. Gojo shrugs, puts his card back but pulls out six 10,000 yen notes and tells the girls, "Uncle Gojo will give you more when he comes to visit. There's more where that comes from."

Nanami face palms and the girls look over the money and thank Gojo but give it to Nanami to hold. Shoko laughs behind Gojo telling him he needs to practice being around kids and Ino agrees saying that he'd have to most likely bribe Nanami's kids with bread instead. Gojo is promising that he'll keep trying to win the girls over and be their favorite uncle when Yuji runs in and tags Kai to play with him. Kai tags Megumi who then tags Yuji again and the three start to run towards the open space in the yard. June returns to Panda and Inumaki's side where Inumaki kneels down to compliment her dress... maybe. Without Nanami translating, it was hard to figure out what he was trying to say.

You step away from the group to start setting up the picnic you prepared underneath a large tree. Nanami had packed a variety of breads he wanted his family to try and some special treats the elderly neighbors had dropped off after they found out you were going to Tokyo to visit family. You're opening the basket and pulling out the bags of bread when you look back up at your husband.

Nanami's smile appeared much easier than before. His shoulders were slouched in relaxation compared to his stiff shoulders from his time as a sorcerer. And the soft and light stubble on his face was the perfect sign of a busy baking father who perhaps didn't have the time to shave, but had the time to do his daughter's hair and painstakingly choose every part of their outfits down to the socks.

Now it’s your turn behind the lens. You grab your phone and point the camera to the older group first. Nanami, Gojo, Shoko, and Ino are watching the kids and talking about something that was probably long overdue. You make a mental note to invite Gojo, Shoko and Ino to your house for a special dinner and adult night out with Nanami. They have been through enough together and individually, they deserved a fun and carefree night at the minimum. After a short video and many photos of the older group, you turn the camera to the younger group. Panda is throwing June up in the air before catching her and doing it again and again. Inumaki is his second pair of hands and has his arms stretched out to catch June at any given moment. Kai is running after Megumi while being chased by Yuji pretending to be a zombie. Nobara and Maki are watching from the side underneath another tree, laughing about whatever Nobara is showing her from her phone.

What a scene. What a beautiful, nonthreatening, completely content scene. Nanami was more than happy in Iwakuni, there was nothing more he would ever wish for, but he was happy to finally see his group again. You knew he regretted the last view everyone had of him as a limping man. He had wanted to walk out with his head held high, proud and an accomplished sorcerer, not the defeated and heavily scarred man who barely escaped death.

Today, Nanami would leave Jujutsu Tech as a happy, healthy, and completely fulfilled man while holding your hand as you both carried your girls back home. All with a promise to see his jujutsu family again in Iwakuni.

[wingedjellyfishflight]

Cafe Fare

You own a small café off base. Most of the time, you just see people hurrying through wanting a ready-made meal, a coffee, or energy drink. Then, a masked man stops in for lunch. Something fresh from the kitchen. He stops in the next day and the next. The fourth day, he drags along a flirtatious Scot who gets a head slap when the skull-faced man tires of him not ordering. They're gone the next few days, but then the skull man is back alone. The day after, the Scot, Soap, as he insists you call him, brings in another soldier. Gaz, he introduces himself as. All three men become regulars, typically dining apart when they have time. Then Gaz brings in The Captain. You never catch a name beyond that, but you quickly make another regular out of him.

It's only a few months later when a man nearly too big for the booths sits for lunch. A mask covers his face even more thoroughly than Ghost, the name you have finally wheedled out of your masked man. The others shoot glares at this new man, and he retreats behind a menu. When you take his order, you smile just as wide as you do for those regulars, and he seems to relax. Especially when you call him Sugar, Dear or Honey. Those remnants of your American upbringing always seem to disarm even your big tough SAS regulars, and the Austrian is no different.

The other men try to warn you off of König and you tell them this is a no conflict zone. You're a civilian, and this is a café, not the barracks. They bite back protests, agreeing to keep the peace for your sake. As a concession, you try to always seat them away from each other, preferably so they can't see the other table at all.

Time goes on, and the café gets busier and busier. You have to hire more people to keep up. It seems that your regulars have brought in a whole wave of soldiers who want to try the food that is better than any chow hall on base and always treats them with a little love. Civilians pour in, too, as you get consistent five-star reviews.

One day, you have two full tables and then some of KorTac and 141 men, as they seem to refer to their separate factions. The rest of the cafe is packed full as well, and yet again, a young officer is demanding that you serve him first instead of the enlisted men at other tables. He oozes self-importance, and it makes you want to gag. Putting on your customer service persona, you tell him that rank doesn't matter here. He will be served when his food is ready and not a moment sooner. He stands, towering over you and gets in your face, yelling about teaching you your place and obeying orders. You cock an eyebrow, ready to fire back when a wall, no two walls of flesh are suddenly between you and him. König and Ghost stand shoulder to shoulder glaring down at the man. They begin to argue over who should be allowed to deal with him.

"He's an officer in my military. He's mine," Ghost growls.

"But we are off base in the civilian world. That makes him mine." König's higher pitched voice sounds just as deadly scary. They go back and forth for a minute or two before you tap them both on the back.

"Luv?"

"Liebling?"

You hide a grin as they both use the same term of endearment. "Why not compromise and do both? König, you handle it now in public, and Ghost, you handle it on base after whatever complaints roll in as an officer. Because I bet there will be complaints." They think for just a moment before nodding at each other. Ghost wraps an arm around your waist and guides you over to the counter where food is waiting to be dropped off. Meanwhile, König is giving the ass chewing of a lifetime to the officer who has nearly pissed himself by this point. When König finishes, the officer runs out the door, and you can guess you will never see him again.

You give both men their meals on the house despite their protests.

"Next time, you can pay me then. It's not like that was the first, and it won't likely be the last time that happens." The men mull over your words, and you miss their exchanged look. You don't know it now, but you have fundamentally changed the dynamics on base. KorTac and the 141 cooperate on and off the field, realizing that working together is far more entertaining and satisfying than constantly arguing. The Captain gifts you a bottle of top shelf bourbon that Christmas in thanks.

Ghost and König are not best friends, but more often than not, the two teams now eat together, prompting you to reserve a table for them at lunch every day. The number fluctuates, but König and Ghost are there every chance they get. When one or both are down range, as they call it, you miss them fiercely. When they return, you always excitedly hug them to welcome them back home. At first, they had frozen under your hugs, but when you greeted them and only them with a hug, Ghost and König felt themselves hugging you back possessively. Soap and Gaz loved to complain about their lack of hugs, but you notice they never even try to initiate one, and a glare from Ghost has them shutting up.

It's been nearly three years since Ghost first tried your food, when you see them loitering around near close, looking nervous. You've never seen these men nervous, and it has you on edge. You hurriedly work through your closing duties, locking the doors and pulling the blinds shut before sitting heavily across from them.

"What's wrong?" Your question seems to surprise them. "You two are more nervous than a one-legged man in an ass-kicking contest." They break out in laughter, much of the tension bleeding away.

"Luv, what the 'ell kind of sayin is that?"

"A good one, now spill." They sober up, and you see them exchange a look.

"We.. fuckin Hell. How do I word this?" Ghost's nervousness is back already. You've never heard his voice waver before.

"We want to court you. Both of us, if you're interested. We have fallen for you." König reaches a hand out as he speaks, lacing his fingers with yours. You are too stunned to speak for a moment but squeeze his hand.

"Umm... I was not expecting... what I mean is... yes?" You clear your throat. "Yes, I would like that." They seem almost as surprised at your answer as you were at the implied question. You stand and walk around the table, resting a hand on each of their shoulders when they go to stand. "Can I kiss you? I've wanted to kiss you both for a ridiculously long time." You are blushing deeply but determined to push past it.

Ghost tugs you into his lap and tugs his mask up, kissing you deeply. You feel him smile against your lips when you moan quietly and wrap your arms around his neck. After a few moments, he pulls away and passes you over to König's lap. You smile up at him in a bit of a daze but reach up slowly to lift his mask above his lips. He leans down while lifting you up a bit. Kissing him is different, but just as satisfying. He nips at your lower lip, making you gasp into him. He plunges his tongue into your mouth, holding you tight against his chest and groping your ass. When you finally pull away, your eyes are lidded, and all you can think about is doing more. So you do. It's a few hours later, after more than a couple rounds with them, that you teasingly ask if this is how courting is supposed to work. They stumble over their words, but your cheeky grin has them promising revenge soon.

That Christmas, you attend the joint KorTac and 141 holiday party with your men fussing over your every step. When The Captain tries to give you another bottle of bourbon, you pass it over to Ghost politely. He huffs, complaining that the bottle he gets is never this good. You roll your eyes and pass the Captain a box. When he opens it, he freezes, just looking. Soap, the nosy bugger tries to see what it is, and The Captain slams the box shut. His eyes bore into you while you giggle at him. He grabs for the bottle, but Ghost pulls away, having anticipated the move.

"What is going on, Captain? You get a gag gift?" Gaz teases him, knowing that you would never give a bad enough gift to prompt such an action.

"No! I gave a bad gift! I need to exchange it!" He cautiously opens the box again, seemingly to confirm what he saw.

"Captain, just hold it up already." Ghost is a bit impatient to get this over with now, and you rub a hand down his back. The Captain pulls out a small piece of fabric and holds it up. A onesie, well two onesies, he realizes. They read "My Grandpa goes by Captain"

"Two onesies? Did ye gettae discount for buying an extra?" Soap's voice booms with laughter.

Ghost pauses a second, wanting to time it perfectly. "We bought two for the same reason they issue me and you separate uniforms, idiot." Soap chokes on his drink, coughing while trying to talk. The room is silent for a moment before cheering excitedly, congratulating all three of you. Your men don't stop smiling all night, not even when they carry your sleeping form to bed after falling asleep on the couch at the party, curled up like a cat in König's lap.

[cheynovak]

Fairground

Characters: Dean Winchester x Y/N Female character     

Summary:  Dean and Y/N are enjoying their first date night in ages at a fairground. Y/N wants to go into a haunted house, but Dean, acting oddly, declines. Y/N, leaving the haunted house, is surprised and thrilled by Dean’s sweet gesture.

Warnings: Fluff!

English is not my first language 

*Please do not copy my work, reblog/comments/likes are appreciated* 

This amazing idea came from @jackles010378 ❤️

The vibrant lights of the fairground glittered in the twilight, their colors reflecting in Y/N’s eyes as she glanced at Dean, walking beside her. It had been forever since they’d had a night to themselves. Hunting had a way of eating up their time, and finding a moment for a proper date was like trying to catch lightning in a bottle.

But tonight was different—tonight was just for them.

There was a playful glint in his green eyes, and Y/N felt a warmth in her chest, knowing how much he’d gone out of his way to make this night special. The distant music of a carousel drifted through the cool night air, mixing with the laughter of children and the hum of the fairground’s attractions.

Y/N strolled beside Dean, their fingers loosely intertwined. The air was filled with the smell of fried food and the distant hum of carnival rides. After what felt like ages of hunting, running, and surviving, this night was a much-needed break—a real date night.

Dean glanced down at her, a playful smirk on his lips. “So, where to first?”

Y/N scanned the fair, her eyes landing on the haunted house at the far end, its cheesy facade promising thrills and chills. Her face lit up with excitement, and she gave Dean a little tug. “The haunted house! Come on!”

But instead of the eager grin she expected, Dean hesitated. “Eh, I’m not really feeling the haunted house tonight.”

Y/N blinked in surprise. Dean, of all people, loved scary stuff—movies, haunted attractions, real-life monsters, the whole deal. This was his kind of thing. “You’re kidding, right? Since when do you pass up a haunted house?”

He shifted on his feet, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. “I dunno. Just looks… lame. We’ve seen scarier stuff on a Tuesday.”

Before she could push him further, a familiar voice rang out. "Y/N! Dean!" Turning, she saw Charlie waving enthusiastically, a group of her friends in tow.

Charlie jogged over with a grin. “You guys going into the haunted house? You gotta come with us!”

Y/N turned to Dean, giving him her best puppy-dog eyes. “See? Even Charlie’s in.”

Dean sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Alright, alright, you go. I’ll catch up in a bit. Just, uh… got something I need to take care of first.”

Y/N narrowed her eyes, suspicious but intrigued. “What are you up to?”

Dean flashed her a mischievous grin. “You’ll see. Trust me.”

With a roll of her eyes, Y/N followed Charlie and the others into the haunted house, though she couldn’t help but glance over her shoulder one last time at Dean. He was up to something, she just knew it.

As soon as she disappeared into the dim entrance, Dean’s focus shifted to the shooting gallery just a few booths away. He’d spotted the giant teddy bear earlier—so big, it looked like it could swallow a person whole. He knew Y/N would love it. She never admitted it, but she had a soft spot for stuff like that, and Dean was determined to win it for her.

Dean sauntered up to the booth, where a gruff-looking carnie was leaning against the counter. “Three bucks for five shots,” the man said, tossing Dean an air rifle.

Dean grabbed it and sized up the targets—a row of small, spinning bulls-eyes. Easy enough. He aimed and fired.

Miss.

Frowning, he adjusted his stance and fired again.

Miss.

“Come on…” Dean muttered under his breath. This wasn’t right. His aim was solid, always had been. But every shot was veering just wide of the mark. He fired three more times, missing every shot.

"Son of a..."

“Another round?” the carnie asked, smirking.

Dean grumbled and pulled out another three dollars. “Yeah, yeah, let’s do it again.”

The second round went no better. Dean paid up for a third, and then a fourth. By the time he’d sunk eighteen bucks into the game, he was visibly frustrated.

“This is crap,” he muttered, handing over another crumpled bill. He picked up the rifle again, narrowing his eyes at the targets. He took aim, held his breath, and fired.

Miss.

"Seriously?" Dean growled, his patience wearing thin. "These guns are awful."

The carnie chuckled, crossing his arms. "Nothing wrong with the guns, pal. Maybe it’s the shooter."

Dean’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “Oh, is that so?”

Without another word, he reached under his jacket and pulled out his own gun. The carnie’s cocky grin faltered as Dean leveled the weapon at the targets.

"Whoa, man, easy!" the carnie stammered, holding up his hands. "It’s just a game!"

Dean didn’t flinch. With a calm, practiced aim, he fired, knocking down the targets one by one with perfect precision. The sound of the shots echoed around the booth, drawing a few stares from passersby.

Dean lowered his gun, turning back to the now visibly nervous carnie with a smug grin. "Told you it wasn’t me."

The carnie swallowed, his bravado completely gone. “Alright, alright, you win. Just… take the bear and no more funny business, alright?”

Dean pointed to the largest one—the giant teddy bear that was practically his size. The man hauled it down from the shelf and handed it over, grumbling under his breath.

Dean grabbed the bear, its massive fluffy arms flopping over his shoulders as he carried it through the crowd. He had to shift his weight to keep from stumbling, but the grin on his face was worth it. Y/N was going to lose it when she saw this.

Meanwhile, Y/N stepped out of the haunted house, laughing with Charlie. The haunted house had been cheesy fun, full of jump scares and fake ghosts, but it was nothing compared to the real horrors she and Dean faced every day.

As she looked around for Dean, she didn’t see him anywhere. Her brow furrowed. “Where did he go?”

Charlie shrugged, glancing around. “Maybe he ditched us to get snacks?”

Before Y/N could answer, she saw movement—something big, something furry. Her eyes widened as Dean emerged from behind a booth, struggling with the gigantic teddy bear.

“Dean!” Y/N gasped, her face breaking into a smile as she jogged toward him. “What... is this?”

Dean dropped the bear in front of her, standing tall with a proud grin on his face. “Surprise, sweetheart. Thought you could use a new hunting partner.”

Y/N couldn’t stop laughing as she threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. "I love it! You're ridiculous, you know that?"

Dean wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. “Yeah, but you love me for it.”

She leaned up, pressing a soft kiss to his lips. "That, I do."

As they strolled through the crowed, the colorful fairground lights flickered around them, casting a warm glow over the moment. Dean squeezed her hand, the weight of the world forgotten, if only for a little while.

--

Please like, share or comment when you liked the story. If you liked this, please check out my masterlist for other stories.

Tag list:-> If you want to be added let me know what you like to read!

@kr804573 @nancymcl@suckitands33 @mostlymarvelgirl @globetrotter28 @hobby27 @winchesterwild78 @deans-baby-momma @soab1967 @livingdeadblondequeen @ladysparkles78 @whimsyfinny @yvonneeeee @lmg14

[ladykailitha]

The Eddie Munson Guide for Dating an Oblivious Jock Part 3

Sorry this is taking me longer than normal, I’ve had major cramps the last three days that have knocked me for a six.

Part 1 Part 2

*

Step Five: Flirting

“Shouldn’t you be doing that the whole time?” Max asked.

Eddie shook his head. “Not really. With the low self-esteem they’ll only get flustered and angry. And that’s the last thing you want. It’s why flirting with Steve in the Upside Down didn’t work. He was only confused and upset.”

Max nodded. “So how do you flirt?”

Flirting is an art that can be hard to learn because was works on one person might not work on the next. Pet names are a good place to start, compliments are always a win, but with that you have to be careful not to compliment something they’re insecure on.

“What do you mean?” Max asked.

“Say they think they’ve put on weight,” Eddie explained. “And you compliment their figure, depending on the person, their mood or who they’re around they might take offense to it.”

“So complimenting their looks is a no-no?” she asked.

Eddie shook his head. “Stick to things they can choose,” he said. “Like a new shirt that looks good on them, if they’ve gotten a new hair cut. Their shoes.”

She nodded. “I can work with that.”

Eddie walked into Family Video and stopped short. Steve was wearing a tight grey Henley and his hair was shorter on the sides then he usually kept it.

“Looking fine today, pretty boy,” Eddie said flouncing up to the counter where Steve was putting together member card applications for Keith to review later.

Steve blushed, running his hands nervously through his hair. “You think it looks okay?”

Eddie reached over and tugged a lock so that draped in front of Steve’s face dramatically. “You are totally rocking it.”

He straightened up. “Me and Will went to the barber yesterday because he wanted to try something new and well...”

Eddie softened. “And you didn’t want him to feel nervous about it so you got your hair cut, too.”

“Yeah.”

“You’re a good dude, Stevie,” Eddie said, wrapping his finger around the loose lock of hair.

Steve blush deepened and reached his ears. “You’ve never called me ‘Stevie’ before.”

“You like it?” Eddie asked, leaning further into his space.

Steve nodded. “It sounds sweet coming from you.”

“Holy hell!” Max exclaimed. “He’s totally had the hots for you.”

Eddie smiled at the memory. “Yeah, but he didn’t know it at the time. He had just realized he liked boys, too. It was still too new for him.”

“Must have been scary, too,” Max agreed.

In addition to compliments and pet names, once you’ve figured out what they like add a little touch to your flirting. Nothing overt. Don’t be grabbing his ass right off the bat. Save that for when you’ve finally bagged your jock and are dating them.

They were watching Thirteen Ghosts at Eddie’s and were sitting next to each other on the sofa.

“The special effects are a little goofy on this one,” Steve said. “It makes it hard to be scary.”

“Yeah,” Eddie agreed, leaning into his space. “But the story is good and you can see why it might have scared audiences at the time.”

Steve chuckled. “I guess.”

Eddie patted his knee. “I’m going to grab another beer, you want one?”

Steve smiled at him. “Sure.”

Eddie used his knee to stand up and he could feel Steve’s eyes follow him. He came back with two bottles and popped both their caps with his rings on his left hand.

Steve huffed out a laugh. “Handy that.”

Eddie grinned. “Says the man who’s strong enough to pop the caps without any aid.” He handed the bottle to him.

Steve blushed and took a sip. “Brawn over brain I guess.”

Eddie bumped his shoulder into Steve’s. “Hey, now. I thought we were past that bullshit talk of you not being smart.”

Steve ducked his head. “I know, I know. Interest not intelligence. But some times it’s hard when people still in high school are light years ahead of you.”

Eddie paused the movie and grabbed Steve’s hand. “Hey, sweetheart.” Steve looked up. “I get it. You’re talking to Mr Three-Time Super Senior here. But no one dogs on my intelligence.”

Steve frowned. “I never thought of that. I guess it is weird that it’s only me.”

“It’s why I’ve been training them out of it,” he said seriously. “It’s not fair that literally no one else gets that kind of treatment. Not even Argyle and Jon get called dumb.”

“Huh,” Steve said. “Yeah. Okay. I’m going to start calling them out on it, too.”

“You do that, babe,” Eddie said.

Steve’s smile was incandescent. “Thanks, Eds. You’re the best.”

“Only for you, Stevie.” Eddie murmured. “Only for you.”

“That was a lot of touching,” Max said. “Does it have to be that much?”

Eddie shook his head. “Just do feels natural. I like touching Steve arm when we greet each other and then giving it a squeeze. It signals I’m happy to see him without everyone else cottoning on to the fact I’m flirting.”

Max nodded. “What about hugs?” she asked.

“That’s the next step,” he said. “You’ve got to start small and build up to those kind of touches. Because the light touches are flirting. The bigger ones? That’s signaling intent.”

Step Six: Touch

Now that you’ve been flirting with your jock and initiating touches, they should be comfortable with the idea of touching and receiving your touch. So start to go a little bigger. Lingering touches, pressing on their lower back when you both walk to the door. Holding on to their hips as you squeeze past them in the kitchen. And of course the ultimate touch hugs.

“Wouldn’t the ultimate touch be sex?” Max asked.

Eddie blinked. “Says the girl that thought cuddling was gross.”

She blushed. “I mean, it’s all gross right now, but we are going to get to that point sometime in the future, right?”

He shrugged. “I guess. Everyone goes into sex at their own speed. Some never have sex or even want to. It’s whatever works for you.” She frowned, frustrated. “Look, sex is great. But trust me when I say rushing into it is a bad plan. Also doing it outside a committed relationship is fine, lots of people enjoy that. But sex with a partner is...for me anyway, better. You get time to explore your likes with theirs and meeting in the middle. But like I said it varies from person to person.”

Max sighed. It wasn’t the cut and dried answer she was looking for, but then again, nothing in life ever was.

“So hugging?”

“Yeah, hugging.”

Eddie showed up early for D&D like he always did, but instead of grabbing Steve’s arm like he had before, he hugged him. He expected it to be a quick thing, you know. Since he had surprised him and all.

It wasn’t.

The second Eddie went in for the hug, Steve’s arms were wrapped around him and pulling him in tight. They stayed like that for a few minutes before Steve took a step back, mumbling an apology.

Eddie gripped Steve’s arms and leaned back so he could try and see his expression. It was closed off and guarded.

“Hey, sweetheart,” he cooed. “You okay?”

Steve nodded. “I guess I needed a hug more than I thought.”

Eddie frowned at that. Steve was always giving hugs to Robin and the kids. Hell even the other adults got Stevie hugs, Jonathan, Argyle, and Nancy.

Oh.

Oh.

“You know you can hug me anytime you need it, don’t you, Stevie?” he murmured running his hands up and down Steve’s arm.

Steve looked up at him with such awe and wonder, that it made Eddie’s heart ache.

Steve surprised him a second time by immediately launching himself into Eddie’s arms for another hug.

Eddie let his hands wander. One cupped the back of Steve’s head, while the other slid down to the small of his back. He buried his head into the crook of Steve’s neck.

“Hey,” he whispered. “I can cancel D&D if you’re not up to hosting. Or even move it elsewhere.”

Steve let out a whine at the latter suggestion. “No, no. I want you here.”

“What the fuck?” Max practically roared. “Was he okay?”

“It came as a shock to me, too,” Eddie admitted. “I talked to him about it later and he told me that he wasn’t if he was allowed to hug me because of me being gay.”

“That makes no sense,” she said firmly.

“He didn’t know what the line was,” Eddie explained. “Because with girls you only hugged them if you were dating or really good friends. Argyle is a natural hugger and initiated the first hug so he knew that okay. Nancy and Jonathan were already at that level of affection.”

“But he didn’t know how to initiate it with you?” Max asked, a slow understanding dawning on her face.

“Yeah,” Eddie said. “Once I hugged him, it was like a levy breaking. He amped up the affection to eleven.”

“Okay,” Eddie said. “I’ll be here.”

Once everything was set up and everyone had arrived, Eddie called them over. “Steve isn’t feeling good today, so we are going to be respectful little shits and try and keep the noise down to a dull roar, is that understood?”

Everyone nodded.

“Good.” He turned to Steve. “If you need anything let me know, otherwise you just rest, okay?”

And without asking if they were in combat they all took turns checking in on Steve, most of them found him asleep, passed out on the sofa. But when Mike peeked in, Steve was sitting up, but he his arms wrapped around his knees and staring off into space.

He immediately ran for Eddie. Eddie stood up and quietly walked to the front room. He knelt on the floor in front of Steve and began rubbing his calves. After a moment, Steve came out of his trance.

“There you are, sweetheart,” he murmured.

“Oh, are you guys done?” Steve asked, moving back so that he could place his feet on either side of Eddie.

“Just taking a break,” Eddie said with a shake of his head.

“Oh,” he said again. “Do you guys need anything? Snacks, drinks, lunch? I could make sandwiches.”

“We’re good, Stevie,” Eddie asked, his hands now on Steve’s knees. “I’m a little worried about you, though.”

Steve ducked his head. “It’s nice having people here. It’s nice having you here.”

“We could move our monster fest night over here if you’d prefer that?” Eddie asked.

Steve shook his head vigorously. “I like going over to your place. It’s homey.”

“Homey, huh?” Eddie teased gently.

“Warm, comforting...safe.”

Eddie surged up and grabbed Steve, pulling him into a hug. “Then you’re always welcome.”

Steve sighed into his embrace. “Sorry I’m so needy today.”

Eddie leaned back and cupped his cheek. “I want you to need me, Stevie. So if you get like this. Call, come over, send out of the cavalry to find me. I don’t care, just let me in.”

Steve nodded. “I promise.”

Eddie stood up. “I’ve got to get back. Why don’t you join us? Not in the campaign, just pull up a chair and watch.”

Steve’s face grew the most beautiful and heartfelt smile it cracked something in Eddie’s chest wide open.

He knew that he would never love someone as much he loved Steve. And with any luck (and with every indication) Steve felt the same.

“You know, all I’m hearing with this one is holy hell Steve needs all the hugs in the world,” Max cursed.

Eddie laughed. “Something like that. I think we forget, even you and I whose families and home life have been shit, that’s Steve’s was, too. An abusive and toxic father and a distant and neglectful mother. Even if he never hit Steve, emotional abuse is still abuse.”  

“I think I’m going to tell the rest of the party to start initiating hugs with Steve more often,” she said. “I think we forgot somewhere along the line that he’s been through the same hell we’ve been through only a way more active a participant.”

Eddie laughed. “I think he’d like that. A lot.”

Part 4 Part 5 Part 6

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[baddreamsandoldbones]

Hellcheer Week Day 3 - Cursed

@hellcheerweek I reference this particular event in one of my previous Buffy oneshots. I didn't get time to write the whole thing but maybe I can finish it after the event.

“Halloween,” Robin says with relish, as they haul boxes. Although some are managing easier than others - Robin can carry three boxes of books with ease and Chrissy feels like her arms are about to drop off. “My night off.”

“Why is that again?” Eddie asks, saving Chrissy from having to do it. She doesn’t look up, even though she can almost feel the heat of his body from where their elbows are mere inches from each other. 

She hadn’t expected this to happen when Eddie joined their group. 

“The vamps think it’s too commercial,” Steve says, passing by. “Like it’s a cliche if they roam the streets when everyone is out in costume.”

“Huh,” Eddie says, resting a crystal ball in the palm of his hand. “You’d have thought it would be easier to sneak around while everyone else is dressed up.” Robin just shrugs. 

“Who cares why they do it, I just know that I get to relax at home and watch Nightmare on Elm Street,” she says and rips through a cardboard lid to peer inside. “Uh���Murray, where do you want the assortment of chicken feet?” 

“Why exactly are we sorting all of this junk?” Steve asks, and gets swatted around the head for his trouble. 

“A fellow watcher retired and sent me all of his resources,” Murray says, as though he hadn’t just removed a few of Steve’s brain cells with a copy of Common Curses. “He thought I might have a use for them living on the Hellmouth.”

“Okay, but why send them to the school library?” Jonathan asks, sitting on one of the stairs as he sorts through yet another box. “Literally anyone could walk in and see…” He pulls what looks like a shrunken head out of the box with an obvious look of disgust. “Well, they might have some questions.”

“I wasn’t about to have them delivered to my house,” Murray says, pushing Chrissy aside so he can take a look at the contents of her box. “My neighbors are notoriously nosy and I don’t think I should leave ancient spell books and relics out on my porch all day.”

“Are any of them likely to come alive?” Eddie asks with interest, tossing the crystal ball from one hand to another. 

“No, but if that ball gets too hot in the sun it will set my house on fire,” Murray says pointedly and snatches it right out of Eddie’s hands. “Spell books to my private collection in the back, everything else needs to be loaded into my car.”

“Some of these books look like they’re bound in skin,” Steve says doubtfully and Murray groans. 

“It’s Halloween,” he says, gesturing to the orange and black sign above the counter, like they could miss it. Murray makes a minimal effort to decorate the library for the holiday - it’s not Chrissy’s favorite event but even she finds the skeleton wearing a paper hat a little sad. “Don’t you people have plans?”

“Taking my brother trick or treating,” Jonathan says, and judging by his expression, his box contains more shrunken heads. 

“Band practice,” Eddie says. 

“Eating and scary films!” Robin chimes in, lifting the last few boxes over her shoulder to bring them down to the front desk like they weigh nothing at all. 

“Tina’s having a party,” Steve says, throwing himself down into a chair. But much like Chrissy, he doesn’t look to be racing out of the door. It’s been getting harder these days to care - about parties, about homecoming, about all of it. She knows what’s out there now. She’d much rather be with these people, watching Jonathan make faces and Robin be giddy about her night off. 

“Great,” Murray says weakly as Robin puts the last few boxes down. Eddie tugs the nearest one open and lets out a shout of delight. 

“Hey, is this a Viking drinking horn?” 

“Yes, and it’s old,” Murray says, looking disgruntled. “Box, car, now.”

But Eddie only pretends to put it away, waiting until Murray’s back is turned before he whisks it out again. 

“Isn’t it cool?” he says, his eyes bright. Chrissy risks a peek while he’s enraptured, watching his long fingers turn the horn around to admire it. “Look at these markings.”

“It’s nice,” Chrissy says, because she doesn’t really see the appeal. It has elaborate etchings and even she can recognise the symbols near the mouth as runes. “What’s it for?” 

“They used to drink out of these,” Eddie says, still admiring it. “This one looks like it was made out of a real horn…” Chrissy makes a face out of sight of Eddie’s eyeline. 

“Man,” Eddie says ruefully, holding the horn up to the light. For a second the runes look unusually bright, gleaming against the library’s overhead lighting. “If only Murray would let me have it.”

“What would you use it for?” Chrissy asks and he flashes her a grin. 

“Drink Dr Pepper out of it?” he jokes, pretending to raise the horn to his lips. “Would give my D&D sessions a real air of drama.”

“You play while sitting on a throne,” Chrissy says, without thinking. “Don’t they have enough drama already?” Eddie pauses, lowering the horn. 

“How do you know that?” he asks and Chrissy nearly lets the large chunk of amethyst slip from her fingers. Damn. 

She’s kept her crush on Eddie pretty cool so far. Before he was just…Eddie. He was in the cafeteria, in the back of some of her classes, a vague memory from a middle school talent show. It was easy to keep at a distance. 

And then he joined their party and it all got so much harder. Suddenly she’s very aware of him in a way that she hadn’t been before, and she’s picked up a few details about him that she probably shouldn’t know. 

“I’ve been downstairs,” Chrissy fibs, picking up another book rather than looking at Eddie. “I’ve seen the drama storerooms, remember?”

“Ah,” Eddie says and puts down the horn. “You know…you’d be very welcome to come see us sometime. I know you don’t play and we don’t exactly get a lot of girls down there but…I’d like to see you.”

It’s not exactly a date invitation. But it sounds like something. She knows how seriously Eddie takes his role as head of the club and Dungeon master. He doesn’t just invite people to watch their campaigns. 

“I’d like that,” she says, heart pounding in her chest. She might be wrong, and he’s just being polite. He might have no feelings for her at all. 

But his pleased smile says something different. 

She picks up a smaller box to put by the door - they’ve borrowed one of the AV club carts to move most of the boxes out to Murray’s car - when Eddie tenses. When she looks at him, his face is almost unrecognizable, frozen into a strange, stiff mask. 

“Hey,” she says, because there’s something not right about that terrible stillness in his face. When he still doesn’t respond, she reaches out and rests her hand on his arm. “You okay?”

Eddie jerks suddenly, all of the tension easing out of his face. But he still looks pale, and probably not too different from how she looks after a vision.

“Yeah,” Eddie says, raising a hand to his head. Chrissy knows that gesture - she uses it every time she’s had a vision and the pounding in her head is worse than she wants to let on. “Fuck. Sorry. I just felt lightheaded for a second.”

“Maybe you should sit down,” Chrissy says anxiously. But he just smiles at her and shakes his head. 

“I’m good,” he says, dropping the horn back into the box. “Probably just need to hit the vending machine. Let me take that. I’ll stop by one the way back from Murray’s car.”

“Are you sure?” Chrissy asks, as he removes the box from her arms and stacks it on top of his own. 

“Promise. Red Bull and a Mars bar will fix it,” he says. Jonathan stops counting heads long enough to make a face. 

“I doubt that would fix anything,” he says bluntly. “Fuck’s sake, Murray, how many fucking shrunken heads are in here?”

“Are they human?” Robin asks curiously, peering over the bannister. Jonathan shakes his head. 

“Mostly birds,” he says ruefully. Eddie nudges Chrissy with his elbow, still balancing both boxes. 

“Bet you never had conversations like this with your other friends,” he says, eyes bright. He loves all this, even with the blood and fear that they live with every day. A Dungeon Master finding out that monsters and magic really exists? He’d almost been unable to resist the chance to touch real spellbooks, watch real magic being cast. Steve had even offered to teach Eddie some basic magic to his complete delight.

“Not even,” Chrissy says and turns to the next box. They’re nearly done and she’s almost upset about it. She much prefers being here, in the light with her friends, breathing in the smell of old books and wood polish, rather than going home. 

“I’ll be back,” Eddie says, and as he turns something strange reflects in his eyes, like headlights catching something in the glare of a beam on the road. The unearthly glow against the brightness before whatever it was scurries back into the undergrowth - certainly not a trait for anything human. 

When Eddie returns he bought a packet of Twizzlers just for her and she forgets all about it.

[valentoru]

|| Limitless ||

[CHAPTER 7]

SYNOPSIS: Gojo Satoru, a big time artist, who’s known for leaving a trail of broken hearts in his wake wherever he goes. And you, the lead guitarist of an upcoming band, who’s absolutely certain that no one will ever love you. Through an accident in which you happened to kiss Gojo in a frantic state, you both decide, via convenience alone—and zero regard for both of your managers—to pull a fake dating stunt what could go wrong? Any press is good press…right?

PREVIOUS : MASTERLIST : NEXT

“Pass the salt.”

You would have but Megumi looked like he was already salty enough. So you leaned your hip against the counter and folded your arm across your chest. “Megumi.”

“And the pepper.”

“Megumi.”

“And the oil.”

“Megumi…”

“Sunflower. Not that grape-seed crap.”

“Listen. It’s not what you think—”

“Fine. I’ll get it myself.”

To be fair, Megumi had every right to be mad. And you did feel for him. Megumi was a year younger than you, yet he had been pursuing this dream for longer than you had. His family were never “musically talented” per se but they were musical, and so were their children. Only Megumi was the one to go on and do something bigger than just singing or preforming for his family. Did Megumi want to be in for a musical career? Probably no. Did he want to be a lawyer like his father, and like his parents had wanted and pressured from him? Also no.

Not to say that Megumi was unhappy. His plan was to get a nice cushy life which he was achieving essentially spot on, which his parents would not be able to object to. In the mean time, all he really wanted was to have a normal life and spend it with his friends which is exactly what he was doing. He did things that were unimaginable to most of the friend group, like, cooking real food! Going on hikes! Meditating! Sitting down and reading!

Which is why when Satoru simply walked past him after telling him his cords sounded weird and that he should work on it harder since he “probably wasn’t”, it made him a very very miserable few months. In retrospect, that might had been when Megumi started wishing a plague on Gojo’s house (he had been reading Romeo and Juliet at the time).

“Megumi, can we please talk about this?”

“We’re talking.”

“No, you are cooking and I am just standing here, trying to get you to acknowledge that you are mad because Satoru—”

He turned away from his casserole, wagging his finger in your direction. “Do not say it.”

“Don’t say what?”

“You know what.”

“Satoru go—?”

“Do not say his name.”

You threw your hands up. “This is crazy. It’s fake, Megumi.”

He went back to chopping the asparagus. “Pass the salt.”

“Are you even listening? It’s not real.”

“And the pepper, and the—”

“The relationship, it’s fake. We’re not really dating. We’re pretending so people will think that we’re dating.”

Megumis’s hands stopped mid-chop. “What?”

“You heard me.”

“Is it a…friends-with-benefits arrangement? Because—”

“No. It’s the opposite. There are no benefits. Zero benefits. Zero sex. Zero friends, too.”

He he stared at you, narrow-eyed. “To be clear, oral and butt stuff totally counts as sex—”

“Megumi.”

He took a step closer, grabbing a dishrag to wipe his hands, flailing his nostrils. “I’m scared to ask.”

“I know it sounds ridiculous. He’s helping me out by pretending we’re together because I lied to Maki, and I need her to feel okay about dating Yuta. It’s all fake. Satoru and I have talked exactly” —you decided on the spot to omit any information pertinent to The Night—“three times, I know nothing about him. Except that he’s willing to help me handle this situation, and I jumped at the chance.”

Megumi was making that face, the one he saved for people who wore sandles with socks. He could be a little scary, you had to admit.

“This is…wow.” There was a vein pulsating on his forehead. “N/N, this is a whole new level of stupid”

“Maybe.” Yes. Yes it was. “But it is what it is. You have to support me in my idiocy because you are my roommate and one of my best friends.”

“Isn’t Gojo your best friend now?”

“Come on, Megumi. He’s a dick. But he’s actually been pretty nice to me, and—”

“I’m not even—” he grimaced. “I’m not going to address this.”

You sighed. “Okay. Don’t address this. You don’t have to. But can you just not hate me? Please? I know he’s been a nightmare to like the whole world, you included. But he’s helping me out. You, Toge and Maki are the only ones I care about knowing the truth. But I can’t tell Toge since he’ll tell Maki and Maki can’t know—”

“—for obvious reasons.”

“—for obvious reasons,” you finished at the same time and smiled. He just shook his head disapprovingly, but his expression had softened.

“N/N you’re amazing. And kind, way too kind. You should find someone better to date than Gojo. Someone to date for real.”

“Yeah right.” You rolled your eye’s. “Because it went so well with Yuta. Who, by the way, I only agreed to date following your advice! ‘Give the boy a chance,’ you said. ‘What could go wrong?’ You said.”

Megumi glared, and you laughed.

“Listen, I’m clearly bad at real dating. Maybe fake dating will be different. Maybe I’ve found my niche.”

He sighed. “Does it have to be Gojo? There are better famous singers that you can date.”

“Like who?”

“I don’t know. Miwa Ksaumi?”

“Isn’t she married?”

“Oh. Yeah. What about Yuji? Not a singer and he’s in our bad, I know but definitely someone who’s single.”

You burst into laughter. “I could never fake-date Yuji, not with how assiduously you’ve been thirsting after him for the past five years.”

“I has, hasn’t I? Well did I ever tell you I caught him seriously looking at me in the cafe last week? I’m pretty sure he winked at me multiple times from the behind the counter. Now some say he just has a twitch, but—”

“‘Me. I said that he has a twitch. And you tell me about Yuji every other day.”

“Right.” He sighed. “You know, N/N, I just want to be happy with Yuji. And I would have fake-dated you myself in a heartbeat to save you from goddamned Gojo. I would have held hands with you, and given you my jacket when you were cold, and very publicly gifted you chocolates and roses and teddy bears on Valentine’s Day.”

How refreshing, to talk to someone who’d watched a rom-com. Or ten. “I know. But also you but you bring home a different “girl”—and by girl I mean book—every week since you practically swore to celibacy unless it’s with Yuji, and you love it. And I know you love it. And I don’t want to cramp your style.”

“Fair.” Megumi looked pleased—whether at the fact that he really did read quite a few books in an alarmingly short amount of time or at your thorough understanding of his dating habits, you weren’t sure.

“Can you please not hate me, then?”

He tossed the kitchen cloth onto the counter and stepped closer. “N/N. I could never hate you. You’ll always be my bubbala.” He pulled you into his chest, hugging you tight. At the beginning, when you’d just met, you had been constantly disoriented by how physical he was, probably because it had been a while since you’d experienced such physical contact. And because he just didn’t seem like the type of guy. Now, Megumi’s hugs were your happy place.

You lean your head on his shoulder and smiled into the Cotten of his T-shirt. “Thanks

Megumi held you tighter.

“Also I promise if I ever bring Satoru home, I’ll put a sock on my door—Ouch!”

“You evil creature.”

“I was kidding! Wait, don’t leave, I have something important to tell you.”

He paused by the door, scowling. “I’ve reached my maximum daily intake of Gojo-related conversation. Anything further will be lethal, so—”

“Suguru Geto, the one funding that giant Cancer Awareness event got back to me! It’s not decided yet, but he might be interested in having the band perform!”

“Oh my God.” Megumi walked back to you, delighted. “N/N, this is amazing! I thought we had no chance, honestly.”

“Well no, me either, but I guess we were wrong! It would be—”

“Fantastic. It would really be fantastic. N/N I’m so excited, and proud of you for following your gut.” Megumi took your hands in his, his face-splitting grin slow and gentled. “And your mom would be so excited, too.”

You looked away, blinking rapidly. You didn’t want to cry, not tonight. “Nothing is set in stone, I’ll have to persuade him. It will invoked quite a bit of him reviewing the band and our music, and pitching us to him. Which you know is not my forte. It might still not work—”

“It will work out.”

Right. Yes. You needed to be optimistic. You nodded, attempting a smile.

“But even if it didn’t…she would still be proud.”

You nodded again. When a single tear managed to slide down your cheek, you decided to let it be.

Forty-five minutes later, you and Megumi sat on your minuscule couch, arms pressed together, watching RuPaul’s Drag Race while you ate a very undersalted veggie casserole

TAGLIST(28/50): @bbmsxlene @lunavelha @satoryaa @tranzumaki @k-kkiana @luvkvni @lysaray @kalulakunundrum @arysbruv @r4veeen @stillnotherapy @catobsessedlady @colortheoryrocks @minzxec @dazqa @packsvlog @luvvmae @simplysm1le @mintfyi @fushism @angstmuncher @fackeraccount @astro-stars @lavender-hvze @miizuzu @rayrayline @kanaojacksonofc @letsmyy

AN:

YEAHHHHHHGH🔥🔥🔥🔥

© valentoru all rights reserved- do not publish my work on other platforms, plagiarise or translate.

[joelswritingmistress]

Last Halloween: Chapter 2

Summary: After a tragedy involving Joel happened on Halloween one year prior, the town now shuns him while ignoring the details of the now closed case. You are seemingly the only one to offer empathy to a man the town is making out to be a monster.

Warning: Angst

Pairing: Joel x f!reader

You went back to the house you were renting with your three friends once your shift ended. Honestly, despite them being some of the closest people in your life, you didn't know how they would feel about your interaction with Joel. Rather than speculate and guess, you simply put it out in the open.

"I talked to Joel Miller today," you blurted out while the four of you mindlessly toyed on your phones with the television playing in the background. The mindlessness paused at the mention of his name and suddenly all eyes were on you.

"You talked to him?" Your friend Chrissy asked.

"Where?" Winnie asked a second later.

Shit. You knew by making it sound ominous that you weren't doing him any justice. You had unintentionally added to the local folklore, or worse, the slander of this man's name.

"He stops in at the coffee shop," you said with a shrug. "I feel bad for him."

"Bad?" Chrissy asked, her eyes bugging wide. "He's a killer."

"He's not a killer," you countered.

"Ooo, I don't know," your third roommate, Jessie, chimed in. "I heard-"

"Everyone has heard something different," you cut them all off. "At a trial he was found innocent. I heard he was the one who was attacked and he defended himself."

"Who the hell knows," Winnie said. "Whether he's a killer or not, I'd stay away. You just can never be too careful."

She isn't totally wrong, you knew. What if the people in town had it right and Joel had skated by on a loophole? Or what if he was attacked and it was all just a tragic mess that ended badly? From Joel's body language that you saw almost daily, you could almost see the guilt steaming out of him. Monsters didn't feel guilt.

"I just don't think he ever got a chance to tell his side of the story," you explained with a shrug. "I don't know."

"What did you talk to him about?" Jessie asked.

"I just sat down," you explained and then reluctantly admitted, "I asked him to go out-"

"You asked him out!?" Chrissy shouted. "He killed someone!"

"It was an accident," you assured her. "And I didn't ask him out like that. I just.. asked him to do something. He just looks so lonely."

Chrissy looked to Winnie. "Girl, can you talk some sense into her before she ends up on Dateline."

You all laughed and you shook your head. "I don't know. I l figured you guys would react like this." You stood up and went to retrieve a bottle of pumpkin ale from the fridge.

As good of friends as Chrissy, Winnie and Jessie were, you knew they wouldn't understand your empathy toward Joel, the man your town had branded as some kind of boogeyman. And so you decided to drop it and watch the scary movie one of your friends had put on. Deep down, however, you were silently thinking about Joel.

..

A deep dive into Google had lead you on a bit of a wild goose chase that night and the next morning. You had Googled Joel Miller, and after finally getting past the plethora of articles revolving around the accident, you finally discovered a link with some valuable information - like his employer.

Stalker! You called yourself in your mind. If anything it made you smile and roll your eyes at yourself. Everyone Googled everyone. Right? Joel Miller would be no exception to that. When you found the address of where he worked, you grabbed your keys and began your drive across town to a notorious junk yard and car repair center.

The gates to the grounds were wide open when you arrived. Despite living in town your whole life you had never been down here. It was stereotypical, with rows and rows of cars that seemed to stretch on for miles. With your window rolled down you could hear a loud humming or buzzing sound coming from somewhere in one of the big, open garage bays.

A hefty man with a bushy mustache approached your vehicle as you eased inside the gates.

"Can I help ya?" He asked, slightly out of breath as he placed a meaty hand on the car.

"Um, yeah, I have an appointment with Joel. He's supposed to take a look at this ratting noise in my car."

The man scratched his head and looked down toward one of the open bays. "You can pull it down in front of the last one there. He'll take care of ya."

"Thank you." You smiled and slowly cruised down between two rows of cars, a cloud of dirt trailed your vehicle as it bounced over the uneven landscape.

When you got to the last bay you glanced inside, seeing Joel working up a sweat and he whipped around the workspace. A Jeep was perched up on a lift inside.

For a moment you drank him in. Rolled up sleeves of a black thermal over jeans and beat up work boots. Grease was smudged in random places on his face and he carried a silver tool as he walked.

As you clicked the door open, he turned in your direction, only to do a double take when he saw it was you. Butterflies emerged in your stomach and you took a breath as you met him by the door's entrance.

"Hi." You greeted him.

"Hi." Skepticism continued to hang in the tone of his voice.

"She's got a rattling noise in her car." The man with the bushy mustache seemed to come out of nowhere, patting Joel on the shoulder as he quickly passed by to enter the garage.

For whatever reason, the interact left you at peace, at least to a small degree. Someone was friendly with Joel, at least.

"Yeah, um." You motioned to your car and you could tell Joel knew it was more bullshit.

"A rattling noise?" He asked.

"Yeah, look, I didn't come here about my car," you confessed, though you knew Joel already knew that.

"You can take off after that one!" The other man shouted to Joel. "I'll finish up the oil change on the Jeep and then lock it up for the night."

"Thanks," Joel called back and then returned his attention to you. "Why'd you come here?"

You eyed a motorcycle off to the side and before you could answer his question or ask him one of you own, Joel said simply. "It's mine."

A smirk formed on your face and you walked over toward the bike, placing a careful hand on the handlebars. "Teach me to ride it?" You said, half-kidding.

Joel finally cracked a barely-there smile and joined you by the motorcycle. "Fine. Hope on."

Your eyebrows raised and you smiled wider at him before doing your best to straddle the bike. When you placed your hands on the handlebars you looked back at him. "Now what?"

Joel crept in behind you and the butterflies in your stomach escalated again. You feel a twinge of pleasure when his hands came down over yours. "Believe it or not this is the break. And this is the throttle. If you bring your hand this way toward you, you accelerate." He moved your hand backwards a bit and you continued to grin to yourself.

Joel immediately backed off once he was done showing you some of the basics and you turned to him, still positioned on the bike.

"Do I look cool?" You asked, making him actually chuckle this time.

Progress, you thought.

"Cooler than I do," Joel answered.

"Well, let's judge." You got off the bike and waited as he hesitated before getting on. "All you need is a leather jacket."

"He's got one hanging in here," Joel's coworker called out, making you laugh at the fact that he was obviously eavesdropping.

"Thanks Ron." He shook his head and looked back to you, attempting not to smile but one finally broke through again.

"I've never been on one before," you admitted, creeping closer to him. Your eyes were sparkling with excitement and you could wholeheartedly sense Joel's hesitation again.

On the same note, you saw a flash of something change in his expression and could tell when his guard was let down just enough. "Get on."

You flashed a wide smile and straddled the back of the bike, wrapping your arms securely around his midsection. When Joel started up the bike you felt a rush of adrenaline that you hadn't ever felt in your life.

"Hold on," he instructed before taking off back up through the rows of cars.

Your hair whipped in all directions as you flew out of the gates and onto a wooded back road. What a rush!

A part of you wanted to look down but you knew it could ruin the experience and so you squinted ahead into the incoming darkness and smiled wider.

The chill of October air kissed your cheeks, leaving a little sting as you whipped through the town. Joel half-looked back at you when you cruised past your coffee shop and you held onto him a little tighter.

Everything whipped by in little flashes - couples walking the town green, ghosts hanging from trees, lights from the little businesses about town that were close to shutting down for the night.

As darkness fully submerged the two of you, you almost felt like there was no one else on earth; that you and Joel existed in this exclusive world build for the two of you without hurt, pain or prejudice. You didn't want the ride to end. You didn't want that feeling to end. It was a feeling you knew you would chase again.

When the motorcycle finally came to a halt in front of the now-locked gates of the junkyard, you could hear your chorus of heavy breathing for the first time. It matched Joel's, and when he got off the bike a second after you, you could see he was equally basking in the afterglow of the ride.

You ran your hands through your hair and you could almost feel the energy that radiated out of your wind tossed hair. "Wow." It was all you could say.

Joel smiled at you more genuinely now. "Hope I didn't scare you."

"You don't scare me." You shook your head. "Quite the opposite actually."

There was a silence that lingered as you stood there at the desolate entrance to the junkyard at the edge of town. Leaves from the surrounding trees swirled down in elegant, twirling patterns. One stuck in your hair and you didn't notice until Joel leaned a hand in your direction.

For a second you were prepared for a kiss - a smoldering, adrenaline-ridden kiss. But as your eyes began to close in anticipation you quickly realized Joel was reaching for the bright yellow leaf that had clung to your still-wild strands of hair.

"Oh." You felt the tiniest flush of embarrassment but it was fleeting and certainly didn't ruin the moment. "Thanks." You gave a quiet chuckle and Joel smiled.

"Let me get you to your car." He unlocked the gate and walked the motorcycle down into the junkyard with you by his side.

If Joel hadn't been beside you, you would have been freaked out. The place was eerie at night with no one around; but somehow that added to the thrill right then and there in the moment.

You weren't ready to call it a night. It felt as dark as midnight but it was only seven o'clock.

"So," you turned to him as you used your key fab to unlock your car. "Do you want to go down to the East Bend Tavern with me tonight? There's a costume party."

Joel seemed to cringe. "I don't know."

"Come." You knew you were sounding a little desperate, but it didn't matter. The motorcycle ride and the intensity you felt being in Joel's company was a bit addicting. Even if it ended up being just one night, you wanted to really live it.

"Costume party.." He toyed with the idea in his head.

"I picked up a couple of cheap masks." You gave a laugh and popped open the trunk of your car. You reached in and pulled out a plastic scarecrow mask and a plastic black cat that covered down past the nose. "I have dibs on the black cat but uh.." You extended your arm toward Joel with the scarecrow mask.

He looked down, slowly taking the mask in both of his hands. Joel stared at it for a moment and then looked back up. "Maybe no one will recognize me." He immediately added, "What time?"

"Meet you there at nine?"

"Nine." Joel looked back down at the mask and he let out a deep breath. Anxiety oozed out of him but he nodded. "Nine it is."

CLICK HERE FOR CHAPTER 3

@untamedheart81 @amy172

[weirdmarioenemies]

Name: Shy Guy (Pastry Chef)

Debut: Mario Kart Tour

I love Shy Guy :]

I love sweets and treats! I love baked goods! I even like to make them sometimes!

So a Shy Guy, wearing a chef hat, creator of pastries? This is a Kin Emergency over here!

This is such a perfect character and appeals to me so much that I’m even willing to look past the fact that he’s French-coded!

Cooking is one thing, baking is another, and pastry-making is an intensely delicate science! But we can clearly see that Shy Guy (Pastry Chef) is a master of the craft! Just churning out treats with reckless abandon! You know they’re good because good food is guaranteed to make a woman close her eyes and smile while putting her hand on her cheek. After every single bite! I can’t tell exactly what every pastry on display is, but those certain ones in the wobbly stack in Shy Guy’s right hand... could they be flans? How I hope so!

Shy Guy (Pastry Chef) takes great care to ensure that no hairs or dandruff or scales or whatever covers a Shy Guy’s scalp will end up in your food. He is wearing three whole articles of clothing on his head! That’s so difficult to do without the hat falling off! However, the big ol’ eye holes of his mask do mean that Eyes could potentially fall in your pristine tarts. But with such a prestigious fellow as this, that would be an honor!

The delight keeps on coming because Shy Guy (Pastry Chef)’s signature kart is the Carrot Cart! I love this so much! You know I love Carrot Aesthetic! A carrot is not what I would have chosen for a pastry chef (I would have chosen a rabbit, so good thing Nabbit shares this signature vehicle) but it can represent carrot cake, and of course that little frosting carrot they always put on top of it! I bet Shy Guy (Pastry Chef) is SO good at drawing a carrot out of frosting. It would look so much like a real carrot that you would bite into it expecting it to crunch and hurt your teeth. In a good way though.

Our patissier pal is not the first Shy Guy chef we have seen in the Mario franchise, though he is the most lovingly crafted! In Mario Party 8, Shy Guy’s Perplex Express has chef Shy Guys in the train’s kitchen, who are simply regular Shy Guys with hats. They stand on crates to reach the counter, which is cute, but also sad, since this train was evidently made for humans and not Shy Guys... hopefully someday the hardworking crew will be able to make the kitchen more accessible! Also the heat vent can suck people onto the roof, and that’s pretty dangerous.

I don’t think there is any chance of Shy Guy (Pastry Chef) being made playable in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, but I think he should appear as one of the Shy Guys in cars in Coconut Mall. He came because he heard they were doing Donuts!

If you don’t feel worthy of playing as Shy Guy (Pastry Chef), that’s okay! It is important to be yourself. And with the Pastry Chef Mii Racing Suit, You, yes, You, can be his apprentice! This is one of the few racing suits not based on something ubiquitous from the Mario series, and I think that is wonderful, because it means they love Shy Guy (Pastry Chef) that much, or at least they love the concept of Pastry Chefs. I love both! Anyway, the chef hat of this outfit is a rigid helmet and that delights me.

Just as each driver in Tour has favored courses, so do Mii Racing Suits! That’s right, when you wear one of these, you are not yourself! What YOU want does not matter anymore, and you are at the mercy of your fashionable and practical outfit. Would you put on such a racing suit, knowing it would warp your mind, making you drawn hopelessly to the likes of Paris Promenade 2 R/T Version, even if you would not think much of the course otherwise?

Mii Racing Suits are scary! The helmets control your mind and zap your brain if you try to resist! The suits move your limbs for you! Have to go to the bathroom? Too bad! Your suit has other plans, you’re going to Donut Plains 2 and you’re going to like it! Have fun in the Mii Tour coming soon to Mario Kart Tour.

[blackhill2245]

"I love you, and."

Warnings | mommy issues, abandonment issues.

Note | Has anyone ever listened to please be rude by Gigi Perez? That's what I listen to whilst making this 10/10

I walk into Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital, a bundle of nerves.

I was the new resident cardiac surgeon, but I was also only 24.

I know it's very young, but I had spent my whole life studying to become the best surgeon I could be, not by my choosing, though. When I was younger, I wanted to be a firefighter. In fact, I still did, but it's too late for that now. My father is one of the most well-known plastic surgeons, and once I was born, he was determined to make me exactly like him but better, so he pushed me to my limits, and instead of having sleepovers, or going to the movies with friends, I spent my childhood at home being taught by highly respectable tutors, by 14 I graduated high-school then 18 I entered my intern years. Now, at 24, I was one of the youngest residents in the world.

After a minute, I realized I was standing in the middle of the hallways like an idiot, I quickly snap out of it and head to the nurses desk.

"Hello?" My voice was small and hesitant as I looked over the counter to see the nurse, who was busy typing away. "Um- I have a meeting with cheif bailey, I was just wondering if you could give me directions?"

I fiddle with my fingers as she looks up, eyeing me she handed me a map and went back to whatever she was doing. "Thank you," I squeak, all but running away, God she was scary.

After getting lost 3 times and realizing the map was upside down, I finally make it to her office.

¤■¤■¤■¤■¤■¤■¤■¤■¤■¤■

After a meeting that lasted two hours and a bunch of paperwork, I was finally given my badge and pager, I was also introduced to a couple of people, one of which I already hated, Owen Hunt.

He hadn't done anything bad but I just got really bad vibes from him.

Currently, I was sitting under a gurney. Why? you may ask, well, it's simple, really, it was dark, cold and cramped, a perfect spot for me to eat my lunch and I wouldn't be bothered.

Well, that's what I hoped for anyway, but it's a hospital, the most peace you will get is in the time it takes for you to get out of your car in the morning and making your way to the building.

As I was minding my own business munching on my cafeteria pizza, a head pops under the gurney, she was pretty I had to admit, but it didn't stop me from being annoyed at being interrupted.

The strange woman plopped on the floor, sitting criss cross she had to bend down further to be able to see me.

"What are you doing?" Her voice was soft, with a hint of bemusement as she scanned me from head to toe.

"I'm eating my lunch" I thought it was obvious why else would I be laying in a weird position under a gurney with pizza and choclate milk?

"Clearly," she rolled her eyes, "but why here?" She tilts her head, her blue eyes crinkled as she smiles at me.

I eye her for a moment before I let my own smile appear, there's something about this woman that makes me think we're gonna be best friends.

"It's comfy and quiet," I say, my mouth full of pizza. She grimances as she gives me a faux stern look, "chew with your mouth closed".

I laugh the pizza in my mouth, almost flying out as I rush to cover it with my hand, I quickly swallow the remainder of my food, "what's your name?" I realized I hadn't gotten it yet.

"Amelia Sheperd, head of neuro, you?" I place the empty paper plate down and take a sip of my chocolate milk before responding with my name and position, as I expected I see her suprised expression, "your a bit young, no?" I sigh I hated that question.

"I'm 24, skipped a couple of grades," her expression was one of the funiest things ever. Her eyes were wide, and she was clearly trying to hide it, and it was just too funny.

"Your practicly a fetus!" Scratch that, her response was funnier.

Although I didn't know it just yet, this interaction was one of many that led to our strong friendship.

□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□

Three weeks later, me and Amelia were practically inseparable, we were always having movie night, or helping each other with hard cases.

Currently I was slumped over in a gurney, no energy to hide beneath it.

"Whats up, buttercup!?" I groan, "shhh. " I hush amelia. She was a little too loud for me, right now.

"Whats wrong?" This time she was more quiet and a little more concerned, "I couldn't sleep last night my neighbors were fighting and chose to be as loud as possible" I sigh scrubbing my face tiredly.

Instead of responding, Amelia just grabbed my hand, dragging me somewhere, I wasn't all that botherd, this was a regular occurrence being dragged by her. I just got used to it.

"I want you to meet someone," she leads me outside to a cute little coffee cart, she shoved me over, telling me to order something so I don't fall asleep.

"As long as you're buying," I giggle, buying myself coffee. She rolls her eyes fondly, whipping out some cash to pay before dragging me away, almost making me spill my coffee.

"Hey!" I whine as I nearly burnt myself. "OH hush," she finally stops dragging me.

As I look up about to argue that I would I fact not hush, I spot a lady beside her.

I get shy, I mean wow, she's so pretty... and her hair is so red. I blush bright red hiding behind Amelia, who only chuckles.

"I'm not that scary, am I?"

I peep around tentatively, before amealia steps to the side.

I glare at her before I hear a chuckle, turning to the new lady she introduces herself "I'm addison montgomery" she holds out her hand, I introduce myself a lot less confident than her, but only smiles fondly pulling me into a hug.

I squeak, not expecting it, Amelia laughs as addison lets me go. I don't go far, sticking by her side, I blame the clingyness to her amazing smelling perfume, not the fact she made me all warm and fuzzy just from a look.

"You must be the baby resident Amelia has been telling me so much about" she has a little smirk as I glare at Amelia, yet again.

"Well, it's not my fault yous are all fossils!" Addison laughs in amusement as me and Amelia bicker between each other.

"Amelia, I love you, and you're acting like a child." her tone is full of amusement, but I was more focused on the wording.

For some reason, it stuck with me, I always hated hearing 'I love you, but' to me, it's like saying I loved you, or your annoying so I don't fully love you. I don't know how to describe it, but hearing that made me feel weird, but a good weird?

Over the next couple days, I kept hearing the fraise between amelia and addison, like when Addison stole Amelia's charts so she would take a nap she said, "I love you, and you need a nap" or when Amelia stole addisons coffee and said "I love you and drink some water, please?"

Every time i heard it, it rooted itself further into my brain, to the point of starting to say it as well. The first time I said it, I said it to amelia, and she was irritating me.

I was very overstimulated, a big rush of patients came in, and I was swamped. There were so many noises, crying, screaming, shouting, etc. I finally got a second to myself before amelia came over to talk to me. She was rambling loudly next to me when I cut In.

"Amelia, please, I love you, and I'm very overstimulated right now," and although I didn't see it, amelia had the happiest look on her face as she realized what I said.

From then on out, I said it to her, and she said it to me, all the while me and addison got closer.

Addison was like the mother I never had, she made me take naps so I wouldn't get cranky, and If I couldn't sleep she would sit in the room on her phone because she knew it helped me sleep if someone was in the room with me. She forced me to eat breakfast because she knew if I didn't, I would get snappy despite how I never ate breakfasts.

The only bad thing about me and addisons' new friendship is that I became very attached to her. If I didn't see her every 48 hours, I got all mopy and sad, but amelia found it endearing that her two best friends were getting along.

□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□

It has been a full 2 months since I started in the hospital, and honestly? I couldn't be happier, my father had stopped contacting me, which was great, because I hated him.

Me and Amelia's friendship only got stronger, and addison well let's just say I nearly called her mom on one or two occasions which was very embarrasing, thankfully I don't think she realized what was said.

Currently, I was staying with addison and Amelia as my landlord increased the rent to 7000 a month, and there's no way in hell I would be paying that.

I was grateful to have the day off. By the time i woke up, amelia and addison were long gone, and I was feeling miserable.

I felt weak like I couldn't stand up. My stomach was in knots nausea rolling around every time I tried to move, head thumping with one of the worst headaches ever.

Not to my own suprise. I stayed in that bed for hours, not getting up for anything. To be honest, I don't think I could get up even if i tried.

I didn't realize how long passed. It wasn't until I heard keys rattling in the door that I made an effort to get up

That failed. I could barely sit up, I just didn't want amelia or addison seeing me like this.

"Hon?!" I heard addison call out, normally if I was home when they got home I would be waiting at the door to give them hugs.

"Addie!?" I call, because as much as I didn't want them seeing me like this I really needed the toilet and could not stand on my own.

Amelia was the first to enter her face, immediately creasing with concern.

"Oh," she said sympathetically, and addison had to shove her out of the way to get into the room. "Oh baby," she cooed, I could probably imagine how badly I looked, I was sweaty hair sticking to my forehead, I was pale and shaky.

Addison rushed over to feel my head, "You have a fever hun" I Humm nuzzling into her heavenly cold hands, and she chuckles, telling Amelia to grab some medicine and water.

Next thing you know, I've chugged half a bottle of water and had so many pills shoveled down my throat. I'm not even sure what they are.

Addison left to grab some things from the store, so it was only me and Amelia, "Melia?" I mumbled.

"Yes?" She sat up to look at me. "I need to pee," she huffed before helping me to the bathroom, practicly carrying me. Thankfully, she turned around and once finished helping me to my bed.

"I love you, and you're really sweaty," she huffed, I giggled, "I love you too," I see her roll over in the bed to face me and I roll over to face her to.

"You know you're like my weird little niece," I laugh. "What?" She reaches her hand over to swipe my hair out of my face, "yea, I mean, you're not my child. Your addisons and addison is my sister, so..." I smile and decide to just hug her instead of answering, "then your my crazy aunt"

That night, I fell asleep cuddled up to my 'aunt'.

Over the next few days, I slowly improved. I still don't have my strength, but my apatite has come back, and the fever has gone down.

Right now, Amelia is at work, and its Addisons turn to stay with me.

"Addy?" I whine, she was sitting on the chair opposite my bed, reading with her little glasses, god she looked like a librarian.

"Yes?" She looked up, pushing her glasses up. Instead of answering verbally, I made grabby hands, "words honey, " she reminded me, I just whine "too far away." I grumble but smile as she makes her way over to me.

I cuddle my face into her lap, one of her hands holding her book as the other scratches my head, she starts to read aloud.

After a while, I start to fall asleep the sound of her soothing voice, the smell of her perfume, and the gentle scratches lulling me into a sense of calmness.

During our time together, I started seeing addison as my actual mom, I've never had one before, and my birth mom abandoned me, and well, my dad never really dated again, so addison was filling that void. She comforts me when I'm sad and holds me when I'm tired. She's seeks me out and hugs me when she's down, and I make sure she's not too stressed with work. She defends me from mean patients, and if she ever hears of someone bad mouthing me, well let's just say they never do it again.

Thinking about all this made me realize how much I appreciate her and Amelia, so I turn, now laying on my back so I can look up at her.

She stops reading, putting g her book down she carresses my face softly with a questioning look.

"I love you," I say quietly, I see her smile, eyes softening even more, "I love you too." her voice is soft as she holds me like I will break at any moment.

"No, you don't understand," I say, slightly frustrated, "I love you, I love you and Amelia, your family to me."

"Your family to me too," she says, tilting her head in a confused manner, "no, your like a mom to me," I admit, "and Amelia's the weird aunty"

I see addisons eyes tear up and internally panick thinking amelia was wrong and addison doesent think of me like that.

"OH hun," she whispers gathering me in her arms so I was cradled to my chest, "your like the daughter I always wanted" Instantly I start to cry, hearing the woman I thought of as a mom call me her daughter, just healed a part of me I didn't know I had.

Just then, amelia walks in all happy until she sees us both crying, "What happened!?" She asks, panicked, climbing onto the bed beside us, "You're the crazy aunt, " addison chuckles wetly, tears still falling as she holds me tight, amelia smiles brightly, "you both had the talk?" She whispers to addison, although I still heard, I'm assuming addison talked to amelia about all this, and amelia encouraged her to talk to me.

Amelia doesn't need the answer as I grab her and pull her into our hug, we are a family, a pretty weird and dysfunctional one, but oh well.

If you told me a couple of months ago, I would have found two people who made me feel more at home than anybody has ever done, I would laugh straight in your face... yet here we are, and I couldn't be happier.

[archivxx]

✯[0.06-extra]✯

Main story.| Previous || Next

Note: Kyle will be mad at me for dating Clyde, and I can’t do anything about it. It is an inevitable fact.

“Pass the salt.”

You would have but Kyle looked like he was already salty enough. So you leaned your hip against the counter and folded your arm across your chest. “Kyle.”

“And the pepper.”

“Kyle.”

“And the oil.”

“Kyle…”

“Sunflower. Not that grape-seed crap.”

“Listen. It’s not what you think—”

“Fine. I’ll get it myself.”

To be fair, Kyle had every right to be mad. And you did feel for him. Kyle was a year older than you, he had been pursuing this dream for longer than you had. He family were never “musically talented” per se but they were musical, and so were their children. Only Kyle was the one to go on and do something bigger than just singing or preforming for his family. Did Kyle want to be in for a musical career? Probably no. Did he want to be a lawyer like his father, and like his parents had wanted and pressured from him? Also no.

Not to say that Kyle was unhappy. His plan was to get a nice cushy life which he was achieving essentially spot on, which his parents would not be able to object to. In the mean time, all he really wanted was to have a normal life and spend it with his friends which is exactly what he was doing. He did things that were unimaginable to most of the friend group, like, cooking real food! Going on hikes! Meditating! Sitting down and reading!

Which is why when Cylde simply walked past him after telling him his cords sounded weird and that he should work on it, it made him a very very miserable few months. In retrospect, that might had been when Kyle started wishing a plague on Donovan’s house (he had been reading Romeo and Juliet at the time).

“Kyle, can we please talk about this?”

“We’re talking.”

“No, you are cooking and I am just standing here, trying to get you to acknowledge that you are mad because Clyde—”

He turned away from his casserole, wagging his finger in your direction. “Do not say it.”

“Don’t say what?”

“You know what.”

“Clyde Don—?”

“Do not say his name.”

You threw your hands up. “This is crazy. It’s fake, Kyle.”

He went back to chopping the asparagus. “Pass the salt.”

“Are you even listening? It’s not real.”

“And the pepper, and the—”

“The relationship, it’s fake. We’re not really dating. We’re pretending so people will think that we’re dating.”

Kyle’s hands stopped mid-chop. “What?”

“You heard me.”

“Is it a…friends-with-benefits arrangement? Because—”

“No. It’s the opposite. There are no benefits. Zero benefits. Zero sex. Zero friends, too.”

He he stared at you, narrow-eyed. “To be clear, oral and butt stuff totally counts as sex—”

“Kyle.”

He took a step closer, grabbing a dishrag to wipe his hands, flailing his nostrils. “I’m scared to ask.”

“I know it sounds ridiculous. He’s helping me out by pretending we’re together because I lied to Nichole, and I need her to feel okay about dating Tolkien. It’s all fake. Clyde and I have talked exactly” —you decided on the spot to omit any information pertinent to The Night—“three times, I know nothing about him. Except that he’s willing to help me handle this situation, and I jumped at the chance.”

Kyle was making that face, the one he saved for people who wore sandles with socks. He could be a little scary, you had to admit.

“This is…wow.” There was a vein pulsating on his forehead. “N/N, this is a whole new level of stupid”

“Maybe.” Yes. Yes it was. “But it is what it is. You have to support me in my idiocy because you are my roommate and one of my best friends.”

“Isn’t Donovan your best friend now?”

“Come on, Kyle. He’s a dick. But he’s actually been pretty nice to me, and—”

“I’m not even—” he grimaced. “I’m not going to address this.”

You sighed. “Okay. Don’t address this. You don’t have to. But can you just not hate me? Please? I know he’s been a nightmare to like the whole world, you included. But he’s helping me out. You, Craig and Nichole are the only ones I care about knowing the truth. But I can’t tell Craig since he’ll tell Nichole and Nichole can’t know—”

“—for obvious reasons.”

“—for obvious reasons,” you finished at the same time and smiled. He just shook his head disapprovingly, but his expression had softened.

“N/N you’re amazing. And kind, way too kind. You should find someone better to date than Clyde. Someone to date for real.”

“Yeah right.” You rolled your eye’s. “Because it went so well with Tolkien. Who, by the way, I only agreed to date following your advice! ‘Give the boy a chance,’ you said. ‘What could go wrong?’ You said.”

Kyle glared, and you laughed.

“Listen, I’m clearly bad at real dating. Maybe fake dating will be different. Maybe I’ve found my niche.”

He sighed. “Does it have to be Donovan? There are better famous singers that you can date.”

“Like who?”

“I don’t know. Bebe Stevens?”

“Isn’t she married?”

“Oh. Yeah. What about Tweek Tweak? Not a singer I know but definitely someone who’s single.”

You burst into laughter. “I could never fake-date Tweek, not with how assiduously Craig’s been thirsting after him for the past five years.”

“He has, hasn’t he? Well did I ever tell you I caught them two seriously flirting in his family coffee shop last week? I’m pretty sure Tweek winked at him multiple times from the behind the counter. Now some say he just has a twitch, but—”

“‘Me. I said that he has a twitch. And you tell me about Craig and Tweek every other day.”

“Right.” He sighed. “You know, N/N, I just want Craig to be happy. And I would have fake-dated you myself in a heartbeat to save you from goddamned Donovan. I would have held hands with you, and given you my jacket when you were cold, and very publicly gifted you chocolates and roses and teddy bears on Valentine’s Day.”

How refreshing, to talk to someone who’d watched a rom-com. Or ten. “I know. But also you but you bring home a different girl every week, and you love it. And I know you love it. And I don’t want to cramp your style.”

“Fair.” Kyle looked pleased—whether at the fact that he really did get around a fair bit or at your thorough understanding of his dating habits, you weren’t sure.

“Can you please not hate me, then?”

He tossed the kitchen cloth onto the counter and stepped closer. “N/N. I could never hate you. You’ll always be my bubbala.” He pulled you into his chest, hugging you tight. At the beginning, when you’d just met, you had been constantly disoriented by how physical he was, probably because it had been a while since you’d experienced such physical contact. Now, Kyle’s hugs were your happy place.

You lean your head on his shoulder and smiled into the Cotten of his T-shirt. “Thanks”

Kyle held you tighter.

“Also I promise if I ever bring Clyde home, I’ll put a sock on my door—Ouch!”

“You evil creature.”

“I was kidding! Wait, don’t leave, I have something important to tell you.”

He paused by the door, scowling. “I’ve reached my maximum daily intake of Donovan-related conversation. Anything further will be lethal, so—”

“Pete Thelman, the one funding that giant Cancer Awareness event got back to me! It’s not decided yet, but he might be interested in having the band perform!”

“Oh my God.” Kyle walked back to you, delighted. “N/N, this is amazing! I thought we had no chance, honestly.”

“Well no, me either, but I guess we were wrong! It would be—”

“Fantastic. It would really be fantastic. N/N I’m so excited, and proud of you for following your gut.” Kyle took your hands in his, his face-splitting grin slow and gentled. “And your mom would be so excited, too.”

You looked away, blinking rapidly. You didn’t want to cry, not tonight. “Nothing is set in stone, I’ll have to persuade him. It will invoked quite a bit of him reviewing the band and out music, and pitching us to him. Which you know is not my forte. It might still not work—”

“It will work out.”

Right. Yes. You needed to be optimistic. You nodded, attempting a smile.

“But even if it didn’t…she would still be proud.”

You nodded again. When a single tear managed to slide down your cheek, you decided to let it be.

Forty-five minutes later, you and Kyle sat on your minuscule couch, arms pressed together, watching RuPaul’s Drag Race while you ate a very undersalted veggie casserole

Masterlist

Taglist: @carinaryen @bootsieboo @h3artilly @southparktegreity

[mistchievous]

9-1-1 Podfic Recs

Sharing some of my favorite 9-1-1 podfics (not by me 😂) for @loveryder and anyone else looking for some to check out. 🥰

These aren’t all of the ones out there or all of the ones I enjoy. Just a few faves for people looking for recs. 💃

Putting most of the post under a cut to spare your dashes!

Gen:

volver al punto de partida Read By: @blackestglass & @mistbornhero Written By: @extasiswings Summary: "Eddie’s jaw ticks, shame curling in his stomach as she switches over to Spanish. It’s a deliberate shift, that much is obvious from the way she’s looking at him, and he knows what she wants so he tries.

And fails."

drop your will in the bucket before you kick it (pre-Buddie) Read By: @blackestglass (w/sfx by @godoflaundrybaskets) Written By: kow2 Summary: Six years ago, Buck would have no problem with dying in a wildfire. There was a certain breath of relief he’d get, lying in his bed and dreaming of the call, the time of death, the bell ringing at his funeral, the unfortunately comforting fact that somebody would have to attend his funeral in order to ring the bell. He figured it was just a way to come to terms with that fact that his rate of dying went up ten-fold with his new job.

Dr. Copeland called it a form of passive suicidal thoughts, and the scary part about hearing that term for the first time is that he wasn’t scared of the term at all when she said it. She went on for the whole hour-long session about it, and Buck didn’t really feel anything, more like he thought he should’ve been taking notes, expecting her to tell him there was going to be a quiz over this the next time they met.

The problem now is, that heroic, suicidal dream was six years ago, and Dr. Copeland was almost two years ago. The problem with dying this way now, is that he doesn’t feel like going out this way anymore. He doesn’t feel like going out at all.

Buddie:

i did, i did, i do Read By: @mayonnaisetoffees Written By: @hattalove​ Summary: I didn’t know what it meant when you kissed me up against that counter, Buck wants to say. He wants to name every place that’s hurt to see for the past three years. Wants to remind Eddie of the way they used to be in bed together, quiet and all-consuming, the way their hands would curl together on Eddie’s stomach in their sleep. Wants to ask why Ana isn’t there anymore, why Eddie doesn’t tell him to get out when Buck’s spending the seventh consecutive night on his couch.

Buck wants, and wants, and wants.

Isn’t that the story of his life.

Tentacantata Read By: crawfishing Written By: @letmetellyouaboutmyfeels Summary:  Buck has a... kink. The kind of kink it's embarrassing to talk about. Eddie has some... special features. Features it's kind of weird to talk about. Surely those two facts aren't related.

Before the Night Fades Read By: @burnthatbridge Written By: @milenadaniels Summary: “I have a bottle of champagne, four champagne flutes, one engagement ring to go into one of those champagne flutes, and a note to deliver it all to table 34 with dessert,” Tomas explains, wide-eyed, throwing his hand back to the prep station where said champagne is waiting on ice next to four flutes and a small ring box.

“Okay?”

“Okay so there’s two men and two women and I have no idea who’s getting proposed to. I’m not even 100% on who came with who."

Or, EddieAna and BuckTaylor double date and it ruins everyone's night.

Despite it all, Because of it all Read By: @mayonnaisetoffees Written By: @kitkatpancakestack Summary: He puts the truck in park in front of Eddie’s childhood home. Christopher shifts in the back, already unbuckling his seatbelt. Eddie is frozen with his jaw set, eyes hard and unblinking as they bore holes through the windshield. Buck was here once before, after that relief trip to Texas, but he is under no illusions that this time will be similar. For one, he doesn’t have the buffer of other firefighters to hide behind. This isn’t a visit that will last a couple hours, and so the sugary, superficial niceties will eventually crumble when it’s mid-way through the week and he’s still hanging around. There is also the shadow of everything that has happened since the wildfires skulking behind them, waiting to be found out.

But, this is Eddie and Christopher, needing him to have it together, so he paints on a smile and squeezes Eddie's knee and slides out of the truck. * Eddie's dad gets sick. Buck goes with him and Christopher to El Paso.

from the ground up Read By: @thatnerdemryn Written By: @eddiesdiaz Summary: If he’s honest, Eddie gets why Buck filed the lawsuit.

He does. He understands the hopelessness, the feeling you’re losing all control, like you’re sinking, drowning, desperate for a way out. He knows because it’s the same way he felt when he enlisted.

That doesn’t mean it hurts any less when Buck leaves him, though.

or the one in which, a couple of weeks after meeting each other, buck and eddie fell in love, broke up, and then forgot to fall out of it.

rainbows have nothing to hide Read By: @burnthatbridge Written By: @hattalove Summary: “Glad to see someone is happy I’m here,” Buck yells into the house, and only gets the rustle of paper bags and a vague grunt in response. He leans down and whispers into Christopher’s ear: “Was he being a Kermit again?”

Christopher nods so hard that some of his hair ends up in Buck’s mouth.

“It’s so bad,” he whispers back. “You need to move in with us already.”

how is eddie diaz like kermit the frog? let buck and christopher count the ways.

I Didn't Know I Was Lonely 'Til I Saw Your Face Read By: Matriaya  Written By: @hmslusitania​​ Summary: After the ladder truck and the blood clot and the tsunami, Bobby makes Buck go to therapy before he does something stupid (like sue the city). Buck's not totally comfortable being alone with a therapist, but fortunately he makes a friend and ally who's willing to help him out - Eddie Diaz from the 136 who's just been caught in an illegal fight club.

OR

Total strangers Buck and Eddie go to couple's therapy together to get out of the therapy requirements their captains have placed on them.

Madney & Buddie:

Goodwill is Sent in Snapshots (You Only Get the Full Picture on Return) Read By: crawfishing Written By: @letmetellyouaboutmyfeels Summary:  When both Evan Buckley and Chimney Han are dumped at the start of December, they decide to swap houses - with each other. A nice two weeks in a different location will be a great unconventional Christmas. Certainly not anything life changing.

Then Buck meets Chim's next-door-neighbor, and Chim meets Buck's apartment-crashing sister. (An audio recording, roughly two hours)

[cherry-queens-blog]

Werewolf Gyutaro

Here is part two of my fan fiction of full moon.

Warning: mentions of blood

Part one here: https://www.tumblr.com/cherry-queens-blog/740079653082021888/heres-my-werewolf-au-where-gyutaro-is-a-werewolf?source=share

FULL MOON PART 2

When tomorrow arrives, you get up early slipping on your hoodie and sweats since it was pretty cold outside. Grabbing your keys you head out, getting into your car while Gyutaro watches you from the window as you back out of the driveway and leave to go pick up the shackles and other things to lock him up with to keep him from hurting other people. You couldn't brush off the sick feeling in your stomach at the thought of what you have to do tonight all while hoping these things will be strong enough to hold him in the basement for these three nights. This situation was scary to be in since you don't have a clue how strong he really is when he turns, you only knew about how fast he was and the way he can tear into flesh like its paper but can he break through chains?. That was the real question that kept pumping into your head, setting off an adrenaline rush through your whole body, and it really didn't help that you knew nothing about werewolves, you just had to go off what you had seen in the woods that night, how aggressive and fast they can be, and from what Gyutaro said with having no control over himself when he turns just made it all so much more terrifying. Gyutaro was still looking out the window as you pulled up, watching you closely as you got out and grabbed everything out of the backseat while faintly grumbling to himself. As you walk in Gyutaro crosses his arms and looks away from the window as you shut the door and set the stuff down on the counter, picking up on your worry and sadness before letting out a slight sigh. A gloomy expression painted your face as he looks at you knowing you really didn't want to do this to him but it had to be done. Taking in a deep breath you grab the stuff and head towards the basement, hooking up everything and yanking on the chains just to make sure they were secure in the wall, while Gyutaro watches sitting on the stairs, letting out a slight growl of disapproval, not ready to be down here later in the day. Once everything seemed secure enough you grab the left over stuff and start walking towards the stairs passing Gyutaro on the way up before stopping.

"I'm sorry gyu" You muttered before leaving the basement. The sun starts to set in the sky and you were stuck doing your best to drag Gyutaro down into the basement as he whined, growled, fighting against you giving you one hell of a time getting him down there. "Gyutaro.. ngh!.. please can you... just... cooperate with me... ngh!... i know it sucks.. but please" You groaned pulling on him with all your strength you had. It took a good while to finally get him down stairs due to his fighting back and his strength outmatching yours. He didn't hit you or anything cause he does care about you, he just pulled back nearly pulling you to the ground non stop but you eventually got him down there, of course his fighting back didn't stop of course, grabbing your small hands tightly in his to make you let go of him only for you to wrap your arm around his neck and grabbing his shirt again with your other hand. It was a major workout but once you managed to get him down by making you both fall in the struggle in the basement, resulting in him landing on top of you which hurt a bit since he is bigger and weighs more then you do. You took it as an opportunity, wrapping your legs around his waist and keeping your arm firmly around his neck with a tight grip as he continued to struggle to get out of your hold on him. Grabbing the restraints as fast as you could, you manage to get the shackle around his neck, locking it around his neck as he growled non stop. Falling back while letting go of him, you gasped feeling a bit exhausted from all of that but Gyutaro didn't calm down much as he pulled on the chains trying to free himself.

"gyutaro... you said you would do this... stop struggling before you hurt yourself" You gasped out. You were tired and it was evident in your tone. Gyutaro stopped and looked at you letting out a sigh knowing he did tell you he would do this even if he did hate it entirely. "I know what I said Y/N but i still hate this shit" He growled before sitting down by you. "I know but it has to be done and you know that" You responded as the sun lowers further in the sky, getting up to leave only to look back at him. "you're not in the woods anymore and if i don't do this.... you might kill me and others" Your words had sunk in deep, hitting him hard with the thoughts rolling into his mind, these thoughts of killing you making him feel a good amount of self hatred as he watched you leave the basement. He had no intentions of hurting or even killing the one person he loved so deeply and he couldn't deny the fact that you were right, he could end up killing you and he wouldn't be able to forgive himself for it. He sat there thinking, letting your words replay over and over in his head, feeling bad that he had put you through a struggle all cause he didn't want this but your safety is what matters to him and you being away from him was the best option. The moon rises in the sky and you could hear Gyutaro starting to howl from the basement, being quite loud but you couldn't but think he probably was getting ready for his transformation and with that in mind you grab your book, shut off the lights and head towards your room to get ready for bed. Slipping into your nightgown you climb into bed turning off the lamp and pulling the blanket over yourself as Gyutaro continues to howl before letting out a yelp that turned into yelling as his transformation took hold. His teeth grew out into sharp canines, fur growing in from his flesh, his limbs elongating, as the struggle for control strings up his heart in a thread of solid rage, letting out a loud growl before going crazy, yanking at the chains.

The more he yanked against them one of the chains starts to come loose on the shackle before snapping, allowing him to be free from the restraints. You were startled in bed after hearing a loud crash coming from the basement, quickly sitting up in bed with your heart pounding rapidly in your chest. "Gyutaro?" you muttered with a shaky tone in your voice while watching the door, slowly getting up out of bed walking towards it cautiously, getting ready to open it to see what's going on only to be met with him bursting through it, pinning you down on the floor, screaming as he's snapping his teeth at you. Out of instinct you do your best to fight back against him, putting your arms up only for him to growl and latch onto your arm, biting down, teeth sinking into your flesh, screaming out in pain as tears flood your vision, blood dripping down from his painful bite. His growling soon turned to a whimpering whine, his eyes staring down at you with harsh regret like he knew what he had just done. Releasing your arm, he backs away from you while anger boils his blood, poisoning his mind with such regret and self hatred that drove him crazy, backing into a wall only to slam himself against it, busting a hole through it only to do it again, hurting his shoulder in the process as you laid there watching with wet eyes as he continued to hurt himself, losing his temper completely for hurting you. "GYUTARO STOP!" You cried out while getting up and going to him, to help sooth his emotions, to calm him, but before you could he slams himself one last time only for his head to make contact causing him whimper and drop to the ground, whining as his breathing remained heavy as you get down to him, placing your hand on his shoulder. Though your arm still hurt badly you just couldn't care enough about it right now, you were more worried about him than yourself.

Running your hand over his arm, petting him gently as he stared off, drowning in his fight for control and the fact he had just hurt you, the way he really just hurt you out of the rage that had swallowed him whole. Slow moving his eyes to look at you, seeing your face. Oh how beautiful you were to him, how much you cared for him too, and he just, caused you harm, caused you pain, took from you, he didn't deserve you, he didn't deserve anything you had done for him either, he doesn't deserve the affection your giving him, he needs to leave you so your safe from him, so he can't do more damage than he's already done. With those thoughts flooding his mind he snaps, pushing you away from him before rushing off, making his escape through the window, running off into the night.

"NO GYUTARO!!!" You jumps up running to the window, looking out only to see he was already long gone. With tears soaking your face you turn around, rushing out of the room not bothering to get dressed, just grabbing your keys and a flashlight before running out to the car and hopping inside, starting up the engine and pulling out of the driveway quickly. Putting your foot down on the gas, speeding down the road knowing exactly where he's going and you're going to find him one way or another no matter how long it takes you, your not giving up on him. Pulling up to the old camp site where you lost your friends, you shut off the car, jumping out and running into the woods following the markers you left a week ago to find that cave in hopes he will be there and you can bring him back. Coming up to the cave you couldn't help but pray he was there as you ran as fast as you could using the flashlight for light to see, running as fast as you could through the trees. "please be there god damn it" You muttered to yourself as you got closer to the entrance, out of breath, you start slowing down a bit as your lungs burned. You get to the entrance only to find nothing inside except for the cold damp walls, your heart shattering like it was glass. You look out through the entrance using what breath you could breath in to scream out for him. "GYUTARO!!!!" You screamed out as loud as you possibly could, your voice echoing through the cave and the trees, gasping heavily in pain, and cold.

Falling onto your knees, lowering your head as you cried, begging to whatever god was listening to your faint prayers that were spoken inside your head to bring him back to you, knowing he needed you more than anything. Moving over, you lean against the cold wet wall feeling tired, overwhelmed, and hurt. You rip off a piece of of your nightgown and start wrapping it around your wounded arm, before closing your eyes to drift off to sleep in the freezing cold. After a few you had heard something by the entrance that sounded like rocks falling with the sound of footsteps approaching. Your eyes slowly start to open a tiny bit when you felt a wet nose push against against your hand a bit before laying it's head in your lap and letting out a slight whine, making your eyes shoot open to see Gyutaro laying his head on you. He was still a bit hurt from earlier from slamming himself against the wall as hard as he could out of rage for hurting you. Tears started forming again as you start to pet him "please come back... please... come back gyu" You whimpered, begging him as your lip quivered, getting choked up as you spoke to him only to get no response, he just kept his head and his claws on your lap taking in deep breaths before closing his eyes. You were the only person who could tame him, be this close to him, make him feel calm and not want to lash out. Your calming presence was enough to flood out his aggression, washing it away like a tidal wave, helping him find some control within himself that he wanted and craved so badly. Though it was still dangerous for you and he knew that which is why he always ran, wanted you to stay away from him, yet he finds you here, waiting for him, wanting him to come back. He couldn't understand why you came for him, especially after the pain he's caused you, taking your friends, attacking you, why would you come back?. It was a lot for you too since your not like him, you're not someone who turns into this raging beast every full moon, losing all control over yourself, slaughtering everything that crosses your path. Little did you know, you were everything he craved, everything he wants. To feel calm, to have peace instead of rage, to have that self control you had. That's all he wants and you had it, you were his peace that could sooth that fury and madness he struggled against, you were his calmness he craved to feel for so long and now he has it, he has you to give him that.

[thelediz]

Sonic Underground 04: To Catch a Queen

I’m watching Sonic Underground in search of inspiration to finish a fic I’ve been writing forever. It’s a sad state of affairs. See the recap of the first three episodes here, if you're interested!

This is episode 4: To Catch a Queen, which is the first of the ‘real’ episodes, and promptly pretends the first three episodes never happened, what are you talking about, this whole thing’s been going on for ages right? It’s all about finding Aleena. Always was. Honest.

The plot (for want of a better word): Robotnik captures and robotocises the former Captain to Queen Aleena’s guard. On the search for their mother, the royal triplets liberate the captain, temporarily restore his sentience, and learn secrets to their past!

Man, a single paragraph synopsis actually makes these terrible episodes sound interesting…

“Queen Aleena here” giving us a situ report. She usually introduces the episodes, but this start is… weird.

Also, last episode Sleet and Dingo were independent contractors forced into service to track down the Oracle of Delphius and royal triplets, not the queen. Don’t talk like their goal being capturing you is a given, Aleena.

Oh, the van. This poor van is going to be gained and destroyed so many times in this series.

Aaaaand Sonia’s in love with Bartleby this episode. I’m starting another counter (1/37 episodes to Bartleby) (the first three episodes don’t count). Why will become evident as we progress.

As with the van, same with Sonia’s bike. That poor, poor bike.

I do love 90s kids cartoons Hero Morality. Someone calls out to ‘save my baby’ and the Heroic Character must drop everything to save anything thrown at them. Even though it looks like a football. “Loser” is a correct assessment, Dingo.

Yowch. You know, robotocisation is scary when you think about it, but even just on the surface there’s something distressing about it when you see a character go from flesh, fur, and blood to full robot. No wonder we were all scared of the egg boy in the 90s.

Ah yes, Sonia’s super strength/martial arts. Another counter, folks, because this isn’t going to come up much. +1!

Manic using Sonic’s voice! Want to re-do this scene Jaleel? No, of course not, you’re right, we have no time. Carry on.

Okay, so another cool world building detail is this ceremony, which at first I questioned (always a mistake) until I realised that yeah, a dictator would 100% do this. It’s a fear rally. Propaganda. Intended to show the general populace his power and control and that This Could Happen to You. Man, old school Robotnik was a scary bastard.

Wh- where did – they have always had the power to restore robotocised people’s sentience, of course, I knew this, and so did you, stop asking questions.

And the robotocised victim recognises the kids! That he wouldn’t have seen since they were younger than one! Of course he does!

And he tells them nothing before losing sentience. And then Robotnik reads his memories, so both Robotnik and the kids are looking for the queen based on half a sentence.

Look, there have been worse plots.

The SONG: The 411. I have no comparisons, though I feel like Simple Plan would be ashamed to realise how close some of their songs sound to it…

At least for once Sonia’s on Manic’s case instead of Sonic’s… and then Manic whores out his sister for information. Cool. So cool. I loved his character as a kid, what was wrong with me?

Heeey, Sonic’s fear of water, actually seeded long before it becomes an issue! Story telling props where due! Well done, Trashfire.

Sonic… is being a good leader? The siblings following his lead? What? Where did this – I mean – not complaining, but… what?

This time, Aleena, I will allow you running away, but honestly, woman.

There is a reason The Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog worked, which was that Sonic as played by Jaleel White makes an excellent roadrunner. This episode reminds us of why. I love his wouldn’t melt butter smile.

Before you get excited, no, this storyline isn’t going anywhere. The ability to restore minds isn’t going anywhere. Literally the only thing that is is Sonic’s fear of water. But we take it.

I, of course, made way too much of the ability to restore minds which will never come up again, because I spent an awful lot of my childhood overthinking robotocisation. The Archie comics or SatAM never got that scary about it, Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog didn't have it at all, so my only explanation for why it consumed my brain so much is the Trashfire. Because it's a real, tangible threat here which will recur, and this episode is the closest they come to ever implying a cure.

But I demand happy endings. So even as a kid, I was overthinking how do you get a happy ending out of this... that's probably where the Lost Prince started, if I'm honest...

The counters:

Sonic implying less than 100% American heterosexuality: 2

Sonia's super-strength: 1

Sonia's in love with Bartleby: 1/37

Come back tomorrow if you want to know more!