#As someone who use her hobby as a way to wind down she would be so so impressed that he has so much control over his body as an actor

[miisfits-toys]

Some elaboration on what exactly it is Edin does.

Glorified clean-up crew... Running around to track down magic hot spots (which are highly volatile and dangerous to the average everybody) and either: Disperse it, recycle (collect) it, or further track down whoever is responsible to Deal with Their Mess.

[lovezbrownies]

Birthday happenings. (Yandere Assistant x GN!Reader.)

Masterlist

Synopsis: Your mother, the Queen, never cared for your birthday. But someone else does. And they use it to their advantage. Also my belated birthday post :3

Siolis Ludenhart x GN!Reader.

You are the Queen’s only legitimate offspring. The only legitimate heir to the throne. Your mother is the honorable Queen Nia, who wanted nothing to do with you when you were born, neglecting your every need. Never had she attempted to engage in a conversation with you willingly. Queen Nia hated her mortality, and you were the biggest proof of it. She grows old and you just keep growing. The young heir has to replace the old hag of a queen eventually, and Nia hates the very thought. Your mother only ever held you once, during your birth. Nia then shoved you to the nanny she hired to essentially become your new mother.

None of your birthdays was celebrated by your mother, by the servants of the palace sure, but never Nia. She would always plan elaborate big parties in honor of her birthday, they’ve essentially become tradition at this point but you… Well, you got the scraps, you always got a small cake from the palace kitchen, a few tiny gifts from the servants, and a small party without anyone of your age, only your nanny and some of the palace staff. 

Today was terribly dull, everyone’s busy getting the palace ready for some diplomat meeting, who cares really? You were trapped in your room to ‘not get in the way’ as your mother said. You tried everything for entertainment, books, hobbies, and devices, it all was boring. You never really believed in the gods but still begged for a chance to do something fun. Just as you finish pleading to the skies you hear a knock from the door. Probably lunch, that was late. 

Standing up from your bed you let out a groan, opening the door you’re met with the very person you were most excited to see. Siolis. Ever since they’ve started working for your mother they plan something extravagant for you to experience. The first year of this was your 20th, you didn’t know each other well yet but they still did something, they had gotten you a big birthday cake and a jewelry box with the most gorgeous set of jewelry with gems and all. When you asked them how they could afford something like that and why they would do that for someone they barely knew, they said, “Don’t worry your little head about it.”

You smiled widely, “Sio! Oh! what do we have on the schedule today? We have to be quick or else we’ll miss my curfew.” This time Siolis looked more relaxed, they, for once, had a smile on their face. Siolis wore a poofy button-down shirt and high-waisted black pants that hugged their slim waist perfectly, something casual for them. Sio’s smile is beautiful, even if it’s soft and barely there, you can see the softness in their eyes, the care they hold for you is clear in their expression.

Siolis stepped forward, pushing you back into your room gently by the shoulders, they closed the door behind them. “Shh, keep quiet for me, okay? We’re not going to come back by the curfew. No one knows I’m here. I took the day off.” You scrunch your eyebrows in confusion, Siolis doesn’t take days off. Probably because no one knows what to do without Siolis there to help them.

Siolis grabbed your arm, leading you to the balcony connected to your room, “What? Why? Are we not doing something today?” You throw questions to Siolis as the wind gusts at the both of you. Siolis smirked slyly as they leaned against the balcony railing. “Do you trust me, dear?” That dear was new! You flushed, with Siolis’ beauty and soft clear voice and that little nickname you almost fainted.

You hugged yourself, the windy current making you shiver. Siolis stared at you as you nodded yes, well of course you’d trust them. Siolis made sure you would, Sio made sure you fell in love with them in general, and by how flustered you looked it worked. “Then come here, hug me.” They announced, their arms wide open waiting for someone to inhibit them. Slight shock aside, you hugged them nonetheless, maybe they’re going through something and need your support!

You were wrong, the moment you stepped into their arms you felt dizzy and nauseous. It felt like your body was moving at unimaginable speeds, it felt like your brain was far behind your physical body, trying to catch up. And then it all stops, all the overwhelming movement ends, you’re still dizzy and your legs feel incredibly weak. A hand rubbed your back affectionately, while the other held you, hand tight around your midsection.

“I’m sorry, my dear, that was so sudden now, wasn’t it? How adorable you are.” The voice that spoke to you was so enchanting, you felt yourself calm down, the panic subsiding and making way for the feeling of serenity. You hadn’t felt so at peace in so long, it was like you were born again. 

Siolis kept you up, as they leaned against the alleyway’s dirty wall, petting you and calling you affectionate names. They can see that probing your mind and making you feel calmer is helping you recover from their magic's travel speed. Siolis always appreciated their magic, but now they thank whatever god who blessed them with said magic as they watch you subsequently drool all over them from the lack of cognitive control.

Eventually, they let go of their grasp on your brain, making sure you feel completely fine before doing so. You blink once, twice, thrice, looking around you were… in an alleyway? And you were leaning on something sturdy. Looking up, you saw a smug Siolis, smirking down at you with their arms around your waist. You pushed away from them, and they let you out of their grasp. For now.

You begin to panic,  “W-Where are we? Ho-how did we get here?” Questions frantically run out of your mouth, it was cute. Your panic and fear. Letting out a breath of contentment Siolis walked closer to you, grabbing your arms they looked at you in the eyes, their purple eyes looked so calm, “We are at a carnival. We got here using my magic. And this is going to be your birthday celebration.” Siolis put on a big smile before letting you go and holding their hand out, ready to guide you to wherever they’re going.

Just then a strange feeling of tranquility washed over you. Why worry? Why panic? Siolis is there to help you through it all after all, they’re your closest friend. You smiled, taking their hand in yours. Their hands were so nice and warm, you shuffled closer to them on instinct. Siolis smiled down at you, before leading you out of the alley and into the busy carnival. “Now let’s get going, today’s going to be a very long day with many activities.”

Siolis loves you. They’ve been in love with the enigma that is you since the first birthday they’ve spent with you. The way your eyes twinkle under the sun, your smile that shines stronger than stars, the very fact you take your royal responsibilities seriously is what had them. Since then, they’ve been planting seeds of doubt. Why stay in the palace if your mother hates you? Why stay when you yearn strongly for the outside world? Why stay when you can be with them.

They subtly mention the idea of moving out every now and then as you two celebrate your 22nd together. Siolis would mention how this day felt so freeing, how nice it was to leave that blasted palace, if you ever move out how this could be your average day-to-day, and you’d space off after those comments, contemplating everything they’ve said. Siolis is sure you’d accept their offer, they know your every thought after all.

Tonight was spectacular. Possibly the best birthday you’ve had ever! You spent most of the day playing the games available at the carnival, ate tons of food that’s probably bad for you, and bought a lot of little cute trinkets and accessories, it really was amazing for you! “Oh let’s go play that one! I want the panda plushie!” You exclaim, pointing at another challenge type of game. Siolis chuckled, their home is probably full of stuffed animals that the two of you won and Siolis immediately teleported back home. “Whoever wins first chooses the next thing we eat.” Sio challenged, “Oh we’ll see, sucka!” You retort.

Meanwhile, the royal palace is in disarray. Everyone panics as they look for the Queen’s only child, who is at the time deemed missing and possibly kidnapped, in fact there wasn’t a single trace of your existence. A bunch of your portraits had gone up in flames one random hour which caused the search for the heir to begin with. The public don’t know what you look like, and the people who do are very few inbetween. It was like you never existed.

 The queen didn’t seem very affected by the news. You were always a nuisance to her,  always searching for her, vying for her attention, blabbing day in and day out whenever she was free. But still, she needed to find you, or else she’d have to get another heir. Though she can;t get this horrible feeling out of her chest. A feeling of remorse and guilt, something she was never familiar with. Nia’s heart felt heavy as she looked out to the carnival going on outside, little did she know.

As the day turned into night, and the carnival started closing down, you and Siolis were perched on a bench outside of the carnival. You were concentrating on eating the ice cream Siolis bought as quickly as possible to get home before anyone noticed your disappearance. Siolis couldn’t help but admire you, so attractive even in the dark of night, but they couldn’t admire you for too long as a pair of uniformed officers approached the two of you.

Ah, Siolis knows these two, they’re always together during shifts and hang around the Queen. Looks like they finally realized you weren’t home all along. They saw you tense upon seeing them, grasping your hand in theirs they gave you a look of reassurance. Siolis bowed their head slightly while they bowed deeply when the two realized it was the Chief Assistant Siolis. “Good evening, Chief Assistant,” Siolis nodded in greeting. “There is a situation in the palace, the he-” And just then a yelp escapes you, followed by many groans of pain.

Just as the officer began speaking a loud booming screech erupted within your eardrums, you dropped your beloved ice cream as you clutched at your head. You couldn’t hear a thing, not the grunts and groans you’ve been letting out, not the officers asking if you were okay, and not Siolis telling them to leave the two of you alone so they can help you. And then, it all stopped. The ringing, the pain. All of it just randomly stopped.

You cracked your eyes open, looking up at the concerned Sio hovering above you, “-ou okay?!” Oh thank god you can still hear, you look around, and the officers are nowhere to be seen, “I- I don’t know? It stopped so suddenly I-I don’t know what that was… I’m sorry, did I make you worry?” Siolis put up a soft smile, “Should get you to a doctor tomorrow, hm?” 

What you didn’t know was that the agonizing pain was Siolis’ doing. They knew that the palace was a mess looking for the missing heir, so when Siolis saw the officers moving towards you two they had slightly changed the way you look to the officer’s eyes. No one knows that the heir they’re looking so desperately for is right under their nose, and it pleases Siolis. They didn’t want you to hear what the officers were saying but it looked like Siolis had done a bit much than what was needed. 

A sigh left the person standing in front of you. Looking up you saw the slightest frown on Siolis’ pretty face, what an unnatural sight. You almost have the urge to start acting like a circus clown just to cheer them up. Even after the sudden pain you just went through you cared for them. How they could just eat you up. “Something wrong, Sio?” You ask, unaware of what they’ll do. Unaware how deeply infatuated Siolis is with you

They looked so upset, it was so unlike Siolis to show any emotion at all so seeing them so upset was surprising. But it was all a ploy, to play with your emotions,To manipulate you… “I just… I don’t want this day to end so fast. I was thinking of how to prolong this day even more and… Well, I thought this foolish idea of inviting you over to my house. Like a sleepover, we can talk to one another, play games, and watch shows until dusk if we so desired. But then I realized how idiotic it would be and that of course you’d…deny me.” Siolis’ eyes full of sorrow, obviously hurt by the very thought.

You were stunned by how forward they were, and most of all, stunned that they never noticed you blushing and almost drooling at the mouth whenever they’d shamelessly flirt with you. Reject them? How ridiculous. “No! That’s a great idea! I would love to Siolis!” Hook, line, and sinker. Siolis got you, “But what about my mother? Won’t she be upset?” Siolis’ frown quickly formed into a sly grin. 

“I’m sure she won’t notice, darling.”

[seliasvault]

The Supermarket

supermarket!simon x reader

cw: this is a dark fic, themes of stalking and implied violence.

Part three

1 │2 │3

You go out to distract yourself and things go surprisingly well.

You never thought you would pick up the special interest of anyone, especially not enough for someone to consciously stalk you.

Several things have been going through your head since you were so “graciously” gifted four hundred dollars; contacted by said man who gifted the money, and then were unable to contact him again, because he somehow fell off the face of the earth leaving nothing but a “See you soon.”

The threat of a future encounter almost haunting you, and with no information it was like you were dealing with a ghost.

You tried, really, going over every detail sitting on the couch, note in hand, to figure out a way to track him down.

Replaying the scene over and over again, but it was getting harder to recall what exactly the texts said.

And so after gaining a slight headache, you come up with a plan of action; you think about going to the police, but with no evidence, besides a few words scrawled onto a page, it was less than ideal.

You knew who it was, had met him. But yet again you hadn’t seen his face, he hadn’t paid with his card, leaving any thought of tracking him, his name, or payment info down, out the window.

You call the police anyway, issue a report.

Heart still pounding but the anxiety starting to ease itself out of your bones. Knowing at least someone out there knows and if you wind up dead then they might know where to start.

So you sit on your couch for the rest of the night, after you stormed every room to ensure he was gone.

You hope he realizes you’re nothing special, just some girl who lives in a mediocre apartment, with less than impressive hobbies of online shopping.

Unable to sleep, you resumed just that, going back to scrolling hoping to ease the rest of your anxiety out of you.

Sleep overtook you on the couch, with whatever cheesy sitcom that was on in the background. You’d worry about your mystery man tomorrow.

-

The following morning was thankfully a Saturday, giving you time to not only process the event but to try and forget what seems like impending doom.

You don’t know much about your ghost, except he has a knack for being all mysterious, the mask, the deletion of all the messages, his cryptic note.

You’d only worry yourself further by thinking about the logistics. So you live in denial. Deciding to forget.

With a late start to the day, you make your way to the washroom, washing your face, brushing your teeth, the works.

Your phone buzzes next to you.

Heart momentarily stopping, your mind immediately going to him.

You flip the phone over and let out a breath of relief when it's just a friend from work. You wash your face before grabbing your phone to read the message.

A week prior, when you were feeling particularly lonely, you'd sleepily ranted to your friend about how much you just wanted to fall in love.

Of course in your sleepy stupor, words simply spewed out with no filter, but your friend had taken that as the greenlight in finally setting you up on the dates you'd been so quick to decline.

You barely even remember having that conversation, let alone agreeing. You left the dating scene a year ago, after too many dates gone wrong you'd decided to accept that maybe you just weren't cut out for it, and if you were meant to be in a relationship it'd somehow stumble into your life. So you swore off dates and hadn't been on one since.

Based on the texts filled with details about the upcoming date you'd "agreed" to, your half-asleep mind disagreed with your conscious one.

You read through it, she apparently set you up with a guy her cousin works with, who happens to be a mechanic. You'll meet each other at eight, at that fancy restaurant you like a couple blocks away. And maybe it was the post-shock from the dramatic night you had prior, but you send her a text saying you'd be there.

You could use any sort of distracting, and if that meant another failed date so be it. At least you'd get good food out of it.

-

The city lights illuminate the street, the night air chill with the promise of only plummeting to more frigid temperatures.

You head to the restaurant, coat wrapped around you firmly, lightly shivering. You're dressed in between fancy and casual, meaning the pair of tights you'd put on left your legs freezing and your skirt did little to stop that.

The restaurant was far enough to feel tiring but close enough that it'd be a waste to get a cab. You use the time to wrack your brain for the tips you'd learned the hard way during your dating days. Mentally preparing yourself for what could be another potential douchebag.

When you make it inside, you sigh in the warmth that engulfs you, greeting the waiter you let her know you're meeting someone. It's then you realize that you have no idea who you're meeting or what he looks like, scanning the restaurant you don't see anyone who'd fit the description of a single mechanic here on a date. You ask for a table wait.

After about 20 minutes you've consumed more breadsticks than you'd like to admit. Glancing at the time on your phone once more, you start to text your friend about the no-show.

Just as you're about to hit send someone clears their throat above you.

"Sorry hope I didn't keep' y waiting sweetheart" The man who's supposedly your date shrugs his jacket off, setting it behind his chair as he takes a seat.

You look him over, blond hair, brown eyes, a scar running along his brow, he's muscular too, expected for a mechanic. But you're still slightly thrown off kilter.

After you realize you've been staring too long you immediately jump into action, mentally scolding yourself.

"Oh no! Wasn't waiting at all." You tuck a loose strand of hair behind your ear, a nervous tick.

The waiter comes by at that moment, asking if you'd need another refill of the bread. You politely decline, face heating up.

"Well, maybe I was waiting a little." An embarrassed smile follows, and he laughs, something you think you'd like to hear more often.

"M'sorry got caught in traffic but I'll make it up to 'ya, promise." He looks sincere, with a little dark sparkle in his eye but you don't read too much into it.

You both dissolve into conversation, surprisingly easy conversation. Maybe it was the fact it had been a while since you’d been on a date, but for once things were going well.

He was attentive, almost too attentive, listening to you wholeheartedly and when it came around to talking about himself it was modest, never cocky. And no fratboyish stories you were so used to hearing.

He spoke with consideration, and when he listened he made you feel like he cared.

With one date he had you craving more.

Blinded by his charm you don’t notice his lack of information on fixing cars, or how he found your table so quickly while supposedly not knowing you and you certainly don’t notice the fresh bruises on his knuckles. Or the fact he didn’t bring a car with him.

As you both leave, the promise of dessert still on the agenda, you walk almost drunkenly in conversation. Laughter filling the frigid night air.

And so, you make plans to meet again.

Over the next couple of weeks, you continue to see Simon, and over the next couple of weeks, you receive no word from your ghost.

Almost having forgotten he even existed, and with the man who had filled your life so quickly, it felt like an eternity that said chapter of your life occurred.

He’s presumably lost interest like you suspected and you're thankful for it, you would’ve appreciated some closure, but his absence has only helped you feel more confident he won’t return.

Things were going well for you, your friend at work was beyond happy you’d hit it off with Simon, and you were finally relaxed.

Your little good fortune however was soon to be interrupted.

i know it’s a cliffhanger BUT it’ll make part four more delicious i swear LMAO

tags: @neoarchipelago

[angel-of-the-moons]

Kuai Liang/Harumi x fem reader who is really dense and doesn’t realize the two are attracted to her. So dense the two of them have to spell it out for her cause no amount of flirting is getting through her head.

sfw or nsfw I really don’t care.

NONNY I ACTUALLY LOVE THIS WE NEED SOME HARUMI CONTENT! Also enjoy my totally original and not punny at all title

Pyromance

Kuai Liang (Scorpion) x Harumi Shirai x Fem!Reader

TW/CW: None, fluffy stuff, some flirting, reader being oblivious

A/N: Given that there's only a small tidbit of info on Harumi in Liu Kang's timeline, I'm going off of what little is mentioned in-game and on Wikipedia. Also deadass I want a mandarin duck so fucking bad.

🔥🏵️🔥🏵️🔥🏵️🔥🏵️🔥🏵️

You weren't sure why you were born the way that you were. But when a man with glowing eyes showed up at your crappy little cabin in the mountains, saying he was a god? Yeah, only you would have that kind of interaction.

You didn't believe him until he displayed his powers with fire and explained to you that your powers were only a danger to you.

Yes, powers. You had something called pyromancy, you could summon flames or heat things with your very mind and hands.

So when this "Liu Kang" told you about a clan in Japan called the Shirai Ryu? And that they would welcome you with open arms? You were hesitant to accept.

On one hand, your powers were dangerous, and if you continued to slip up you'd wind up burning your own cabin down, cause a wildfire or... hurt someone. That last one was your greatest fear.

But on the other hand? You'd never even been outside Montana. And Liu Kang wanted you to fly across the world to friggin' Japan? The thought scared you shitless.

You gave him your word that you would think it over for two days. Liu Kang offered to bring someone to you to explain how the clan worked, and you accepted the offer. Perhaps hearing from someone from there would help your decision along.

Liu Kang returned in a ball of fire, alongside him was a woman dressed in a gold and crimson kimono, her long, silky black hair hanging down past her shoulders, twin katanas slung from her obi.

This was Harumi Shirai, for whom the clan was named. Her husband, the Grandmaster of their clan, Kuai Liang was indisposed with new recruits, as was his younger brother Tomas.

She stayed with you, explaining the nuances of their clan and how open-minded they were to your situation. They offered to allow you to bring your comforts (which were admittedly few. You were a bit of a recluse out of necessity due to your powers.) to their compound if you accepted.

She was a beautiful woman, and her words and voice put your nerves at ease.

Of course, two days later. You accepted.

You found yourself in a bit of a culture shock, certainly. But true to Harumi's word, the Shirai Ryu were accepting of you in a way you never anticipated. Training with Kuai Liang allowed you to feel... normal. You'd never felt normal a day in your life. It was nice, to feel so in-place where you always were an enigma before.

Harumi and Kuai were very warm to you (pun intended!) as time went on and your skills flourished. You weren't one for combat, but you excelled in using your powers for defensive stances. When Harumi began teaching you to use her katanas (such an honor) she and Kuai were proud and impressed you used your flames now so effortlessly to ignite the blades without melting it.

To congratulate your progress, they had a custom blade made for you. You were honored that they accepted you so wholly and you found yourself wondering if you truly wanted to return to rural Montana after learning of all of the wonders you'd been blind to before.

What you never really realized though, was that Harumi and Kuai would often take time to spend with you, speak with you about things not related to the clan or your training.

Kuai would ask about your life, your hobbies. When you admitted you liked flowers, he gifted you two potted spider lilies.

Their alien appearance immediately enamored you, as you'd never seen them before, their bright scarlet colors catching the eye and brightening up your room.

And of course, with Harumi... She would join you in the baths. In Japan it was fairly common of course, just not as traditional as what was built in the Shirai Ryu compound.

You were never one for insecurities and Harumi loved that about you. In the baths you would talk about anything that would come to mind, and she would often find herself drawn to your hair, of all things. She adored touching it and putting the shampoo and conditioners in it for you, and combing it out. The color and feel of it beneath her fingers quickly became a favorite.

But despite all of this you were completely, frustratingly and blissfully unaware that Harumi and Kuai Liang were in fact romantically interested in you. Their little gestures were so obvious, it even had Tomas facepalming when nobody was looking because of how painful it was to watch you not even recognize their obvious intent to court you.

It became a topic of hushed gossip and side-betting amongst the clan, wondering who would crack first, or when--if ever--you realized what they were doing.

🔥🏵️🔥🏵️🔥🏵️🔥🏵️🔥🏵️

"I swear... She's so sweet... but so dense!" Harumi laughed, the back of her hand over her forehead as she laid on their bed.

Kuai Liang shook his head with a smile as he undid his robes, leaving his torso bare as he looked at his wife. He shared her humorous exasperation with your oblivious nature, but still found it endearing.

Kuai knelt on the bed and leaned over Harumi, giving her a soft kiss to her lips as she sunk her fingers in his dark hair, tugging it free of its tie; allowing the dark strands to fall around his face as he smiled down at her.

"Perhaps it is time we drop the subtlety, my love." Kuai said softly, resting on his elbow as he looked down at Harumi.

"Do you think we should?" She hummed, trailing her knuckles across his jawline, reaching up with her fingertips to gently trace the scar going down his face.

"I don't see why not. Otherwise we will be performing this dance for some time." He grinned.

"Kuai, what if she isn't interested?" Harumi sighed sadly, her brows raising in concern.

"Then we respect her wishes and accept her friendship instead. I would be glad for her companionship either way." He said simply.

Harumi's beautiful, Cupid's bow lips curled into a smile.

"You're right. Either way, having her close is a blessing. One we will accept no matter the context. We can speak with her in the morning."

🔥🏵️🔥🏵️🔥🏵️🔥🏵️🔥🏵️

You were standing beneath the sakura and plum blossom trees surrounding the sizeable pond in the compound. It was your favorite spot to be because it had the least traffic and the small bridge going over it was perfect for watching the koi as they danced beneath the water.

But your favorite place to sit was beneath the trees near the shoreline. Due mostly in part to the small flock of Mandarin ducks that called the compound home, the little feathery critters took a shine to you, especially after you nursed one of their flock back to health when her poor little leg got broken.

That and, well. They knew you had grapes at the ready, plus a small container of oats you'd feed them out of your hand.

The Mandarin ducks were the most gorgeous you'd ever seen; the males' colors were like a silky orchestra of hues and cute little plumages that admittedly looked a tad silly, but still looked beautiful. The females were lacking in the colors the males had, but you adored their little spots and speckles.

Oftentimes, you'd wind up with one of the younger males cuddled comfortably in your lap, tucking himself under his wings to nap on the silk of your robes while you stroked his feathers.

And it was here that Harumi and Kuai Liang found you, sitting beneath the trees, blossoms that had been shaken loose by the breeze falling around you like a beautiful rain as you fed the ducks from your palm, laughing to yourself as their little bills tickled your hand.

They stood there, merely watching for a few moments until Kuai nudged Harumi on, and they slowly made their way to you as a young female duck hopped into your lap, trying to snitch some extra snacks from you.

Their footsteps were light, to avoid frightening your feathery little companions as they closed on you.

Harumi spoke your name softly and you looked up with an abashed smile. "Oh! I would get up, but..." You looked done at the female water fowl in your lap, as she snuggled down, her tail feathers wiggling contentedly.

Kuai couldn't help but chuckle as he and Harumi sat next to you. The little birds seemed so fond of you. It was cute.

He slowly reached out to try and pet the female in your lap, but she puffed up and made a rather angry noise that plainly said "back off", which made you and Harumi giggle.

"It would seem your charm does not work on all women, my love." Harumi smirked.

"Yes, yes, that is painfully obvious." Kuai replied with a smile, shaking his head as the duck turned back around in your lap, accepting your soothing pets to her feathers.

"Is something the matter?" You ask them curiously.

Harumi and Kuai Liang exchange a long, silent glance which slightly concerns you.

"Kuai and I discussed something last night." Harumi told you.

"Okay..."

"And we both decided to ask you something." Kuai continues. "You understand the things we do for you? Not the training, but the smaller things."

"Like... My sword? And the flowers?" You say, your brows furrowing slowly.

"Yes." Harumi chuckles. "Do you understand why we did those things for you?"

You tilt your head. "To... be... nice?"

Harumi and Kuai chuckle together, grinning at one another at how sweetly oblivious you were. They look back at you and Kuai talks. "And you don't have any other inclination, dear? At all?"

Other inclination? What could--did he just call you dear? What could he be talking...

Your eyes get big and you cover your mouth in sheer horror, your face flushing in embarrassment as you awkwardly look away.

"Oh."

Harumi giggles and has to cover her mouth and cough to chase it away, Kuai Liang merely shakes his head and chuckles softly.

"We've been trying to court you. You're a wonderful person, an amazing woman." Harumi says, giving you a soft look. "We've both been rather... Smitten with you, as of late. We'd hoped you'd realize what our intentions were on your own, but..."

You cover your face and make an embarrassed squeak. "Oh, my god..."

"However." Kuai Liang said, holding his hands up. "We both agreed last night that if you do not reciprocate, we will still gladly accept your friendship."

Your hands drop and you look at them, the surprise evident on your face as you watch Harumi smile at you, her hand slipping into Kuai's.

"We hold nothing but respect for whatever decision you shall make." She told you.

You couldn't believe it. It just seemed so unreal..so unreal that these two amazingly strong, wonderful, beautiful people took a look at you and decided that they wanted you?

You. Of all the people they could possibly pick? A little country bumpkin from Montana?

You look down, petting your little duck friend as she contentedly snuggled you, a couple of her flock-mates snuggling your left thigh.

You close your eyes and take a deep breath.

"...I... I'm open to trying?" You finally say, giving them a shy smile.

Harumi and Kuai's tense postures dropped as they both smiled widely, and Harumi leaned in to kiss your cheek happily.

"We will do our best to prove everything we mean to you." She swears.

Kuai Liang moves towards you and leans in to do the same, his hand brushing your cheek. "We will do everything--"

He was cut off by the female duck in your lap turning around, her tail wiggling and her feathers fluffing up as she opens her mouth and makes more angry noises, making Kuai lean away from you before she is angered any further.

"Ah... The only woman you cannot charm!" Harumi teased as the two of you broke out laughing; whilst Kuai was still unable to give you the small display of affection his wife had given you, all because of the feathered menace that took residence in your comfy lap.

He merely glared at the offensive little bird in your lap as she snuggled back down, staring Kuai back right in the eye as if to say "try me".

[fanatical4creation]

INVERTED!Poppy!!!

Finally made her up, I was just putting it off and putting off designing her but then I took my pen, my new laptop and drew it, now look at her!!!

Alright let's start shall we?

Design:

"OMG FANATICAL WHY DOES POPPY LOOKS LIKE A FRISK-" Shhhhh, you need to calm down, i'll explain everything;

Alright, bare with me: The original Poppy mentions in an animation, that she's talking to her therapist, that people usually thinks she's a Chara, but she's none! And I think, I theorize, I suppose that the reason why she looks like a Chara is bc an Frisk was drawing her (you know her lore?), so supposing that the whole concept of Invertedverse is that the original universe Underswap, that Frisk who drew her is an Chara, so if the Frisk drew a Chara in the original, here the Frisk that is now a Chara would draw a Frisk....... so, that's the logic here.;

Even though Poppy is still not a Frisk nor a Chara, but I don't think I translated that into her design, maybe I'll redo it sometime.

Her clothings are intriguing. It's her original teenage/adult clothings but with some green and a purple cloak or cape, whatever that is. This cloak represents her importance inside OmegaTimeline, that reminds me;

View from back Ω:

Made it with wind because it's cool, plus, her silhouette is cool too

Story:

Core was the "ruler" of Omega Timeline, everyone would look for them when there was a problem and needed help, everybody trusted them, but they put Poppy on their place... Core is a very mischievous character, no one really knows why they put Poppy in charge.

Omega citizens theorize that the reason is because Core was lazy, or that they didn't like the attention, or maybe they wanted to focus fully on recruting people, even thought after Poppy got in charge Core was rarely seen interacting with people and also the numbers of new survivors to get to the OT decreased.

Poppy tries her best to help remain peace within Omega Timeline, even if it requires all of her energies, thought she could really use some help, she thinks that the reason why her parent is more absent while she was in charge was because they knew she could everything alone, and that she should do it.

She doesn't have many friends, and the old ones got far away because she's too busy working signing papers, solving problems, financing projects, etc, etc.

Character:

She suffers. That's the truth, she just needs a vacation and a hug from her girlfriend.

She doesn't like parties... just thought it was important to mention.

Poppy doesn't like her parent, almost hates them even, they seem so irresponsible, imature and a coward, after just letting their daughter in charge of a (practically) country in surprise, it's expected for her to feel that way

Poppy has to be the clueless character in the whole Invertedverse, the reason is that she's so busy at work, or too busy being tired, and she usually gets information on what's going on from Core, but Core have been very silent lately, wonder why...

She has the hobby of playing board games, dancing and origamis!

She likes to cook more for others than herself

Sometimes she would visit the Madame T's orphanage, mainly to see Cadence and her friends, but also to donate and all of that things famous ppl do in orphanages idk.

Even thought she does a lot of hard work sometimes she'd take credit over someone elses work unintentionally, i mean, she's kind of the president.

She can't lie, like literally, maybe it's just her morals, or maybe it's a supernatural force idk.

She also keeps taping her fingers in hard surfaces all the time, I think it's anxiety.

Oh yeah, her full name is still Poppy Marusina, but she can also be called Iris Marusina, or maybe I'll change that to her original name, idk

Poppy (c) fmsdraws

[ahedderick]

A little while ago I read a post about an autistic person who had initially been misdiagnosed as bipolar. Of course, at this point I no longer remember WHO posted it, for which I apologize, but it went into detail about symptoms that overlap and how the initial mistake was made. There was also mention of autism being misdiagnosed as OCD. I read that, reflected on it, and then, suddenly,

BOOM!

Oh. my god. Backstory; both my son and I have been diagnosed as adhd, and that clearly comes from my father, who was born in 1938. However, Son and I have also looked at adult autism diagnosis criteria and, while neither of us wants to take the time to get a formal diagnosis . . it definitely seems that we both have that as well. For example, my score on a checklist was, iirc, 140 out of a possible 165. With 80+ being considered highly probable for autism. And, if true . . where did that come from?

Well. Sometime in the 1960s my mother was diagnosed as OCD based on the diagnostic criteria of the time (which are different now, of course). Not that she received any treatment other than "just Don't Do That, Then!" But, still, it was something she knew, or thought she knew, about herself.

Let's look at her, for a moment.

Could not stand for wind to touch her. Very choosy about the type of fabrics she would wear. One single hair touching her 'wrong' ie one of my shed hairs getting on her, put her into a State. Could get so invested in new hobbies that she could barely stand to put them down. Rabid reader. Extreme interest in math and physics. Kept, as much as possible, that same hairstyle and clothing styles life-long. She wasn't harshly critical of other people, she just "Had Standards." Everything had to be a certain way Or Else. Certain sounds made her frantic (such as someone normally whistling a tune).

Looking at all of that (and more) from a current perspective, it looks very much like the current understanding of autism. She passed away in 2002. This is all just my own reflections, but . . it certainly blew me away when I made the connection. And it's a cogent argument for the "why are there so many more autistic kids now" question. They were always here. But nobody knew. Just odd, weird, eccentric, she's-just-like-that.

[bigtreefest]

Chapter 2: Cooks in the Kitchen

From: The Rainmaker Series

Pairing: Mob! Steve x Forensic Scientist! Reader

Summary: Everyone hates a backseat driver. And a surprise guest when you’re not at your best.

Word count: 3,234

Content/warnings: TW: dead body and all you would expect in forensic science, I tried to make this not graphic, mentions of bruising, mentions of torture and abuse, sassy and borderline mean reader, awkward Steve who overthinks, reluctant? flirting, allusions to and mentions of murder

Author’s Note: For my dearly beloved @krirebr please know that you’re loved and appreciated by us all. I hope this helps, just a little bit. (Extra angsty, hopefully to your tastes)😘

What I’m gonna say is Decks seems very on edge compared to how she was before. Her guard came up out of ‘nowhere?’ Hm, that’s weird… or is it?

Anyway, these are Loupe glasses, if you’re wondering. They let you see tiny things up close and at a better angle.

Comments, reblogs, asks, and any feedback is so welcome and appreciated. Thank you for reading!

Dividers by @firefly-graphics

< Prev | Series Masterlist | Next >

After your weekend at the farm, Steve drove you home to return to your normal life. As much as you loved being out in the country, city life was definitely more your speed. You immediately went back to work and were happy to keep your busy routine going. Sure, a weekend away from screens and solvents was a breath of fresh air, but this was where you thrived.

Despite the way there were new, more outlandish cases to deal with, the days were surprisingly routine. Come in, visit a crime scene, run some tests, go home, do it again. You lived for that sort of zen. The detachment of simply putting your head down and getting to work was what you were used to, and then once you were home, it was like a sanctuary. You could lounge, pick up another hobby out of the thousand you’d already started, and crawl into your fresh sheets.

It’s not like you were entirely a hermit, though. You got along with your coworkers and would commonly joke around with them, but first and foremost, you were a proper worker, doing your job. When something really needed done, you’d lock down in the lab, music blasting, and crank out results.

Steve was the same way. He tried to keep his days as routine as possible, despite the way work brought something new everyday. Rival gangs needed monitored and law people needed bribed. Shipments and production needed to be kept on a tight schedule and up to pace with increasing demand.

There wasn’t much time for it, but he’d found certain images and memories start to take hold in his mind. They were different from the grade school ones of Bucky, or his times learning the ropes of his trade, or the first suit he’d ever worn. They were new, they were…warm? Lacked that same rigidity? They were of you. Driving his car effortlessly, petting a baby goat as it bleated happily, teaching him to dance…small, little moments that he couldn’t let go of, but he didn’t have time to replay enough.

He did his best to stay proper in his business dealings. Steve was known for his gentlemanly demeanor, truly a golden boy of the underground, or…at least as much of one as an individual could be given the legality loopholes he was constantly trying to jump through.

On the outside, he was smooth as a beach. Fluid with the crashes of waves this industry threw at him. He’d gotten good at rolling with the punches without a single blond hair out of place. But inside? It was a hurricane. The wind raged and echoed in his ears, putting him on edge. It was sensory overload.

Everyday, he found his attention wanting to wander more and more to that simpler time, not romanticizing it for the lack of pressing responsibility, but for the fact he spent genuine moments with someone who was unlike those in his world. Unlike the men so obsessed with maintaining their place on top or squashing others to get there. They were all about the money, but you were working for the people, and for the betterment of the city. To solve cases and give peace to families. And Steve knew he was all too often on the other side of that, even if he prided himself on only taking out the worst of the worst. The ones who deserved it. They were the ones endangering women and children, who to him, were the distastefully vulnerable and undeserving of wrath, despite the fates they were met with from the awful men Steve rid the world of. He wasn’t breaking his set of morals and rules, he was just breaking the law sometimes. Steve was a good man, he just happened to make his living doing bad things.

He didn’t have time to reflect on that right now, though. Things had seriously picked up in recent weeks. Bucky was soon to return, but it didn’t help that Steve felt like Lloyd was unrelentingly on their asses. Leading the organization when it came to the normal stuff was fine, but the extra protections Bucky was making him run, along with the extensive research and monitoring was already taking its toll. Steve was used to a lack of sleep, he basically lived on adrenaline and black coffee, but another night where he was fielding calls and sending out directives without a wink was causing his emotional guard to fall.

It was early morning as Steve sat at his desk. He’d ordered Sam to head out hours ago, but as the sun was cresting over the horizon, not even that searing glow could keep Steve’s tired mind at bay. The levees against the flood were weakened beyond belief. The hurricane was about to make landfall.

Just then, the phone rang. It was one of his contacts down at the police station. That wasn’t new, but the specific news was and Steve wanted to be there in person to get every bit of information he could... and perhaps catch a glimpse at the one person who could scratch that new itch in his brain. Maybe, finally, at least he could catch a nap in the car, as Steve called Gio to drive him over.

Over the couple weeks you’ve been back, you couldn’t help the way your mind wandered constantly, either. Even your favorite playlist couldn’t keep you on track, so you opted for silence, the scenes replaying of your time on the farm doing plenty to help you block out your surroundings.

You were working on a particularly difficult case currently. There was no time for distractions. The overcast sky just added to the ambiance of the feeling that something unusual was looming over you. You pulled yourself out of your thoughts, along with the keys from the ignition, and took a deep breath, letting it out sharply to get yourself ready. When you’d gotten out of the SUV and to the crime scene, Detective Lang greeted you.

“So I’ve got good news and bad news. Which do you want first?”

He guided you along the River walk and down the rocky shore where a victim laid, waves still lapping over her feet as photographers and cops gathered around the scene, surveying it for evidence. A small crowd had gathered along the pathway, held back by barricades and uniformed officers. At least you were here before the news crews.

“Bad news first, always. You know that.” You spoke with a purpose, slipping on your gloves after pushing up the sleeves of your department-issued windbreaker and cuffing your pants so they wouldn’t get wet.

“So far, looks like it was blunt force trauma with a side of torture. Very little evidence to go off of, especially considering there are no open wounds and the tools used for this kinda thing could be in any household.”

You crouched down by the body and immediately took note of the bruising. You hummed in acknowledgement and looked back up at the detective, his head framed by the cloudy, gray sky, the rising sun now hidden. Fitting for a tragedy like this. A woman your age subjected to that sort of an ending…

“And the good news?”

He sighed, looking up at the sky, hands on his hips, before he dropped his head back down towards you.

He winced. “Body’s fresh? Disposal doesn’t appear very well thought-out.”

You nodded and looked around for any piece of evidence that hadn’t washed away. He was right, it was gonna be difficult to pull many testable elements.

“Well, I’ll do the usual work-up, then, and let you know when you’re good to get everything over to the medical examiner.”

He curtly nodded and turned on his heel to speak with the witnesses before you began to pull out your kit, swabbing for anything of note.

After you finished collecting everything you could, you carefully slipped back through the background and away from the slew of reporters now blanketing the scene. Ugh, you hated those block heads. Especially Lucas Bell, the weird little ray of sunshine you went to school with growing up. For some reason, he thought the two of you were actually friends, despite never having even given him the signal you appreciated his presence. The worst part: you could tell he wasn’t hitting on you. He would genuinely seek you out at crime scenes, that gross happy smile on his face, calling you by the birth name almost no one used anymore in favor of your college nickname. Every time, it was, “hey, remember me, old pal? Great to see you! Any information you’re willing to share?” Who the hell was so chipper when their job was literally to report tragedies?

You bobbled your head as you mocked him to yourself and got back into your work SUV. Ugh, you hated that guy. And all the other reporters. You didn’t wanna be on camera. What if you wanted to work for the FBI one day? Huh? What then? Can’t have your face out there all willy nilly and then expect to be doing covert ops. Nope. You prepared to race back to the precinct, ready to drown yourself in an afternoon of attempting to suck evidence out of a cotton swab caked in river grime and essentially, air, if you could count that as evidence.

You drove back through the pouring rain. Another thing to be annoyed by. First, the longing for your simple weekend once again, then the intrusive thoughts about annoying little reporters, and now, the near-flooding on the roads. You could hear her in your head now, Bee saying “rain makes corn. It’s a good thing.” You rolled your eyes, to be honest, you liked the rainy atmosphere, but you know what rain also makes? Bad drivers. At this point, it was just best to get back to the lab, buckle down, and stay there, where no one could possibly bother you.

You were hours in to your intensive testing. Your spectrometry readings gave the smallest peaks, hard to say if the readings actually were something or just background noise. You were happy to put in the time, but something just felt…off. It was infuriating and not helping your mood, but you tried your best to keep it separated from work. It wasn’t perfect, but it was your best. Another small thing going wrong could push you over the edge, though.

You opted to just look at a small fabric sample, deciphering if there truly was some thread of note caught in the weave. You just needed to concentrate and you knew you could find something. You were purely focused and zoomed in, using your Loupe glasses, paired with several lamps overhead, with the highest hopes of even a shred of confirma-

“Decks? More like Specks.”

The sudden voice that echoed through the lab startled you, causing your head to shoot up and bump against one of the metal lamps.

“Ow!” At that same time, the forceps and piece of fabric flew out of your hands and onto the floor. It didn’t help that you knocked into your instrument tray on the way, sending all those onto the floor, as well.

Great, now you had to go to the stock room to find a new package of sterile ones. This was the last set left in the lab. You looked up from where you watched the evidence fall, rubbing your forehead with the back of your gloved hand, eyes narrow at the business man in a suit who was previously leaned against your doorway, now tentatively walking towards you to crouch on the ground.

“Steve, what the hell?” You trailed off for a second. “You and Bee really do have the same sense of humor. I thought she just told me that as a selling point.” It came out as an irritated growl. You rolled your eyes as you squatted down to start cleaning your mess.

Steve laughed. Selling point? Bee talked to you about him? And tried to make him appealing? He wasn’t sure why, but he felt a certain warmth in his stomach at that. He pushed it down as much as he could. Either way, he truly did get along well with her.

“Well you know what they say, birds of a feather and all.” He joined you near the floor after having grabbed a glove, picking up some stray instruments and placing them back in the metal holding tray.

You muttered lowly as you finally stood up and turned away from him, after grabbing the fabric off the floor gingerly and placing it in a plastic protective case. “More like wasps of a stinger.”

Steve disposed of his gloves and looked over the results on your computer. You quickly hit the keys to lock the screen, sure to cast him a nasty glare. The last thing you needed was to get accused of leaking evidence.

What was he doing here, anyway? With those broad shoulders and that skinny waist. What did he even need shoulders that big for? How did he even shop for clothes? You swear his waist was literally the same circumference as your thigh. They don’t carry stuff like that in department stores.

Steve looked at you with a confused glance as you removed your gloves and washed your hands. There was a hint of humor in his voice, but it was mostly filled with caution at your attitude.

“Um, I don’t really shop for clothes? I’ve got a tailor. He’s pretty good.”

After your hands were dry, you facepalmed harder than ever before. You couldn’t believe you said that out loud. Maybe you did need to interact with more people outside of work. You were too comfortable talking to yourself. You took a deep breath before turning around and looking at Steve again. His face now mostly held tentative kindness, and that was a nice change to the anger that was sitting in your belly all day today. You still couldn’t help what you spat back, though.

“You have a tailor? In this economy? Of course you do…rich prick.” The last part was grumbled under your breath, but Steve still caught it. Where was this hostility coming from? He thought the two of you had gotten along great before. What changed?

Steve’s hurt caused him to fire back, albeit much nicer than you had. “You’re calling me rich? Decks, I’ve seen your apartment, it’s nice. Especially for this city. Way nicer than my first place.”

First off, what was that supposed to mean? You were still suspicious about exactly what Steve and Bucky did for a living. You knew they made a lot of money. Steve wore designer suits, if he could help it, and you assumed Bucky did, as well, but what business did they have being this built?

You let go of that, though, wanting to just get back to work after the disturbance, but why had you been disturbed in the first place?

“Steven, what are you doing in my lab?”

He was taken aback. Woah, full names. He knew your full name, but didn’t dare to find out what would become of him if he used it. It didn’t seem like many did. He wanted to go about this the right way. He didn’t want abuse his delicate position as a friend of a friend when you were so close to the law…yet.

He stood upright and pressed his shoulders back. Right, he was here on business. He had to remember that. It wasn’t a personal call and he had to stay professional.

“I was actually meeting with Scott, er, Detective Lang. He called me about the new case that came in this morning.”

You nodded slowly. “You knew her?”

Why did that make you nervous? Of course Steve knew women, like, duh, but something burning rose in your chest in anticipation of his response. Why did you care? You didn’t even want him here. Right?

He shook his head lightly. “No…well, sort of? She was an employee of one of my businesses. A salon.”

One of his businesses, of course. A salon was…interesting… but you guessed not out of the question with how perfect his stupid perfect hair always was. Whatever, just because he was here for some questioning, doesn’t mean he had to pay you a visit.

“Okay…so why did you come in here?”

You looked up at him from the odds and ends you were shuffling around your work bench out of nervousness.

“I actually wanted to see you, maybe help out a little?”

You eyed him skeptically, ignoring the way your chest sent a tingle down towards your fingertips. “You know when someone offers to keep close to a case like that, it usually means they had something to do with it, right?”

Steve put his hands up in surrender. “I swear this wasn’t me. I just genuinely care for my employees. Did you check under the fingernails? Maybe there was some DNA there or something?”

Your gaze became even more burning towards him. “Yes, Steven. I checked under the nails. That’s like, the first thing you do in cases like this. But why would you know that, anyway? And how can you say you care so much about your employees if you didn’t even know the girl?”

He rubbed the back of his neck. He was usually much smoother than this. How did you intimidate him so much so suddenly. Oh no…Is that where the name ‘Decks’ came from? Were you gonna hit him? Deck him? Did you have a pension for beating guys up? If he made a wrong move, would you literally punch him? Give him a black eye? Sure, much worse had happened to him before, but he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to emotionally recover if the damage came from you.

Either way, Steve didn’t want to find out, so he continued quite cautiously and uncomfortable within your domain, lacking the confidence that came so easily to him in all his usual business dealings and the quasi-leadership role he found himself in.

“I um…I watch a lot of CSI shows?” He hoped that was believable, but he knew it came out like a squeak, almost. He may as well be a little kid losing fights in a back alley again. He cleared his throat in an attempt to get his voice back to normal. “I do care for my employees, though. And my reputation, and the ability to make sure nothing like this happens again to anyone involved with me.”

You sighed at that. You can understand the want to prevent future disasters, especially when it came to someone working so low at the bottom of the food chain for such a major company. As you slipped your Loupe glasses back on and readjusted your lamps, you gestured for Steve to take a seat in your computer chair while you moved to a stool by the lab bench.

“Okay, fine. I’ll let you hang around, but don’t tell me how to do my job.”

You couldn’t help the way the corner of your lip turned up, just out of Steve’s sight, as he strutted over and plopped down into the rolly chair, watching you with a smile and his fingers laced behind his head.

Next >

Bonus A/N: I’m very excited for what’s going to grow between Steve and Decks. She’s a lil independent thing and he’s just so “idk what to do bc I’m supposed to be in control but I’m doing everything on her terms” and I love it. Lmk what you think!!!

Series Taglist:

@evie-119

[thatsatricky1]

𝐍𝐞𝐰𝐛𝐢𝐞

Y/n’s friend group profiles

𝐊𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐚:

Majoring in art was always the path Karina had thought she’d take, even her parents knew this since she was a kid. Their white wallpaper having been a great example of that when they’d left her alone with a set of wax crayons. Even with her ‘soft’ personality she won’t hesitate in putting someone in their place when they are in the wrong, in either the bluntest way possible or a long winded word document with references and converting it into a PDF file just to get her point across. If someone is looking for a hardcore reality check they should book an appointment with Karina who would have no problem doing so.

𝐆𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞:

She was the one who formed their friend group, easily pushing the others together without them realising until a few years down the road. Originally Giselle kept changing what she wanted to do later on in life every other week but during the end of high school she realised her potential in art would be a waste if she didn’t pursue it, so she did. There wasn’t usually a moment outside where you wouldn’t see her dragging one of her friends around preferring being with at least one person than rather being alone. Even if it was a one man job she’d have Winter handing her paint tubes while she squeezed them onto her art pallet.

𝐘/𝐧:

Since Y/n could pick up a pencil she was sketching, even in high school her pages consisted more of doodles than actual work done. For many people it was obvious she’d take a future path in something to do with art. However with her parents in the mix that wouldn’t be the case. The couple making it their mission to get their child to do something that would lead to a more ‘comfortable life’. Obviously she wasn’t happy going down an academic path in business and would rather be doing something she enjoyed but due to pressure and constant guilt tripping she decided on that major. For now she would satisfy her parents and get through her degree in business while keeping art as a side hobby. That didn’t mean she’d allow herself to be stuck later on in life at a desk tying away in a 9 to 5 job. If she wasn’t stuck on Neo Tech campus she used the time to be with her friends. Whether to hang out with them or help them with their art assignments (Mainly Winter at some ungodly hour of night).

𝐖𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫:

If you think you saw Winter, you probably did. She was always up to something, somewhere not taking much time to sit down when she could be doing anything that came to her mind in that moment. Why sit when you could be walking to a convenience store with Giselle at 11 pm at night to taste the new flavour of popsicles that just came out. When it came to majoring in art she wore an apron even when sketching due to her always somehow getting messy, her friend group already dreading when anything messy was involved, especially pottery. Winter had a habit of procrastination when it came to projects and assignments so it wasn’t odd seeing her up at 3 in the morning trying to finish a project that was due in a few hours.

𝐍𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠:

Ningning hadn’t always been the most creative person in life only finding her love for it when she was leaving high school, quickly emerging herself in the natural talent she had for art by getting into University with an art portfolio that she’d made in two months. She tries her hardest when it comes to learning new art methods usually getting the hang of them fast but only due to the amount of time she learned privately away from any seeing eyes. If there was a person who held grudges it was Ningning, her biggest being her fine arts professor and her red marker pen that should be kept ten metered away from Ningning’s freshly painted canvas. If she could marry caffeine she would.

𝐓𝐚𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭: @strrykais @chenlesfavorite @dudekiss3r @strawberrysavi @nislost @polarisjisung @nattan127 @rotinyzen @wonyoungmywife @snflwrhaerecs4u @thegreenlynx @serinebsblog @delululi @molensworld @morkiee @marvelahsobx @kaciebello @kgneptun @bluedbliss @haechansbbg @officiallyjaehyuns @bunnychui

𝐍𝐞𝐰𝐛𝐢𝐞 | l.jn smau masterlist:

Click here

[yallthemwitches]

Catch the Wind, Ch. 9: Everything Else

We've made it to 7th year folks! You know what that means (nsfw))

It's this heatwave hitting France right now, your honor. It forced me to write this.

AO3 Link (Please feel free to write a review! I read every one of them and it means a lot to get feedback!) https://archiveofourown.org/works/57047455/chapters/147217729

The letter had come two weeks after James found his way into Cokeworth.

“I’m Head Girl," Lily announced. Marlene, who was smoking a cigarette in front of the television, let out a groan. 

“Oh fuck off with that surprised tone.” She took a drag. “We all knew it was no competition.” 

Lily looked down at the piece of paper. Dumbledore’s purple script gleamed up alongside a golden plated badge. 

“He made a muggleborn the Head Girl,” Lily said.  Marlene threw Lily a dirty look. 

“No, you pisser. He made you Head Girl because you deserve it. I don’t think Dumbledore would play the identity politics game on this one.”

Marlene lit another cigarette and changed the channel. “Who’s the lucky lad, then? Bet it's Lupin—can you imagine Potter and Blacks’ joy if he gets crowned?”

Lily stiffened at the mention of James. They hadn’t really conversed much since his visit, but she repeated his words in her head almost a thousand times since he had said them. If I let you touch me, I will fall in love with you.

Despite Lily not knowing what she wanted from the situation with him, it didn’t stop her from fantasizing. How many nights now had she woken up with her hand wet between her legs, thinking about his mouth agape and panting—not even realizing she had started to work on herself in her sleep. The worst was when his smell was still lingering on her pillows the few days after he left. It’s bad enough to fantasize, but to be able to smell him too… It felt childish and embarrassing—and very much like she needed to find a hobby. 

“Oooh, what if it’s Sykes? I hear that boy is right randy for—” Lily used her foot to push Marlene’s side.

“Don’t be disgusting,” she said to her but meant it also to dispel the thoughts of James that had creeped up from his name. 

“I’m just saying, you could really use this opportunity—”

Lily smacked Marlene’s head with the paper. 

Lily’s mum drove them both to the station. Lily felt anxious and fidgeted in her seat. The silence between her and James after he left that day wasn’t supposed to be insidious—but it felt like an impasse. She wasn’t ready to be anything more than lovers and he—well….

He had been so soft, so loving at her house. It was the first time she had ever seen him truly unsure of himself. Just the thought of him, kneeling on her bed whispering affirmations in her ear while they encouraged each other made her feel like her chest was expanding with air. She hoped their silence in the past two weeks was meant to just give them some time for reflection— not misconstrued into rejection. 

Lily and Marlene said their goodbyes to Mrs. Evans and trudged up the steps of the train. Finding a compartment, they plopped down and Marlene immediately pulled a package of cigarettes from her back pocket.

“Still no word on the Head Bloke?” 

“You know as much as I do,” Lily sighed. She looked out the window. A head of untidy hair started to pass in the distance and her heart flipped. James loped his way through the crowd with his trunk, side by side with Sirius. He laughed at something and ran his hand through his hair. He was out of eyesight as fast as he appeared. 

Lily felt like a bucket of water had been poured on her. How is it possible to want someone and not want them all at once. 

The train moved out of the station and towards Hogwarts. The girls chatted while Lily scribbled some notes down on a spare bit of parchment. Her first prefect meeting was right as they got to the school. It wasn’t ideal that she didn’t know her partner, but she wanted to be prepared all the same. 

There was a loud knock. The door slid open and Lily’s heart nearly gave out. 

James stood in the doorway with a hand already in his hair. 

“Alright Evans? You have a good summer?”  If it weren’t for the flood of memories, she could have almost convinced herself there was nothing going on between them. 

“Could we chat for a second?” He tapped his fingers on the door.

Marlene eyed him warily. “What do you have to say Potter?The floor is yours.”

“Hi to you too, McKinnon. Sorry, but I’m afraid the conversation is for redhead’s ears only.”

Marlene scoffed. The girls both looked at him. 

“Please?” He whined dramatically. 

Lily stood up. “Alright, I’ll bite.” Marlene gave Lily a warning look. 

“Famous last words.” She smirked as Lily left the compartment.

James didn’t turn around. He walked her near the back of the train where there was an empty compartment and ushered her in. So far, he was not offering any warm welcomes that would be expected from someone who snogged you just weeks ago. 

He closed the compartment door with a click and turned to her. They stared at each other for a long while. How many times had she thought of his face since she had last seen him? She replayed his hooded expression; eyes transfixed on the work his hands were doing, lost in their own world between ecstasy and determination. Standing here now, his eyes were full and glassy. He shifted his feet a bit and looked everywhere around the tiny compartment but at her. 

“It’s nice to see you again.” He offered. It seemed like a wide understatement on his part. The compartment was small, but Lily felt as though it was shrinking. The air was being sucked out the longer they stood there. James contracted his hand at his side.

“Look–I’ll just say it,” He started in, “I’m sorry I didn’t write after seeing you. I worked really hard to get here—for us to be mates—it was good really, to deflate a bit..” Lily’s brain was flooding. What is he doing right now? 

“It might not look like much to you, but I really tried–I am trying. To be a good mate…for you.” He was stumbling on his words. Lily tried to act calm, but all she could think of were the thousand main points he could be babbling to get towards.

“I really had a good time at your place. Merlin, saying good is such an understatement—but…” He paused, then looked at her dead in the eyes.

“I can’t be physical with you—anymore.” He might as well have slapped her. 

“Was I that bad of a dance partner last year?” She had wanted to lighten the mood but his stare was solid and dark. 

“We can’t do this anymore because I’ll fall in love with you— I really meant it when I said it last time and now that I’ve had time to think, I know it's true.” She hadn’t expected to hear him say it again. A clawing started to rise in her stomach. 

“And if I fall in love with you, you’ll take the piss out of me like you always do—and vice versa—--and I won’t  be able to survive it.”

She was hearing his words; heard every single bit loud and clear. But she could only focus on his eyes which had only gotten darker as he spoke. They were getting more wild by the second, his hands were balling and contracting at his sides. 

“You know, I’ve been bloody going along with this secret—like fuck—I even kept it from Sirius. Sirius. That git knows everything about me, you realize that?”

To someone looking in, it could have been mistaken for anger. He started rolling up his sleeves; eyes darting around the room. 

“And then you tell me that I don’t want to be in love with you? What kind of self-deprecating sodding shit, is that? How could I not. I mean look at you.”

She couldn’t cut him off if she wanted. He was out of control; completely spiraling. His eyes were getting wider and his breath was becoming more shallow. It was clear that the words he was saying were just words. Any words. They weren’t meant to convince her. They were for himself. 

Jesus fuck he’s reconsidering.

James took a beat. His breathing quick and shallow. She had seen this look before in deserted corridors, hidden alcoves, and most recently in her own bedroom. It was all very obvious now. Her body felt a dull ache for the inevitable. 

 “I want to shag you. So badly.” The minute he said it, the air left the room.

“Yeah, me too.” She was matter of fact. Nothing could be more clear. 

His eyes were blown out, looking beyond her physical form and into the deepest part of her. He nodded, completely detached from his body. 

“Yeah, ok.”

He was on her. It wasn’t like back at Cokeworth, where cautious soft touches explored each other’s bodies. He practically clawed at her, taking her chin forcefully into his hand and smashing their mouths together all while wrenching her lips apart with his tongue. His hands made no preamble to slip under her shirt and onto her breasts, teasing at her nipple and making them stand on end. She was not much different: her hands flung to his belt and started to undo the clasp without any interference on his part. He slammed her body against the window of the compartment but not before deftly shooting his hand upwards to pull the curtains down behind them. His mouth moved to her neck, suctioning itself until she could feel her blood caplets burst just underneath the skin. He removed his hands from under her shirt and grabbed both of her thighs hard, pushing up her skirt so he could see her knickers underneath. 

Fuck—shit—fuck. He kept pouring out expletives, he was gone—a complete mad man. Before Lily could slide her hand into his underpants, He fell to his knees in front of her, using leverage on her thighs to push her back harder against the window. He pulled one of her thighs up over his shoulder.

He paused, staring intently right at the center of her which was guarded only by some very moist knickers. He was heaving, his glasses askew on his face.

“I could die right now. Evans, you could kill me this second and I’d be so happy. Holy merlin fuck you are everything I’ve ever wanted.”

Lily looked down at him, lips swollen and panting as well. She could feel his breath on her skin. She didn’t respond—even if she could, she wouldn’t know what to say. Her body was on fire. She’d do anything he asked as long as he put his mouth on her. 

He kissed her inner thigh, above the lining of her knickers, then the front of her pelvic bone. She let out a loud gasp, before clasping her hand over her mouth. They had not used a silencing charm.

He wrapped his arm around her elevated leg that was resting on his shoulder and looked at her. His eyes were practically quivering as he used his forefinger to push aside her knickers, and she finally felt his breath fully on her center. He did not break eye contact as he lowered his mouth and kissed her. 

It sent a shock through her. She used one hand to keep her balance against the window but ran the other one through his hair, pushing his mouth farther into her as his tongue started making small patterns. He made little noises into her—groaning and gasping almost as much as she was from his work. His other hand slipped up and down her leg softly. 

Potter. James—oh my god. She didn’t know anything could feel like this. His hand had already been incomparable to anything she could do on her own, but now to have him under her, she felt like her soul was going to detach from her body.  

“I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you coming at your house. It haunts me,” he breathed into her. “I want to see you come again—oh fuck Evans please. I’ll do whatever you want.

She took the invitation. She yanked his hair, and he looked at her quizzically. 

“You told me we were going to shag, Potter.”

His pupils dilated. She moved her leg off of his shoulder, now wrapping it loosely around his waist. He stood back up and caught her mouth. His lips were wet with her own taste. He groaned and instinctively bucked his hips upwards, realizing she could taste herself on him. Fuck Evans.

The train halted. A whistle blew and a distant yell wafted into the compartment. “First years follow me!”

They had arrived. 

The spell broke. Now able to take stock of the situation, the compartment was heady and faintly damp. 

James moved first. Pulling himself off of her, and turning around. He looked up to the ceiling with his hands on his face and made a guttural noise before starting to button up his pants. Lily attempted to smooth her hair, knowing full well she definitely looked and smelled like she had been up to no good. 

“I’m sorry—I have to get to the prefect’s meeting,” she gasped out. 

She could hear students streaming past the door of the compartment. This was not how she had imagined her first day as Head Girl.  

James whipped his head around the compartment a few times before spotting what Lily had thought was a discarded cloak. He picked it up and handed it to her. 

“Here, put this over you as you leave—just trust me. I’m an idiot for not silencing the room—don’t want the Head Girl starting the year with a scandal.”

She looked at him with a furrowed brow, but didn’t have time to question his offer. 

“Potter—I,” There were a billion things to ask him. What did he expect of her now—now that they had at least attempted to shag? Were they going to continue whatever this was? Or was he going to regret all of this once he found out that she was no less confused about what she wanted than before Summer holiday. 

He cut her off. “You can give it back next time.” Next time. So that was at least half an answer to something. 

She threw the cloak over her head, through the small mirror on the wall she saw her reflection disappear. She gasped. 

“How do you—”

“For Merlin’s sake Evans, go. Or I'll lock us back in here.” She looked at him. He couldn’t see her staring, but she saw the pure wanting in his eyes. He looked in pain; completely tortured. 

She opened the compartment door and rushed her way towards her trunks on the back end of the train.

______________________________________________________________________

When she got to McGonagall's classroom, it looked like most everyone was assembled. Remus sat at the front, tapping a cigarette on his knee. At the sight of Lily rushing in, he raised his eyebrows.

“Welcome back, Head Girl.” He stood up in greeting and she gave him a small chaste kiss on the cheek. 

“Ah, fuck Remus. I’m so sodding stupid—I didn’t mean to be late. Did I miss anything?”

Remus shook his head. “Lily, take a breath–do you know you're sweating? Not to be rude or anything—” 

For the first time, Lily looked down at herself. Despite trying to look more presentable, she had clearly broken a sweat between her encounter with James and booking it to the classroom. 

“Don’t worry about it—it’s been one of those days.” Remus nodded. 

“I get that.”

Lily looked down at his chest. A plain prefect insignia was emblazoned on his jumper. 

“It's not you.” She gasped. Remus chuckled, looking down to realize what she was referring too.

“Nope, no. I couldn’t be as lucky, I’m afraid.”

“Then who—” Remus gave her a quizzical look. Then his brow furrowed. 

“Wait, Lily, you’re telling me you don’t know?”

The door slammed open. McGonnagall looked up from the crowd of students and made a dramatic sigh. 

“Thank you for finally joining us Mr. Potter. I know you are new to these things but being Head Boy means you need to learn some punctuality at least.”

Lily felt the whole world crack apart. James walked quickly up to the group. His hair was just as bad as she had left it and he was still adjusting his tie as he walked. 

“Why the sodding hell does he look like that?” Lily heard Remus groan under his breath. So everyone saw it too. 

“Sorry Minnie—uh, prefects. It won’t happen again.” McGonagall narrowed her eyes at him, but let it go. 

“Now in case you haven’t sorted it for yourself, Mr. Potter and Miss Evans are our Head Boy and Head Girl this year. Whenever I am not available, you will report directly to them.”

James pulled the seat out next to Lily. She looked up at him. His eyes were glittering; some of the darkness had subsided, but she could still very much see that the desire was still there. A smirk was plastered on his face. 

“Alright Evans?”  He fucking new all along. The bastard. 

Lily whipped her head to Remus who raised his hands in surrender. “I thought you knew,” he worded to her. 

Lily tried to focus on the meeting. It was taking everything she had not to look over at James. It was obvious he had been doing some sort of heavy petting before getting there. It felt like a huge spotlight was looming down on them. She didn’t know what frustrated her more—that she had just had been robbed of what probably would have been the best orgasm of her life, or that the person who had been doing it never thought to tell her that they would be colleagues for the entire year. 

“....I’m sure you have been hearing the news. Professor Dumbledore and I have a zero tolerance policy on any slurs or attacks that could potentially face the student body this year. I am asking you to be vigilant and look after specifically our younger year muggleborn students and make sure they do not get targeted.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Lily saw James' jaw tense. 

“In the case of any incident, a professor needs to be notified immediately, not taken care of by yourself—I hope you are listening well Mr. Potter.”

James' gaze was firm. She could tell he wanted to dissent, but was trying to be good. Hesitantly, she reached a hand under the table and nudged his thigh. His eyes darted to hers and he raised his eyebrows. The darkness in his eyes had not subsided.

The meeting cleared out quickly in order to get to the banquet feast. Lily lingered, watching James stand up slowly and fiddle with his shirt a bit.

“Where were you on the train, mate? And why did you show up like that?” Remus lit a cigarette and looked at James pointedly. 

“Ah, y’know–ran into Morbier and Hill and they wanted to take the piss out of me for losing a quidditch bet over the summer. Got caught up having a laugh.” 

Remus took a drag of the cigarette, not breaking eye contact with him. 

“Right.” He didn’t buy it. 

“I’m gonna go find Sirius and Pete. You both coming?” Remus started walking to the door. 

Lily spoke first, jumping to her feet. 

“ I need to speak to Potter for a second if you don’t mind—you know, about things we could have discussed if I had known he was Head Boy.”

Remus let out a low whistle. “Don’t have too much fun.” He excused himself quickly—feeling the tension rise in the room. 

Once the door was shut. James ran a hand through his hair and turned to Lily. 

“Are you going to yell at me?”

Lily sputtered. She could have killed him. “What do you think, Potter?”

“Brilliant, I can’t wait.” He actually sounded sincere. 

Lily bounded towards him. “Why. didn’t. You. tell. Me?” She clipped every word on its own. 

James made a small smile. “I was busy. With other things.”

“And what was that cloak you had earlier—”

“Ah, let's do one row at a time Evans. That way I can savor it.”

Lily had a million things she wanted to scream at him, but looking at him standing there–looking exactly how he had been on the train—it was too much. 

She put her face in her hands and let out a guttural scream. 

“Yeah, I was feeling that way earlier too. It’ll pass,” he said. She gave him a pointed glare. 

She pulled out the nearest seat and sank into it. James leaned himself on the adjoining table. 

“Do you think anyone heard us—on the train?”

James looked down at his shoes. “Most definitely.”

Lily sank farther in her seat. 

“But don’t worry,” he reassured her, “Anyone who was loitering to see who it was only got a glance at me—if anything they probably think I was wanking in there or something.” Lily snorted. 

There was a silence before Lily ventured. 

“Should we—talk about it?”

“What? My complete abandonment of all of my morals and high ground? Or actual Heads’ duties?”

“You know I mean the former.”

“Right,” James paused for a minute. “I meant what I said—about the love bit…both times—but, I’m also not against suffering. At the moment I guess.”

Lily nodded. 

“But I’m going to need an answer. Something—soon. I need to know if you want to really be with me or not.”

Lily nodded again. 

“But, for now, at least until we can sort out this Heads’ situation—”

“We can tell Sirius.” The words weren’t even fully out of her mouth but James’ face lit up. 

“As long as he is discrete—and doesn’t take the piss out of me too much.”

James swooped down at her and enveloped her into an embrace. He used his position to move her swiftly off the chair and take her stead, placing her onto his lap. He kissed the side of her face and neck enthusiastically. 

“Ok–Ok–Ok, Potter mellow out.” 

“No. Sorry.” His hands moved around her. She was starting to feel the clawing inside her again. She wrapped her hands around him, shifting her body so she was straddling him on the chair. He brushed her hair to the side and brushed his lips against the shell of her ear.

“Just—think about it. You and I. Really together,” he breathed into her ear. He continued.

“I’m reconsidering my reconsideration. I won’t shag you. Not until I get an answer. I’ll do everything else. But I won’t do that.” Lily let out a ragged breath. 

“What constitutes as everything else.” She teased. 

He hummed. “Well take it case by case.”

“Tosser.” 

He laughed in her ear and pulled his face away from hers. 

“Besides, it's not like you can get rid of me,” he kissed the bruise she had forgotten was forming on her neck.

“I’m Head Boy.”

[drownedinlight]

So a few months ago, I got cow-eyed into becoming president of my local fiber arts guild. This is mostly because the guild is made up of mainly women in their late forties or older (mostly older than sixty I would say), with a few that are in their thirties or younger, like me. Many people did not want to be president. I did not want to be president because I know all the hard work that goes into leadership and I didn't want to work that hard for a hobby. Alas, as no one else volunteered, I sighed and agreed to be president.

That meant I was there for the board meeting this past meeting, and therefore at our meeting spot in a local church to help set up before the general meeting.

VP: We need more tables. There should be some in the big hall Many of us go to investigate. No tables are found. Me: *looks in a closet* there are long tables in here, but they're obscured by some rounds. Secretary: VP! President found some tables. VP: *comes to look* oh no, those are the heavy tables, we don't want to try and dig those out. Secretary: Do we want to just take the ones that are already set up in the big hall and then just bring them back after the meeting? Will the church need them? VP: No, that's too much hassle, I think there should be some... *wanders away and finds no tables* *we end up taking some of the preset tables from the big hall. The Treasurer, VP and I are folding tablecloths and moving chairs to get the tables ready to move* Me: *tests weight of table and decides it's light enough to move set up. Begins to move table* VP: *as she and treasurer are taking down the other table's legs* Uhh, do you want to take the legs down on that? Me: *misreading this request as a suggestion to make things easier for me* Nah, I think I got it. Me: *lifts the table, turns it sideways and begins to carry it out of the hall* Treasurer: *half way down the hall* President, you are making us nervous! Let me help you get it through the doorways. Me: *Thinking* I guess that's fine, it did take me a try or two to get the first set of legs through. But she'll probably go back and help VP with the other table after since the second doorway is much wider. Treasurer: *Does not do that.* VP: *arrives VERY winded to the meeting room*

We finish setting up and sit down to start the board meeting. VP: *notices where I've put my things* Are we sitting here? Me: Uh, well, I was just setting my stuff down in a random spot so I could set up the coffee I brought and pass out the surveys we wanted people to fill out. You can really sit wherever VP: *Sits right next to me* At this point, I feel it's fair to mention that the VP has been in the Guild a VERY long time and has fulfilled practically every role on the board at one point or another, including president.

I am the sort of person who has learned to be okay with 30 second silences in order to collect my thoughts before I respond to someone. VP has not had this training. Thus, when I "hesitate" she fills in with her knowledge. This happens several times. I am amused by it. Especially when she realizes that she's acting like the president instead of letting me do it. That leads to the following exchange. Member At Large: I've been noticing, we're down on some supplies that we normally keep in bulk. Things like *rattles off list* VP: *starts to address Member at Large. Stops, leans over to me and whispers* ask her to make a shopping list. Me: Member at Large, would you make a shopping list please, and then when we have the bank account sorted out either the Treasurer or I can go shopping. Everyone:*beams at the VP for her self control*

[jiecomic]

Chapter 4- The boy means trouble

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" Citizens!- It is I... RED SON! I have taken control of the weather station that will harness the very power of nature to return my father to his former glory; this message is more of a courtesy"

"HAHAHAHA!"

" When I finish, my father will once more dominate the wor-"

Jie turned her TV off.

"Yep, I heard enough, gods... this boy should find himself some hobby or something..." She muttered

Gou looked at her from the floor with his soul-piercing eyes.

"Nah Gou, they need to fix this on their own" she took a piece of popcorn and threw it into her mouth "Besides... I don't think that master would like me to stick close to the Monkey Boy"

Gou barked and run to the door.

"Oh, I get it. You want to go outside" Jie got up from her couch and came to the door to open them

"WHAT THE-?!"

As soon as Jie opened the door she felt a strong blow of wind.

The weather was indeed crazy- The wind was so strong that it almost made Jie fly to the wall!

She had to use a lot of strength to close the entrance to her house, after that she felt exhausted and laid down on the floor. She looked at her pet again, he was definitely waiting for her to react.

But now it really made Jie change her mind.

Ugh!

She stood up and teleported herself to the weather station.

MK was doing really bad, mostly because he couldn't control his staff. At the end he kicked himself out of the station, and when he was ready to fall on the ground he suddenly felt someone... catching him?

" Got ya" he heard a woman's voice behind his back

Jie caught him as if he was a thrown doll. She held his arms tightly, then put him on the ground. When he was standing before her, still his back facing her face, she wiped the dust off of her dress.

"JIE?!" MK shouted into her ears" W-what are you doing?!"

" What are YOU doing? Letting yourself be kicked by some kid with an anger issue?!" Jie asked with her arms crossed, not hiding her frustration over the boy's behaviour

"I-I..." MK's face suddenly dropped

As Jie was waiting in silence for his answer she suddenly heard a familiar voice;

" How you doing down there?"

"Monkey King!" MK gasped in surprise

"Greetings, Master" Jie bowed down

Monkey King's eyes moved to Jie, he didn't notice her before and looked surprised

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!"

And just a little angry...

Jie on the other hand was completely unmoved

"I was just walking around, what a coincidence that Monkey Boy was just thrown down at me..." she said with a dull voice trying to escape her master piercing gaze

Then MK started talking;

"Great, now that you're all here we can fly up there and smash that-

"No, no, no, no" Wukong interrupted "In case you forgot I'm retired. You're supposed to be the one taking care of the bad guys"

"Th-Then what about ms Jie?" MK asked the demoness with tears in his eyes, hoping for help

"Don't look at me" She answered firmly

The shocked reaction of MK was saying everything.

"But don't worry- after all you are INVINCIBLE- right?"

" Well yeah I-I mean I am invincible but you know..." MK made a loud exhale and turned to Jie "You were right, I can't control my powers... I feel like I'm only messing everything up!"

Jie didn't know what to say so she discretely give an eye signal to the Monkey King. He seemed to understand since he finally jumped off of his cloud.

" Listen kid, the problem is really simple" He announced calmly

" What is it?!" MK was ready for the answer

"It's you"

"Huh?"

"Ahem... what he means is your lack of self-confidence" Jie explained quickly so that MK wouldn't get the bad idea

" But I am self-confident!" MK almost shouted into Wukong's ears

" No, you're just loud" Wukong pushed him away with his tail " The only way to self confidence is-

" Take it till I make it?"

"NO! Practice!- you think I took shortcuts?!"

"Well..." Jie who knew his history was just about to verify the truth of this sentence

" NO!" Wukong interrupted her " It took me centuries of training and fighting and just beating up demons- just so many demons...anyway! Nothing worth anything comes for free"

Somehow for Jie it sounded a little bit of suspicious.

"But what about my friends, the city!" MK seemed very nervous

At that moment his attitude caught Jie's attention

'So he does care about others huh?'

After MK's battle with DBK, seeing all the ruins of the city Jie though that the boy didn't even care about other's safety but it turned out that she was wrong... and that actually made her feel a little bit guilty.

"How about limiting your power" a thought escaped from Jie's lips

" Is it possible?" MK jumped to Monkey King and used his puppy eyes on him

Gah..

" Alright, there is a way that I can limit your power, but..."

"But, what?"

"You won't be invincible anymore"

With that Jie saw a moment of hesitation in boy's eyes, but it was just a moment that disappeared before it could change his decision

" Alright, let's do this!"

As expected, with the help of Wukong MK was able to win against Red Son and change everything back to normal.

" Is something wrong?" Jie asked Monkey King who was staring at her for a long time

'Maybe he is angry because I interfered'

" Nothing, just that..." Wukong scratched his head nervously " I guess you were right... about you know-the kid and his control over my power. Maybe I rushed too fast..?"

Jie was totally not expecting her master to say such a thing, this could be classified as an apology, from the Great Sage!

'Perhaps that monk really taught him some good manners'

"I was the one wrong, this boy... He actually has a really kind and warm soul" She spoke slowly while looking at the mentioned MK, who was happily playing and chuckling with his friend, Jie noticed that when MK is with people he cherishes, his soul is shining more.

" Hoho..." a strange laugh escaped from the monkey's mouth " So you finally accepted him, hmm?"

" Let's say that I can force myself to tolerate him for the time being"

"How cold..."

She chuckled a little but soon her face turned more serious.

" It won't be only DBK who he will have to fight, right..? She spoke quietly

" No. When the rumours about my descendant will spread further there will be more, much stronger opponents he will need to fight with" Monkey King explained with a serious tone of his voice "But till then, we will make him ready"

'...'

'...we, huh?'

' As I tough, because of this boy I'm gonna have more things to do...,

Sigh

'What a troublesome kid...'

End of chapter 4

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[lockpicnic]

something old, something new, something stolen, something blue

It's the dream of so many young women, and yet she can't help but believe she wants it more than anyone else.

Even at a young age her one true dream was to marry a wealthy man. Nobility preferred, but not required as long as he had the cash. She had a lot of mouths to feed after all, and the line of work the Yngvi siblings once found themselves in didn’t always cut it. Marriage was simply for convenience in her mind— something a cute girl could use to get her way. Rarely did she think about whether or not they’d really love each other.

But that didn’t stop her from dreaming of that fairytale wedding, being walked down the aisle by a father she never knew the face of with a wide grin on her face. The man waiting for her at the altar has no discernible features, and yet the way she looks at him is as if he was the only man in the world.

Every morning after that dream she could hardly remember the details, save for the image of a ribbon from her hair dancing in the wind.

———

Even as she fought during the war the idea of getting married never left her mind. A Prince like Shannan or Seliph would have done nicely (she would’ve considered the others too if they weren’t so…preoccupied with women of their own— she was a thief, but that didn’t make her a monster who would steal someone else’s man), but they never seemed to even glance in her direction unless she called for their attention first.

Yet the dreams of marriage persisted. This time her mother (at least, the mother she knew from the tales,) was brushing her hair, telling her just how proud she was of her. It was one of her favourite dreams at the time, always ending with her mother stepping away from the vanity to reveal a beautiful wedding dressed made just for her. It looked straight out of a fairytale!

Perhaps that was why it only belonged in her dreams.

———

Her arrival in Fódlan only made the thought of marriage grow more and more invasive, noble men from continents she’s never heard of finding themselves in the exact same halls as a girl like her. How could resist such a golden opportunity? It didn’t matter if her grades were poor— bagging a rich husband meant there was no need for any sort of formal education!

So when a travelling wedding boutique first arrived in town she knew she had to go and look at it for herself. Even if she didn’t have any suitors yet it was never too early to window shop! While all the dresses were gorgeous, the veils were what truly stood out to the thief. Never did she think they could come in so many different styles!

That night she dreamt of her brother. He teases her as always, but the teasing soon ends in kind words. He’s proud of her for settling down, and those words alone leave her in tears (and with wet cheeks once she woke up). Before she could react a veil is placed on her head, one with flowers adorning the crown, and he wishes her good luck with her new husband.

The next day she returns to the boutique before they close, stashing an exact veil inside of her bag. It’s fine— they probably wouldn’t miss it.

———

Rarely did Patty busy herself with gardening anymore. Out of all the little domestic hobbies she’s picked up it was by far her worst one, but something about the greenhouse felt more calming in the last few months. Blue and white flowers sprout from the earth, shining under the sun’s rays.

“They’d look cute in a vase— ooo, or maybe a bouquet!” She spoke to herself, imagining the arrangement she could make with the patches of flowers. For most brides it would probably be a little too plain…but the longer she stared at them, the more and more perfect her imaginary bouquet grew. “And maybe I could get one of the big blue ones on my dress to spice it up— give it a lil splash of colour!”

It had been awhile since she last thought of her dream wedding. She always thought her wedding would become more of a priority as she grew older…but it turned out that the older you got, the more things you had to worry about. That didn’t mean that she didn’t like to sit and day dream about it still, however.

She could especially envision just how it would look now: it would be held in Yngvi, the courtyard decorated to the nines! Of course the orphans would be there too, all cleaned up and ready to be her flower boys and girls! Febail would be there, just like how he was in her dream…though, maybe it would be him walking her down the aisle? Or would that job have to go to Uncle Andrei instead? It didn’t really matter in the end, so long as they were both attending.

“…Or maybe I’ll end up meetin’ some bad boy and eloping.” She couldn’t help but laugh at the idea. Now that would have Andrei cross…but it didn’t really matter how it happened, right? So long as she was someone’s blushing bride she would be happy!

The thief slowly rises from her spot, eyes trailing from the patches of flowers to where the Lady-of-Mourning once grew.

“It don’t matter how I get it or who I get it with…I know I’m gonna get my happily ever after soon!”

Patty has mastered Bride!

[pimento-playing-hopscotch]

WIP Wednesday

Thank you for the tag, @inkweedandlizards @lightningboltreader @lemonlyman-dotcom and @carlos-in-glasses for the tag! 🥰🫶

This is for my prequel, TK's growing up years fic -

Dad: Hey, kiddo! We have finally set a date. Your old man is getting hitched on July 23rd, 2013. Be there or be square!

TK had received this text message from his dad a week ago. At the time, he’d replied, “Sounds great!”

And he’d seen his dad several times at work since then. But TK couldn’t get this text out of his head.

First, the word “finally” really did not need to be used. There was no room for “finally” for two people who were engaged after they had been dating for seven months.

The wedding date his dad had sent him, that was six weeks from now. And on that day, it still wouldn’t have been a year since his dad started dating Lorraine. It would be a year in October that he started dating her.

The following January, it would be a year since she moved in with him. TK felt like he was still trying to understand that when his dad told him that they were engaged. There was a part of TK that wondered if Lorraine really had a roommate that she had problems with, or if that was made up.

Every single one of the twenty days between when his dad told him he was engaged and the text with the date, TK had been hoping for the call saying that it was called off. But no; Lorraine and her knives of décor were here to stay (but seriously, who has a hobby of making wind chimes made of KNIVES?! His soon-to-be stepmother, that’s who).

TK was pretty deep into his thoughts that he didn’t pay much attention to the feeling of fingers flicking the tip of his ear. But the back of the same meaty hand colliding with the side of his face — now that he felt.

“Fuck!” TK exclaimed. “Malcolm, what the hell?”

“What?” snapped the 26-year-old firefighter who was straddling TK. “You were like a million miles away. Sue me for trying to get your attention”.

“Try?” TK repeated. “Dude, my ears are ringing”.

“God, you’re dramatic, Probie”. Malcolm rolled his eyes.

“I’m not your probie,” TK snapped. “And you know I’ve had concussions. I have a shift in four hours; I’m not trying to get a migraine”.

“You’re not trying to get off either, man,” Malcolm retorted. TK couldn’t argue with that.

“Yeah, well, I think I’m good”. TK moved to sit up, but Malcolm pushed him back into the mattress.

“I didn’t say we were done”.

TK glared up at him. “Well, I did. Lobster roll. Enough”. Malcolm muttered something under his breath that TK didn’t catch, but he acknowledged that TK had used his safe word. He moved enough for TK to sit up. “I’m sorry”. TK sighed. “You’re right. My head’s not there. Could we talk, actually?” Malcolm looked at him quizzically. “Talk?” he repeated, like it was a new concept.

“Yes. Talk”. TK sighed. “I’ve got a lot on my mind”.

“Well, I know a surefire way to get your pretty little head clear,” Malcolm purred, rubbing his hands up and down TK’s arms. “And besides TK, I can think of six better uses for your mouth… than to talk”. TK hated himself a little bit that it made him blush when Malcolm said shit like that.

“I’m serious,” TK said, grabbing Malcolm’s hands in his. “I’m really worried about my dad”. Malcolm sighed.

“You know, you’ve said that way too many times for someone who is legally an adult?” Malcolm told him. “TK. You don’t come here to talk. Your dad is a big boy. And Topher is going to be back in twenty minutes, and he can’t know you’re here, so…”

“Yeah, got it”. TK rolled off the bed and reached for his jeans. He knew that Malcolm was implying that they could still do something in that time, but TK really wasn’t in the mood for something. At least, not with Malcolm. There were times where he wished that he and Malcolm were in the same firehouse, but times like this made him glad that they weren’t.

As TK went back out into the humid New York summer air, he scolded himself for trying to open up to Malcolm in the first place.

Malcolm had been very clear on that several times over, that there was only one thing he wanted TK for.

And, TK thought bitterly, he couldn’t even really complain; at least this time he didn’t have to sit in Malcolm’s closet buck naked because Malcolm’s parents had stopped by their son’s (who they thought was straight) apartment unexpectedly.

But not talking with Malcolm hadn’t allayed TK’s need to talk to someone about this, he realized as he tried not to be jostled around too much by the subway train. After all, he was supposed to be the best man at this wedding; a wedding which he thought had no business taking place. A wedding that had severely dwindled down the list of people he could talk to. He did think of one person, though.

TK was fighting against the current of college students exiting their federal income taxation class at Columbia university. TK was trying to get into the lecture hall, because he needed to speak with the professor who was teaching it.

“TK?” Enzo said when TK had finally reached the front of the hall. “This is certainly a surprise,” he said, greeting him with a hug. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah, everything’s fine”. TK nodded. That wasn’t a huge lie. “But Enzo, could we talk for a minute?”

“Of course, acorn,” Enzo smiled. “Do you want to sit, or…”

“I’ll sit”. TK nodded and sat in the swivel chair behind the desk at the front of the hall. “It spins,” TK said as he used his foot to turn the chair around a few times. “Cool”.

“I don’t know why they have that in here, to be honest,” Enzo chuckled. “If I were to sit there while teaching, I wouldn’t be able to actually see any of the students I’m addressing”.

“Huh”. TK said as he moved side to side in the chair.

“TK,” Enzo cleared his throat. “I know you didn’t come down here to play with the chair. What’s going on, acorn?”

TK brought the chair to a stop. “My dad set his wedding date. It’s in July”.

“Ah”. Enzo nodded as he leaned on the desk. “That’s soon”.

“Right!” TK exclaimed. “Why is it so soon?” He was struck by an unsettling thought. “Oh God, what if it’s that’s soon because they’re having a baby together? She doesn’t look pregnant, though. Would he tell me if that were the reason?”

“TK”. Enzo said gently. “I’m going to take a guess that you’re here in the event that isn’t the reason?” TK nodded. Enzo was otherworldly smart, the same way his mom was. If those two ever had a kid, that kid would find the cure for cancer before they started kindergarten.

“It’s just…” TK sighed. “I’ve never felt like I couldn’t talk to him about something. But I can’t talk to him about himself. I can’t talk to Mom about this. And Sophie’s thrilled, she loves Lorraine”. He started to nibble on his thumbnail. “Soph has spent a lot more time with her than I have, though”.

“But you don’t love Lorraine”. Enzo guessed.

“I don’t know her well enough”. TK shrugged. “But neither does he. They were barely together six months before getting engaged. This is the man who wants to plan everything in his life to death; what part of the plan is this?”

No pressure tagging - @dreamingofmickeywaffles @rachelsversion1 @firstprince-history-huh @tailoredshirt @herefortarlos @paperstorm @reyestrandd @kiloskywalker @eclectic-sassycoweyes @omnivorousdilettante @sugdenlovesdingle

[tetskuro]

Hi! Can I have a haikyuu matchup please ? Since I’m doing this anon, i could be this ✈️ emoji

⭑ your pronouns : she/her

⭑ romantic or platonic matchup : platonic (like in a queer platonic relationship way if you don’t mind)

⭑ preference for a male or female pairing : male pairing

⭑ a bit about your personality : I'm quiet and reserved, but I'm not afraid to be honest or say what I think, I can be pretty direct and/or dry (I can also be too sarcastic/ironic). Even though I have no problem expressing my opinions and that sort of thing, I find it hard to do the same with my emotions.

⭑ hobbies + interests : I like cinema a lot, art history. I like to read, watching movies and write ig. I also like sport, I used to play badminton and volleyball in fact (not all at once), but I have a bit of the same mentality as Tsukishima in a way, so I just ended up quitting.

⭑ traits you look for in a partner/friend : Someone’s stable, honest, reliable, open. Someone who is independent, capable of managing their own responsibilities and who also understands my limits and my need for personal space. But with a sense of humour, who understand irony and sarcasm. Maybe also someone who communicates well (as I have a bit more difficulty with interpersonal relationships) (but no need for someone who talks too much or is too chatty yk, I mean, I don’t particularly mind unless it's just annoying).

⭑ ideal first date/hangout : Probably just going to the cinema, or just wandering around the city and settling down in a café to eat some cakes/pastries

⭑ any other details you wish to add : not really

Thank you a lot, I hope you have a good day

your matchup is...

kuroo tetsuro

⭑ kuroo is the perfect amount of extroverted but not overly so and he understands other people's boundaries

⭑ 100% respects your limits and need for personal space

⭑ if you tell him that you need some space for yourself, he won't take it personally at all

⭑ your quiet disposition isn't a problem for him as he's used to interacting with more reserved people

⭑ can be straightforward in communicating with you

⭑ he's quick to realize his mistakes and would apologize if he oversteps any boundaries or makes you upset

⭑ kuroo appreciates your direct and sarcastic nature and finds your dry humor amusing

⭑ he also has his own sense of humor

⭑ there'd be lots of banter and inside jokes between the two of you

⭑ you both would enjoy going to the cinema and discussing the movie afterwards

⭑ whether it be long-winded analyses of certain theories or just recounting specific scenes, you could spend hours talking with him

⭑ i feel like kuroo would purposefully watch "bad" movies for the sake of making fun of them

⭑ the two of you would laugh at how obvious the sfx looks or how forced the acting seems

⭑ he's fascinated by your interest in art history, he doesn't know too much about the subject but will gladly listen if you tell him about a certain painter or art period

⭑ kuroo would be down to play a bit of volleyball with you if you were up for it

⭑ he'd also love for you to teach him badminton

⭑ kuroo would know a lot of good spots to eat and hang out around the city

⭑ you two would have a shared list of different cafes that you've been to and want to visit and your ratings of each place

⭑ there'd be days where you and kuroo go to your usual cafe, buy a lot of your guys' favorite pastries, and just chat and share food with each other

your matchup runner-up is sugawara koushi

[rainbowbobatea]

Happy Birthday 🤍🎂

The cafe bustles with activity as the last customers linger, savoring the final sips of their drinks and bites of dessert. Hugh, ever the gracious host, moves from table to table, bidding farewell to the patrons with his signature charm.

His eyes, however, keep darting back to Shar, who's wiping down the counter with a distracted air.

As the last customer leaves, Shar approaches Hugh, a curious glint in her eyes. "Whatcha doing after the cafe closes?"

Hugh's gaze softens as he takes in her appearance. Flour dusts her cheeks and speckles her chocolate brown hair, giving her an endearing, slightly disheveled look.

In his mind, he thinks how adorably cute she looks after a long day's work…

Outwardly, he simply shrugs, pulling her close and planting a gentle kiss on her forehead.

"Unfortunately, not in your arms," he murmurs.

Shar rolls her eyes, a blush creeping up her neck. "Stawwp," she giggles, swatting his chest playfully. "Seriously, what are you doing? I wanna know your hobbies and stuff!"

A flicker of panic crosses Hugh's face. His mind races, images of his nightly activities in the mafia - shootings, smuggling deals - flashing before his eyes. He can't tell her the truth, not yet.

…maybe not ever.

"I'm gonna hang out with Oscar and Ava," he lies smoothly, his expression betraying nothing. "Might stay in tomorrow since it's my birthday-"

Shar blinks, shock evident on her face. "Wait, your birthday? Babe, why didn't you tell me yet? I could've planned a party with Le Festin!"

Hugh's mind grimaces at the thought. He can picture it all too clearly: MBJ ranting about his latest conspiracy theory, Jess saying long-winded prayers over the food, Brit and Mandy shamelessly flirting with him, and Aaron...

Well, Aaron fucking up something, be it beatboxing the birthday song or worse.

"Aw love, you're too sweet," Hugh says out loud, his voice warm despite his inner reservations. "Trust me, I don't need a party."

Shar's shoulders slump slightly, but she perks up again almost immediately. "Fine... well, can you at least tell me what kind of cake you like?"

Hugh pauses, his mind drifting to a time before the mafia, before the danger and deceit. He's back in his childhood kitchen, the air sweet with the scent of baking, his mother's gentle hands guiding his own.

It's no wonder he ended up with a cover job at Le Festin - subconsciously, he's always been drawn back to those moments in the kitchen with his mum.

"Crème Caramel cake," he says softly, his eyes distant with memory. "My mum would call me 'Hughby,' and we'd make it together. At the end, she'd always say, 'Cooking is an act of love…”

“Aww, really?”

Hugh nods, suspicion creeping into his voice. "Why do you ask?"

Shar's lips curl into a secretive smile. "No reason..."

“…Okay my love. Take care.”

Hugh gives her forehead a gentle kiss once more before leaving shortly after, his mind still caught between past and present. Shar, however, lingers behind, approaching Lizzie with determination in her stride.

"Liz, can I use Le Festin overnight to bake Hugh a cake?" Shar asks, her eyes pleading.

Elizabeth caresses her pregnant stomach, considering for a moment before nodding. "Okay, but someone should stay with you for safety."

"Sure!" Mish pipes up from nearby. "I can help."

As their manager disappears into the night, Shar and Mish set about gathering ingredients for the Crème Caramel cake. The kitchen soon fills with the clatter of bowls and the whir of mixers, punctuated by giggles and snippets of conversation.

As they work, Mish casts a sly glance at Shar. "You see the way that man looks at you? He is so in love."

Shar's eyes widen in shock, her hand jerking so suddenly she nearly drops the bowl of batter. "Love!? Are you sure he's... in love?"

Mish rolls her eyes dramatically. "Yes, I'm sure the sky is blue. Duhh."

Shar carefully sets down the bowl, her brow furrowed in concentration as she pours the batter into the pan. "You sure?" she asks again, her voice small and uncertain.

Mish starts ticking off reasons on her flour-dusted fingers. "Well, Hugh makes sure to lie to customers that your favorite dessert ran out so you can take it home with you. He constantly shows up for family dinners even though your sister Soph always calls him hairy. And, he helps change Goya's diapers even though he changes his daughter's too..."

Mish pauses to lick the spoon, savoring the sweet batter. "Should I go on?"

Shar's cheeks flush a deep red. "Noo..." she mumbles, focusing intently on smoothing the top of the batter. “I just…I dunno. I hope he thinks I’m not doing too much baking him something. He didn’t even want a party.”

As they finish up the cake, sliding it carefully into the oven, Mish places a comforting hand on Shar's shoulder. "Worry less," she says softly. "It will go all right."

Shar takes a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "Okay," she says, turning to wrap Mish in a tight hug.

"Thanks, Mish Mish."

"No prob, Shar Shar."

As the aroma of freshly baked Crème Caramel cake fills the air of Le Festin, Shar and Mish put the finishing touches on their creation. She steps back, admiring their handiwork. The cake sits proudly on the counter, its golden surface glistening under the kitchen lights.

She can't help but smile, imagining Hugh's reaction when he sees it.

"Girl, we outdid ourselves," Mish declares, wiping her hands on her apron. "Hugh's gonna flip when he tastes this."

Shar nods, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "I hope so. I just want it to be perfect, you know?"

Mish's eyebrows shoot up, a glint in her eye. "Hold up, girl. How old is Hugh anyway?"

Shar freezes, her hand hovering over the cake. She bites her lip, thinking about what he had told her months earlier. "He's... turning 31, I think,” she admits quietly.

Mish's eyes widen, a slow grin spreading across her face. "Ooo, ten years older? Okurr, get yourself a sugar daddy!"

Shar's cheeks flush a deep crimson. "Mish!" she hisses, mortified. "It's not like that!"

Mish laughs, nudging Shar playfully. “Just kidding.”

As if on cue, the bell above the cafe door chimes. Shar and Mish exchange a puzzled glance – they'd locked up hours ago. Cautiously, they peek out from the kitchen, only to see Channing sauntering in, a broad grin on his face.

"Sup," he greets them, his voice warm and playful. "Burning the midnight oil, I see?"

Mish's face lights up at the sight of him. She rushes over, flour-dusted apron and all, throwing her arms around his neck. Channing chuckles, wrapping her in a tight embrace before planting a soft kiss on her forehead.

"Hey babe," he murmurs, his eyes twinkling. As he pulls back, his gaze falls on the kitchen counter behind them. "Ooo, is that cake for me?"

Shar shakes her head, hiding the cake behind herself protectively from his hungry stare. "Sorry. It's for Hugh's birthday."

Channing's face falls. "Aw man, I get a slice later? Or will I have to dance for it?"

Mish rolls her eyes, swatting his arm. "C'mon babe, let's go," she says, already tugging him towards the door. She turns back to Shar, shooting her a wink.

"Don't stay up too late, girl. And good luck tomorrow!"

As Mish and Channing disappear into the night, their laughter echoing back through the cafe, Shar finds herself alone with the cake and her thoughts. She carefully places it in the refrigerator, her mind already racing with plans for Hugh's surprise tomorrow…

The next day dawns bright and clear, a perfect autumn morning.

Shar, her heart fluttering with excitement, makes her way to Hugh's house. Tucked under one arm is a large, carefully wrapped box containing the Crème Caramel cake. At her heels trots Lila, her small black dog, tail wagging happily. She decided to bring Lila along since everyone at the house was too busy to care for the dog.

As Shar approaches Hugh's front door, she takes a deep breath, steadying her nerves. She's been here many times before, dropping in to say hello to Hugh and the kids, but today feels different.

Today, she has a mission.

Hugh answers the door, his face lighting up at the sight of Shar. "Hey, beautiful," he says, pulling her into a warm embrace. Lila yips excitedly, circling their feet.

"Hi," Shar replies, her voice muffled against his chest. She pulls back, smiling up at him. "I hope you don't mind me dropping by."

That’s a rhetorical question, of course. Ever since they started dating, they always visit each other. spending hours watching Disney movies together, playing with the kids, or even doing silly stuff like broadway karaoke, since Hugh was a secret broadway nerd.

"Never," Hugh assures her, ushering her inside. As they enter the living room, Oscar and Ava look up from their toys, their faces breaking into wide grins.

"Shar!" Oscar exclaims, jumping up to hug her legs. Ava babbles happily from her playpen, reaching out with chubby hands.

Shar laughs, ruffling Oscar's hair. "Hey!" She sets her jacket on the box, carefully hiding it out of sight.

Hugh watches the scene with a warmth spreading through his chest. Seeing Shar with his children never fails to make his heart swell. It's in these moments that he almost forgets about all the mafia shit he has to deal with, the dark sacrifices he has to take…

Shar turns to Hugh, her expression suddenly serious. "Oh, I just remembered. I think there were no more diapers for Ava. Remember? You said there wasn’t any yesterday.”

Hugh's brow furrows. "Really? I could've sworn I just bought some."

Shar nods emphatically. "Yeah, but you know how it is with babies. You should probably get some more, just in case."

Hugh hesitates, glancing between Shar and the kids. "Aww, but you just got here... I wanted spend time with you."

Shar bites her lip, her mind racing. "But what if Ava has a blowout?"

Hugh's eyes widen comically.

"Oh, you're right," he says, already moving towards the door. He pauses to give Shar a gentle kiss. "I'll be back as quick as I can."

As the door closes behind Hugh, Shar springs into action. She turns to Oscar, a sneaky grin on her face. "Okay, buddy, want to help me with a surprise for your dad?"

Oscar's eyes light up. "Yeah!"

Shar pulls out secret bags from Target, filled with decorations. "Let's make this place look amazing for your dad's birthday!"

“Yayy!”

For the next half hour, the living room becomes a whirlwind of activity. Shar and Oscar hang streamers and balloons, transforming the space into a festive wonderland. Lila races around excitedly, her tail wagging so hard her whole body shakes.

Oscar, caught up in the excitement, starts playing with the balloons, popping them near Ava's playpen. The sudden loud noises startle the baby, and she begins to cry.

Pop! Pop! Pop!

“Wahhh!!!”

It’s pure chaos.

"Oscar, honey, be careful," Shar calls out, trying to soothe Ava while simultaneously attempting to hang a "Happy Birthday" banner. The banner keeps falling, until it rips in the middle. Her heart sinks as she looks at the ruined decoration.

Great, just great.

In her distraction, Shar doesn't notice Lila sniffing around the table where she's placed the cake. The dog's wagging tail catches the edge of the tablecloth, and suddenly, the whole thing starts to slide down…

Down…

Down.

Shar turns just in time to see the disaster unfolding. With a gasp, she lunges forward, arms outstretched.

“No!!!”

Time seems to slow as the cake box teeters on the edge of the table. In a move that would make any action hero proud, Shar manages to catch the box just before it hits the ground.

“Got it!”

She breathes a sigh of relief, carefully placing the cake back on the table. But her relief is short-lived as she hears a familiar Australian voice behind her.

"…Shar!?!"

Her heart skips a beat. She grimaces as she looks up, hoping it’s not him (which, of course, it is him).

“W-what’s going on?!”

Hugh stands in the doorway, his eyes wide as he takes in the scene before him. Streamers hang haphazardly from the ceiling, half-inflated balloons litter the floor, and Lila is enthusiastically humping a throw pillow.

Ava is still crying in her playpen, while Oscar wildly popping balloons into her face.

Pop! Pop! Pop!

“Wahhhhh!”

Shar straightens up, her cheeks flushing. She runs to Hugh, her mouth running miles per hour.

"I... I was just trying to prepare a party and..." she begins, words tumbling out in a rush. "I wanted to surprise you for your birthday because you're always so good to me and the kids, and I thought it would be nice to do something special for you, but…”

Another balloon pop startles her. Shar and Hugh flinch before she starts speaking again.

“…then everything started going wrong, and Lila knocked over the table, and the cake almost fell, and Oscar was popping balloons, and I'm so sorry, I just wanted everything to be perfect, and-"

As Shar rambles on, Hugh finds himself captivated. He barely registers the chaos around him, his focus entirely on Shar. The sunlight streaming through the window catches in her curly hair, giving her an almost ethereal glow. Her eyes, wide with worry and excitement, sparkle like stars.

Even with a streamer tangled in her hair and a smudge of what looks like frosting on her cheek, she's the most beautiful girl he's ever seen.

“…and I messed up,” Shar says, tears brimming her eyes. “I did. I’m…I’m sorry.”

“Shar…”

Hugh gasps, stepping further into the room. Yes, it’s a mess, but…his heart swells, nevertheless. It’s an emotion so powerful it nearly takes his breath away. No one has ever done anything like this for him before. No one has ever made him feel so... special.

No one, except Shar.

Hugh walks up to the cake, dipping a finger in and tasting it. The familiar flavor floods his senses, transporting him back to his childhood kitchen. When it was just him and his mum in Australia. No mafia, guns, and blood.

"...this...this is the Crème Caramel?" he asks, his voice soft with wonder.

Shar nods, her rambling finally coming to a halt. "Yeah..."

A slow smile spreads across Hugh's face. "Delicious," he says.

Shar’s face lights up. “R-really?”

"Am I allowed to have the whole cake?"

Shar lets out a breath, relief washing over her. "If you want. You're the birthday boy. But..." her face falls slightly. "I'm sorry, I forgot to buy gifts so-"

Shar gasps as Hugh interrupts her with a kiss, pulling her close. His lips press into her soft mouth, his hands around her waist bringing her in closer. She pulls back in surprise, out of breath.

“B-babe.”

“Come back, love.”

Hugh brings her into another gentle kiss, the chaos around them fades away as he loses himself in her embrace. Even little Oscar making a gagging noise. In his mind, a chorus of thoughts rings out, all centered on one overwhelming truth:

He loves this girl.

He loves her kindness, her enthusiasm, her ability to bring light into even the darkest corners of his chaotic mafia life. He loves the way she cares for his Oscar and Ava, the way she makes him laugh during busy shifts in Le Festin, and even smaller things too:

The way she scrunches her nose when she's concentrating icing a cake with Brit and Jess, the sound of her laughter, the feel of her hand in his. He loves how she sees the best in everyone, even him, especially him.

Shar gasps as he pulls back once again, her face flushed. “H-hugh…”

Hugh tilts her chin up, looking into her soft brown eyes. "I don't need any presents. I have you."

Shar's heart swells at his words. She gives Hugh another kiss, pulling him close and whispering against his lips.

“Well then…Happy birthday, babe."

“Thank you, my love. You’re the best gift I’ve ever had.”

[finniestoncrane]

I'm here for a blind date,

I'm from america I have short brown hair, a pale complexion, dark blue eyes with a lean build.

I like lavender, cats, reading, daydreaming, walking, my alone time, being outside.

I dislike the dark and high winds My hobbies consist of reading, drawing and walking

I can be dry, moody, distant, inmagitve, shy, awkward and emotional.

I'm around 5'7 in height, I use they/them pronouns, you can usually find me reading, daydreaming or listening to music, I have a more dry scene of humor, I can procrastinate quite a bit and i'm usually in more casual attire.

(I apologize if this a bit to much information, as well take your time no rush)

💜 blind date 💜 the kitchen is now closed! 🔞minors dni🔞 • masterlist • kofi link • tag: finnie1500 (to follow or to block) a/n: your date's been fighting off a lot of competition while they wait...💚

“Welcome to the Vill-Inn! You're going to be the envy of everyone in here... but you seem very well matched! ”

As you make your way to the table, everyone around you is in no way surprised that you're going to be sitting down with the woman they've been admiring since her arrival. Well matched indeed, makes sense for two beautiful people to be dining together.

"So you're my blind date? I have to say, they did better than I thoguht they would. Definitely my type... lean, blue eyes, dark hair, pale... tell me, does your complexion stem from nocturnal habits, or are you more... normal, than my last romantic conquest?"

You're not sure how to answer, mostly because you've been taken aback by her blunt confidence. But you settle as she gestures towards your chair with her slender hand, covered by a black, silk glove.

"I'm Selina. Ms. Kyle is tonight doesn't go well, thanks. That all depends on one thing. Do you like cats?"

Thank god you do, because there's every chance she would have walked out then and there. Luckily, your answer leads to her asking about your other favourite things. She's partial to lavender too, although her apartment usually just smells of whatever air freshener she hasn't gone nose blind to (it covers the cat scent... there's a lot of cats).

She looks relieved when you tell her you enjoy your alone time, since that's what she's used to in relationships. Her body language suggests she's warming up to you, becoming less tense. In fact, she seems to be very keen on you, as evidenced by the flirtatious remark she makes when you reference your mild fear of the dark and of stormy weather.

"That's alright, kitten. I don't mind the dark. You can always curl up with me."

She purrs contentedly as you list of your quiet hobbies, silently imagining a life with someone who would always be there for her. Not out fighting crime or getting into trouble, just there with a book and a hug at the end of the day.

The conversation flows easily too, as Selina is just as dry as you. And while you're both distant, there's no stopping you both from leaning across the table, getting closer and closer to each other as the date goes on. There's plenty to keep you both on your toes though. She's outgoing and prefers to keep her emotions on the down low. You're shy, but prefer to speak yours out.

The mix of common ground and new attributes to explore has intrigued her. And while she doesn't give you her number, you have a feeling you will definitely be seeing her again.