#However for some reason he was convinced that it wasn't too much of an emergency if you could take care of it yourself. For some reason.

[faggotstump]

Thank you for the advice everyone we are fine

[leonawriter]

Shuake hospital reunion except instead of "the reason we all thought I was dead was because I was in a coma anniversary just woken up" it's that Akechi was perfectly fine up until about a WEEK ago, at which point he did something utterly ridiculous and had to be carted to the emergency room.

Akechi, whose phone - for SOME REASON - has Akira as his emergency contact.

Cue Akira being convinced that because they're having to do actual surgery or something, he's only just found out that Akechi is still alive only to lose him again.

Akechi, however, wakes up from the anaesthetic, groggy and feeling like a stupid piece of shit, only to see the distraught (if he didn't know better he'd say that's what someone looks like when they've been crying at someone's bedside but that can't possibly be right-) form of Akira.

It's all rather awkward. And needlessly dramatic. But they're both keeping that in because Akira can't punch his rival when it might tear his stitches or something, and Akechi can't move much or get too angry or the nurses come running.

Akira, it turns out, wasn't even supposed to be in Tokyo at all. He got the call and came flying over on the first train. He may even be missing school. The only thing that gets him to go back home is Sojiro taking Akechi in and Futaba promising to send any updates that Akechi himself doesn't.

[sarnai4]

Went Out For Some Milk

I think that Dagur and Hiccup have more in common than most people realize. An underrated example of this is how they both have parents who just plain abandoned them. To a certain extent, I understand Valka and Oswald. On a deeper level, I really can't get it at all. Here's why:

I get that Valka didn't willingly leave. She was taken by Cloudjumper. That's not her fault in the slightest. She was trying to protect her baby and was taken by a spooked dragon; however, why did she stay gone? She learned how to fly on dragons. Therefore, she had the means to return. The idea of her not being able to come back is gone. The realm with the dragons wasn't too far from Berk. She could ride a flying creature. The next suggestion is that it would've been unsafe. That's the one she used to explain it...but how? I'm genuinely curious if anyone has a reason because I can't think of it for the life of me. Just have Cloudjumper drop you off near Berk, swim to shore, and say you escaped. Or don't say that and try to gradually get the other Berkians to accept dragons. Heck, if she loved dragons so much and didn't want to ever be away, she could have flown to Berk and been like, "Hey, hubby, I'm a dragon rider now. Be cool with that and we can stay together." Stoick probably would've loved her enough to accept one of these. He loved her enough to accept that she made him a single dad for 20 years and wasn't even upset. It's also not fair to Hiccup that he grew up without a mom because she was too scared to be herself around the Berkians or risk losing her new freedom away from the island.

Oswald runs into the reverse of this. For him, I understand why he didn't return. The guy was shipwrecked on an island with dragons who didn't want anyone leaving. My issue with him is that he left in the first place. Why did he go? Why did he not tell anyone? Dagur never should've been able to convince the other Berserkers that he killed Oswald because the man should have told the others he was heading out. If he was going to a peace treaty signing, I'm sure he would've gone with more people. As a chief, it's irresponsible to not let his Vikings know where he'll be going or if he will since they might need his help. As a father, it's irresponsible to leave his son 50,000+ people to be in charge of without so much as a goodbye first. All he had to do was tell someone. An argument could be made that he told Dagur, but the question then becomes why on Earth would he do that and not tell anyone else? Mini Dagur isn't the person you give your location to so that he can be your emergency contact. If he even paid attention, he'd probably laugh at the idea of there being an emergency. Even still, I doubt that Oswald told him because Dagur seemed to really have no idea where he had gone. So, it's highly likely that Oswald just decided he had enough of being a chief and dad, then went to the great beyond.

I'm sure these are both unpopular opinions, but these parents really do bug me. What annoys me more is that I don't think either is shown to be anything other than loving despite that. It's unfair to their kids. I don't want the movie to tell me Valka is just the best mom ever and that they're going to be a happy family now that they found her. She could have returned to them years ago and we wouldn't have had that sad episode back when they were kids with poor Hiccup being desperate to find the one item his mom had given him since that was the only thing he had to remind him of her. I don't want to see a happy scene with Dagur reading about how much his dad loved him. Oswald should have proven it by not abandoning him, then in that same episode with the supposed happy moment, Dagur wouldn't have voiced his doubt that his dad did in fact love him. Just a little something that irks me, but I'm curious what everyone else thinks.

[welcometothedopeworld]

Body Paint ~ *Zen Gaho*

Summary: As an artist, you are always pushing the limits of your art. That's one of the reasons why Zen loves you. However, when you ask him to help you with your next project, he's not sure how he feels and wonders if you've gone too far...

Pairing: Zen Gaho X Fem!Reader

Genre: Suggestive Oneshot

Word Count: 1261

Warning: A little NSFW

Masterlist

Zen may not be the most adventurous guy on the entire planet, but ever since dating you, he has definitely been pushed out of his comfort zone more and more. At first, he was a bit skittish when you wanted to try new things with him. But having you by his side to assure him that everything was going to be fine, he became more inclined to join you.

It also helped that most of the new things he tried were of the artistic persuasion. You loved art in all its many forms. You had coerced Zen to join you in drawing, pottery, photography, tapestry, and knitting classes. You also convinced him on more than one occasion to be your model while you painted, although he has yet to pose nude for you. Regardless, you could always work some form of art into every single date the two of you went on. Even when it was just a standard dinner out, you told him about what you learned about flower arranging or how the lighting was meant to invoke romantic feelings in people, as you learned in photography. 

While some would find your constant obsession with art obnoxious, Zen found it utterly enchanting. To him, it felt like you saw the beauty in everything around you. And he loved hearing you talk about things you were passionate about. He would be willing to listen to you talk or watch you do art every single day if he could.

Which is why when you texted him to meet you at your studio for a project, Zen was quick to ask Iori if he could go. Of course, before he was allowed to leave, he received a healthy dose of teasing from the group's leader. But he didn't mind. He was more focused on the fact that he would be seeing you soon.

Upon arriving at your studio, he called out to you and you emerged from the back storage room that he helped put shelves in for you last summer.

He smiled. "Smock, palette, and brushes? Another painting party I see."

"Not exactly." You coo, a coy smile on your face. "One of my friends from the art museum downtown gave me this most fascinating idea and you were the first person I thought of to share it with."

"And what is this idea?"

"Take off your shirt and I'll show you."

This caused him to pause, a red blush creeping up his neck. "Take off my shirt? Why?"

You giggled. "I told you that I'll show you! You just need to wait and see! Now pretty please won't you take off your shirt?"

As his blush intensified, he slid off his black tank top. You let your eyes trail over his soft, tan skin and bulging muscles. It wasn't often you saw your boyfriend like this, and he looked absolutely delicious.

Refraining from licking your lips, you gesture to the floor. "Please lay down on your stomach."

Zen didn't argue and instead laid down with his head in his arms. He did tense as you straddled his hips from behind, sitting nicely on his waist.

"What are you doing?"

"Relax, dear. I'm not going any further than this." You assure him. "Although, try not to flex and move too much. You're going to feel some weird sensations on your back, but I promise it won't hurt a bit."

"Seriously, what are you doing?"

You sigh. "I'm just going to paint on you."

"What? The paint's supposed to go where?!"

With a giggle, you mix your paints a bit more on your palette before settling your brush on the wide plane of his back. "Right there."

He tensed at the contact of the brush on his back, but at least he didn't move too much as you began to paint. He was silent for a time, allowing you to do your art. But you could tell he was confused and slightly worried about what you were painting on him.

"Don't worry, I'm not painting anything obscene." You assured him with a giggle. "I'm actually painting Starry Night on your back."

"Are you really?" You could tell he half believed you.

You nodded, though you knew he couldn't see it. "Yep. Can't you feel it?"

"I just feel cold paint being applied to my back and my muscles beginning to ache because I'm afraid if I move, I'll crack the paint."

"What a considerate canvas." You sweetly say. "Don't worry, though. If you need to move, you can move. I don't mind too much. Just let me know if you do."

Zen nods and the two of you re-enter the calm silence you were in moments before. Occasionally, he mentions he needs to adjust again and shift underneath you. Working on a more limited space, you get the painting done relatively fast. You couldn't help but admire your work.

"Hang on. I need to get a picture."

"Oh, are you done already?" His voice was thick with sleep, presumably from the nap he took in the last ten minutes of your painting.

You giggled and took a picture on your phone. You then showed him the photo. "What do you think?"

Zen nods again. "Very well done, my little Van Gogh."

You smile before pressing the palette and brush into his hands. "Now it's your turn!"

"Pardon?"

Instead of answering him, you slipped out of your smock, revealing your naked torso to him. He blushed and looked away out of respect as you took your spot on the ground where he just was.

"Now you get to paint on my back. Anything you want. And it doesn't have to be some great, intricate piece. It can be as simple as colorful shapes all over my back. Just make sure you fill the whole canvas."

"But-"

"Please Zen?"

He sighed. "Okay, I'll try."

You shiver as the paint touches your back. He wasn't kidding, it was definitely cold and the paint brush gliding across your back was an odd feeling. Still, you enjoyed it nonetheless. You were curious as to what he was painting on you, but you didn't ask until he was finished. Instead, you enjoyed the moment of him carefully painting your body. You even found yourself yawning a couple of times, understanding how he managed to take a little cat nap earlier. It was so relaxing right now.

Eventually, he shook you awake by your shoulder. "I think I'm done."

"Take a picture and let me see."

Grabbing his phone, he took a picture of your back and held it up to you. As you sat up, his blush returned and he looked away once more. It made you giggle. You then nodded at the picture.

"Very good work, Zen! It's absolutely beautiful!"

"You think so?" He bashfully asked.

"I know so. Oh, I need to post these right away!"

He touched your hand before you could grab your phone. "Can you, um, not post them please? I want this to stay between us."

"Oh." You nodded. "Of course, absolutely! But let me just send this picture to my phone, okay? So I can have the two pictures together."

He nods and watches you send the picture. "This was fun. We should, um, we should do this again sometime."

You smile. "Yes, we should! Although I have an even better idea!"

"And what's that!"

"A sex mural! Where we cover ourselves in paint and have sex on a piece of canvas that we can hang up later!"

"YOU WANT TO WHAT?!"

[catreginae]

Thou Shalt Not Fall: The Past - Return to the Castle

Link might be a vampire now, but he still had a role to fulfill.

[Previous] - [Next]

View the Master Post here!

Being at the castle again felt odd and almost wrong. That wasn’t to say Link wasn't happy to be with his friends again, people who actually enjoyed his presence even though they knew he was a vampire, but his condition made him anxious and he knew everybody else was feeling it too. He wasn't sure if he could trust himself. He was convinced he would somehow blow his new secret without the other vampires watching his back all the time. Zelda, thankfully, had no expectations that he was good for duty just because he returned, so his first goal was to get used to being at the castle again.

Tune was surprisingly helpful. He never expected the kid to be so knowledgeable about vampires. If vampires were such a closely held secret, how come Tune knew so much about them? How did Tune always manage to figure out what he needed or what he was concerned about? Link was sure that if he had a moment to sit down and think about it, he could come up with some theories, but as it was, Link was currently distracted with trying to pretend that he was a normal Hylian.

“What did Zelda even tell everybody anyway?” he asked as he rubbed his eyes. Mask and Tune took to sleeping in his room, sometimes sleeping in temporary cots that they set up while he was gone, or sometimes sneaking into his bed sometime during the night. It was their way of letting him know that they were still there for him, but they also used the fact that were in the same room to literally drag him out of bed in the morning. He was beginning to get used to it but he still hated waking up every morning, especially if he woke up because his body hit the floor.

“Just that you had a family emergency to take care of and you were given leave for it... so don’t be surprised if people ask you how your family is.”

Well, it was a good thing there wasn’t a lot of people who knew about his family to question the excuse. He supposed that Zelda wasn’t too far off the mark considering how easily Elena took him in though. He was sure she wouldn’t mind being called family.

“It’s time for breakfast and I’m starving. We can talk and eat,” Mask mumbled.

Link smiled, mostly to himself. He couldn’t believe that they were acting like nothing really changed. He appreciated that. “Okay, fine. You don’t have to pout.”

“I don’t pout.”

“Sure you don’t.”

It was a few months later when Zelda and Impa called him and Proxi for an emergency meeting and he knew before stepping into Zelda’s office that the news wasn’t good. If there was good news, Zelda tended to come to him, not the other way around.

Link sort of expected what Zelda said, or at least he considered the events a possibly. Ganondorf resurfaced – Link was waiting for him. He knew the man would come back, just not when or where. Lana was requesting help as Ganondorf was approaching, according to a note that Zelda miraculously got from a small gate. It was too bad that Lana could summon creatures and move other people through her gates but she couldn’t move herself through them to get away. Lana could generally take care of herself but against Ganondorf? The fact that she asked for help was enough of an answer.

“We have to help her!” Proxi called out. Link merely nodded as Proxi, who always knew him so well, already said what he wanted to say. He would help her even if she didn’t carry precious cargo. He didn’t need a reason other than the fact they were friends to go and rush to her aid. It just helped that Ganondorf was the man he was looking for too. If he could kill Ganondorf, then they wouldn’t have to worry about him coming to the castle.

“We’ll send whatever help we can,” Impa stated. “I will personally go and lend her whatever aid I can. However, I think the two of you should stay here.”

“With all due respect, General -”

“Link, you’re still adjusting,” Zelda said quietly. “Besides, should Impa and Lana fail, we’ll be needed here. We can’t leave our people undefended. It’ll be up to us to launch a counterattack.”

Link chewed on his lips. He hated what they were saying but he knew he probably wasn’t going to convince them otherwise. Deep down inside, he knew he wasn’t quite ready to fight him just yet. He wouldn’t be a slouch on the battlefield but he didn’t feel like he was at the skill level he was at before he became a vampire. Swordplay used to come easily to him but for some reason, having a sword in his hand didn’t feel quite as right as it did before.

And as nice as it would be if his vampire powers were enough to make sure Ganondorf was no longer a threat, he doubted that his life would be so easy. He had to regain his skills. No, he had to surpass the skills he had previously.

“Isn’t it dangerous to let him come to the castle too? We should be taking the battle to him.”

“Link...” Proxi mumbled.

Zelda looked away, her mouth settled into a frown. Impa didn’t look away but her gaze held no warmth, only calculations.

“I don’t know what the best answer is, Link. All I know is that I can’t bare the thought of leaving Lana alone and I can’t bare the thought of leaving my people either.”

“Okay,” was all he could say as he left. He knew it was inappropriate to just walk out on Impa and Zelda, at least by military standards, but he knew there wasn’t any point in him staying any longer. The decision was already made after all. He didn’t even know why he was called for the meeting if they didn’t actually care about what he had to say.

He would stay if that was what Zelda wanted but he wouldn’t like it.

Link thought that they were as ready as they possibly could be for Ganondorf’s arrival. Link decided to do his best to prepare the surrounding defenses and drill the troops through exercises just in case Impa and Lana couldn’t repel his attack. He was grateful that he did, even as Ganondorf and his army tore through whatever defense he and Zelda set up. It would have been worse had they not tried at all.

Or at least, that was what he was telling himself as he down a potion that Tune handed him before shoving the empty bottle back into his hands. At least potions seemed to work on him the same, instantly healing the worst of his wounds even before the regeneration kicked in. “Wait, where do you thinking you’re going?” Tune asked.

“Ganondorf is still out there! I can’t just leave Zelda to fight him alone. If we lose today, Hyrule falls. We don’t have a choice.”

“You’re injured. You should rest just a bit longer.”

“I’m fine.”

Proxi hovered between him and Tune for a moment before flying to his side.

“Link, I think you should listen to Tune. You’re just going to lose to Ganondorf again if you go back to fight in that state.”

“I’ll be fine. Besides, we’re going in with a change of plans.”

One of the things that Link and Zelda practiced together once Link returned to the castle was calling upon the power of their pieces of the Triforce whenever they needed it. Before, Link was only able to use it in the heat of the moment, like how he used it to defend Impa and himself against Volga’s flames. He had more control of it now. He didn’t want to use its power if he could help it. Both he and Zelda agreed that it was a last resort.

He couldn’t afford to lose to Ganondorf.

“What does that even mean?” Tune asked.

“Don’t worry about it,” Link mumbled as he left one their remaining forts to charge right back into battle. If he could just use the Triforce to regain the fort Ganondorf was using as his headquarters, then they could potentially trap him and his forces in the middle. They could even sabotage Ganondorf’s ability to plan, organize, and retreat. Without a base of operations, an army could definitely fall.

Link considered using his vampire powers to rush to the gate but instead, he went as fast as his Hylian legs could take him. He had better control of where he was going – the tree was still fresh in his mind – and it didn’t hurt that he was able to take out more of the monsters that Ganondorf was controlling as he got there.

He got to the fort but he wasn’t able to do much of anything before he could sense Ganondorf’s looming and foreboding presence follow him inside. He only had the chance to turn around and raise his sword before Ganondorf closed the distance between them with a long stride – damn his height – and wrapped a hand around his neck and raised him in the air. His sword clattered to the ground.

Link resisted the urge to bare his fangs and hiss. Ganondorf’s presence set him on edge just from the other side of the battlefield, but for Ganondorf to be right in front of him, hands around his neck, made his nerves go haywire. Link tried in vain to pry his fingers off and he knew that if he forced his fangs out, he would have more than enough strength to free himself but he didn’t dare to. He tried to kick but his legs were too short to reach the man. Link didn’t think of himself as short but he was definitely short in comparison to Ganondorf.

“You don’t have to hide anything from me, boy,” Ganondorf chuckled with a smirk. “Did you think I wouldn’t notice the corruption? Did you really think I wouldn’t know what the sorceress did to you? Though, I suppose there is a good reason why you don’t hold the piece of wisdom.”

He wasn’t going to give into his taunts. Anger was boiling in his veins but he wasn’t going to give in, dammit! He wasn’t going to give Ganondorf an inch. He tried to focus his power and he could feel warmth rush in his blood as his piece activated but Ganondorf’s simply grabbed his wrist with his free hand and the feeling instantly died down.

Suddenly, there was a shout from just outside of the fort. He didn’t need his superior hearing to hear Zelda’s voice calling out his name.

“Oh? You’re just going to pretend that you don’t know what I’m talking about?” he asked, pulling Link closer so that their faces were just a couple of inches apart. “Tch, just as well. I don’t need you to admit to anything. In fact, let me to test out my theory.”

Link raised an eyebrow when suddenly, the world spun and Link was face to face with one of Zelda’s arrows, imbued with light magic, flying right for him. Ganondorf was holding him in place, and even if he wasn’t, he wouldn’t have been able to move fast enough, not even with his vampire powers.

He was blinded by pain when the arrow hit. It felt like his entire body was on fire, spreading from his right shoulder, down his arm, and across his chest. It felt like he was being torn from the inside out. If he screamed, he didn’t hear it over the buzzing in his head. If Ganondorf let him go, he didn’t feel it. He couldn’t feel anything other than his soul being set ablaze and he couldn’t hear anything but the static in his head.

Somehow, he stayed conscious. His vision cleared a little, so he could tell that he was on the ground and that he was probably staring at Ganondorf’s feet, but that was about it. He tried to move but all he could do was twitch his fingers and even that felt completely agonizing.

Ganondorf bent down beside him, grabbing his wrist and pulling his unresponsive body up. Link didn’t even have it in him to hiss or lift his head.

Suddenly, his body was burning with pain again, this time radiating from his left hand. It took his groggy mind a second to realize what this meant, but even if he picked up on it quicker, he was in no shape to stop Ganondorf from taking his piece of the Triforce. He knew the kingdom would be doomed if Ganondorf managed to get his hands on it, but getting hit with one of Zelda’s light arrows made his head spin and quite frankly, it was a miracle Link knew what was happening at all.

The pain didn’t last long at least. Ganondorf let him go, and he passed out as soon as his body hit the ground.

Tune wished that he watched Wild extract blood from dead monsters more often because he always made it seem so easy. Wild could harvest anything from a monster with an ease and grace that most people didn’t have. Granted, Tune didn’t know he had to study or take notes because he was completely unaware of the fact that he was part of the same war that Time and Warriors spoke of. He didn’t blame them from keeping it a secret because thinking about how he was probably the source of all the knowledge Time had – the knowledge that Tune relied on in the past – was headache inducing. However, the point still stood. He didn’t know there was going to be a test, so he didn’t know he should have been studying the fine art of extracting blood from dead monsters.

But he had the general idea, at least. He knew Wild used gravity to make blood pool, then he would make an incision to collect it.

Tune made it a point to carry rope on him at all times since Link was now a vampire. He doubt he would lose control again, at least not until Link became Warriors, but he was glad his habit of bringing ropes with him meant he could tie a dead bokoblin to a tree and make a cut on its foot. He filled a couple of the bottles, untied the bokoblin, stuffed the bottles into a bag so they were out of sight, and returned to camp.

The mood at the camp was abysmal. Without the chaos of a retreat, all that was left was the misery and the anxiety. Tune didn’t blame anybody for the mood – they did lose a very important battle and both their princess and their captain were sidelined. Obviously, they were in for a happier ending if Link would eventually earn the name Warriors and go on another journey that involved time travel, but it wasn’t like he could tell them that. Tune ignored the chill and walked into the tent he knew Link was recovering in, which was guarded by a Sheikah outside.

The tent was sparse. It was mostly just Link resting on a rickety cot, with a couple of stools around it. Mask was sitting on one of those stools, hands resting on his knees. There was an extra, thinner blanket thrown on top of Link to protect him from the little bit of sunlight that passed through the tent during the day. Even though it wasn’t day time now, the blanket was barely pulled back, so Tune couldn’t see his face until he much closer to the cot.

He pulled one of the bottles out, catching the attention of Mask – a little baby Time, he would never get used to it.

“I have a couple of these,” Tune started as he popped the cap off. “One bottle should make him feel pretty full, but it won’t be enough to heal him.”

“How many more of those will we need?” Impa asked, coming to join him by the way of Link’s cot.

“I don’t know for sure.” They weren’t the worst wounds Tune ever saw him with but it was pretty bad – the skin around his right collar bone was completely charred, along with the upper half of his bicep. He still had burns down the right side of his body, stretching slightly over his chest, and down the rest of his arm, but those burns were thankfully mostly first degree burns. He obtained worse burns after donning the name Warriors. “We’ll see how he feels after this first bottle.”

One of the other things that Tune learned in his past was the fact that young vampires were pretty reactive to the smell of blood as long as they weren’t completely unconscious or in a deep sleep. He was hopeful that Link was just sleeping as held the open bottle of blood under Link’s nose. After about half a minute, Link cracked his eyes open, revealing yellow and red. He didn’t seem to be entirely awake and aware but as long as his eyes were open, Tune knew he would drink blood.

“That’s normal,” Tune said when Mask’s eyes widened. “The fangs come out when vampires are hurt badly. Let’s get him up.”

Together, all three of them moved Link into a more comfortable position by propping up the pillows underneath him, which was enough of an angle for Link to comfortably drink at. Thankfully, aside from holding the bottle in place, Link didn’t need any help to drink and the more he drank, the more he perked up. Once he emptied the bottle, Link settled back into his pillows, his eyes scanning the room.

“Fuck, it hurts...” he muttered. “What’s the situation?”

“Just focus on getting better. There’s no point in getting worked up when there’s nothing you can do about it,” Impa answered simply. “Rest assured though, we’re safe for the time being.”

“What about Zelda?”

“She’s still injured but she’s only has to take it easy, so she’s still helping where she can. She’s next door making plans with Lana, in fact.”

Link frowned but Mask tapped him in one of the burn free places of his arm before Link could say anything. “I know you’re an idiot so you’re not going to listen,” he started, earning a hiss in response, “but right now, the only person you gotta worry about yourself. You have the most injuries out of everybody in the camp right now.”

“And they’re burns, so regeneration will take some time,” Tune added. “You really have to take it easy for now so you can repay the favour, got it? We lost the battle but we haven’t lost the war.”

“Haven’t lost the war huh,” Link mumbled. “I guess that’s true.”

“It is. Get better so we can put our heads together. We’ll win back Hyrule if it’s the last thing we do, got it? At any rate, I have to go check in on the princess. Tune and Mask are in charge of you,” she said in her General Impa voice before leaving the tent. Link rolled his eyes.

“I’m doomed,” Link mumbled.

Okay, so there's a lot more I could have included but I really only wrote this chapter - and this arc as a whole - for the friendly fire scene. That being said, this is the end of The Past Arc and we'll return to the present in the next chapter!

[kimium]

(Faves & Fandoms Ask Game) 🌂🌹 🔥

(From this ask HERE)

Oh! Thanks for the ask, friend!!!

🌂You have to choose three fiction characters to help you survive in the apocalypse, who are you picking?

Since this doesn't specify what kind of apocalypse, I'm going to go with the general "society has tumbled apart for some reason that's not supernatural ones". Also, everyone here has their full abilities from their series.

Senku from Dr. Stone - Obviously, my first pick is Senku given his scientific knowledge and ability to know how to create/make things to help us survive. His knowledge is invaluable and plus, his goal to rebuild society in his own series can help in this situation. It isn't just about surviving; it's about finding a solution too!

Rimuru from That Time I Got Reincarnated As a Slime - With practically infinite abilities and power, Rimuru can help out in a variety of ways. Also, Rimuru magically attracts people with specialized abilities meaning we'll have more people eventually to help out!

Kurama from YYH - I picked Kurama because I thought having a second fighter who is also gifted in negotiation would be helpful. Kurama also can grow any plant meaning many resources can be used on the fly should any emergency happen.

🌹 What's a small fanbase you're a part of?

Good question! While there are many series I could point to I think I want to bring attention to the series To Your Eternity. It's so good and thoughtful and makes me want to cry all the time. It's fantastic and everyone should watch it.

🔥 Name a crackship, now convince me why it would work!

Look, my only crackship I truly can attempt convincing people of is Anankos/Trio. The problem is I've already convinced you to why that's a superior ship and you're already locked in this tug boat with me and ObscureReference. But in case anyone else is here and doesn't know...

Anankos/Awakening Trio (Severa, Inigo, and Owain) is a great ship. Anankos is dying. He knows he only has so much magic and energy left before he's taken over by the rot that ensnares all dragons in FE. However, he needs someone to find his long lost child even if it means he is dead before he can see them again.

So instead of... asking someone like Lilith or maybe someone in Nohr or Hoshido... the man PULLS three warriors from ANOTHER DIMENSION and begs them to aid him. He also needs them to drink his dragon blood... for magic purposes and not intimate, kinky reasons, he swears.

Yeah, okay it's the DLC for Fates that got me to ship them. Look. There is no way that Anankos wasn't at least a bit attracted to the Trio. They're cute, hot, and compassionate! And Anankos isn't hard on the eyes either! It's the perfect set up!

Plus, when he's corrupted he can be Evil and Possessive and that's always a bit hot, right??

[idkwhatimdoinghere1655]

|1|The Sound Of Rain - Pierre Gasly|

<word count - 2961>

Patience Wears Thin as Time Draws On

"Look, Etta, I just don't want to go," I complained, looking at myself in the mirror as my best friend, Antoinette, tried to convince me to go to my performance tonight. I had been performing at the same pub (The Horse and Trough) for about a year and tonight I just didn't feel like it. 

It was always the same people in, every single night. My main night there was a Saturday, but I also did other weeknights. They were never as busy, though. Etta said that tonight, however, was going to be a different one. A few of our friends apparently knew a guy who was racing at Silverstone the next day. The only reason this was supposed to matter to me was because he was going to be at the pub with them tonight. 

Etta had insisted that I look 'extra hot' (her words, not mine) as he was a fellow Frenchman, single, had a great job and handsome (again, her words, not mine). So, she dressed me in a long, flowy maxi-dress in a stunning sapphire blue. To be fair, I did look quite nice.

 But, it's not like I wasn't going to go, I'm getting paid for it. Doesn't mean I wanted to be there. "You might not want to go, but when you're there, my dear Leone, you will never want to leave," she tried to coerce me, "Pierre is absolute boyfriend material,"

"Have you got any pictures of this Pierre?" I asked her, the name feeling right on my tongue.

I expected her to show me some specky-looking racing driver. Boy was I wrong. She pulled her phone from her purse and scrolled through Instagram for a minute, before turning the screen to face me. Wow was all I could think as I gazed at him, hopping out of the car. He still had his helmet on, but he just looked great. She scrolled to the next picture, and I could swear my heart skipped a beat. 

His hair was all ruffled and his suit was rolled down to his waist, leaving him in a set of white fire-proofs. I didn't believe that this was the guy that was going to be at the pub. "You're sure that this is the guy who Will knows?" 

"Yes, I'm sure. I've talked to him as well,". Maybe tonight wouldn't be as bad as I thought it would be. "Oh I see that smirk! You like the look of him, huh?" Etta teased, nudging me with her elbow.

"I'm not going to say he's not attractive," I rolled my eyes, picking up my purse and walking towards my apartment door. "I can't wait to play matchmaker!" she giggled, following along as her heels clicked on the wooden floor. 

Being the start of August, the weather was still very warm and the sky was still very blue as we drove to the pub. I needed to get there early to set up and make sure all of the tech was working. Etta would probably disappear into the storage cupboard with Will for a while, they always kept each other occupied. 

Nearer the start of my set, Will and Etta re-emerged from the cupboard, their clothes slightly askew and their hair was rather disorderly. People also started filtering into the pub, ready for their Saturday night drinks. Before I started, it was packed. There was barely any standing room left and the bar was crammed with people. 

I stood there, adjusting my microphone slightly. The pub looked as boring as ever, as I was searching for something to be different, just to have a change. Of course, there was nothing out of the ordinary.  

I thought about how I should just get a normal job and leave this place. I should get a job that can actually get me somewhere, not performing in a pub most nights a week, desperate for the right person to walk in and spot something in me. 

I always started with a song in French, just to see how the crowd took to them. Before I could let my thoughts of stardom and success run away with me, the soundtrack started playing. "Mon cœur, mes mains, mes yeux, mes reins," I started, scanning the crowd for any sign of Will's French friend. 'Evidemment' was a newer song I had written, but people didn't seem to care too much.  "Dans mon jardin d'enfer poussent des fleurs," 

I looked at everyone and they seemed to be bored out of their minds. Looks like we'll be heading back to the club classics then. Anyway, even if they didn't enjoy it, I certainly did.

 I carried on with the night, no sign of Pierre anywhere. Finally, I had reached the end of the set. "So everyone, for the final song, grab your special someone and come down to the dancefloor for me," I said, watching as Will grabbed Etta's hand and dragged her in front of me, as well as a lot of other couples making their way to the dancefloor. 

I approached the keyboard that the pub had with my microphone in hand, positioning it in front of me. I started playing the song, trying to ignore the jealousy I felt of the couples on the dance floor. How I longed to have someone that I could slow dance with, someone to spend my life with, someone to love. "When we're out in a crowd, laughing loud, and nobody knows why,"

"When we're lost at a club, getting drunk and, you give that smile," I smiled to myself as I sang the words, imagining someone smiling at me from across the club. "When we're done, making love and you look up and give me those eyes," I turned to look at the audience, hoping to see the happiness on their faces. However, my eyes met with a striking pair of blue ones, and my fingers almost stopped pressing the keys. 

--

Getting back to the hotel and seeing a text from Will was never a great sign. I had just gotten back from the qualifying laps and I would be starting in P11 on the grid, which wasn't too bad, but could be better. Going out was honestly the last thing I wanted, but I would feel bad if I didn't. He was always texting, asking how I was and everything. We could never meet up because I was always somewhere in the world, so I felt I owed him tonight. 

I wouldn't be drinking or staying out too late, I would just be going to chat and have a good time. He also mentioned that there would be entertainment, one of his other friends was singing, so that would be nice. He said she was really good. 

Will last seen: 2 minutes ago

Will: Hey Bud! I'm heading down to the pub tonight and just wondering if you wanted to tag along? Thought it would be nice to see you since you're here. 

One of my friends is singing and she's really good, so you'll have good entertainment as well. 

Let me know asap!

You: Hey Will! I've got the GP tomorrow, so I won't be staying out too late or drinking.

Text me the address and I'll be there in a bit.

What time does your friend's set start?

Will: Around 6? You'll love her, she's brilliant.

You: Alright, I'll be there soon! See you later

Will: See you later, bud!

Right, here we go. I hopped in the shower quickly, throwing on whatever clothes were at the top of my suitcase. No, I hadn't unpacked. Why? Simple answer: I couldn't be bothered. I'll be leaving in a day or two anyway.

I wouldn't have to stay at the pub too long. I'd just have to show my face, watch the set (which I assumed to be around an hour or so) and come back to the hotel, ready for the GP tomorrow. 

I found out the pub wasn't too far away from the hotel I was staying at, so I decided to walk there. It was only 5 minutes. 

I zipped up my jacket, only so that I had the pockets for my phone and wallet. I quickly figured out that I didn't need it as I strolled along the pavement, so I took it off and draped it over my arm.

When I arrived at the pub, it was... Quaint? It wasn't the nicest building, but it had a cosy feeling that became overwhelming due to the British summertime heat. I spotted Will and a girl who I guessed was his girlfriend, and approached them.

"Pierre! You made it!" he exclaimed over the noise of the chattering of the bar as he rushed over to embrace me. I hugged him back, offering to buy him and Etta a drink. "You see that girl on the stage over there?" Etta asked, pointing in the direction of the stage.

I looked over and I saw her. She was wearing a stunning blue dress and she was beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. I tried not to look gobsmacked, but Etta just laughed at me. "That's Leone, she's going to be singing." She said, patting me on the shoulder, "Don't worry, she had the same reaction when I showed her your picture earlier,"

Before I could respond, music started playing and then she started singing. In French. It was the best thing I've ever heard. On the other hand, the crowd around me clearly didn't seem to appreciate her talent and the beauty of the song. The majority of them were chattering amongst themselves, or on their phones. 

I couldn't take my eyes off her. The way she embraced every word she sung and how she clearly didn't care for the lack of appreciation from the crowd because she loved being up there. 

I had never heard the song before, either. "Did she write that?" I asked Etta as she whispered something in Will's ear. "Yes, she did. It's one of her newer ones," she explained, smirking. 

Listening to the lyrics, they were deep. Loosely translated, the chorus was something along the line of, "Obviously, it's always quiet before the storm. Don't you forget - it's always too good to be true, but never too ugly to be unreal,". It was genius and it sounded brilliant. 

Unfortunately, there were no more French songs played, probably due to the lack of interest from the crowd. 

I couldn't tear my eyes away from her for the entirety of her set, which lasted quite a bit longer than I expected it to. For the final song, she asked people to head to the dancefloor and she made her way to the keyboard. I lost my company to the dancefloor, leaving me by myself at the bar. 

She looked in her element at the keyboard, singing a heart-warming but also heart-wrenching song with every ounce of emotion in her body. "When we're done, making love and you look up and give me those eyes," she turned to look at the audience, but her eyes landed on mine and I could swear she nearly stopped playing. 

I never really believed in love at first sight, but gazing into her eyes from a distance, for even a second made my heart jump and butterflies came to life in my stomach.

Not really listening to the rest of the song, I kept on replaying the moment again and again in my head. I thought I was just being silly, thinking about things too much, but I could have sworn I saw something in her eyes too. 

She finished the song, earning a loud round of whoops and cheers from the audience as she thanked them. She hopped off stage and wandered over to Etta on the dancefloor. Without giving her a second to think, Etta grabbed her by the arm and dragged her in my direction. 

Nerves bubbled in my stomach for some reason. I drove cars at over 170 miles per hour around tight bends, and I was nervous to talk to this girl I've never met. 

"Pierre, this is... Actually, I'll let her introduce herself to you," Etta smiled, nudging the green eyed girl in the ribs. Etta leaned into her ear and whispered, well tried to whisper, "Good luck, tell me how it goes tomorrow," she winked and fled into the crowd. 

The poor girl choked on the air and took the bar stool next to me. "So, I'm Léonide Adélaïde Poirier, but everyone calls me Leone and it is a pleasure to meet you," she said awkwardly, like she hadn't had to introduce herself to anyone before. "Well, Leone, I'm Pierre Gasly and it is a pleasure to meet you too," I followed, trying to make her feel as comfortable as possible. 

"J'ai adoré les chansons, tu es génial," I complimented her in her native language, hoping to make her feel more relaxed with me. "Merci, Pierre, j'apprécie."

"Do you want a drink?" I asked, watching as she picked up her purse and fished around in there. 

"Yes, please, let me just get my purse,"

"Oh no, I'll get you one," 

"Oh, thank you. Can I get you one, then?" she asked, a light blush creeping up her cheeks. 

"I'm not drinking tonight, I've got the GP tomorrow." I said, waving the bartender over. 

"What can I get for you?" he asked with a smile.

"I'll have a gin and tonic, please," she replied, earning a nod from the bartender.

"I completely forgot that you're a racing driver! That is a very cool job," she gushed as the bartender placed the drink in front of her on a coaster. "It is, I'm very lucky to be able to do it," I said, not wanting to talk about myself. I wanted to know more about her. 

"So, how did you end up here?" I asked.

"I moved here from France when I was 18, because I thought I could get more into music over here, but it turns out I was wrong. I never wanted to do pub gigs, but it's not too bad," she looked bored talking about it, something about her twitching for a new adventure. 

"You want to be famous?"

"No, not really. I just want my music to be appreciated," she said, a solemn look in her eyes. How no one had appreciated her brilliant talent and songs was beyond me. It was unbelievable. "I appreciate it," I said, and cringed at myself after the words had left my mouth. 

"Thank you Pierre, I appreciate it," she giggled slightly, causing a smile to instantly spread across my face. She has such an infectious giggle. 

For the rest of the night, we talked and laughed a lot. After a while, I checked my phone to see what the time was, and it was late. Well, eleven pm isn't late, but it was considering that I had a GP tomorrow. "I'm going to have to go now, sorry. I have to get up pretty early tomorrow," I said, not wanting to go to the hotel but it was the responsible and professional thing to do. 

"No, no. Don't worry about it," she said, looking slightly disappointed but I was as well. "Do you want me to walk you home?" I asked, hoping she would say yes. 

"I don't want you to have to go out of your way, it's a pretty long way," she said, looking around to try and find Etta. She knew where they were, though. I pretended like I didn't see them sneaking into the storage cupboard. "No, its fine, I insist,"

"Alright, I'll just go and say goodbye to Will and Etta," she chirped, standing and hooking her purse over her shoulder. "I think they're a bit... Occupied?" I muttered, glancing towards the storage cupboard. "Oh, right." She said, realizing exactly what I was trying to convey.

We left the pub, her directing me where we needed to go. We were talking about where abouts in France we were from, when I saw her shiver as the breeze blew past. "Are you cold?" I asked, her looking at me as the moonlight shone on her face. "No, I'm alright," she tried to reassure me, shaking her head. 

Without saying anything, I draped my jacket over her shoulders, earning a smile from her. "Thank you," she said, turning down another different street. Leone took me into a tall apartment building, and I wondered why I was letting a stranger take me into a random building, but it was her.

After we stepped up a few flights of stairs, she stopped outside of a green door, shrugging my coat from off her shoulders. "Well, this is me," she sighed, not making any attempt to enter her apartment. "You're welcome to go to the GP with Will and Etta tomorrow, I can find you a seat with them if you don't have a ticket," I asked, hoping she would come.

"I'll see. I have some stuff to do, but I'll probably tag along with them since they got me a ticket anyway," she said, looking down at her feet. "Alright, I might see you tomorrow then," I joked, listening as she laughed lightly. "Goodnight, Pierre," she said, placing her hands on my shoulders before giving me a swift kiss on the cheek. 

I started blushing profusely and she did as well, as she opened her apartment door and disappeared inside, leaving me stood in front of her green door.

--

I kissed him on the cheek then ran out of pure embarrassment. People don't kiss people on the cheek anymore. I tried to brush off my nerves and relax before heading to bed. 

I already knew I was going to the GP tomorrow, so I don't know why I said I might go. I put it down to playing hard to get, but I doubt he was interested in me. At least we could be friends? I hoped we could.

A/N - I've had this written for a while, so I thought I might as well post it. It is 22 chapters long in total, so let me know if you'd like to read the rest of it! Do you guys prefer OCs or Y/Ns? If you prefer Y/Ns, I could always change it :)

|masterlist|

[absensia]

SHE'S HEARD IT ALL BEFORE. YOU THINK THIS IS A JOKE? THIS FUNNY TO YOU? WIPE THAT FUCKING GRIN OFF YOUR FACE BEFORE I DO IT FOR YOU. ETCETERA, ETCETERA. SHE FIGURED THAT IT'D BE THE SAME SHIT THAT WOULD GET HER KILLED NOWADAYS, SAME AS IT DID IN THE PAST. GUESS THERE WERE SOME TRICKS SHE COULDN'T QUITE MASTER. THAT, OR IT WAS THIS PARTICULAR LESSON CHARLIE DIDN'T LIKE. THE PROBLEM WAS THAT SHE'D ALREADY SEEN PAST THE HEAVY, RED VELVET CURTAINS AND THE SO-CALLED MAGIC THAT EMERGED FROM BEHIND IT, AND THE REALITY OF IT WAS THAT THERE WAS NO MAGIC, NO LUCK. THERE WAS ONLY THE INEVITABILITY OF NOTHING. LET TIME UNFOLD FOR LONG ENOUGH AND THERE WOULD BE NOTHING BUT THAT PATIENT ALBEIT COLD OBLIVION LEFT. WASN'T THAT A CHEERY THOUGHT? SO EXCUSE HER IF SHE CANNOT HELP BUT SMILE AND HAVE A LAUGH. IN HER (NOT-SO-HUMBLE) OPINION, MOST PEOPLE COULD USE A GOOD DISARRANGEMENT, ANYWAYS. CASE IN POINT...

Raj wasn't enjoying her smile so much today. Understandably, he was having a harder time than usual believing her when she told him, with the gentility of a good friend, that everything was still under control. That everything, with just a little bit of time, would be fine. For nearly an hour now, she'd been chipping away at his panic, his anger, his paranoia. Slowly, like an infection, she trusted that her own confidence in the matter would abate his concerns, lower that blood pressure, and make that ugly vein in his forehead quit its comical hopping. IT WAS TOO SOON FOR THIS MUCH PARANOIA, but that was part of the problem, wasn't it?

From one suspicious man to another, neither particularly charmed with her at the moment. Charlotte, at the very least, made an effort to swallow her laughter and flatten her smile when Ghost rounded on her; if not a sign of respect ( for that in and of itself was dicey topic to broach ), then because she knew she hadn't exactly been playing fair and this was the least she could do for her partner. Yet the switch from a man practically boiled over with his rage, to one whose every word pierced with the concentrated pain of frostbite, was undeniably amusing on some level to the agent.

Ironically, she held the role of neutral ground here. Not for a single moment did her heart rate rise, ( though some would say that that was rather dopey of her ), but that didn't mean she wasn't listening. Carefully and seriously, too, despite what her half - smiling expression might still suggest. She knew that, unlike their beloved boss man, Ghost had no reason to believe a word she said; and clearly, he did not believe her, but, again, unlike with Raj, it wasn't really her job to convince him, was it? She didn't need Ghost to believe her. Hell, this operation barely ( barely! ) required them to trust each other, and she saw that as a fucking bonus. Silly, useless work it was, getting people to trust you where it was unnecessary. They could function just fine without it. What they couldn't do with, however, was the suspicion that lingered like a bad smell within the body of Raj's organization. Until they'd won over the body of underlings, there would always be something like an immune system signal to the head to keep them from fully gaining Raj's solid trust.

YOU'D BETT'A FIND ME SOMEONE T'HAND OV'A TO 'IM OR HE CAN FUCKIN' TAKE ONE'A YOURS. / @0azrae7 | CONT.

Well, Charlotte mused to herself, if that's what it'll take. But it wasn't going to come to that. Charlotte moved her hand away from where it'd be resting gently upon her lips, doing an admittedly poor job of hiding her idle smile, and for the sake of living up to the humour of the moment, considered the hand. Her skin was creamy and her fingers both deft and nimble. She knew for a fact that a corpse's hands were just never as pretty. Clear grey eyes looked back up at Ghost and with that porcelain doll hand left vulnerable between them, she asked, in the softest tone she could manage, " You done? " But Charlotte wasn't going to wait for an answer.

" Because I'm going to tell you the same thing I told Raj. One, it's best to look at the silver lining here, yeah? They want to look into you, and it would've been nice if at least I'd been given a heads up, but we don't always get what we want, do we? But now that we've caught it, we can decide exactly what they'll see and everybody wins. We won't need to worry anymore because Raj isn't ever going to waste another second side - eyeing you once he's finished his search. Two, " she continued without taking a single breath. Neat trick, being able to breath through one's ears, Charlie. " Everything's under control. Alright? This isn't this cow's first rodeo. Meet me at the underground delivery bay at oh-three-hundred. 'Kay? It's fine, we're fine. Lighten up, reaper. "

She made quick work of neatening the papers and folders on the boss' desk, stood, then paused, a dark cloud descending over her face. Her mouth sunk into a small frown and a small dent appeared between her brows. " There are cows at rodeos, right? Whatever. O-three-hundred, " she repeated, throwing one last glance at Ghost.

[iprefertheterminsane]

Ok, I just need to get this out of my head but

Dreamling Medieval Royal AU with King Dream and Knight Hob

So basically what I was thinking is (punched) aw fuck, I cant believe you've done this

In a somewhat canon compliant manner, the story TECHNICALLY starts with Dream (Morpheus) getting kidnapped and held hostage for 6 months

He does eventually manage to get himself free and find himself back to his realm, which had been near the brink of war with the absence of their king

He resolves most problems, other than the tension when his people discover he's been kidnapped by nobility of Desire and Despair (Eros and Oizys)'s Kingdom, which in itself had been in a form of civil turmoil for an ongoing year now. Theyre clamoring for retribution but Dream REALLY isn't in the place of mind to deal with clamoring for war with his own sibling rn

Lucienne, palace librarian and closest counsel, advises him to get his bearings and properly heal with Death (Thana), the sibling with which he was closest to in her kingdom (The Sunless Lands)

She welcomes him with an open arms, and receives him gladly. He mostly spends most of his time in his room or in the Palace, just relishing having a break from his duties, but Death is a hovering mother hen and he escapes from the palace to get some space from her

He spends time instead brooding in the smaller gardens behind the palace kitchens, where (here comes the fun part) Knight!Hob finds him for the first time

Sir Robert Gadling, also known as Hob to his compatriots, is among Death's favourite soldiers. He spars in the courtyard with the rest of the bros every day

Its been a rough couple of years for him as well. Hes only returned from a 3 year war outside the kingdom, during which his wife and son had died from plague when he returned. Death stayed with him in his manor to accompany him in his grief, and hes very indebted to her.

That being said, he Does Not recognize who Dream is.

He would have left the guy alone, he was just taking a bit of a stroll and see if a pal from the kitchens have a snack for him to munch on, but the guy looks so lost and mournful and sad, so like him when Hob had returned, and Hob knows more than anyone how desperately one would like a friend.

He strikes up conversation. They guy looked SPOOKED, like a stray animal ready to flee at the first sign of agression. It wrenches Hob's heart to think of what could have made him so scared and wary.

And Dream, considering his experiences and fresh trauma, WAS scared and wary

The man doesn't tell Hob his name, but he wasn't deterred.

The Stranger is a WONDERFUL listener, not speaking much but attentive and kind eyes, and Hob hasn't felt so free and unguarded with someone new for ages.

They depart at dusk, nearly dinnertime.

When Hob returns the next day, there was the stranger still where he'd left him

They would proceed to have similar little dates. Hob still doesnt know who this Stranger is. He doesnt know where he comes from or if he works in the kitchens (though his clothes looked too fine for that) or if he was some sort of mute fae or what.

However on their very last date, they had a bit of a fight where Hob suggested they might be friends and the Stranger just blew his absolute top off on offense for reasons Hob could not compute. He left their date early, very similar to canon timeline break uo scene

And Dream was pulled away to return to the Dreaming for a political emergency that evening, so he didnt even have time to apologize. He doesnt meet Hob the next day, but Hob waited past dusk, basically all day for him :( and hes convinced its bc he said something stupid

End of Part 1

[ravenclaw-daydreams]

𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞 | 𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐞𝐫

Warnings: August is dead lol, violence, avenging your husband by violence, angst angst angst.

Summary: Ethan is the reason you lost your muse, so you plan to make him suffer.

A/n: I felt depressing, this is the result. Much love but if I'm salty about August's death, you are too. It's short so-

.

"I'LL KILL HIM! I'LL KILL THE FUCK WHO DID THIS!" the siren scream echoed off the marble walls as feminine cries of agony released themselves out of a now sore throat.

The woman held the corpse of her lover to her chest, not caring about the gore that got on her dress due to his marred flesh. His eyes were closed, his body lifeless.

There, Y/N Walker held her husband's corpse close to her chest, rocking herself back and forth as she screamed to the heavens profanities and promises of revenge. Anger wasn't even a word to describe what she was experiencing. Her blood boiled and her heart bled, emotions pouring out like a geyser.

"WHO DID THIS? WHO FUCKING DID THIS?" she screamed at the people who brought her the corpse.

Their gazes were full of pity for her loss as they hung their head down low, "His name is Ethan. Ethan Hunt."

Her soft hands gently took his left hand in hers, her dainty fingers pulling the wedding ring off his, holding it to her chest as the tears continued to flow.

"Take him out of here. Treat him with the utmost respect and get him to a morgue. We'll give him a proper send-off. Also, get me absolutely everything you know on Ethan Hunt."

.

When Ethan came too, the first thing that he noticed was that he couldn't move his hands. He couldn't move anything, in fact, his brain taking in his surroundings. He was no doubt in a warehouse of some kind, in a metal chair, his hands not tied back with rope, but with steel cuffs.

The next thing, he noticed, however, was the melody that seemed to find his ear, a lovely mixture of notes. He recognized the song, Polkadots, and Moonbeams with Frank Sinatra. He shook his head in an attempt to wake himself up more, convinced this was a dream.

"This was our song, you know," a silky voice announced from a dark corner of the warehouse, directly behind a currently inebriated Ethan.

"Every Sunday evening, he would insist we slow danced to it once. A tradition that never seemed to get old," the owner of the voice came into sight, clad in a black dress, a necklace around her neck.

Ethan began to put the pieces together, his eyes narrowing at her as he began to recognize her face.

"You're-"

"His wife."

Her words were filled with venom. The heels on her feet clacked across the concrete floor, making a haunting echo ring through the seemingly empty space.

Ethan then realized she had a hand behind her back, and he was sure it was nothing good.

"They say that love can make people do crazy things. Unluckily for you, August was the one person that I loved most in the world, and it took way too long to find you, you're good at hiding," she began to explain, having to swallow the lump in her throat when mentioning her dead lover's name.

"That's what this is about? He was a madman set on killing thousands upon thousands of innocent people! I did what had to be done," Ethan bit, making her raise a brow.

"Since the death of my husband, I've had this deep... pain in my stomach. He was such a large part of me, you know," she began to approach her prey, a blade being revealed, but before he could react, she gave a firm, hard stab into his abdomen.

He gasped and grunted in pain as he looked her directly in the eyes, horrified when he saw a look of glee spread on her face.

"Now we share the same pain," she insisted, before yanking the blade out of his flesh, "And Ethan, I have so much to tell you about the pain you caused me..."

She paused, before snapping her fingers, two men emerging from another dark corner, his time with a sloo of dangerous, bladed weapon.

"I plan on making you feel every second of it," she confessed.

And as Ethan's eyes widened in terror, her hand drifted to August's ring strung around her neck, her fingers stroking it gently. At that moment, she knew, she would avenge her husband.

[sapphire-dreamsky]

Headcanons of Sukuna being turned into a child for an entire day

A/N: This is my first time doing headcanon, hopefully I do it right. I find the idea of Sukuna, the feared king of curses getting turned into a child hilarious for some reasons. Might be my tired mind which wants a break from studying😅. For this idea's sake, Sukuna has his own body. I leave it to your imagination if he is still a curse but was somehow enrolled into helping sorcerers (highly improbable), or he is born as a sorcerer.

Also, I wish to thank my followers, for liking my content enough to want to stick around. I won't be posting much (University just started but I am already so busy with assignments and such). I will try to write as much as I can but there will be months where I won't be posting lengthy stories. So yeah, sorry for the long ramble, just wanted to let you know how grateful I am. Without futher ado, let's jump right into the arms of Sukuna lol.

You were sent on a mission of high importance.

It was your first time doing it and you were proud to be the one chosen for such a task.

However, Sukuna was bored and according to him, you were the only interesting person in his eyes (besides Megumi of course) when it comes to hanging out with either Itadori or Nobara or god forbid, Gojo Satoru. Beurk, his own words.

Actually, he was kind of forced to say that since you are dating.

And Sukuna doesn't date boring or weak people.

So, with him in toe, after you made him swear he won't interfere unless necessary, you both headed to the place where the exorcism would take place.

It was a special grade curse. One of which was that the nature of it's jujutsu was unknown since it was only discovered recently.

In hindsight, knowing the elders, the mission could have been a suicide missio meant to get rid of you because you disagree with the system.

And it doesn't help that you are Satoru's student. A well-known thorn in their side despite his immeasurable strength.

Despite that, a mission was a mission. And with Sukuna by your side, you were quite confident of coming out of this alive. Not that you couldn't on your own, but he is like a booster...or a support character. But don't tell him that.

The mission was going smoothly. The curse was not as impressive as the document made it out to be.

Or so you two thought.

When you were ready to go, a beam of light was thrown at you.

Sukuna threw himself in front of you.

You were quite worried. He is your boyfriend for God's sake! Despite him claiming he is the strongest, you were still allowed to fret over him at times! And the curse was already exorcised. So where did the beam come from?!

However, there were more important matters at hand.

Like where did he go?

Why were his clothes lying down like back with a bundle in the middle?! Why was the bundle moving?! Why was it cursing?!

Then...the cutest red eyes emerged from the kimono and stared at you. His eyebrows were furrowed as were per usual.

You had to hold in a squeal because...how could you imagine he would be as adorable as this as a child?!

"Oh my God! Sukuna! You are so cute!"

He grimaces.

"Shut up, woman. Help me out."

Immediately after getting him out from the mountain of clothes, you find out that he is naked.

Quickly averting your eyes, you bunch up his clothes and try your best to protect his modesty.

You returned to the school by teleportation and went to find Ieri-sensei.

She was perplexed but didn't see anything wrong with his body or soul.

"The effects might last for a day or two. Don't worry about it."

So you didn't worry over it. But you had to find him clothes.

So you got off to the city to buy appropriate clothes for a grumpy Sukuna who was clutching at you tightly while glaring at anyone who looked at him for more than two seconds.

It was the first time you entered a baby's clothes shop and you were in awe at the multiple array of choices of clothes and toys they sold here.

You went over to the male isle and with some convincing, managed to buy a tiger onesie for him. And another with the saying "I'm a little adorable cuddly monster"

A man tried to flirt with you there.

To which he glared and declared, "She is my woman, you idiot."

You had to clear up the misunderstanding.

"He is the son of my neighbour, haha. I'm babysitting him."

Still his glare scared off the guy.

You gave Sukuna a disapproving stare.

As punishment, you told him he would have to let you take pictures of him in the onesies.

This got you the scariest glare he could manage and a cute pout.

After your little shopping trip, you guys decided to drop by a cafe for some sweets.

He would have refused if he knew they would meet that annoying blindfolded kinky bastard again.

"AH! (Y/N)-CHAN! I didn't know you and Sukuna had such a cute kid!"

Cue, he tried to poke at Sukuna's cheeks.

..."ITE!!!!"

Satoru held his offending finger which was now a glaring red. Because he was wearing his sunglasses, you could see big fat tears droplets at the corner of his eyes.

You were skeptical because, shouldn't Sukuna have bitten down on the infinity separating him from the world?

"Your kid is as mean as his dad! That's so unfair!"

Sukuna swore angrily while trying to kick the man as best as he could in your arms.

You explained the situation to Satoru who only started cackling as if he was mad.

"That's Sukuna? Hahahahahaha."

Sukuna hopes he dies on the spot.

After that humiliating meeting, you head back to your dorm.

The only good thing that came out of this was that he could stay with you.

After dressing him up in these adorable onesies, a photoshoot was a must.

He glared at you during all this.

Midway through, he fell asleep.

You decided to tuck him in safely in case he rolled over.

This was truly a blessing in disguise, you decided before your eyes closed, tired of the excitement of the day.

.

.

.

.

Bonus

You woke up to someone holding you in a death grip.

It was way too warm.

Trying to push the offending furnace away, your eyes suddenly opened.

"Wha-?"

There was a sight that was even more precious than kid Sukuna.

The man was sleeping soundly, soft snores exiting his parted mouth.

Truly, he is the most adorable man in the world...when he wasn't being murderous and mean that is.

One of his eyes cracked open.

"Take a picture, it will last longer."

With a smirk, you did that.

[sagefzy]

PART FOUR: POPCORN AND GREEN TEA

perfectionism | prev | next

You tapped your foot on the pavement, anxious to finally meet the eyes of your old friend. The feeling of excitement was almost overwhelming all your senses, the only thing you could focus on was the plain, faded brown door in front of you. Quickly, you sent Suna a text to let him know of your arrival, however in the corner of your eye, you suddenly noticed two figures approaching. You shrugged it off, thinking that it was just two guys passing by on a walk, but rather than walking past the house, they stepped up the driveway slowly drawing near you.

Hearing Ennoshita's words in your mind about being aware of your surroundings, you discreetly glanced back observing the two. But, much to your surprise, it was the exact two guys who bombarded you at the supermarket yesterday. Well, actually, more like the one blond who smashed a shopping cart into your heel, blubbering apologies and looking away, while the other one stood there and watched the whole incident play out.

You watched them for what seemed like forever. Could they possibly be Suna's friends? No, the whole thing seemed too coincidental, surely that couldn't be the case. Not willing to take the chance, you took out your phone once more in hopes to get Suna to clarify that those were, indeed, not his friends. Unfortunately for you, it appeared that the universe had decided to make you a pawn in its game because the two of them were, indeed, his friends.

You let out a heavy sigh, you could already tell that the next few hours would be nothing but awkward stares and embarrassing conversations. Not wanting to ruin your one day of freedom- the one day where you didn't have to listen to your dad's constant yells, telling you how much of a disappointment you are- the one day where you didn't have to sit in front of the piano all day just to feel some sort of gratification. It was then that you decided to just ignore the situation, and pretend as if the blond wasn't the reason that the back of your foot was wrapped in a bandage. For all Suna knew, this was you guys' first encounter, so be it.

Right as the door opened, your eyes were drawn to the tall green-eyed boy who you used to spend every day with as a young kid. "Y/N, so glad you're here!" Suna smiled, as he went in for a quick hug. "Those two behind you are Atsumu and Osamu." He introduced, pointing to the two that were now directly behind you. The blond looked absolutely horrified, stealing brief glimpses at the bandage that hugged your heel, the other one, however, stared back with a nonchalant smile. "They may have almost the same face, but the one with the ugly piss-colored hair is Atsumu, and the normal looking one is Osamu."

You grinned back at the two, showcasing your brightest smile, hoping that they'd get the message to not bring up the fact that this was not your first encounter. You were going to introduce yourself to the two, but the blond seemed to beat you to cut. "How come Samu is the normal one?" He whined.

Suna snickered, "Because Osamu doesn't act like a dramatic brat who needs his hand held every damn second of the day."

Suna's blunt words made you softly chuckle, there was something in friendly banter that just made it so pure and innocent. You looked up at the two, noticing that the blond's expression had softened after hearing your giggles. With the brief moment of silence at hand, you decided to take this as the moment to introduce yourself. "I'm Y/N, it's nice to meet you Atsumu and Osamu."

"Well now that we got introductions out of the way, why don't we go inside and find something to do," Suna suggested.

"Rinny, can we watch a movie?" You asked excitedly. The last time you had watched a movie was when you hung out with Nishinoya, Tanaka, and Ennoshita before leaving Miyagi, and your dad hardly ever let you engage in anything other than school work or piano, making it a rare treasure.

Suna nodded, "Watching a movie it is."

As all of you entered the house, you couldn't help but hear the blond, Atsumu mutter to his brother, "If I called 'm Rinny I think he'd punch me on the spot."

A smile quickly reappeared on your face as you heard his brother respond, "I don't know, I'll give ya one thousand yen to put it to the test."

"No, I think I'll choose life," He giggled.

You found your way to the couch and swiftly pulled out your phone, eager to let your friends know your current situation. The whole scene sounded like something straight out of a book.

You clicked your phone off and turned your attention to the aroma that seemed to be emerging from the kitchen. The familiar scent, caramel popcorn and green tea, jogged an almost forgotten memory of your childhood. An unlikely duo, yet even as a child you couldn't get enough of the weird combination. No one would've ever thought to put the two together, but it just worked.

You almost laughed at the sight. Suna walked out of the kitchen juggling three bowls of caramel popcorn, three bottles of energy drinks, and, of course, your mug of green tea. Since he had such little grace, you got up and lent a helping hand. "No, no you're my guest and you're injured go sit back down," Suna scolded.

"Well it's too late, I'm already here, so I'll just take some of that off your hand," You said while grabbing the mug of tea and the three energy drinks. You walked over to the twins and handed them each their bottle.

"Say what happened to yer foot over there?" Osamu asked with a smirk on his face.

"Oh yeah you never told me what you did to your foot, Y/N," Suna added as he placed the remaining bowls on the side table.

"It's not a big deal I just scraped myself with glass while unpacking," You blurted. You hoped that the lie was convincing enough, but to be honest, scraping yourself with glass sounded way more believable than being run over with a shopping cart.

"I see, sorry to hear that," Osamu responded in an almost surprise-like manner. You thought that maybe he expected you to call out his brother, however you decided to stick with your initial decision of ignoring the situation to save your night from awkwardness. His expression only got more surprised as he realized the unusual food combination you were eating. For only eating caramel popcorn with green tea, he looked as if you were committing a crime against food.

"Green tea with caramel popcorn?" He asked.

With no shame you nodded your head. "Don't knock it until you try it, it's my favorite combo in the world. I can never get enough of it."

Suna sighed, "Yeah, it's no use to convince her otherwise it's been more than a solid seven years since i last saw her and she still likes it."

The night ended almost as quickly as it started. Although you were initially worried about it being awkward, your worries were soon rested once Osamu started explaining his love of cooking. You both talked endlessly about all sorts of sweets and savory foods you both enjoyed indulging in. However, his twin, on the other hand, barely talked as he aimlessly played around with his phone.

Your eyes noticed the time on the nearby clock, the numbers displaying that it was near midnight. Your stomach instantly knotted, if your dad wasn't asleep, you for sure were going to get an ear full when you arrived home. You picked up your phone, and smiled at Suna and Osamu who's chest softly rose up and down as they slept.

You stood up quietly, getting Atsumu's attention. You didn't expect him to do or say anything since he'd been quite dull the entire night, but it seemed like this was a night of surprises. "Yer not planning to go all the way to the bus stop by yerself now are ya?" He asked.

"Well I'm not waking either of them so they can escort me if that's what you're asking," you responded "But, you're more than welcome to join me if it'll put your mind at ease." You fully expected him to not care, however he grabbed his jacket next to him and stood up, walking over to where you stood by the front door.

He quietly opened the door, careful to not make a creaking noise. "After you," He said as he directed you out of the house. The crisp winter air hit your face, your whole body jolted from the sudden change of temperatures. "Don't suppose yer cold now?" He asked, probably noticing your shivering. You replied by shaking your head and continued on the trail to the bus stop.

The rest of the walk was mostly silent, neither one of you knowing what to say. This was definitely uncharacteristically of Atsumu, anyone who'd even slightly know him would expect him to be chatting your ear off with overdramatized commentary. However, things seemed to be different in this situation, there was an eerie feeling about you that he couldn't quite put his finger on. Of course, it didn't help that your first encounter with him was him, in fact, running a shopping cart into you, but it wasn't just that. Maybe it was the way you presented yourself, in an almost sickening sweet-like manner. It all felt artificial, like a facade.

"Well this is it," you said, snapping him out of his thoughts, "Just in time for the last bus, thanks for walking with me." You turned around to enter the vehicle but before you could, a hand made its way to your arm. You immediately flinched at the contact, pulling away at the light hold he had on you.

"I'm sorry I just- i um," He started, trying to find a way to word what he wanted to say. "I wanted to say that 'm sorry for yesterday, it was kind of a shitty thing to do, and 'm also sorry for not really talking all that much today, ya seem really nice and I'm usually not this bad when it comes to meeting new people. And, I totally ruined the night by ignoring you I-"

You lightly laughed, "It's alright, plus any friend of Rin's, is a friend of mine, and you didn't ruin tonight at all, I thought it was perfect." You both smiled back at each other, not saying anything for a moment. You cleared your throat, "Um, I'll see you around, have a good night, Atsumu."

He watched as you entered the bus. A small smile made it on his face as he watched you wave goodbye from the bus window. He waved back and muttered under his breath, "Good night, Y/N."

The bus ride was only about ten minutes. Anxiously, you opened the door to your house, hoping that by some miracle your dad would be sound asleep. The old door slightly creaked, you peaked inside and all your worries flushed away as you saw your dad passed out on the couch. Granted he was passed out drunk, at least that's what you gathered by the four bottles of empty beer that laid at his feet.

Even for you, life wasn't as perfect as it seemed. As much as you wanted it to be, as much as you led people on to think that it was, it just wasn't. The worst part of it was that deep down, you felt accountable for it all. Maybe if you would've been just a little better at piano, you could've achieved your perfect life.

You reached your bedroom and exhaustedly plopped down on your bed. You glanced at the picture of your mother on your bedside table. Her long hair glided down her lavender dress, her face gleaming with a smile. In one hand she held her violin and the other held an award deeming her the best violinist in the nation. She was talented, beautiful, intelligent, and made your dad happy. She was absolutely everything you weren't, and your dad made sure to remind you everyday.

Life before she died was perfect. You could never recall a memory of you being sad around her. Before you closed your eyes, you whispered, "I wish I was perfect like you."

fun facts !

Whenever Atsumu doesn't know how to address a situation, he just goes on his phone and plays angry birds.

If you're ever bored, Osamu will talk forever about all the different ways you can cook the same recipe.

Suna can never stay awake during a movie night, he always falls asleep somehow.

Before getting into volleyball, the twins' mother tried to get them into violin, however that quickly failed once Atsumu broke his bow on the second day of lessons.

perfectionism ©

smau written by @sagefzy

tagist: open just send an ask :)

[jjk-anime-horray]

A Call in the Night

Dazai Osamu x reader x Oda Sakunosuke

Series Summary: While Dazai finally gets over the death of his friend and moves on with his life, he has to watch him unnaturally return into the world, and now he has to watch him turn twisted and into everything he hated in a way.

Chapter Summary: The Armed Detective Agency gets a call about an warehouse incident that happened in the middle of the night, and send two detectives to respond to it.

Notice: This fic series is going to have some dark themes in it so be warned, and in this AU Dazai and the reader are members of the armed detective agency, and this is a spiritual successor to “Late Night Tickets, and Meeting Him.” So I recommend reading that first even though you don’t need to. This is going to be a series!

Trigger Warnings: Blood, mentions of extreme violence, and description of illegal activities.

Getting a call about a mandatory and emergency investigation in the middle of the night, to be specific 2:32am, was something no one at the Armed Detective Agency wanted to do. So what's the most logical solution? Draw straws and the two people who draw the shortest are forced to go.

Unfortunately for you, you were one of the two unfortunate souls that drew a short straw. At least the other person who drew the short straw was Dazai Osamu, your coworker but most importantly the first friend you made in this city, so maybe you would be able to get a kick out of the bad situation at hand.

But when the two of you emerged from an alley to meet the crime scene at hand, that would by no means be the case because by the sight of the horror that layed out infront of you two it was enough for the both of you want to hurl.

Crime scene would describe the atrocity in front of as much as the phrases bloodbath and massacre would. No wonder this was an emergency for the ADA there were probably more than 30 people dead killed in various atypical ways.

First walking into the warehouse the most out of the ordinary sight would be a round wooden table with a duffle bag on it, but once someone took a closer look the rest of the ware house was completely empty other than the congealing crimson liquid that was pooling everywhere.

The five chairs around rickety table were matched with four bodies of executives of some sort laid face down on the table or dangling of the chairs.

But the most appalling sight was what was inside the duffle-bag, you were wishing it would be something tame like left behind money, however, much to your displeasure, they where severed off human heads. That by the looks of it were cut off with some sort of serrated knife my the edge markings.

"What are you thinking (Y/N)?" Were the words that Dazai spoke to snap you out of your spiraling train of thought. "I sure as hell am thinking this isn't the way I would have wanted to go."

"I'll have to agree with you on that one, this shit is something right out of a cheesy crime or horror movie.The only thing I can think of is the heads were a message of some kind to the people who were sitting at the table, and either the person at the empty seat with accomplices who killed everyone or are the only survivor, but it could be either. Were you able to identify anyone bodies or do you recognize anyone?"

"I don't recognize anyone, and most of the bodies are too mangled to be identified, but everyone at the table is wearing a customized Rolex, so I suspect that they were all executives of a organization of some kind, probably an illegal on based on all the gun men that were probably guarding the meeting before they got taken out."

"The only lead we have is the Rolex I guess, so Daz, will you take one for reference, we can visit all of the watch makers in the city to try to find out who was the person who commissioned these watches to be made, and then maybe through that we kind find out who the soul survivor was."

"Agreed."

Honestly the two of you would have been a little more playful and chatty if the events that took place tonight weren't so gruesome. The two of you were used to having to see and do brutal things, but Dazai had this gut feeling that this wasn't the typical violent act, and things weren't as the seemed.

The brown eyed detective just wanted to go take a nap after this, which was something you also wanted to do after see all the blood. Deciding to leave the true start to your investigation for a decent time the two of you swiftly communicated with the responders about the potential situation at hand. Then left to go deal with is mess the next day.

Timeskip........

After a horrible night's sleep and about three cups of coffee you were finally able to be semi-functional, so then you decided to grab your partner Dazai after dressing to impress and make for the horrible mood you currently were in from multiple factors. Dazai was even in a worse state than you where, you found him at the trying to convince Kunikida to go on the investigation for him, which was ultimately denied by the blonde haired man. Also leaving you to drag the genius yet idiotic maniac out of the office.

Walking down the streets in-between visiting different watchmakers and jewelers, you noticed some was off each time your boots hit the ridged pavement. In particular something about Dazai, his face was contorted into a being in deep thought, not to be disturbed for any reason. It was so out of character you were going to ask what he was thinking about, but then opted out.

"I know you were going to ask what I was thinking, I am a detective you know." He said his face morphing into one not of deep thought but of cockiness with a smirk. Damn, sometimes you really loved and hated that smirk, but right now you didn't know what to think of it. "I was just thinking of how now I know exactly who made the watches, and where is is for your information."

"Really who would that be? For my information."

"His name is Opāru Shokunin, he's done a lot of custom jewelry for Elise-chan and the port mafia in the past, but recently he's been doing a lot of foreign commissions for gangs and syndicates outside of Japan my word of mouth. When I first saw the watches I was initially reminded of how it looked like his handy work, but since the first three places we've visited were a bust, i'm confident it's him."

"Alright Mr. Mic-cocky, lead the way by all means." You scoughed lightly.

Unfortunately for the two of you, your desired destination was all the way across yokohama, so you had to hail a taxi which you knew you were going to be the one paying or it. The icing on the shitty cake was that you got stuck in rush hour traffic, so, the total time until arrival was three time longer than it should have been. At least you got dibs on the radio choice.

When the two of you arrived at your desired destination you now witnessed a normal looking office building, unfortunately, there was no elevator so the two of you had to work your legs up three flights of stairs to make it to Opāru's workshop.

Before you went in however you whispered to Dazai "how do we know he's even gonna be willing to talk to us?"

"He's going to be willing...."

"Why?"

"Simple you're gonna pay him."

"Um no you're going to pay him because I payed for the cab!"

"Um no."

"Yes!"

"No."

"Yes!"

"You realize I can hear you two bickering right?" was the raspy voice of the man you were looking for that ended your whisper argument. He was actually younger than you expected, about 38, but he looked older than his body by his eyes, the eyes of someone very worn out. Which would explain the smoking. "He's right i'll talk if you pay me, just come in before ya give everyone else a headache."

The two of you swiftly made your way into the working man's shop room. The room was a lot nicer than you thought it would be, and a lot lighter too. The man possessed a very nice view from his wall because his wall was almost completely filled with by windows. Dazai did mention something about the craftsmen liking natural light in the cab on the way here, so it wasn't too surprising and really lightened the room up.

You followed Dazai to the two chairs across from the white tufted sofa that Opāru was already occupying. Then Dazai placed the watch and a thick wad of cash on the coffee table separating the two parties of people.

"Oh, so you're here to ask who paid me to customize this for them? No surprise there they were particularly nasty."

"How where they particularly nasty?"

"I'm pretty sure that they were doing things even nastier than the port mafia, like taking kids of the streets and shipping them off."

"So, supposedly by word of mouth were human traffickers."

" Yeah, supposedly, but I didn't ask when the guy approached me."

"The guy?" You reconfirmed.

"Yeah, the guy, he had this weird tattoo on his wrist. The guy's name was Zinnnnnng, THUMP.

The two of you didn't even have time to blink or create when the bullet zipped through the head of the craftsman from. The crimson liquid from his head pooling on the couch were he was just alive a few seconds ago. The blood seeping into the fabric like the disparity of situation into Dazai and yourself.

Glimpsing out middle window now tainted with a hole you see the silhouette of the person responsible for this.

Dashing up without a second thought you sprint to pursue the culprit of the murder that just took place infront of you. Eyeing your target through the broken window.

Ahhhhhhh! Okay I’m literally really proud of how this came out! I’m really hope people like it. I’m really new to writing full fanics so if any experienced writer is reading this will you please give some pointers, that would be very helpful!

-Ellie

[sagewritesmore]

PART FOUR: POPCORN AND GREEN TEA

perfectionism | prev | next

wc: 2108

You tapped your foot on the pavement, anxious to finally meet the eyes of your old friend. The feeling of excitement was almost overwhelming all your senses, the only thing you could focus on was the plain, faded brown door in front of you. Quickly, you sent Suna a text to let him know of your arrival, however in the corner of your eye, you suddenly noticed two figures approaching. You shrugged it off, thinking that it was just two guys passing by on a walk, but rather than walking past the house, they stepped up the driveway slowly drawing near you.

Hearing Ennoshita's words in your mind about being aware of your surroundings, you discreetly glanced back observing the two. But, much to your surprise, it was the exact two guys who bombarded you at the supermarket yesterday. Well, actually, more like the one blond who smashed a shopping cart into your heel, blubbering apologies and looking away, while the other one stood there and watched the whole incident play out.

You watched them for what seemed like forever. Could they possibly be Suna's friends? No, the whole thing seemed too coincidental, surely that couldn't be the case. Not willing to take the chance, you took out your phone once more in hopes to get Suna to clarify that those were, indeed, not his friends. Unfortunately for you, it appeared that the universe had decided to make you a pawn in its game because the two of them were, indeed, his friends.

You let out a heavy sigh, you could already tell that the next few hours would be nothing but awkward stares and embarrassing conversations. Not wanting to ruin your one day of freedom- the one day where you didn't have to listen to your dad's constant yells, telling you how much of a disappointment you are- the one day where you didn't have to sit in front of the piano all day just to feel some sort of gratification. It was then that you decided to just ignore the situation, and pretend as if the blond wasn't the reason that the back of your foot was wrapped in a bandage. For all Suna knew, this was you guys' first encounter, so be it.

Right as the door opened, your eyes were drawn to the tall green-eyed boy who you used to spend every day with as a young kid. "Y/N, so glad you're here!" Suna smiled, as he went in for a quick hug. "Those two behind you are Atsumu and Osamu." He introduced, pointing to the two that were now directly behind you. The blond looked absolutely horrified, stealing brief glimpses at the bandage that hugged your heel, the other one, however, stared back with a nonchalant smile. "They may have almost the same face, but the one with the ugly piss-colored hair is Atsumu, and the normal looking one is Osamu."

You grinned back at the two, showcasing your brightest smile, hoping that they'd get the message to not bring up the fact that this was not your first encounter. You were going to introduce yourself to the two, but the blond seemed to beat you to cut. "How come Samu is the normal one?" He whined.

Suna snickered, "Because Osamu doesn't act like a dramatic brat who needs his hand held every damn second of the day."

Suna's blunt words made you softly chuckle, there was something in friendly banter that just made it so pure and innocent. You looked up at the two, noticing that the blond's expression had softened after hearing your giggles. With the brief moment of silence at hand, you decided to take this as the moment to introduce yourself. "I'm Y/N, it's nice to meet you Atsumu and Osamu."

"Well now that we got introductions out of the way, why don't we go inside and find something to do," Suna suggested.

"Rinny, can we watch a movie?" You asked excitedly. The last time you had watched a movie was when you hung out with Nishinoya, Tanaka, and Ennoshita before leaving Miyagi, and your dad hardly ever let you engage in anything other than school work or piano, making it a rare treasure.

Suna nodded, "Watching a movie it is."

As all of you entered the house, you couldn't help but hear the blond, Atsumu mutter to his brother, "If I called 'm Rinny I think he'd punch me on the spot."

A smile quickly reappeared on your face as you heard his brother respond, "I don't know, I'll give ya one thousand yen to put it to the test."

"No, I think I'll choose life," He giggled.

You found your way to the couch and swiftly pulled out your phone, eager to let your friends know your current situation. The whole scene sounded like something straight out of a book.

You clicked your phone off and turned your attention to the aroma that seemed to be emerging from the kitchen. The familiar scent, caramel popcorn and green tea, jogged an almost forgotten memory of your childhood. An unlikely duo, yet even as a child you couldn't get enough of the weird combination. No one would've ever thought to put the two together, but it just worked.

You almost laughed at the sight. Suna walked out of the kitchen juggling three bowls of caramel popcorn, three bottles of energy drinks, and, of course, your mug of green tea. Since he had such little grace, you got up and lent a helping hand. "No, no you're my guest and you're injured go sit back down," Suna scolded.

"Well it's too late, I'm already here, so I'll just take some of that off your hand," You said while grabbing the mug of tea and the three energy drinks. You walked over to the twins and handed them each their bottle.

"Say what happened to yer foot over there?" Osamu asked with a smirk on his face.

"Oh yeah you never told me what you did to your foot, Y/N," Suna added as he placed the remaining bowls on the side table.

"It's not a big deal I just scraped myself with glass while unpacking," You blurted. You hoped that the lie was convincing enough, but to be honest, scraping yourself with glass sounded way more believable than being run over with a shopping cart.

"I see, sorry to hear that," Osamu responded in an almost surprise-like manner. You thought that maybe he expected you to call out his brother, however you decided to stick with your initial decision of ignoring the situation to save your night from awkwardness. His expression only got more surprised as he realized the unusual food combination you were eating. For only eating caramel popcorn with green tea, he looked as if you were committing a crime against food.

"Green tea with caramel popcorn?" He asked.

With no shame you nodded your head. "Don't knock it until you try it, it's my favorite combo in the world. I can never get enough of it."

Suna sighed, "Yeah, it's no use to convince her otherwise it's been more than a solid seven years since i last saw her and she still likes it."

The night ended almost as quickly as it started. Although you were initially worried about it being awkward, your worries were soon rested once Osamu started explaining his love of cooking. You both talked endlessly about all sorts of sweets and savory foods you both enjoyed indulging in. However, his twin, on the other hand, barely talked as he aimlessly played around with his phone.

Your eyes noticed the time on the nearby clock, the numbers displaying that it was near midnight. Your stomach instantly knotted, if your dad wasn't asleep, you for sure were going to get an ear full when you arrived home. You picked up your phone, and smiled at Suna and Osamu who's chest softly rose up and down as they slept.

You stood up quietly, getting Atsumu's attention. You didn't expect him to do or say anything since he'd been quite dull the entire night, but it seemed like this was a night of surprises. "Yer not planning to go all the way to the bus stop by yerself now are ya?" He asked.

"Well I'm not waking either of them so they can escort me if that's what you're asking," you responded "But, you're more than welcome to join me if it'll put your mind at ease." You fully expected him to not care, however he grabbed his jacket next to him and stood up, walking over to where you stood by the front door.

He quietly opened the door, careful to not make a creaking noise. "After you," He said as he directed you out of the house. The crisp winter air hit your face, your whole body jolted from the sudden change of temperatures. "Don't suppose yer cold now?" He asked, probably noticing your shivering. You replied by shaking your head and continued on the trail to the bus stop.

The rest of the walk was mostly silent, neither one of you knowing what to say. This was definitely uncharacteristically of Atsumu, anyone who'd even slightly know him would expect him to be chatting your ear off with overdramatized commentary. However, things seemed to be different in this situation, there was an eerie feeling about you that he couldn't quite put his finger on. Of course, it didn't help that your first encounter with him was him, in fact, running a shopping cart into you, but it wasn't just that. Maybe it was the way you presented yourself, in an almost sickening sweet-like manner. It all felt artificial, like a facade.

"Well this is it," you said, snapping him out of his thoughts, "Just in time for the last bus, thanks for walking with me." You turned around to enter the vehicle but before you could, a hand made its way to your arm. You immediately flinched at the contact, pulling away at the light hold he had on you.

"I'm sorry I just- i um," He started, trying to find a way to word what he wanted to say. "I wanted to say that 'm sorry for yesterday, it was kind of a shitty thing to do, and 'm also sorry for not really talking all that much today, ya seem really nice and I'm usually not this bad when it comes to meeting new people. And, I totally ruined the night by ignoring you I-"

You lightly laughed, "It's alright, plus any friend of Rin's, is a friend of mine, and you didn't ruin tonight at all, I thought it was perfect." You both smiled back at each other, not saying anything for a moment. You cleared your throat, "Um, I'll see you around, have a good night, Atsumu."

He watched as you entered the bus. A small smile made it on his face as he watched you wave goodbye from the bus window. He waved back and muttered under his breath, "Good night, Y/N."

The bus ride was only about ten minutes. Anxiously, you opened the door to your house, hoping that by some miracle your dad would be sound asleep. The old door slightly creaked, you peaked inside and all your worries flushed away as you saw your dad passed out on the couch. Granted he was passed out drunk, at least that's what you gathered by the four bottles of empty beer that laid at his feet.

Even for you, life wasn't as perfect as it seemed. As much as you wanted it to be, as much as you led people on to think that it was, it just wasn't. The worst part of it was that deep down, you felt accountable for it all. Maybe if you would've been just a little better at piano, you could've achieved your perfect life.

You reached your bedroom and exhaustedly plopped down on your bed. You glanced at the picture of your mother on your bedside table. Her long hair glided down her lavender dress, her face gleaming with a smile. In one hand she held her violin and the other held an award deeming her the best violinist in the nation. She was talented, beautiful, intelligent, and made your dad happy. She was absolutely everything you weren't, and your dad made sure to remind you everyday.

Life before she died was perfect. You could never recall a memory of you being sad around her. Before you closed your eyes, you whispered, "I wish I was perfect like you."

fun facts !

Whenever Atsumu doesn't know how to address a situation, he just goes on his phone and plays angry birds.

If you're ever bored, Osamu will talk forever about all the different ways you can cook the same recipe.

Suna can never stay awake during a movie night, he always falls asleep somehow.

Before getting into volleyball, the twins' mother tried to get them into violin, however that quickly failed once Atsumu broke his bow on the second day of lessons.

perfectionism ©

smau written by @sagefzy

taglist: open just send an ask :)

@shephard17895 @art-junkie-13 @vhsryuu @qualitygiantshoepsychic @everytimeswift @kritiiiii

[beyond-crusading]

Saladin: a tolerant knight opposing fanatical Christians ?

Saladin achieved amazing political and military success: from a humble Kurdish officer in Nur ed-Din's army, he became the Sultan of Egypt, Mosul and Damas. In 1187, he crushed the Frankish army in Hattin and took back Jerusalem. Surprisingly, his fame in the Muslim world was short-lived: in the 14th century, the great historian Ibn Khaldun only mentions him in passing in his universal history...

In the West, in the contrary, Saladin was not forgotten. But he was not remembered - as we may except - as the faithless conqueror who had committed the awful crime of depriving Christians of Jerusalem. Even though his conquests were known, medieval authors started as soon as the early 13th century to present Saladin in a very positive light: Saladin was brave, chivalrous, courteous. As time went on, he started to be depicted as a perfect knight, whose only flaw was not being Christian.

This very positive perception of Saladin as an honorable and knightly enemy was transmitted to us in almost direct line since the early 1230s. The epics of the 13th-14th century and the "romans de chevalerie" of the 15th century made him into an honorable pagan, earning him the right to appear in limbos next to Homer and Socrates in Dante's Divine Comedy. The Enlightenment philosophers then saw Saladin as an ideal of tolerance. 20th and 21th century movies generally represent him by mixing these two traditions. For example, Kingdom of Heaven (2005) by Ridley Scott presents Saladin as an honorable enemy, tolerant of all faiths, wanting nothing more than to live peacefully with the Christians.

Saladin’s mercy in Kingdom of Heaven (2005)

This narrative, however, has been challenged by historians ! So I'd like to correct a few common misconceptions about him and the events of 1187:

1) Saladin wanted to live in peace with the Christians.

One thing you need to understand about Saladin is that he SEVERELY lacked legitimacy. He was a Kurdish general leading Turkish troops ruling over Arabs, and seized power in the Muslim world by revolting against his former lord, Nur ed-Din. Until the end of the 1180s, he waged an relentless war against the unarguably legitimate heirs of Nur ed-Din.

So how did he justify his conquests ? Like Nur ed-Din had done before him, he tried to be seen as a devout Muslim ruler. Maybe he wasn't the legitimate heir, but he would be the pious leader the world needed, who would defeat both heretics and crusaders.

The first act of his political career was to depose the Shiite Fatimid Caliphate of Egypt: he used this to boast his legitimacy by presenting himself as the defender of Sunni Islam.

But this wasn't enough. He needed to convince the Muslim world to support his rebellion against the Zengids aka the most powerful Muslim dynasty that had emerged for a hundred years. So Saladin turned to djihad.

Djihad was the religious belief that Muslims should expand the Dar al-islam (the territory ruled by Muslim rulers) by military conquest. Since the time he became Sultan of Egypt, Saladin based his legitimacy on the idea that he would be the one to retake Syria from the Christians.

But Saladin had to assert his power in the Muslim world first. This led to him to a situation where he had to fight the Zengids at home (in order to stay in power) and the Crusaders States in Syria (to bolster the legitimacy he needed to win against the Zengids, and to avoid being accused of hypocrisy).

He did the logical thing: take care of the Zengids first, while trying to limit wars with the Crusaders, and then attack the Crusaders, with all the resources of the former Zengid empire at his disposal.

A plan which eventually worked !

So suggesting Saladin wanted to live in peace with the Christians would be absurd: considering his lack of legitimacy, it would have been a sort of political suicide.

Also, we have no reason to doubt that he was a sincere believer in djihad, and saw it as an important religious obligation for any Muslim leader in a capacity to do so.

2) Saladin was courteous and merciful.

It's undeniable that Saladin had a certain... humanitarian side to his personality. He seems to have been ready to free prisoners and show mercy in some occasions.

HOWEVER his most famous acts of personal generosity - the ones accomplished during his campaign of 1187-1188 - were in his best interest, as they were part of a policy to encourage Christian lords to surrender their towns and castles to him. This would allow him to quickly conquer Syria, before the arrival of reinforcements from the West.

His generosity was not devoid of political calculations.

The courteous deeds of Saladin are reported with great praise in many of our Christian sources. The traditional understanding of the events of 1187 is mostly based on The Old French Continuations of William of Tyre, an extremely valuable primary source, but strongly aligned with the ideological and political interests of the Latin States ruling elite. This encouraged the autor(s) to emphasise Saladin's generosity, for three reasons:

- The idea of the "honorable pagan enemy" was very popular in medieval epics and romans

- The greater the enemy, the more acceptable the defeat

- Writing about Saladin's great courtesy helped justify the actions of the lords who had given over their cities to Saladin without much - or any ! - fighting.

Not only Saladin had a reason to be merciful, the chroniclers aligned with Holy Land lords had every interest to report it.

Thankfully other sources allow us to understand how Saladin was perceived by other contemporaries, who were not members of the ruling class:

- The Libellus de Expugnatione Terrae Sanctae, written by a mere soldier who fought at the siege of Jerusalem, expresses a deep feeling of betrayal against Balian of Ibelin and the other Christians who had chosen to "sell the city of God" to a Pagan King.

- The letters sent at the time (my research topic for this year !) give us a sense of the shock and horror that seized the contemporaries. There was certainly no admiration of Saladin's virtues there, nor any discussion of his great deeds.

A not very positive depiction of Saladin in a Latin manuscript

3. Reynald of Châtillon and Gerard of Ridefort were fanatics and idiots

Gerard (master of the Templars) and Reynald (lord of Kerak) were both highly experienced military commanders who knew exactly what they were doing. They were part of the faction which favored quick action against Saladin, before the unification of his empire. This was very sound strategical reasoning. Looking back, we see that Saladin's situation was precarious: if he suffered too much defeats at the hands of the Crusaders, and if he had to fight on two fronts at once, he would probably have lost. The truces favored by the other faction, led by Raymond of Tripoli, allowed him the time to strengthen his control on the Muslim empire.

When Reynald launched his famous raid on the Red Sea - threatening the Hedjaz, the birthplace of Islam, and raiding close to Medina, where the Prophet was buried - he dealt a devastating blow to Saladin: even if no long term teritorial gain was made, Saladin's legitimacy was badly damaged. How could he call himself the protector of faith, if he couldn't even protect the pilgrims on the road to Mecca, and the Holy city of Medina ! A few of these blows and Saladin could very well have lost his grasp on the Muslim world...

The incident that led to the campaign of 1187 and the defeat at Hattin - the raid launched by Reynald on a caravan despite the truce signed between Saladin and the King of Jerusalem - was another very calculated move. His goal was to force another war between the King and the Sultan, at a time when King Guy didn't want to go to war against Saladin. In Reynald's eyes, any delay would only give Saladin more time to unify his empire and prepare his troops.

So, were they fanatics ? Maybe. Were they idiots ? Certainly not.

A pretty unsubtle representation of Reynald and Gerard’s position in Kingdom of Heaven (2005)

(If you read this far I'm very grateful ! This took a long time to write !)

[pink-peony-princess]

A Little Piece of Art

The art gallery had always been one of Shawn's favourite places, he loved the colours, the textures, even the smell of the freshly painted canvases.

During his residency year of Emergency Medicine this love, had become something more, something sacred. His weekly visits to the local art galleries were the only chance he got to 'just be'. He found something so comforting in the way the colours melded together forming any number of unique patterns, the colours quietly, but boldly expressing the many emotions with fuelled the artist's work.

Maybe it was this that he connected with the most? Life as a medical resident was hectic, always ruled, by other people's, needs, wants, emotions, there never seemed to be time to address your own wants and needs. But time, at the art gallery, Shawn found, gave him an escape, a way to wonder off into a world of bright unchecked colour and vibrancy, away from the harsh unrelenting realities of people's all too often life-threatening and life-changing injuries, away from everything an everyone. Well everyone except one person that was.

He'd first met Auburn three years ago, it was a chance encounter, he wasn't meant to walk into that particular little gallery , and she wasn't meant to working that day, but as fate had it she was and he did.

They'd striked up a friendship fairly quickly, a mutual interest and respect for the works of art and the artist's behind them fuelled many hours of conversation. There had always been an unspoken, but undeniable chemistry between the two of them, but Shawn was busy with work and didn't want to drag someone else into that mess, and Auburn was just too shy to ask

When Shawn found out that Auburn was single, he was shocked. She was gorgeous, with long platinum blonde straight hair and the perfect figure, yet up close she had just the right amount of freckles scattered over the bridge of her nose, breaking the facade of perfection.

Auburn had been equally as confused when Shawn admitted that he too was single. She could understand the reasoning behind it, with a busy job and other commitments including a family that lived out of state, she couldn't however get over, but Shawn was gorgeous like some Greek God doctor-model who had just made his way from the runway and into her gallery. He was tall and lean, but muscular with tattoos scattering his hands and arms, deep brown eyes which seemed to reach your soul with the barest glace and a mop of perfectly kept brown curls- always tamed by hair product which Auburn longed to run her fingers through.

Two years and much flirting later and Shawn had finally gotten up the courage to ask her out l, to which she immediately agreed. He'd taken her to one of his favourite restaurants for dinner and they're talked for hours as if they'd known one another for a lifetime. Shawn told her about his hobbies, medicine was number one for which Auburn admired him for following his passions, closely followed by the guitar and ice hockey, not to mention family, he loved his family, Auburn found this to be an immediate turn-on as she too was close to her family although she couldn't get to see them as often as she liked l, they were across country and an art gallerist's wages certainly did not cover the cost of the ticket.

She found herself telling him all her most embarrassing stories from grade school when she's tripped and fallen into a muddy puddle bigger than she was in front of her entire class, and all about the time she'd been left to sit outside the movie theatre in 8th grade for two hours waiting for a date that would never show.

Shawn was furious at this, exclaiming that he would never do that to a girl, and anyone who would, was a coward, before downing the rest of his Tequila.

Admittedly by then they were both a little drunk and high on life and the presence of each other

When the evening ended Shawn walked Auburn home like the gentleman he was,turning to leave her and she made it to the doorstep, but something in him made him turn around causing him to crash into her body with the force of a truck as she too made her way to him. The two sharing a heated kiss before Auburn turned head down to hide the raging blush and wide smile that lit up her face and made her way inside.

From that moment the two had been inseperable, with Auburn moving into Shawn's condo- a far cry from the crusty old place she'd rented when she first got the city.

They'd done the whole meeting each other's families, both feeling completely at home and welcome, before a year later getting the happy news that they were expecting.

Auburn had been feeling off for over a week when Shawn finally convinced her to go to the doctors and get a blood drawn, a million things flying through his head as to what it might be.

The pregnancy news had completely shocked them both, but as they had sat there together staring down at the piece of paper stating the cause of all her sickness, irritability and hunger there was no denying that it was right.

They were over the moon, elated at the idea of being parents with Shawn referring to the baby as he laid his hands on her stomach as "Their happy little ancient!"

To say that Shawn was protective was an understatement a helicopter parent (to be) might be more apt Auburn thought as Shawn handed her what fleet like her tens of pills as she ate her breakfast before rushing from the room only half dressed to finish getting ready for work which now that he was finished residency (and at the top of his class, which Auburn loved to brag to her friends about) was a local hospital where he was working.

...

The day started normally, Auburn went off to the gallery to start her day l, daydreaming of seeing Shawn who'd been away on training for the last little bit.

Somewhere in this perfect daydream, everything came crashing down. The last thing Auburn was aware of was the screech of tyres and the immense, unstoppable feeling of pain.

...

"Dr Craigen,we need you in triage one." Brian's nurse Amy spoke as she came skidding into the room.

"Can it wait?"  He asked looking up briefly from the hand of a young girl he was suturing after she was bitten by a dog.

"No, it can't." He could hear the tension in her voice,  so he stood removing his gloves,  and paging another doctor to take care of the girl before following her out.

"What is it? Who?"  He asked as Amy all but ran through the corridor. His question was cut short as they reached the bay in question.

"Just stay still! For God sake, you don't have a choice." He couldn't see the patient's face from outside the door,  but he could see that two nurses and an intern were currently trying to restrain her,  against her will.

"What on earth do you think youre doing Doctor Tanaran?"  Brian asked as he grabbed a pair of gloves and stepped into the room. The intern stepped back from the patient, turning to look at him.

"We need to get an I.V. in her,  but she's not cooperating," he responded as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Brian?" The person on the bed asked. He recognised the voice immediately and sure enough as he stepped around to the other side of the bed,  there lay Auburn  a close personal friend, someone who he considered to be like a sister, and the girlfriend of one of his best friends, Dr. Shawn Mendes.

She was almost unrecognisable, bloodied,  and bruised,  tears flooding her face and falling into the linen of the bed staining it a muddy brown as they mixed with the blood flowing from a nasty looking gash on her head,  an oxygen mask laying forgotten beside her.

"Auburn?" he asked finally making eye contact, before looking up to find that she had not even been attached to any monitors yet.

"Everyone get your hands off the patient, now."  he stared poignantly at the intern that who still had his hands on her.

"She just wouldn't cooperate." he grumbled as he stepped back.

Brian saw red at that, turning to glare before speaking.

"Have you thought about why the patient might be uncooperative?  Have you even bothered to ask?"  I questioned folding my arms across my chest.

He looked down at the floor,  but didn't answer. "Didn't think so.  So not only have you terrified an already distressed patient,  but you've assaulted the girlfriend of Dr. Shawn Mendes,  head of this ER."

His head snapped up at this,  a look of shear panic on his face.

"Dr. Craigen I didn't think-"

"That's right,"  he interrupted.  "The same way you haven't thought the three other times I've had to speak to you over the duration of your time here so far.

Get out of this room,  and go and tell your resident that I don't want you on my service anymore.  Oh and Tanaran," Brian called as the man made his way for the exit.  "If I ever see or hear you do something like that ever again,  I will personally make sure you're pulled from this program."

He sighed and turned around to see Auburn smiling softly.

"Thanks Bri"  she spoke softly, very dazed,reaching her hand out for him to take. Somewhat restricted by the board and collar she had been placed on for spinal management.

"No problem hon. He's got an attitude that one.

So I'm just going to start slowly okay.  I'm just going to hook you up to some monitors so that we can check you're heart rate, blood pressure and oxygen. Can I see the chart please? " he asked one of the nurses that was stood meekly in the corner.

"Yes Doctor," she responded before leaving and returning a minute later with the relevant information.

"Okay so it says here,  that apart from that gash on your forehead and a fracture to your arm you have  some fractured ribs, a suspected bruised spleen and a dislocated ankle as well as possible spinal injuries," he listed off as he took in the notes from the Emergency Services.

"They only got half way through checking her." the other nurse  responded. Brian nodded, before placing the chart in the holder at the end of the bed,  and returning to Auburn's side. He picked up her hand gently to check her pulse,  watching as her eyes fluttered,  drooping slightly.

"Auburn, I need you to try and stay awake for me," he spoke, tapping her check softly, moving to check her focal response with his pen light and finding that she had a fairly moderate concussion.

She let out a small groan,  but managed to open her eyes, watching me tiredly.

"That's it," he praised. " smiling before grabbing his stethoscope from around his neck and resting it to her chest.

"Deep breathes," he asked quietly. She did as asked, but it was obvious from the way she was wincing every time she inhaled that she was in pain.

"It hurts and I want Shawn." she cried.

"I know you do hon. We'll get him here soon," he promised, paging one of his nurses to go and find him.

"How bad is your pain one to ten?' he asked,  watching her closely.

"Eight " she answered.

"Okay I'm going to help ease some of that okay. " he spoke resting the I.V.tray that the previous doctor had set up next to the bed.

"Tell me what you remember? " he asked, trying to keep her talking.

"I was just crossing the street,  and a car came out of nowhere. I don't know what happend. I was coming to see Shawn." she added.

"I'm sorry Auburn. " He really did feel sorry for her,  not only as a doctor, but as a friend.  She and Shawn had barely gotten to see one another the last few weeks, and now this. 

"They didn't even stop to help me! " She cried, more tears trailing down her face. He felt so sorry for her, and sick at the thought of how Shawn might react. He just hoped Shawn was able to stay calm,  for both of their sakes.

"Small scratch." he warned, inserting the line, and getting her started on some much needed fluids and pain relief. She flinched a little,  but didn't pull away. "Okay, so I'm going to get Dave to come and  help me with a spinal exam,  and he should also be able to determine if we need x-rays for these breaks okay" he explained gently,trying not to scare her.

She looked worried at the mention of x-rays,  but he just assumed it was due to her being clastrophobic,  as she didn't say anymore on the subject.

He walked out of the room, quietly closing the door after me, and made my way to the nurses station where I found Dave helping a nurse. As an Orthopedic doctor he was often called down for consults, so it was common to find him here.

"Dave, do you mind helping me for a second mate?" he asked, before coming to stand next to him waiting as he finished his conversation.

"Yeah what is it?" he asked as Brian handed him Auburn's chart.

"Auburn?" He asked disbelief clear in his tone,  eyebrows raised in confusion. "Auburn as in Shawn's Auburn.What happend?

"

"Hit and run." he answered. Causing Dave to wince in sympathy. "They didn't even stop!"

"Has anyone gotten a hold of Shawn?" He asked, shaking his head as they made their way to the door of Auburn's room.

"Yeah, but she's quite distressed obviously,  so I'm just taking it really slowly. At least until Shawn gets here, unless something is absolutely vital," he told him. Dave nodded before opening the door, and greeting Auburn with a bright smile.

"Hi Auburn, Bri told me you got in a fight with a car?" He asked, causing her to smile faintly.

"What have we got so far?" he asked.

"Large laceration on the forehead and a fracture to the left  arm, some fractured ribs, a suspected bruised spleen and a dislocated right ankle as well as possible spinal injuries, she is also complaining of chest pain." Brian added as he hummed at the growing list of ailments.

"Auburn are you having any trouble breathing? " he asked, she nodded letting him listen to her breathing as Brian had. The room was quiet for a few moments except for the beeping of the machines as he moved the stethoscope around her chest, before stepping back with a sigh.

"Slightly muffled left side," he agreed, glancing to the monitors,  a look of concern on his face.

"It'll need to get an x-ray,  and maybe an ultrasound." Brian nodded, adding,

"I'd also like to get some CTs of the head just to be sure there is no underlying bleeding. Is it okay if we give you some oxygen?" he asked wanting to up her saturation, especially given her breathing troubles.

She made a small jerk of the head in the affirmative,  allowing him to place the mask that had lay beside her back on her face.

"Any other pain?" Dave asked lifting the blanket to assess the damage to her lower extremities, she took a few shaky breaths.

"Just my ankle."

" Okay,we just need to turn you and have a feel of your spine. Before we do, anything else, as we don't want to aggregate anything." Dave explained coming back to stand at the head of the bed. "All you need to tell me is if you feel anything sore."

She hummed in resonse,  unable to nod due to the collar.

"On three, one,two,three. " Brian spoke before rolling her and holding her steady.

"Any tenderness?" Dave asked as he made his way down her spine, gently feeling for abnormalities.

"No." she answered innnediately.

"Wiggled your toes for me?" he asked as he went to stand by the end of the bed again. She did so,  causing them both to breathe a sigh of relief.

Five minutes later and Dave l had decided that x- rays were necessary, due to the precarious nature of the fractures in her arm and ankle and that the fractured ribs did need further investigation, however that no spinal damage had been done,  meaning she could be removed from the collar and brace.

"Where's Shawn?"  She asked, again as they went about removing the neck brace. Brian was starting to wonder what was taking the nurse so long himself.

-Shawn-

I hadn't been able to focus all day, it was my first day back after being away at a two week trauma conference,and also the first time I would be able to see Auburn and the baby since she was meeting me at work. I sighed as I tried yet again to focus on the swirling numbers of the department's budget on the screen in front of me.

My thoughts were interrupted when I heard a knock.  "Dr. Mendes you're needed down in triage. Urgently." A nurse spoke,making me stand and follow her immediately.

-Third Person-

"He's on his way now hon, but we really should get you up to x-rays okay." Dave spoke, going to start moving the bed.

"Not not until Shawn is here," she begged, catching his hand and stopping him. Seconds later, and Shawn ran through the door, eyes wide as he took in the site of me.

"Auburn, baby,what happend?" he asked, leaning down and gently stroking her head, careful of the cut.

"They didn't stop!A car!" She cried a fresh batch of tears starting.

Shawn was pretty calm considering the situation, Auburn however was not, Brian could see from the monitor that her heart rate was spiking and he tipped his head to Shawn, indicating for him to do something.

"Try and slow your breathing honey," he encouraged softly as it spiked to about 130 when it had previously been sitting about 110. She managed to slow it a little, Shawn not saying anything,  merely cupping her face gently and kissing her head.

"Shawn, " Daves spoke,  "we really need to get her to x-ray. She has broken ribs, we need to determine how bad."

"No, no x-ray," she interrupted again.

"Sweetheart, you'll be fine,  I promise. " he spoke,  stroking her hand softly.

"It's not that." She answered, looking away.

"Then what?" Dave asked looking to Shawn.

"I'm pregnant," she whispered. "We found out two weeks ago. We wanted to keep it a surprise."

"Someone get Connor down here," Shawn ordered almost too calmly.

Dave and Brian shared a worried look, if she was pregnant,  there was a possibility that something may have effected the baby.

"Page Connor." Dave mumbled to Brian.

"I've already done it ,he's on his way." Briam tried to reassure him, hoping that he would calm a little at the fact that the best ObGyn was going to be consulting.

"No what if something's wrong? " Auburnpanicked,  catching on.

"Auburn you need the ultrasound," Shawn spoke firmly.

Her lip wobbled a little causing Shawn to soften his tone a little.  "I'm sorry babe,  I'm just worried about you. And you need the x-rays," he added.

"Auburn, you need to understand that while normally we wouldn't use x-ray, in this instance it's important,  we won't have a healthy baby,  unless it's mummy is healthy too yeah? " Dave explained gently.

  "O-okay," she agreed reluctantly.

"I think we can however forgo the CT, given that you've been alert the whole time. " Brian spoke earning a smile from her.

"But you won't be allowed to sleep for the next few hours and even once you can we'll need to wake you every hour, on the hour," Dave warned.

Just as we were about to start moving up to radiology having unhooked the bed Connor arrived.

"Sorry I came down as fast as I could," he apologised "Hi Auburn," he smiled as he came over to the side of the bed.

"So you found out you were pregnant two weeks ago?" he asked. She nodded.  "And everything has been normal so far? No bleeding?

"

"No." She answered, nervously, causing Shawn to squeeze her hand a little.

"Okay then, I'm just going to pull your gown up."  he did so before reaching for the gel. That was housed next to the portable ultrasound machine that we always kept in the triage bays. They were smaller, and less powerful, but still useful in situations like this. "This will be a little cold," he spoke before placing the gel on her stomach. The room was silent, everyone waiting with baited breath, Auburn with her eyes shut. Connor hit a button on the machine and the room was filled with a rhythmic thumping.

"What's that?" her eyes snapping open to met his.

"Congratulations Auburn, that is your baby's heart beat. Junior seems very happy,  very strong heart rate at 150 beats per minute." Connor smiled. 

" Oh my God!" she cried reaching up to hug Shawn, before sharing a kiss.

"Judging by the size, bubby's just gone 12 weeks," Connor added, pointing out the measurements on the screen.

Everyone's faces were the same- all smiling from ear to ear.

"Do you want a copy of the scan?" Connor asked.

"Hell yeah!" Shawn agreed making Leah laugh. "This is going on the fridge."

Twenty minutes later, and we had all gone down to radiology, Shawn not having left her side. A permanent smile etched on his face.

"Just stay still for me Auburn." Dave asked,adjusting her leg to get the right image.

Once that was done, and it was determined that nothing needed surgery she was taken back up to a more private room, and Dave set about casting her.

"This will feel a little funny, but it won't hurt now." He reassured her as she became a little fidgety,  giving her some laughing gas and upping her pain meds slightly.

It was then Brian's turn to stitch up the wounds on her head, something which should have been very straight forward, but she was terrified,  having all but jumped (or gotten as far,which wasn't very) into Shawn's arms.

"It won't hurt Princess, Brian will numb you up good okay?" he spoke, sitting next to her, while Brian sat on a rolly chair by her head, Dave next to Shawn.

"Ready?"

She nodded.

"You're being so brave Princess," Shawn encouraged as she clung to his hand.

"Have you thought of any names for the baby?" Connor asked from where he sat in the corner working, having left briefly while they were at radiology and then returned, wanting to be here for support. Something which Shawn was grateful for.

...

An hour later and they were officially off shift, but  had all taken up residency in Auburn's room,  wanting to keep an eye on her, as she was a part of the family. They all sat quietly doing paper work,  as she rested, fast asleep now that we have deemed it safe.

"How are you feeling Shawn?" Brian asked, looking up to find Shawn watching her.

"I don't know, I have never felt so many emotions in one day!" he laughed, before Auburn broke the silence with a small moan.

" I'm cold," she mumbled,  "And sore," she added, visibly shivering.

"Here,  budge up." Shane spoke, helping her to move over,  before getting into the small bed again.

Connor got up to adjust the pain meds and check her vitals. However she didn't settle.  "What's wrong Poppet?" Shawn asked. Sometimes the meds could make patients a little agitated.

"I want to have a bath,  I feel gross,  and you smell different. " she grumbled,  her nose wrinkling. Shawn looked up at Connor and Brian,all laughing.

"How much of the stuff did you give her?

"

"I'm serious." she pouted, swotting Shawn's shoulder. "I don't like the smell of the scrubs. It doesn't smell like you."

"How 'bout this?" he asked bending down to reach for his bag, and grabbing a hoodie.

"Much better," she spoke,  nuzzling her head into him.

"Now I'll help give you a pat down with a cloth if you want?" he offered. You can't really have a proper bath yet cause of all the wiring and your cast."

She nodded

"Just sit up slowly okay. You might feel a little dizzy." Brian warned, standing up to help too.

  Connor went ahead to start the water for her while Dave came to help move the wiring as they supported her to hop to the bathroom. Eventually Shawn just picked her up,being extra careful of her ribs, holding her under her shoulders instead,and cradling her somewhat like an infant.

Half hour later, and Shawn had successful sponge bathed her, the rest of the group having gone back to their work while they waited.

"Get some rest Princess,you've got a little piece of art growing in there, you and Jellybean need it, he whispered as he placed her back in bed, rubbing her stomach softly.

"Love you," she whispered, already half asleep.

"Love you more," he replied kissing her head, they all shared a smile, because at that moment, all was right with the world.