#I don’t know how to accept this gift I am extremely happy

[chimemori]

Mori, May I offer

Babi? 🥺

I am losing my shit LOOK HOW TINY HE ISSSS

YES YES THABK YOU FOR THIS GIFT, I WILL KEEP THIS PRECIOUSLY🥹

[obanais-koibito]

𝐊𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐤𝐨 𝐒𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐝 𝐱 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐕𝐀𝐋𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐄’𝐒 𝐃𝐀𝐘 𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐂𝐈𝐀𝐋

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone! ❤️🖤❤️

𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐲𝐚

He was a nervous wreck when Valentine’s Day finally arrived, he had planned on confessing to you even though he was hella anxious.

He watched you talk to your friends with a bright red face as he held your gifts behind his back while sweat-dropping

When you finally glanced at him, he felt like his heart leaped out of his chest, it was time��

“U-uhm hey Y-Y/n uh can I talk to you in uhm p-private…?” His heart was pounding in his chest as he talked to you, when you agreed to talk he felt somewhat relieved but still nervous

When you two were finally alone, he had to take multiple deep breaths before handing you the gifts and began talking, “I-I find your personality and appearance r-really attractive and I uhm want to know if you would uh uhm…be my valentine?” His voice got really quiet towards the end but you were still able to hear him.

You felt your cheeks heat up and you smiled at him, “Of course! I’d love to!” He had to process your words for a minute or two but when it finally clicked in his brain, he smiled brightly and wrapped his arm around you.

“Thank you…thank you so much, I promise I’ll do everything I can to make sure you have the best Valentine’s Day ever….”

𝐓𝐚𝐧𝐣𝐢𝐫𝐨

He was excited but also nervous, he had gifts neatly wrapped and laid out on your desk that had your name written on them.

Nezuko helped him figure out what you liked and didn’t like, he was EXTREMELY careful about his gifts he picked out for you in case you were allergic to something or had a bad experience with an object.

He was hoping you would say yes but in case you didn’t, he was thoroughly prepared for what to say and do if you rejected him.

He thought he was calm and prepared but when he saw you, he became a flustered stuttering mess.

“W-well uhm hello! I was j-just uh uhm wondering if you wanted to b-be my valentine? It’s totally okay if you don’t though!” He quickly added the last part in case he made you uncomfortable

Nezuko would be cheering him on in the background and the moment you said yes, she would be bouncing up in joy for her brother.

His face would turn beet red when you accepted him, “R-really? That’s amazing! Thank you!” He exclaimed with a radiant smile.

𝐙𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐬𝐮

He would be running around fueled with anxiety and fear of rejection, he had gotten you TONS of gifts such as flowers, chocolates, god knows what else, it was a literal mountain on your desk.

When you came into the classroom, he would be all giddy with excitement and anxiousness, he would come up to you with a bright blush and a nervous smile

“H-hi Y/nnnnnnnnn! I was wondering if you wanted to be my valentine!” He would seem pretty confident on the outside but on the inside, he was literally screaming and crying.

“Oh, sure!” His eyes literally bulged out of his head and his mouth dropped wide open, “RRRRRRRREEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLYYYYYYYYY????”

He had the widest grin and once you confirmed it, he would scoop you into his arms and parade your around the school while jumping up and down

𝐈𝐧𝐨𝐬𝐮𝐤𝐞

He didn’t know what Valentine’s Day was nor did he know how to confess to someone (he didn’t even realize he had a huge crush on you-)

He was just chasing Zenitsu around the classroom laughing like a maniac but then when he saw you, he stopped and ran over to you.

“Oi! (Mispronounced name)! Am confused! Why are there hearts and flowers everywhere????” “Oh! Well today’s Valentine’s Day!” You said with a smile.

He stared at you with a confused expression, “….What’s a Balintin’s bay?” “Valentine’s Day is the day where people confess to their crush or spend time with their partner!” You explained with a smile

“…How do you know if you have a crush?” “Uh well the person makes your heartbeat speed up, you enjoy spending time with them and you see them as more than a friend!”

“Ohhh so that means I have you as my crush, alright!” He picked you up, threw you on his back and began chasing Zenitsu again.

“H-huh?!” You were blushing but he just laughed and kept chasing Zenitsu with your on his back.

[radio-fmm]

Law + mexican s/o

I am a believer that Skypiea was 100% supposed to represent Mexico I mean… the whole history and design of the island screamed Tenochtitlán to me. Also I am Mexican so I gotta represent am I right? 🇲🇽🦅🦅🦅

Masterlist

Pt. 2

If your name is specifically very noticeably Mexican, he’d be very curious and ask the meaning and the proper pronunciation

Obsessed with your accent and loves when it slips out

He would never forget the first time you made him chilaquiles he literally ascended to heaven

Definitely would ask you to cook him your traditional meals, probably fell in love with the cuisine and he can’t live without it now

A sucker for tamales

The day you made pozole, everyone begged you to never leave the crew and keep on making it for them

“You better treat them right Captain” said Penguin as he served his 4 plate of pozole

And don’t get me started on tacos… you are legally obligated to cook tacos at least once a week

Bepo would help you make tortillas and die happy if you let him eat the first one

Law’s mortal enemy is el mazapán, he almost fainted when you made him eat it, he thinks it’s the most disgusting thing on this earth

He finds it kinda amusing how your voice changes when speaking spanish, also would beg for you you teach him because he feels left out and wants to understand what you say

100% would get mad if you start speaking spanish and won’t translate afterwards. What if you’re talking shit and he doesn’t know it? FOMO (even if it’s about him)

The kind of guy to find the fact that you’re bilingual extremely attractive, you’re so smart

Would tease you if you forget words or don’t understand certain slang, but would always translate/explain it to you he doesn’t want to make you feel left out

Loves to swear in spanish, like the most mexican curses

His favorite one is chinga tu madre

One of his favorite activities is cuddling while you whisper sweet nothings in spanish to him

You once told him that even though names can’t be translated, he would probably be called Lorenzo and he hated it and of course you call him that to rile him up because its hilarious

100% bought a book to also teach himself some more spanish and impress you

You once wore a traditional outfit for a banquet and absolutely loved it he couldn’t stop complimenting you and eventually you gifted him a handmade shirt that he treasures

You gifted him some nice boots too and he wears them religiously

He noticed every time November would roll by, you’d buy flowers that’d sit under some pictures, and would also make some decorations with skeletons on them. When you explained what Día de Muertos was and that those were pictures of your loved ones that had passed away, he was so amazed and next November he’d add a picture of Corazón in your altar and bought stuff you were missing to complete it

Eventually the tradition was embraced by the whole crew and everyone would participate putting together a bigger altar on display for everyone

You’d paint everyone as catrines and best believe everyone is exited to be part of it, celebrating your culture and those that are not here is so precious to the crew

Viernes de carne asada at the submarine

There would probably be some cultural differences between you and Law; for example he probably thought you were so damn loud (a lot of ppl had told me we are very loud?) or wouldn’t get your sense of humor at first

Confused on why you keep every damn plastic bag inside another bag

Home remedies scare him, what do you mean you’re putting lemon on your cut? Would accept some sore throat drink tho

Freaked out the first time you did a limpia on him but he’s used to it now, still thinks it’s stupid tho and he’ll roll his eyes and grumble

He. Loves. Vaporub

When you proclaimed it was absolutely magical he laughed, but when then witnessed its power now he always has some on him

When he hears your music blasting in the morning he knows you’re on cleaning duty

He would probably listen to spanish rock and would ask you to translate the lyrics

When you moved in to a shared room with Law, he noticed how a lot of the decorations were so colorful it was comical how contrasting it was from his personal style. You were adding color to his life, literally and metaphorically

Noche de loteria once a month everyone plays and sometimes it gets out of hand, Law is so competitive he is winning no matter what

You asked Law to dress as a charro for your birthday. At first he acted like it was annoying but honestly he liked the all black outfit and ended up loving it

He’d wear it around to fluster you

Would bend whenever you call him “mi vida” or “mi amor” but would get mad if you do it in front of others, that’s for his ears only also hates pda

Honestly he loves everything about you and understands how your culture is a huge part of who you are, so he is eager to learn about and connect with it, but most importantly to allow you to embrace it, after all the heart pirates are your family

Might make this a series with other characters feel free to request

[prettieinpink]

Urgent ask, how be a baddie as a extremely under confident person

BECOMING YOUR BEST SELF WITH LOW CONFIDENCE

i have no idea what ur definition of a 'baddie' is, so this post may have not been what you've been looking for, but I tried my best

A lot of us struggle with confidence, and it can be the main factor that holds us back from growing to be our best selves. So, I’ve created a guide on improving ourselves even with low confidence.

UNDERSTAND THAT IT IS NOT UNREPLENISHABLE. Confidence is like a cup of water, tea, coffee, hot cocoa, or whatever your favourite beverage is, it can always be refilled. While you don’t have to ‘fake till you make it’, remember that you do not live with a restricted amount of confidence.

ACCEPT IT. Whatever way you have to, crying, journalling, venting, you have to accept that you are a person who struggles with low confidence. However, instead of identifying yourself as that, identify yourself as learning to self-love.

E.g. ‘I’m so insecure’ → ‘I am still learning to love myself.’ ‘Why can’t I be like them?’ -> ‘I will learn that I do not have to be someone else.’

CONSIDER NEUTRALITY. You don’t have to live on this odd scale of loving yourself or hating yourself all the time, and letting it define you. Instead of what it looks like, what it can look like, what it can do, see it as a special vessel that homes your soul.

For example, my body can digest the food that nourishes my soul, my hands can write text messages to my loved ones which reassure my soul that they know they are loved etc. Seeing it in this perspective grows a deeper meaning and appreciation for your body.

I like to see my body, traits, and life as a gift from God. Me insulting these things, is an insult to him.

INDULGE IN YOUR STRENGTHS. When we have low confidence, it becomes almost second nature to focus on our weaknesses. Instead, try to actively focus on your strengths. If you don’t know what your strengths are at the moment, just focus on things that make you happy.

It would be beneficial to add one thing that you know you’re good at on your list of what to do. Something that you’re assured you’ll like doing and the outcome.

TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF. Eat a well-balanced diet, make an effort to achieve good quality sleep, exercise when you can, reach out to your loved ones daily and incorporate things that make you happy.

Just these simple things can improve your quality of life by far, however, our intentions to do these things may be impacted by our low confidence, and therefore we are unmotivated to do these things.

If that is the case, take little steps in doing each thing and remind yourself that intentional self-neglect is a form of self-harm and destruction.

[drunkwhenimadethis]

I was confessing my absurd fears to my bf with things along the lines of being betrayed or him finding other women sexually attractive and asked if he had any similar fears. He said he did, and it was that I was only with him for his money. Essentially: I am a gold digger. I have always refused monetary gifts and him paying for things. However I’ve been staying with him for three months after he got me kicked out of my last rooming house because Im in college and couldn’t find a place quick enough, and was extremely adamant about it but he insisted. We’ve been together for almost a year. He said that the thought of me using him for money is recurring, but he’s unemployed and his parents pay for everything besides his groceries. What do I make of this? It’s really offput me that he thinks of me this way

Disclaimer I love to remember that the English “advice” comes from the Latin “videre” to see so if I give you this advice it is not a prescription, it is only my way of looking at things in this moment

I think one thing I would like to point out is that you wrote: “It was that I was only with him for his money. Essentially: I am a gold digger.” There are a million ways of interpreting a single statement made by someone that we care about, and since so much of life creation begins with storytelling in the mind, you want to be quite meticulous about the interpretations that you align with and carry forward. I don’t think that “Essentially: I am a gold digger” makes the most sense logically nor in terms of experiencing what you want, which I assume is love, commitment, trust, and closeness

Why essentially are you a gold digger? Did he say that or did he say that he has an absurd fear that you might be with him for reasons other than who he himself is? “Money” —the word—and its associations make us react emotionally and indignantly “How dare you!!!!” but he said the same thing that you said, he shared the fear he has that maybe he alone is not enough for you

When you shared that you’re fearful of him being attracted to other women, did he say that essentially you are calling him a dishonest whore with no dick discipline? Would that make sense to you if he reacted that way or would you feel like hmm, this man is really making my fears about himself?

Your fears are yours and yours alone

I am guilty of wanting the perfect words or actions to assuage me but it never works out that way. You need to go into yourself and pour love on your fears and kill them

He can tell you everything you want to hear and then what happens when he’s out of sight?

What happens if he has to leave the country? What happens if you can’t have eyes on him?

Are we doomed to constantly revert back to fear?

See yourself as the only one 

Don’t entertain competition in your mind

Don’t dwell on these fears. Your subconscious can’t reason with you

Remove the negative imaginary conversations—not only are they a waste of time, they are by nature of reality active forces 

Be happy for him that his family takes care of him, not everyone gets that and it’s good

Imagine he will take care of you like his family taught him to. Imagine sturdiness and dependability. Imagine better than what you know

Wish him the best on his job search, remove safety-seeking in the form of judgment

You are deserving and you’re allowed to accept gifts from your boyfriend. Work on this asap, I think there's something in you that just doesn't feel worth it and you can't outrun that and nobody can appease that for long

And don't tell yourself that he got you kicked out of your last rooming house, even if it seems true. If you can choose any belief and create life with it, since you’re creating even when you’re not consciously aware that you’re doing so, why don’t you choose something that serves you both more? Why not tell yourself that the universe is conspiring to bring you closer to each other?

Loving and fearless! Avanti!

“The beautiful idea you awaken in yourself shall not fail to arouse its affinity in others.”

[popponn]

a duck, a prince, and the snow.

note: was gonna make it hcs but uh. ehe. here, smth similar for chigiri haha. this is two iq shower thought situation. warning: none, fluff, post canon/pro au, reader’s gender unspecified, undertone of morons friends to lovers, prince & duckling (affectionately).

reo loves you enough to marry you the moment you demand it. with rings, grand ceremonies, and an even grander honeymoon. but the thing is, you are way too oblivious.

reo tries everything already—praises, flirting, dressing in the way you like the most, asking you to go to your favorite places together, buy you everything, special treatment, and many more. at this point, it’s probably easier to mention what he hasn’t tried yet—with “straight up confessing” sitting at the top of the “no way not yet no chigiri no nagi no way” chart. some people actually think this is some new brand of masochism—trapping oneself in a friendzone, but most of them stop thinking about this after seeing your dynamic with him once. as in it really is that painful to watch.

in your defense, this guy is indeed generous when he wants to be. so he could give you a diamond ring and you could read it either as a bribe for something or a random gift for that tuesday. the worst thing is probably how you are so genuinely unable to think of the more romantic possibility whilst the giving party is more than okay with it. really, sincerely, from the bottom of his heart.

because you could go “oh reo you are such a good friend! let’s be friends forever!” and this guy would probably look extremely constipated for 0.1 sec then before you could see it, all you got is a doting exasperation expressed through a charming prince smile on his face. in the way that is not even “ah well too bad, but we can do it next time” smile, but an “oh, how adorable. i truly am in love with them” smile. rinse and repeat for three years and more, that’s basically how this hellish adorable loop goes. talk about a guy who is in love with every part of you—even when the part is denser than a black hole.

but, like every fairytale, this prince too deserves a proper happy ending, doesn’t he?

Under the illuminations and falling snow, you wonder why Reo chooses to be here with you, walking through the cold December night with groceries in his hands. You feel bad for telling him that you are out shopping alone now, or at the very least you should have accepted his offer to bring his limousine. It feels wrong getting him carrying your things considering everything.

“Reo,” you begin sheepishly, reaching out to tug his jacket sleeve lightly with your empty hand. "You really don’t have to do this, you know.”

Reo, somehow, looks like he takes offense to that. “Huh? Why not? I want to. Plus, just imagining you waddling like a duck with two heavy grocery bags…” Dramatically, Reo trails off with a heavy sigh. A cloud of cold breath fogs his lips for a moment, but not enough to cover up the teasing smirk that follows, “…yeah, at least I want to watch that.”

You immediately nudge his side with an angry huff, all while fruitlessly trying to step on his feet. Whilst Reo laughs with too much mirth on his face, he avoids your vengeful foot with a grace that truly belongs to a professional soccer player. Some bystanders who walk past the two of you spares some glances, but as long as they do not recognize Reo who hides his face and hair under a miraculous yet simple black cap, you feel like you couldn’t care about them.

“I shouldn’t have felt bad for you! I’m trying to be considerate to your hands getting cramps and cold, you jerk!” you hissed finally, jutting out your tongue just as an extra gesture, before adding another protest as an afterthought, “And you called me a duck for that!?”

“You are worried about me? That’s sweet!” Reo smiles in a way that is positively shit eating. Then, he nudges back to your side, an act that is pretty much imitating your previous action, yet clearly, much gentler as he lets his shoulder stay pressed to yours as the two of you continue to walk. “Come on, don’t be mad. That means I will still take care of you even when you are a duck.”

You glare half-heartedly at that. Even if this sort of conversation—idle, with worth only the two of you could understand—is not rare, you really wonder why he seems so bubbly today. With your steps and his once again falling into a synchronous rhythm, you curiously ponder out loud, “So, what happened?”

Reo tilts his head, in a manner that is subjectively cute to you. “Hm?”

“Today, what happened? You seem happy. Did something good happen in your meeting? Or your training?”

“Uh… eh? Not really, honestly. Nagi was feeling kind of down, and Isagi also seemed to be in a bad mood, Rin—the younger Itoshi, you remembered?” he pauses, looking at your reaction before continuing after your nod. “Yeah, so that guy also got really angry today. Overall, it was a mess, but nothing new. The board meeting, uh, yeah—the greedy old guys somehow get greedier today.”

“Seriously?” You wince hearing all of those. “That… sounds like a really terrible day… are you okay?”

Reo’s face shifts once again into a very smug look, which you shoot down immediately with a glare straight to his handsome face. Seeing your unamused look, the half-lidded brattish look he wears immediately crinkles to a very bright happy look, with a smile that is wide enough to turn his eyes into a pair of crescent moons. It is beautiful—you think to yourself, silently, softly.

“Nah, as I said, nothing new about that too. Plus—” Reo suddenly leans his head against yours, letting his cold cheek glue itself against your equally cold one. Nonetheless, you still squawk ungracefully. “—I got a really cute duckling worrying about me and walking with me romantically like this. I will call that it’s a winning day!”

“Really now?” you ask again, exasperated and not really understanding the meaning behind his words. It feels like you are missing something—but you can’t really put a finger on it. Paying no more mind to that thought, you continue, “So, paying for me, coming running to me, and then getting me to walk with a prince who also carries my groceries is a payback for being the cute ducking?”

“Clearly,” Reo says, familiar pride and softness lacing his tone. It makes you laugh. It’s odd, but as how being in his presence really makes you feel at ease, it does feel pleasant to hear him feeling so with just a walk with you. But, before you can let that feeling settle quietly, Reo goes on, resting his gaze on you in a manner that feels too fond and affectionate, “But, even if without all those, I will still come running to you.”

Yet again, you feel like you are missing something. There is a heat that crawls up from the inner chamber of your chest, thrumming and warm and wonderful. Dizzying and confusing, but often presents itself for Reo and Mikage Reo only.

“I… I see,” you stammer out, your voice unconsciously turning into one that is just a few notes away from a whisper.

You don’t know what Reo sees in your expression, but with it, his eyes gleam in a very tender manner. “Well, but you see,” he begins, his voice mimicking a mocking tone, “while this prince’s hand is one warmed with groceries, the other one is still very empty and cold.”

“Oh?” you muse, seeing where this is going.

Boyish and as charming as always, Reo reaches his idle hand to yours, intertwining his finger with yours. One could say it feels like a scene from a drama, one could say it feels like something written by hopeless romantics, but ultimately, to you the fact that it is Reo that makes your breath hitches. Suddenly, it is very worrying if your hands are sweaty.

Wait, are they—

“Now, the prince feels very warm,” Reo, oblivious to your predicament, states cheekily with boldness veiling his eyes.

“…the prince is a prick,” you reply, knowing your defeat. It is unusual of him to do something like this, yet there is not even an ounce of desire in you to protest.

“As long as the duckling is okay with it, is it really a problem though?” he says, leaning even closer to your face.

At some point, you know you stop breathing. And Reo realizes it.

It is probably then that the tension between the two of you suddenly closes down its curtain. Something flashes through Reo’s eyes. And before you know it, the hold he has on your hand loosened, as if giving you permission to pull away.

Then, a part of your mind says, “Who cares about the duckling and prince anymore—”

And to that sentiment, you raise an enthusiastic agree.

Because it is Reo, probably, you tightened your hold around his hand. Your hand might be sweaty, and you might not get everything that is happening—but you know enough that this feels like the right choice.

“I am,” you answer resolutely, looking away from him and facing your front instead. “I am very okay with it.”

You have no courage to peek at your friend’s—your companion’s expression. And so, you miss the way his eyes light up, realizing and catching something that you haven’t realized yet. Thus, you too don’t expect the way he tugs you into a halt, stopping your steps just a few centimeters away from his.

When you turn to him, you find Mikage Reo. His eyebrows are furrowed under his cap, his lips bitten and pouting at the some time. With redness on his cheeks, as good-looking and as princely as he has always been to you, staring at you with a seriousness that spells out determination and more.

“Can I—”

On the middle of the sidewalk, surrounded by crowds who don’t recognize Mikage Reo and you, the two of you stand still. The snow continues to fall and none of you bring your gloves. In such a scene, Reo’s eyes never once left you.

“Can I tell you something?”

add. note: was it cheesy? unnecessarily so. did i lost the prompt somewhere? kinda. is it xmas? uh. what is this? uh. could it be better?...yeah i think i had fun tho <3 hope u too <3 blame jinshi and how this part came out the smoothest. also if this is in reo's pov lmao it's a mess there.

[tessa-liam]

Marabelle Series

The Game of Kings 

Chapter 10

Choices – The Royal Romance, AU – (cross-over with Rules of Engagement) 

Series Premise – An American teenager from New York City is introduced to the world of a small European country and its society of royalty, nobility, and commoners. How will her life story be transformed? Will this new adventure bring her happiness...or regret? 

Marabelle Series Masterlist 

Main Pairing – Prince Liam Rys x F!OC Lady Sophia (Sophie) Taylor 

Other Pairings – Maxwell Beaumont x M!OC Daniel (from NYC), Drake Walker x F! OC Melanie Smithson 

Most characters belong to Pixelberry Studios 

Series Rating – M*🔞Warnings: this series will have NSFW material, crude language & innuendo. 

Not Beta’d - Please excuse all errors. 

Category – Alternate universe/on-going series/angst/fluff/cross-over with Choices Rules of Engagement 

Words: 2483 

The Game of Kings – Chapter 10 

Chapter Summary – Liam and Sophie practice for the charity polo match. Leo is on a cruise ship in the Mediterranean where he meets a woman. Speaking with his father, Leo abdicates the throne. Liam sends Sophie a Valentine’s Day gift. 

Music Inspiration: Everything Has Changed, Taylor Swift (feat Ed Sheeren) 

A/N1: Bethany Beaumont, Maxwell’s mother, is originally from the U.S. and is Barthelemy Beaumont’s second wife. Annabelle Beaumont (deceased) is Bertrand’s mother. 

A/N2: ‘Social Season’ in this AU series refers to a traditional period in the spring/summer for royalty and members of the court to take part in Balls, dinner parties and charity events. 

A/N3: My submission for Choices Flashfics @choicesflashfics, Week #72, prompt 2 - “I wasn’t the one to walk away. You were....” 

A/N4: My submission for Choices Holidays Valentine’s Day Prompts 2024 - Be my valentine/I love you @choicesprompts, @choicesholidays

.......All I know since yesterday 

Is that everything changed....... 

The Cordonian Royal Polo Club 

After adjusting the strap on Marabelle's harness, Sophie accepted the polo mallet from an attendant. She was in her element today; any time spent riding her horse was a joy but spending time with Liam, on top of that ...this was a dream come true. 

When Liam invited her to join his polo team, she was over the moon. To be personally invited to join him was extremely flattering. Her heartbeat raced and butterflies danced inside anytime and every time she thought of him. 

‘Remembering that beautiful Sunday afternoon while working on a paper for class on the terrace of the Beaumont estate, Sophie looked up, pleasantly surprised to see Liam and Maxwell come into view.  

“Good afternoon, Sophie.” Liam smiled warmly as he walked up to her table. “Hard at work as always, I see.” 

“Oh, hello, Liam. Maxwell.” Sophie stood, moving her laptop to the side. 

Liam bent down to kiss her cheek and waited for her to sit back down before he took a seat himself at the glass patio table. 

“Yes, just trying to get this paper finished before the deadline.” 

Maxwell, grinning mischievously, “Ah, the diligent scholar. Little blossom, take a break for a moment. Liam has something he would like to ask you.” 

“Oh?” Sophie smiled, curiously looking at Liam. 

Clearing his throat, a hint of nervousness in his demeanor, “well, I know your love and passion for horses. And as you know, there is a fundraising event planned for flooding relief in Portavira on Valentine’s Day. 

Sophie nods sadly, “Yes, I have heard of that tragedy; It is heartbreaking.” 

Taking a breath, Liam continued. “Indeed...I was wondering if you would consider joining my polo team. Your skills would be invaluable, and I can assure you, we would make quite the formidable duo on the field.” 

Clearly taken aback, but flattered, “Oh, Liam, I ... I don’t know what to say.” 

“Say yes, Soph! It’ll be a fantastic experience, and I can personally vouch for Liam’s team being a lot of fun. ‘Ya know, cuz I am on it.” Maxwell chuckled. 

Sophie smiled, touched by their enthusiasm, “well, how can I refuse such a charming invitation? I'd be honored to join your team, Liam.” 

Liam, grinning widely, “wonderful! I knew I could count on you, Sophie. This event is going to be legendary, mark my words. Thank you, love.”’ 

Practicing today for the Portavira Charity Polo match, Sophie, along with Liam, Drake, Melanie and Maxwell were in the field taking turns with knock-ins. 

She looked over to the sideline and spotted Liam watching her intently. He gave her a small wave and she waved back with a smile.  

"Let's go, girl," Sophie urged her horse. 

Marabelle broke into a gallop, Sophie leaning forward and keeping pace. 

Liam watched as Sophie rode toward the goal, her posture perfect, her movements smooth and confident. 

Sophie raised her mallet and struck the ball, sending it sailing through the air. 

"Nice shot," Liam called out. 

“Yes!” Sophie cried out as she turned back down the field to where Liam was standing. 

"You're a natural out there!"

"Thanks," Sophie replied, blushing. Liam offered his hand as she dismounted Marabelle. "I love riding.” 

"So, are you looking forward to the match tomorrow?" 

"I am," Sophie said. "I'm a little nervous, too. It's my first time playing in front of a crowd." 

"You'll be great," Liam assured her. "And we'll be a great team." 

“Will the entire team meet today?” 

“Yes, you will meet Rashad and Tariq this afternoon.” 

“Are we interrupting?” Drake asked hesitantly as he and Melanie walked over. 

"Hey guys ... of course not," Liam answered. 

"How's practice going?" Melanie asked. 

"Great," Liam and Sophie replied in unison, both grinning, sharing coy smiles. 

"Looks like you've got a winning team, Liam." Melanie grinned, noticing Sophie move closer to his side.

"Thanks," Liam replied, a wide grin on his face. 

“I think so, too,” Liam winked at Sophie, who smiled softly in return. 

“We only have 7 players though. Leo flew out of Cordonia last night.” Drake shot Liam a concerned look, making a mental note of asking Liam about his brother’s absence after practice. 

"We're gonna have so much fun," Drake grinned. 

"You're playing, too?" Sophie asked, surprised. 

"Of course. You didn't think Liam would let me miss the opportunity to beat him, did you?" 

"We'll see about that," Liam smirked. 

"Oh, it's on," Drake replied, a competitive glint in his eyes. 

"Don't worry, we'll kick their asses," Melanie said to Sophie. 

"Yes, we will," Sophie agreed, laughing. 

As Drake and Melanie left to finish their rounds, Liam and Sophie continued practicing. Their easy banter and playfulness made it clear to anyone watching that there was a definite attraction between them.

... And the way Liam looked at her when their eyes met, his gaze filled with admiration and affection...it made Sophie's heart race. 

She could only imagine how good it would feel to be in his arms again, his lips on hers. 

The thought made her blush, and she tried to push it aside, focusing on the game. But the feeling remained, simmering beneath the surface as they walked their horses to the stable. 

"You're incredible," Liam murmured as they left the field. 

"Thank you," Sophie replied, grinning. "You weren't so bad yourself." 

"High praise coming from you," he teased. 

"I mean it," Sophie said, her tone serious. Liam reached over and took her hand in his as the stable hands led the horses to their stalls. 

With a gentle smile, “high praise indeed, Sophie. And I assure you, I mean it. Your talent with Marabelle is unmatched.” 

Their hands remained clasped as they walked to the clubhouse. 

Azamara Cruise Ship, off the Italian coast, Mediterranean Sea 

As the luxury ship cruised through the Mediterranean Sea, the sun was setting in a vibrant display of reds and oranges. 

Leo stood on the deck, admiring the view, lost in thought. 

"Beautiful, isn't it?"  

He turned to see a young woman standing beside him, her blond hair blowing in the breeze. 

"It is," he agreed, turning his attention back to the sunset. 

"I'm Katie, by the way." 

"Leo." 

"Nice to meet you," Katie said, offering her hand. 

"Likewise," Leo replied, shaking her hand. 

"So, Leo, what brings you out here? On a pleasure cruise?" 

"Just needed to get away for a bit." 

"Yeah, me too," Katie replied. 

"It's been a tough week," Leo confided. 

"Really, how so?" Katie asked. 

"I had to make a decision that changed the course of my life." 

"That's heavy," Katie replied. "Do you want to talk about it?" 

"Not really," Leo admitted. "I'd rather just try to forget about it for a while." 

"Fair enough," Katie replied. "So, tell me, Leo, what do you do for fun?" 

Leo laughed. "Honestly? Not much." 

"Seriously?" Katie challenged.

"Yeah. I have a pretty serious job, and I'm usually focused on that.” 

"Well, that's no good," Katie replied. "You need to have some fun, too.” 

"What do you do for fun, Katie?" 

"Everything!" she exclaimed. "I love exploring new places, trying new things, meeting new people." 

"Sounds exciting.” Leo chuckled, turning his body towards her. 

"It is," she went on. "And it's made me a lot more open-minded and adventurous.” 

"Adventurous, huh?" Leo asked, intrigued by her temerity. 

"Yeah," Katie said, grinning. 

"Well, I could use a little adventure in my life." 

"Then come with me," she said, holding out her hand. 

Leo hesitated for a moment, then took her hand. 

Katie led him down to the pool area, where several people were lounging and enjoying the warm evening air. 

"Come on," she said, tugging him along. 

"Where are we going?" 

"To the hot tub," she replied. 

Leo followed her to the hot tub and watched as she slipped out of her cover-up, revealing a white bikini underneath. 

She stepped into the hot tub and turned to look at him. 

"Well, are you coming?" Her eyebrow raised.

Leo could not resist her invitation. He quickly removed his clothes down to his boxers and joined her in the hot tub. 

"Ahhh, this is nice," he sighed, sinking into the warm water. 

"Isn't it?" Katie agreed, her body glistening in the soft light. 

"So, what do you do for fun, Leo?" 

"I'm a crown prince," Leo said. "So, my life is pretty much dedicated to duty." 

"That doesn't sound very fun," Katie said, frowning. 

"It's not," Leo admitted, noting her non-chalance of his mention of his title. 

"Well, I'm sure we can find something fun for you to do," she said, a mischievous glint in her eyes. 

"I'm sure we can," he agreed, his heart beginning to race. 

"How long are you on the cruise for?" Katie asked. 

"The rest of the week," Leo replied. 

"Perfect," Katie said. "We have plenty of time to get into some trouble." 

"Trouble, huh?" 

"Don't worry," she said, laughing. "I won't get you in too much trouble. 

"I'm counting on it," Leo replied, his gaze locked on hers. 

"You are a flirt, Leo." 

"I can't help it," he said, his voice low. This woman was everything that Madeleine wasn't.

"You're very flirtable." 

Katie laughed. "I'm sure that's not a word, but I'll take the compliment." 

"Good," he said, smiling. 

"So, what's your story, Katie?" 

"My story?" 

"Yeah. What brings you out here? On a pleasure cruise?" 

"Same thing as you," Katie replied. 

"An escape..."

Beaumont Estate, Ramsford, Cordonia 

Sophie woke to the sound of knocking on her door. Groggily, she pulled herself out of bed and stumbled across the room. She opened the door to see Daniel standing there, a huge grin on his face and a bouquet of long-stemmed red roses in his hands. 

"Good morning, Squirrel," he chirped. 

"Morning, Dan. What are you doing here so early?" 

"I wanted to bring these to you before you left for the polo match." 

"Wow, they're beautiful," Sophie said, accepting the bouquet. "Thank you." 

"They're not from me, silly. They're from your prince..." 

"Oh," Sophie blushed. 

"Here's the note," Daniel said, handing her a small envelope. 

"Be my Valentine," Sophie read, her heart racing. 

"Aww, that's so sweet," Daniel smiled. "He's really smitten with you." 

"I guess so," Sophie replied, still a bit stunned. 

"So, are you excited about the game today?" 

"Yeah, I am," Sophie said. "I just hope I don't mess up." 

"You'll be fine," Daniel assured her. "I have complete faith in you." 

"Thanks, Dan," Sophie said, giving him a hug. 

"You're welcome, Squirrel." 

Sophie spent the rest of the morning getting ready for the polo match, her heart fluttering every time she lookrd at her roses. She couldn't believe he had sent her such a romantic gift, and she was eager to see him... to thank him personally.

Cordonian Royal Palace 

The morning of the charity polo match, King Constantine was getting dressed when his attendant informed him of an incoming international call.  

“Sir, your son, Leo, is on line one."

Constantine was surprised and concerned, and at once picked up the phone. 

"Son, what's wrong? Where are you?" 

"Father, I had to get away. I had to think." 

"What's there to think about, Leo? Your duty is clear. Your kingdom needs you." 

"But I don't want this," Leo said, his voice thick with emotion. "I never wanted this." 

"Son, I know it's not easy, but we all have to do things we don't want to. It's part of being royalty." 

"... that's the burden we bear." 

"I can't do it," Leo said. "I won't."

"You must," Constantine said, his tone firm. 

"No, I won't. I would rather give up my title than marry Madeleine."

"I'm sorry, son, but you don't have a choice."

"Then I'll abdicate," Leo said, his voice shaking. 

"Leo, where are you now? Are you somewhere safe?" 

"I'm on a cruise ship in the Mediterranean." 

"You are, what?! You are the Crown Prince. You need to return home right away." 

"I won't," Leo replied somberly.

"Leo, listen to me. Your place is here, in Cordonia. You just can’t walk away."

“I have. Liam will be a better King," Leo insisted. 

"Leo! You ...."

“Father," Leo interrupted.

"When have you ever put me or Liam first?” 

“I wasn’t the one to walk away. You were....”, Constantine admonished.

Leo remained quiet, steadfast in his decision.

"Leo, please," Constantine replied, his voice pleading. 

"Goodbye, Father," Leo said, and then he hung up the phone. 

Constantine stood there, stunned. 

.......All I know since yesterday 

Is that everything changed....... 

Thanks for reading

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[deaddovedecadence]

i have a few dad gojo ideas if you’d really like some…

parent teacher conference- when reader is younger probably, but would work whenever. teacher meets gojo and is amazed by how attentive he is to reader, invites gojo to chaperone (he would chaperone), help with like craft days/any class parties, let gojo take reader whenever, etc. even better transfers megumi to readers class every year from here on out so gojo feels more at ease. no escapism at school sorry reader 😞

would gojo let reader decorate their room? maybe a privilege they earn/lose depending on behavior. and with room comes the age old punishment of taking the door. no peace nor rest for reader. 😿

i don’t know if you’ve done it yet, but older/teenager reader gets sick or injured and gojo gets to baby them like when they were little. and he’s just so happy, forcing reader to call him daddy, using a baby monitor to make sure reader is resting, bathing reader, cooking and feeding reader.

softer/funnier idea, but reader accidentally mentions something they like and gojo does the dad thing and buys hundreds. (ie. https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZPREg1SK5/ but to the most extreme it can be taken) reader can accept or attempt to reject gifts allowing for chaos

i think these are all my ideas! please use them however you wish if you want to use them at all! take care of yourself🫡😻

Oh these are amazing thank you dear.

I have every plan to use these and I am certainly thinking about the first one because it is canon in my story that megumi and reader are in the same class every year.

And of course if someone else wants to use them, please do. just lmk so i can read them!

[return-to-twisted-wonderland]

🔆anon

The weekend, where Kit met with Fellow and Gidel.

Kit: On with it. What’s your story?

Fellow: you were my little sister, born nine years after me. We both come from… bad… parents, so bad that I had to take care of you myself. Even to the point of naming you. Eventually we ran away, and lived like that for years. Until you got extremely sick and I had to scrounge around for money to bring you to a doctor, but once I got enough, you were missing and our stuff was stolen. I thought I’d never see you again, but I always kept an eye out. I even kept the drawings and stuff you made.

Kit: So they stole the stuff of two homeless kids, but not the drawings? Also what’s with the cat?

Fellow: I kept the drawings on me. They were my good luck, so they weren’t there with everything else. And don’t ask me why people stole the stuff of two homeless kids, not even I know. They stole anything useable, leaving only some extremely cheap and torn blankets and clothes. And as for Gidel, I found him one day and he agreed to help me as long as I cared for him, and we’ve been working like that the whole time.

Gidel: *nods*

Kit: You expect me to believe that a sick and immobile me just disappeared?

Fellow: Were you not found in a random place while being so sick you couldn’t move? As well as, based on how you were treated, it wouldn’t be a jump to assume you were the only one in your world who is a beastfolk?

Kit: So you want me to accept I can from a completely different world rather than existed in the world I knew and my parents just abandoned me because they were laying low and couldn’t take care of me?

Fellow: You just moved to this world, didn’t you? What’s such a big issue with assuming you did it before?

Kit: … *takes a breath* Why? Why did I go missing?

Fellow: I don’t know. I am just as confused. What I do know is that I am your family and want you back, if you’re willing.

Gidel: *tugs on Kit*

Kit: Such a sob story after you tried to magically manipulate me and my whole group. Though, I don’t think I can hold it against you. I know well enough it’s survival of the fittest. I’m willing to talk to you if you don’t just barge into my life. I’ll be free again next Saturday, plus I can spend until curfew getting to know you. Just don’t expect the rest of the group to be ok with you.

Fellow: I’m alright with all of that.

Gidel: *Jumping up and down with a smile while twirling his hammer*

Kit: *whispering to Fellow* What’s with the hammer?

Fellow: *whispers back* I got it for him as a gift and he never lets it go.

—

Kit was given a different name by her adoptive “parents” but she never uses it as a way to express her hatred of them. She immediately went by Kit once she realized she was in a new place, NRC. Though without a last name, she just never mentioned one or used her legal one.

Now that she has slightly accepted Fellow, she is going right to being Kit Honest and getting rid of her old last name. She will force Crowley to change it all, if he wants to or not.

Fellow's happy that he's at least been heard out.

[url0n3lystarr]

standing on the borderline

Nowadays I scrub myself clean of anything representing a stereotypical mentally ill person. No more will people say I remind them of Harley Quinn or Ramona Flowers, no more will I meet their sexualised expectation of a mentally ill woman. 

I’m dying my hair back, thinking carefully about the tattoos I want, I don’t fall asleep at 3am with some depressing playlist, and I’m finally selling all my lifeless clothes at the Sunday market. I no longer identify with that. I’m not proud of it, I wasn’t happy, it wasn’t me. 

I’m not insulted that I dress “basic” now, I’m not insulted I no longer meet your expectations of me. I traded my chains and fishnets for basic tees, and I feel better now.

As I reach for that abrasive loofah, I do contemplate why I can’t accept who I was when I was deep in the trenches, begging everyone to believe that it was a stranger, begging myself to believe that was never me. I’m not my illness, that’s not who I am, but as someone who has walked in my own shoes, shouldn’t I be a little more understanding of the roads I’ve travelled?

Too often I’m sitting on the fence between accepting myself and being okay with it or tearing any resemblance of mental illness and keeping it as far away as possible. How can I be okay with this, do you know what people say about me? 

Sometimes I feel like I must carry the agonising burden of being a spokesperson for BPD, those three words come up in a conversation and I feel eyes pierce me like they know a big secret I’m hiding. The desperate need to say something to disprove of borderline symptoms is haunting, cursed with the fear that people think I want this and I’m so quirky. Screw you TikTok.

Even the few positive attributes this illness gifts me is something I wish I could get a shovel and weed out of my garden. Everything feels like a double-edged sword, everything is a double-edged sword. A sweet sensitivity that snowballs into debilitating anxiety, compassion, and loyalty like a dog, and will never be reciprocated in any relationship. It is not fun fighting everyone else’s wars yet never being able to stand next to your own army.

Shame is unfortunately ingrained in me, one Google search and there’s more results on BPD being toxic manipulators than there are helpful resources. I walk around with a scarlet letter, people stop and stare knowing I’m a horrible, toxic gaslighter. Constantly scared that those around me walk on my field of landmines, running a never-ending marathon questioning, ‘what if I am the stereotype?’ It’s getting quite lonely locked away with a moat of eggshells and glass shards. 

Perhaps this is a perspective that changes with the years, right now detachment feels like a home, maybe I’ll keep dancing with these ideas. I am not borderline; I am not a borderline. No one says I am a thyroid problem, or I am a cold. The less I dwell on stereotypes and playing the painful losing game of trying to change people’s beliefs, the easier it is to cope. Maybe at the core of wanting to appear so extremely unwell is just simply wanting someone to care, not to be immediately seen like a monster. 

[sleepingdeath-light]

hello!!

my request is; can you do relationship headcanons for kuroshitsuji joker x fem!black!s/o? and if you can, can you also add on how the other members of the circus are with her?

if you can do specific looks, she has short, 4c textured hair and is dark skinned. :)

Black S/O Relationship Headcanons | Joker

thank you for requesting, anon!

reader is assumed as being female and as having the physical characteristics listed in the request (though most points will be more generalised)

note : given that i am very white i’m not sure as to the accuracy of this piece for obvious reasons — or if i’m even the right person to request this from. any constructive critique or corrections are welcome!

joker is a partner that is extremely observant and attentive to your needs — meaning he quickly picked up on the specific upkeep that your hair requires once the two of you started properly bunking together as a couple

but he’s also someone who takes pride in taking care of his loved ones, so it’s pretty much guaranteed that he’ll scrounge together as much spare money as he can to ensure you have all the products you need for your routines and such

hell if you’d be willing to teach him, he’d be more than happy to learn the techniques you use so he can do your hair care for you — whether that’s just general care or learning any protective or other styles you prefer to wear regularly around camp

joker just loves taking care of you and feeling needed/wanted as a partner, so if you ever need or want anything he’ll do his best to provide

thinks you’re the most beautiful person he’s ever met and won’t tolerate anything said to the contrary — he’s a bit protective by nature (which is slightly exacerbated due to your height difference)

shows his love for you through gifts as his time is usually spent taking care of his family and helping new recruits — so expect a variety of jewellery, dresses and food stuffs to be waiting for you on your side of the cot whenever you retire to your tent

beast is initially rather closed off and even dismissive towards you due to her feelings for joker, but she’d grow to appreciate your presence as both a fellow woman and someone that could potentially give her a hand when it comes to her own self care routines

the rest of the group, though, are quick to accept you as your own person and as a sister through your relationship with joker (which means that you’ll likely be looked to for advice and guidance at various points depending on your age relative to the others)

everyone’s rather protective over you for similar reasons they are freckles; you don’t know what they’re doing and they have no intention of telling you — joker very much so wants to keep you as safe and unharmed as possible

they view you as someone in need of protection, a member of their family that doesn’t need to know the darker parts of their work, and they fully intend to keep it that way

[lance-space-mommy]

A Bar So Low, It Was a Tripping Hazard in Hell

Izuku Centric! BKDK endgame

He cheated on me. I know when. I know who. I know where. I know how. I know who he cheated on me with. I have video proof and pictures. I have screenshots of texts.

I’m not dumb. He thinks I’m dumb. He’s been avoiding me. He knows I know of that I have a hunch of what he’s doing. He’s going to get defensive and call me crazy.

I’ve been letting this brew inside me for too long. At first, I was devastated. Then I felt a burning anger consume me. I was stuck in a cycle of sorrow and anger. Of course, I was grieving the loss of my relationship before it even ended.

I was waiting to dump him on my birthday. I don’t expect him to give me a gift or even remember. He’s always been a piece of shit. I just ignored it for my own sake.

My name is Izuku Midoriya I’m dumping my cheating boyfriend.

It’s not hard to find reasons to dump the bastard. The only reason why we started dating was because I was heartbroken and decided that trying to move on wasn’t a bad idea. It clearly was a horrible idea because I got cheated on.

His name was Seiki Kagurazaka and he was a second-year student at U.A. High. I got close with the majority of his friends which helped me in the long run. They ended up liking me more than him and outed him to me as a cheater. I was often busy with hero work while they were hanging out so I wouldn’t have known if they hadn’t told me.

We only were a month into our relationship when the person I originally had a crush on broke up with their boyfriend. I cursed to myself but was determined to move on considering he had to recover from the breakup anyway.

I was in love with Katsuki Bakugo. No shocker there. It’s impossible for my attention to be focused on anyone other than him. Unfortunately, when he started dating Kirishima, it hurt to even look at them. I was beyond happy and supportive, but I couldn’t help but feel my heart break.

Now here I am, standing in the middle of the hallway, staring at my soon-to-be ex in disbelief.

“Excuse me?”

“It’s important okay?”

“Really? I can’t believe you right now.”

“What’s the big deal? It’s not like our plans haven’t worked out before?”

“Oh my god. You actually forgot. We were supposed to go to my place to celebrate my birthday, asshole!”

Kagurazaka paled and the sight of his mortified expression brought me extreme joy. Usually, I’d be angry or upset, but I’ve never been more at peace. I was about to make the entire school see Kagurazaka was nothing more than a mindless fuckboy.

“It’s not my fault you didn’t remind me!”

That genuinely surprised me. I knew he’d get defensive, but this was a new level of stupidity. How I ever accepted his confession is beyond me.

Meanwhile, behind me, I heard the voices of my classmates. I knew Mina, Kaminari, Uraraka, Hagakure, and Ojiro were behind me. In my peripheral vision, I can see the spikey blond hair that belonged to Bakugo.

Behind Kagurazaka was the group of his friends that would drop him after we broke up. They were the ones who supported me after sharing the news that he was cheating on me.

Suddenly, I didn’t want my failed relationship on display for the school to see. I grabbed Kagurazaka by the ear and tugged him into a more private area of the school. I know some people would respect me wanting privacy, but I couldn’t blame those who followed.

“Ow! Ow! Ow! Izuku! What the hell?”

I couldn’t help but let out an exasperated huff, letting go of Kagurazaka. This was it.

“You know what makes me crazy? I’m sorry, can I say this? You know what makes me nuts?” I didn’t wait for a response. “The fact that we could be together—Here together. Sharing our night. Spending our time. And you are gonna choose someone else to be with-.”

“No. That’s not—I’m not choosing-!”Kagurazaka went to interject, his defensiveness rearing its head again.

I shut that down quickly.

“No, you are!”

“No!”

“Yes, Seiki, that's exactly what you’re doing!” I can’t help but shout at him. He really thinks he’s going to win this. “You could be here with me Or be there with them. As usual, guess which you pick.”

“No Izuku, I have to go-!” snapped Kagurazaka in a way that said a thousand words.

Fuck those homewrecking bitches and his fuckboy guy-friends that probably supported his cheating.

Without missing a beat, I snarkily fire back at him. “No, Seiki, you do not have to go to another party with the same twenty jerks you already know! You could stay with your boyfriend on his fucking birthday!”

I got to know his friends and became really good friends with them, yet he had no shame in cheating on me in front of them. It was beyond embarrassing for everyone to see that I wasn't worth it for him!

This was more than him cheating. This was him cheating after not putting any effort into our relationship from the beginning. He wasted my time and energy. We were both training to become heroes. And sure, I am farther ahead than he may ever be, but couldn't he be proud of me? Or even pretend to be?

“And you could, God forbid, even see my interviews!”

Seeing his stupid face with no guilt written on it filled me with a rage I didn't know I could feel. I will resent Kagurazaka till the day I die. He clearly doesn't feel guilty about cheating and still refuses to admit it.

“And I know in your soul it must drive you crazy! That you won't get to play with your little girlfriends!”

The words I dreaded hearing suddenly met my ears. Kagurazaka now knows that I know he cheated. Kagurazaka knows that I know he'd skip out on dates to go to parties and hook up with whatever girl threw herself on him. He had nowhere to turn, so he'd suddenly project on me.

"You're crazy-!"

I feel his hands try and snatch my wrists to silence me. And in that split second any composure I had left was out the window. All restraints were forgotten and our relationship was officially done.

I shove him away hard enough for him to nearly fall over. Without worrying about who heard anymore, I shouted at him. "No I'm not, no I'm not!"

Kagurazaka's eyes widened, officially backing down. The line had been crossed and there was nothing he could do to mend what he's ruined. I no longer loved him.

There would be no more stolen kisses in the halls or in our dorms. There won't be any more secret hugs whenever we feel the urge to touch. There will never be fingers grazing as we walk through the halls side by side. My eyes will never meet his again after this. My voice will never be directed towards him after this. I'll be nothing more than a memory.

"And the point is, Seiki, that you can't spend a single day that's not about you and you and nothing but you! Marvelous, powerful, you!"

I can feel I'm using my whole body to exaggerate my screaming. Everything I was feeling was pouring out of my mouth. Feelings and thoughts I'd been bottling up about him were now being thrown right into his face.

"Isn't he wonderful? Just seventeen! The savior of Japan! You and you and nothing but you! Miles and piles of you! Pushing through windows and bursting through walls! En route to the sky! And l-"

I couldn't do it anymore and the tears started falling. I didn't want him to see me crying, but I felt so defeated that I couldn't help but break down at the thought of him cheating. We never did anything more than the occasional makeout, but he could sleep with multiple girls he just met?

He didn't even try to come up with a dumb excuse or apologize. He didn't beg for me to stay or say that it was an accident or a one-time thing. I wanted to believe he felt some guilt or shame, but deep down I knew he’d only be upset that I found out.

Even now, as I was crying before him he didn't even move to comfort me. He didn’t say a word to try and fix what he broke. I decided if this was the end, I'd leave nothing untouched.

"I swear to God. I'II never understand. How you can stand there straight and tall... and see I'm crying...and not do anything at all." I know I sounded pathetic and heartbroken, but the regret that finally appeared on Kagurazaka's face made it worth it.

As I saw his hand budge to reach out to me, I shook my head and turned away from him. There was a group shamelessly watching and I could tell the wish they fled the scene before I could see their faces.

Thankfully it wasn't random people and was made up of Kagurazaka's friends and my friends. It made the situation a lot less messy for me. Still, one of Kagurazaka's friends, more specifically the first girl who told me he was cheating, reached out to me.

"Izuku."

I raised my hand to signal I didn't want to be here, let alone talk at the moment. I dismiss myself and walk away.

"Izuku."

I wanted to scream, but the voice belonged to someone I could never be hostile to. All I do is turn to face Bakugo and shake my head.

"I'll see you tomorrow Kacchan."

I push open the double doors at the end of the hall and leave. I'll tell Aizawa I got sick and was heading home instead of my dorm. He already accepted my request to spend my birthday with my mother.

My birthday was spent in the arms of my mother. I ended up spending Sunday at home as well. I didn't want to answer the questions I know my classmates would have or see the looks of pity yet.

When I got back, no one asked any questions and there weren't any looks of pity. Apparently, Bakugo got house arrest for beating up Kagurazaka. Uraraka and Kagurazaka's ex-friends explained what happened to class 1-A. So, by the time I got back, all I got was support.

I was happy to hear I’d be able to rant about him to many of my friends whenever I found the strength to talk about it. It seemed that I also had plenty of second-years to talk to about it as well. Sure they saw him cheating, but I had embarrassing stories of him to share.

It seems Bakugo could sense I'd be coming back because he was waiting in my room when I walked in. All I could do was smile. And suddenly I can't imagine how I could ever bring myself to distance myself from him.

"Thank you, Kacchan."

"He's lucky I didn't kill him for doing that to you."

As long as it took me to move on, it pissed me off that all it took was one sentence for all those feelings to come back full force. Trying to ignore the rush that was making me dizzy, I stepped closer and plopped down on my bed.

"Yeah, I think he'll probably avoid me like the plague now."

I really hope he wouldn’t dare walk through the first-year hall. Then again, Kagurazaka was a piece of shit. He had no shame so I wouldn’t be surprised if he suddenly started dating another first-year by the end of next week.

"Yeah, you screaming at him was pretty badass. Definitely destroyed his ego with how you tore into him," snickered Bakugo, his smirk as devilish as ever.

"Thanks."

"Here. Take it."

Suddenly a small box is placed on my lap. I soon realized that this was a birthday gift considering I wasn't around for my birthday.

"Oh! Kacchan!"

Soon I was a crying mess all over again. After having my ex-boyfriend forget my birthday, this really got my emotions all over the place.

"Hey! Why are you crying?"

"I'm so happy." I pathetically cry out.

I open the box after a smack to the back of my head and a quick breather. Looking inside is a golden All Might charm bracelet. There were at least six limited-edition charms in addition to the limited-edition All Might bracelet the charms go onto.

Bakugo was most definitely collecting these charms for close to a year at this point. That information sent the butterflies in my stomach into overdrive.

I may have just gotten out of a relationship and this may make me a bad person, but I couldn't resist launching myself onto Bakugo. It seemed that Bakugo didn't mind being a bad person as well when he supported my weight and kissed me back.

The end!

This was completely inspired by the musical The Last Five Years and more specifically the song See I'm Smiling by Anna Kendrick! God the feminine rage in that gives me goosebumps everything.

[genuinerio]

CHAPTER II. The Weirdo On Maple Street.

She’s A Rainbow ↠ 「 STEVE HARRINGTON 」

PAIRINGS: Steve Harrington (eventual love interest), Jonathan Byers x sibling!OC, Joyce Byers x daughter!OC.

WARNINGS: the following mentions of both the usage and talk of drugs.

WORDS: 7, 203.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own the gifs used nor original plot lines of Stranger Things however, I do own the storylines of my OC, Nadine. Italics are both Nadine’s thoughts and memories and third chapter for “Oh, Darling,” is in the works, thank you everyone for being patient. Also, I am extremely sorry for such a long wait as I had been very conflicted on a particular storyline of Nadine’s that happens in this chapter but since I could no longer decide on the storyline, I decided to scrap the whole thing and start over. Another thing is when it comes to my writing, I can be quite a perfectionist. Happy Stranger Things Day! Anyways, I hope you enjoy reading!

Monday, November 7th 1983.

WAKING UP TO A THROBBING SENSATION OF AN AWOKEN HEADACHE, Nadine who was stretching out her arms while she remained sitting up in bed, had begun to notice her picture frame; a picture containing of her and her family. It wasn’t Jonathan nor Joyce that she had noticed in particular but of her dear little brother, Will that her face immediately fell into glumness. Getting out of bed, Nadine grabbed a bottle of painkillers and carried on with getting ready for a new day. Looking around her bedroom, she had glanced at her Norman Whiteside poster, who was one of her favorite soccer players that she had received as a gift from her brothers and to whom was quite cute had she added. As she kept glancing away, she noticed her portraits, majority of them having her family as the subject for her artwork, her family being her biggest support whether it was with her art, her soccer team or simply grades. But this particular art piece, irked Nadine because it was one of Will that she had painted of him as he had modeled for her to paint.  

While changing out of her previous clothing and into new clothes, Nadine had kept thinking about her brother and where exactly he had gone. She couldn’t help but feel immense guilt based on the fact that if she hadn’t been busy that night, he wouldn’t had been missing.

This is all your fault, Nadine. Will is missing because of you and everything is all of your fault.

Trying to shake the toxic thoughts in her mind, Nadine had begun to carry on going downstairs only to foresee her mother and Jonathan sitting down to eat breakfast, “All right, Mom. Breakfast is ready.”

“What? No, be careful of the poster.” A distraught Joyce had commented to Jonathan. As Nadine carefully walked into the kitchen, understandingly not wanting to be there, she couldn’t help but feel awful for her mother’s current mental state.

“Yeah, okay. All right.” Jonathan had placed the breakfast plates in front of Joyce, “I can’t eat.” Jonathan had attempted to get his mother to eat, “I just need you to eat, Mom.”

“Listen. Listen, the Xerox place opens in, like, 30 minutes.” Her mother mentioned sniffling as Nadine sat down at the table. “Yeah.”

“And I don’t want you to go alone and I don’t think Nadine will be able to go with you since she has soccer practice.” Joyce had mentioned as Nadine forced herself to remain silent but nodded in acceptance, “No, we know. We told you, we got it.” Jonathan had mentioned as he and Nadine were aware of Joyce’s fear.

“So, I’m gonna have Karen take you, ‘cause I should be here.” Joyce had informed Jonathan as Nadine nodded her head, “Actually, I think I can go, instead. I’ll just explain to my coach that I have something else going on.”

“But Nadine, this game is really important for the team.” Joyce had tried to explain but Nadine cut her off trying to reason with her mother, “Yeah, but finding Will is way more important for us, for me.”

“Okay.”

“We need to make, what, 200, 300 copies? How much is a copy?” Joyce had asked both of her children, “Yeah, okay. Okay, Mom. Mom.”

“Ten cents? If we... ten cents-“ Joyce had begun to stammer as Nadine and Jonathan tried to calm her down, “Mom. Mom. Mom!”

“You can’t get like this okay?” Jonathan had advised as him and Nadine had comforted their mother as she begun to stutter, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”

“No? It’s okay.” Both Jonathan and Nadine had stated, only for a knock on the door to remove them from the comforting of their mother, “We’ve been waiting six hours.”

“I know. I came as soon as I could.” Nadine immediately recognized that voice once she heard it, Hopper. “Six hours.”

“A little bit of trust here, alright?” Hopper had motioned as he shut the door once Nadine had walked carefully into the living room trying to get information but not being assumed to be eavesdropping. “We’ve been searching all night. Went all the to Cartersville.”

“And?” Her mother had asked, looking at least a little grimmer of hope that Will would be found, “Nothing.” The word that had caused Nadine to drop her head down in a complete distressed state.

“God.”

“Flo says you got a phone call?” Hopper had commented, trying to place Joyce’s mind on newfound faith, “Oh yeah.” Joyce had remembered throughout her sniffles as all four of them walked to the wallphone in the living room.

“Storm barbecued this pretty good.” Hopper had discussed as he held onto the burnt phone, “The storm?” Joyce had asked, believing the cause to be completely different. “What else?”

“You’re saying that, that’s not weird?”

“No, it’s weird.” Hopper had freely admitted, “Can we, like, trace who made the call?” Jonathan had asked as Nadine joined in, “Contact the provider? Or something-“

“No, it doesn’t work like that. Now, uh, you’re sure it was Will? Because Flo said you just heard some breathing.” Hopper had suggested but Joyce stood her ground and insisted as her voice began to break, “No. it was him. It was Will. And he was scared. And then something-“ Nadine and Jonathan both immediately began to comfort their mother.

“It was probably just a prank call. It was somebody trying to scare you.”

“Who would do that?” Jonathan had wondered, “Well, this things been on TV. It brings out all the crazies, you know. False leads, prank calls, uh...”

“No, Hopper, it was not a prank. It was him.” Joyce declared, believing she knew exactly what she heard but unfortunately, Hopper didn’t believe so, “Joyce.”

“Come on, how about a little trust here?” Joyce demanded of Hopper, “What, you think I’m...I’m making this up?”

“I’m not saying that you’re making it up. All I’m saying is it’s an emotional time for you.”

“And you think I don’t know my own son’s breathing? Wouldn’t you know your own daughter’s?” Joyce had declared in a fit of protest, something that had irked something in Hopper as Joyce continued to sniffle.

“You hear from, uh, Lonnie yet?” Hopper had asked in a moment of tension as he began to move into another position of the room, “No.”

“It’s been long enough. I’m having him checked out.” Hopper mentioned as he placed his sheriff’s hat on his head and began to walk outside, “Oh, come on! You’re wasting your time.” Joyce reacted as she sighed.

Nadine had swept her mother into a hug as she began to mumble comforting words and the fact that Will will be found soon as Jonathan followed Hopper outside, “Hey, Hopper. Hopper. Let me go.” Jonathan began panting walking up to Hopper’s police truck.

“I’m sorry?”

“To Lonnie’s. Nadine could overhear Jonathan’s plea as she heard his conversation with Hopper, “You know, if Will’s there, it means he ran away. And if he sees the cops, he’ll think he’s in trouble. He’ll.:. He’ll hide. You know, he’s good at hiding.”

“Yeah? Well cops are good at finding. Okay? Stay here with your mom and Nadine. She needs you, she needs both of you.”

As Jonathan had walked back into the house, Nadine had walked towards him, “Jonathan? Are you going to visit Lonnie?” Something that she immediately knew was true and despite the trauma that Loonie had put her through, she loved her dear brother and was willing to suck it up and find him at all costs.

“Yeah, want to come?” A nod of Nadine giving Jonathan a yes of confirmation because despite the two not being as close, Jonathan still believed that he should include Nadine in any searchings for Will because he is both their little brother and they care deeply for him.

As both Jonathan and Joyce had left for school and work, Nadine had opened the cabinet found within the kitchen only to find multiple bottles of medication. One in particular, her ADHD medication, something Nadine had been diagnosed with since she was a young girl considering her hyperactivity, easily distraction and infamously, her exaggerated emotional responses.

Despite advised not to over do it, Nadine when the girl ran out of various of drugs, like heroin or speed, she would turn towards popping multiple tablets of her ADHD medication as an exception of an excuse for a drug induced high.

Eventually, grabbing her backpack, Nadine had left to attend school; something that she had admitted to being awfully early to this particular morning than most of other times. Arriving to Hawkins high school, she was immediately greeted by her closest friends, Steve whom with being the kind friend he is had often walked her to her first period class considering the fact that he wanted to make sure she was alright.

Sitting throughout her first period class, Nadine couldn’t help but feel so overwhelmed with thoughts about Will and the guilt she placed over herself. This is all your fault, if you had stayed home that night, he wouldn’t have gone anywhere. Trying her best to control her mind to think about a different topic, she just couldn’t. The girl couldn’t help the heartbreak within herself as she processed the theories on where she and Jonathan could find, where they could possibly find him.

The ringing of the school bell had echoed throughout her brain had awoken her back to reality. “Nadine, I need to talk to you.” Gulping her breath at Mr. Carter’s words, Nadine slowly walked up to his desk, the girl hoped that it wasn’t anything nerve wracking because she was already going through so much as it was already.

“Nadine, you’re failing my class and I need you to begin to put the effort into your work.”

“I’m sorry Mr. Carter. I’ve just had been going through a lot, with my family and my brother’s disappearance with soccer practice...I-.” Trying to explain her reasoning of failing his class, Nadine was cut off.

“Nadine, now, I understand. Tell you what, I’ll give you an exception but please, catch up. Alright?”

His words had comforted her and she deeply needed this opportunity because she couldn’t let her family down. Her family was already going through so much and she didn’t want to put more stress on them than there already was.

“I have soccer practice after school and then after that, work but I guess, I could tell my coach that I need to take the time to study. I’m sure he’ll understand.” She was indeed correct, Particularly, Nadine’s coach was an understanding man and someone who Nadine had valued as a father figure besides Hopper of course, considering they were more like her father than Loonie ever was.

Attempting to wash her worries away, Nadine had started to play with her fingers as she walked into the school’s hallway. Walking towards her friendship circle but in a slower manner to collect her thoughts, she could overhear Steve mention to Nancy, “My dad has left town on a conference and my mom’s gone with him, ‘cause you know, she doesn’t trust him.”

“Good call.”

“So are you in?” Steve had asked to a confused Nancy, “In for what?”

“No parents? Big house.” Carol informed to Nancy, “A party?” A gullible Nancy questioned which had caused Nadine to want to stop and facepalm right in the middle of the school hallway.

“Ding! ding, ding!” Carol teasingly mocked as Tommy chuckled at the joke.

“It’s Tuesday.”

With Steve trying to convince Nancy to attend his house party despite her unawareness that they don’t care that it’s a weekday to throw a party. “It’s Tuesday! Oh my god.” She could hear Tommy mocking Nancy’s remark.

“Come on. It’ll be low key. It’ll just be us. What do you say? Are you in or are you out?” It was clear that Nancy would need to think about this situation a bit more.

Finding her friends including Nancy and Barb in the hallway, Nadine had quickly been alerted of a house party that Steve would host whenever his parents were out of town which was a lot. “Dean, Steve is throwing a party tonight since his parents aren’t home, you coming?” Carol had mentioned, calling Nadine out by her nickname that her closest loved ones would call her.

“Definitely!” Nadine was known to be quite the socialist, quite opposite to her twin brother who was a very introverted boy. Most people were surprised to find out that they were twins nor even related because their differences overpowered their similarities the two had shared. “But wait. I just realised I can’t!”

“What? Why not?” Both Steve and Carol questioned in unison, “I have ‘work shift’ tonight and I can’t call it off because my family and I really need the money. Even if my boss is a a fucking asshole.” Nadine applying air quotes to the words of the work shift because it wasn’t always a work shift but rather, her own personal hell but she couldn’t pass this up either unfortunately.

“Nadine. Your boss is full of shit, why do that to yourself? I’m sure that it won’t matter if you miss one shift. Besides, your boss is not really giving you a work shift but rather, his only way to take advantage because he likes to take advantage.” Tommy advised, which caused Nadine to roll her eyes. She was no doubt aware of this but she didn’t want to put anymore stress on her family than there already was already.

“Wow! Thanks Tommy, for such comforting words. Besides I know that, if my family finds out though, then I’m so screwed. My family is going through enough as it is.” Nadine’s sarcastic comment failed to give her a grimmer of comfort like it always had this time at least.

“I think I can attend afterwards but can we please talk about something else, please?” With those words, her wish was granted as Carol looked beyond her, “Oh, God. Look.”

A phrase that caused Nadine and her friends to turn around only to see that her friends were now placing all their attention into watching Jonathan as he plastered the “find Will” posters that him and Nadine had spent the previous night creating.

“Oh god. That’s depressing.” Nadine pressed her tongue to her cheek in a fit of anger. Despite her friend’s treatment to Jonathan, Nadine had vowed to never treat her brother in the way her friends do because despite them being at complete odds and regardless, he is still in fact her brother and that’s something that will never change whatsoever.

“Should we say something?” Nancy asks while giving a quick glance at Nadine, “I don’t think he speaks.” Shaking her head at the annoyance, Nadine mentioned to Carol, “Fuck off.”

“How much you want to bet he killed him?” Tommy’s words is what immediately enraged Nadine as she clenched her jaw but tries to remain silent in a calming manner but that does not stop her from speaking in a furious state, “Shut up!” Steve motioned.

“Fuck you Tommy, I will beat the shit out of you if another word comes out of your mouth like that again!” Her words causing Tommy to raise his hands up.

A tensed up and protective Nadine had mentioned, something that her friends may have not gotten an answer to but Nancy was surely aware of that statement considering she was aware of the girl being a Byers child as Tommy raised his hand in a supposed defenceless manner.

Despite her strained relationship with her twin brother, Nadine no doubt still cared deeply for her family and still defended them too particularly Jonathan whom her friends would pick on.

Holding her binders in her arms, Nadine had decided to ditch her friends in order to help her brother in posting find me posters onto every place and every wall they can find only to notice that Nancy was following closely behind her.

Standing close by to Jonathan, she took some posters of Will and assisted him in plastering them as she heard Nancy, “Hey.”

“Oh, hey.”

As Nadine could overhear Nancy trying to make conversation with Jonathan, she couldn’t help but think that despite her dislike of Nancy, this would make Jonathan’s day especially since he’s harbored a crush on her since childhood, “I just…I wanted to say, you know, um…I’m sorry about everything.” As Jonathan and Nancy glanced back at Steve, Carol, Tommy and Barb.

“Everyone’s thinking about you. You too, Nadine.” As much as Nancy tried to make nice with her words, Nadine despised pity and constant sympathy and would rather just ignore it altogether despite people deeming her as heartless and not caring about anyone but herself.

“It sucks.”

“Yeah.” Jonathan sadly said as him and Nancy stared at one another.

“I’m sure he’s fine. He’s a smart kid. She could overhear Nancy reassure Jonathan alongside herself but the conversation between the two was interrupted by the school bell ringing.

“I have to go. Chemistry test.” Nancy had chuckled in explanation.

“Yeah.”

“Good luck.” The girl had hoped for them both.

“Thanks.”

“Hey, Nadine!” Overhearing and recognizing the voice of one of her teammates on the school’s soccer team, Marlee which caused the blonde to turn her head.

“Hey, Marlee! What’s up?” Marlee was a teammate and classmate that Nadine was close with and among the nicest of their team, some were also nice but not as much as Marlee.

“We’re going to meet at the gym, this time at 3:30. Don’t be late because coach Johnson will be scolding.” Her teammate had teased but Nadine had just remembered, “Shit! I can’t! I have something to do today plus work.”

“But, what about our big game? You’re one of our best players and among coaches favorites plus practice means a lot to the team.” Marlee had tried to get Nadine to reconsider to no avail.

“I know, but, what I have to do is more important. I tried to telling him but could you because I couldn’t find him?”

“Yeah, sure.” Marlee nodded as the two shared a hug in reassuring, “Thanks! You’re the best.”

Glancing at Marlee and Nancy walking away, she noticed Steve was waiting for her, “Come on, Nadine!”

“I can’t, I got to go.” She could tell Steve didn’t quite understand what she meant, “Don’t worry. I’ll see you later!”

As she turned back to Jonathan and overhearing over the intercom, “At 8:00 pm. tonight, there will be an assembly on the football field. In support of Will Byers and his family. All are encouraged to attend. Volunteer sign-ups for search parties are still available in the office.”

Hearing that caused Nadine to subtly shake her head, as much as she loved her brother, she hated the once again feeling over people constantly comforting her. Her and Jonathan left the school and went on their way to their estranged father, Lonnie’s household.

Silence within sitting in the car with Jonathan on their destination to Lonnie’s as she fiddled with the radio felt uncomfortable to Nadine, the eldest Byers children didn’t have much in common like they used to nor discussed greatly either, the two were simply on completely different pages and paths now. Despite how badly, Jonathan wanted to deny, he felt Nadine was now, one of those jerks that consisted of Steve and their shared friends.

Looking up and glancing at one another before staring down as the song, “Should I Stay or Should I Go,” began to play on the car’s stereo. The song from The Clash had embarked a shared sweet memory between the two and their little brother. A bittersweet feeling of reminiscing about said memory brought a smile to Nadine’s lips.

She remembered, walking inside her home after a long tiresome shift and on her way to her bedroom, Nadine felt she was over it. Since, her room was after Will’s he noticed her heading towards it but called out as he was listening to a song with Jonathan. “Nadine, over here.”

The lyrics from the song echoing throughout the hallway, “Should I Stay or Should I Go.”

Will had called out as him and Jonathan were listening to “Should I Stay or Should I Go.” And he wanted his sister to join them. “What’s up?”

“Listen to the song with us.” As much as she was exhausted from her shift, she still enjoyed hanging out with her family, especially Will as they were all very close family. In doing this, she joined.

Walking into and sitting in his room, she noticed Will and Jonathan bobbing their heads, a clear sign of them enjoying the song. Jonathan questioned, “You like it?”

“Yeah, it’s cool.” Will had confirmed, “What do you think, Dean?”

“It’s one of my favorites. Definitely.”

Responding back to their brother, “All right, you can keep the mix if you want.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, really. All the best stuff’s on there. Joy Division, Bowie, Television, The Smiths. It’ll totally change your life.”

“Totally.”

Nadine had agreed as she pointed out, “Bowie and Joy Division are the best though. You’ll enjoy them in particular among the others too.”

In an uncomfortable position, they could overhear their mother faintly, “Where the hell are you, Lonnie?”

Joyce muttered indistinctly, “I don’t want to hear it. I don’t want to hear it.”

Noticing her brother’s sad expression, she sat on his bed and attempted to comfort him, “Don’t be sad.” She had motioned for Jonathan to shut the door, “This is ridiculous! I’m so sick of your excuses.”

The music continued to play but as they stayed inside, Jonathan lowered the volume. “He’s not coming, is he?” Will’s questioning of them both caused Nadine and Jonathan to share a glance, “Um, let’s not talk about that.”

“Do you even like baseball?”

Will had denied, “No, but… I don’t know. It’s fun to go with him sometimes.”

Nadine had asked, “Come on. Has he ever done anything with you that you actually like?” Jonathan had added on, “Yeah, you know, like the arcade or something?”

Will tried to recall, “I don’t know.”

Nadine had insisted, “No, all right? He hasn’t. He’s trying to force you to like normal things.” In stating this, Jonathan had added on advising, “And you shouldn’t like things because people tell you you’re supposed to. Okay?” A nod in agreement had pointed towards Nadine’s similar thought, “Especially not him.”

“And Will, there’s nothing wrong with liking the games at the arcade or playing Dungeons and Dragons.” Nadine had encouraged, “And hey. I’ll play it with you once I get home. I may not be as good as you or Mike, Lucas and Dustin though.” She could tell Will had appreciated her offer and could see him taking up the possible offer at some point.

Turning the conversation, Nadine had asked, “But you like The Clash? For real.”

“For real. Definitely.” Will’s confirmation had made Nadine smile, another thing that they’d all enjoy together as siblings. Raising the volume of the stereo, they all started listening and enjoying the music once again.

Removing themselves from the memory was the time, they finally arrived at Lonnie’s neighborhood. “You see his house anywhere?” Breaking the silence, Jonathan had asked as they glanced out of the car window in search of his home, “Not yet.”

Stopping on the side of the road, they made it to their father’s home. Nadine couldn’t help but feel a tad overwhelmed, she no longer had a somewhat good relationship with Lonnie anymore and was a bit nervous to see him, This is it. She had thought. With the two walking up to his front door, Jonathan had peeked into the front room as they could overhear music playing, echoing through the house. Sharing a gaze, Nadine had knocked.

They could hear footsteps walking towards them and a voice, “Yeah?” Opening the front door, the woman noticed the two, “Can I help you?”

“Uh, yeah. Is Lonnie around?” Nadine replied first, “Yeah, he’s out back. What do you guys want?”

“To look around.” Not caring about approval and just wanting to look for their little brother, the two stormed inside, “Hey, what do you guys think you’re doing? Hey!”

“We’ll be fast.”

“You take this side, I’ll take this one.” Nadine told Jonathan as they searched calling out, “Hey, Will? Will!”

“Will, you here? Will!” Banging on the door and searching every room in the hallway, Nadine was surprised when hearing a grunt. Jonathan was held against the wall with Lonnie near by. “Get off!”

“Damn, you’ve gotten stronger.” In a realization, Lonnie had observed not only that Jonathan wasn’t as easy to push around but also, that his little girl, Nadine was there. With perceiving him coming towards her, Nadine denied, “Don’t touch me.”

Wanting answers between all three, the woman asked, “Will someone please explain what the hell is going on?”

Lonnie had announced in introducing, “Jonathan, Nadine, Cynthia. Cynthia, this is Jonathan and Nadine. My two oldest.”

“Come here.” Her father tried in an attempt with a hug but she nor Jonathan were having it, “Get off us, man.”

Wondering around Lonnie’s new home, she took a look at all these he had in the living, the stereo, the photographs and the alcohol. Besides a huge amount of usuals within drugs, there were many times that Nadine also had drank alcohol especially with her friends, seeing most times as an alternative substitute when she ran out of drugs.

“Jonathan, Nadine, let me show you something.” Lonnie called out, the two were both a bit unsure with following him but did so, nonetheless. He showed them his new car, “Take a look at this beaut. Should’ve seen it when I got it. Took me a year, but it’s almost done.”

Once Lonnie caught a glimpse at Jonathan opening his trunk, he asked, “Really? Want to look up my ass, too?” Rolling her eyes, Nadine understood Jonathan’s reasoning to do so, “There’s no harm in looking, is there?”

“I told you both, the same thing as I told those cops, he’s not here and he never has been.”

“Then why didn’t you call Mom back?”

“I don’t know, I just… I assumed she just forgot where he was. You know, he was lost or something.” Scoffing as his excuse, “Bullshit! Mom would never forget where any of us where.”

Ignoring his daughter’s response, Lonnie told, “That boy never was very good at taking care of himself.”

“This isn’t some joke, alright?” Jonathan pointed out, “Yeah, I mean, there are search parties, reporters.”

“Hopper’s not still chief, is he?”

“Tell your mother, she’s gotta get you both out of that hellhole. Come out here to the city. People are more real here, you know? And then, I could see you both more.”

Neither of them believed any of Lonnie’s words, he didn’t give two shits about either, “What, you think I don’t want to see either of you?”

“We know you don’t.”

“See, that’s your mother talking right there. Does she even know both of you are here?” Their silence confirmed his suspicions, “Oh great. So one kid goes missing, the other two run wild? I believe that about Nadine, but not you, Jonathan. But that’s some real fine parenting right there.”

“You know what, fuck you! Since when do you suddenly care about us and about being a fine parent, anyway?” Nadine suggested as she mockingly chuckled to which Lonnie heard, “Look, all, I’m saying is, maybe I’m not the asshole, all right?”

“Here! In case you forgot what he looks like.” Nadine shoved a have you seen me poster of Will to Lonnie’s chest, “Let’s go, Dean.”

On the car ride back to Hawkins, Nadine numerous thoughts throughout it all. The blonde haired with hazel eyes girl had felt like her past and mistakes overall were coming back to haunt her. She hadn’t mentioned this to anyone but the past few days that Will had been missing, she had been dreaming of him.

“Nadine, Nadine!” The Byers girl felt a shake which snapped her out of her head’s mind. A confused glance on her face proved to Jonathan how engrossed she was in her thoughts, her own little world, “Huh?”

“We’re here.” She fluttered her eyes while raising her head as Jonathan pointed to the building of her workplace. Letting out a groan, remembering that her shift starts in just minutes from now.

Huffing in annoyance when the thought of her boss came up as she stared at the sign that read, Bradley’s Big Buy which was a supermarket in the small town of Hawkins. As much as she appreciated the money that she received from this particular job since it not only would help her mother and the rest of her family but support her addiction and supply her with drugs. However, she hated her coworkers, specifically the male ones since they were so grossly disgusting.

“Let me know if you need a ride home.”

Nodding at Jonathan’s words, she took her bag, turned around and walked inside as Jonathan drove off. The coworkers had acknowledged her presence, “Hey Nadine.” But the girl paid no mind as she wanted to finish her work shift and make it to Steve’s party in time. After working for an hour with stocking items, a coworker to which Nadine remembered his name was Thomas was standing in front of her holding a broom.

“Here.” Handing her the broom as she stopped, “You sweep the floor. This is a women’s job, anyway.” The tone in his voice let alone his sexist words left such a sour taste in Nadine’s mouth that resulted in a clear disgusted reaction, “You can do something else to clear your time. With me, doll.”

“I’ll pass.” Feeling defeated, Nadine accepted her fate. She didn’t even want to work today but she knew it was the best thing, her family needed the money let alone the fact that they were going through such a devastating time and it distracted her from the disappearance of Will.

Eventually with noticing the clock ticking and getting closer to the time of Steve’s party as well as the sun going down, she realized that her shift was coming to a close. Nadine headed to the back room as she prepared to grab her things before realizing that Thomas’s backpack was open as well as the fact that his wallet was there in an open area for anyone to take.

Well, just do it! Payback for what he did.

In his wallet was a two hundred dollars, she knew that it would help get her another supply of drugs. In no more hesitation, Nadine took the money and put it immediately in her bag as she turned around, said her goodbyes for the day and walked outside.

Outside was a pay phone near by to the store and with remembering Jonathan’s words, she called to no unfortunate avail with a huff, Nadine thought of another person to call. Steve.

Dialling the numbers and tapping her foot on the concrete, she hoped that he would answer and after a few rings, he did. Thank god.

“Hello?” An uncertain tone in his voice as he was unsure who was calling, “Hey, Steve.”

“Oh hey, Dean. What’s up?” Steve felt more comfortable in his response considering he knew who he was exactly talking to now. “Nothing much. Um, I was wondering, could you give me a ride?”

“Yeah, sure. Where are you?” The boy agreed with no second thought.

“I’m outside of Bradley’s Big Buy.”

“Alright, I’ll be there in a few minutes.” He assured, “Sorry, my brother and I carpooled today and he has the car.” Nadine began, “He’s not answering and I don’t know where he is.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Steve was a very understanding and sweet friend when it came to Nadine as he would help her with whichever problem she had and would consistently come to her defense, everyone would typically tease him with nicknaming her as her knight in shining armour.

The two were always believed to be more than what they actually were and for the first time that year, the people might’ve actually been correct as Steve and Nadine had shared a kiss which ultimately led to questions, assumptions and eventually denial.

In realizing that their accidental romantic interaction was a pure mistake, Nadine had decided to ignore it and pretend it never happened which perhaps hurt Steve more than he led on considering their unexplained feelings for each other. He had chose that the best choice for himself was to move on which he had by engaging in a relationship with goody two shoes, Nancy Wheeler.

To say that Nadine wasn’t as equally disappointed with Steve’s decision would be a lie but the girl was able to hide her feelings more easily and in pretending that she wasn’t badly affected by his choice. She was hesitant of Nancy but still remained a supportive friend.

Nadine decided to make a quick stop to the local store nearby in order to distract herself as she waited for Steve. Strolling along through the lonely aisles, she grabbed herself a pack of cigarettes and a beer while also making a short conversation. Because, she was known to be a frequent customer and the guy who owned the store liked her, he had no issues with her purchasing substances despite the high chance risk it could cause.

By the time that she was done, Nadine had noticed Steve’s car in the street. Immediately thanking him for giving her a ride as they headed towards his to hangout along with their mutual friends, “Thanks, Steve. I owe you. I just.”

Nadine had tried to explain her train of thoughts but it felt too hard to explain, “My brother said he’d give me a ride once I called but nobody’s answering back home.”

“Don’t worry about it. Hey, how come I’ve never met your brother before?”

Trust me, Steve. You’ve met him, alright!

Her eyes had widen, the girl felt so trapped. What was she going to say? Yeah, it’s Jonathan, the guy you and Tommy constantly tease.

“Oh, um.” Nadine hoped that she could find a way out of this conversation and to come up with an excuse but eventually deciding upon a half truth. “We’re not that very close.” To be fair, it wasn’t a lie considering her and Jonathan were no longer that close like everyone refuses to accept especially their mother.

Before Steve could answer any more questions, Nadine was thankful to point out that they finally arrived at Steve’s home in which Nadine ran outside to greet her other friends. In the backyard, she could overhear rock music playing.

Grabbing a beer, she headed outside to Steve’s backyard to catch up with her friends despite it only being a few hours since school, “Hey, Nadine!”

In trying to rid herself of the guilt and shame that she felt towards herself because Nadine couldn’t help in blaming Will’s disappearance upon herself. She truly felt like if she had been there that night, nothing would have happened.

The sound of Carol shrieking as Tommy carried her above the pool, teasing her as if he was going to drop her in while he counted, “One! Two!” Had removed her from her thoughts, “Dean! I need some help here! Should I drop her in?”

Tommy had asked Nadine before he continued on to which she playfully smirked, jokingly saying, “Why not?”

“Nadine!”

“Three!” With a chuckle, Tommy carried on as Carol warned, “Stop it, Tommy, no! Don’t!”

Tommy laughed, “You’re such an asshole, Tommy.” Carol had mentioned as she pushed him. “And you.” Carol pointed towards Nadine, “You shouldn’t have told him!”

Nadine had raised her hands in an apologetic manner despite her and Tommy sharing a laugh in unison over the manner.

Seeing Steve opening a can of beer, she alluded to him, “I’m going to need more than one, Steve. I had the worst shift.”

“Yeah, coming up.” Steve went back inside, bringing more cans of beer out.

“Your boss giving you problems?” Carol had asked, initiating an all too familiar topic, “When is he not?”

“Why don’t you just quit?”

“I can’t.” Nadine struggled to find the words, “Even if I wanted to, it’s just not a good time. My family is going through a lot right now.” A statement to which only Nancy was well aware in what she meant.

Thankfully, Steve had brought Nadine her beer by this point. She watched him as he quickly drank his beer to the neck in which she noticed seemed to make Barb uncomfortable. Nancy, however was impressed.

“Harrington, let’s make a challenge.” Something that surely got Carol and Tommy all riled up, “Uh, I don’t know.”

Steve was uncertain, Nadine teased him, “Why? Pussy?” The girl’s words an attempt to get him interested as Steve shrugged, not caring about her words. Nadine was someone who could at times be very competitive when she wanted to be and this was her moment.

Nancy nor Barb didn’t notice the flirtatious behavior between the two but Tommy and Carol, whom were both good friends with the pair definitely did.

“Fine.” Guilted into the peer pressure of his friends, Tommy and Carol tracked them once the two each got a can of beer. “And I win!”

Steve exhaled as he came into second place, Nadine laughed as she sat down on the chair next to Steve’s, “Is that supposed to impress me?” Nancy had asked Steve as he sat down with his cigarette in his lips, “You’re not?”

“You are a cliché, you do realize that?” Nancy had remarked in a response. “You are a cliché.” Noting as Steve continued while lighting his cigarette, “What with your grades, and your band practice.”

With a laugh, “I’m so not in band.”

“Okay, party girl. Why don’t you just, uh, show us how it’s done, then?” Once Steve placed his lighter down, Nadine grabbed it to light her own cigarette as she mumbled, this is exactly what I needed to herself.

Steve handed the knife to Nancy as she agreed to prove upon him, “Okay.” Standing up, he had preceded to give her directions, “You gotta make a little hole right in.” Not giving him a chance to finish his sentence, Nancy cut him off, “I got it.”

“Yeah, she’s smart, you douche!” Tommy, who was cuddling Carol had said in defending Nancy as she cut a hole, Nadine was surprised that Nancy was at this party, let alone chugging a beer despite her relationship with Steve as she was always someone who was a “good girl.”

“Chug, chug, chug.” They all chanted, the friends all laughing and whooping in unison as Nancy threw the beer she just finished. Nancy just barely noticing her deserted friend had asked her, “Barb, you wanna try?”

“What? No.” The wary redhead denied, instantly. Nadine understood since she always saw Barb as very introverted, “No, I don’t want to. Thanks.”

“Come on.” Trying her best to convince her friend, Steve joined in, “Yeah. Come on. Yeah.”

“Nance, I don’t want to.”

“It’s fun! Just give it a.” Barbara cut her off, “Nance.” But despite how many times she’d deny, Nancy still tried, “Just… Just give it a shot.” Giving her a beer can, “Okay.”

Barb stood up, holding the knife and preparing to cut a hole, “So, you just…” Tommy had chuckled, “Gnarly.” In which Nadine mumbled, “Shut up.”

“Are you okay?” Nancy questioned as Barb had accidentally cut herself with the knife, “Do you need us to bandage that up?”

“Yeah.” Barb excused the cut, in what Nadine believed was a way to make it seem as not bad of an issue, “Barb, you’re bleeding.”

“I’m fine. Where’s your bathroom?”

“Oh, it’s… it’s uh, down past the kitchen, to the left.”

Steve showing Barbara inside on where to go, “Okay, thanks.”

Nadine brought her cigarette to her lips as her friends chuckled, as if this wasn’t a big deal, “Oh.”

The smoke from her cigarette exhaling throughout her mouth, she recalled, “This is the good life.” The girl was at a high chance of being intoxicated but she didn’t want anyone knowing that.

Carol and Tommy chuckled at her words before Tommy randomly pushed Carol who was standing by the pool nearby in as she screamed.

“Oh my god! What the hell, Tommy?”

Nancy and Nadine both couldn’t help themselves in laughing as Carol continued to yell, “No!” Once Tommy jumped in.

Nancy shrieked as Steve pushed her in, “Whoo!”

“Dean, you’re next!” Nadine pleaded with Steve as she tried to convince him otherwise as he tried to trick her into thinking he wouldn’t but yet he did push her in, “Steve!”

Jumping in himself, Tommy laughed. Nadine laughed as Steve came near, pretending to give him a piggyback ride while in the pool.

Eventually, after some time in the pool, they all decided to leave the pool and head inside as Steve handed Nadine a towel as she shudders, “I’m freezing.” Carol noted, “Me too.”

“Hmm… well, I hear his mom’s room has a fireplace.” Tommy remembered as he walked upstairs, “Are you kidding?”

“Oh yeah.”

“Okay, well, you know, you are cleaning the sheets.” Steve had advised the two. “You both all right?”

“Yeah.” Her and Nancy said in unison. “Steve, you mind if I take a shower?”

Steve shook his head no to inform Nadine that he had no issues, “Come on, let’s get you some dry clothes. You can borrow some too, Dean.”

Mumbling a thanks, Nadine headed upstairs but despite no longer being around them, she could still overhear the conversation between Nancy and Barb. “Nance.”

“Barb. I’m fine.”

The words that struck her is when Barb told Nancy, “This isn’t you.” Those words were burned into her mind, she could remember the time when Jonathan said those words to her. He always believed that Steve was the time she became someone new, someone he didn’t recognize especially considering they were so close as children.

She let the water run over herself, Nadine had various things running through her mind, Will being the main one. The girl hoped this party would distract her from her troubles but she isn’t so sure and as of now as she stares in the mirror, she’s unsure if she recognizes the person that she is.

Changing into Steve’s hoodie and sweatpants, Nadine decides to leave earlier than usually. Not wanting to cause a scene or interrupt, Nadine heads out back to which she comes across Barb. A mysterious noise that sounded like the mixture of a growl and shriek echoes throughout the backyard to which Nadine wonders, “Where’s Barb?”

Maybe, she just went home.

[bigjaws]

so my bf’s mom is like romantically/emotionally stunted and she’s “engaged” to a married man with three kids whose wife doesn’t know.

he was deported to his country and doesn’t have permission to come to the usa which is actually good because he’s a literal evil person, a liar, cheater and scammer schemer extraordinaire. he is also an abuser and has evil beliefs and the power to commit violence upon others in his country (he’s a policeman and has told us horrible things with glee) even tho he obviously doesn’t have any interest in her and only wants her to open up credit cards and suck money and gifts out of her she swallows his obvious lies.

she is in love because in her own words, she hasn’t had sex in many years and has natural needs. she is also has fantastical and unrealistic ideas about love, relationships and marriage that led her to accept a proposal and plastic ring three days after meeting him.

literally everyone in her life has told her this is a bad idea and not even the actual factual truth of him literally being legally married and living and fucking his poor wife won’t stop her from meeting him in other countries, decorating her home according to his style, and paying for his expenses or even marrying him which is crazy because bigamy is illegal but i guess all common sense gets thrown out the window.

the fact that she is still in this “relationship” is damaging my own relationship with her and literally makes me angry to the point of wanting to throw myself in a river.

i cannot handle the fact this woman who i have to share an important person with, who i have to make plans with and have conversations and welcome into my home is knowingly planning a life together with a married man who, by her own admission, is still romantically and sexually involved with his wife who knows no better in an extremely patriarchal society where she has all to lose, and i still have to respect her!

her own son, my boyfriend of six years, is suffering this to the point where after their names are mentioned he checks out of conversations. its very hard for me to act respectful and manage myself nicely around her nasty plans with him, and to keep quiet or act like nothing is wrong when i truly feel nauseous!

at the beginning of this i tried to see her as a victim of this man, but then i realized that she has all the information and conscience to make the correct decision, including the advice of friends and family who have pleaded with her to leave him, but doesn’t based on putting her own “happiness” (if happiness is having a long distance boyfriend who only calls you when his wife is not around to ask for money) over everyone else’s!

and then i am slapped in the face with comments about the fact she is a christian and morally correct person and i am not because i don’t attend church or that i don’t have as much value based on the money i make or how much i help compared to her! but no, i have to be greatly grateful to her because she helps my household with some grocery items (in which her son lives and does not pay rent) or random knickknacks she brings unannounced and it makes me so angry all over again to the point i want to tell her:

lady (if you can even be called that) you are breaking up a marriage and a family knowingly in exchange of pleasure, you have no heart nor brains and you have no space to judge my morality or weight my importance in any context in this universe, i hope you feel as ostracized by your family and society as you will be in the hell your holy book says you will for your nauseating actions!

[kirby-the-gorb]

reply roundup!

we’re gonna try a new less structured/more casual format. (and then immediately forget about it for a month cuz a hundred other things needed my extremely limited energy...........)

I did read a lot of the tags and stuff and I still love getting to see them all! but I can only write and format so much these days :’(

on [the last roundup] @northeasternwind said: SJHDFKSDHFKJSDH THERE IT IS!!! YOU DID IT!!! YOU'RE FIVE STEPS AHEAD

lol I gotchu

on [wallpaper] @ceylonsilvergirl said: this is how I need to be living my life instead of whatever insanity is happening in reality. can things just be chill for 30 seconds!? I’m tryna sit down on this beanbag chair!!

right??? honestly it’s been A Fuckin Year dude, at least we can commiserate together lol

@softnoobgirl asked: April is atusim awareness/acceptance month and it can be really hard for atustic people because of all the atusim speaks and light it up blue stuff that basically tells us "ya we want you dead." As an atustic kirby fan it would make me super happy if you would draw kirby holding up a sigh with a blue puzzle peice crossed out and text that says "don't light it up blue,  go red instead.

The world blue being in blue and the world red being in red. It would mean the world to me to see you support atustic people and not the organizations against us.

I think that would be a neat idea! (I’m actually autistic myself as well, so I’m like. totally with you on this. that does not guarantee I will remember come april, but I can at least tell you with confidence that it’s a good idea! it is totally okay to remind me of your idea with another ask in late march or april if you would like to.)

@autistic-sack-of-friends asked: the Kirby. it's gorby :> good job on the gorb!!!

thank you!!

@a-pansexual-she-them asked: Eats your art/pos

:0 omg thanks!

on [surprise nap] @ceylonsilvergirl said: If your body made you nap that means you needed a nap. Sorry to hear about the wonky sleep schedule tonight tho

lol I promise you falling asleep for an hour does not at all affect how likely I am to fall asleep again later. unfortunately.

@pourpresky asked: i’ve told you this before but i don’t know if you got my previous asks. i love this acc so much i love your drawings a lot. it brings me happiness it gives me serotonin i hope that you’re doing well everyday

aww thank you! I do remember you sending me a nice ask like this at least once before, although maybe my reply got lost in the clutter of the roundups >n< (not that this is any less cluttered...)

on [lights] @ceylonsilvergirl said: this is Christmas, but it’s also disco. and Kirby realizing he entered a skating rink. or a karaoke bar. yesterday someone asked me if Kirby was a girl or a boy, and I just had to be like “does it matter? will it change anything?’’ asker was a teenage boy so I don’t think he quite got it, but hopefully he’ll think about it

sometimes the most significant thing we can do is just plant an idea and give it time to grow. and kirby would be delighted to go to a rollerskating rink. do you think he’s really graceful or taking full advantage of his squishy marshmallow frame to pad his falls lol (also re: [wrapping paper opinions], I don’t really do a lot of birthday gifts or anything anyway but someday when we have space I want a few different rolls of solid color kraft paper so I can hand-design new paper every year because I am Craft Feral)

on [wrists] @northeasternwind said: I feel like you don't need this advice but please do the stretchies. be like Kirby's very stretchy body

my connective tissue is all fucked so my joints don’t really work the way they’re supposed to lol but as soon as I stopped working every waking hour my wrist stopped hurting overnight like, instantly, so *thumbs up* (thank you for your concern tho <3 )

on [struggle] @macro-microcosm said: good job making it through the year! happy you're still here. I hope things get better.

I was like, kinda surprised by how touched I was when I first saw this one. thanks for that.

I also think it’s so cute how every time I post a sleeping kirby so many people reblog it with some variation of either “me” or “god I wish that was me”

on [triumph] @chaosinanutshell said: YA KIRBO!!! Im almost done with all my assessments this week. then this thursday Im finally gonna have a break. IM ALMOST THERE!! Good job with all u did :DD

I took so long to write this that you already made it by now! I hope you get to do so many fun restorative things with your break! (I am reading lots of manga, which is restorative for me -u- )

on [love] @ceylonsilvergirl said: there are those times when you feel love so profoundly that it completely knocks you over. it’s really what’s keeping me going lately. I’m not getting paid, I’m working my ass off, but then someone says “I see you. I appreciate you. you’re doing a good job’’

honestly support is in all the little things. big gestures are great and all but they aren’t what keeps things going, it’s stuff like acknowledging the hard work you’ve done or making sure the hand soap is always full. Love Is Stored In The Small Everyday Kindness.

[deke-rivers-1957]

The Greatest Hero In The Empire Part 25

I awake from my unconsciousness, my body wracked with bruises and wounds. As my vision comes into focus I become extremely confused. I quickly look down at my neck, at the exact spot that the Empress's necklace used to rest. There's nothing but a dirty wound in its place. My heart suddenly drops to my stomach as realization sinks in. The Empress's necklace is gone.

"How did-"

I look over at Captain Nero, my eyes filled with confusion.

"Sir? What-"

I attempt to sit up.

"What happened to the Empress's pendant?"

How could I have lost something that valuable? She trusted me... it's gone... what have I done? My mind fills with panic as I continue to look around. Where could it be?

"How... how could I... no... I'm-"

Tears begin to well up in my eyes, an outward sign of the immense guilt and grief that I feel inwardly.

"How could this have happened?"

I lower my head to hide my tears, the panic and confusion becoming overwhelming.

"It- IT'S GONE!"

"Go out there and find his pendant."

My panic turns to despair as the Captain's men head out in search of the lost pendant. I lower my head and lay there in grief. The pendant, the only remnant I have left of the Empress is gone. How could I have been so careless?

My voice rises as the rage builds inside me.

"THERE IS NO FORGIVENESS FOR A SLAVE LIKE ME!"

My words turn to screams as the rage engulfs me. I don't even care that the Captain's getting scared of me. I just want my pendant back!

"Please. Tell me what you want?"

"WHAT I WANT?! WHAT I WANT?!"

I can feel my fists clench and the rage build inside me one more.

"I WANT THE PENDANT!"

I roar as tears stream down my face. The rage and despair has reached a boiling point of emotion. I don't know what to do. I have failed the Empress. I am nothing but a traitor and a disgrace. I'm scum. I'm worthless.

"I don't deserve anything!"

My rage builds once more.

"WHERE IS THE PENDANT!"

Captain Nero runs after his men and doesn't stop searching until he comes running back.

"Here, Toby. Here's your pendant. Just please don't kill us."

I look down at the pendant that Captain Nero is holding. I'm stunned as I can't believe what's happened. I put the pendant back on me.

"I-"

My eyes go wide with realization as I suddenly feel like my old self again. That horrible feeling of guilt and shame that was weighing me down was gone. It all melted away as soon as I put the Empress's pendant back on. I turn to Captain Nero with tears streaming down my face. I drop to my knees in front of him.

"Captain Nero, I don't know how to thank you."

I let out a sob as I hug the Captain and the other legionnaires. The enormity of the situation is still too much for me to process and I am filled with so many emotions that I'm not even sure how to express it, or how to properly thank all of the kind people that have helped me.

"Thank you... Thank you so much..."

Tears still stream down my face as I look at the Empress's pendant that the Legionaries had found. I know now that I'll forever be in their debt, but my guilt and shame is starting to fade.

"Toby why don’t you go back to the medical tent and rest."

I feel exhausted and weak and realize that rest is exactly what I need right now. This whole experience has drained me of my stamina.

"I will, Captain."

I head back to the medical tent and just pass out on my cot. I feel so much better now that I have my pendant back. I dream of a beautiful field filled with sunlight, the grass as green as emerald and the sky as clear as crystal. I see the Empress standing in the center of the field, holding a child.

"Our child is a boy. Just as I thought."

"My boy..."

I tear up once again and reach out to take him from her. My eyes are filled with so much joy that it overshadows my pain.

"What a wonderful gift... I didn't... Thank you..."

I say with true sincerity as I accept the child from her. I am filled with so much happiness in this dream that my whole body feels like it's overflowing with joy. It's the most complete happiness that I think I have ever felt in my whole life.

Tagging: @arrolyn1114, @jaqueline19997, @vintagepresley, @ashtag6887, @presley72elvis,

@jakeywake, @xanatenshi, @thetaoofzoe, @hooked-on-elvis, and @tupelomiss.