#I grew up hearing u brown so much

[hibiscusfl]

Rub a dubbbbb

[mmmmuffins]

‘wheatish’ ‘dusky’ STOP just say brown it won’t hurt u. it won’t i promise

[natewriteslol]

Hiii! I read your works alot because it's one of the active twst writers I see (I'm a dead writer myself LMAO)

Savanaclaw, riddle and Azul with a reader who's cheery and often bouncing with optimism that always has the mind boggling stories to tell. What do you mean that they literally man handed a lion because it won't stop messing around? What do you mean they were in a pit full of scorpions because they accidentally rolled down a hill? What do you mean they literally escaped a real decapitation (hinting towards Riddle LMAO) because he put one spoon full of herbs instead of a teaspoon? Like— they could go on forever! And the thing is, they have evidence of it.

Thank youuu 🫶🫶🫶🫶

A/N: Thank u so much I've been trying to stay on top of writing but it can get so hard!! But I really do try to keep this fandom alive w some goodies, anyways I'll stop yapping heres

Savanaclaw, Azul, and Riddle with a cheery, adventurous Reader!

Leona:

He didn't exactly always question your storytelling before he got to get to know you as he would rather spend time sleeping. But it seemed like literally everyone was captivated by your latest entertaining experience.

As you guys' relationship grew, it got to the point where he couldn't ignore you dropping an insane piece of lore about yourself.

"Yeah, I was accidentally poisoned before-"

"What did you just say-"

"It's okay though, the gnome did apologize and I got my stomach pumped but everything is all good!"

He makes sure to keep an eye out on you, and honestly your stories are the main thing that keep him awake during the day especially because they're real. And although it may seem he's nonchalant when you message him about where you're at, Leona always makes sure to respond as he does care.

Jack:

As your first friend at NRC and protector kinda, he would get paranoid when you would sometimes disappear. However at first Jack believed you were an independent person, and wasn't up to any nefarious activity.

Until you came back with a gorgon head in a brown sack where he was studying in the autobiography section in the library talking about that you accidentally defeated it.

He screamed in terror upon seeing the thing, causing for him to be shushed completely by offended students. But he could not care less due to the sliced head within the sack, however he quickly took you both outside and you being you didn't exactly see the problem in this situation.

Once you where in an open area near NRC's well he began to question you.

"Why-? A-And how? Why are you like this, do you know how much danger you were in?!"

"To answer all your questions in order, 1. I got lost and she had a huge problem with me, 2. I got scared and ran with my eyes closed with the sword and BOOM, just clean off, and yes I know I was in a lot of danger and I'm very sorry for not responding to your calls."

He was way too scared for both you and himself to respond and learned his lesson to keep an eye on you more.

Ruggie:

Ruggie always told you that he was a "see it to believe it" type person and he was never really believing your wild tales you would tell even if you came back with a little souvenir. He always just assumed you were pulling his leg for a bit.

Until he texted you one day over Magicam, since it was a slow day at the Savannaclaw dorm. Only for you to reply with a video, making him click on it not knowing what he should expect.

Queue you to being in an extremely angry dragon's mouth,

"Hey Ruuggieee! I'll get back to you later since I'm in a pickle right now, but I promise I'll call you when I'm done!"

He nearly passed out upon the sight because what in all of the sevens' names doing inside of that deadly beast. The beast man ended up walking to Ignihyde to possibly get Idia to track your location based on your I.P address, only for his phone to ring just as he was about to blab about what happened.

It was you!

He quickly picked up his phone to hear your excited voice blaring on the phone, "I told you I would call you back! Anyways, come over to my house I have something to show you."

You ended up bringing home a dragon's tooth and treasure and while Ruggie was overjoyed, he reprimanded you for being irresponsible.

But he wouldn't mind it too much if you brought back goodies like this just make sure to let him know so he could tag along.

Azul:

You were running late to a meeting about mending a contract between students he scammed. Since you know him quite well and is a good friend of his, the students thought your kind hearted nature could persuade him out of binding them to the Monstro Lounge for an entire semester.

He written in a small font on the contract that if you were over 15 minutes late, you would be unable to host this meeting and the deal would be off completely. The white haired boy glanced at the clock as the time ticked and he would have his own free work force.

Until you had to come 30 seconds from it being called off completely out of breath.

"Sorry Azul! But I got you a little present from the desert," you said dropping down in your seat and digging through this brown sack.

The ancient golden scarab of the Hot Sands.

"Is that-"

"The golden scarab included with the jewel eyes? Yup and I did it all by myself!" You said, extremely proud of yourself.

"Do you understand the value of what you have in your hand? And what were you doing all the way out there by yourself I just talked to you a day ago and that is damn near a 5 day journey?"

"I did this since I did the calculations and about an 1/4 of the wages that the students owe you is in the value of this jewel bug here. So if I split the riches with you, will you let them go?"

You did all of this for some measly students you knew in passing? How could you jeopardize yourself like that?

But he at the same time, respected you greatly and for your trouble and kind heart.

However, he told you to not go anywhere without telling him.

And no of course it's not because he cares about you and was scared once you told him where you went...of course not...

Riddle:

Is the first person who noticed you were gone because he likes to keep tabs on his friends. He didn't know what to expect but the red head just believed you were busy.

So, Riddle decided to shoot you a text as everyone was hanging out in the Heartslabyul dorm and he really wanted to see you.

'Good afternoon, Y/N please feel free to stop by the Heartslabyul dorm. Your company is very appreciated :)'

You quickly texted back, 'Hey Riddle! I'm gonna swing by with a surprise ;D'

He smiled at his phone, unknowing as to what you were going to bring by. Thinking you might bring by muffins or a sweet treat as such.

Not the sword of Excalibur.

You opened the door, bursting in loudly with the enormous sword slung on your back as Grim carried two sacks of gold. Everyone was completely flabbergasted, as the sword had been known to be a mythological thing not yet proven like the fountain of youth.

But there it was on your back as you grinned.

Turned out you picked up your first job at an exploration company and they sent you on a death wish mission to get this damn sword. And in contrary to what everyone believed would be the outcome, you succeeded and retrieved the artifact.

Unfortunately for you, you ended up being scolded for about two hours straight for being completely irresponsible by Riddle with some chime ins from your friends.

He admired your intense tenacity and bravery, but Riddle was super worried about you whenever you take on a quest. He forced you to have a partner whenever you go on missions and call him every time you reached an important point to make sure you were alive and safe.

"So... you really do care about me-"

"By the great seven- YES ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU COULD'VE GOTTEN KILLED IN THAT DAMN ENCHANTED FOREST-"

[championofmyheart]

Hii!! So it's very close to christmas and i saw in your profile that you are a swiftie, so why not do a Jack Champion 'tis the damn season inspired fanfic (idk if it's called like this) and you can do it pure angst, but that ends in fluff (or no, that's on u) anyways have a great day and i think ur profile is gorgeous!

'Tis the damn season

Pairing: Jack Champion x Fem!Reader.

Summary: Jack goes back to his hometown for the holidays and reconnects with an old flame. (angst ++ slight fluff but not really...)

Wc: 1.5k

Author's note: Thank you so much for the request🫶🫶 I love this song so much, seeing this in my inbox made jump in glee. I was a bit confuzzled by how to start this in the beginning but I ended up working it out anyway. I hope it meets your expectations!!! ++ THANK YOU! I worked very hard on it hehe.

Remember to reblog in order to support small creators !!

The flickering light of the fireplace dances while casting shadows on the walls of your living room. Its soothing warmth snuck in through the cracks of the window you were sitting by and was a welcome contrast to the crisp air of winter's night. 

It served as a reminder of what was coming–or who was coming. The Christmas season meant two things for you, one less expected than the other: It meant exchanging gifts with family and enjoying their presence and it was also marked as the time Jack Champion would return. As if you weren't dreading this day enough, the doorbell rang. You didn't have to check if it was him. You knew how this went. 

Growing up, your family and his own spent every holiday together, starting from when you were both little. There was a feeling that came into flower as you grew up, one that pulled your gaze towards him, a warmth spread across your cheeks whenever you spoke to him. It wasn’t something he could ignore either and so, after one fateful dinner a realisation struck both of you. 

There wasn’t any way you could forget that night. He was curled up in your arms, his back facing you. You played with the curls of his hair, attempting to get rid of the tremble of your hands. It felt right, this felt right. 

The silence in the air hung heavy as the two of you processed the moment of tender surrender you had just shared. You broke the stillness with your words, “What does this mean for us…?” Jack turns to you his features are soft under the red glow of the Christmas lights peeking through the window of the room. Your breath catches in your throat–scared to hear his response, scared that he can hear your beating heart that chased after his own. 

“I don’t know” His voice is quiet, a murmur you can barely hear. 

He felt the way your body moved away from his own and missed its’ warmth, “You don’t know? What do you mean you don’t know?” You furrowed your brows in disbelief at his words. Jack calls out your name gently, his hand reaching out. 

A scoff left your lips as you sat upright, “You can’t not know, are you serious?” He followed in suite. “It’s complicated–” 

“It really isn’t” A deep sigh left his lips as you interrupted him, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Do you like me?” You ask, your voice coming out as a desperate plea instead of a question. 

Jack stays quiet, the words are lodged in his throat. He couldn’t say anything. As he responded with nothing but silence, you buried your face in your hands. “You can’t do this to me” you breathe out, your hands moving down your face to hold yourself. His arm draped over your shoulder, pulling you into a warm embrace, “I won’t, I’m sorry… I won’t” 

But he did. Every single Christmas since that night. He did. 

It was partially your fault, there was no denying that. It was impossible to refuse his advances, especially when he looked up at you with his big brown eyes, silently begging for your touch. His pleading look was irresistible, it left no room for rejection. This night was gonna be different though, you’re making sure of that. 

His parents welcomed him inside the home while you stared out through the foggy window. Your mind was cursed with the thought of him, it was as if he was engraved into the inside of your brain. It didn’t take long before you spared him a glance, only to be met with him already looking your way. 

The heat crept up your cheeks as he studied you, a faint grin on his lips. You return the smile even though you were betraying your inner turmoil as you looked at his pretty face. His eyes left yours, moving on to speak to your mother who was welcoming him with open arms. You felt a tinge of annoyance rise within you at this well-natured gesture from her, god, you were so salty.

Not a word would be exchanged over dinner. You had maintained a facade of normalcy the entire time, suppressing the heartache. 

You noticed there was something off despite everything going as usual. He was off. No longing glances, no shared smiles, and for once you thought that maybe this was it. Maybe he’d regretted everything you two had. A part of you would find comfort in letting go of this hometown fling you’ve turned into but the rest would be devastated, after all, you have spent years pining on him. Hoping one day he would run to you and finally accept the truth he has always denied: that he loved you. 

After dinner, you took refuge in your room upstairs. It was something you and Jack always did to pry off the aunts who would swarm you both with invasive questions about your lives. 

It was also the same place the two of you shared your firsts. A soft chuckle leaves your lips at the not-so-innocent memories. Suddenly, a few taps on the door pulled you out of your reverie, you looked up to see the devil himself, Jack, in the flesh. 

“Hey…” He was leaning against the door frame, his arms crossed a playful grin on his face. 

Maybe leaving the door wide open wasn’t a good idea. If you were the same girl from last season, you would have been beaming but you’ve had some time to think over the span of the year. 

Jack wasn’t stupid. He could tell something was amiss. You had been distant ever since he got there, he could see through your front. He calls out your name–the sound of your name rolling off his tongue causing butterflies to erupt–and steps inside, shutting the door behind him to offer a tiny bit of privacy in this full house. “What’s going on? Is everything alright”

‘No, nothing was right’ The words echoed in your mind yet you shook your head in dismissal. “Yeah, just feeling a bit sick, I guess?”

He raises a brow, not believing a word that comes out of your mouth. A weary sigh left his lips as sauntered towards you and settled to sit beside you, the mattress dipping under his weight. You stayed quiet, wishing this conversation would end. He says your name once more. “I’m fine, I swear” 

“No, you aren’t” His tone was firm as he spoke, leaving no room for debate. “Just be honest with me” 

“What do you think is wrong?” His eyebrows knit together, mouth slightly agape. “I.. How could I- I’m not a mind reader” He lets out a scoff, the sound escaping his lips in disapproval. 

“Can you just talk to me?” Jack pleads as you stand up to pace around the room. You wrap your arms around yourself, pulling at your clothes in frustration. With a deep sigh, you decide to be honest with him. 

You took a deep breath, “Do you really wanna know what’s been bothering me?” You began, finally fully facing him for the first time since his arrival. “It’s you, Jack” Your voice is heavy with the weight of your admission. His puppy dog eyes meet yours and for a fleeting moment you want to take back your words, take him into your arms and erase the pain you see in his gaze but you stand your ground allowing the words to spill from your mouth.

“This so-called relationship we have is wearing me out. It’s just fucking convenient for you, isn’t it? To have a girl waiting for you back at home while you run around doing whatever you want at your fucking job. You stick with me ‘cause I am that one constant in your life, the one the ‘road always leads back to’” You take a moment to catch your breath. “And you know I won’t leave because I am so in love with you. This isn’t a relationship, Jack. It’s a one-sided thing and that fucking sucks, man” Your voice trembles with tears threatening to spill as you confess the truth, laced with the poison of bitterness. 

There was tension in the air so thick that you could slice through it. Jack was left speechless. Your forehead creased, a desperate sigh leaving your throat. “I just… do you like me?” The question was so simple, so innocent and it was the same one he couldn’t bring himself to answer years ago however, this time he finally had a response. Jack gets up, approaching you, “I do… I swear to god I do, I’m sorry” He closes the space between the two of you, his eyes filled with a mixture of regret and guilt. 

He tenderly cradles your face in his hands, and you instinctively lean into his touch. “I’m sorry” He whispers, his thumb brushing away the tears that streamed down your cheeks. “I won’t leave this time” He promises, but the flicker of hope that burned in your chest quickly dissipated in the harsh light of reality; Jack Champion couldn’t afford to stay.

You found yourself giving in, pulling him even closer and inhaling his familiar scent. All the barriers it took a lot of effort to build seemed to crumble from the warmth of his touch. Maybe he couldn’t be yours forever, but for this moment, he was. This time, every Christmas, he belonged to you. 

And how could you ever refuse him? ‘Tis the damn season after all.

written by @championofmyheart ( @casimirsstache ) please do not copy, modify, or repost my work onto other platforms !! 2024

End notes: I hope you guys enjoy this one X3 I worked very hard on it. Thank you so much reading!!! Also ... This wasn't exactly proofread so apologies for any mistakes!!!

[strawberryblue-blog]

Love again. Part 1.—Pedri.

summary: You and Pedri were best friends since you were little but then you grew up and things changed between you two.

warnings: none. friends to strangers, strangers to lovers, a lot of jealousy, love triangle, angst.

word count: +4k.

song inspiration: The Last Time by Taylor Swift ft Gary Lightbody.

#SEXYNOTE: There will be more parts soon. Look forward to them. Thank u sm for the support, love youuuu 🩵

Summer nights were your favorite days since you had returned to Tenerife. There was nothing like home, like Bajamar. But you knew that coming back meant other things besides the happiness of being home again. Coming back to see your main problem.

The reason you had run away.

Yes, escaped. Because you had run away from home with the perfect excuse but you knew that at some point you were going to have to go back. And it would be a disaster.

"Look who we have here!" your friends squealed as you approached the group of people. You had been talking to them since your return to Spain and when you finished dinner with your parents, you had arranged to meet up.

You had missed them so much. When they told you they would meet at the beach, like old times, you didn't hesitate to come even knowing he would be here. Hoping that seeing him would change things between you. At least you hope so.

After a while of catching up with your friends, you walked to the bar to order something to drink. When you walk you could see his back from behind. There he was. Pedri with his friends. You recognized your best friend even from far away and not even seeing his face. Nostalgia came to your mind when you heard his laughter in the distance, you had really forgotten how it sounded and hearing it again made you feel butterflies in your belly.

Exactly one year and three months ago you had left Spain to go to the United States to study thanks to a scholarship. It had not been an easy decision but after certain circumstances, you had no other choice. You had spent your entire childhood here with your best friends, Pedro and Fernando, but as you grew up, you decided that the best thing for you was to go your own way.

"Things have changed since you left" said your best friend, Lucrecia. She knew what had happened between you and how hard it was to be here now. So she hugged your shoulders giving you encouragement. You were afraid to ask what had changed but you already knew the answer and that made you feel sad.

Not for Fernando, not for Lucrecia or your other friends.

But for you and Pedri.

Your story was a little complicated.

You had been in love with Pedro González all your life. Or better as you preferred to call him, Pepe.

The little brown boy of small stature who ran to catch you in the gardens when you were inseparable. The teenager who hid your backpack when you were at school or soiled your foul when you were sitting on the beach. The young man who had decided to pursue his life in another city and was completely ignorant.

The same young man who saw everyone but you.

Who had broken your heart and then abandoned you, forgetting your existence. Because that was the story, you were nothing. They never were and you were sure they never would be.

"Y/n?" you asked behind you.

"Fer!" you smiled at the sight of your childhood friend. Fernando opened his arms welcoming you into a hug. "I missed you so much" you whispered nostalgically.

"I thought you'd never come back!" he squealed as you broke away from his embrace.

"Well here I am" you said laughing.

Coming home had not been easy. Coming back was opening a wound you thought was sealed, coming back was remembering all your childhood and life spent with Pedri and Fer.

"Come on, the boys will be happy to see you" he took your hand to start pushing you. You couldn't refuse, it was obvious he didn't know what had happened between you and you couldn't let him suspect.

"Look who we have here" he shouted getting everyone's attention.

The guys were in a round with their bottles of beer as they talked, turning when you came to the group. You could recognize some of your old friends and some new ones. But you knew who they were, everyone in the Tenerife would recognize them. Pedri's new friends, players from Barcelona.

"H-hello I am…" you greeted shyly at the stares. Pedri blinked at you silently.

"You're Y/n?" one of them asked.

Oh my god. Pablo Gavi. You wanted to squeal with happiness at the sight of the player. He knew you? How was that possible?

"It's great to meet the girl who has put up with these two since forever" said another.

Your inner fan blushed at the laughing look of Ferran Torres, he was taller than you thought and super handsome.

Had Pedro told them about you? If he had told them about you, why had he never even thought of calling you? Did he think about you while he was in Barcelona? What had happened between you?

You gave them each two kisses as a greeting, disguising your fanaticism when you approach them like that. You smiled a little when you reached him, your best friend. You got close enough to hug him like old times, hoping to feel the warmth of his arms, but instead, Pedri stopped you and gave you two quick kisses on your cheeks.

As if he was pulling you away from him.

Your heart broke into a thousand pieces. Everything had definitely changed. Pedri. You. The relationship you had. Nothing was the same.

"I'll be back with the girls" you announced, approaching Fernando as the others continued their chatter. You were feeling out of place and what happened with Pedri had left you shocked.

You didn't expect him to behave as if you were best friends again but at least you hoped he wouldn't treat you like a stranger.

"It's okay" he said. "There's a beach party tomorrow, you're coming right?" he asked pointing to the girls. You grimaced not knowing what to answer.

"You have to come, Y/n" Fermin said and you smiled kindly at him.

"And bring your friends" Ferran commented winking his eye. You nodded shyly. "Here" he said reaching into his pants, pulling out his cell phone. "Write down your number and we'll agree"

Everyone was taken aback by his move. Even you.

"Sure" you took it when Fer elbowed you making you respond with an accomplice look. You quickly wrote down your number and handed him back his cell phone, smiling at him. Out of the corner of your eye you saw Pedri roll his eyes with a grimace.

"See you around" you said, waving at them. Everyone waved back. You turned to walk towards your friends starting to leave the group of boys.

"Y/n!" someone shouted. A shiver ran down your back.

You stopped as your feet dug into the sand. You sighed hearing footsteps behind you.

How were you supposed to respond to that? Ignore it and pretend not to hear it? Or turn and fall back on your feet?

With a feigned smile you turned to look at him. Him. Pedro Gonzalez.

"You didn't tell me you were coming back" he mumbled and looked somewhat annoyed. You tried to calm your nerves so you wouldn't say or do anything stupid.

"We didn't talk again since a while and I just wanted to come back and see how everything was" you said lifting your shoulders. He nodded sighing.

And it wasn't your fault they didn't talk. It was his fault, you wanted to tell him.

"So are you coming back to stay?" he asked.

"I don't know yet" you answered flatly.

A silence fell, you couldn't hold his gaze without feeling your legs shaking. Pedri looked different, his words sounded cheerless and he hadn't even asked you how you were.

"Did you know I was coming to Bajamar?" he asked again. You shook at his distant words.

You didn't know what exactly to say. Was he supposed to ask that doubting your return? Did he think it was all about him?

"There was a vacation and I was able to get a flight" you laughed a little to mask the bad mood.

He nodded again.

"I missed you, Pepe" you whispered wistfully, taking his hand. Electric currents shot up for your back with his touch. He just looked at you, though.

"Yeah me too, Y/n" he pleaded smiling a little in response. "But we'd better each go our separate ways as before" he finished saying, your smile immediately wiped away. "We are no longer the same as before, we have different lives now. You with your friends and me with my friends"

You froze at his words.

Why would I say something like that? You had always been friends since you all went to school together. Your friends knew their friends, they were from the same place and they all had contact.

Was he asking you to stay away from him? And his friends? What the fuck was going on with him?

You couldn't even say anything, he let go of your hand and you saw his back go towards his friends. An echo echoed in your chest.

You should never have said that. You shouldn't have come back. You should not have gotten your hopes up.

Your "relationship" with Pedri was over. You only had memories of you. It was clear that he would never love someone like you. You were just that.

Childhood friends. A memory that vanished in the wind. He felt nothing for you, but you felt everything for him.

Confessing your feelings to him before he left for Barcelona had ruined everything. You had ruined it, he only saw you as his friend.

And now he didn't even care about you.

[k-nayee]

CHAPTER 7. GATES OF FATE

❝In the face of tyranny, love and loyalty forge paths even through the darkest nights.❞

Warrior M.List

Previous | Next

˚＊˚✦ʚ♡ɞ✦ ・・✦ʚ♡ɞ✦ ⚔️・⚔️・⚔️・⚔️・✦ʚ♡ɞ✦ ・・✦ʚ♡ɞ✦ ˚＊˚

You made it back to Penelope just as the second trial began. Slipping quietly into your place behind her in the Royal elevated box, you watch the event unfold.

The arena stretched out below in a field of chaos and calculated danger.

Wooden barriers jutted up from the ground, forcing contestants to weave through narrow paths while volleys of arrows rained down from the high platforms above.

Pitfalls and snares were scattered across the field, some camouflaged so effectively that you flinched each time a competitor stumbled into one.

Penelope sat poised as always, her chin resting lightly on her hand as she watched the spectacle with an air of detached amusement. 

“They’re terrible,” she muttered under her breath as one of the contestants tripped over his own feet, barely avoiding an arrow that embedded itself in the dirt with a dull thud. “I could do better blindfolded.”

You smirked, leaning closer so only she could hear. “Is that an invitation to join the contest?”

She shot you a dry look. "Don't tempt me."

The crowd erupted into cheers as another contestant narrowly cleared an obstacle, their enthusiasm making the air buzz with excitement.

You, however, found your attention divided. From your vantage point you scanned the contestants, your gaze flitting from one figure to the next.

Their movements varied wildly—some charging ahead recklessly, others hesitating too long and falling behind. Then your eyes caught a familiar figure weaving through the obstacles with surprising precision causing you to perk up.

Odysseus.

He moved differently than the others. Where most relied on brute strength, Odysseus employed a sharp calculating agility. His smaller, leaner frame allowed him to dart nimbly between barriers, his steps light and deliberate.

He sidestepped arrows with ease, ducked beneath a collapsing platform just in time—even used the body of a fallen competitor as cover when the volley grew too thick.

The royal family seemed to take notice, their murmured conversations pausing as they watched him navigate the trial. Penelope noticed him too.

Her sharp eyes lingered on him longer than they had on anyone else as her brow furrow slightly. "He's...different," she remarked thoughtfully. There was no mistaking the curiosity in her tone.

You nod. “He’s clever. Knows how to adapt.”

She arched a brow. “Cleverness doesn’t always win battles,” she said lightly, though her tone carried an edge of skepticism. “You never cared much for cleverness before. In fact…”

Penelope's turned her gaze to you, her honey-brown eyes gleaming with mischief. “You never complimented any of the suitors before,” she finished dry and teasingly.

Her words caught you off guard, but you found yourself smiling despite the fluster. “I suppose there’s a first time for everything,” you replied, though your voice lacked its usual sharpness.

Her smile softened but she didn’t press further.

As the trial wore on you found yourself silently cheering as you watched Odysseus. The field was chaos— the remaining contestants growing more desperate as the the trial intensified.

One man nearly collided with Odysseus, swinging his arm wildly in an attempt to shove him aside. The Ithacan King ducked effortlessly, using the momentum to vault over a low barrier in a single fluid motion.

You released a breath you hadn’t realized you were holding.

Some stumbled while others fell, but Odysseus stayed ahead, weaving through the chaos like he’d done it a hundred times before.

When he crossed the finish line as one of the first, the roar of the crowd was deafening—a mix of cheers, groans, and scattered applause.

Penelope’s gaze lingered on him as he leaned against a wall to regain his breath. Grin as sharp and unapologetic as ever, Odysseus glances toward the elevated box.

And then he was gone, swept up in the energy of the crowd as the servants rushed to clear the field for the next stage.

*･:*:★☽✧⚔️✧☾★:*:･*

The final trial was the most simple yet grueling—archery from a chariot.

Targets lined the far end of the arena, their painted bullseyes stark against the dusty backdrop while chariots, each drawn by a pair of restless horses, stood at the sidelines.

You could feel the weight of the moment pressing down on you. This trial wasn’t just about skill—it was a gauntlet of endurance and strategy.

One by one contestants mounted their chariots. When the horns sounded, they would set off across the uneven terrain, attempting to balance their aim with the relentless jostling of the ride.

The first competitor loosed an arrow that sailed far off course and landed harmlessly in the dirt. Before he could fire again, his chariot struck a hidden dip in the ground, sending him sprawling.

The pattern repeated itself.

Some managed a few well-placed shots before losing control of their horses, their chariots careening wildly into barriers. Others fell victim to their own overconfidence, their arrows clattering uselessly against the targets' edges.

And then came Odysseus.

Every breath seemed to have stilled as he stepped onto the platform, his mismatched eyes scanning the arena with sharp focus.

His chariot was smaller than most, the horses leaner but quick-footed. The reins fit easily in his hands as he tested the tension with an air of quiet confidence.

When the horn sounded he took off like an arrow loosed from a bow.

Odysseus handled the reins with precision, guiding the horses around jagged rocks and divots in the earth with an ease that made the crowd lean forward in anticipation.

Even Icarius sat straighter in his seat, though his expression was unreadable.

The first arrow he fired struck just shy of the bullseye. The second hit closer. A sudden jolt in the terrain nearly unseated him and you felt your heart lurch.

He steadied himself just in time, using his momentum to notch another arrow and fire. It struck true: piercing the center, the thunk audible even from where you stood just as Odysseus crossed the finish line.

The arena fell silent for a moment before the crowd broke into thunderous applause.

Penelope slowly rose form her seat along side her father. His face betrayed nothing, but you could sense the displeasure simmering beneath his composed exterior.

Odysseus dismounted, brushing dirt from his tunic as he stood tall before the royal box, his chest heaving with exertion.

Penelope, still standing, began to descend the steps with a calm grace that belied the turmoil you knew she must be feeling.

She approached him, her emerald-green dress catching the light as she extended her hand. The contrast between them was striking—her poised elegance against his battle-worn but triumphant form.

And yet, as their eyes met, there was an undeniable connection.

Odysseus seemed at a loss for words. A faint blush dusted his cheeks as he held her gaze before fixing his composure and bowing his head, his forehead brushing her fingers lightly.

Penelope’s lips curved into the faintest of smiles, a glint in her eyes. You could see it—the spark of hope she rarely allowed herself to show.

But the moment didn’t last.

Icarius stepped forward, his voice booming over the crowd. “To uphold our palace’s personal Spartan tradition of patience,” he began, his tone dripping with authority, “the wedding ceremony will take place tomorrow morning!”

A ripple of confusion spread through the audience, whispers weaving their way through the crowd. Instead of sharing their sentiments, anger filled your being.

You knew this game too well.

This wasn’t about tradition. It was a clever strategy; one that allowed him to maintain control over Penelope while masking his cruelty behind the guise of honor and duty.

Delaying the ceremony under the guise of tradition only to spring a new trial on the unsuspecting groom. A trial that more often than not ended in death.

You recalled the last ceremony, when a suitor came out victorious. Icarius had promised a grand ceremony only to announce a "final test of courage" the morning of the wedding.

The groom had never returned from the forest where the trial took place.

You glanced at Penelope, searching her face for a sign of her thoughts. Yet as the crowd began to disperse Penelope's expression didn't falter.

She inclined her head gracefully to her father, her eyes flickering to you for the briefest moment. Your resolve hardened. You nodded in return, the gesture subtle but resolute.

You knew what you had to do.

*･:*:★☽✧⚔️✧☾★:*:･*

Night had settled heavily over the palace. As the last of the servants extinguished torches in the halls, the faint glow of moonlight became the only source of light to guide your way.

Your footsteps were soft but deliberate, each one echoing louder in your ears than it should. The shadows along the walls seemed to stretch and twist as if they were alive and knew of what you were about to do.

The risk was undeniable. If you were caught Icarius’ punishment would be an automatic brutal death.

And yet the thought of Penelope—trapped beneath her father’s control, her freedom crushed beneath the weight of tradition—outweighed the consequences.

You had no choice.

You reached Odysseus’s chambers and paused just outside the slightly ajar door. The low murmur of voices from within told you he wasn’t alone.

Peeking inside you saw Odysseus sitting on the edge of a his bed, his armor stripped and laid neatly to the side. Despite the exhaustion written in his features, his mismatched eyes remained sharp, scanning the faces of his men as they spoke in hushed tones.

His small group of men were a mix of weariness and restless energy, their cloaks rumpled and their weapons close at hand. You hesitated, your hand hovering near the doorframe.

These were soldiers—loyal to their King and quick to action. To step into their space uninvited was to gamble with your life.

But then you thought of Penelope again—of her father’s cold calculating gaze and the cruelty you knew that lay behind his veneer of civility. Your fear turned to determination.

You pushed the door open and stepped inside.

The men turned sharply, their hands instinctively reaching for their weapons. One even began to draw his sword before Odysseus held up a hand to stop him.

“Stand down,” Odysseus said, his eyes fixed on you. He stood slowly, his expression shifting from surprise to concern. “Something’s wrong,” he said immediately. “You’ve got that look.”

"You need to leave," you said, your tone firm despite the tension in your voice. "You and your men. Tonight."

He blinked, startled by the urgency. "Leave? Why? I've just won the contest. The marriage—Penelope's hand—"

"You don't understand," you interrupted, your voice trembling slightly. "Her father will never allow it. This contest is a farce—just like all the others. He doesn't want her to marry. He wants her to stay here, miserable, under his control until the day she dies."

The room fell silent. Odysseus’s men exchanged uneasy glances, their trust in you clearly absent. One of them, a burly soldier with a scar across his cheek, stepped forward.

“How do we know you’re not setting us up?” he asked, his voice low and suspicious. “What if this is some kind of trap?”

Odysseus held up a hand to silence him but didn’t look away from you. “Explain,” he said simply, his tone calm but edged with urgency.

You swallowed hard. “Icarius has done this before. For two years he's done this—holding contests, finding excuses to delay the wedding ceremony, and then creating new trials that kill every last suitor.”

Odysseus could only stare at you as the weight of your words sink in. His face darkened, his jaw tightening. "Why would he do that to his own daughter?"

"Because he doesn't care about her happiness," you said bitterly. "Only his power over her."

Odysseus's hands clenched into fists at his sides. "That's monstrous."

"Yes," you said simply. "And if you stay he'll find a way to destroy you too."

His gaze softened and he stepped closer, searching your eyes. "Is there anything I can do?"

You felt a smile tug at your lips despite the fear twisting in your chest. "Yes. Leave. Take your men and meet me at the gates before dawn appraoches. I'll handle the rest."

Odysseus frowned, suspicion flickering in his eyes. "What are you planning?"

"Trust me," you said firmly, your voice barely above a whisper. "I have everything ready. Just be there."

For a moment Odysseus hesitated. His sharp mind worked through the possibilities, the risks and the trust he had come to place in you despite your often curt demeanor.

After what felt like an eternity he nodded. “Alright. I trust you.”

*･:*:★☽✧⚔️✧☾★:*:･*

The air was thick with tension as Odysseus and his ten men gathered at the gates.

Their cloaks did little to stave off the chill that crept through their bodies—a cold that came not from the weather but from the danger they all felt.

Some of them shifted uneasily, their eyes darting toward the watchtower and back to the darkened streets behind them.

“This is madness,” one muttered at the back of the group. His hand rested on the hilt of his sword, his knuckles white. “Sneaking out like thieves in the night. We’re fighters not criminals.”

“Better a living thief than a dead warrior,” another retorted bitterly. “If the rumors about Icarius are true we’ve no other choice.”

“Silence,” Odysseus snapped. He stood slightly apart from the group, his gaze fixed on the shadows of the watchtower.

He was tense too—though he didn't show it. Every creak of the gates, every distant bark of a dog sent a fresh jolt through his chest.

His mind raced with possibilities, questions he hadn't had the chance to ask you: What exactly were you planning? And why did it feel like something more was at stake than just his safety?

Somewhere in the distance a guard’s boots echoed faintly against the stone, the sound fading as they rounded a corner. The group tensed as one, their hands twitching toward their weapons.

“This feels like a trap,” the first Ithacan soldier muttered again..

“It’s not,” Odysseus said sharply, though the knot in his stomach said otherwise. “Enough. We wait.”

A sudden faint rustling caught his attention. It wasn’t the wind.

Odysseus raised a hand and his men immediately fell silent, their blades sliding from their scabbards with the soft hiss of metal on leather.

The flickering torchlight painted shifting shadows on the ground, making the source of the sound impossible to pinpoint.

“Hold steady,” he murmured. The rustling grew louder—closer until finally, a cloaked figure emerged from the darkness, their face obscured by a dark veil. 

Odysseus relaxed slightly as his hand falls away from the hilt of his sword. “____,” he said, his tone softening with relief. “You’re here.”

He stepped forward, his voice steady despite the turmoil inside him. "I owe you more than I can say and I’m grateful beyond words. But there’s something I need you to understand. I can't leave without her...”

His voice softened as his gaze dropped, as though speaking aloud laid bare the depth of his feelings. "A wife in my heart already, I would sooner face every enemy Sparta throws my way than abandon her here. If it comes to war to bring her home then so be it. I would do so, for My Penelope.”

The figure said nothing at first, their head tilting slightly as if considering his declaration. Their silence stretched long enough to unsettle him.

“____?” he pressed, his brows knitting. “What is it? Why aren’t you—”

The figure’s hands reached up, and in a fluid motion, the veil slipped away.

Odysseus’s breath caught in his throat. The rest of the world seemed to fade, swallowed by the quiet gasp that escaped his lips.

“Penelope,” he whispered, the name tumbling out before he could stop it.

She stood before him, her dark hair still woven with the golden cuffs that glinted like stars in the moonlight.

"Surprised?" she asked calmly, a teasing smile tugging at her lips.

Odysseus he could only stare. His thoughts were a whirlwind of disbelief and awe.

The sharp sound of a creaking gate broke the moment, the giant wooden barrier opening just enough to allow safe passage. He turned sharply to see you leaning out from the narrow window of the watchtower above waving a white flag.

The faint light of a torch caught the glint of satisfaction in your eyes as you motioned for them to move quickly.

“Move!” Odysseus barked to his men, his voice regaining its usual sharpness. They hesitated for a moment before obeying and slipping through the now-loosened gates in silence.

"Well?" Penelope's voice drew his attention back to her. She stepped closer, her smile softening as she tilted her head. "Shall we go home...husband?"

For a moment he could only stare at her, his chest tight with emotions he couldn't name. Then with a small huff he held out his hand.

"Let's go."

Penelope placed her hand in his and together they stepped through the gates. The newlywed couple stayed behind for a moment, their hands clasped tightly as they turned back toward the watchtower.

You emerged from the shadows, descending the steps with a calm deliberate pace. For a moment the three of you stood together in the quiet, the gravity of the moment settling over you.

Odysseus met your eyes as his face softened into something sincere. "Thank you. For everything."

You waved him off, a faint smile playing on your lips as you fought to keep your voice light. “It wasn’t a big deal.” You gestured vaguely behind you and force a chuckle. “Just a little bribing of the guards, hours of prying the gate bolts so it'll open without making too much a racket, and timing when the patrols would pass by. No big deal at all.”

The edge of your smile suddenly slips as you turn your gaze away. The weight in your chest growing heavier as you met Odysseus’s eyes again.

For all his cleverness, he couldn’t see the quiet ache you were trying to mask.

You hesitate, the words catching in your throat before finally finding your voice. “Take care of her,” is all you can make out. The faint humor from earlier was gone—replaced by something raw and unyielding.

Penelope releases a laugh as she stepped forward. “What are you talking about, ____?” she said, her voice tinged with confusion and something softer.

She reached out, her fingers brushing against your arm. “You’re coming with us.”

Your eyes widened slightly as surprise flicker across your face. "...W-what? Penelope, I can’t—”

“You can,” she interrupted firmly. Her grip tightened slightly. “You mean too much to me to stay behind. Besides,” she added, a smile curving her lips, “I can’t imagine ruling Ithaca without you by my side.”

You opened your mouth but no words came. The faint sound of rustling leaves filled the silence as you stared at her, the weight of her words sinking in.

Odysseus gave you a knowing smile as he steps closer. “She’s right. You’re part of this, whether you like it or not.”

Your gaze shift between the two of them and the faint glow of the palace. You were torn. The life you’d known—your duty, your home—was slipping away with each passing moment.

Then, with a small sigh and a faint smile, you nod. "Alright. Let's go."

Penelope’s face lit up and she lace her fingers through yours. Standing between you and Odysseus, you began to move beyond the gates.

The chill of the night seemed less biting now, the weight on your chest easing with every step. Though the path ahead was uncertain, one thing was clear:

You were no longer walking it alone.

[dragunflies]

⤯ 𝐈𝐧 𝐊𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐲 ->

Ellie Williams X Fem Reader

omg, my first fic, eek! so scared lowk but I have so much saved in my docs that I need to spill soon. Ok, love ya, lmk what u think, constructive crit is welcomed per usual <3 ⚢

❦❧❦❧❦❧❦❧❦❧❦❦❧❦❦❧❦❧❦❧❦❧❦❧❦❦❧❦❦❧❦❧❦❧❦❧❦❧

  It was a cool mid Autumn morning. You sat there with the open window breezing against your flushed face and loose hair. It was an empty one-bedroom house, the cold air accompanied by the hollow walls made it eerie but relaxing. Wearing simply a baggy t-shirt and underwear you rose from the nest of a bed that formed while you slept. Although you snore, you sleep like a baby. With a head full of messy dark brown hair, a quick finger comb through your hair evens out the texture and density to some extent. Rolling out of bed, you crack your back, letting out a groan of relief, slowly easing your way out of your cozy bed. Come the fall time, the need for patrol hits its peak, most infected don’t stay out in the cold, so they tend to be the most active at the cusp of autumn.

As your eyes adjust to the light from the outside, so do your ears, the muttering of Jackson echoed through the neighborhood and led into your home. You reach for the hairbrush next to your bedside and try your best to aggressively claw out the knots left.

While you brushed and brushed your long hair, you heard the voices becoming more distinct. One specific member of the town, Ellie, became particularly known very quickly and very shortly. Her voice was raspy and stuck out quickly from the crowd; you could pinpoint it was her instantly. Not only did she just arrive a few years prior, but she was quick. With a quick tongue and a quicker fist, no one fucked with her. She was like a chihuahua, all bark and bite. Intimidating, but intriguing and sometimes weird to look at for too long. But oh did she piss you off, getting cocky and assertive in the smallest of tasks. She always insists on signing the postbooks, never shares her rations, and complains about hypothermia despite only wearing thin canvas sneakers. 

God was she the fucking worst.

Hearing all the commotion outside, you persist, throwing on a pair of jeans, a belt, and a long-sleeved black top, rolling up the sleeves to your elbows. As you get to the door, you swing on a pair of your best and only boots and slide into a pocket-ridden jacket. You searched for your lighter and handgun, striking the white lighter to double-check its usage. You then make your way out of the suburban make-shift home and easily make your way to Jackson, the city you grew up in. 

The leaves crunched below your boots as you made your way to the town center, where the majority of the town gathered that morning for the patrol assignments. Looking around you see familiar face after face, lining the circle surrounding Maria and the handful of men who surrounded her. Fortunately, you missed the entire meeting, but unfortunately as you have zero idea what the fuck you’re assigned to do. Surprisingly, Maria didn’t call you out like she usually does, by now she would've had your neck for being this casually late to a meeting like this, especially such an important one- 

“Y/n.” Maria states assertively, the loud chatting turning to a shushed mumble.

You look around trying to avoid the piercing eye contact but falling back into her stone-cold stare, it went right through you, sending shivers and goosebumps.

“Yes, ma’am?” You ask, never using such proper language when addressing someone, ever in your life, you shuttle at the look Maria gave.

Her boot steps sounded louder than they ever did before.

“This is the 5th time this month.” She barked, the surrounding crowd turning away and quickly sharing chatter with their cliques. 

“Yeah, I know, just trust me, I was in a rush, I didn’t even put my hair up,” You say, placing your hands in your pockets in the hope of hiding your anxious picking.

“I watch you stroll into the center all relaxed, you seem in no way of a rush,” Maria stated, her voice lowering as she raised a single eyebrow.

“Okay and?” Y/n mumbles, “Guarantee it wasn’t anything important.” 

She lowered her eyebrow, crossed her arms, and raised her head abruptly, “You missed patrols, you were assigned the post north-east of Kelly,” Maria’s lips curled, looking y/n up and down as she walked away to her office building, “better get packing, that’s nothing important, right?”. You could hear the smile form on Maria’s lips as she walked away.

Are you fucking kidding me? Kelly, the farthest post owned by Jackson, all because you missed one meeting? Not even just the Kelly outpost, the farthest fucking post all the way up in the peaks- oh my fucking god. 

Growing up in Jackson, you were trained for all different kinds of situations. Though you weren’t born here, it was where you learned everything you know now. Combat, shooting, hunting, gathering, and all the basics. Yeah, you weren’t always at the top of your class in everything, but you were a damn good aid. Knowing each medicine by its prefix or suffix, biology, and medicine is where you shine. Yeah, not combat, but you can survive, that’s all that matters. 

“Who am I posted with?” Y/n called out, a scoff leaving your voice as you exhaled, her eyes closed hoping for a big group where she could simply sit back and watch.

With Maria’s back still turned, she answered with a pause. “Williams, she has the experience you don’t, trust me, you won't be that screwed.” 

You stood there waiting for more people to be announced on your patrol. Nope, just Ellie. Fucking. Williams. 

With a groan of dissatisfaction, you turned around, looking through the crowds of people, with everyone holding warm mugs and staying clumped together, it was hard to find that short mother-fucker. You still couldn’t believe it, peering between each conversation, trying to find the auburn-headed girl. She was so obviously loud this morning, how could you not find her now, when you actually needed to get ahold of her. 

Suddenly, after walking around town center for a minute, you overhear a group of chatter, 

“I can’t believe Maria would pair you two up like that,” One voice echoed down an alley.

“I know- like out of all of us standing there, she picks y/n.” Another states.

“I’m fucked.” Says another. 

That was the voice. The raspy and obvious voice stood out so quickly to your ears.

You followed the group of voices, walking down a strip of self-owned stores, the in-between of the two buildings had voices spilling out of it. You walked closer, and upon turning into the alleyway,

There she was.

[le-poofe]

Hello Poofe! Me again! (Srry if I pop into ur ask box too much- I'm a very chatty human-) Anywho I have a question! More of an opinion type! Do you think Grillby likes country music? If so, are there any country artists you think he'd enjoy? Very random question im just curious! Hope u have a fantastic day/night! ^^

This question is something I apparently didn’t know I needed. The second I read this, my neurons fired so hard, it’s like I’ve been waiting for this day. I put it all under the cut~

I grew up with country music Pandora stations as background music all the time at home, and I’ve listened to some for the general vibe when I’ve drawn Grillby/Sansby stuff. But I have yet to actually apply it directly like this. This may be longer/more extensive than you anticipated hehe, lemme crack open my arsenal. For extra flavor, everyone is in cowboy getup and Grillby’s is a saloon now-

Bartender by Lady A jumps out at me for obvious reasons hehe. This feels like something one of the regular npcs would play on the jukebox. Mayhaps Drunk Bun.

Little Bitty by Alan Jackson and similar ones could be a good one. In an au I can picture Snowdin residents having fun doing line dances in the bar. Very rare occurrence to get Grillbz to dance along. And even when you do, he’ll deny he did it. While we’re on Alan Jackson - Chattahhoochee, Tall, Tall Trees, Margaritaville, and It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere also feel fitting

3. Natural Disaster by Zac Brown is a fun juxtaposition to throw at Grillbz’ quiet demeanor. If you’re imagining him singing these, he’d pop off for the duration of the song and go right back to his calm collected self the second it’s over

4. This is a specific pull, but People Are Crazy by Billy Currington sounds like a song for someone talking to Gerson at the bar

5. Wagon Wheel by Darius Rucker is That One Song everybody plays on the bar jukebox, the regulars are sick of it but they can’t help singing along to the chorus

These next ones have less specific imagery to me, but are worth a mention imo 6. Ten Rounds with Jose Cuervo by Tracy Bird

7. Chicken Fried and Knee Deep by Zac Brown Band

8. These Are My People by Rodney Atkins

And while I’m at it, here’s some Sansby ones-

Project by Chase McDaniel is a cowboy au Sans @ Grillby song and you can't convince me otherwise

2. I Need You Now by Lady A is one that I think speaks for itself when you hear it

3. Just a Kiss by Lady A is soft, y’all know that I’m weak for softness

4. Midnight Ride by Orville Peck because it would be a sin to not include Mr. Peck

Mini Category for Zac Brown specifically bc a lot come to mind- 5. Beautiful Drug bc I like it, and there's some good lyrics that relate to fire. I take what I can get

6. As She’s Walking Away - is a cute one, v good for first meeting scenarios.

7. Toes - I see Sans plucking at a guitar and mumbling this one under his breath while looking at Grillby from across the bar. Especially that “my bartender” line, y’all know the one.

8. Free - Say it with me now, soft as fuck

This is by no means an exhaustive list, just what i was able to come up with mostly off the dome. If anyone has their own suggestions, yeet them in the replies

[pandoramyst]

what wasn’t there before ✩ Jake sully

contents. g!reader, dbf!jake, cute names, fluff, adult behavior, age gap

summary. Jake was your father’s best friend but to him, he was like his brother. When you entered puberty, you started to feel foreign feelings about him that certainly, you shouldn't have been having. When you got a bit older, you grew closer to him and you noticed that he acted the same way toward you.

notes. I love u guys, that's it 

Your life took a very sudden turn when you entered your teens. As a young na’vi, you were completely unaware of the concept of romantic love and what it entailed. 

You hadn’t entered the phase in your life where you had to rack your brain about what each relationship with a boy meant or had to seriously contemplate your feelings. Love was just love to you. A simple thing that just happened. Like that one time when you jumped on a cute, little na’vi boy, kissing his lips as you tried to copy the actions of the older na’vi couples. Naturally, you were regretful at that but your curiosity about what a kiss would feel like faded away. 

When you first met Jake, everything seemed pure and normal. He would show up to your hut practically daily and have a morning cup of coffee with your dad (Tzukan). By that time, you were awake and you would have welcomed Jake with a hug. They would take you on field trips where they would talk about their own business while you played around with the strays.

He was just a friend, but that was clearly temporary. When you became a teenager, you started to notice things changing. You had noticed that you felt different whenever you saw boys and that your feelings were far more draining than the old ones. You in fact realized you had a type and that certain parts of your body were responding differently to those that checked those boxes.

Conveniently, Jake fit that type and as you grew older you grew closer to him. As a teenager, you would feel butterflies whenever he got too close to you but quickly would shake them off thinking it was something else that must have been the cause. And when you got a bit older, you knew what it was. 

He would visit earlier in the mornings and oftentimes, your father wouldn't be awake but Jake and he had such a brotherly connection that he would trust him to roam around your place. You being a light sleeper would hear his attempts to be quiet and would walk towards the kitchen, already knowing what to expect.

“Morning kid,” you walked up to him, gave him a hug, and walked back to the table. He knew what you liked and what you didn’t, so instead of handing you a cup of coffee, he placed in your hand a mug of orange juice. He sat in the seat next to you, which was turned slightly to face you.

“why are you awake so early? you should be getting more sleep, it's good for you, you know ” he sipped on his warm coffee, rubbing the table with his hand.

“Blame yourself, you're the one that woke me up. And anyway, I get enough sleep thank you very much. Can you not tell from my face?” You placed both of your hands under your chin, tips touching as you shut your eyes.

He chuckled at your easiness, “You sure do look rested, honey” you thanked him and he continued the conversation. Mornings were always like this and soon enough, you would even start hanging out together without your dad.

-

“Give it back!” In his hands was a bracelet that you had made, which in your words looked like “a lumer’s tail”. It had splashes of brown and white on it and some corals which were on the verge of falling off, a rookie mistake as you just started learning how to make them.

Jake on the other hand was fascinated, “why would you say it looks like a tail? this is beautiful. You’re so damn talented, kid. You should make more and pass them out to the clan,” He was looking down at you, his hand fiddling with the bracelet. His back and head were against the tree, and his eyes were on yours. 

“Nobody would want to wear that abomination,” you made a disgusted face and he leaned forward, placing a hand under your chin. Your eyes widened at his sudden movement.

“I'll wear it,” he looked at your lips and back up at your eyes. The feelings you had for him were now completely clear to you. He fixed his posture and placed the bracelet on his wrist, bringing his arm closer to you. He took a step closer until your shoulders were touching, and you grabbed his wrist to tie the bracelet. 

From that day on, he would look at the bracelet whenever he wasn’t with you and admire it. When you were together, you would scold him for wearing it but he would always shut you up with some cheesy

- 

Today was different than the other days. The morning that Jake came for his morning coffee, your dad brought up the mating ceremony, a ceremony hosted once every month for celibate na’vi to find their mate. Jake had told him he was going, and your stomach turned. He told you he would take you on a field trip and spend the whole day with you. But now you were alone and worst of all, he was with someone else.

You distanced yourself for the day, avoiding any interactions. Even with your dad, who you hadn’t seen from the morning. It was the first time jealousy was so tough for you to overcome. Your anger was not justifiable as he had no commitment to you.

But the day went away quicker than you thought and you were laying down in your hammock outside, braiding another bracelet. You thought your terrible skills could distract you from your painful feelings. The night was quiet so you could hear the footsteps coming from behind you but you were too lazy to turn.

“Hey bunny,” the nickname that he had adopted for you. His forearms rested on your hammock and his chin was placed on top of them. You couldn’t just ignore him, it would be stupid to be mad at him for something so little.

“Hi,” you gave him a short smile and went back to braiding your bracelet. He stared at you for a while and noticed you weren't looking back at him. “Some’in wrong?” 

“No, I’m just tired,” he chuckled at your poor lying. “The sun set an hour ago, don’t lie to me.”

You groaned, letting out a “tss” as he was starting to get on your nerves. “you don't know me, Jake.” Jake’s eyebrows frowned and he put some of his weight on the hammock, pulling it down so you would face him.

“What happened today? I was out,”

“Yeah, I noticed,” You sat up and jumped down from the hammock, walking away from him. Your hands were still focused on the bracelet. “Listen, I tried to find you and tell you but you weren’t anywhere to be found. I had to leave,” he followed behind you as your steps got quicker. He quickened his pace to reach out to you, and he grabbed your arm pulling you towards him.

“Hey, why are you mad?” He leaned down to be at eye level with you and he gripped your arms. Your hands were now balled up into fists.

“How was mate hunting?” Your eyes were fixed on him, waiting for an answer. His eyes furrowed, “Is that why you’re mad?” 

“I’m not mad, get over yourself” You tried to escape his grip but he held your arms tighter.

“I went hunting with your dad and we were gone the whole day. We met up with some friends and ended up staying there longer.” You didn't respond as his answer didn't satisfy you.

“The mate hunting is tonight but I wanted to come here instead,” You frowned your eyebrows.

“Why would you do that?” His eyes softened at your cluelessness. His head leaned to one side.

“Cause I missed you, and I know I promised to stay with you today-”

“you left me alone,”

He sighed, “I know…I know, don't be mad, bunny. It was my fault, I’m sorry.” He let go of the tight grip and caressed your wrists with his thumbs. You put your forehead on his shoulder, whining like a child. He placed his palm on the back of your head and caressed your hair.

“I’ll take you somewhere, cmon”

“No, I don’t want to,” You lifted your head up as he pulled you closer to him, your chest touching his. He stared at your face and leaned forward, kissing your cheeks.

“What do you wanna do?” He asked as he went down to kiss your neck. The feeling was foreign but welcome. You raked your fingers through his hair and went down to the hair tie that was keeping his hair in a braid. You untied it letting his long hair flow freely. The scent of his freshly washed hair brought goosebumps to your skin.

“I want to play with your hair,” He looked up at you and chuckled at the strange request. With big eyes he said, “Alright, let’s do it” He took your hand and pulled you up to the hammock. He laid down on his stomach and you sat on his back. You took his long hair, which covered the majority of his back, into your hands and started to brush it with your fingers. Soft sounds came from his mouth as you massaged his scalp. You separated his hair into five parts and started to braid each hair strand, starting from the scalp and finishing a foot from the tips of his hair.

When you were done with the last braid, you stood up and let him escape from under you. He went close to the water to look at his reflection. “Do you like it?” You asked shyly. “I love it , bunny,” he came up to the hammock and hugged your torso.

“You sure?” You whispered in his ear.

“I don't know if you can tell but I've never looked so good,” He laughed and you flicked his forehead. “I beg to differ,” 

“Yeah?” He bit his lip as he looked down at your lips. You shook of the nerves and looked up at the sky. You still haven’t kissed yet and your wondering if it’s because he doesn’t feel as strongly as you do or if it’s because he wants to take it slow.

-

You started to grow tired and he took notice of that.

He smiled at your sleepy form and turned his head to kiss your cheek, “You look sleepy bunny, wanna go to bed?” he asked and you nodded at him.

He walked you to your hut, hand in hand. Your dad was in the kitchen, walking back and forth with his hands on his hips. He must be angry, you thought. As Jake pulled the fabric open that worked as a door, your father’s eyes fell on you.

“Where the hell were you? What have I told you about roaming out at night? You wanna give me a heart attack?Especially during the mating ceremony, boys will come at you like savages.” He raised his voice.

“Well, you weren’t here? So what was I supposed to do?” You crossed your arms in front of your chest and placed your weight on your hip. Jake placed a hand on your dad’s chest, keeping him away from you.

“Calm down, Tzukan. I took the kid to see the cave of the ancestors, don’t blame her, blame me.” Your dad looked at Jake with a stern expression.

“Don’t do that again. Tell me before you take her,” He said strongly, and you could see spit flying on to Jake’s face.

Jake chuckled, “Relax, you know I'll protect her. She’s fine isn’t she?”

Your dad hissed at the both of you and walked into the hallway that led to his bedroom.

You looked at each-other with wide eyes.

“your fault not mine,” You told him as you both walked into your bedroom. He chuckled as he tied the two ends of the fabric door to your bedroom together, keeping it closed. You went to your bed, laying down, back flat on it. Jake walked towards you, leaning down to touch your nose with his. He rubbed his nose on yours and said, “Goodnight bunny, I’ll take you out tomorrow so be ready in the morning”

[tojisbbygworl]

The Worst Mistake - Hobie Brown x Black!Reader pt. 1

Summary: Hobie has never been one to shy away from anything. Even if the risk is greater than the reward.

Or; Hobie takes too many shrooms, and all of his fears and doubts about the woman he loves comes rushing all at once and he makes an extremely irrational decision.

Characters: Hobie, Miles

Tags: 18+, Substance Use/Abuse, ANGST, Hurt/No Comfort, Bad Break Up, AU - No Powers, Hobie lives in Brooklyn, Hobie is 21+, Miles is 18+ only cuz it makes sense for the story not weird I promise, Miles is kind of an ass, Hobie and you need a HUG, I forgot he was British, OOC but it’s because of the drugs

author’s note: Okay, this is a plot that I have been wanting to write for months now but didn’t know which fandom I should write it for. I will be pouring all my feelings out into this so hopefully you shed a tear or two and even if u don’t lie and say u did!

Part 2 Part 3

AO3 version

My AO3

Masterlist

It was getting late. The tv was blaring with some random show that the both of them didn’t have to pay attention to. She was sleeping next to him, a scowl on her face. And Hobie had never felt more alone.

The day was going so well at first. The two of them had all day to spend together. He didn’t have a gig or practice, she didn’t have to work or go to class, they made some sandwiches and had a nice picnic by a river. What went wrong?

What? Is he a fucking idiot? He knows exactly what went wrong.

For months now, Hobie’s been getting into heavier drugs than weed. She was never interested, the ‘don’t do drugs’ campaign going to work in her brain whenever he even mentioned anything else. But, she didn’t judge. She understood that shrooms just weren't for her and he never pressured her or pushed. So, he took them.

The first time was nice. They found that he was a lot more clingy than usual. He opened up more. Touched her more, kissed her more. He even giggled a few times that day.

Then he grew a small tolerance. So he started taking more…and more…and each time something was different. Shrooms made him speak his mind a lot. Sometimes too much and inappropriately. He didn’t know how to get what he was saying across in a way that wouldn’t insult her so he just said what was on his mind.

In the middle of the night, after having a quick dinner at the diner near his apartment, he remembered all the times he’s thought about breaking up with her. Usually, when he would have these thoughts, he swallowed them knowing it was just his paranoia. But his mind was scattered. So he told her. And when she started crying he just sat there and stared. To his defense, at least he looked sorry. But he didn’t take it back. And his explanation was half assed.

“Sometimes, I just get scared for our future. But I try to ignore it because I love you so much. And I know you love me.” That’s…not what he meant to say. He’s scared that he is not enough. That he won’t be able to give her the life she deserves. Why can’t he just say that instead of sitting here and watching her wipe her tears?

How they even came back from that night is nothing short of a miracle. But, Hobie was sure that there was no coming back from this.

It wasn’t until too late that he realized that he isn’t the "Tolerance God" that he seems to think he is. He thinks because he’s not throwing up, seeing smells, and hearing colors that he’s doing just fine. Today, he took more grams than he ever had. 7, to be exact. Along with the lemon tekking, it was certainly the strongest dose he ever had or will have taken. And he can feel it.

She fell asleep hours ago when they got home from their beautiful picnic. She hadn’t spoken a word to him when she got in the bed, the only indication he had of how she felt being the sneer she gave him before she pulled the blanket over herself and turned around. She left no room to cuddle, there were two blankets on the bed and she snatched the entirety of one of them. He deserved it.

“You know babe, you need to grow up, okay?”

Why the hell would he say that? Why did he start thinking about all the faults of their relationship at that moment? About how every fight they had was over something stupid, and even though they weren’t often, they were exhausting. She held onto her anger and refused to let go. It’s been something he’s wanted to talk to her about, but why now? And why like this?

She was laughing before he said that, smiling because they were both gushing about how much they appreciated each other and how excited they are for their future together and then he dropped that bomb. And he smiled while he did it. The way her face dropped and her eyes began to water; he doesn’t think he’ll ever forget it.

He tried saying sorry when they walked in. She didn’t listen. And why would she?

Hobie looks at the back of her head. Then he stared at the ceiling. His heart was beating fast and he started to feel a little sweaty. Taking in some deep breaths, he realizes that his girlfriend giving him the cold shoulder is absolutely not helping his high. He swallows his pride then reaches over to shake her awake.

When she does, she turns to him. She still has that pained and troubled look on her face. He gulps, but can’t stop staring at her. His mouth opens only slightly, and his big brown eyes flicker between hers.

“What is it?” She says quietly, her voice raspy from sleep.

“I just…” he gulps again before taking a part of her blanket and lifting it up, tugging at it slightly. “I wanted to get under the blanket.” His voice is full of vulnerability that he never imagined he’d be capable of.

Unfortunately, she didn’t hear it. “There’s a blanket over there.” She snapped at him.

He looks down at the blanket sitting next to his feet. Then, looking back up at her and pleading with his eyes, he tries again. “I know…but…” Once again, his words are stuck in his throat. He just can’t convey what he was trying to say to her.

‘But I want to be under your blanket. With you. Please?’

He can say that she didn’t give him a chance as she scoffed and tugged her blanket out of his arms and turned back around again, but she was attentively listening before he trailed off. It felt as though the blanket was ripped from his grasp, and he stared in dismay at his hand still reaching out to her. He doesn’t try to wake her up again after that.

His hand falls and he rolls on to his back completely again, staring at the ceiling. Damn. So this was it? Are they really never going to recover from this? There’s no way, right? So why was he feeling so much anxiety? Why was he so terrified?

A tear slips from his eye down the side of his face. Then another. And then another. One by one, salty droplets force themselves out of his eye sockets until he is full on crying. Why is he even crying? He doesn’t know. He just knows that he fucked up and he’s not sure if she’ll forgive him so easily this time.

His brain was working full time filling his head with desolate thoughts about his future with her. He remembers every fight, every mistake, every tear she’s ever shed because of him. Why was she even still with him? He wasn’t a good boyfriend. He never was. Will he ever be? Can he-

“Hobie?”

Unbeknownst to him, his sobbing had woken her up, filling her with worry as soon as she saw his chest shaking. She immediately caressed his face and when she did, as if it was instinct, he turned and embraced her tighter than ever. His crying got louder, his body violently jerking with each sob. She was distraught. This complete and utter dejection was not something she had seen on him before. It was breaking her heart. “Baby, what’s wrong?”

“I’m sorry,” he wailed into her shoulder. He couldn’t seem to keep still, to just hold her in his arms. No matter how tightly he wrapped himself around her, she was still to far away. His hands were ever changing and would grab her waist moving across it in an effort to bring her closer to him. “I’m so sorry.”

She relaxed but only a little. “Aw, baby,” she wipes the tears from his face with her thumb. It was contorted in pain. “It’s okay. I forgive you. I’m not upset with you.”

“I’m sorry,” he says again.

She shakes her head. “Babe, it’s okay. I promise-“

“I’m sorry for wasting your time.”

She furrowed her brows. “What are you talking about baby?”

What is he talking about? He wasn’t even sure himself. But he knew that he wasn’t happy right now. He continued to cry, his eyes closed and his forehead against hers. “I’m sorry for trying to change you.”

Okay…what? With everything he said, she only got more and more confused. When was he trying to change her? Was it because of what he said? Does he understand why she was even upset about that? “What do you mean? What do you want me to be?”

He took a deep breath and wailed, “My wife.” A long series of sobs escaped him after that.

“I’m going to marry you. You don’t have to be sad.” She said, still not understanding why he was so upset.

He shook his head. She started to let go of his face. “I’m trying to turn you into someone you’re not. That’s why we fight all the time. And I’m sorry.”

She lets go of him and he lets her sit up from the bed and look down at him. They don’t break eye contact for a minute. He looks into her eyes, still crying, but not as violently. She’s terrified. She’s always been smart. She knows exactly what he’s saying. “Are you breaking up with me?”

“Yes.”

Her world falls apart. She gasped horrifically, sliding off the bed and standing up to stare at him. Her mouth doesn’t close and now it’s her turn to cry violently. “What?”

“I’m sorry. It’s time.”

“Why? What did I do? What did I do?” She became beside herself. She clutched her shirt as there was nothing she could do that could help with the pain she was feeling.

“You didn’t do anything. It’s not you. I just-” he sat up and on the edge of the bed cutting himself off from trying to explain what he was thinking. But of course, he wasn’t thinking at all, was he? At least not rationally. “I need to really think about what I want out of life.”

Hobie, no. Why are you telling her these things? You want her. She wants you. So fucking make it work. But there isn’t a logical voice in his head and she’s too upset to be a voice of reason as well. So now they’re stuck.

She fell to the ground, collapsed, more like. She cries and heaves into the floor while he just looks at her. Like he always does. He should get up and comfort her the way she comforted him but he doesn’t. Does she even want him to touch her right now?

She looks up at him and desperately pleads, “Please don’t do this to me.” She holds her chest. “I love you so much…”

Yes. She wants him to walk over to her and hold her. But he doesn't. “I love you too, but-”

“Then tell me to lay back down and go to sleep.” He had never heard her beg like this in the 2 1/2 years they had been dating. It was breaking him. But instead, he stood up and opened his bedroom door. She gasped again. “Why are you doing this?”

Hobie grows frustrated with himself, but from the way he starts crying even harder and the angry look he had on his face, it comes off as him being frustrated with her. He grabs his head and repeatedly slams his hand on it as if he’s trying to get his brain to work. “Because,” he spat, “There’s a question in my head and I need to find the answer.”

“And this is the answer?” She asks. “Breaking up with me?”

Hobie doesn’t answer her. He doesn’t know. But, it’s the only answer he has. She breaks down again and hunches over. “You’re breaking my heart.”

“I know,” he said.

Hobie…what the actual fuck are you saying? How could he tell her that? He loves this girl so much and she’s looking at him like she doesn’t recognize him. He’s betrayed her. He’s certain they will never come back from this. Ever.

It takes her some time, but she stands up on her own, still in shock and disbelief. He doesn’t say anything, just watches as she gathers all of her things and walks past him. He follows her out his bedroom door, down the hallway, through the kitchen, through the living room, and finally at the front door.

“When did you stop loving me?” She asked him before he opened the door.

“I haven’t stopped loving you,” he tried to explain.

“Then why are you doing this to me?”

“I don’t know.” He muttered.

Befuddled, she glared at him. “You don’t know? What the fuck does that mean?”

Hobie, again, angry with himself but taking it out on her shouts, “This is about me finding the person I want to marry.”

No. No, no, no, no, NO! Why, Hobie? Why? He didn’t mean that. That’s not what he wanted to say. And he regrets it the moment he says it. She gasped and held her mouth. Then she becomes furious. Hobie’s face jerks to the left and he holds his stinging cheek. He looks back at her, the both of them still crying.

“I fucking hate you.” With that, she walks away.

Hobie stands there for a few moments, trying to understand how everything went so bad in such a small amount of time. Trying to understand why he still wasn’t happy; why he was even more upset than before. That question was still there. He hadn’t answered it. What has he done?

Not long after she left, Hobie grabs his keys and leaves the apartment as well. At first, he doesn’t know where he’s walking. He just doesn’t want to be home right now. He only had his keys and his phone, which died when they got back home. He walked through Brooklyn like a ghost, people moving themselves out of his way and going right back to their own lives.

It felt so surreal that the worst decision he’s ever made in his life was just some odd minutes ago. His entire world was destroyed and he was the one at fault. How could he do this to her? To himself? What was he thinking?

After some time, he stops in front of a townhouse door. These were a lot nicer than his own apartment building, bigger too. They were basically glorified flats, anyway. Fit for a family.

He knocked. The door opened and he came face to face with a close friend of his, Miles Morales. They’ve been inseparable ever since they were kids but in recent years, they’ve grown apart. Hobie was older and had more responsibilities than him while Miles…

Yes, he was younger, but it was only by a few years. He never really seemed to grow. Of course he got taller, added a little more muscle, and he gained a deeper voice, but he was still immature. Hobie didn’t have the energy for that like he used to.

But, Miles was one of his best friends and he didn’t know anyone else who always has their door open.

“ ‘Sup, bruh?” He said, nonchalantly. He walks away and waits by an open door that led downstairs. Hobie takes it as an invitation and walks inside, closing the front door behind him. He follows Miles down the steps to his basement which is basically just a second living room. There was an old couch and a large TV which housed the waiting screen for Overwatch. Of course. Miles was always playing Overwatch.

Miles sits on the couch and looks back at Hobie who was clearly downtrodden. He furrows his brows. “What happened?”

Hobie doesn’t look up from the floor. In a quiet voice he says, “I broke up with Y/N.”

ending a/n: Girl I almost didn't want to proofread this that shit hurted. Just so y’all can rly get the gist abt how strong shrooms are, the dosage you should be taking is 2 grams. Also, lemon tekking (dousing the shrooms in lemon juice) will make it stronger. So 7 grams on top of lemon tekking will fuck you up badly. Don’t do this. Please.

Anywayyyyy, be on the look out for part two, I'm thinking about making this 3 parts depending on how long the second part is. Please let me know what you think! Did it hurt? IT BETTER!

Part 2 Part 3

My AO3

Masterlist

[ineffabledragonfly]

Ranking all of Ariana grande albums. For context im a huge fan, im 20 so was in that age range that essentially grew up seeing her career flourish and I’ve relistened to all of em. Theres a lot of music (particularly pop music because ive been through many phases of hating pop) that’s from my youth that i would never go back to, but never Ariana Grande she’s the artist of our generation.

Also none of them are bad

1- eternal sunshine- feels like a culmination of all of the different styles she’s done into one album, beautifully personal while also being optimistic and positive, even when the topic is sad. This one definitely grew on me when it first came out i liked it but it didn’t rlly have super strong feelings over it,but she recently dropped some live sessions of some of the songs and it RLLY blew me away, which caused me to revisit the album and appreciate it for what it is. It’s an album about genuine healing, whereas ‘thank u, next’ was projecting healing. The album art is simple and gorgeous. In terms of the concept, around the movie ‘eternal sunshine of the spotless mind’: this is my favourite movie OAT, always in my letterboxd top four. Its been a favourite since i was 16 and my initial reaction that she was naming the album after it was ‘eeee🙄’ just bc i cant help but be a gatekeeper and didn’t want all her fans making it their entire personality and acting like it’s their fav movie too😭. And tbf I didn’t see much of that so im cool w it now. I totally see how Ariana saw the connections between these songs and the movie and she’s also said so many times she’s a huge Jim carrey fan so i think it was a beautiful choice. Some have said the ‘concept album’ idea, creating a character ‘peaches’ (ref to clementine) is way to get around her divorce NDA, i dont rlly care either way. I’m a HUGEEE fan of the Jon Brion’s score/soundtrack for the movie listened to it so many times so i was hoping to get some of that soft, minimalistic, dreamy Elliot smith style. But the closest thing to that was probably the title track (where she sampled Imogen heaps ‘just for now’), and it’s so beautiful.

2-positions- its an underrated brilliant album which should’ve got way more hype that it did. It feels like an elevated, mature version of ‘Dangerous Woman’ and had some great features, her and the weeknd are always incredible and the ballad is beautiful. It’s a shock to me that people were underwhelmed by her and doja on motive bc it was so fun and always gets me movin. She also worked w Leon Thomas on ‘safety net’ which is one of her most magical, beautiful songs she’s ever done. Also she looked so good during this era no offense to her eternal sunshine style it’s so pretty and much more my style, but brown hair high ponytail 60s makeup suits her so well😭. I definitely think its a different experience listening to it post divorce, seeing a lot of the song are v sexy and giving honeymoon phase, but then ull hear lyrics like ‘acts so possessive and crazy, but ik its jus cuz u love me’ and songs like off the table and pov which show her vulnerability and insecurity. Idk if this is true but apparently someone commented on an eternal sunshine post saying positions is better and she responded ‘glad u finally like it! :)<3’ which i feel so bad for bc GIRL I WAS THERE. I LIKED IT.

3- dangerous woman- i was obsessed w her before this album but this got me OBSESSED. It’s a complete classic where she rlly showed her RnB skills with her pop skills and solidified her presence in the music industry. The songs are classics and for the most part aged pretty well. They bring you back to that era of music yet still work in this era and people love that. Like she performed into you at the met gala this year and its had a whole resurgence and reminded people of the pop star she truly is, like that fixed her image more than ‘yes, and?’ did. I will say there may be too many songs on it bc some of the pop songs are pretty forgettable. But when i say that know I NEVER MEAN JASONS SONG. That was a hidden gem of a diss track fr.

4- sweetener- sweetener and thank u next had always flip flopped for me in rankings but this recent relisten has made me realise yeah this has totally aged super well. Pharrells producing is super cool and unique and she’s definately implemented that style going forward, even though fans weren’t super receptive of it it doesn’t feel dated at all. If anything she was ahead of the curve. Girl literally started everyone typing in just lowercase and the upside down thing, all style and fashion choices she made during this time ud catch girls in school doing it too including me she was unstoppable. REM is iconic, and theres underrated gems like her cover of goodnight n go, and borderline. Also i wanna say people joke abt the song pete davidson abt how she shouldn’t have called it that, but like hearing the vibes of the song and the fact that theres so many jokes abt Pete Davidson being a women magnet it’s genius. Like imagine a small indie artist singing that cute dreamy love song and calling it pete davidson it would be fucking hilarious.

5- thank u, next- ik this is her pièce de résistance and i think it’s a great album, you rlly do get the sense that its all her emotions that were overwhelming her that she needed to get out as soon as possible. The trap style is great, with ‘in my head’ being a standout, it’s evident comparing to the rest of her stuff it’s her equivalent to a rebellious phase. It’s superrrr personal, almost too personal, not for the listeners but for her considering she said she didn’t wanna put ‘ghostin’ on the album but scooter kept pushing it. Beautiful song, but so sad. I just dont find myself revisiting a lot of them apart from in my head bc they just feel so of that time and no longer my thing.

6- yours truly- rlly cute album especially for a debut beginning of her black and white yet feline and feminine aesthetic. Luvvvedd the tenth anniversary lives she did, The Way will forever be a classic. The right there mv was everything to me as a kid. Her n big Sean were so good together their songs always hit. Putting this low bc why was there random EDM breaks at the end of some song nOt necessary gurl. And also she’s improved SO MUCH since this and it was such a strong debut its crazy

7- my everything- dont get me wrong this is great album started showing us her rnb n hip hop side, love her songs w big Sean, best mistake is one of her best songs, also be my baby (she always killed it w cashmere cat). Just the songs aren’t anything super crazy or unique theyre just 2014 hit singles if she kept up w this style instead of maturing w dangerous woman she would not be where she is now. But remember when she started a whole challenge of trying to sit on a stool bc of this album cover? Shes always got people talking even when she’s not trying.

[prezohhh]

I'm not asking this shit on anon idgaf fr gen srs 100٪. u literally changed my life for the better. i grew up in a conservative canadian small town as an undiagnosed neurodivergent brown skinned Indigenous queer person, and i think i found a safe space where i can express my queerness for the first time in my life, thanks to your community. i never knew i would have so much respect for a white french canadian... anyways...

if u had to hear anything i ever said. just be you and focus yourself at the end of the day. over my 17 years of consuming internet content, burnout is the real killer (other than being a piece of shit and getting exposed for doing such things. if u already done shitty things, ur done, dont even try. get a lowkey job when ur coworkers will never remember ur name and live the shitty life u deserve).

anyways. i hope u know how many ppl appreciate u for just being u. u don't know how much your presence in the popular streamer community is to queer people. even more so when you openly support the trans community during these utterly awful and scary times when it comes to trans rights. thank you so much.

u have singularly improved Indigenous and french canadian relations.

this is a lovely message thank you!!!!

[pleasantspark]

I Can't Imagine A Future Without You (Oneshot) Jeice x Zarbon's Daughter! OC (Mikumi) Genre: Angst & Hurt/Comfort Tropes: Third Class Act Misunderstanding Warnings: Awful Australian Accent Incoming! AUs Utilized: Overhaul AU

Age 577.

Jeice found himself pondering. He was walking around deep in thought. He was... Debating something. He's been dating Mikumi, Zarbon's Daughter for years. And... He loved her. But when he was talking to her about their previous relationships. He found out that she was involved with Captain Ginyu, and that they had a child together but it passed.

Jeice normally wouldn't care, but... He couldn't help but feel insecure knowing his own leader was involved with his girlfriend in the past. Jeice... Did know. But it didn't bother him, before she said all this. And now, he felt like he wasn't good for her. Ginyu was his leader, he was his second in command and he valued him.

But why was he jealous? Mikumi loved him and only him... He knew what he had to do. So he steeled himself and walked to her room. Upon arriving he took a deep breath.

"Mikumi, we need ta talk." He said.

"About what?" Her angelic voice said, Jeice only felt more guilty about what he was about to say.

"About us… Fahkin' too right, mate." Jeice said, Mikumi frowned.

"What about us?" Mikumi asked once more.

"U-Um..." Jeice swallowed a lump he didn't even know was there.

Come on, Jeice. Ya can say it. Just tell hah ya want ta break up. Give hah the bloody, "it's not ya, it's me."

Jeice was struggling, he couldn't bring himself to... Well, speak. But seeing her face, he finally decided to do it. He took a deep breath.

"Well, I want to bre-" Before he can say it, a bright light engulfed the room and caused Jeice to shield his eyes, Mikumi did too, and when the light subsided, he saw a figure that looked similar to him, light red skin- though, his was dark red. Golden Eyes, White hair similar to his, he wore a ripped denim jacket that was black and had a dark red undershirt, ripped blue jeans with a brown belt and holster with a gun, and white socks with red and white sneakers.

This kid was a carbon copy of him, down to the look, and exception of eyes. Jeice blinked a bit and before he could speak the kid spoke up.

"I'm JJ, I am here to say, whatever you're going to say next is going to ruin things." The kid now known as JJ said.

"Wat ahah ya saying?" Jeice asked.

"I'm saying, don't do what you're about to do." JJ urges.

"Wy?" Jeice asked once more.

"Just don't. It'll effect the future." JJ said.

JJ Lebeau, was someone who spent most of his days cleaning up any messes in any timeline. Mostly ones interlinked with his personal life. He wasn't like his associate Trunks at all when it came to fixing the past and protecting everyone there. JJ wanted to ensure his spot in the multiverse he grew up in.

So mix in his job with his passion for his family and you get a cocktail of conflicts. JJ was supposed to work with other universe's as part of his job but he couldn't help it if he hears a call from a Universe that had an instance of his parents being at the verge of a breakup he'd go.

But currently this doesn't matter, the universe he went to WAS the universe where he was conceived in. If he didn't do anything to prevent them from breaking up. His existence would be nothing essentially.

By this time, you already are well aware that JJ is Jeice and Mikumi's son from the future. A fact that he kept from any iteration of his parents as per the rules of the Time Patrol Squad. Atleast with their branch of things.

Time Patrollers are often sent to fix "Timeline Issues" they aren't directly allowed to speak to the people who they are interacting with. While what he and his buddies do are fixing timelines that had been damaged during shenanigans. Think of Zamasu and Goku Black.

JJ was born as Jeice Junior. His mom and dad had named him that because according to his Dad, he was "special and your mom wanted to show how much she loved me." If he was a girl they would have named him Jeica. Although he remembered having a sister named Jeica...

His parents were very much in love which he found very sweet. But things got very ugly quick in the past. Apparently his parents were going to break up because his father- with his unresolved insecurities and jealousy issues- had found out that Ginyu, someone who JJ considered a family friend and Uncle was involved with his Mom in the past.

His father freaked out and instead of telling his mother about his insecurity was preparing to break up with her. JJ knew he has to do something and that's what he did.

Currently, Jeice was confused about the male in front of him. He just told him... About how he'd regret his decision. What does this stranger who looks suspiciously like him.

He began to believe there's something more to this kid then there is. And he turned to face Mikumi.

"Mikumi… We'll av this chat lader." Jeice said.

"No, we need to discuss this now, you don't simply just come in here and ask to talk about our relationship and not do anything!" Mikumi snaps.

Jeice winced, he felt like a bad boyfriend now.

"I… I look, i was garn ta ask ta break up-" Jeice starts.

"Why?"

"I said I was not liyyke I was garn ta do it!" Jeice argues.

"I need to fucking know why!" Mikumi snaps.

"It's because of Ginyu okay!" Jeice said.

Mikumi was shocked. "G-Ginyu? Why?" She asked.

"…It's… I don't know, I am fahkin' afraid that ya… Might leave me fawr him. I would nevah be as good as gold as him!" Jeice said, he was on the verge of tears.

"...Jeice, I... I would never leave you... Why are you saying all this?" Mikumi asked.

"Evah since ya tol' me about ya 'n ginyu's past… I was fahkin' afraid ya might leave me fawr my best cobber." Jeice sobs on the floor. Mikumi looked at Jeice worried and hugged him.

"Jeice... I would never leave you... I love you too much for that to be a thing." Mikumi said, wiping his tears away.

"I know, i just… Seein' ya get too close… I.. Can't help but think it." Jeice said.

"Because I was with Ginyu in the past doesn't mean I would go back with him. I... I love you and only you..." Mikumi said.

"…I… I know… I'm sawrry…" Jeice said.

"I love you, never forget this..." Mikumi said.

JJ looked at his "parents" and disappeared.

Mikumi looked to where JJ was and turned to face Jeice.

"Where did he go?" Mikumi asked.

"I don't know, but i reckon i found out wat he reminded me of." Jeice said.

"Who?"

"I reckon that's our son."

[borathae]

Chapter 29

Or maybe it is the knowledge that just three staircases below you and behind far too many doors, Taehyung was still standing chained up in a cold, lonely room. :(

Why does it feel like no time had passed and yet at the same time as if far too much time had passed? yeah i mean time skip exists lol but fr mood

Or maybe it is this dreadful smell, which has been ever so present in your room. Like oakwood and myrrh. You hate this smell. It is not a particularly bad smell as for example rotten eggs or spoiled milk, instead you really hate the memories you are starting to connect with it. where did we smell oakwood before

Maybe on other days you would have called it beautiful, but not anymore. noo :(

Running comes hard for you and yet that is all you can do right now. Run and run and run and run away from the heartbreak. everything hurts 😭😭 *plays life is worth living

oh kook is leaving 😭😭😭 our boi grew up and is now moving out

omg the dark voices calling us again, is it kook? or someone else? also why is that smell there? is one of them so upset to the point its stinking for a human like her? is it tae? another prisoner?

whats going on ANSWER HER QUESTIONS ASSHOLE

t is so quiet in this room that one could hear a needle hit the floor. teachers would kill for this

HOBI I LOVE YOU

oh jin who was it? or do u not remember ? DID U FUCKING HURT TAE??? NO NO U DID NOT YOONGI U MOTHERFUKER *sighs *reads the list 3 times

PERIOD BOO WE ARE BITCHSLAPPING EVERYONE AT THIS POINT “His silence? That is all you had? Taehyung has been refusing to talk for weeks. His silence means nothing.” FUCKING REAL

HOBI I LOVE YOU PT2 (hold on i have lost count actually) at this point FUCK EVERYONE, hobi lets hold hands and walk into the sunset bye

WDYM no he didnt YOONGI? U COULD HAVE SAID THIS IDK A FEW DAYS AGO??? MONTHS AGO???

“She is still alive. She begged them to turn her and so Jimin did.” LE GASP (totally didnt see everyone talking about emma, yeah never saw that) ok i knew she may or may not exist, but i didnt know she become a gluten

20 PEOPLE DAMN fuck they could have planned it better are we going to see her anytime soon?

huh whats going on? see for yourself??

You are on a dirty cobblestone street. It smells of rotting flesh and feces. You gag, covering your nose with your hand to fight off the stench. Gloves? You look at them, then down your body. A corset? A long dress? Why are you wearing clothes of a different century? ohh we are seeing memories SHE FOR THE COBBLESTONES (sorry i had to lol)

“Be grateful. You don’t want this burden”, Yoongi says coldly, is it referring to burden as in unable to forget bad memories and bad memories/nightmares being too realistic and detailed?

We remember things that are important to us, the rest we forget piece by piece until we wander on empty streets and pass by unknown shadows.” hmm guess there is a price to for soo many memories, even our memories become less detailed over time, videos turning into picture like memories, forgetting their voice, favorite stuff etc

why are we in a hurry? its ur memories right? does it do something to him? yeah hobi's right, where is our body and what is it doing?? is the smell coming from the dead people?

wow yoongi is immersed in the memory, no wonder he wanted to hurry It frightens Emma, forcing her to make one wrong move noo

NOO JIN LEFT WHATS GOES ON MAN “I don’t know. You always have an answer” fr mood, this reminded me of mom, cuz i always say this to her lol

“No you won’t”, Yoongi stops you FUCK OFF THIS HAPPENED CUZ U ALLOWED IT AND DIDNT SAY THIS BEFORE AND NO U DONT ALLOW HER TO TALK TO TAEHYUNG wow he really has the audacity to use tae as a leverage

“You’ll be grateful once you understand” yeah ik i will, and then i will simp over you at that time, until then let me be angry at you pookie

sibi what have you done to me why am i sweating over a fiction 😭😭 why am i seeing brown filters and balls in my dreams? why are you giving me mood swings from simping too hard 😽 to crying over cuteness overload😻 and angst😿 to pissed off 😾to happy happy happy😸

oh no we are at his wing 😭😭😭 is jimin coming back?😭when will he come back? i only got to cry over for him for a few paragraphs and then bam im crying over his death

Although the moon is the only thing illuminating your path this paragraph is so good, idk what to say cuz im busy being nostalgic over that stargazing night oh yeah the portrait 😭 THE BEIGE JUMPER 😭😭😭 u are really coming for my tears huh OH NO THE SURPRISE dont look LOOK AT IT dont look LOOK AT IT noo he painted her 😭😭fuck no

the date, its soo sweet and cute UFKC u should have written it before his death it would be more cute then tear jerker (but that was the plan huh? u cute lil shit i love you, my emotions are a mess and i love this universe soo much, i wanna exist in it, actually u write so well,it is easily able to feel like u are her, without being a personality less character)

It is just how you had imagined it. Taehyung remembered. no no no 😭😭 free him please

her outburst is truly understandable but some stuff is untrue, but again she is not in a good state of mind she is beyond pissed

wow im really sniffling

oh kook is leaving 😭😭😭 our boi grew up and is now moving out

like he is actually moving closer to us and yet it's so sad that he moves out :(

omg the dark voices calling us again, is it kook? or someone else? also why is that smell there? is one of them so upset to the point its stinking for a human like her? is it tae? another prisoner?

interesting questions indeed 👀

oh jin who was it? or do u not remember ? DID U FUCKING HURT TAE??? NO NO U DID NOT YOONGI U MOTHERFUKER *sighs *reads the list 3 times

jfadjsj

WDYM no he didnt YOONGI? U COULD HAVE SAID THIS IDK A FEW DAYS AGO??? MONTHS AGO???

lmaoao for real

“She is still alive. She begged them to turn her and so Jimin did.” LE GASP (totally didnt see everyone talking about emma, yeah never saw that) ok i knew she may or may not exist, but i didnt know she become a gluten

I'm sorry but fjadsjf "a gluten" fadsjf Emma be like 🌾

20 PEOPLE DAMN fuck they could have planned it better are we going to see her anytime soon?

mhhm god question 👀

“Be grateful. You don’t want this burden”, Yoongi says coldly, is it referring to burden as in unable to forget bad memories and bad memories/nightmares being too realistic and detailed?

I think it's a mixture of both 😭

We remember things that are important to us, the rest we forget piece by piece until we wander on empty streets and pass by unknown shadows.” hmm guess there is a price to for soo many memories, even our memories become less detailed over time, videos turning into picture like memories, forgetting their voice, favorite stuff etc

yes gosh :( I'm sad that they do :( especially my memories with my grandpa I would love to keep :(

why are we in a hurry? its ur memories right? does it do something to him? yeah hobi's right, where is our body and what is it doing?? is the smell coming from the dead people?

the smell is just London in 1800-something where sanitary systems were basically the streets and the Thames BHAHAHAH 💀 the bodies are currently passed out back in the estate 👀

“No you won’t”, Yoongi stops you FUCK OFF THIS HAPPENED CUZ U ALLOWED IT AND DIDNT SAY THIS BEFORE AND NO U DONT ALLOW HER TO TALK TO TAEHYUNG wow he really has the audacity to use tae as a leverage

YES THIS BUT THEN you rememeber that maybe he doesn't want her to see him right now because he doesn't want her to see him in a tortured beat up state and he wants to save her from that trauma and you just start crying 😭

sibi what have you done to me why am i sweating over a fiction 😭😭 why am i seeing brown filters and balls in my dreams? why are you giving me mood swings from simping too hard 😽 to crying over cuteness overload😻 and angst😿 to pissed off 😾to happy happy happy😸

ah yes my job here is done

oh no we are at his wing 😭😭😭 is jimin coming back?😭when will he come back? i only got to cry over for him for a few paragraphs and then bam im crying over his death

hahhahah I don't think that Jimin is coming back my dear 😔

the date, its soo sweet and cute UFKC u should have written it before his death it would be more cute then tear jerker (but that was the plan huh? u cute lil shit i love you, my emotions are a mess and i love this universe soo much, i wanna exist in it, actually u write so well,it is easily able to feel like u are her, without being a personality less character)

gaah that is very lovely to hear!! thank you so much heheeh 💜💜

[meyhew]

seed i need you to know i have stored in my head any info i came across about your novel and whatever you want to share abt it (even just a lil detail you wrote lately) pleeeease share it i am so curious —lyde

LYDE 🥹 well firstly here are my beloveds (zahra & connor in the foreground, musa with his angel wings in the back)

the details are still very much coming to me at odd times but i can tell u that it follows zahra & connor (and musa) thru their late teens and 20s. i dont wanna spoil the plot but it's basically wrong person, wrong time then right person, tragedy strikes then right person, right time.

u can have a little bit of connor's backstory as a treat he's a rich white boy who means a lot to me <3

Athena was the first person Connor confided in when he applied to Boston University. He knew he couldn’t go directly to his parents. His mother might have understood, but there would have been no reasoning with his father. It was a fight he didn’t want to have then and there was no reason to have it; it would only be real if the university accepted Connor. 

Of course, there was no real possibility of them rejecting him. His academic record was stellar, his extracurriculars were exemplary, and his family pedigree spoke for itself. Even the essay he’d written had gotten a stamp of approval from several adults at school.

“Dad won’t be happy,” Athena had told him, though she needn’t have. Connor already knew that. 

“He never is,” he’d said. 

There was little he could do that would make Wallace Carter happy. 

But he had been living by their rules his entire life. He had gone to the schools they picked for him and practiced the sports they wanted him to and learned the instruments they thought he should play. Every aspect of his life up until now had been carefully curated by them, with little to no effort or real involvement. They thrusted all the responsibility onto Cadence.

Connor would be eighteen soon. He would move out of this house and live on his own, regardless of where he went. He wanted that decision to be his. 

So he sat his parents down in the living room and presented them with his acceptance letters—from Duke, Stanford, and five Ivy’s. All the places he had applied to, bar his safety option.  

His father read each letter thoroughly, while his mother skimmed them all. She smiled warmly as she glanced at the letterheads and then got up to hug Connor. It was an awkward maneuver because Athena sat on the arm of the chair Connor was in, but he didn’t mind.  

“I’m so proud of you,” Marion said. 

He wanted to believe her, so he did. 

Then she went back and sat on the couch. They made a nice picture of success, the four of them: husband and wife side by side, their dutiful children across the room barely an arm’s length away from one another. It was a picture of success, if success were defined as a nuclear family in wealthy New England suburbs going through the youngest’s latest accomplishments. 

“Well done, son,” said Wallace. He regarded Connor with the same satisfaction one might hold for a dog that’s finally mastered a new trick. “You’ve nearly outdone your sister.” 

Nearly. Because Connor would always fall short of besting Athena. 

Athena had applied to and been accepted to all eight Ivy Leagues. She hadn’t entertained the notion that she might not get in. She hadn’t had a safety net. Then she went on to study neuroscience at Brown. 

Connor wasn’t upset about it. It wasn’t his goal to outdo his sister. He knew she was the smarter sibling and he didn’t see why he should bend over backwards trying to prove himself when he was already secure in his intelligence. 

That didn’t stop the backhanded compliments from cutting just deep enough.

“Have you given any thought to where you might go?” Wallace asked. “Dartmouth isn’t too far and they always loved your grandfather. There’s a legacy there.” 

Yes, the legacy. Connor grew up hearing about the legions of Carter men and women who attended Dartmouth College. He’d seen countless grayscale and sepia photographs of family members past in gowns and graduation caps. 

He didn’t want his own face to be added to the pile. 

“Actually,” he started. 

Stopped. 

The weight of his father’s stare was too expectant and the words clogged his throat. 

Then his sister’s foot pressed against his shin. He realized he’d been bouncing his leg alarmingly fast. 

“They won’t be able to stop you,” Athena had said to him a week ago. “They’ll give you a hard time and bitch about it for a while, but ultimately it’s up to you. They won’t make you not go to college.” 

Athena wasn’t the kind of person who said bitch about it very often. Connor had found it strangely, immensely comforting to hear. 

He squared his shoulders. “I was actually thinking about the Boston area.” 

“Well, sure, that’s just as good. Harvard has a stellar reputation, though, of course—” 

“Not Harvard, Dad. Boston as in Boston University.” 

Wallace Carter wasn’t taken aback by much, so it was a great feat that he was rendered utterly speechless. He looked back and forth between his children, like he expected them to start laughing and say Oh, we got you good! Then he looked at his wife, who simply blinked back at him. 

Finally his dark eyes settled firmly on his son. 

“Carters lead by example,” he said. “We invest in our education, and do so by entrusting the most prestigious institutions with it. Why on earth would you possibly want to attend a mediocre school when you can enjoy all the privileges and benefits that come with a place like Dartmouth?” 

This was a precarious line he stood on. Teeter too much one way or the other and he would fall over. 

“I’ve been to places like Dartmouth,” he said carefully. “All my life, the schools I’ve been to have been miniature Dartmouths and Harvards. I want to explore something new. I want to know how other people are living their lives.” 

Some muscle ticked in Wallace’s jaw. “You are not other people. You are a Carter and you will behave as such. We have invested too much in you.” 

“Invested? You mean you’ve given us the basic necessities all parents are to provide their children with?” 

“Son, you know we have done damn well more than that.” 

Athena’s voice cut in quietly, firmly. “Dad, don’t do that. Don’t make this about you.” 

“And who else should it be about? We pay for your education but we can’t express an opinion? We can’t guide you when we see you making erroneous decisions?” 

“He got in. He’s still good enough for your prestigious institutions. Why can’t he choose the one that makes him happy.” 

“It’s not about getting in. It’s about making a commitment to what is right,” Wallace explained as though he were speaking to a child and not his grown daughter. 

To Connor he said, “The son we raised would not disappoint us like this.” 

Connor slipped. Toppled over the tightrope.

“Because I’m not the son you raised. You didn’t raise me. Candace did.” 

There it was. The thing they never talked about. The thing none of them ever wanted to talk about. The thing that was so normal for them it had always been a nonissue, except for the times kids at schools asked why they never saw Connor’s parents.

[loosesodamarble]

sup! for the new yr special,,can i have noelle with b3(platonic)? i luv ur writing so much u are one of my fav writers!

Hi there, Anon~! You can certainly have a scenario like that! I had so much fun writing my favorite little lady Noelle for this request. It might be my new favorite piece from this event so thanks for requesting!

I’m one of your favorite writers? 😳😳😳😳 I nebdidkmwhdidow!

Summary: Noelle stumbles upon you during a special ritual and while you’re both awkward, it all ends well. Genre: general Word count: ~900

..........

It was morning in the Black Bull Hideout. You had gotten up bright and early to prepare breakfast as per the chore assignments for the day. There was the smell of bacon, eggs, and pancakes in the air. A platter of sliced fruit glistened in the morning light. Accompanying the soon to be devoured feast was the sound of you singing.

“Do the cooking song and dance! Do the cooking ditty prance!” you sang while scooping out a generous amount of brown sugar and plopping it into a pot of oatmeal. “Doo doo doo! What’s the point of food if it don’t make you feel good?”

You bounced on the tips of your toes and reached for the cinnamon.

“And you shake your little tooshy like you shake a little shaker!” You shook out the cinnamon over the oatmeal while stirring it. “Don’t be shy! You wanna lotta fun like you wanna lotta fl—!”

“What are you doing?”

You froze for a moment before whirling around to face your junior Bull, Noelle. Her brow was raised and her head was cocked to the side in curiosity.

“What do you mean, ‘what are you doing’?” you said, avoiding the answer. You were well aware of the embarrassed flush already on your face. Trying to hide your embarrassment, you smiled but you were sure it wasn’t convincing in the slightest. “I was just making breakfast, obviously.” Which reminded you to cut the heat and move the oatmeal so it didn’t burn. All while keeping your eyes on Noelle.

“Really?” Noelle raised her quirked up brow a little higher. “I’m pretty sure I saw you dancing.”

“Whaaat? Me dancing? Maybe I was just… Um… Swatting a bug away?”

“No. You were dancing,” Noelle insisted as she propped up her hands to stand akimbo. “And you were singing. What were the words? ‘Shake your little heinie—’”

“Tooshy,” you instinctively corrected before slapping a hand over your mouth. “You didn’t hear anything!”

“Aha!” Noelle pointed at you and smiled triumphantly.

“A-a girl like you should be saying such, um, sil—scandalous words like ‘heinie’ or ‘tooshy’ anyways,” you stammered while avoiding meeting Noelle’s gaze.

“Really?” Noelle’s pose deflated, likely from annoyance. “I’m sixteen, not six.” She stood up straight before asking, “So what was that all about?”

“It was about nothing.” Your face burned hotter.

“It didn’t look that way to me.���

“C’mon Noelle! Can’t I preserve my dignity, just a little?”

“You’re a Black Bull. You don’t have dignity.”

“Hah!” You clutched your chest with one hand and touched the back of your other to your forehead. “Oh such sharp, cruel words! From sweet, little Noelle of all people!”

“H-hey!” Noelle flinched as she turned red in the face. “D-don’t try to distract me with compliments! J-just tell me why you were singing and dancing like that!”

“Okay fine.” You took a deep breath. “I have a terrible medical condition where I—”

“Th-the truth, preferably!”

“Right… Truth…” You sighed and bowed your head. “So if I tell you the real reason, can you promise you won’t be weirded out?”

“Something tells me I’m gonna be weirded out regardless,” Noelle replied, still looking a little flustered.

Better than nothing.

“Well, I grew up in an orphanage like Asta,” you began. “I’m a lot older than all the other kids so I help take care of them a bit. That includes cooking. But the thing is that the kitchen at the orphanage is funky and cooking takes a long time so I… To make sure the younger kids didn’t get impatient for meals, I’d distract them.” You fidgeted with your hands as you explained the story. “At first I’d try to make up stories or tell jokes but I was pretty bad at that. So I started singing and dancing instead, and it worked! And now that I’m here… I do it sometimes because I just… Miss home sometimes…”

You looked up to gauge Noelle’s reaction. And you let out a gasp when you saw her tearing up.

“That’s… so adorable!” she squealed. She fanned her face with a hand. “You really started doing something so silly for those kids without shame.”

Well I’m glad she’s not laughing in my face. But she still thinks it’s silly. You shook her mind free of those thoughts. “Well since it made the kids happy, I had no reason to be ashamed. In fact, I’m kinda proud of my performances.”

Thinking about the kids cheering you on or even joining in brought a grin to your face. And thinking of Noelle’s compliment made the memories even warmer.

“So uh, were you done with breakfast?” Noelle asked, bringing you out of your thoughts entirely.

“Huh? Well…” You looked back at the incomplete oatmeal and glanced at the pancake toppings you’d yet to lay out. “There’s not much else to do…”

“L-let me help you then!” Noelle exclaimed, lunging forward with her hands balled into fists. “We can sh-shake out tooshies together, ya’ know?”

“Snrk! BWAHAHAHAHAAA!” You reeled back, overcome with joy and hysteria at Noelle’s enthusiasm.

“Do you want me to take back my offer?!”

You couldn’t answer, still consumed by laughter. Something about her offended tone was too cute.