#I had a classmate who had these braces so maybe that's why

[yes-asil]

Rewatched the movie, heard the line and my brain immediately went "Chronic knee pain, alright."

[everything-fine-n-peachy]

agree to disagree (z.cl)

pairings: zhong chenle x reader genre: high school angst summary: y/n thinks chenle has the biggest head on the planet (literally and figuratively) and chenle is a boy with a crush and a lot of issues to work through.

warning: slight mention of parental neglect and ensuing anxiety

You hated Chenle’s guts. 

There was just something about this boy that made your eyes roll every single time he was with you in the same room. You had to agree that there were perks to haveing someone as affluent as Chenle in your grade. The sponsorships from his family during school events meant that teachers were inevitably more lenient. But behind this so called generosity, you could clearly see the humble brag that he was. 

Everyone adored the fair skinned boy who liked to laugh obnoxiously loud with his friends who all wore rolex watches. There was an undeniable envy behind the thin veil of admiration that everyone seemed to have though. Except you, ya’ll stay safe. 

You knew it since day one of the 7th grade when the teacher announced elections for class officers a week prior. Elections that you intended to win. The next day Chenle showed up with a bag of lollipops for everyone, automatically securing him a win as president of the class while you lost with less than five votes to your name. 

It wasn’t to say that he did a lousy job. But he wasn’t going to silently work behind the scenes, no. He liked to make everyone aware of his status and wealth in the most subtle of ways. Free snacks whenever he felt like it, free entrance at the golfclub their family owned, and souvenirs for everyone from when he would go overseas with his grandparents. And you hated it. The feeling of being treated as a charity case. Like this boy thought he could buy everyone’s love. But not you. 

“I hope everyone enjoys the free handwash mom says they cost a lot,” he announced. You with the long French braid and mouth full of braces promptly had enough by then. 

You approach him with your irritation having reached it’s limit within your stature of four-feet-eleven. “If you’re always going to tell us how expensive everything is, then I think you should just shut up,” you spat, shoving the pink paper packing into his chest. You walk away with satisfaction as Chenle muttered crap about how it was from the tropical islands of whatever country you couldn’t pronounce. 

Your hate was was palpable across the entire grade for the next five years. Everyone knew that you and Chenle didn’t mix except maybe your 12th grade English teacher. 

“Class this is just for the first term. No one is being forced to sign a marriage certificate so I would appreciate if everyone cooperated with their partner,” Ms. Son commented as she flashed the list of pairs on the screen in front.

You visibly frowned, “you gotta be kidding me.” Jaemin, who sat next to you tried to contain his laughter upon realizing that you had in fact been paired-up with Chenle. Ms. Son eyes anyone who dared to complain before explaining the project. “I want each pair to pick a topic that you disagree on. For the next nine weeks I want you to come up with a presentation on how communication skills will help you understand a different perspective.” 

Murmurs fill the room. Some of your classmates are excited. Many are quite bored and just wish the bell would ring. You are downright fumming at Chenle’s audacity to wave at you from across the room when your eyes meet. 

On the first meeting you drag yourself into the library for the inevitable. Chenle lounges lazily on one of the bean bags, engrossed in his tablet. You drop your things on an empty table before clearing your throat. 

“I think the sooner we get this over with the better,” you say with a tight lipped expression. He agrees before standing up and joining you on the table. 

You notice him studying you and can’t help but fumble with your pencil and notebook. “Why are you looking at me?” 

“I just can’t figure out why you hate me so much,” he mutters more to himself than to you. 

“We’re here to discuss the assignment.” you pointedly respond before proceeding to go over some of the topics you wanted to tackle. As you’re reading off the list you notice Chenle’s eyes linger on you a few times. You find the way he can keep eye contact unsettling but you push on wanting the assignment to be over sooner rather than later. 

The good news was that you found plenty of topics that you disagree on. The bad news was that none of you could get through a conversation without picking a fight, well mostly you couldn’t get through a conversation without picking a fight. 

You mutually decide that Renjun would be present on your second meeting. You both think maybe a mediator would help you. But not even 30 minutes in and Renjun’s hands are rubbing his cheeks in frustration. 

 “Let’s take this from the top shall we?” He reiterates,” you need to listen to each other first. Stop trying to win over each other.” 

“I think there’s nothing wrong with using your connections to get farther in life, if I have an advantage why shouldn’t I use it?” Chenle states.  

“If said advatange is within your reach because of privileges that you have, shouldn’t that be regulated by policy?” You bite back. 

“They /are/ regulated by policy. Don’t companies have referals? Isn’t that even better since people are vouching for them?” 

At this point Renjun let out an exasperated sigh. None of you were listening to each other, let alone him. “Guys, the pont of this assignment is to hear both sides. I need you to find some common ground,” he exclaims earning some looks from other kids in the lounge. 

The two of you promptly stop arguing. Renjun sighs again, “you don’t actually disagree as much as you think.” 

You snort in response, “yeah and Chenle just needs to get his big head back to earth to see that not everyone has a rich family who can get them places.” 

“Why do you always act like that’s a bad thing?” Chenle retaliates. 

“It’s a bad thing when you keep trying to buy your way through life!” you yell. 

You visibly see Chenle shrink back into his chair. His face morphs into something you’re not sure of. Even you are a little surprised at yourself. 

Chenle presses his lips together. He laughs to himself before speaking, “well, I don’t know what to say to that. But I have taekwondo training in five, so …” 

You watch Chenle gather his stuff in silence. You stare hard at the blue metallic surface of the table long after Chenle is out the door. 

“That was pretty mean even by your standards,” Renjun said. “I get that he’s annoying but isn’t that a bit unfair considering you barely know him?” 

That night you stare up at the ceiling finding it hard to sleep. You toss and turn thinking about Chenle. You remember the boy who bragged about his thousand dollar drone, the boy who accidentally dumped his iphone in the pond and had a new one the next day, the boy who liked to tell people that money wasn’t a problem. 

Then you also remembered that he was the boy whose parents didn’t show up to any ribbon ceremony, the kid who constantly brought nannies instead of family to his school shows, and the only one who hadn’t received a personalized letter from his mom or dad during the senior retreat in 10th grade. 

You think you don’t really know Chenle as much as you’d like to think. Maybe you were the problem for allowing your 7th grade grudge get the best of you for the last five years. Maybe, you needed to give this project a chance by not sabotaging it nearly as much as you did. 

You’re nervous when the third meeting comes up. Words have been scarce between you and Chenle but you at least have the decency to set up another meeting at the library. You’re a few minute early but soon five minutes turned into ten and ten turned into twenty. You attempted to text your partner but to no avail, you try and look for him yourself. 

A few steps into the 12th grade corridor you hear shuffling in one of the rooms. Curious, you follow the sounds and find yourself face to face with Chenle who was in the process of pacing. You can’t help but notice that his hands shake a bit. 

“Go away,” he says. When you don’t follow his command, he let’s out a shaky breath and a tiny laugh before slumping against the wall. You stand and watch as he sinks to the ground. 

“You’re probably right. All I have going for me is my family and I can’t even please them. Can't win a medal, can't get on the merit list.” 

You find yourself sitting next to him, leaning your head against the wall. Not quite sure what to respond, you let him drawl on. 

“I don’t even like taekwondo,” he laughed to himself again. 

“Why do you do it then if you don’t like it?”

“It’s the only tournament my dad ever attends.” 

Your eyes look straight at the windows that offer a view of the sun setting beautifully in soft hues of pink and stark orange while you both bask in the misery of the moment. 

“I got into university today. The university that they wanted for me so badly.” 

“Do you want to go?” 

“No,” he chuckled, covering his face with his hands. 

“Then don’t go. You’re plenty smart I’m sure you’ll find a good university that you actually want to go to,” you reply turning your face to look at Chenle. 

He takes a deep breath, shaking his head. “My parents have already paid for the first semester.” 

There’s a long pause before Chenle speaks again. “I was thinking about what you said a couple of days ago. It kinda stung but it wasn’t something I heard for the first time.” 

You unconsciously shift your position, uneasy at how Chenle’s demeanor changed from the last time you spoke to him with Renjun at the students’ lounge. He seemed so vulnerable, cocky have-it-all attitude all gone. Instead, a very much exhausted Chenle seemed to take his place. 

“I don’t take any offense, don’t worry,” he assured you. “I just reaized for the first time that I actually let myself use my pain as an excuse. I parade this generational wealth around since that’s all it was ever good for.” 

You feel yourself soften at his confession. Not that he was totally forgiven but it was a start. “That still isn’t an excuse for me being mean to you for the longest time. I apologize,” you mutter, eyes looking ahead. 

“I guess we can call it even since I’ve been a jerk to you, too. Sorry bout that.” 

You turn only to realize that Chenle was already looking at you. He had always been looking at you except you never did notice. He liked the way your eyes reflected the pretty sunset. Even after five years, his crush on you hadn’t worn off. 

Truth be told, he pulled half the stunts he did to get your attention. Winning class president, giving away free strawberry hand soap because he had overheard that you liked the color pink, engaging you in arguments, and everything in between. 

He knew from when you didn’t back down from him during class elections. Since then he only found more reasons to reaffirm his feelings with everything you do. His heart would skip a beat when your bright voice fills a room when you talk about social injustice, the way you were so proud of your dad, a teacher on career day, or the way you earnestly listen to your friends when they have something to say. 

Chenle offers his hand, “to new beginnings?” 

“To new beginnings,” you replied. 

As you’re both standing up to leave you can’t help but feel the urge say something. “Chenle, about the university. I guess there won’t be any harm if you honestly tell your parents that you don’t want to go. Just a suggestion,” you offer with your palms raised. 

For the first time, you experience Chenle smiling at you. Like, really smiling at you. You aren’t particularly sure why but you notice the crinkle of his eyes and the lopsided curve of his lips and you can’t help but feel endeared. 

“Well, there’s that,” he says. “But I’m hungry. We should order pizza.” 

You nod in reply, “as long as you aren’t getting them with pineapples, I’m down.” 

Chenle’s eyes widen as he slowly lowers his phone, “you don’t like pineapples on pizza?” 

“They’re disgusting, no.” 

“But they bring out all the other flavors!” he exclaims. 

You smile at him while he continues to tap on his phone. As you walk down the corridor you think- no, you feel that something has changed and even if you wouldn’t want to admit it, you were glad that it did. 

“Let’s just agree to disagree,” you finally said, putting one foot in front of the other. 

[ratgrinders]

anyways ivy embra post because on god if she wont get the scenes in canon ill imagine it myself

Ivy and Oisin were friends in middle school. Oisin was still scrawny and hadn't had his growth spurt yet and Ivy hadn't yet gotten her braces taken off. They meet each other in some group project or club or whatever, the setting doesn't matter, but what happens is you have these two children with the inherent shittiness of middle schoolers who maybe haven't had the easiest time making friends because their passive aggressiveness is too aggressive, their barbs not hidden. And they act the same way with this new, kind of nerdy looking stranger they meet and find a kindred spirit. All of a sudden you're 12/13 years old with an outlet for all the shittalking about your classmates you want. You stick together like glue, it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks of you two because they all fuckin suck anyway, and you finally found someone who isn't a wuss and can give as good as they take.

Oisin gets better at hiding it though, being raised by a long family line of evil dragons who have had to hide their connections in plain sight will do that to you. Ivy never lost that edge around her though.

The first day of classes Freshman Year at the Aguefort Adventuring Academy, Oisin's met with this group of randos, they seem competent enough, the tall sad one seems nice enough if a bit of a pushover and the small one with the ponytail seems to have her entire academic career planned out already. She's intent on the name the High Five Heroes, it's a pun, get it? Because there's five of them. But Oisin won't go anywhere without his best friend. He pulls Ivy over, and Ivy isn't having the best luck finding a party (she insults them saying why would she want to join a party with any of these losers anyway, when they're put off by one pointed comment too many). Oisin tells the others they could do well with a fighter, that they're sticking together. The tall one, the gnome, and the kobold don't seem to mind (or don't care), but the halfling seems to have swallowed a lemon. "Well, there's six of us now which throws off the entire point of the name, but that's fine! I don't care!" (she's stubborn and doesn't want to change it).

Ivy and Kipperlilly clash CONSTANTLY. Kipperlilly's specific brand of Type A nerdiness and uptightness clashes horrifically with Ivy's specific attitude of not giving a fuck and chronic need to get under people's skin. And yet, Kipperlilly's barely concealed rage and passive aggression leads that same realization Ivy had back in middle school, of having finally found a kindred spirit. If there's two things Kipperlilly and Ivy have in common, it's their initial impression driving most people away, and their need to externalize this jealousy and bad feelings as hatred and disdain for others. They LOVE gossiping. Ivy's always down to be a hater.

Corsica Jones, the fighter teacher, sees Ivy come in on the first day of classes, bow in hand, and is immediately reminded of the sister she lost, who is still missing. Every time she trains Ivy on her stance, on basic hand-to-hand, she's reminded of the times she taught her sister the very same things. She's worried, because Ivy always seems so closed off and not very engaged, so full of rage. Unfortunately Corsica's attempts to reach out and forge a connection are stopped in their infancy when instead the barbarian teacher takes an interest in her. "Well, at least she has support from someone on the faculty, even if it isn't me."

It's Oisin that kills her. They always go off as a pair anyway, and Oisin may have been acting off recently but who is she to judge a bit of anger. But a quick stab to the back, one Choice later, and all Ivy can think about is rage.

After the Mountains of Chaos, Ivy's disdain becomes Venomous. Suddenly its not fun gossip but outright Hatred, its saying words maximized for cruelty directly to the person's face, because there's a kind of sick vindication in hurting the people who rejected you for so long, even if they may not deserve it. She and Kipperlilly don't get along anymore, snide comments and petty jabs devolving into screaming matches and insults. She proposes the name Rat Grinders with Oisin, because her stubbornness at refusing to change the name isn't endearing anymore, and there are six of them, did you oppose me joining the party that badly? It's a bit funny to see her so worked up over a stupid party name, that kind of earnest childish straightforwardness of the High Five Heroes makes her gag. The Rat Grinders is a funny inside joke, and Ivy is not comfortable engaging anymore without that layer of irony. For some reason, it doesn't feel good in the same way to hurt Kipperlilly like this, it just leave a knot of frustration that rankles in her stomach, because why does she care so much??

When Lucy dies, she doesn't remember much. She remembers the realization at the choice she'd made, and the rage that followed. Afterwards, though, was a deep all consuming bitterness. Of course she wasn't coming back, little miss goody two shoes never had any intentions of following through and left the rest of us with the fallout. She never expected otherwise, and she refuses to mourn someone who did not give enough of a shit about them to come back. She doesn't think about how Lucy helped her bleach her hair, how she braided Lucy's in return. How Lucy's birthday was coming up and she bought her new clothes, how that bag will stay unopened in her room now.

When she dies on the floor of her high school gymnasium, desperately defending every callous insult she's made with her dying breath, her last moments are spent locking eyes with her best friend, who is looking on in horror. She thinks back to a similar scenario, last year, when that same friend saw her dying and did nothing. She thinks back to them in seventh grade, trading childish insults without any real weight. And then she doesn't think anything at all.

[thestoryofella]

rainy day

summary: you are terribly unprepared for the weather, luckily your neighbor is dressed for a flood.

warnings: fluff, swearing

steve harrington x reader ✿ 976 words

There was nothing more soothing to you than the gentle patter of rain, splashing onto your bedroom window, a stream of light filling your room with the sunrise. So, when you woke up to a mist of rain spraying through your opened bedroom window, you knew it was a good day.

You got ready in a hurry, quickly throwing on clothes suitable for the weather, brushing through your hair, and practically running to the front door to slip on your shoes and grab an umbrella. It wasn’t until you tried to open your only umbrella on the front porch that you realized maybe today wasn’t going to be a good day.

“Well, fuck,” you muttered, the umbrella springs weakly flopping back down after you attempted to shove it open. You love observing the rain, being around it, not being drenched with it. From the looks of the outdoors, you were going to get drenched without an umbrella.

Looking from under the roof of your porch revealed an absolute downpour of rain. The rain came down torrentially, sliding off your roof visually similar to a waterfall rather than singular droplets. Given that your raincoat from last season didn’t fit anymore, and your umbrella decided to shrivel back up on itself, you were screwed.

Bracing yourself, you stepped out from the protection of the roof, immediately being hit by heavy water droplets. Living only half a mile from Hawkins High School was usually great until it meant you lived too close to be a part of the bus system. Today, you despised your proximity to the school.

Walking as quickly as you could manage, you marched through puddles of water that were practically ponds due to the uneven road, quickly feeling the weight of water as it soaked through your normally warm sweater.

You only managed to make it one block before hearing the voice of your only other classmate who had to walk to Hawkins too: Steve Harrington. He jogged up to you in an outfit that sent deep waves of jealousy through your soul. He looked uncharacteristically nerdy as he was readily equipped with rain boots, a rain jacket, and an umbrella. I wonder if he’s even found waterproof hairspray for the weather, you accidentally let out a small snort at that last thought.

Steve was nice, nicer than you expected him to be given his popularity and seemingly exclusive friend group. Despite the fact that you two never talked outside of school, you’d developed a relationship as friendly acquaintances due to your close living proximity and shared understanding of just how shitty walking to school every morning was.

When he meets you, Steve gapes. His eyebrows raise so incredulously that they almost meet his scalp. “Y/N! Did you forget your umbrella?” His breath fills the air with small, quick puffs of clouds, coming out in quick pants after running to catch up with you.

Continuing your pace, not wishing to be out in the rain for any longer than necessary, you and Steve fall step in step making your way toward school. Recalling the events of your morning, you gain a new twinge of frustration in your heart but nod nonetheless. A small frown sets in on your face, “something similar to that. It just wouldn’t open this morning no matter how hard I pushed upwards.”

“Gosh, I hate it when that happens,” he huffs out. “You know the last time we had rain like this, the same thing happened to me,” he gestures to his outfit, with his hand on his hip, “hence why I’m wearing this.”

You let out a small laugh, tossing your head back a little, after observing the ridiculousness of his outfit for the second time this morning. His rain boots look extra silly as you walk on the evenly paved main road, barely even submerging into any water as it readily went down the storm drains. “You know, I was wondering why you had so much rain gear on,” you laugh.

He looks up at you, and a look of embarrassment spreads across his face, a slight pink dusting his cheeks. He has to fight the urge to facepalm himself when he notices your rain-soaked hair. Here he was in every item of rain gear he could ever need while the rain pelted your clothes, gradually lengthening your sweater as the weight of the rain pushed it down your torso.

Without a word, he moved his umbrella to cover both of your bodies and the immediate coverage from the rain was relieving. However, you couldn’t tell if the warmth came from the end of the torrential rain pelting your clothes, Steve’s warm shoulder brushing up against yours, or the heat that crept up your face because of his thoughtful actions.

“Thank you,” you spoke quietly, slightly embarrassed accepting a thoughtful gesture. You’d always struggled with that.

“I figured I should put you out of your misery,” Steve laughed, his brown eyes and cheeks crinkling as a smile overtook his face. You two walked shoulder to shoulder as Steve made an effort to stay close enough to cover the two of you, although his raincoat would probably have him covered.

Walking shoulder to shoulder, you two gradually made it to Hawkins High School, mostly in comfortable silence as you enjoyed the sound of the rain, the tweets of morning birds, and the rustling leaves on overhanging green trees.

When you reached the school, you were filled with a comfortable warmth that you weren’t sure was from the relief of the umbrella or your thoughtful savior who was comically overdressed for a rain storm.

“See you around neighbor,” Steve waved in his oversized raincoat, a few droplets shaking off from the action, with a newfound twinkle in his eye you hadn’t noticed early this morning.

“Have a good one, Steve.”

[spacetime1969]

Danny Fenton’s Field Trip to the Ghost Zone!

I have had the wonderful opportunity to write a fic inspired by the art of the wonderful @arisu-artnfics as part of @ecto-implosion. I ended up thinking it would be fun to bring in a trope from a completely different fandom, and write a Peter Parker Field Trip fic for Danny Fenton. Enjoy!

Chapter 3: We’re Almost There!

Ao3 | First | Previous | Next

When Dash woke up it was to the sound of cheerful voices outside, and the green light of the Ghost Zone's sky.

He rubbed his eyes as he climbed off his cot. Grabbing his jacket, he looked around the bus. It looked like he wasn't the last one awake, but he was definitely close.

He carefully made his way out of the bus so he didn’t wake anyone. Outside several tables had been set up and his classmates were enjoying what appeared to be a strangely normal cafeteria breakfast.

He stepped off the bus to go find his friends, only for a little kid to fly straight through him. Before he could even flinch he was bowled over by Fenton crashing into him. He completely knocked Dash off his feet, which, even if he hadn't been braced for it, was slightly embarrassing for the star quarterback.

Dash heard a childish laugh and looked up to see a little blue skinned girl floating above them. “HA HA HA! Beware! I am Box Lunch! And you will never be able to catch me Danny!”

“Oh yeah squirt! Watch me!” Fenton pushed Dash off of him and lunged at the little ghost. “Tickle attack!” He grabbed her and tickled her sides, sending the girl into peals of laughter.

“Stop Stop!” The girl eventually said through her laughter. Danny laughs and stops his tickles to lift the girl onto his shoulder, making her giggle again. “Come on Box Lunch, let's get you back to your parents.”

He turned to look at Dash. “Grab some breakfast Dash. Dora called Lunch Lady over after the storm. She designed the menu at Casper High way back in the day, so it should all be pretty familiar,” Danny said, walking off with a giggling ghost girl on his shoulders.

Dash was left slightly baffled, but with nothing else to do, he pulled himself up off the ground and made his way over to his friends, grabbing one of the trays of breakfast on the way over.

“Hey guys,” he said, sitting down with the other A-Listers.

“Hey Dash, how'd you sleep?” Star asked.

He shrugged. “I've slept worse I guess.”

Paulina whined. “I knowwww. Those beds were so uncomfortable!”

Kwan chuckled. “Personally, it was Manson and Foley chanting all night long that kept me up.”

“Oh yeah. Speaking of which, have you run into Manson yet?” Star asked.

Dash furrowed his brow. “No? Why?”

Star winced. “Maybe avoid her if you can. She threatened to gut me with a spoon when I asked her where she got her coffee from.”

Dash looked out over the other tables set up in the field. Sure enough there was Manson with a steaming mug of coffee, she looked up at him and gave him a glare that made Dash fear for his life. He quickly looked away.

“Noted. Did you guys seen Fenton? He absolutely bodied me as I got off the bus.”

“Oh yeah, was that little girl still with him?” Paulina asked.

“Yeah, he called her Box Lunch. Any idea who she is?”

Kwan nodded and swallowed a spoonful of cereal. “Apparently he babysits for the box and lunch lady ghosts. She's their kid.”

Dash shook his head. “Yeah alright. They can do magic, and he babysits for ghosts. Think there’s anything else Fenton’s been hiding?” The others laughed. It was a very strained and slightly hysterical set of laughs.

“I'm not sure I'm ready for whatever else we might find out today.”

They ate the rest of their breakfasts and chatted for a little longer, before Fenton called everyone together with a whistle.

“Alright everyone! We've fixed the bus and are all set to go! Boxy and Lunch Lady were able to give us directions directly to the Far Frozen, so we'll be heading straight there.

“If you’re still eating, finish up, and everyone back onto the bus. Be quiet in the back though. Mr. Lancer is still sleeping.”

Dash collected the other A-Listers trays and put them away.

They continued to chat as they climbed back on the bus, thanking Lunch Lady as she and Box Lunch handed them all snacks for the road.

Out the bus window he watched Fenton and the others thank the queen, before climbing into the bus with the rest of them.

Technus announced their next stop a little more quietly than usual, so as not to wake up the snoring Mr. Lancer in the back, but still with just as much enthusiasm as always. "Next stop: The Far Frozen!"

The doors of the bus closed and Fenton and his friends waved goodbye to their ghostly friends as the bus jumped into the sky, and then they were off.

It turned out the Far Frozen was still a good distance away, which made sense considering the name. Even with all the flying they had done the day before they would have at least another hour of flying to get there.

Honestly, it wasn’t that bad. Someone broke out an Uno deck, someone else produced a sharpie to draw a mustache on Lancer's Face, and the time flew. It was actually relaxing to have a, sort of, regular drive after everything that had happened the day before.

They had been flying for a good while when a call from the front of the bus got Dash's attention.

“Hey! I can see the Far Frozen from here!” Foley called.

Dash straightened from where he had been slumped in his chair and looked out the front of the bus.

Off in the distance he could see a shining island. Its pure white snow stood out vividly against the background green of the Ghost Zone.

“Land ho!” someone called.

They were almost there! just a few more minutes and they would finally be able to get home.

Something slammed into the side of the bus, and Dash hit his head on the seat in front of him.

~o0o~

Danny was happy. They were almost to the Far Frozen.

Finally he would be able to stop worrying about his classmates and get back home.

He just hoped that nothing was going to go wrong for this final stretch.

Danny being Danny, the moment he thought this was, of course, the moment things went wrong.

An ectoblast hit the side of the bus and his classmates screamed. Danny was thrown into the side of the bus by the force of the impact, but thankfully he landed on his shoulder and not his head.

He glanced at his friends, checking them for injuries instinctively. He had no idea if the rest of his classmates were as lucky, but at the very least his friends were still in fighting shape.

“Technus, what was that?” he called.

Technus's voice was terrified. “It's him.”

Danny didn't have to wonder who he meant long.

“Danny Phantom! Come out and face me!”

Danny knew that voice. It was one of the voices that haunt his nightmares.

Someone had freed Pariah Dark.

Danny looked behind him at his terrified classmates, and then back to his friends. “Well I guess it's time to let the ghost cat out of the bag.”

His friends rolled their eyes at him. “Realy Danny? That wasn't even a good quip!” Sam complained.

Danny snorted. Eh, it was still better than nothing. He grew serious. “I want you three to defend the bus, get it to the Far Frozen while I handle Pariah.”

His friends nodded. “We'll handle it. You go kick some ghost but, Phantom.” Val said, giving him a pat on the shoulder.

He stood up and stepped into the middle of the bus.

He made eye contact with Dash who had fallen into the aisle and grinned. This might not be the best way to reveal his secret, but oh boy was he going to enjoy seeing Dash's reaction.

“I'm going ghost!”

Familiar rings of pure white appeared around his waist. He willed them to split apart with just a thought, and felt the electric chill of his ectoplasm spread out from his core and fill his body. He felt the once terrifying but now familiar feeling of his heartbeat stopping and being replaced by a pulsing power, and his clothes changed from his usual shirt and jeans to his now signature black and white jumpsuit.

He grinned as the light faded and he could see the absolutely gobsmacked faces of his classmates, and the recently woken Mr. Lancer, as they realized that the nerdy Danny Fenton was actually their beloved local hero.

He raised two fingers to his head and saluted them with a smirk. “Surprise! Now if you'll excuse me, I have a former king to put down for a nap.”

He let his hold on his physical form go, and fell through the bottom of the bus.

He flew up above the bus and turned to face Pariah. “Is someone grumpy cause he got woken up from his nap too early?”

Pariah scoffed. “Let us dispense with the pleasantries, Phantom, and get straight to the part where I end your pitiful existence.”

Danny bared his teeth in a grin. “Very well, Pariah, I accept your challenge.”

He flew at the other ghost, firing ectoblasts as he approached.

Pariah blocked them with his mace, and lunged at him in turn. His mace swung straight for Danny's head.

Danny weaved around it, landing a solid hit to Pariah's face.

Unfortunately, this meant he was just a little too close to dodge when Pariah used his free hand to punch him.

Danny was sent flying, and, had he been human, the impact likely would have broken several ribs. But instead he simply willed his flight to straighten out and used the momentum to swing back and attack Pariah even harder.

They traded blows back and forth, Danny switching between his ice, his ectoblasts, and plain old punches.

Pariah managed to land his own share of hits, but it was very clear that this fight was incredibly different from when they had first fought back in Danny's freshman year.

Danny wasn't that same scared kid anymore, and Pariah was now clearly the weaker opponent. He struggled to adapt to Danny's attacks and block his hits.

Danny laughed and grabbed Pariah's weapon, sending a powerful ectoblast into the other ghost’s chest at the same time.

Pariah lost his grip on the mace and went flying backwards.

He roared with rage, his armor now smoking and blasted full of holes from all of Danny's attacks. He charged at Danny, his eye literally burning with rage.

Danny stood his ground as Pariah got closer and closer. Just before he was in range Danny took a deep breath and Wailed. The unearthly force sent Pariah flying away from Danny once again.

Their fight had drifted so far from where it started that they were now fighting above the snow covered dunes of the Far Frozen. The force of Danny's Wail sent Pariah crashing down through the snow, pressing him against the ice below.

The Wailing stopped, and Pariah's own mace pressed against the ghost’s chest, holding the exhausted former king down.

“Yield Pariah! You can't win this fight!” Danny said.

Pariah struggled against the weight of the mace, but was unable to push it off his chest.

“Never! This fight isn't over!”

It sounded weak even to the ghost's own ears, but the voice that answered Pariah wasn't Danny's, though it sounded oh so very close.

“Oh, yes it is.”

Before Danny even had an opportunity to react, an ectoblast hit him from behind, sending him crashing into the snow. He tried to get up, but a foot pressed into his back.

He turned his head to see who was holding him down, and saw that it was exactly who he'd feared he had heard.

Dan stood above Danny, his foot pressed into his back. “Hello Danny, it’s been a long time.”

Dan grinned, and then his fist hit the back of Danny's head.

~o0o~

Val had watched Danny's fight with Pariah grow closer and closer to where they had landed the bus.

She had cheered with the rest of their classmates as Danny once again beat Pariah Dark, but her classmates' cheers cut off into screaming when a second ghost became visible and shot him in the back.

She instinctively summoned her suit, ignoring the gasps of her classmates behind her.

She hopped onto her hover board and was about to speed away and join the fight but Sam grabbed her arm, stopping her.

“Let me go! I need to help him!”

“Wait Val! That's Dan!”

Val felt herself flinch. Danny and the others had told her about what had happened in the erased timeline. It was perhaps the only time she had seen Danny truly scared.

Danny had also asked her for a favor that night, and Val had refused, loudly and angrily. She had stormed out on them and flown as far away as she could.

Danny had found her, and he had asked her again.

He had held out a lead lined box, containing a bullet designed to end even the most powerful of ghosts, a bullet made of ecto-ranium and coated in blood blossom extract.

He had asked her, again, to end him if he ever became the monster that haunted his nightmares more than any other.

She had accepted, and that bullet, despite phasing away with the rest of her suit, had weighed heavily on her ever since.

Sam let go of her arm, seeing that Val understood what she was going to be facing, and what needed to be done. “Yeah, now go!”

Val nodded and summoned her hoverboard, speeding towards where Dan was punching down at an already unconscious Danny.

As she flew she pulled out the bullet, loading it into her gun and taking aim.

Once she was close enough she spun her board and brought herself to a stop. She only had one shot.

She took a slow breath in, held it for a moment, and then released it.

Bang!

She pulled the trigger. The gun fired, and the bullet flew rapidly towards Dan.

But not quite rapidly enough.

Pariah had stumbled to his feet, and Dan grabbed him and shoved the other ghost between himself and the bullet.

The bullet buried itself into Pariah's chest, and he screamed.

Val flinched. Pariah's screams were nothing like his angry rage filled roars. These were the painful desperate sounds of a man dying.

Dan tossed the convulsing body back into the snow. Barely sparing it a glance as it dissolved into a bubbling puddle of ectoplasm.

She wanted to puke at the way he grinned at her.

“Ah, Valerie. It's been a long time. I'm looking forward to seeing you dead at my feet.”

Val had almost no time to react. Dan came at her viciously. She flew and spun and dodged faster than she ever had before in her life.

It wasn't enough.

One of Dan's ectoblasts finally made contact and she was sent flying off her board, spinning down into the snow below.

~o0o~

Danny groaned as he came to. The world around him swam, but something deep in his core was screaming for him to get up.

he forced his way up to his hands and knees. Looking up to see Dan standing over Valerie.

He tried to summon an ectoblast to at least distract him, but it fizzled out in his hands. He was too drained.

He looked around to see if he could see anything at all to help him.

The bubbling pool that was all that remained of Pariah Dark melted through the snow and flowed towards Danny, washing the deadly bullet towards him.

Danny looked at it, and then back at Valerie.

With no other options, he grabbed it.

He screamed, the noise unwillingly torn from his throat. Blackness began to creep in around his vision. He forced it back.

Dan had turned to look at him when he screamed, and Danny lunged, pressing the bullet to the other ghost's throat.

Their shared screams echoed across the snowy plains, but Danny didn't let go. He held the bullet to Dan's skin for as long as he could.

But the darkness was closing in on Danny's vision and his arms were weakening. The bullet slipped from his grasp, and Danny and Dan both slumped into the snow.

There was a flash of light, and through swimming vision he saw Val putting the cap onto her Fenton Thermos. It was the last thing he saw before he closed his eyes and let himself fall into the snow.

[lumiolivier]

Dried Ink

Series: My Hero Academia

Chapter: One Shot

Word Count: 1568

Rating: General

Pairing(s): Inko Midoriya/Hisashi Midoriya, maybe BakuDeku if you squint hard enough.

A one shot of how the story could've ended.

Things had finally settled down.  The dust from the war had come to its end.  All was…Well, there were some left standing.  And they had themselves to thank for it.  Along with the help of a few pros.  Some felt that sentiment more than others.  And within their chests all beat the hearts of heroes.  After the war was over, Nezu had decided that perhaps it’d be best for the UA students who had just fought in a war they didn’t ask to fight in to have a little time off.  And of course, Izuku Midoriya, being the Mama’s boy he is, went straight home.  He couldn’t leave his mother worried anymore.

“Mom?” Izuku walked in with the nice little Bakugo boy from down the road trailing behind him, “I’m home!”

“Izuku!” Inko came barreling from the living room and practically tackled her baby in the door.  Because Izuku had been out of the hospital for a couple days.  A good sneeze would send him back.  Why not? “I’m so happy to see you, baby…”

“It’s good to see you, too, Mom…” Izuku murmured into his mother’s shoulder.  As bone crushing as it was, he wasn’t going to fight her.  He loved seeing his mother happy again. 

“You ok, Izuku?” Katsuki looked down at him, offering a hand.

“Yeah,” Izuku gladly accepted as he pulled himself back to his feet, “I’m good, Kacchan.  I think.”

“Katsuki…” Inko held out her arms, “Don’t think you’re walking away from me.”

“Of course not,” Katsuki fell into Inko’s arms, melting in her warmth, “It’s good to see you, too, Auntie.”

“I’m so happy you’re both here!” Inko could hardly hold herself together, “I’m going to go make some tea.  You two want anything?”

“We’re good,” Izuku shot her down, making his way to the couch.  His body ached and all he wanted was somewhere comfortable, “But thank you.”

“You picked a good time to come around again,” Inko smiled, pouring herself some tea, “Because I have a little surprise for you.”

“For me?” Izuku wondered, “Mom, you didn’t have to go through the trouble.”

“Who said I went through any trouble?” Inko sat in her chair, looking over at Katsuki leaning against the wall, “You know, Katsuki, you’re more than welcome to sit down.”

“I laid in a hospital for three weeks,” Katsuki pointed out, “I’ve been forced to take it easy.  Trust me.  I’m alright, Auntie.  I’m good with standing for a while.”

“Alright,” Inko let it go, shuddering at the thought of her boys in the hospital.  At the days when she wasn’t allowed to visit.  At the days where she wouldn’t hear a word from the doctors, “But can we not bring up the H word?  I’d really appreciate it.”

“Fine by me,” Katsuki agreed.

“I can do that, too,” Izuku nodded, “So, what’s my surprise, Mom?”

“I can’t tell you,” Inko beamed, “Or that would ruin it.  We have someone very special coming who should be here any minute.”

“Is it All Might?” Izuku asked, “Because I just saw him the other day.  He says to say hi, by the way.”

“That’s sweet of him,” Inko melted inside, “He really is a good man, that Toshinori…”

“Hey, Mom,” Izuku bit the inside of his cheek, bracing himself for whatever came next, “When I was training with All Might…And he’d come and visit you sometimes…Nothing ever…Happened with you two, did it?”

“With Toshinori and me?” Inko cocked her head.  Until she figured out what her baby was trying to say, “Oh, Izuku, honey, no.  Nothing ever happened with us.  Toshinori and I just had a friendship.  Besides, I’m still married.  I wouldn’t do that.”

“Um…Auntie…”

“Shut it, Kacchan…” Izuku shot him a quick glare, knowing what words were about to come out of his mouth.

“It’s not All Might,” Inko assured him, “It’s someone else.”

“Well,” Izuku thought back, “I’m pretty sure Mr. Aizawa’s still in the assisted wing of the Hospital.  All our classmates are back home.  Who’s coming over?”

“Inko?” a voice called from the front door, “Is he here yet?”

“In here, sweetheart,” Inko couldn’t smile any bigger. 

And Izuku’s head whipped around so hard, he could hear his neck snap.  A man stood in the kitchen with a grocery bag and put it on the counter.  One that Izuku hadn’t seen in a very, very long time.  He wasn’t sure what to say.  He wasn’t sure what to do.  He could barely formulate a thought.  But he could manage to choke one word out.

“…Dad?”

“No shit…” Katsuki gasped, “He actually has…”

“Izuku…” the man clutched his chest, “Look at you…You got so big…”

“Dad!” Izuku threw himself into his father’s shoulder and hugged him tight, “You’re home!  I knew you’d come back!  Everyone always said you were gone for good and you started a new life in America and you had a new family and you abandoned us because I didn’t have a quirk and that made me not good enough to be your son, but you’re here and you’re back!”

“I’m back, Izuku,” Hisashi Midoriya had finally come home to his wife and his son, who was beyond lucky to be alive, “I’m so glad you’re ok.  I heard about the Meta Liberation War here and…Well, when I saw you were the one leading the charge…I couldn’t have been prouder.  I told everyone at work that was my boy.  And my boy was the one to lead all those pros into the biggest battle the world has ever seen.  And you won…You won, Izuku.”

“I sure did, Dad…” Izuku wept in Hisashi’s shoulder, “We won…I couldn’t have done it alone, but we did it…WE saved the world.”

“Hold on,” Katsuki chimed in, “You’re really him?”

“And you must be Katsuki,” Hisashi smiled a bit.

“You can call me Dynamight,” Katsuki scoffed at him.  There’s no way this guy is Hisashi Midoriya.  And if he is, he’s got a lot of fucking nerve showing up here after being gone so long.  He’s got a lot of explaining to do.

“Dynamight?” Hisashi thought back, remembering the name from the news, “Hold on…I thought you were…”

“Dead?” Katsuki rolled his eyes, “Yeah.  So did I.  It didn’t agree with me.  And here I am.  Now, back to you.  Where the hell have you been?”

“Katsuki!” Inko hushed him, “That was rude.”

“I think I have every right to ask,” Katsuki stood his ground, “Because I know Izuku’s not going to.”

“I told you already, Kacchan,” Izuku settled him, “He was working overseas.”

“And I was working overseas,” Hisashi confirmed, “Sit.  I’ll explain everything.”

“I’m good, thanks,” Katsuki snapped at him.

“So, Dad,” Izuku sat back down, leaving an open spot on the couch, “What were you doing in America?”

“I’ve been a Mangaka for the last ten years,” Hisashi explained, “I started working on a series when you were little, Izuku.  Around the time of your quirk appointment.  When your mother and I Found out you were quirkless, naturally, I wasn’t thrilled about it, but we still had you.  Quirk or no quirk.  But I sat in my studio in our old house and started sketching out what you would look like as a pro hero.  I drew you so many times.  I drew you in one of All Might’s hero costumes, but because you were four, it was a little big on you.  I’m glad to see you grew into it…But that led me to think what things would be like if you did become All Might.  If you had a quirk.  And I drew that. 

“One panel led to a couple storyboards.  A couple storyboards turned into a few manga panels.  And I sent those into my publisher and a rough draft of a storyline.  And she said to come into her office that morning.  And it ended up getting serialized.  I wasn’t expecting it to get so popular so fast.  And I could feel it.  The fan base, although very passionate about what I was writing and drawing about you, were a lot to handle.  I didn’t want you and your mother getting caught up in the crossfire.  So, I moved to America to work on it some more.”

“Really?” Katsuki kept his defenses up, “That’s your lame ass excuse?  Look, I’ve been in the manga trenches for a long time.  I’ve never heard of any mangaka named Hisashi Midoriya.”

“And you’re not going to,” Hisashi went on, “I wasn’t stupid.  With my series getting popular, I wanted to keep my family protected.  I wanted to make sure they weren’t going to be the targets of the crazy side of the fan base.  Not to mention, myself.  They didn’t need to come looking for me either.  So, I wrote under a pen name.  I kept sending Inko money to make sure she and Izuku could keep this apartment and so Izuku could go to UA and so everything was taken care of here.  But now…That baby is all done.  I’m not writing anymore.  And I think I’ll come back here to stay for a while.  That is, if you’ll have me.”

“Of course!” Izuku wrapped himself around his father’s arm, “By the way, Dad, you said you wrote under a pen name, right?”

“That’s right.”

“What was it?” Izuku asked, “Maybe Kacchan has heard of you.”

And Hisashi simply smiled, “Kohei Horikoshi.”

[fiction-box]

Would you write for Sylvain x Cursed!Fem!Reader? I don’t really mind what the curse is or how you’d solve it, so you can get creative with this one! :D

Hey, lovely! This was actually really interesting and super fun. It was nice to work with establishing subtlety and growing that into a nice crescendo for the story's climax. I really got to work out my brain on how certain characters would handle certain scenarios, and of course there was the matter of coming up with how the curse would be applied.

I hope this is what you were looking for!

Requests are open. The story will be continued under the cut.

“Good morning. We have a lot to cover today, so I’ll need everyone to sit down as soon as you walk in,” Professor Byleth commented over her shoulder, drawing up the battle strategy your class had been discussing for the past week.

You entered the Blue Lions’ classroom, a small black notebook in your hand as you moved to get to your seat.

“Oh,” your professor noted, “Seteth told me this was sent to you.”

She was gesturing toward a slim box on the edge of her desk. Maybe it would fit a pen? But then why would anyone go through the trouble?

“Would you mind if I opened it now?”

“The way I see it, it’s yours. You can do whatever you’d like.”

Curious, you took the box back to your seat. It seemed you were not the only one intrigued; Mercedes and Ashe turned to watch from their chairs in front of you.

“What do you think it is?” she asked, “I’ve never received a package before.”

Ashe gave a sad smile, “Neither have I. It makes me wonder.”

More eyes came to fall on you as the tape was removed from the edges and the lid was lifted lightly.

Upon seeing what it was, you gave a small gasp. Resting inside on a soft cushion was a deep blue pendant looped through a small silver chain. The necklace was understated, and undoubtedly to your taste. You would have picked such a piece out for yourself had you seen one in the market.

“Ooh!” Annette cooed behind you, bracing her hands on her table as she stood at her seat behind you, “It’s so pretty!”

“Someone…knows me very well,” you chose your words carefully.

Sylvain leaned in next to you, scanning over the necklace with a look on his face you couldn’t quite read, “Do you know who sent it?”

Good question. You would have to meet with this person and have a little chat. No one gifted something like this purely out of kindness. Not to you, anyway. But when you lifted the cushion, there was only a slip of parchment about as long as your index finger underneath.

You set the cushion aside, reaching in to turn over the paper.

Eternity

That wasn’t helpful at all. If anything, knowing that paper came with the box only made you more confused.

The phrase was iterated to your friends as you placed the necklace back in its place.

“Maybe it’s some new jewelry line looking to get its name out there,” Annette beamed, “Ooh, you’re so lucky!”

If that was the case, why pick an understated piece? On top of that, why you? Sure, you were the daughter of a Kingdom noble, but someone had to have gone out of their way for this. To learn that you were at Garreg Mach, and then to ensure you would actually receive the package?

Even Ingrid was interested, it seemed, “You should try it on. It would be a shame for it to sit away waiting for some special occasion. Besides, the jeweler would probably want you to show it off.”

You weren’t the showy type, but you could admit you were just as interested in it as she was.

“I suppose…” the attention from your classmates was beginning to make you shy.

They weren’t interested in you, though! It was the necklace they wanted to see, you reminded yourself.

Easily, the silver chain was lifted from the cushion and wrapped around your neck. Clasping it in the back, you found that it fell just below your collarbone.

Mercedes gave a soft giggle, “It looks wonderful on you! Ingrid is right, it would be a shame for it to collect dust somewhere in your room.”

She’s right.

“Okay, then. I…guess I’ll wear it often.”

Professor Byleth gave a small scowl from the front of the room, “Sylvain, I hope you studied your notes from my last lecture as closely as you’re studying that necklace.”

“What? Of course I did! I studied during the lecture.”

You noticed he didn’t even have a notebook.

“Very well, then. Why don’t we start by having you tell us more about the…”

~~~~~~

Thankfully, you had eaten a good breakfast this morning. The professor didn’t release anyone until long after lunch had passed. It didn’t help that you had spent every second writing down as much as possible to be looked over later.

You elected to bring your lunch with you to your dorm, mind focused solely on reviewing what the Professor had spouted during the lecture for the group examination tomorrow. It seemed she was more adamant about the topic of battalion management than the other subjects the monastery advocated.

An hour or two passed, and you had successfully copied the important bits of the lecture onto your spare pages. This way, your studies for the rest of the night were more efficient. 

By the time the sky turned to a dark midnight, you were still sitting at your desk in your room.

That’s enough for today.

Wanting to prepare for bed, you reached back to remove the clasp of the necklace you received. As though something was triggered by the action, it was set aglow with light.

Not right now.

“…”

Nevermind that it glows! You don’t want to take the necklace off. A new desire has overcome you.

You were in the mood for a stroll. Specifically, one to the woods outside of Garreg Mach.

The hallway was too dark for you to see properly, but you didn’t care. You shut the door behind you as you left, maneuvering about the monastery confidently until you came near the gates.

You stifled the glow of your necklace with one of your hands, sneaking around the guards as you let your feet lead the way. Somehow, these were the surest steps you had ever taken. Your destination was somewhere you had never been, yet one you were always meant to visit.

That very sense of determinism kept you mindlessly moving. Trees, leaves, grass, and several shadows drooping over everything stood as the only landmarks on your path. You treaded forth until you came to a gradual halt.

Calmly, you turned to your left. A woman in robes you could not clearly make out in the darkness made her presence known.

She approached you with a laidback ease; you were no threat to her.

And why would you be? You are safe with her. She only has your best interests in mind.

“Good to see you have accepted my gift, my muse,” the woman drew nearer, her hand brushing over your collarbone to touch the pendant, “You wear it well.”

You knew nothing of your current situation, but there was a settled feeling within you. There would be no need for questions. All the knowledge you needed would be provided, and what you weren’t told, you didn’t need to worry about.

A lovely way of saving your mind the trouble, is it not? Truly, she cares for you.

“Now, you must have seen enough of her at Garreg Mach to give me a proper report,” she gleaned, removing her hand from your neck.

Tell her all about your professor.

“Wh…why?” you managed. Your head was beginning to feel foggy, and you could no longer remember how you got here.

Hush. Do not ask questions. Only listen.

This voice in your mind was beginning to make your head spin.

“Perhaps you are too tired from your day to continue. You should not be able to resist.”

There were so many questions you wished to ask, but the blanket of exhaustion weighed heavier upon your mind than the cloud of curiosity.

“A major fault of my own design, no doubt. There is no reason to fret, though. I promise you and I will work through the problems together until we get this right.”

A rustle in the bushes caught your attention, though you didn’t get to point it out before the woman’s hand found your collar once more.

“Now, erase this encounter from your memory. Forget.”

~~~~~~

Byleth found herself working tediously at her desk an hour before classes were slated to start.

She saw you late last night, soundlessly following the gleam of your jewel until you covered it. By then, tracking you through the woods was child’s play. You did not seem yourself, so she played it safe and waited to learn where you were headed before revealing herself.

Only, she never did confront you in those woods. No, the problem ran much deeper than a student sneaking out after hours. It only took her noticing your strange gait and how the mage that appeared treated you to determine as much.

The professor needed information, though she would not have hesitated to attack if she believed you were in true danger.

It seemed the woman still needed you; however, Byleth could only hope to guess how long your usefulness would last. No matter. The witch had given her a day, and that was all she needed to form a decent plan.

The former mercenary silently debated whether to confront you directly about it or not. While it was true she left the scene early, Byleth still managed to learn that you weren’t in on the act, so to speak. Your mind was likely being surveyed, which meant asking any suspicious questions could ruin any element of surprise she might have. You couldn’t know she had a plan.

In truth, she wondered if you knew you were in danger, at all. Fortunately, there were some things she could ask.

Byleth noticed you enter the classroom a few minutes early. You had a few questions on her lecture from yesterday, it seemed.

“I would say good morning, but you look like you hardly slept last night. Were you up late?” she greeted.

Your brows furrowed slightly as you brought a hand to your cheek, “Do I? That’s strange…I actually remember falling asleep much earlier than usual.”

That was surprising. Did you not remember your encounter?

Beginning to cover the areas of confusion you wanted to discuss, the professor noted your strange clothing choice. A shawl was draped over your shoulders and covered your collarbone. You had never worn such an item before, so you must have chosen it for a reason.

Her guess? It was likely to shield the pendant from the notice of others.

Eventually, all of the Blue Lions found their way into the room and classes began. What the class didn’t know was that things would go a little differently today.

“Now, I know some of you may be upset or confused about this new arrangement, but there has been a schedule change,” she opened, standing at her desk, “Rather than doing our group work this weekend, our class will be completing its tasks today. Don’t ask me why, I don’t make the rules.”

Oh, she very much did make the rules, but nobody in this class would be so aggravated about the alteration that they would march up to Seteth just to verify the new schedule. Nobody in their right mind would contest her if it meant they’d be taking that exam instead.

“Partners and jobs will change, and as such will be decided by myself.”

There were a few murmurs at this.

You spoke out, “How long will this new arrangement last, Professor?”

“Only for this week, don’t worry.” Byleth looked to the list she had created before class, “Now, you and Mercedes will be on stable duty today. Dedue and Ashe will handle the cooking, Ingrid will go on sky-watch with Ferdinand from the Black Eagle house, and Dimitri and Felix will be working on weeding the grass.”

“What?” Felix complained, “Out of the eight other people in this room, why would you choose to pair me with him?.”

“Because it would bring me no end of lectures from Seteth to have you embarrass this House by falling out of the sky or burning a fish. Annette, Sylvain, please come see me,” she looked to her students, “but everyone else is dismissed and may begin. Your day ends when your task concludes.”

Students filed out of the classroom one at a time, Annette and Sylvain making their way to the front. Once the last student shut the door behind them, Byleth pulled the small paper she had been forming a plan upon out from her drawer.

“You two are going to have some very important tasks, but I’ll need you to keep this information private unless I exclusively tell you to share it.”

Sylvain scoffed, “What? Are others going to be jealous of our chores, Professor?”

“Do you remember the necklace your classmate received yesterday, Sylvain?”

“How could I forget after the commotion it caused?” he muttered.

“Well, I have reason to believe that piece of jewelry inflicted a curse upon her. The only time I know for certain we have is today, and we can’t waste a single second.”

Annette let out a noise of shock, “But Professor, why didn’t you confront her about it? Surely, if you had just taken her necklace off…”

“I couldn’t take that risk. There’s no way to know if that necklace can come off.” She glanced over her writing, “Just because I’m aware something is going on…just because I can get her alone…even then, I know so little that I can’t even be sure we have any advantage except surprise. We’re only going to get one shot at this, and we can’t give away that we know anything. Especially not to _______.”

She set the paper aside, “Annette, I’ll need you to do some research on curses and get back to me. Anything in the ranges of cursed objects, methods of cursing, and mind control should be good places to start. The sooner we know what we’re dealing with, the sooner we’ll know where to look for a solution.”

“Got it!” she exclaimed, rushing out of the room to the library.

“I’ll be joining you in just a moment!” Byleth called after her.

Sylvain leaned forward, “What about me?”

“You have a more…practical role to play…”

~~~~~~

Hours went by, Annette finally reporting her progress. The only way to break the spell was either by getting the mage to remove it herself, or by killing her altogether.

Best to prepare for the latter, Byleth thought. That woman didn’t look the type to go down without a fight. Or to play fair, for that matter.

Well then, she’d need to take away as much leverage as possible. The former mercenary seemed to recall that your natural exhaustion dampened your necklace’s control, the other night.

“Alright, listen up Annette. Here’s what I need you to do…”

~~~~~~

“Hey, Mercie!” you heard Annette call.

Currently, Mercedes was helping you brush out and dry off the last few horses. Today’s stallions were rather well-behaved, though it took no small amount of energy to care for the horses on a good day.

Things were also slowed down by the leisurely pace you two had been going at thus far, taking a break for lunch at one point and having a bit of fun with each other between tasks.

“What is it, Annie?”

The smaller girl gave a glance toward you before focusing on her friend again, “I, um…the professor wanted me to speak with you.”

“I see,” Mercedes nodded, setting her brush down. She turned back to you, “Please, just give me a moment. I’ll get right back to working with you once this is settled.”

“Take your time!” you smiled.

As the girls walked away, the voice that had been so present in your thoughts today grew louder.

What are they saying? They are keeping secrets from you.

No, you rationalized. They always did that sort of thing. The two were incredibly close far before you came along. Besides, this was something the professor needed. If it had anything to do with her more personal affairs, it was none of your business anyway.

Could it be that your professor is wary of you? Did you reveal the pendant? One can never be too certain, in these times…

The more you tried to reassure yourself, the more wary you became. Though you knew you were surrounded by those that would never hurt you, a feeling of dread had rooted itself within your mind.

A similar feeling came whenever your mind had its more…forceful thoughts…yet never was it stronger than when you dreamt last night.

With each swipe of your comb along horse hair, images would flood your mind. You, covering your pendant with a shawl. You, falling asleep early last night.

You, heading back into the woods tonight.

…back?

“I’m so sorry!” a voice snapped you out of your thoughts. It was Mercedes. Apparently, her conversation had concluded, but she remained standing next to Annette, “It seems the professor needs me to help her reassign vulneraries. You’ll be okay finishing the rest of this by yourself, won’t you?”

A reasonable excuse?

Of course it was. As the Blue Lions’ best cleric, Mercedes was always called to meet with the professor over vulnerary assignments.

…very well.

“No problem! Come back when you’re done, okay?”

Annette and Mercedes exchanged glances you didn’t quite like. Something told you she wouldn’t be coming back.

“Sure!” Annette cut in, “I’ll even help you out after I finish in the greenhouse!”

“Really? Thanks so much, Annette!”

But she must have never gotten her task done. Once the horses were locked up in their stables and the sky was painted orange, you were just as alone as when they left you.

Liars.

You didn’t want to hate them for it.

Some true friends you have. For them to abandon you after making promises like that…

They would never hurt you on purpose. Their chores were important, so it simply must have taken them longer than usual.

After a quick stop at the dining hall, you returned to your room. It had been such a long day, you were almost excited to get some rest.

Ah, ah. Not yet. You are meant to be going to the woods, remember?

Of course. How could you forget? You had only been thinking of that trip for what, a whole day?

Be not seen. Make haste.

Leaving your shawl behind, you changed into clean clothes before heading off.

The lovely glow of your favorite necklace shone down the hall as you went. Unfortunately, you needed to stifle the shine with your hand a few times to sneak off the grounds past the guards.

Why was this so familiar?

Just a little farther…

Greenery, darkness, moonlight, left.

A dark-robed woman revealed herself, “Fascinating. Tell me, do you know who I am?”

Who is she to you? Be honest.

“You-”

An arrow suddenly lodged itself in the woman’s shoulder.

“Augh-!”

HelpHelpHelpHelpHelpHelpHelp

The amulet you wore shone brighter than ever as all your instincts commanded that you protect her.

Surveying your surroundings, you spotted someone you knew holding the bow. It was your professor, and by the way she shifted her arms in the dark, she was going to nock another arrow.

Without thinking, you advanced. At least, you tried to. Your lunge was interrupted by a strong arm catching your waist, but it was clumsy and rushed. The counterweight caused both your own momentum and that of your supposed assailant to switch, bringing you both to the ground as you collided.

HelpMeHelpMeHelpMeHelpMeHelpMeHelpMeHelpMe

This mantra kept interrupting your focus until your back was against their chest. The two of you were in an awkward, semi-upright position as you struggled against the arms restraining you.

“You sure about this, Professor?” strained a man’s voice. A lock of red hair came into your field of view.

“Do it. It’s for her own good.”

Who you now knew to be Sylvain removed one of his arms’ grasp on you, reaching for something you couldn’t see. His hand returned just as quickly, though he held a small vial of herbs and pollen between his fingers.

Suddenly, you were flipped so that you were on your back on the ground and he was above you. He clamped one of his hands over your mouth, forcing you to breathe through your nose.

“Sorry about this,” he frowned as he popped the vial open and held it underneath your nostrils.

HelpMeHelpMeHelpMeHelpMe

But you couldn’t. After five quick inhales from your aggressive, breathless state, the floral mixture muddled all your senses together.

“Protect her until…” Professor Byleth’s voice faded out, though you watched her finally rush out of the bush, sword in hand, to confront the stranger.

…cold…it was so cold.

“...onastery…”

The sweetened scent haunted you.

~~~~~~

When you woke up, Manuela was with you in the infirmary.

According to the physician, you had been asleep for three days.

“Poor dear, you looked so pale. But you’re well rested now, and I think I’ve managed to flush your system of that awful pollen.”

The pollen…

“I remember that!” you sat up in a panic. “It was Professor Byleth…and Sylvain…”

“Yes,” Manuela laughed. “They filled me in once they came back with you. I swear, that boy worried himself out of an appetite the day they brought you back. He must have held the narcotic powder to your nose for too long.”

Subconsciously, your hand migrated to the lower half of your face.

“He blames himself, of course, but in all honesty I think it was more than that. Curses take a toll on your body as they are. Combine that with natural exhaustion, and that’s a nasty little recipe that’ll keep anyone out for a long time. Not that my telling him that kept him from checking in on you every few hours.”

After a few final checks, the songstress assured you that you were just fine before sending you off to the dining hall to get something to eat.

Needless to say, you couldn’t get there without talking with everyone you bumped into on the way.

Mercedes and Annette were the first to call out your name.

“Oh my goodness! I’m really sorry about lying to you,” Annette wailed. “I was really scared, but I knew the professor had a plan to keep you safe. I felt bad every second of it, though I know that’s probably not worth anything.”

You wrapped them both in a hug, “Please, don’t worry about it! I completely understand.”

“If there’s anything we can do for you, just let us know,” Mercedes offered.

“Of course.”

You smiled and waved at each other, parting ways as you continued on your trip to the dining hall.

More members of your house stopped you as you went. Dimitri wanted to apologize, promising he would attempt to prevent such occurrences in the future. Professor Byleth approached from behind him as the prince explained he was upset with himself for not noticing anything out of the ordinary.

Quickly, you assured him that no one did; you weren’t even aware you were cursed. Your teacher chimed in at that, saying she only found out by sheer luck. She threw a rare smile your way though, glad to have you back and happy to fill you in.

The necklace was given to Professor Hanneman and the woman was brought in for questioning, according to your professor. The woman had chosen to value her life over her secrets, it seemed.

“Thank you for everything,” you worried. “I don’t…that could have gone downhill way too quickly.”

“Don’t even think about it. You are my student; it is my responsibility to keep you safe.”

Her eyes slid past yours, as though she saw something behind you.

“In any case, Dimitri and I were just headed to the training grounds to spar with Felix and Dedue. Feel free to join us later, if you’re feeling better. We wouldn’t want to keep them waiting, though.”

“Oh, good luck,” you waved as they turned and left.

You heard your name from behind you.

Sylvain looked somewhat breathless, slowing up a few paces away by the time you shifted to face him.

“Sylvain,” was about as far as you got before he cut you off.

“I am so sorry,” he started. “Goddess, when we got you back…you were bruised, you were knocked out…I messed up.”

You were taken off guard. Such blunt sincerity wasn’t something you expected from him of all people.

…Manuela really wasn’t kidding when she said he was beating himself up over this.

“Hey…you saved me- you might have saved the professor too, since I know she’s who that woman was after. I have no clue what was in store for me, though I probably would have just kept living life trapped in limbo.”

“...maybe, but…” he struggled to find an argument.

“I know. Look, I-I’d rather have a few bruises than a chain binding me. You and Professor Byleth, you’re the reason I’m free. That’s more important to me than anything.”

“Right. Okay, then,” he nodded, taking a breath.

“So there. I forgive you.” You began to laugh, “Now look at us; I’m the one who’s worried. I don’t even think there’s a way I can repay you for helping me.”

“Oh, there’s no need for that,” he waved it off. “Although…you could come for a meal in the dining hall with me.”

“You’re in luck. I just happen to be on my way there right now,” you grinned. “Best not to leave a debt unsettled, right?”

He laughed, “I told you, you don’t need to think that way.”

Though the two of you went back and forth verbally, you went to the dining hall together.

And this time, the only voice telling you, this is right, was the one in your heart.

[short-black-diamond]

MHA Headcannons, part 2

Part one

This is a headcannon series, some of what I'm thinking/writing about may be true, but not all is. Thank you for your understanding.

---

Let's talk about Sero and Deku in this one. Sero, who always likes to goof around with Kaminari, Mina, Jirou, Kirishima and Bakugo. And Deku, who likes to study with Iida, Uraraka, Tsuyu and Shoto. Let's talk about them.

Sero Hanta, Cellophane, or just Sero, is a very nice and chill dude, but I think that he is often being looked at as some 'plain' guy. Sure, he might've flirted with a few people here and there, but it was mostly smalltalk they did. I guess he was more like a tape dispenser than a real person to them.

I often think about that maybe, Sero also feels as if he's being treated like an object, mainly because of his quirk, but I also think that he's being taken advantage of pretty often too. For example, he and Denki like to ogle at pretty girls, right?

Well, some p(r)etty girls like to use him for his quirk or money or for him to run some errands and then dissappear out of thin air. Maybe because of that, he stays cautious around girls in general.

I also don't think that he meant it when he compared Yaoyorozu's eating habits for producing more things to pooping. I think he was just muttering his thoughts out loud and was being blunt. But he didn't really deserve that punch from Jirou.

Another thing I'd like to say is that he could be bi- or pansexual, why? Because he likes hanging out with both boys and girls and doesn't mind it. He also enjoyed being carried like a princess by Deku.

...

Speaking of Deku, he may have the exact problem, being called plain by Uraraka and all. I think that he got bullied not only by Bakugo, but also by many girls.

For example, Izuku never really talked to girls except his mother, so he had quite a lot of crushes to the girls in his or other classes. Too bad they didn't like him, too bad he didn't have a quirk back then.

So, they pulled pranks on him, laughing at him when he wanted to confess to somebody. "eeeeeww"ing when he tried to compliment them. So, Izuku gave up.

I also headcannon that Izuku tries to be as polite as possible towards his female classmates, and trying not to overstep any boundaries. Even around Uraraka, who is one of his best friends, he tries to be as polite as possible. In my opinion, he doesn't really see Uraraka how she is. He may be bracing himself. Counting the days until she- or any other girl he has grown friends- makes fun of him. So he doesn't really do anythign except trying to keep that 'friendship'.

He still often thinks that he is looking weird and stuff like that, wanting to just have somebody who is nice and sweet, not judging by looks or icks, just the personality. uthem a chance you wouldn't regret it. :)

...

[charlietheepicwriter7]

Hey, Little Songbird

Chapter 31 - AO3

“End Days? What, could Hawkmoth not think of a better name?” Felix scoffed, dodging a blast of orange light from Rossi’s hand. “And what are you wearing? It looks like its from the sixties. Is that what was fashionable back in Hawky’s youth or was that dress your idea, Liar Rossi?”

“Stay still!” She screeched, her voice like nails on a chalkboard, sharp enough to shatter glass.

“I’ve never listened to you before, Rossi, what makes you think I’ll listen to you now!?” Felix baited with a laugh, smoothly darting around her desperate lunge. “Honestly, did you lose some braincells upon transformation?”

“You’re going to pay, Felix,” she snarled. “Once you and everyone in this damned class is under my control, no one will be able to stop me! Not you, not Dupain-Cheng, not even that pathetic Ladybug and her pet cat!”

Felix yawned. “Oh, a mind-control akuma. How original. That’s not been done a million times or anything.” As relaxed as he tried to appear, he was sweating internally. Chat Noir typically did poorly against mind-control akumas… At least Ladybug wasn’t here for him to sacrifice himself for.

“You’ll regret mocking me once you’re enslaved under my power!” She smiled sickly, her hand glowing with violet light. Felix tensed, ready to dodge. “But don’t worry. You’ll love serving me; everyone does.”

Instead of shooting at him, Rossi attacked the dreadlocked girl. The girl’s body was engulfed by the light, bubbling and growing to epic proportions. The light died down, leaving Horrificator in its place.

Shit.

Rossi crowed with laughter. “That’s what I’m talking about! Who would have thought pathetic little Mylene could have been such an hideous monster inside?” She smiled cruelly at Felix. “So, my monster, attack that—”

Before she could finish her order, Horrificator glomped Rossi, hugging the akuma tight against its slimy body and… purring. Rossi screeched in disgust, desperately trying to break free, but it appeared as though superior strength was not one of the powers Hawkmoth gifted her. Felix and his classmates bolted for the door.

“No!” Rossi howled, her voice echoing down the hall as they raced away. “After them! Catch them!”

Horrificator roared. Felix glanced behind him; the monster was close behind even as they reached the entry hall of the school. A gooey mass sped towards them and Felix braced himself for impact when—

A hero kicked him out of the way.

Felix fell over the second-floor railing, landing back first on the floor. Head ringing, body aching, Felix quickly tried to right himself as a high-pitched, whiny voice sent a bolt of pain through his head. “Oh, ew!! I had hoped I’d never have to see your slimy gross face ever again! Why do bad things always happen to me!?”

Oh, God. Please no. He’d just been saved by Chloe Bourgeois.

Standing on the stairs above him in her Queen Bee attire, Chloe sneered down Horrificator, hip popped and arms crossed, looking for all the world to see like a bratty rich girl in cosplay. But no, somehow this girl was an actual hero for reasons Felix could never understand. Was he hallucinating? He didn’t think he hit his head—his ribs throbbed in agreement—but that was the only explanation he would accept for being saved by Chloe of all people.

Horrificator charged down the steps, but a blur of black and a flash of silver batted the massive creature back down the hall it’d come from. Chat Noir stood in front of Chloe, staring down at Felix with worry etched onto his face. “Are you okay, Felix?”

“Peachy,” he groaned. The goth girl—the jock had fled when Chloe arrived—helped him into a sitting position. He took stock of his body; ribs hurt, maybe cracked? But his legs and arms felt functional at least.

“What’s the deal with Big, Ugly, and Smelly?” Queen Bee complained. “I thought we were here to take care of Rossi, not some small fry.”

“Rossi can brainwash people by transforming them into their previous akuma forms,” Felix said. “Not sure how that works on people who don’t have an akuma form, but I suppose we’ll find out eventually.”

“Ugh!” Queen Bee groaned. “Could this day not get any worse?”

“As and you will receive~!” Rossi called out, appearing from down the hall with Horrificator cowering behind her. The goth girl helped Felix to his feet. He whispered a thank you to her, getting a nod in response… he really had to learn her name after this. Maybe Marinette would tell him, so he wouldn’t have to ask? “Aw, what’s this? A temp hero, just for me? You shouldn’t have!”

Chat Noir faced Rossi, scowl on her face. “Lila Rossi, you are under arrest for voluntarily working with Hawkmoth. Surrender your akuma or don’t; either way, any supposed diplomatic immunity won’t protect you from collaborating with a terrorist.”

A butterfly mask lit up over her face. “What? You… How could you know that, you mangy cat?”

Felix cleared his voice, sending all attention to him. “Maybe you shouldn’t grab butterflies in the middle of a school hallway? Anyone could be around, you know? And in this day and age, everyone has a smartphone on them, so videos can easily find their way to the heroes.”

The mask shattered as Rossi glowered at him. “You.”

He smiled up at her. “Me.”

She fired a blast of purple light at him and the goth girl, but a mass of brown body slammed them out of the way. Felix’s scream died in his throat as the monkey man—whatever his name was—scooped them both over his shoulder, jostling his ribs, sending pain lancing down his spine. He needed a hospital. Damn, his mother and Marinette were going to kill him.

“Sorry I’m late, guys!” The monkey man called up to Chat Noir and Queen Bee. “Ladybug is still passing out the other Miraculous, so she won’t be here for a while yet!”

Another flash of the butterfly mask, of Gabriel talking to Rossi he assumed, and Rossi nodded. “Horrificator, get them!” She pointed at the heroes present before running off.

Felix slapped the monkey man’s shoulder. “She’s going off to look for Ladybug, you dunce!” He shouted over the fight.

“What?”

“You literally just told an akuma that Ladybug had multiple Miraculous on her, and didn’t expect her to try and steal them!? Go stop her before she figures out you lied!” he hissed at the buffoon.

“I can’t leave them to fight alone!” he protested.

“They have dealt with that akuma before!”

The monkey man tried to protest again, but hissed in pain. The goth girl dug her sharp nails deeper into his neck. “You are not messing this up for Ladybug,” she said, voice low and threatening. “Fix your problem, before I fix you.”

The monkey man agreed, tears budding in his eyes before the goth girl let go, and set them down. Felix hissed in pain, his ribs throbbing again. The temporary hero ran after Rossi, leaving him and the goth girl as alone as they could be with a massive battle happening on the stairs above them. “Thank you.”

She eyed him from underneath her bangs. “Do you still have a job to do?” She certainly didn’t beat around the bush.

“I do. Will you be safe if I leave you here?”

“I’ve been in akuma attacks before. I know how to run.”

“Then I’ll leave you to it.”

Stumbling a bit at first, Felix sprinted towards the back of the school, the direction Rossi ran towards. He had to keep her attention on him. But how could he do that if she was now focused on stealing Miraculous—

“That girl was suuuper intimidating, right?”

Felix instinctively slapped Duusu. The kwami soared across the hall, hitting the opposite wall with a faint squeak. “Have you been here the entire time!?”

“Maybe!” Popping up like pain or physics didn’t affect it—and for all Felix knew, that was the truth—Duusu immediately got in his face again. “But you gotta admit it, I certainly appear whenever I’m needed! And what an entrance too!”

“I don’t need you,” he said, picking up the pace.

Duusu flew along side him. “You dooooooooo. At least, you do if you want Rossi’s attention away from Ladybug. And back.” A poke. “On.” Poke. “You!” Poke.

He stopped, eyeing the little creature. It vibrated with excitement. “You want me to wear your Miraculous.”

“You’re already wearing my Miraculous,” it corrected. “I want you to be a hero.”

“I’m not a hero.” The reply was instinctive.

“You don’t have a choice. Not unless you want your uncle Gabby to be arrested properly. Just think of how angry he’ll be when he sees you dressed in my indigo and pink. He’ll be livid.” It chuckled evilly.

The idea was… attractive. Felix lived for pissing off his uncle. But still… “I’m not a hero. I’m not selfless, or compassionate, or courageous. Shouldn’t you be encouraging me not to use you for selfish reasons?”

“I’m the kwami of emotion,” it said, shrugging. “That means all emotion, you know? Just because you humans have labeled some emotions as good and others as bad… doesn’t mean they are. And Felix? You are so filled with emotion. There’s so much passion and malice and sorrow and anxiety in you, and all of it makes you perfect.”

“…Really?”

“What would I gain by lying? I haven’t met someone so fitting of my Miraculous since my Emilie; I’d be honored for you to be my next true holder.”

Felix looked down at the Miraculous pinned to his hoodie. It was like he was seeing it for the first time. The five, dull gold feathers that made up the body of the brooch distorted his reflection, and the five teardrop garnets sparkled in the florescent light. Such a little thing, with so much power. He didn’t know what to say.

“Plus… you want to keep Marinette safe, right?” His head snapped up. Duusu grinned smugly down at him. “Every second you’re away, Rossi could change her mind and go after her. If you want to keep her safe, say the magic words: Duusu, spread my feathers!”

Felix licked his lips. “Alright. But we need to find a closet or bathroom or somewhere else private.”

“What? Why?”

“I literally just called Rossi out for transforming in public; there’s no way I’ll make the same mistake as her. It’s bad enough I was even talking to you in a public place.”

“…Fair enough. Let’s goooo!”

Felix already regretted agreeing.

Taglist: @graduatedmelon @novicevoice@dur55@kris-pines04@18-fandoms-unite-08@moonlightstar64@bee-a-garbage-shipper@sol-o-shade@kittyotakunoir666@tinyterror333@allieoftheenemy@marichat00@xgxmxtx@two-faced-biatch@feliciakainzofspades@evil-cricket@emilytopaz@spicybelladonna@chocolateherringtacofan@user00000003@wannajointhecrabcult@happymonster-pants @duquesapincarrasca  @throneoffirebreathingbitchqueen  @sxltinette @kittydemon9000 @thetrashypanda423 @unoriginalmessess @toodaloo-kangaroo @troycattribunny

[corishadowfang]

If you're still taking prompts: How about a pre-KHDR interaction between Baldr and Xehanort?

(For this)

The boys!!

--

            Baldr was almost embarrassed by how much he wanted to talk to the new kid.  Almost.  Don’t bother him, some part of him whispered.  Don’t make yourself look weird.

            But he’s like me.

            Baldr couldn’t pinpoint what had made him realize it; it was a lot of little things, really, like how Xehanort could pick up on what people were going to say before they finished, or how he reacted so quickly when someone was feeling off, or how he’d occasionally repeat things that he had no right knowing.  But he could pinpoint the moment when it’d struck him that he knew: when Xehanort was talking to Eraqus in class, and the thought that Xehanort had seemed to bond so quickly with all of them (everyone but him), and he always seemed to know the right thing to say at the right time, and—and it’d struck him like lightning that he recognized what Xehanort was doing, because it was what he did.

            He hadn’t been nearly as invested in Xehanort as his classmates had been until that moment; afterward, trying to find a way to talk to Xehanort was all he could think about.

            It shouldn’t be difficult, some part of him hissed.  Just talk to him.  People do it all the time.

            But what am I supposed to say?  I know you can sense other people’s emotions?  That sounded stupid, even to his own ears, but he’d run himself ragged trying to figure out a way to broach the subject.

            (He desperately wanted to talk to someone who understood; to someone else who knew what it was like, to sense what was in other people’s hearts constantly, with no way to turn it off.  Just to have one person who really, really understood.)

            He muttered about it to himself all the way to class, tying himself in knots as he tried to figure out what he was supposed to say.  At least I’ll have plenty of time to think about it.  He tried to get to class early, usually—it meant that he didn’t have to worry about dealing with people’s emotions right away, and he could maybe try to brace himself for whenever the onslaught began.

            It’s why he was surprised to feel the faint sting of exhaustion when he reached the classroom, and to realize that it didn’t belong to him.

            Baldr almost turned around and left, a part of him ready to just decide he would skip class that day.  (It wasn’t like he hadn’t done that before; he’d made excuses, when things felt overwhelming, and hid under his covers and tried to ignore…everything, really.)  But after a moment he realized he recognized who the emotions were coming from, and that was enough to convince him to step into the room.

            Xehanort sat in the back, chair tilted backwards, head towards the ceiling; when Baldr entered, his chair hit the floor with a sharp clack!, surprise flaring so strongly Baldr thought he’d be knocked over by it.

            Baldr managed a tiny, awkward smile, and tried not to feel like he was doing everything wrong.  “Ah.  Hello.”

            “What are you doing here so early?”

            Annoyance flared sharply—I’m usually here before you, you’re the intruder—and Baldr tried to stomp down on it.  This is your chance to talk to him.  This is what you wanted.  “I like to get here before the others.”  He paused, searching for words to say that wouldn’t potentially put Xehanort off.  “They’re…nice, but they can be a lot sometimes.”

            Xehanort’s shoulders relaxed a little, and he snorted a laugh.  “Yeah.”

            They fell into silence, and Baldr realized he didn’t really know how to fill it.  Say something.  Just say something.  “You—ah—how are you settling in?”

            Xehanort gave him a curious look.

            Stupid, stupid, he probably doesn’t want to talk about that—  “I just—wondered if it was different from—where you’re from.”

            He thought that he’d like to curl up under a rock and die, maybe, but Xehanort didn’t seem offended; he actually seemed to be considering the question, to Baldr’s relief and surprise.  “It’s…different,” he admitted.  “I’m not used to so many people.”

            And Baldr—Baldr could read between the lines.  “It’s overwhelming.”

            Xehanort didn’t say anything.

            Baldr took a breath and tried to seem nonchalant as he said, “Most classrooms are empty, this early.  But if they aren’t—the back corner of the library’s a good place to spend time.”

            A flicker of surprise, and then gratitude, and Baldr thought that maybe he could actually be friends with him.  Maybe.  “I’ll keep that in mind.”

[resolutepath]

❝  you’re always trying to save everyone.  who takes care of you?  ❞ / deku to bakugo? Maybe sensei and pro hero era time, let him fuss!

Are they not ironic words that fall from the lips of the sensei? How many times had similar words been spouted in the direction of the verdant-haired hero, before he had charged forth into the next fray with no acknowledgement for how broken his body was nor how bruised his soul. Blood and grime and clawing shadows that festered in the heart could have clinged to his being and he would still forge on until forced to pause, fighting it all the way.

Carmine hues turn upon the other as a scoff passes lips, head tipping to the side as he perches on the edge of the wall, body framed so that he might both pay attention to the conversation here and the wider world around should it call for his attention. "You still worrying yourself about that when you're burning the midnight oil trying to get all the damn tests graded and lessons planned, huh?" Words that might have once been spat with vitrol and misplaced anger are now given a softened edge, something so desperately fond and resigned in the same breath.

"It's not like I'm solo. The extras wouldn't allow it." His agency work would be, but he regularly teams up with all their old classmates, unable to detach himself even if he wanted to. The bonds forged in war have taught him enough that it is good to rely on others and their skills are ones he's been naturally factoring into his plans for years now. While he might gripe occasionally, he has become accustom to it, and makes the effort to both accept requests and make his own quietly to continue this new path for the hero world where no man is an island. Never will someone have to carry the weight of salvation upon their shoulders again. He won't allow it. He's seen how it burdened his hero and his equal.

He stands from his perch as the comms unit in his ear chirrups, the signal of an incoming incident that he might need to attend. Hands brace at his sides ready to unleash the explosion that will take him airbourne, but he pauses for the moment, gaze lingering upon the other. "Don't doubt what I can handle, Izuku. I know my limits, always have done." Too much, too well. Shackled and caged by them till his mouth said all the wrong words and his anger bubbled over, burning everything he touched.

"If you're still worried, why don't you do it? I clock off at 8, you better not cook garbage." He activates his quirk before he hears his answer, taking to the sky in lieu of lingering and seeing the reactionto his clumsy, gruff words. As the instructions filter in his ear in tinny tones, he allows himself one glance back towards the one he has to leave behind for a moment and vows to step up the program that will give him back the life he dreamed of.

Wait for me, Izuku, give me a little more time so you can join us again.

[aspiring-writer-hidden-voice]

Charms

Your lips lifted into a smile while approaching the girl who remained seated despite the classmates branching off into groups, the final bell signaling another end of a day. A few classmates waved while calling out departures before taking their leave once you’d responded with your own farewell. The girl you refocused upon regarded you with patience until your gazes met. “What a day. How did you fare on that test, Komi?”

Her head subtly bobbed in a nod. “Mm.” The tip of her pencil scribbled across the surface of a familiar notebook before she turned it for you to read “it was easier than I expected but I’m more worried about you”.

“Thanks to your help, I knew most of the material just in time! I was able to make it though in one piece and I might even get a good enough grade to show my family!” You smiled widely when she blushed faintly. “Why don’t we do something to celebrate? It’s been awhile since we’ve been able to hang outside of school.” Of course you weren’t going to tell her that you’d missed being within her company over the majority of summer, Komi didn’t need to know such private things, but it helped to spur you to take initiative.

Pencil met paper once again for a few seconds before it was turned towards you. “There’s a new pocket capsule store nearby that made me think of you” was written in clean handwriting that you’ve come to appreciate and recognize as her slight script style. She peeked from around the notebook when you inquired if it had been in good spirits that the establishment had brought along thoughts about you. Once again pink tinged her cheeks as she scribbled for a few more seconds then showed you “I couldn’t help but notice your collection the last time I visited”.

“Y-yeah, guess I kinda do.” Sheepishly, you chuckled. “My family says I have a problem but it would be a shame to just throw them away. I’ve been looking for a specific one so whenever possible I try my luck at a machine in hopes of getting it.” You blinked when she rose to stand suddenly, determination radiating from her form in waves as she hurried towards the classroom’s exit, and hurried to follow as she didn’t wait for you to catch up.

Her speed and agility amazed you as she effortlessly walked through the crowds with you close by the girl’s side to the best of your ability. Silence wasn’t foreign to either of you, something that the two of you accepted and were comfortable with, sharing occasional glances every once in a while. Stopping at a crosswalk while waiting for the light to change presented the opportunity for her to point a the charm currently hanging from your phone.

“This charm isn’t horrible, it was mass produced a few years ago because it was cheap and popular with the younger kids at the time. I’ve honestly been meaning to change it out for a different one since the string has been fraying. My sister is super into them right now so I thought I’d replace the hanging part then giving it to her. It’s a four leafed clover, said to bring good luck, so maybe it’ll help her down the line.” You perked as the light changed. “Great. We can—”

The rest of your sentence was lost thanks to the squeal of tires, burning rubber filling the air as from the traffic came a car that bounced the curb straight towards you, and from the corner of your eye you could see Komi’s fearful expression. Your hand lashed out without conscious though, effectively shoving her, and braced for the coming impact. It never came though thanks to the high stepping curb you both stood on. Several onlookers hurried to asses the driver and yourself, checking for injury upon the two of you, but the authorities who had been close-by to witness gave permission for you to leave once a statement had been gathered.

A shaking hand took hold of your forearm as you exhaled once exiting the gathering crowd, bringing to your attention the girl who looked about to cry. “Oh, Komi, I’m so sorry for pushing you like that! Are you okay? You’re not hurt?” You sighed with relief when she hurried to shake her head. “I’m so glad. I bet that was scary for you. Do you need to sit down for a minute before we go on?” Again she shook her head and tightened her hold upon your arm. Your other hand rose and rested atop of her own, an assuring smile raising your lips. “I’m alright, see? Still in one piece.”

Her hand slipped out from under yours to shock you when it cupped the side of your face, bringing it closer to her own as she studied every inch of your visible skin. Either she didn’t believe your words or wanted to see for herself that you were okay. It didn’t matter which it was, you didn’t move let alone breathe too loudly until she was done. Once again her hand found the space of your arm where it had been previously and gave it a squeeze. “T-t-thank…you.” The breath you were in the middle of taking stalled as her gaze bore into yours. “But…d-d-don’t…end-endanger…yours-self again…please.”

Heat rose to kiss the inside of your cheeks at her just barely audible whisper, collecting the bag that she’d retrieved for you that had nearly been lost in the excitement. “You’re welcome, Komi, and I’ll try my best not to scare you like that again.”

The two of you began walking again, this time with her hand lingering upon your forearm, but you didn’t deter or ask for it to be removed. A couple of people you passed sent you knowing glances to which you attempted to ignore by remaining focused upon the pavement ahead. She came to a stop before an entrance, pointing upwards at the sign above your heads which boasted of exciting capsule machines, then surprised you farther by leading the way inside. Komi did, however, become frozen when a crowd of small children chorused with glee of getting whatever specific draw they wanted.

Your hand rested against her shoulder while gently coaxing her towards a quieter end of the store, successfully earning her to slightly relax by bringing to her attention all the different machines. Various shapes, sizes, colors, themes, there were even a few with collections of recently released films or television dramas. “You were right, Komi, this place really is impressive!” The smile lifting your face became a wide grin when spotting a familiar machine that you haven’t seen in nearly four years. “They actually have one?!”

Komi followed your gaze and was instantly in front of it within the blink of an eye.

“W-wait, don’t waste your money on it,” you tried to deter, “the one I’m looking for had so few made that I’ll probably never see it in my lifetime. Only a dozen or so were ever made in the entire world.”

She turned towards you with curiosity shining brightly within her wide gaze.

“I’m surprised at all that this place has this machine to begin with but the odd of it being inside is just too small to hope for.” The tip of your finger pointed towards one of the newer machines. “Why don’t we try that one instead? I know how much you like cats and there’s a bunch of them—” The hinge of your jaw dropped when she turned back to the machine and placed a coin within the slot, turning the knob with ease, then offering the capsule which dropped with a crescendo of music. You offered an apologetic smile. “Yeah, I thought so. This one wasn’t too popular because of its color scheme.”

A passerby noticed the capsule in your hand, commenting on how they had never seen it before, and you slipped it within their hand. “Wow, really?! It’s so cool looking and none of my friends have it either!” They disappeared towards the front end of the store with a bright smile.

Realization of what you’d just done smacked you across the face when turning to find Komi looking downcast. “Oh, gosh, sorry, Komi! I completely just spaced on the fact that you’d just spent your money on that!” Guilt filled you when she remained unmoved despite your numerous apologies. How could you make it up to her?

In the closest corner of the shop sat a machine that you knew all too well and thankfully it was only a few feet away that you approached it with hopeful intentions. Seemed as though luck was still on your side as it soon dinged then allowed you to retrieve the special charm that it had completed. It was a sleek black cat with wide glass eyes that were her favorite color wearing a gold collar just big enough for her name to be engraved upon it. It was worth every cent that you’d spent when placing it within her hand as you came up on her right.

“You can put it on your cellphone, wallet, bag, anything you want. I’m sorry about earlier,” you bowed your head deeply, “I should have asked your permission before giving away the capsule earlier.” After a few seconds your head rose slightly and the heat returned to your cheeks when noticing how carefully she secured the charm to her phone, slender fingertips trailing across the engraving of her name. You straightened with a hopeful smile. “Do you like it?”

“Mm!” The smallest of smiles raised her lips as she met your gaze, her mood now much lighter than it had been before as she admired it from several different angles.

“I’m so glad.” You noted the late hour and how the store was beginning to clear out. “It’s getting kinda late. I’ll walk you home.” The oxygen within your lungs froze when she held out her hand to you. Maybe she wanted farther compensation for the earlier capsule? Without second though you handed over all the change you had only for her to return all of it except for one coin. “Wait, Komi, don’t—”

Too late.

The new capsule was snatched up the second it had dropped and with wide eyes she held it out to you with both hands. She thought you hadn’t seen but you did when she swapped the coin of yours with one of her own before placing it within the machine. Why Komi had done that was beyond your understanding but the capsule now being offered nearly sent you to the heavens as the charm you’d sought for so long waited for you to pick it up. “I-is this the one?” So flabbergasted were you that it was all the answer she needed. Your phone had been about to fall out of your pocket was collected within her fingers where the limited edition charm was secured upon it then offered it to you once more. “I’m g…glad its…the one you have…been look…ing for.”

You visibly snapped out of the reverie with a physical shake and smiled widely. “Guess you were my lucky charm, Komi, thank you so much! It’s even more amazing that I thought it would be!” The entire time that you spent admiring the charm made you miss the full face blush upon the girl’s face when you made the absent comment that you’d think of her every time you looked at the charm.

The two of you exited the store, arms brushing slightly, the charms upon your phones catching the setting sun’s light as you began walking towards the neighborhood that was hers. Komi whispered almost too softly for you to hear if it weren’t for the fact that she was slightly faster than yourself, meaning that she was at least a half footstep ahead, of how relieved she was to have been the one to find that charm for you. This time it was your hand that found her own just before you took the branch of road that would lead to your residence.

[luna-eclipse2000]

Broken bones

Jean x gn!reader

“Remind me how you did this to yourself?” You ask as Jean enters your dorm room with a leg cast on and using crutches. “Eren was being a little shit again.” Jean answers. “Uh huh, it’s always Eren’s fault.” You say sarcastically as you close the door. “From what I heard, you started it.”

“Mikasa probably said that, she’s always sticking up for him when she knows it’s his fault!” Jean says angrily. “Ok, calm down.” You say, throwing your hands up in surrender. “Just take a seat and I’ll go get you the homework.”

You head down the small hall as Jean hobbles over to your saggy couch that you bought off Craigslist for only $50, and into your room. You head to your desk, grab your binder labeled ‘History 102’ and flip to the very back of it. You bought one that had the front and back pockets for your own homework and a spot to put those who weren’t able to make it to class that day. Once you grab the sheet with the small list of things to do for next class, you head back out to the living room to see that Jean has put his foot up on the coffee table with a pillow under it. You hold back a snicker at the sight.

“Aw, poor baby.” You tease. “You want me to kiss it better?”

“Well, now that you mention it-“

Jean says, causing you to smack his shoulder. “Hey, hey! I’m already injured, thank you.”

You roll your eyes and hand him the sheet. Jean grabs it and looks over the list. “We have to write an entire essay by Friday?”

“Yup. So you better get to it.” You say. Jean sighs and you can practically hear the wheels turning in his head as he tries to come up with an idea for this assignment. “Do you know what you’re doing?”

“Mhm.” You hum. “But I’m not saying because I don’t want you stealing my idea.”

“Have at least a little bit of faith in me.” He says. You look down at his cast and see that no one’s signed it yet. Maybe signing casts was an elementary thing only. You wouldn’t know because even though your high school was full of idiots, you never saw anyone with a cast on. Maybe a brace, but no casts. You remember the time when you broke your wrist from trying to do a trick on the monkey bars in second grade and how happy it made you to have your friends, family and just random classmates sign it.

So you get up from the couch and head back to your room where you grab out your pack of sharpies. You discard the boring colours- black, browns, greys, just all the darker colours because that won’t spark any joy- and re-enter the living room. You take a seat on the floor, grab out a green sharpie and sign your name in bubble letters. Then you pull out a red and pink sharpie and start doodling little hearts all around your name.

“Uh, (y/n)? What on earth are you doing?” Jean asks once he notices you. “I’m drawing.” You answer simply. “But why hearts?” Jean asks. “Because then you’ll always know that I love you even when you’re being a hot headed jerk.”

“How was I being the hot head?” Jean asks rhetorically. “Eren pushed me down the stairs!”

“Or you tripped and your ego is making you place blame on an easy target.” You say jokingly as you grab out your yellow sharpie and start drawing little smiley faces. “Ok, will you stop that?” Jean says as he shifts his leg away from you.

You look up at him with a hurt expression on your face. “Sorry… I thought you’d like it.”

“I’m sorry…” Jean apologizes. “I do really appreciate it.”

“Then can I go back to what I was doing?” You ask hopefully. Jean hesitates with answering so you pout, knowing how weak it makes him. He sighs and shuffled his leg back towards you. “Fine. Just as long as you help me with this stupid assignment.”

“Done!” You agree with a smile as you go back to drawing your smiley faces. Jean just smiles softly, shakes his head and then pulls out his phone to do a little bit of research just to be able to say he did some.

[rleonard9]

....I thought of angst for the babies. Im apologizing in advance.

happy ending!!

so it starts off with classic miscommunication, right?

which they're kinda used to, because that's how their relationship started.

and maybe they're at a party, and drew has this classmate of his come up next to him- its a girl, he can't quite remember her name, but he knows he's supposed to be her partner for a project. so he quickly asks what the project is, having been out for a game.

and all ellie sees from a distance is a girl rubbing up and down drew's arm, leaning in close, whispering in his ear.

how could he?

so ellie is quickly bolting out of there, unable to face drew. she unknowingly passed by a. few of his teammates, mumbling a lot louder than intended about "fuck him if he thinks he can do that to me.", etc.

she shouldn't have left. because of course, in her inebriated state, she thought it was a good idea. it wasn't.

she wasn't the worst one on the road however. there was another driver, swerving through multiple lanes. right into hers.

he clipped the side of her vehicle, making her ram into a pole. and while she wasn't unconscious on impact, she knew she would be soon. so she quickly calls 911- "911 hats your emergency?" "I-i need help. I-i got in my car after a drink or two, but IT WASNt me, promise! this guy was swerving, and he swerved in my lane but couldn't-" and then her end of the line goes silent.

police are immediately tracking her phone, getting her in the ems,a nd to the hospital asap.

of course, while this is happening, drew has made it back to his dorm, but he's drunk, and he's worried about ellie. he falls alseep before "she gets back" ignorant to the calls spamming his phone.

the next morning, he's answering frantically. "hey, who is this?"

"mr.fortescue, this is the hospital. it says here you're the emergency contact for an eliana brielle?"

"yes that's correct." drew's worried now, but he's trying not to show it.

"im afraid she was involved in a car accident last night. shes not in critical condition, but we made th decision to keep her over night for monitoring."

drew is so stressed and speechless- what does she mean by car accident?

"car accident? wha- how? how did this happen? what happened?" he's now crying into the phone.

"im afraid her vechile got clipped in an intersection, and she spun out into a pole. she was conscious when she called, but passed out on the phone with 911. we'll need you to come sign her out, and when you do that, we can give you a full run down."

drew is quick to frantically make his way to will's dorm- "SMITH WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED LAST NIGHT?? because I just got a call that ellies in the hospital... ellies in the hospital" and he started to hyperventilate.

"forts, buddy, you've gotta calm down. what do you mean els is in the hospital?"

drew took in a big gulp of breath before responding "she got clipped in her car last night, hit a pole- smith, how could I let this happen?"

"forts, you didn't know. did the hospital tell you what to do?"

"yeah, they said I need to come sign her out" "well then lets go"

minutes later, the duo is walking into the hospital. "who are you here for?"

"eliana brielle" "mr.fortescue?" "thats me." "great, just sign here and here. shes in room 402, and she may be sleeping right now form the pain meds, and probably will for another hour or so. the room is down the hall to the left." "thank you"

they carefully made their way down the hall, will lingering behind drew, slowly updating everyone on what had happened.

once they reached her door, drew carefully opening the door.

his ellie. his poor ellie. what had she ever done to deserve this? out of anyone, why her?"

she had a cast wrapped meticulously around her wrist, what seemed to be bandages encasing her chest, gauze around her head, and a neck brace.

what the hell happened?

drew felt tears well up in his eyes as he stepped closer to her. he could hear will stop outside the door, giving him space. he hesitantly sat down by her bed, grasping her hand with his.

"sweet girl, im so sorry. you shouldn't have been in your car in the first place. why were you in the car?" he sobbed out, possibly a little too loud. next thing he knows, will is creeping in the room.

"...I may know why she was in the car. did you say/do something to her last night."

"not that I can remember, no."

"lenny says he swore he heard ellie mumbling something as she ran outside, something long the liens of 'fuck him if he thinks he can do that to me.' so dude, sorry to tell you, but I think you did something."

drew was grasping at mental straws, but he was drawing a blank...until he remembered his overly touchy partner, and now that he thought about it, he may have seen ellie out of the corner of his eye... no that was defiantly ellie. shit. what had he caused?

"...the only thing that happened was an overly touchy project partner, but im not sure if she even saw it. but if she did... Smitty what f she thinks I cheated? I didn't, I swear!"

"relax forts, if I ever thought you were going to cheat on els, I wouldn't have let you date her. I trust you."

right as will said that, they began to hear pained mumbles coming from the hospital bed. "smit? baby? wha happen?" her words were slurred, but. her point was across.

"you got in a crash ellie, you're in the hospital now. you remember what happened?"

her eyes were slowly blinking, flooding with realization. "you-you cheated drew- you 'urt me:(" and her eyes started to well up.

he immediately reached for her hadn't, pressing see tkisses to her fingers, "sweet girl, shhh, I promise you, I didn't, I love you endlessly. I would never."

"you love me?" she asked as excitedly as possible, while still being half-way asleep. "yeah baby, to the moon. im sorry for whatever made you think differently."

"cuddle?" "yeah sweet girl, just for an hour though, then we have to go."

"oka... smitty!" els tired eyes shoes with recognition. "hi!" "hi ellie!" will responded, a few tears creeping out. thank god he didn't lose her, because what would he have done without his best friend? never mind him, what would drew have done without his other half?

keyword- have done. because while one was bruised literally and metaphorically, the other one had self-inflicted inner wounds, ashamed he was the cause for his lovers pain.

but they would be okay. yeah, while only one got hurt, they were both in pain. yet they were together, and for them, that was enough."

-hug emoji anon

IM NOT WELL (that’s not bc i’m sick)

i need more of this bestie boo omg like

[castle-dominion]

c3x4 punked

I like a good bit of steampunk & judging from the episode thumbnail this is going to be great.

Do they have mounties in the usa? ew

smorelette sounds genuinely gross & I like weird food combinations...

Even on my first watch-through I noticed ashley was a girl’s unisex name

You should have heard the sound I made when I heard him say “chocolate mousse chimichanga”

Diva’s honour uwu He looks so sweet & angry MR: Maybe it’s a nice murder, darling; brighten your day

PARISH IS SO RIGHT, GET HER A TEA (my family also spent five minutes arguing about funnel cakes, elephant ears, beaver tails (which are crepes & crepes are not pancakes), bear paws, white claws, monster energy, & bear claws.  gee ess double-yu is a lot longer to say than gunshot wound. I propose: wed. tee yu vee, wed, ex, wy, zed. Much faster to say & it rhymes with zed to make it not alone.

KR: Photo on the ID matches captain underpants here (Everyone looks at him) KR: Sorry, my nephew loves those books. half my classmates read them but I actually never did (& then an inconsistency in which direction Esposito is facing)

Girl she probably just wears regular women’s underwear. (Also castle I’m shocked. You strike me as a boxer-briefs kind of a guy.) She actually might wear boyshorts.

Lol it’s my little brother, no social skills, sweetheart, dork, math genius... Wow that was some loud knocking Ryan Oh He looks... concerned (& is wearing a nice outfit as usual) RC: Anyone good? KR: *points, gestures, & waves* eughhhhh?????

D’André: *looks at castle* RC: Hey... KB: If you’re so innocent Mr D’André, why did you resist arreest & try to put one of my detectives through a wall? (I’d love to see that scene) RC: *looks back to the glass as if he can see behind the mirror* KR: You know, the right turtleneck, & no-one’s even going to notice bro. JE: *slowly turns to him with a huge-ass neck brace on, the poor guy. It pushes up his ears & cheeks & he looks frickin m a d* KR: Maybe a scarf JE: >:| KR: *hits him playfully?* JE: Ow

I mean castle is a bit high strung but when this buff mountain of a man stands up & you know he already put one of either ryan or esposito through a wall, like, I can understand it. Poor esposito DX  JE: I want this guy to fry, beckett! (whipsers) ow, (ryan looks at him in concern)

This is one sexy episode RC: time travelling killer! *goes to high-five lanie but she is already walking off* (Mandolin version of theme song starts playing)

“time ripple” no it does NOT sound dirty castle wtf I like how Ryan half humours castle KR: Can’t be a time traveling killer; bullet had 200 years of rust on it; if the killer had been a time travelwe, the bullet would have been brand new I like abe sanrich. Lol D’André the giant. I just listened to an audiobook on the making of the princess bride actually.

JE: So uh, is Di Andre our guy? (For someone who can say spanish words perfectly his other latin skills seem to be lacking) KB: I’m afraid not. JE: What? Why did he go all hulk hogan on me? RC: Well why did the scorpion sting the frog? It’s in his nature. (Ryan almost looks more upset than Esposito, but then again, esposito can’t really make all the facial expressions one usually would be able to.) RM: I’ll see he gets the max detective JE: Thank you captain RM: You know you can take a couple days if you’d like? Catch some movies.  RC: Read Naked Heat. JE: No. JE: No need, sir. RM: *goes to pat him on the shoulder* JE, not much of a touchy feely guy in the first place & also in pain: *eyes* RM: *single soft pat* KB: *doesn’t laugh doesn’t laugh doesn’t laugh doesn’t laugh I swear she is not laughing* JE: -_-

RC: Maybe the killer came through the time ripple naked & needed the clothes KB: RC: Like in the terminator KB: Sadly I don’t have a better theory at this point (Castle & esposito feed birds) (even tho esposito usually hates castle’s theories)

KB: Go check [xyz] out KR: You got it *turns around quickly, bumping into esposito* JE: mhhh XP

Beckett is so important in Castle’s raising of a teenaged daughter

RC: You said something about a giant moth?

Ok so Murphy is at the finance firm

RM: Any luck? (USE CTRL F U IDIOT) JE: turns around slowly KR: Nah. So far I’ve seen a lot of cool old guns on these sites. (I love a good cool old gun) RM: (talks about the cool guy with the cool gun on the site) Check it out esposito JE: *groaning as he slowly turns around* RM: *trying not to laugh or feel bad for getting esposito to move* JE: Yeah that’s nice. See back then they were into the artistry of it all KR: Yeah theyre like little sculptures.. that can kill (he says with his cheek on his fist all cute-like) (huertas probably liked this episode, he’s into guns)

RM: If I had that kind of scratch around I’d be putting it somewhere safe, like me mattress.

Podofski sent an audio file? RC: You think he offered him a blindfold & a cigarette?

KB: & can anyone vouch for that? IP: Me RC: Myself & I got your back too?

sir ACD is the time traveler, castle!

Except don’t old guns have no rifling & won’t ballistics be unable to match the gun? RC: Somehow they never prefer to be arrested for murder

RC: This has got to be a joke. Goldstein drives a DeLorean (My mum used to work at the airport & one of her volunteers owned a delorean that he had modified to look like the time machine. It was p cool.)

I love Ryan & his sunglasses They r just talking about the car, it’s valid, it’s a cool car KR: I hope [there’s something in the car that will help us], that’s a lot of doors to knock on (touches hand to car & gets burned bc it is sunny & south?) WOW FIRST NAMES? OK THEN. KR, seeing a guy with a bloodstained shirt: Hey Javi! NGL I love lord henry! Haberdashery across the park! At least it makes Esposito smile Oh poor esposito KR, with lord henry in a hold: U alright bro? JE with his gun out: I’m fine. >:{

KB: Alright, thank you ryan. RC: How’s esposito? KB: At home resting Finally the man took some time off

Castle is so cool, knows the actual period of the clothing (tho I can’t verify that). He did not go quietly into the night, he fired back

It is going to be HARD to metal detect that entire park bro, even just the area you want to check good framing & camera fun RC, walking off: Let’s say *walks back & starts moving Ryan around* Let’s say that our killer was standing over here (ryan looks like he’s had his feathers ruffled) Castle counted a bit off or had longer/shorter strides but different people have different leg length RC: It wasn’t a game! *holds up finger gun* It was an old fashioned duel! KR: *holds up his own finger gun*

I thought that castle was going to practice lockpicking actually.

OH WOW OK THEN (& I was right about the unisex name) RC: Yess well me meeting ashley has smeared lip gloss all over your face (I don’t like the guns but when you go to meet a girl’s dad that’s the only time when a gun is acceptable.) (still not acceptable actually but you get the point.) Castle knows a cool trick there! Ashley: Yeah sure, if it’s ok with your gun-- dad Ash: I respect her, she is respectable, I respect you RC: I like him. He’s respectful. (Cuz u waved a gun at him lol. Heck yeah bro XD)

RC & me: well at least some guy in ballistics had fun firing em off

Interesting motion with the coffee there

RC: Maybe it was about a girl. In fact, alexis’s boyfriend (who has a girl’s name btw) thought I was going to shoot him last night.  KB: *Eyebrows go up, smiles & kinda nods.* KR: Hey RC: Hey, how’s esposito? (Asks ryan this) KR: He’s sleeping in,, mostly because he can’t move. (His voice is more melodic here, a different cadence & pitch.) (& ryan knows that esposito is sleeping in & can’t move) (Like girl the writers knew what they were doing)

Hamlet much?

Danny is a stand-up guy & gave you a job, you’re doing better because of him... Just making a note on troy kendsworth or w/e his name was

& they got the address from him.

What a sexy doorknocker WHOA I LOVE THIS GUY Mum & my little bro just watched around the world in 80 days (I think two different versions too)! I love a good rock shanty, I love adults playing dress up, I love punk, I love simplicity, tbh I’m more into solarpunk & cottagepunk than steampunk,  Riding the penny farthing right through the club I love it Love the hats, love the time machine Sheer supercoolness of futuristic design if things were steam powered, not fossil fuels b’y Poetry <3 KB: Excuse me Mr Peterson-- RC: Can I try that?

You know what it is SO valid to ignore death here. Sadness like that is for the real world, this place is an oasis away from all that. Kinda goth with the poetry & meaning even in death.

Hey at least we know he wasn’t dead yet within the time-of-death. 11-1 but he was alive past 11.

Oh those are some sexy guns Sure beckett smell it & know they’ve been fired. Who’s adam again? Adam murphy from the finance place? RC: I THINK HE’S GOING FOR THE TIME MACHINE (When did ryan & esposito get the address & called over for interviews?) KR: it’s just a bunch of interviews, idk why you didn’t take the whole day off. JE: Because I’m fine! KR, badge in hand: *goes to knock* *door opens before he can* (the two look at each other) (Adam Murphey runs smack into esposito. Ryan is still staring at the door in shock. He turns around when castle & beckett come out.) RC: Hey esposito! (esposito is groaning & whimpering from the pain of being slammed down onto concrete)

RC: So if you couldn’t kill each other then what was the point of the duel? Me: Duels are cool castle!

Me: Go test it out! RC: Only one way to find out *handshake meme* YAY THE SANDWICH ANTIQUE GUN GUY I like this song. Ew come on pig leave the guy alone Aiming better now & still runs away from the cop lol. Hey nice guy the pig got him a sandbag. Hey nice guy he’s actually interested now & got a stand. Hey it’s just like mythbusters, remove the human touch. I like the progressions of companionship with this rando.

Castle you’re so cool /gen

I love this family. & even kind of in my ears. I hugged my mom so much during this scene & alexis is so adorable & rick didn’t even say anything. Castle answering the door in his steampunk gear: Beckett! How do you know when you’re in love? Beckett, missing a single beat: All the songs make sense Castle fulfills our need to be an adult who acts like a child.

Making ryan just climb a tree XD “hey BECKETT” (I HAVE A PROBLEM) Poor guy shot a squirrel. Poor ryan has to pick up the squirrel. RC: Oh no they took his clothes too! KR: Could you..? CSU: awwwww :’( KR: Yeah I know I’m sorry

Castle: *gets caught in crime scene tape*

Who is using a magnifying glass? I thought beckett said it wasn’t a thing since sherlock holmes (like around the turn of the century, murdoch & sherlock time)

Castle: Volcano in centre of the earth: sneffles!

Sciency ballistics thing

Right as the church bells chimed midnight. we now have an exact time of death

tragic... but understandable

I always like seeing that cute cop, the short girl with the red hair. 

RM: Speaking of tragedy, did you hear about detective esposito? Me: he’s not dead, but the poor man has definitely had more happen to him... KB: no, what about him? (concern from both kate & rick) RM: Oh... he.. *gestured behind them* (wheelchair squaking) KB: Oh! D: JE: *rolled in by Ryan with some big brace on him & a big ol spider contraption on his head* RC: God no. Dude, what happened? (Ryan looks as heartbroken as esposito) KB: Esposito,! JE: No, I don’t want to hear it. No I’m ok JE: BOOM! *Jumps up, throws off the brace right into castle’s face* JE: No I really am fine, bro; we got this stuff from storage. KR: You should have seen your faces! JE: Captain you really sold that. KR: “speaking of tragedy did you hear about detective esposito?” RM: Hey KR: Sir RC: That was good, *claps esposito on the shoulder* JE: Ow, I’m not really that fine. KR: Oh yeah let me just... sorry JE: neck brace please, neck brace. Just lock it down, lock it. KR: Yeah yeah

& then some rando comes in & calls them boys (even tho they call each other boys all the time Ryan: *narrows eyes at this guy* & beckett has her nice helmet bc like we said in a previous episode she rides a motorbike (ryan outfit 10/10)

AC: I want to go on a date tonight RC, strained: Of course, great, have a good time. AC: I mean with you dad. (I miss going on dates with my parents. Just the two of us instead of all my siblings & both my parents...) RC: Did gram put you up to this?

She may be ginger but she’s very strawberry blonde for a redhead

She gets better at lying tho, like in s5 when they have their episode 100. 

[summonedfrommyhands]

Breathe. In. Out. Makoto repeated the process and decided to worry about everything after Komaru’s last surprise. He’s not in his usual hoodie and jacket, which feels a bit weird, but that’s okay. In Hope’s Peak it’s highly encouraged to wear the same style when not in uniform. He’d wear it then. 

The last forty - eight hours starts now.

“Makoto! Komaru is ready, are you?” His mom called out to him, and he made a noise of confirmation as he walked out of his room.

“I’m ready, where’s the last place, Komaru?” He was the second to walk out, his dad being the last to lock the door behind them. 

Walking down the busy streets reminded the lucky student why he didn’t watch too many mainstream shows anymore. Of course, after being used to watching his friends on television he had started watching shows again, but the first time he encountered an ad with someone who died right in front of him, he didn’t react too well.

The screen of Komaru’s television had become cracked from the glass of water he had. Not to mention he was standing in another room when it happened. Neither of them knew how that happened, nor how to explain it to their parents. 

After that, Komaru helped him to his room where he shut himself in for days and researched every name he knew. Makoto had cried at those that popped up, and broke down at those who didn’t - no matter, though, by extensively searching through news reports for any significant details, he had managed to track down more names that hadn’t been uncovered. He placed question marks next to those unspecifically named, checks next to those who were named, and blanks for the ones not found.

For some reason, he knew all his friends were here. It wasn’t just his optimism talking, here. It was different… like, he knew they were alive - like he can feel their presence without any real confirmation.

There was one name he hadn’t looked up yet - two, really, but one in particular set his heart racing like earlier, seeing his dead classmate performing live. That smile was the reason behind his nightmares, the reason he was like this.

Even thinking her name made his skin crawl. He didn’t know how he delt with her then, but he’ll do it again - for them. And for himself, to prove that no matter how different he was now, he can still achieve the things he’s done in his previous life.

His shoes were big, but Makoto was still growing anyway. He didn’t even begin to fight until two years later anyway, as a third year. So he can get the headstart he didn't have before.

He laughed quietly at himself as he searched in Ikusaba’s name. “It’s like those games with a memory reset. I think they were called ‘new game plus?’”

If he were a video game character, and not some reincarnation of himself, maybe it would be more believable he still had his memories. Though with the murder happy world he was in, doing it all again wouldn’t be too good for her.

Then again, she reveled at the fact makoto and the other survivors beat her and executed herself. He had wanted to help her, see the error and change - but being the constant in his nightmares still applied heavily. He can still choose to save people, even if they’ve done bad things.

Bracing himself, Makoto typed in the thirteen letter name, and hesitated before clicking search. Immediately, her face was all over the screen. Flinching, Makoto backed up enough to fall out his chair and the impact caused the poster over the computer to fall. He ducked his head to avoid her face and heard a cracking sound. 

It took a lot of self convincing to actually look up, but when he did, he gasped in fear. He couldn’t feel himself breathe, yet he couldn’t look away from the screen - Enoshima’s face was cracked, the pin holding the poster up somehow stabbed itself into the screen, cracking all the way to the edges of her face.

For such a small pin…

Makoto shook in place, staring at the image elevated in front of him. He couldn't move, his body had frozen, joints locked in place and the only thing he could do was shake. It was like - it was the same as - 

This feeling was when she - 

There was so much blood pooling from her - 

His vision grew blurry and he felt faint. Am I going to…?

A memory flashed infront of him. It was him, older. Right, follow that.

After being brought back, he glanced back to the monitor, seeing it had turned black after disuse. 

“If I’m going to panic when just seeing Junko, I won't last a day at the academy. I can do this,” Makoto told himself. He took off the pin from the middle of the screen, and set aside the journals keeping track of his friends.

“I wasn’t afraid of her before. I won’t be afraid of her now.” Hu mumbled. He looked through her public history, and saw nothing too suspicious. The thought at the back of his head told him she may not be despair induced this time around. Many things that have happened weren’t the exact same from his memories, so maybe this will be different too. 

It may not be, but still. He had to hope.

Either way, he will be ready to deal with it. He had to.