#I keep wanting them in my head though ahehe

[awesomeshadow773]

other ships (especially from other fandoms): *exist*

brain: I’ve been meaning to get to them, but… comfort ship… remember ?

me: ah, yes

I’m stuck

[broke-art]

Macaque x Neglected reader

"Stop!" You pleaded as the group of girls you thought had been your friends laughed. They tossed your sketchbook betwixt each other. Keeping your prized possession just a breath from your fingertips. The leader, your adoptive older sister finally caught the book and you grabbed her arm. "Why are you doing this?! I just wanted to be friends!"

Her amusement quickly turned to anger.

"You?! You're nothing but an attention seeking-" She advanced on you. Each step accompanied another insult. "Ugly, useless, piece of garbage they never even wanted! You will never be our friend!" She shoved you back hard sending you into a canal.

You gasped as you fell back. The icy water slammed into your back and shocked your body. You struggled to swim against the hard current. You tumbled under the water attempting to get your bearings as your lungs burned from want of air.

Finally, your head broke above the water's surface and screams touched your ears. Though you hardly listened to them as panic raked up your veins. You couldn't swim well and the current was pushing you somewhere unknown.

You gazed around in a panic trying to find something, anything to grab onto. Just then something curled around your waist and tugged you out of the cold depths.

"Look at what we have here." A black monkey smirked up at you. His tail was curled around your waist holding you above the waters but not moving you to safety. He held up your sketchbook with two fingers. "This yours?"

Slowly, you gave a nod.

He opened the book flicking through the pages. "Impressive."

You squirmed a bit.

"Not to sound ungrateful, but could you put me on solid ground?" You asked hopefully.

His purple eyes flicked up to meet yours.

"Well now that depends." He grinned at you. "I need a favor. If you'll help me, I'll put you on the shore. Refuse and I'll drop you."

You flinched at the threat.

"And what if I just swim?" You asked forcing a brave facade.

The monkey burst into laughter.

"I watched you, kid. You can't swim to save your life. Quite literally."

You huffed.

"What's the favor?"

"I need you to sketch an emblem for me."

You rose your eyebrows.

"Oh. That shouldn't be too hard."

The monkey rose an eyebrow at you.

"Have we got a deal then?"

You nodded.

"Sure."

The monkey placed you on the ground and flicked his tail to remove the excess moisture. And offered you the book.

You took your sketchbook and placed it in your backpack. Which you had thankfully taken off before being thrown into the canal.

"Where'd my sister go?" You asked glancing around.

"Ohoho your sister?" The monkey asked with a bitter chuckle.

"Well I'm adopted." You pointed out. "Her parents chose me fairly recently. She isn't too keen about the whole thing."

The monkey scoffed.

"Right. Come on. I'll walk you home."

"Oh thank you." You accepted the help and walked home with the odd monkey.

The next day you awoke to a knock on your window.

You sat up and glanced at the window. The black monkey gave a small wave as you pressed the window open.

"Oh hi...Mr...?"

The black monkey smiled.

"Aheh name's Macaque."

"Hi Macaque. Did you bring the emblem?" You asked curiously collecting your sketchbook.

He chuckled.

"You're gonna need something a bit bigger, kid." He offered you a rolled up poster board.

You accepted it with a lost look.

Macaque offered his hand.

"Now c'mere. We've got work to do."

You hesitated a moment, but took his hand. Immediately, shadows swarmed you and tensed squeezing your eyes shut.

"Heh. You can open your eyes." Macaque urged.

You blinked your eyes open and your jaw fell. An ancient temple that had partially crumbled surrounded you and a giant emblem was etched into the stone work, taking up the entire wall. The work was astoundingly intricate and detailed.

"You want me to sketch that?!" You gasped staring at him with wide eyes. "That could take forever."

Macaque walked over to a corner of the room.

"Oh and did I mention it has to be exact?" He questioned with a smirk.

"No!"

He shrugged.

"Pft. You can do it. Just take your time."

"Taking my time could take me even longer." You pointed out with a frown.

"Then you'd best get started." He mused over his shoulder.

You huffed annoyedly but set out the poster and started to work. The hours passed away quickly while you worked. The more complex designs you practiced in your sketchbook over and over before doing them on the poster.

Bit by bit the emblem on your poster began to look nearly identical. Then you felt a tap on your shoulder.

Glancing up, you watched Macaque off your a box of food.

"Where'd you get that?" You asked accepting it from him.

"I told you I was going to get you something to eat 20 minutes ago." Macaque informed you simply.

"You did?" You glanced at the clock on your phone. It was already 2 p.m. "Wow I had no idea."

"I noticed." Macaque sat next to you and opened a box of his own beginning to eat.

You watched him and began to wonder how difficult it would be to sketch him. He had piercing eyes, sharp fangs,-

"Stop staring at me and eat your food." Macaque chided.

"Oh right!" You started eating but still stole glances here and there. Moments passed filled with silence.

"Hey Macaque?"

"Hm?"

"Why'd you save me?"

Macaque's face turned to shock. His eyes flicked to a bright purple for only a moment and he shook his head.

"Needed an artist, don't read too much into it."

You blinked at his odd behavior then pulled your sketchbook over. You flicked through the pages mindlessly until he spoke.

"Why'd she try to kill you?"

You tensed and your head shot up.

"Kill me? No, no she was just frustrated."

Macaque quirked an eyebrow at you.

"I watched her glance at the river before she advanced on you. That wasn't just a bout of anger, that shove was premeditated."

Shock and terror coursed through you at the revelation. Your adoptive sister and you had been close before you were adopted. Best friends actually. She knew very well that you couldn't swim. That it could have killed you.

"No, she was just..." Words failed you as you tried to think. "She is just not used to us being sisters yet." You forced yourself to smile at Macaque.

He studied you.

"Kay." He agreed simply. "Maybe have her prove that sometime."

You two finished your lunch break in silence and you went back to work.

Perhaps Macaque had gotten bored or simply curious. But eventually he leaned over you as you worked.

Something about his proximity made your heart go wild in your chest.

Macaque's sharp eyes flicked over your art with scrutiny. You waited a couple moments trying not to concentrate on how close he was to you. Soon his lips curled up into a grin.

"Looks perfect kiddo. But you're out of time for today."

"Huh?"

Macaque gestured to the space outside the temple revealing that the sun was slowly falling below the horizon.

"No, I'm close." You huffed.

Macaque chuckled.

"Don't worry, kid. We can come back tomorrow. Besides if you don't sleep, your work gets sloppy. Can't have that."

You pouted knowing he was right but collected your things. When you were ready you allowed Macaque to pull you against his chest and summon his shadows.

When you opened your eyes, you were back in your room, and alone.

This routine went on for weeks. Each drawing session you and Macaque would talk more. Soon you two grew comfortable with each other's company. And you even began to notice that head seemed to be almost flirting.

Then your sister began to notice your absences.

"Where are you going everyday?" She demanded leaning against your doorway as you organized your art supplies.

"No where you'd care to hear about." You dismissed.

"Tch. You got that right. What's this?!" She demanded while snatching your poster.

"No! Give that back!" You gasped reaching after it. Immediately, you regretted the decision as your sister grew an evil smirk.

"Oh nooo. Is this one of your dumb drawings? When will you grow up? No one even likes your stupid art."

You held back a growl and reached out your hand palm up.

"Give it. Now."

"Hmmm how about-"

The door behind your sister slammed shut and locked in that instant. A black shadow over took the room blocking out all but your lightbulb. Which flicked to an eery purple.

"You heard her," Macaque's voice drifted from everywhere at once amusedly. "Give it to her. Now."

Your sister shoved the poster at you immediately. Her fright nearly made you laugh but you weren't given the chance.

You were gently pulled into the shadows the moment the poster was secure in your arms.

"Time to go, Bright eyes." Macaque muttered in your ear.

Butterflies exploded in your stomach and you struggled to think of a response but only one word escaped your lips.

"Ok."

Macaque's arm wound around your upper back pulling you against his chest. He snapped and the shadows shot towards you two obediently.

You two were teleported to the old temple and you somewhat distractedly got to work.

You hadn't been working long before Macaque leaned over you. The previous interaction flickered to life in your memory coloring your cheeks a deep crimson.

"Did she hurt you?"

"What?"

Macaque sat next to you.

"Did what she say hurt you?"

You stared at him a moment before slowly shaking your head.

"I've heard it all before."

Macaque sighed.

"Well, for what it's worth...I like your art."

Your eyes widened a bit.

"And I like you." Suddenly you realized your mistake and felt your face explode in crimson.

Macaque's stared at you before bursting into laughter.

"You like me huh?"

"Not like- you-ugh!" You groaned burying your face in your hands.

"Ya know, kid-" Macaque's voice sounded much closer now. You dropped your hands only to see him a breath away. "I think the feeling's mutual." He curled a finger under your chin, tilting your head up. And leaned close.

But he paused just before he kissed you. As if waiting for your permission. You instantly closed the distance. And at that moment, you two shared your first kiss.

[seirenqxx]

FORBIDDEN PLEASURE | SANZU HARUCHIYO

She's a empress, he's a criminal. She wants peace, he brings disaster. She's a serious one, he's a player. What will happen when these two meet?

CHAPTER ONE

"The white villagers have complained several times about the bandits attacking them. Sacks of rice and vegetables were stolen. What action shall we take, Your Majesty?" Apollo asked as he stood in front of us.

The emperor took a deep breath then looked at me so I expected him to ask me but I was wrong.

"What do you think is the best solution for this, Cassandra?" I bit my lower lip and sighed.

"Me? I don’t know if my opinion will work." Cassandra said modestly and the emperor laughed as he looked at her.

"I fixed the problem in spain because of you so I'm sure the solution you thought of will work. Right, my empress?" He looked at me so I smiled a little.

"ahehe. Thank you, your majesty." I resumed my meal while listening to Cassandra’s suggestions.

I wanted to talk about the problem but I chose to remain silent because he had the emperor’s attention. I'm right here, his wife and queen of the empire but he preferred the opinion of the woman he had just met.

"Mama," I looked at Leander when he called me. His small palm rested on my thigh.

"You have sauce on the side of your lip." I said while smiling then wiped the edge of his lip with a white paper towel.

"Why is papa always with that woman? You're his wife, right?" He asked using his small cute voice.

I was surprised by his question but I smiled and held his head. "His Majesty acknowledged her skills so they fixed the problem in the empire together."

"Hmm? But you should be the one doing it and not her." My eyes blinked a few times before I laughed softly.

"You're still young so you shouldn't be bothering with things like that, Leander." I turned to Eros who was sitting at the end of the table and he was busy listening to Cassandra.

"I know I’m young but I can already understand the things going on around me, mama." I bit my lower lip because I didn’t know what to answer to my son.

He's smart, isn't he? He's only five years old but his brain is advanced.

"Leandro, I'm going to the white village with aunt Cassandra, do you want to come?" Eros asked his son while smiling but Leander shook his head.

"No, I will stay with mom." He replied then stood up in the chair. He bowed his head slightly to Eros before he walked away.

"Prince Leander is as serious as ever." Said Apollo while laughing.

I wiped my lips with tissue paper before I stood up to follow my son. "Excuse me, your majesty." I said politely before walking away.

Even though I didn't admit it to myself, I was jealous of that woman. A week ago, the emperor returned from spain with a woman. Since then, I have always heard the servants talking about them.

They're always together. I didn’t pay attention to that thing but my chest aches when I hear about them. Since she arrived, the emperor has not asked me about the possible solution to the empire's problem as he always did.

It's as if I'm useless to him and I'm hurt because of that. I did everything to be a crown princess and then I could easily be replaced by a woman like her.

I was walking down the hallway to Leander’s room when I saw Lily running towards me. "Your highness, Lady Charlotte is here. She's in the garden." She said while panting.

"Please find Leander, Lily. Send him to the garden when you see him." I commanded and she nodded immediately.

I walked again into the garden. I don't know what that woman needs but it's good that she came here, I need someone to talk to. There are a lot of things on my mind right now.

I immediately saw Charlotte sitting on the bench when I got to the garden. "Why every time I see you you always look stressed?" I sighed and sat down next to her. "Is it because of that woman?"

I shook my head. "I can't do anything even if I don't like her, Eros wants to keep Cassandra in the palace."

"You two are married, act like husband and wife."

"What will I do? Even though we are both rulers of the empire, he will still be obeyed."

Charlotte leaned back on the bench and took a deep breath. "I have a reason why I came here."

"Hmm? What reason?" she turned to me and her face was serious. "I'm scared of how you look, Charlotte. I have a lot of problems so please don't add more." I said jokingly.

"This is serious, Gaia. I came here because I was worried."

"What kind of problem is that, then?" I asked and she stared at me for a moment before answering.

"2 days ago, Sanzu went to my house." I averted my eyes when I heard his name.

"Oh? Good and no police go to your house because you have a connection with a known criminal."

"I thought for a few days if I should tell you about that. He's looking for your son, Gaia." It was as if a lot of ice water had been poured on me because of what I had heard.

I immediately turned to Charlotte in shock and nervousness. "How did he know that?"

"I don't know, but one thing is for sure. He's ready to destroy everything just to get your child."

"You're kidding, right?" I tried to smile but my lips trembled with fear.

"I know sometimes I'm crazy but I don't joke about things like that. Leander is the next king of the empire so I'm worried for him and for you, not because of Sanzu but because of Eros." She said seriously. "You know what I mean, Gaia."

My whole body trembled even more because of what she said. I'm scared. My son, he can't be involved in the problem I'm in. When Eros finds out that Leander is not his real son, he will definitely kill him.

"I need to find a way to fix it. Leander can't be involved in this mess."

Charlotte left immediately after we talked but my brain was still floating even a few hours ago when she left. It became even more chaotic, when Eros finds out that Sanzu is Leander's father, he will kill my son.

That can't happen.

I sat on the garden bench while looking up at the sky. I need to breathe fresh air so I can think clearly, if I can't solve it, I will lose what I have worked for.

"I forgot you for a long time, why do you have to come back and bother me again?" I sighed but immediately frowned when I saw Leander running towards the back of the mansion.

I immediately stood up on the bench to follow him. Dark woods are behind the mansion so why is he going there? I was near the back of the mansion when I heard his voice.

"I want to make a way for that woman to stay away from papa."

"Hmm? Why? What did that woman do and why are you so mad at her?"

"She was always with dad. Ever since she came, mama has always been hurting."

My forehead furrowed when I heard a man's voice. I’m sure it wasn’t from Leander because it was too deep.

"You don't want to see your mom hurt?"

"Of course! She's my mom, and you told me not to let papa make her cry, didn't you?"

"Oh yeah? It's good that you remember what I told you."

"I-"

"Baby, who are you talking to?" I peeked at him behind the wall but my eyes widened when I saw who the man was with him. "What the fuck.."

"It's good to see you again, my queen." The man with the scar on the side of his lip grinned so fear enveloped my whole body.

[hwkhs]

Terms of Endearment

summary: what the bnha characters call their s/o with a little imagine to go with it

pairings: hawks/takami keigo, dabi/todoroki touya, amajiki tamaki, togata mirio x gn! reader

warnings: none

style & genre: headcannons; fluff (but for hawks it’s not because it just came to me, it’s still fluff though!)

notes: the imagines are longer in this one :) i need to catch up on the manga everyone’s freaking out rn and i want to know why and i need to finish prep work for school does anyone remember how to do calc

and reposted because tumblr algorithm ahehe

Part One | Part Two | cont. soon…

Hawks/Takami Keigo

what he would call his s/o: little bird, lovebird, lovely

he thinks it’s cute if he adds “bird” somewhere in there

he likes it when you call him “birdie” or something like that so he calls you one of the two above so you guys can match

i feel like he’d be the one to use nicknames the most out of all the characters just because

You are both patrolling on opposite sides of the city when a villain appears out of nowhere. There aren’t enough reinforcements near you and Hawks knew the alert was coming from your patrol area. You have a fairly strong quirk, enough to get you into the Top 10, however, he had a sense that there was something else amiss.

His fears are confirmed when he sees you laying on the ground in a pool of your own blood. His attention snaps to the villain hovering above and sends his feathers towards them before flying up himself, red overcoming his vision.

It may have only been minutes after but the villain is detained and he is by your side in seconds. Your quirk is barely keeping you alive and he scans the area to see other heroes who fought with you with the same injuries only less serious. Holding you in his arms, Hawks places his ear to your chest and releases his breath when he hears your heart beating.

Your eyes crack open but the pain is unbearable. He sees you looking at him and he brings your head to his chest. “It’s okay, little bird, you’ll be fine. Help is on the way.”

Dabi

what he would call his s/o: doll/dollface, sweet

a little shit

he says these nicknames with a teasing tone all the damn time and it doesn’t matter if you are male, female, nonbinary - he’ll call you DOLL because he thinks you’re cute

he’s never been in a serious relationship so calling someone these names is pretty important because he actually cares about you

“Hey, doll.” You jump at hearing the voice behind you until you realize who it is. He chuckles to himself as he sauntered over to where you were, just closing the door behind you to your room.

He is already used to being quiet, with your parents being home and all and them being pro-heroes no less. Your relationship with the blue fire user had sprung up almost spontaneously but you wouldn’t trade it for the world, and neither would he.

Much back and forth had gone on, mostly on your part, but you both had come out stronger from it. While you didn’t necessarily like his profession, you couldn’t say you were too keen of the heroes either. Whether that was influenced by him or not, you would never say.

In the midst of your thoughts he had already gathered you in his arms and thrown you both into the bed. Being a villain living a shabby building didn’t provide him with much luxury so he was happy to know that he had you to hold onto and a comfortable bed to lay in.

“I missed you so much, dollface.”

Amajiki Tamaki

what he would call his s/o: bunny, butterfly

another one who makes me soft

he’s so innocent so it takes a bit before he starts calling you these

the first time he called you bunny/butterfly he was so embarassed until you told him you liked it and even then he would still flush even though HE said it to YOU

You hold onto Tamaki’s hand tighter as you drag him to another booth. Being in a crowded area wasn’t his forte so he appreciated when you pulled him away from the other people to more secluded areas. It was his idea to bring you to the festival for your anniversary and you felt immensely happy to know he would go through with human interaction if it made your day. He even brought along his camera to take pictures.

“What do you want to eat?” You point at the menu that was full of delicious sounding crêpes. You both choose what you want and the dish is given to you in a pretty basket. The large smile on your face doesn’t go unnoticed as Tamaki holds the camera slung around his neck.

You look up at his red face when you hear the camera shutter go off. He has a soft smile to which you kiss his cheek. The picture of you is cute.

“You have a beautiful smile, bunny.”

Togata Mirio

what he would call his s/o: sunflower, pumpkin, honeybee

the perfect™ man pt. 2

he gives off just WHOLESOME WHOLESOME boyfriend material right here this man oh my god help

cheesy yet cute names for you though his favorite is calling you sunflower

“Sunflower, have you seen my–” Mirio’s words get caught in his mouth when he sees you napping on his bed. Not only that, but in his hoodie no less. He was bigger in size so the article of clothing engulfed you almost entirely.

You slept soundly, soft snores coming from your mouth as he made his way to lay beside you. As if on instinct, you snuggle closer to his warm body, face finding rest in the crook of his neck. He smiles when he hears you let out a sigh of content before returning to your previous state.

‘Good timing’, he thinks to himself, ‘I was actually looking for this hoodie.’

[dolls-self-ships]

One Thing You Can Taste

synopsis: Hades and Kassandra go on their first official date, but Hades is acting a bit different than usual. Almost like he’s.. *gasp* nervous. You heard it here folks, the big bad god of the underworld is nervous for a date.

ship: pomegranate seeds 🥀 (hades/kasssandra)

(fluff, flirting, a kiss happens, yea)

It wasn’t the ritziest place in Athens, but it was quite a nice restaurant. Kassandra had insisted that Hades didn’t blow too much on what was essentially their first official date. Sure they knew each other and had… something going on, but this was their first actual outing together. And so far, Kassandra had been doing most of the actual, well, dating.

“And then I said-“ Kassandra said through laughter, stopping when she noticed Hades still sitting rather stiffly, which was wildly out of character for his usual relaxed and flow-y self. She looked him up and down with concern. “-hey, you’re usually talking my ear off, I’ve been doing all the work since we got here. Where’s the sarcasm, the witty jokes you always have, what’s up?”

Hades blinked. “Me? Oh uh.. nothin’ nothin’ just.. uh..”

“Is something wrong?”

“Wrong? With me? Pfttt nooo ‘course not! I.. I..” Hades waved a hand, attempting to mask his embarrassment.

Kassandra raised a brow, clearly not buying his facade no matter how much he tried to brush it off. Hades saw this and sighed, his shoulders slopping in defeat.

“Okay.. uh.. l-look-“ he rested his elbows on the table, making a gesture with his hands. “-Iiii haven’t been on a real date.. in.. a while. Y’know I got the Underworld to run and I got all these plans for Olympus and well you get the jist” he fastly explained, trying to mask his nerves with a cool smile. “I’m uh.. heh, I’m a busy guy you know?”

The princess cheekily smiled, feeling like for once she had the upper hand. “So.. you’re nervous?”

A moment of anxiety struck him, with it clearly showing on his face until the god (what he thought was smoothly) attempted to recover but putting on a faux grin. Hades felt he couldn’t admit such a thing, he was a god, gods don’t get nervous. “Nervous? Aheh- well- ah-I-I don’t know about nervous maybe.. maybe outta practice sure but..”Hades trailed off, knowing his desperate clambering to keep his cool was not holding up, the princess saw right through him.

“Alright” he sighed out “you got me red-handed- or y’know I guess blue-handed”

Kassandra giggled, making Hades’s dead heart resurrect itself. “It’s okay.. I’m nervous too.. how would you rate yours? Like.. on a scale of one to ten?”

“Huh?”

“Just answer”

“Okay um… 7….” Hades looked between Kassandra and the floor “and a half”

Kassandra stifled a chuckle, tossing her hair back and leaning forward closer to Hades, looking up at him through her lashes (and simultaneously inciting a tingling feeling throughout the god’s chest and stomach). She really had no idea, because he’d never let her see it, but the princess had the Lord of the Dead himself wrapped around her little mortal finger.

“Alright, we’re gonna do this together. I want you to look around the room and just.. name 5 things you can see.”

Hades was about to ask why, but then realized this was his chance to swoop in and return to being his suave and savvy self. Pretending to look frazzled by glancing around and tapping his chin, he rambled on “oh uh.. gee I don’t know babe, that might be hard since the only thing I’m seeing in this joint right now is you aheh~” he slyly returned his glance to her, with one elbow on the table and the other resting on his hip, complete with his usual cheesy grin.

Kassandra tried to hold back the flustered and giddy feeling he gave her, but her reddened cheeks gave her away. “Hades, I’m serious.” She smirked.

Hades chuckled, putting his hands up in defence. “Alright alright alright” he mumbled “let’s see.. huh..” he glanced up, spotting a somewhat humorous sight from over Kassandras shoulder.

“That waiter guy’s got a paper straw stuck in his back collar” He pointed over to the scrawny young guy waiting tables, prompting Kassandra to glance over her shoulder and look. A snort escaped her throat.

“Should we tell him?”

Hades shrugged. “Nahhh he’ll figure it out. Or hey be stuck with it the rest of the night, who knows”

Kassandra put a hand over her mouth to stifle her laughter. “Okay, 4 more things, and they don’t.. have to be interesting by the way.”

Hades dipped his head in acknowledgment, scanning the room and pointing at really the first of anything he saw. “Hmmm alright, empty table, chairs… uh… artwork with a very suspicious stain on it, aandddd…” he drummed on the table, turning his head to the table. “Ah, menu. Boom, done, easy.”

Kassandra nodded. “Alright, good. Now list 4 things you can touch.”

Hades leaned back, still confused as to what exactly they were doing. “What is this what are we doing here, is this some sort of game orrr”

She shook her head. “Nope, not a game, just… something I do when I’m feeling a little on edge. Come on, let’s finish this. 4 more senses to go.”

Deciding to go with the flow on this one, even though he really didn’t see or understand how listing things that exist would help, he trusted Kass with this sort of thing.. you know.. feelings. They weren’t his bag but hers? She had the whole suitcase.

“Okayyy uhh.. 4 things I can…?”

“Touch.”

“Touch? Oh, well…” Hades’s expression quickly went from cutely confused to suitably sleazy as he slipped his hand underneath Kassandras’s, taking it while refusing to break eye contact with her. “there’s your… smooth skin” he drawled, using one finger to draw little patterns on her wrist and lower arm while gazing at the princess through hooded eyes. Hades then kissed the back of her hand for 3 looooong seconds before pulling back to see the princess’s pale skin glowing more and more red, which he thought was adorable. Hades casually leaned his arm on the table, taking a lock of Kassandras chestnut hair with his free hand, twirling one of the wispy strands around his finger. “your… soft hair hehehe”

Kassandra felt her breathing become short and her heart rate slowly start to pick up. She wasn’t necessarily uncomfortable, but she was a little embarrassed as they were kind of out in the open for anyone to see. And if her mother taught her anything, it was that getting all nice and cozy with someone in public was very unladylike.

“Hades, we’re in public.” She whispered, trying to sound stern but it just came out more coquettish than anything.

Hades’s hands retreated, next time, he hold himself as he tried to play it off smoothly. “Alright alright, um..” he let his hands rest on the table and started to feel around, gliding his palms over the smooth surface. “Oh this is some nice wood really smooth what is this mahogany? nice huh?”

Kassandra lifted her hand to feel the smooth surface, finding herself amused by how dramatically he was trying to hype up a table. But that’s just how he was, always trying to ‘sell’ something. “Mhm” she softly agreed. “Okay, one more thing.”

Hades sighed, leaning back trying to think of something. That’s when it hit him. “The chair.”

Kassandra smiled. “Perfect! Alright, what are 3 things you can… hear?”

Hades hummed, looking at the ceiling. “Well… there’s that loud fan that’s been kinda buzzing in my ear this whole time.” He and Kassandra let out a breathy chuckle after he said that.

“And all the people talking in this place is hard to miss dont cha think?”

The woman nodded, briefly glancing at said people before turning back to him. “Aaaanything else?? Just one more thing.”

“Hm.. well, just a second ago my ears were graced with the sound of your sweet sweet voice~”

Kassandra caved, letting out a girlish giggle as her head dipped. She was unable to contain the amount of butterflies he invoked in her. “Okay Romeo, who gave you professional smooth-talker lessons?”

Hades clicked his fingers, shooting her finger guns. “Years of practice, doll face.”

“mhmhm~ what are 2 things you can smell?”

Hades sat up straight, dramatically taking a deep inhale of the air around them. “Oh, mm, that’s a lot of ambrosia someone ordered. Might have to go over there, hah.” he sounded enticed, briefly thinking about how it would taste, which would be delicious as per usual.

Kassandra giggled, gods he was too much. She loved it.

Hades’s yellow-ish eyes trailed back to her, a softer grin curling on his face. “And your perfume.. mmm what is that that is just.. intoxicating~” he made a wafting motion with his hand, as if impersonating a wine taster.

Kassandra laughed, which for Hades, meant mission accomplished. He could listen to that laugh all day, all eternity even. It was like a warm symphony of sirens that rang in his ears.

“Okay.. last one.” She leaned forward, as if getting him ready for the news of his life.

“Hit me babe~”

“Mhm~ this ones tricky, but, what’s one thing you can taste?”

Taste. That one was tricky, they haven’t even gotten their food yet. However…. Hades got an idea.

“Taste huh?”

Kassandra nodded. A small gasp escaped her throat once she felt Hades’s hand slip up to cradle one side of her face. Her eyes darted back and forth between his hand and him.

“I could eh.. think of something..” Hades mumbled with a grin that was half dazed and half flirtatious. His words slipped away from him, too fixated on the princess’s full and.. smooth lips to concentrate on anything quick or witty to say like he usual did.

Kassandra was too breathless for words herself, she could feel her chest tighten as she glanced up and down Hades’s face, gods, he was handsome. Her eyes fluttered as they both leaned in slowly, and for a moment, the room felt quiet. Like they were the only two people there. And once their lips touched, oh, it was like fireworks had went off inside of both of them. Hades was sure he had melted the chair and some parts of the table at least a little by now. The kiss lasted for about 5 seconds before they both pulled away, a small squish noise emitting from both their lips as they separated. Hades missed the sweet taste of her lips already, and he couldn’t wait till later tonight when he could (hopefully) get another.

“Mm..” Hades moaned as if he had just a gourmet meal. “cherry, nnnnice~”

Kassandra, still a little flustered and dazed from the kiss, tilted her head. “Hm?”

“Your lipgloss”

Kassandra’s eyes widened as a wave of embarrassment washed over her. “Oh! Ha! Right. Um… of course…” she breathlessly chuckled as she adjusted herself in her seat, trying to sit up right once again.

Just in time for her, but less ideal for Hades, a posh sounding voice interrupted them.

“So sorry but, has this table been helped yet?”

Quickly, the princess began stammering, haphazardly looking between her date and the waiter that definitely just saw them almost make out in the middle of the restaurant.

And what would you know, it was the waiter with the paper straw in his collar.

“Ah,, y-yes, We’-we’re just waiting.” Kassandra declared politely, trying to mask her slight disappointment that their moment was now kind of ruined as she cleared her throat and looked at her lap, then back up at Hades.

The waiter smiled, “ah, very good.” And nodded before taking off.

Hades, despite his current gripes with that boy in particular for interrupting their little moment, stopped him in his tracks.

“Uh, hey! Kid, you uh.. got somethin stuck in your collar there.” Hades gestured with his fingers to his back, hoping that would get the message across.

The waiter hummed and reached behind him, pulling out the straw that had been stuck there. “Oh, uh, thank you, sir! That’s.. ha- embarrassing.” The now blushing waiter stammered, attempting to exit cooly with the straw still in his hand.

Hades chuckled. “You think he woulda felt that huh?”

Kassandra turned back to him, shrugging. “Yeah… I guess he was just too busy to notice.”

Hades nodded, turning his head and mumbling “not too busy to interrupt us though that’s for sure”

Kassandra gave him a look, to which Hades grinned with faux innocence, acting as if he had done nothing wrong. “Whaaat?”

“Hades, be nice.” She half-jokingly scolded him, if he was gonna be around her he’d have to get used to the whole ‘being kind to people’ thing. Again, no bag, her suitcase.

“Heyyyy I’m a saint! a cherub even” he innocently batted his eyes with a grin in likeness, hoping that’d get him to cute his way out of her disappointment.

And oh, it did, works like a charm every time. A melodic giggle escaped Kassandras throat.

A second of silence passed. “So… Wh-what was the point of that whole… senses thing we just did?” Hades asked with boyish curiosity.

Kassandra perked up, quite happy he actually seemed interested to know. “Oh, uh, it’s just an anxiety thing. I learnt about it in my years working with a doctor and phycologist, Hypocrities, he was hired by my mother for the kingdom at the time… do you know him?”

Hades’s eyebrows knitted together, remembering the time that doctor started curing actual dead people in his domain. DEAD PEOPLE. Ohh he knew him alright. “Yeah, yeah I’ve heard of the guy.”

Kassandra nodded. “It’s supposed to just.. remind yourself that you’re here, like, grounding.”

“Huh”

“So how do you feel now?”

Hades blinked, looking into the earnest eyes of the princess. He felt himself melting inside, his lips slipped into a rare, genuine smile. “Good, I.. I feel good.”

Kassandra beamed, happy to see he was feeling better now. “Great! I’m glad” her tone was so sweet it was like she actually spoke with little hearts at the end of her sentence.

Hades could tell this was gonna be a good first date.

[cosmicbash]

One the angsty prompt ideas I’ve been thinking about is Kells practicing how to cook for weeks so he can surprise Em by cooking him dinner, maybe for an anniversary or something, and on the day Kells has planned to surprise him, Em is hours late, leaving Kells alone for the evening. If you’re interested maybe you could write something like this? 🥰

3 years together. One thousand and ninety five fucking days between him and this old dorky man.

It's insane. Downright impossible to believe but Colson knows it's as real and true as the 2 year sobriety chip he's got hung around his neck on the gold chain Marshall gifted him with it this morning.

Both their relationship and his sobriety are as intertwined as their lives are now. Marshall's like the glue that holds all of his pieces together. Picking Colson back up, time and time again whenever he shattered in the beginning and filling in the gaps with his own loose pieces until it was Colson's turn to do the same. Which, by then, it only made sense to combine their puzzles and broaden the picture.

Now Marshall swoops in for Casie's PTA meetings he can’t make during tour. Holding the phone and helping him FaceTime for soccer games and school conferences when flight delays or bad luck keeps him late.

Colson tags along to Whitney's first few dates out in LA, weaving through the public spaces Marshall never could without drawing attention just to make sure she's safe and respected.

They tag team any situation involving the girls, even though Alaina and Hailey both still snicker at him from time to time, and Casie rolls her eyes at Marshall's rules. They're more than just dating now.

They're family.

And even just thinking about that brings tears to Colson's eyes.

Or maybe it's the onions. Baze said chewing gum helped mitigate this fucking problem but goddammit does it burn-

"Fuck!"

He has no idea how he got it in his mind that he could actually cook a meal, let alone a full anniversary dinner for Marshall but here he is. A pot and pan already cooking on the stove and his fingers knicked a dozen times in his rush to cut up more veggies for the sauce. 

It's insane.

But Colson's following through with it anyway, because he fucking loves Marshall and that bastard cooks dinner for them every single holiday or occasion so it's about time he stepped up to the plate and did it himself. 

Plus he's been secretly practicing for weeks with Baze over both FaceTime and a few in person lessons. Perfecting his simmering styles and meat seasoning to make the tastiest meal he can manage all on his own.

So far the last three times he's made the dish his bassist had given stellar reviews so there's little chance he'll somehow fuck it up tonight knowing it's for Marshall…..at least, he hopes.

The minor setbacks his butchered fingers have brought aside though, so far everything was coming along perfectly. His noodles are boiling (never over the rim, thank you wooden spoon trick), his meats marinating, and as soon as he tosses these sliced onions in his sauce will be cooking down beautifully.

All in all the night is starting to look like it just might be perfect.

Until 6 o'clock passes by and Colson's ears never pick up the click of the front door knob, or the hum of Marshall's escalade pulling up front outside.

The food's still simmering, minutes away from being actually done so he doesn't worry too much. Sure he was hoping to have a sweet moment where his boyfriend comes home and catches him cooking at the stove like a traditional housewife, but seeing his face when the food's done and plated promises to be just as cute.

Besides, Marshall has always fit the housewife role so much better than him anyway. Even the apron Colson's wearing is one of the older rapper's, stolen from his small collection in the pantry to protect his designer sweater.

Colson doesn't start to worry at 6. Traffic can be a bitch.

7 though? And then 7:30 when his texts go unread and his calls ring all the way through to voice-mail? That's when the blonde starts to fret. 

He's luckily put off plating because some brief flash on uncertainty had run through him after the food finished so it's stayed warm and simmering on the stove. But even that had to come to an end before 7:30 because his sauce would singe or his noodles might squish, so now Colson's trying to keep busy by perfecting the presentation. Shaky fingers swiping around the edges of Marshall's plate to clean up a splatter of sauce. Every Chopped Judge rambling off feedback in his head until he has it looking like something he's certain even Gordon fucking Ramsey would ask for a bite of.

By 8 the dinner table is set. His plate, Marshall's, the bucket of low alcoholic wine they both love chilling as a centerpiece. Colson even lights a few candles and adds some flowers from this mornings gift exchanges to keep himself from screaming.

There's a pit in his stomach that's steadily been growing though. Every passing minute and glance to his phone where he finds no change only carving it deeper. 

Marshall should be home. He never runs this late at the studio without a call, let alone without a message. He's treated his work like any other 9-5 job since before they ever even got together, always strict about his routine and careful to make up for over run hours by leaving earlier the next day. Usually Colson likes to bust his balls and insist he live a little more spontaneously but tonight isn't the one to pull that.

Especially not if it means Marshall's going to completely forget to check his fucking phone and leave him trying not to think the worst.

Colson only males it another 5 minutes before he caves and texts Paul. Fingers tapping fast across his screen to draft multiple desperate sounding messages before he finally settles on a "Em bust his phone again?" That feels just casual enough to not embarrass him in the off chance Marshall decides to burst through the front door seconds after it sends.

The door stays closed though and Paul doesn't open the message at all. 

Now Colson can't even start passive aggressively eating dinner on his own if he wanted too. The pit in his stomach has torn itself open wide into a nauseous chasm. Every scary possibility he wanted to avoid thinking about spilling forth from the dark trench like ghouls.

He's dead. Some crazy fan broke into the studio and shot the whole place up. No one's gotten around to tell him yet, that's all. They're too busy dealing with the fallout.

No, Em's security is beyond top tier, and with how close Colson and his current bodyguard are he knows the guy would call him immediately. Marshall's fine.

Unless… what if he was in a car accident? Or some road rage incident gone fatal? Colson's seen Marshall's short temper flare up while driving. They've made dozens of jokes about it in the past, so is it really that unreasonable to believe?

Colson's pacing in the front haul when he calls Porter. Phone tucked between his ear and shoulder while he fights his shoe laces, heart racing in his chest. Prepping to fly out of the house the second Denaun tells him what fucking hospital Marshall's staying in, praying it's at the ICU section and not some fucking morgue.

"Kelly?" The older man sounds confused when he finally answers. Voice high and tone light like he's expecting this to be a butt dial. "What's up man?"

The lack of rush or worry in Denaun's voice almost soothes Colson's panic right on the spot. Surely he wouldn't sound so casual if something had happened. 

It's enough to keep Colson from immediately pleading for Marshall's safety at the least. "H-hey, uh nothing really-" Maybe Marshall is even with him right now, realizing how fucking late its gotten and how shit of a boyfriend he's been and that's why Denaun sounds awkward too. "Just uh, waiting for Marsh to get his slow ass home ya know? Sorry, aheh, I'm probably sounding like a fucking needy girlfriend right now, calling his friends and shit-" the longer Colson rambles the more embarrassed he actually feels in the moment.

God he must sound pathetic right now. Panicking over Marshall being a few hours late.

"Waiting? Didn't Marshall head out like 2 hours ago?"

"W-what?"

Colson's blood feels like actual ice in his veins.

"He isn't home? I mean, I know he was gonna stop at- fuck is it already half past 8? Marshall seriously isn't home?" Denaun's sudden panic only heightens Colson's own, but he can't get any more words to come out. Not with how a rock feels like it's jumped up his throat. "Shit, Ryan are you getting through to him? Try Paul-"

Ryan's there too? 

"What? Paul's gotta fucking answer-"

They can't get ahold of Paul either?

"Kelly have you-"

Marshall's missing. Colson's been standing around making dinner for hours, worrying over the portion sizes and appearance of his plates and Marshall's been fucking missing. What kind of partner is he? What will he even tell Hailey? Alaina? And fuck Casie is supposed to be coming up this weekend so they can all go vacation together before his next tour-

The front door bumping into his shoe startles Colson out of his frozen panic. Denaun's angry shouting dropping from his ear, as he twists and meets a pair of sheepish blue eyes peeking around the hardwood.

"Hey." 

Marshall's…..

"Is that my apron?"

So fucking dead.

"Is this your--" Colson's fingers are curling around the edge of the door so fast he doesn't even care that it makes his phone fly to the floor. "That's what you want to fucking say to me!?" His anger is boiling fast, replacing the cold in his veins with lava. "You fucking piece of-"

Marshall stumbling inside with the yanked door is expected, but the flash of bandages and a sling douse Colson's flames like a bucket of water. "Ow, fuck just give me a second to explain-"

He's hurt.

Now with all of Marshall visible Colson's hyperaware of dry blood splattered on his white graphic tee and scratches partially hidden within the rapper's beard along his cheek. "I got in an accident out on the M-8, it was minor but-"

Colson really can't handle all these rapid mood switches Marshall is putting him through today.

“You fucking idiot-“ Tears are bubbling up in his eyes and it’s like his hands can’t reach his partner fast enough. Pulling Marshall into his arms for a tight hug despite the pained noises his actions inspire. “Stupid, old asshole-“ Marshall’s hurt, the cars probably wrecked, but he’s home and that’s enough of a relief to finally smother that pit weighing down his stomach. “Don’t ever scare me like that again!”

A moment passes before he’s hugged back, shock more than likely freezing his partner up but when Marshall does loop his good arm around Colson he pulls him close. So close Colson is the one who’s bones feel like they might ache. “Can’t make any promises about that,” The older rapper’s palm feels warm when it climbs to cup his neck, Marshall’s face turning to press a kiss into Colson’s throat. 

That brush of lips is the final crack to release the flood gates.

"I love you."

"I know."

"I really really fucking love you."

"I know baby."

"I don't care how old your ass is, you better hold out and fucking die after me like a proper goddamn boyfriend, you hear me Marshall?" He's getting snot all over the older rapper's shirt. Full on smearing it across his own cheek and the fabric with every pointless rub of his face. "I love you so fucking much. Can't do this without you."

"Told you I'm not dying after you unless you kill me first, and I'm chasing you into the afterlife once you do go too. Fuck all the marriage shit, death ain't parting us either you brat." Marshall's tone is light and his palm is doing wonders to comfort him by rubbing circles into his back. It's enough to slow his hiccupped breathing down a few notches. "I dunno if you noticed but, I'm a little obsessed with you."

That drags out a wet snort. "Y-yeah?" When Colson pulls back to meet Marshall's eyes he swears he can see a wet shimmer starting to glaze over his partner’s as well. "Prove it then."

There's a flicker of something in blue eyes, so fast that Colson almost thinks he hallucinates the emotion altogether. But then Marshall's wrapped up arm wiggles between their bodies. The dark blue of the sling catching and sliding so his scratched up fist can shimmy its way partially out. "Planned on it-" There's something clutched tight there, black peeking out from between Marshall's finger and thumb. It's got Colson's heart dropping down into his stomach all over again. "What do you think I was driving so late on the M-8 for?"

"Marshall-" It can't be.

"Colson." But his shithead of an accident victim boyfriend is pulling back, both his good arm and slung arm awkwardly flailing in the air for a moment as he drops down on one knee. The visible wince not hidden as well as Colson imagines the man wants it to be. But Marshall's eyes are softening, and the blonde feels completely cemented in place. The only part of him moving being the uncontrollable shaky quiver of his bottom lip. "I had a whole moment planned, there were flowers, balloons, and those stupidly expensive alcoholic chocolates you love, but they all got absolutely trashed in the crash. Like, half of Detroit is probably going to think the Macies Thanksgiving parade started early. Paul called to have it all replaced, and honestly some intern is probably going to come banging on the door in about 20 minutes but I don't want to wait-" There's a flash of genuine worry that's furrowing the skin between Marshall's brows as he continues. "So I'm sorry this isn't gonna be that fancy perfect proposal you've always dreamed of-"

"Shut up." Colson's voice can't go above a whisper. His tone quick and clipped from how anxious he is to hear the man finally finish. "Just- shut up, ask me. Ask me Marsh, please-"

"Fine, always need to rush me."The rapper's lip quirks at the corners. Hands transferring the small box between eachother with a bit of fumbling. "Will you, Colson Baker-" Until Marshall can finally get it open with an audible clunk. "Legally commit to being with my annoying old ass forever?" 

[thiswasinevitableid]

#1 or #13 for indruck? sfw or nsfw, dealer's choice :)

I went with 13 and NSFW: “we make contact before trying to steal the last seat on the subway/bus/train and I end up in your lap and fuck you, I’m going to stay here because I’ve had a really long day and this seat was mine”

The concert was a bust, Duck is learning that, at the ripe old age of 24, his body can no longer stand up to a mosh-pit, and Juno had to cut out early, taking the car. Which is fine, he can take BART home.

Except there was a fucking game tonight and everyone and their goddamn uncle is packed onto the train. He dips and shoves his way in, spots the sole empty seat towards the back and makes it there before it’s taken. He sighs, turning to sit, only for a black clad figure to slip in behind him.

“Dude, what the fuck?”

The man looks up, startled, and Duck sees he has earbuds in and was staring at his phone when he sat down. 

“Excuse me?”

“That was my seat.”

“Clearly not, since I’m sitting in it.”

“I was about toFUCK!” The train jolts and he loses his balance, landing in the seat-stealers lap.

“Agh, hey!”

“Fuckin’ busted ass infrastructure.” God it feels nice to be off his feet. Fuck it, he’s staying here.

“Are, ah, you planning to get up any time soon?” The man is trying to push him off, so Duck puts all his weight into his lap.

“Nope, gonna stay right here because it’s my fuckin seat.”

“It is not! It is a public train, no one has claim to a seat!”

“There’s rules!”

“It was empty so I sat down. I have been up on my feet since four in the morning, for goodness sake, I just wanted to sit.”

“Join the fuckin club.” 

“Get. off” He grunts, continues failing to move Duck, “agh, why are you so heavy?”

“Hey!”

“Look, normally I enjoy having a bear in my lap, but not when you’re cutting off circulation in my thighs.”

“I’ll take my own weight again if you stop pushin me.”

“Fine.” The man crosses his arms, slumps back in the seat. Duck adjusts so he’s no longer just dead weight. 

“You’re really going to sit on me the whole ride?”

“Yep.”

The man grumbles something rude, shoves his earbud back in and stares angrily at his phone. Duck pulls his phone out, but keeps glancing at his new chair. The man’s hair is dyed silver, with black patches that suggest he did it himself. His ears are pierced, his glasses are dark red, there’s a weird orange crystal around his neck, and his jacket is covered in patches. Duck knows his type; some willowly gay trying to hard to seem edgy. He’s probably on his way to the suburbs on the other side of the tunnel. And he’s gotta ride in his lap for a fucking half hour.

He snorts in bitter amusement and turns on a video. About ten minutes later, he realizes he’s not watching alone. 

“Don’t you got your own phone?” He turns, finds the stranger’s head cocked in interest, still engrossed in his screen.

“Hey’ he snaps his fingers in front of his glasses, “I asked why the fuck you’re looking over my shoulder.”

“Because our positions mean your screen is right in my sight whenever I look up.” He glares, then adds, “although now I’m mostly just watching for fun. Who knew plants could be so interesting?”

Duck almost offers to share, then decides he’s not getting seat-stealer ear-gunk on his headphones. He turns back to his phone with another annoyed grunt. And promptly flicks on the closed captions in case the stranger wants to read them.

Twenty minutes into the ride his butt is falling asleep, so he shifts in the stranger’s lap. The man hisses, bumping an arm into his side to still him. 

“Stop moving.”

“I’m just--oh” he registers the unmistakable feeling of a denim-trapped cock bumping his ass.

“Jesus, man.” He giggles at how ridiculous it is; he spent half last week trying to get various guys into this position with him, and now some dipshit on a train’s done it by accident.

“I’m, I’m sorry” it’s still a hissing whisper, “it’s vibrations from the train plus friction, I didn’t mean for it to happen, so for goodness sake stay still.”

“Why? Ain’t my fault you got a hair-trigger down there.”

“You'd be singing a different song if our positions were reversed.” The voice is creeping up an octave.

A wicked thought enters his head, “Who say’s I ain’t in the same boat now?”

“Because I can see you, you jerk.”

“Eh, I ain’t all that big. Thick, but nothin’ to write home about, not to mention these jeans are kinda loose. So I could be getting wound up as we speak and you might not spot it.”

“Talking about your dick is not helping the situation.” The man is staring him down now, hunger flitting around beneath mortification on his face. 

He escalates the game, wiggles his ass slightly, “Might wanna rethink those tight jeans next time.”

“If, if nnnh!” the man stifles a moan against Duck’s neck, then giggles “if this is how you flirt, I think I might know an issue with your approach.”

“Naw, this ain’t how I flirt.” He turns, exaggerates his drawl, “if I were flirtin, I’d ask if a tall drink of water like you was in the mood for some bear huntin. Tell you I liked your style, liked the thought of you under me in bed,” he reaches his hand up, runs his fingertips along the man’s cheekbones, and from so close he sees an excited, playful glint in the eyes behind the glasses, “liked how that face is cut-diamond gorgeous.”

The glint disappears, “Please don’t tease. Not about that, anyway.”

“I ain’t.” The sincerity sparks between them without warning as he splays his fingers on a cool cheek to gingerly cup it.

“That, uh, that is, uh, I’d say all that if we we’re flirtin’.” He turns back around, flustered and wrong-footed by his own damn feelings. He wants the other man to start the game again. He wants to say he’s sorry, ask if they can start over. He wants someone, anyone, to make the decision about what to do next for him. 

The stranger obliges him, wiry arms slipping around his middle as breath tickles his neck. 

“Since we’re playing what ifs, were I flirting with you, I might say that the shirt you are wearing is very flattering.” He hesitates, and Duck realizes that in spite of being around him, his arms aren’t actually touching Duck. They’re waiting, patiently, for a sign to continue. 

Duck takes the bony wrists, drawing the arms close, and chuckles, “you did say you liked my type.”

“I did. Or, ah, I do.’ One hand pets Duck’s thigh. Keeping an eye out for onlookers, he guides the other stealthily under his jacket and shirt, shivering as cold fingers tease his skin.

“Well, uh, how do I measure up, ahehe, hey, no, was tryin to show off this bit.” He guides the hand currently petting his belly up to the noticeable muscle near his pecs.

“I know, and it is very nice” A purr in his ear now, “but I like this bit just as much.” His other hand rubs circles on Ducks belly through his clothes, “it’s all such a pleasing shape.” 

A kiss on his neck makes him sigh, and he fights to get the upper hand again, to not just melt, to make this a game again because the game feels safe.

“Seems like your dick’s calmed down some.”

“Yes, thank you for holding sti-AH” another moan in his shoulder, another high laugh as he jerks his hips without warning, “you dick.”

“Pretty sure that’s your dick.” Duck grins at him, enjoying the fact he’s still holding him, savoring how he can nuzzle his cheek even as he whispers, “sure as hell’d like to make it mine, though.”

“Is that so? I’d like to see you try.” The man practically snarls, lust dripping from every word. 

He doesn’t get to answer, drowned out by the voice announcing his stop. 

“Shit, that’s me, gotta, uh, what the fuck are you doing?”

“Getting off the train?” The man points at the opening doors, “this is my stop too.”

They make their way off and onto the platform. It would be easy to lose each other in the crowds, slip away and pretend nothing ever happened. Yet Duck keeps his pace slow and, when they do get separated, he finds his new friend has chosen the exit turn-style with the longest line, conveniently allowing Duck to catch up with him. 

When they reach the street, night air chilling with fog, Duck decides to be reckless. 

“How close is your place?”

“Six blocks that way.”

“Mine’s four this way.” He holds out his hand. The stranger takes it, grinning, and they’re off, stopping only when crosswalk and Saturday night traffic demands it.

“Almost thereah!” Duck jumps a little when, as they’re stuck waiting, the other man steps directly behind him, kneading his ass. 

“MmM, apologies, this has been tempting me ever since you sat down.”

“You were rubbin off on it, ain’t that enough?”

“That was on accident. This” he squeezes harder “is on purpose.” 

“C’mon.” Duck growls, dragging them across the intersection and to the door of his apartment. They’re stone cold sober but take the stairs like drunks, fumbling and mis-stepping as they laugh and grab at each other. 

Duck slams the door shut and shoves the taller man against it, making him stumble and bring them both to the floor. He kisses him hard, biting his lip and pulling silver hair while bony fingers dig into his back and ass. Their tongues tease together and he gets a hint of metal, pulls back.

“Stick out your tongue.”

Instant compliance as the other man reveals his pierced tongue through panting lips. 

“Damn, gonna have some fun with that later.”

“Why, why wait?”

“Because” he tugs a fistful of hair, making him whine, “you’re gonna get that nice cock out and get real hard so I can ride you.”

“Yes, ohyesyes.” He’s frantically undoing his pants as Duck stands and strips his own off, tossing them and his boxers into the laundry. 

“Stay.” He rifles through his tiny nightstand, finds two condoms and his lube, returns and barks, “legs out in front of you. 

Lean legs still half-trapped in jeans slide forward, red canvas sneakers scuffing the floor. 

“Now” Duck straddles him, tearing open a condom as he does, “you keep that dick nice and hard while I get ready. Then I’m, fuck, gonna use it like a toy.” He pushes the first finger deeper, moaning, grits his teeth trying to get the second in as the silver-haired man slowly strokes himself, licking his lips as he stares at Duck’s hardening cock.

“C’mon, fuck, there we go” he breathes deep, gets three fingers in and flexes them.

“Don’t, nnnn, rush on my account, I’m enjoying the show.” He runs his free hand up Duck’s body, purring appreciatively.

“Cute how you think you’re the one settin’ the pace.” He pulls his fingers out, grabs the second condom and rolls it down that perfectly average but nonetheless mouthwatering cock, “fuck, yeah, yeah,” he sinks down the first few inches and the other man’s head thunks back, hands flying to gratefully cup and paw his ass. 

“Oh goodness, ohyes, you, your ass is amazing.”

“Think so? Then how about you, nnfuck, thank me for the pleasure of fuckin it.” He sinks down nearly to the base, a high gasp coming from his partner when he does. Based on their exchange on the train, he’s expecting the man to tease, or maybe snark at him. 

What he gets is a desperate, blissed out expression and, “thank you, thankyouohgodthankyou” as his hips buck wildly, making Duck grunt with each thrust.

“There we, fuck, there we go sugar, now you got the idea, you be good and fuck me like youFUCK, mean it, maybe I’ll even cum on you.”

A whimper as the thrusts quicken, Duck bouncing as best he can with the angle and speed. He dips forward, kisses him messily, then switches to tender pecks up and down as face until laughter joins the moans. 

The he grabs the other man’s hair and yanks hard enough to pull some of it out, making him sob with pleasure and pump madly up into him, delivering two retaliatory smacks to Duck’s ass.

“Oh fuck yeah” Duck grins, “you like it rough, don’t you sugar?”

“Yes, god yes, AHnnnn” Duck bites his neck this time, chuckling when he hears his feet kicking against the wood floor.

“Good, I like it too.” He murmurs, kissing the new bruise before biting down on it a second time. 

“AHGOD, god, please, I’m, I’m close, I want to come, please sweetheart, please-”

“Duck.”

“W-what?” 

“My name, fuck, that’s my name.”

“Ohhhhh” the man nods, understanding, then tightens his hold on him, “Duck, please, you feel so good, so amazing, please let me cum.”

“Alright sugar, since I’m feeling, fuck, so fuckin generous, you can cum in my ass.”

Two more thrusts and a high, breathy cry signal the taller man doing just that, his whole body shaking under Duck. He’s fighting to stay upright, panting as he looks to Duck for direction. Duck grabs his left hand from his hip and places it on his dick, guides it swiftly up and down.

“Mnnff, yeah, like that, like that sugar, fuck that feels good.” 

A pleased whimper as a narrow nose and metal glasses frames presses into his neck, the man clinging to him with his other hand. 

“You like that? Like bein’ good for somethin?”

“Yes, yes, want to be good, want to be good for you.”

A pang of affection and he kisses his cheek even as he growls, “you wanna see just what you’re good for.”

A nod, and so he cups the back of the man’s head, shifting it so he’s gazing down as his cock. 

Duck snarls “That’s what you’re fuckin, fuck, good for, and goddamn you do it well, fuck, fuck, ain’t been this fuckin hard in months, fuck, shit.” He comes, dropping the cool hand as spend dribbles down their joined fingers. 

Then he slumps forward, hoping for a few seconds to catch his breath before the man up and leaves. But all he does is loop his arms around him, breathe shaky as he nuzzles and kisses Duck’s hair. So Duck takes his time, let’s his breathing recover, enjoys the feeling of fine hair under his fingers and heartbeat next to his own. 

“I, ah, I don’t wish to bother you, but could I have a tissue? I have, ah, eh, well-”

Duck sits up and immediately giggles; the man has cum across the left lens of his glasses.

“Shit, sorry about that. Here, I can get ‘em clean.”

A shy smile as the glasses are handed off, and he’s face to face with deep brown eyes, still glazed with contentment.

“Be right back.” He kisses him once. His search for a clean cloth, however, leaves him vulnerable. 

“OWFUCK, jesus Taco!” An enraged ball of blonde fur savages his ankle and his friend sits up, alarmed.

“Do you need help?”

“Naw, ow, he’s just pissed that we made a racket and woke him up.”

“Oh dear, that was very rude.” The man holds out his hand and, to Duck’s surprise, gets a headbump and a “mrrp” instead of a brush off. 

“My, aren’t you soft and lovely. You said his name was Taco?” He keeps scritching the cat’s head, smiling, as he looks at Duck.

“Yeah. And, uh, speakin of names, I, uh, I never got yours.” The admission is at once thrilling and shameful.

“Indrid.”

“It’s, uh, it’s nice to meet you, Indrid.” He holds out the now clean glasses and Indrid slips them on, before tilting his head and sitting up on his knees to look at Duck’s thigh.

“I assume this tattoo is because of your name?”

“Eeesh, yeah. Long story short, ex of mine got tattoo equipment and offered me a hundred bucks if I let him practice one on me. I needed the cash, but I was a dingdong and let him choose the design. Thought he was real funny.”

“Please tell me he did not go on to become a professional” Indrid wrinkles his nose at the cartoonish image.

“Nope. Got bored with it. Like he did, uh, most things.”

“Ah.” Indrid nods with perfect understanding and sympathy, “you know, it would take a little design work, but I could correct this into something knew, something you might like.”

“Not unless you got a-”

“License? Almost. I’m finishing up my apprenticeship at Cobra over in the city. I might even be able to swing you a, ah, shall we say, friends and family discount.”

“Shit, really?”

“Of course. Why would I offer if I didn’t mean it?” He looks up, so sweet and genuine that Duck wants to fall to the floor and cuddle him up. 

“Do you, uh, do you want to shower? With me? We’re both kinda sticky.”

“Very well.” Indrid stands, following him to the bathroom, “though you’re warned, I like it hot.”

Duck turns on the water, kisses him playfully on the nose, “I gathered.”

Indrid laughs, pulls him into a kiss, smiling all the while. 

They swap tattoo stories as they shower, Indrid explaining the designs on his arms and complimenting the realistic pine tree on Duck’s arm. By the time they’re dried and bundled in various tray sweatpants and shirts, Indrid is asking him about what he does.

“Golden Gate Park. My, that must be a master gardeners dream.”

“It’s pretty damn cool, even if I’m still just low level help.”

“You must” Indrid yawns, leaning against him in bed, “you must tell me all about it.”

“In the mornin’, sugar.” Duck lays down next to him, grabbing his thickest blanket to compensate for the shitty heat in the building. 

“I don’t” another yawn “I don’t wish to impose, I can call a ride or something, or just walk home.”

“Do you wanna stay?” Duck asks softly.

“Yes. Very much.” Indrid nods, smiles sleepily when Duck gently removes his glasses and sets them on the nightstand. 

“Then stay. Please. Fuck, Indrid, I know we got off on a bad foot but I’m so fuckin glad you stole my seat. I wanna get to know you so bad.”

“Was my seat, but agreed.” Indrid smirks as he cuddles closer. 

“That’s good enough for me, sugar. Sleep tight.”

He switches off the light and curls up in the arms of the happiest accident he’s ever had.

[sleepdeprivedghoul]

BTS Maknae Line Reacting To You Being Pregnant

Jimin: 

You sat anxiously outside the practice room, your heart was in your stomach, as you checked your phone once more. They should be leaving soon, you thought bitterly. You had to tell him, but this negative thought plagued your subconscious making you fear his response. What if he leaves me? 

Though you knew that would never happen, your heart still ached while your mind was flooded with fear and guilt. The guilt of keeping this secret for a few weeks, the only person who knew was Namjoon, and he was the one making you tell Jimin saying: If you don’t I will. Honestly, at this point you should have just let Namjoon tell him, maybe it would be easier on you. 

The door swung open pulling you out of those thoughts, Namjoon and Taehyung left out the door first, both talking about the new music and Tae asking if he can rap. As they passed you Namjoon shot you a knowing look and a small smile, his way of wishing you luck. The others followed suit, Yoongi looked at you curiously ready to pull you into a conversation but Namjoon grabbed his arm, leading him away. Jimin had yet to leave the room, he was the last as always. 

A minute or two passed and he walked out, his eyes glued to his phone as you stood up, your movement making him look at you. “Y/n? What are you doing here?” 

“I came to see you,” your eyes were glued to the ground and not him, you were afraid to look at him. “Well that’s strange, why are you here? Don’t you have work, did something happen? Babe, is something wrong?” His voice quivered as you lifted your head, eyes locking with his.

“I-I… Baby. You and me…” 

“What?” He asked as a tear slipped down your cheek and he quickly wiped it away before pulling you into a hug. “We-we-I… I’m pregnant…” You stammered once more and he chuckled, kissing your cheek and just holding you close. 

“Well, they’ll most definitely have a good life, with the best parents.” He whispered into your ear before pulling away, a smile on his face as he took in your tear-streaked face, quickly wiping away your tears as he kissed you. 

Taehyung: 

“Hey Y/n-Babe?” Called Tae from the kitchen, looking at the dinner you had prepared. 

“Yeah doll?” You quickly dried your hands and walked in the kitchen to see him staring at the baby carrots, baby corn, and baby back ribs. “What’s wrong?” 

“There’s not enough for the guys…” He stated as he looked at the ribs, your fists were clenched, you had wanted to tell him through a cute simple dinner with the theme of baby. Plus, you scheduled this as a date for just the two of you, not you, him and six hungry boys. 

“I wasn’t told they would be joining us.” 

“Aheh, sorry babe, I just thought they would wanna join. Plus Jin had been talking about how much he missed seeing you.” 

Before you could even protest the front door opened and they all entered. “There’s not enough I’m sorry, Jin would you help me?” He nodded and walked with you to the kitchen, Namjoon following behind the two of you as Tae entertained the rest. 

“You seem upset,” chimed Joon as he inspected the meal on the table. 

“Stressed,” responded Jin as he took in your frazzled appearance. “And pregnant?” Asked Namjoon as you sat down a package of refrigerated steaks. 

“Yeah… I wanted to tell him tonight but-” you waved your hand at them earning sad smiles from them both. “Tae’s always been a bit too kind,” muttered Namjoon as he started out of the kitchen.

“Namjoon-? Don’t tell him please.”

“I’m not, I’m bringing him to you, and I think we will be leaving.” Jin nodded his head, smiling happily at you. 

“You guys can stay, it’s okay.” 

“Y/n,” started Jin as Namjoon left, “this is your moment, well mom-ent,” he cracked up at his own pun before pushing you into the dining room. “Go tell him, I’ll start cooking if you’re sure you want us to stay.” 

“Thank you Jin,” you whispered hugging him tightly before sitting down in the dining room. The lights were dimmed like you had planned, and Tae sat across from you. Your heart fluttered, he really was so handsome. He gave you a nervous smile before sipping on his water.  

“I’m sorry, please don’t be mad. I really just wanted-”

“Tae,” you reached across the table and grabbed his hand, smiling happily at him. “I’m not mad, we’re a family.” You emphasized before continuing, “I’m pregnant Taehyung. I prepared this meal hoping to emphasize the word baby.” His eyes widened as his jaw dropped. 

“I’m an idiot,” he breathed out. 

“Correction, my idiot.” 

“I-we are really having a baby?” You nodded and he stood up and started to jump happily and chanting ‘we’re having a baby!’ Alerting the other boys to enter the dining room to look at you both. 

“Congrats!” Yelled Hoseok, Jungkook high fived Tae, as Jimin and Yoongi kinda just stood there, their eyes focusing on your stomach. 

“Welcome to the family,” said Jimin as he walked over to you and placed his hand on your non-showing stomach. 

“Y/n, do you think we can have more? Do you think it’ll be quadruplets?” Asked Tae excitedly. “Oh God,” you murmured about that. “Let’s just have one kid at a time please.” 

If only that was the case, instead you were pregnant with three. 

Jungkook: 

“I’m sorry that you’re all here for this, and are going to have to hear the news,” I muttered loud enough for the seven males to hear. Jungkook had already burrowed his head in a pillow, he knew what you had to say was serious but he didn’t know what it was. 

You had been living with Bangtan in the dorms for about two years as you were Kook’s girlfriend, and sure you two got around, though it was difficult was six other males who just enter whenever they please. God, you couldn’t take a shower in this place without someone accidentally walking in on you. 

“So, I wanted to say this only to Kookie, but you all are family and word would get around regardless. So here it goes, I’m pregnant.” 

The room was initially quiet, filled with the air of shock until Tae blurted, “Pregnant?! How? How are you pregnant?”

“Tae,” started Hoseok on the opposite couch, a broad smile on his face as he talked, “You see when a mommy and daddy really love each other- OW! Yoongi, why’d you hit me.” 

“This is serious, they’re both very young and new to being parents, now is not the time for jokes. Look at them, they’re both freaking out. Y/n is shaking and Jungkook is, well, Jungshook. Congratulations though Y/n and Kook, I’m sure you’re child or children will be cute and talented, but please keep the child out of the dorms at night, some of us would like to sleep.” 

Jin stood up and placed his hand on your shoulders, “You corrupted our little Kookie. Jungkook I thought you were a virgin this whole time, you even told our staff you were. But woe was me to believe your lies, Y/n how many cookies did you tempt him with?”

“Jin-hyung, she didn’t have to tempt him with cookies, she tempted him with the milk as he is the cookie.” 

“You pervert!” Shouted Kookie finally coming to life to whack Jimin upside the head, making him fall off the couch in laughter. “Y/n, no offense but I’m really scared to be a dad, I’m going to be with you through every step of the way. But we’re so young and I know this is my fault but-”

Namjoon cut in, “neither of you are going into this alone. We’re family here, and family helps one another, so together we will raise the golden bunny or bunnies. Just don’t breed like rabbits.” 

“Thank you Namjoon,” you smiled sheepishly and he nodded as Jin still lectured you and Jungkook on the importance of safe sex. 

[minsungsfork]

With a sunflower

Genre: Flower Shop AU, Bestfriend!Felix, Female!Reader, Fluff

Summary: You wanted to give flowers for your girlfriend, thus leading you to befriend the boy who works in the flower shop and helping him with his crush.

A/N: I honestly did not know what to write in the pairings so I didn’t write it anyway ^^” also sorry if this is not neatly written and still new to this stuff ahehe

♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥ 　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　

You were finally going on a date with a girl you liked since your freshmen year. Walking down the pavement, your eyes were searching for the flower shop your friend suggested you. Y/F/N only described it as ‘a small flower shop’ and it didn’t really help you out. After searching for the said flower shop, you finally spotted it, right beside a tattoo shop, contrasting the shop’s dark colors with it’s white walls and colorful flowers. 

Stepping in, a young boy greeted you. He had blonde hair, a pink oversize sweater with a green apron tied around his body. Taking a closer look, his cheeks were dusted with freckles that you find amusing. 

“May I help you?” His deep voice snapped you out of your trance. “Oh! Sorry. I’m here for flowers for my date,” you told. “A girl giving flowers to a boy? That’s interesting.” He stepped behind the counter and moved towards the roses.

“Uh, it’s a girl, actually,” you whispered, almost inaudible but loud enough for him to hear. “Sorry! I didn’t know,” he exclaimed. “It’s fine! It’s rare to see two girls dating anyway, I understand.” You decided to take a look at the sunflowers. He took notice and scooted to your side.

“She’s not the rose-type I guess?” he asked and you nodded. “Will sunflowers be okay though? This is our first date and I want to leave an impression,” you questioned the guy, trusting him to pick since he has experience with them.

He grabbed some of the sunflowers along with some orange flowers you assumed were lilies. “I think it’s a great choice, adding them with these lilies, I think you’d make a great impression!” He arranged them neatly, wrapping them in brown paper and finishing it with a white ribbon tied around the paper. “Here you go.” He handed them to you.

“Thank you so much!” You took the flowers and paid for them. Before leaving, you turned to him. “You’re a life saver, can I catch your name?” you asked him. “Felix,” he replied with a smile.

♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥ 　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　 

It’s been a week since your meeting with Felix. The date went smoothly and your now called girlfriend loved the flowers. Since you took a liking with sunflowers, you figured it would be nice to have them in your dorm, to at least lighten up the room. 

Once again, you entered. Spotting Felix behind the counter like last time, you waved at him. “Hey,” you greeted him. “Oh! Hey, girl-who-never-told-me-her-name, back again so soon?” Your cheeks were tinted pink, embarrassed that you have forgotten to introduce yourself. “Uh, yeah, I wanted to get sunflowers for myself, and the name’s Y/N” He laughed and prepared the flowers you asked for.

“You look young, are you a student too?” You tried sparking a conversation with the boy. “I am,” he paused, focused on his work, “this is my part-time job, I’m short in money, so, you get it.” 

He handed you the flowers, smiling to you. “How about you? Are you student too?” He asked this time. “Yeah, I’m in college.” Whipping a piece of paper out of your sling bag, you wrote down your number. You placed it on the counter with the payment, making Felix look at you, confused. “It’s my number, feel free to text me.” 

“Won’t your girl be jealous?” He half-joked, but part of him didn’t want to ruin a relationship. “Nah, she’s not the jealous-type, plus I only like cute girls anyway.” You shrugged, grabbing the flower. “Okay then, see you around.” He waved at you, watching you leave the shop. He looked at the paper, saving your number on his phone.

♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥ 　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　 

You both quickly became bestfriends. Your messages filled with either questions or memes, but mostly memes. Going on another date with your girlfriend, Miyeon, you decided to meet-up on the flower shop since she wanted to meet Felix. You went inside the shop, surprising Felix who was currently watering the carnations. “Y/N! You didn’t say you were coming. What’s up?” You laughed at his shocked expression. “I’m going on a date with Miyeon, since she wanted to meet you, I said to meet me here,” you explained to the boy. 

“She’s not going to kill me right? I’m to young to die,” he joked, making you laugh. “She won’t, hopefully.“ You looked at him, his face in horror. His face made you burst out laughing, holding onto the wall to not fall on the floor. “Yah! You said she’s not that kind of type!” You laughed harder, obviously not helping the panicked Felix. 

“I’m only joking, oh my gosh, you should have seen the look on your face!” You imitated his face, making you both laugh. Once the laughter died down, he pulled two chairs for both of you to sit on. “Hey,” he looked at you, “how did you confess to Miyeon?” You looked up and thought, looking back down you answered, “Hm, it actually took me some time before confessing, considering she was a girl, I knew I had a slim chance.

“I tried getting close with her, but all I do is stutter and run away. But it was getting hard to keep in so I left her a note, saying to meet in the school’s rooftop. Boy, I was a blushing mess but I did it anyway. You can say her response shocked me.” He nodded and seemed to think.

“Why? Do you have a crush!?” You stared at him, waiting for a response. He nodded, “he’s a senior. Been crushing on him for a while now.” 

“He?“ 

“Yeah, it’s a boy.”

“Do you have a picture?” He took his phone out and showed you a photo of a black haired boy who’s wearing a snap back, giving off a dark vibe. “He looks like he’s going through a phase,” you laughed, trying to lighten the dampen mood. 

Both your head whipped to the door, as a figure of a girl entered. “Miyeon!” You rushed to her to peck her lips, making her giggle. Felix stood up and greeted your girlfriend. “Hello! You must be Felix? Nice to meet you, I’m KIm Miyeon.” She shook Felix’s hand. “Lee Felix. Y/N talks about you all the time,” he stated. Miyeon laughed and poked your side, “Is that so?” She asked, grinning at you.

“We better get going, but Felix, I suggest to confess, if I can do it so can you!” You encouraged him. Grabbing Miyeon’s hand, both of you bid goodbye before leaving for your date, leaving Felix behind.

♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥ 　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　♡　♥　 

You’ve been busy and you rarely messaged Felix, feeling bad, you decided to visit him after school. Walking down the street, you reached the store only to find it closed. You looked at your phone to check if Felix has left a message, but his last message was 2 days ago. Sighing in defeat, you walked back, stopping by a coffee shop near the flower shop. 

After placing an order, you went and took a seat only to find a certain blonde boy. He must have felt your stare as he made eye contact, his eyes widen and you grinned back to him, walking towards him. 

“Oi! Felix!” You stopped right in front of the table where he was seated, finding out that he has company. You recognized the boy as the one in the picture Felix showed you. “H-hey Y/N,” he stuttered as he was caught off-guard.

“Isn’t this the guy you showed me?” You pointed to the boy who’s staring at you. Pieces connecting together, you gasped. “Are you on a date!?” You exclaimed, a bit too loud. He shushed you, grabbing your arm. “Fill me in here? Hello?” The boy caught both of your attention. “Oh, right. Y/N this is Changbin, y’know, my c-crush. Hyung this is Y/N, a friend of mine.” You were the first one that initiated contact, shaking the boy’s hand. “Nice meeting you! Please take good care of Felix,” you said with a smile.

He smiled and nodded. “I’ll be leaving you two be then.” Before leaving you faced Felix. “We should have a double date sometime.” 

Felix chuckled, “Sure.”        

[gamblealifearchived1]

bitofthisandthat said:{ Gabby @ Mark } "You know... no one's ever told me that they'd kill *for me*. For free, anyway. But then what's the point, because I could do it myself. Anyway. I uh... thanks. And... I would torture and destroy anyone for you and bring back whatever part of them you wanted gift-wrapped, because. Well. I uh," she swallowed hard. "You mean more to me than anyone, and I never thought that I could want anyone this long and this deeply...That is all."

@bitofthisandthat​

      "Hmm ? " Head tilts a little to the side, cerulean hues no longer focused on their surroundings the minute he hears Gabby speak. But, of course, she always gets his undivided attention; he's been making SURE of it lately. Though, her words bring a shade of warmth to his cheeks & a finger comes up to scratch a blushing one. "Aheh, hey, no problem at all, Ellie. Only close people get that type of special treatment from me & you're definitely one of the few." 

Oh? Well, now, her next set of words are definitely interesting. "Really ? So, if I say, ASKED you to torture & destroy, oh, I don't know ── Bradford Buzzard & Owlson, you'd do that for me ? Hypothetically asking, of course. Unless, yanno, you TOTALLY want to." Not that they bothered Mark in the slightest, he just found them rather annoying. 

Feathers fluff up, attention focusing on Gabby once more. Her words making his heart skip a beat. This was a first. Sure he's had a relationship before, but it wasn't quite like what he had with Gabby, or how she was currently making him feel. No one really told him he meant more to them than anyone else & it just sent a rush of excitement through him. & He's moving before he can stop himself. 

Stepping closer towards her, hands reach forward, either palm gently cupping her face. Lifting up upon his talons, Mark leans in closer, capturing her beak with his in a soft, tender kiss. Lids flutter close, attempting to keep the kiss going for as long as possible ... or until they needed to breathe. A surge of euphoria is flowing throughout his body, soft trills escaping his beak during the kiss. He doesn't even care if she hits him after this, he HAD to get it out of his system somehow. 

Slowly puling away minutes later, face is flushed as cerulean hues search her expression, tentative smile tugging at his beak. "Heh, sorry. You mean a lot to me as well. Much more than anyone has before ... I just wanted to show you my appreciation."

[broke-art]

Monkey King's daughter x M.k

Your heart skipped a beat as the boy used your father's staff seamlessly. Your father stood with his back to you studying his successor's movements.

"Patience and focus. The staff should be an extension of you." He instructed.

You could hear the pride in his voice and you felt a pang of envy flitter though you. But you shoved it away. This boy had earned your father's pride.

Your cheeks twinged pink when the boy glanced your way.

"Uh Monkey King?" The boy pointed at you.

You hid further behind the tree timidly as your father cast a glance over his shoulder.

"Ah y/n. It's alright don't be shy kiddo."

You stepped from behind the tree and slowly stepped from it's shade.

M.k's jaw fell as the girl stepped from the shadows. She looked mostly human but with monkey ears and tail. M.k's breath caught in his throat as he examined her features and beautiful eyes.

Monkey King shot him a glare and M.k coughed into his fist. But his eyes remained glued to her.

You witnessed the boy's jaw fall and his cheeks explode into a red hue. You bit your bottom lip shyly and stared at the ground.

"M.k this is y/n, my daughter." The last statement was emphasized and you tossed him a frown.

"Dad be nice."

M.k offered his hand to you seemingly missing the tone.

"Nice to meet you!" He gave you the brightest grin.

Your heart skipped a beat and you returned the smile shyly.

"It's good to meet you too. Dad talks about you a lot." You mentioned shooting your father a glance.

His tail flicked agitatedly, but his seemed concerned and lost with his facial expression.

You offered him a sweet smile and your father seemed to ease with a sigh.

"Well if you want..." M.k began looking at you shyly rubbing the back of his neck. "You can join Mei and I after training at the arcade?"

You gasped and turned to your father with a pleading look.

Your father's dark look took over his features. He loathed the idea of you leaving the mountain.

"Give us a minute!" You chirped and pulled your father into the hut. "Dad please!"

"Do you know how many enemies I have? If any of them took you-"

"None of them know I exist. And besides he's your successor. He can help me. And you've taught me my whole life." You pleaded.

Monkey King's resolve began to weaken with your points.

"I can keep my ears and tail hidden." You continued. "And no one will be any the wiser."

Monkey King groaned.

"The kid needs more training."

"Then trust me!" You begged giving your father puppy eyes.

"Y/n-"

"Papa, please."

Monkey King's resolve crumbled with your hopeful look.

"Fine, but I'll be close. Just in case."

"Yes!" You cheered running to inform M.k.

The training session ended quickly and M.k summoned his staff walking to the beach.

You tugged your hood up over your ears as M.k offered you his arm.

"Wha-?"

"I was gonna carry you." M.k mentioned suddenly realizing what that entailed.

"How?" You quirked your head to the side curiously.

"Well, you wrap your arms around my neck-"

"Like this?" You hugged around his neck with a small smirk.

M.k's face burned crimson.

"Aheh aheh yep! Ok now you ready?" He asked wrapping an arm around your lower back.

Now your cheeks flitted red and you nodded.

And with a jump you two pole vaulted towards the city.

Monkey King sighed.

"Guess she's got to grow up at some point." He glanced at a grave marker. "Doesn't mean I have to take it lying down though." Monkey King grinned and jumped onto his cloud darting off after you two.

[photochoco]

Two Sides of the Same Coin

Chapter 3 The Rally 

Touko attends her first Plasma rally undercover. Some ice cream would be nice.

--- -- ---

Touko adjusted the belt of her uniform and smoothed out the smock before giving herself a final look over in the mirror. Clean and professional. Perfect!

It hadn’t even been a full week since she joined Team Plasma as a low-ranking grunt, and they were already preparing for a rally in Striaton City. From what Touko could tell, it was going to be a long trip there, so they were preparing to leave a few days ahead of the scheduled time to set up.

“Hey Lysandra!” Andrea called, poking her head into the barracks. “Sorry I’m late, the meeting ran long. Let’s head to the train station!”

“If you don’t mind me asking,” Touko said as the pair made their way to the exit tunnel, “What are the meetings you go to for?”

“I don’t mind! I’m part of the King’s Council. It’s a specific legion of Grunts that work closely with Lord N and the Seven Sages in multiple forms of business. Currently, we are helping the King and Sages pinpoint the possible locations of the Light Stone.” Andrea let out a tired laugh and scratched her cheeks with a finger. “...We’re also supposed to accompany Lord N to rallies and other places, but he gives us the slip so often, we’ve sort of given up on that front. I think he prefers being alone.”

The woman turned to look at Touko, who stared at her right back with wide eyes.

“Haha, piqued your interest, have I?”

Touko flustered. “W-Well! I mean, a little.”

Andrea laughed again in amusement. “I’m not surprised you’re interested, it’s a highly sought after position. It’s the highest rank a Grunt can be, and it’s quite different from being a Face Member who represents Team Plasma publicly. It’s also, like, really hard to get into. You have to be personally selected by Lord N, and approved by Ghetsis. And being picked by our King is pretty hard, since he doesn’t interact with others much. And Lord Ghetsis...ahehe...he’s a very intelligent and patient man, but he’s also very strict. And hard to please. He only approves candidates if he feels their loyalty to Team Plasma is unwavering.”

“Like you!” Touko pointed out. “How long did it take you?”

Andrea glowed with pride. “The King’s Council is generally made up of senior members. To be considered senior, you have to have been part of Plasma for 1-2 years, generally since the organization is so new. I’m one of the newer members of the legion.”

Touko was elated at this new information. Finally, she had found a way to get closer to N and find out more about what he was planning. But at the same time...1-2 years? She was only planning to be undercover for 2-4 months! But if it was the best way, if not the only way to find out what Team Plasma was doing, what choice did she have?

Determination set in.

“I’m going to become part of that council!” she said aloud.

Andrea looked at the girl’s blazing eyes and nodded approvingly.

“I like your attitude, kid. I can tell, you’ve got determination. You’ll totally get into the Council. Just remember: loyalty and passion go a long way here.”

“Hey!!” Brandon poked his head into the room, making both girls jump. The train will be leaving soon, hurry up already you Slowpokes!”

---

The scenery whizzed by in a blur outside the window, a beautiful display, but Touko found herself being pulled away from the window and listening to the conversation of her fellow coworkers.

“Did you hear? Lord N might be attending this one!” a kinky-haired grunt said excitedly.

That caught Touko’s attention.

“I thought he attended all the rallies,” she said.

“Oh no, usually Lord N avoids them. He’s not too fond of crowds.”

That is true, isn’t it...Back in Accumula Town, he’d put distance between himself and the rest of the crowd.

“Yeah, wasn’t the last rally he attended in Accumula? Where he met that girl Trainer?”

Touko stiffened.

“Oh yeah! Wasn’t her name Touko or something?” a second grunt chimed in.

“I think so? Ever since that rally he’s been interested in her. He met her a couple more times after that to try to find out more about her, I think. Kinda weird, huh? I mean, she’s just some Trainer!”

Touko swiftly turned her head back to the window, her face burning. How could they be so blase about what was probably a declaration of stalking? N really could do no wrong in their eyes, huh? She then smiled to herself.

He was “so interested” in her, yet he had no idea she had wormed her way into his team of self-righteous thieves..

I swear on my life, I will find out what you’re planning.

Then I’ll sweep the fucking rug out from under you.

--- --- ---

It was hot. It was too fucking hot. Touko tugged at the collar her uniform. Good god, this sucked.

Ghetsis was still talking, and Touko silently thanked whatever benevolent force that protected her from being one of the Grunts that stood at attention behind the tall man. They all stood perfectly in line with a rigidity that made them resemble statues. While Touko admired the discipline she was sure it took to stand still for that long, not moving, with the summer sun beating down, it was a bit...unnerving. Since she was so new, she was spared from standing on the stage with the entourage, but it was still horribly uncomfortable. Finally, she couldn’t take it any longer, and retreated into the shade of a nearby tree. The coolness was comforting, and the teen leaned against the trunk, suddenly feeling quite overwhelmed.

Two years…? She’d need to get into the Council at over six times that speed, there was no way she was going to stay undercover for one or two years, waiting. And she was sure Team Plasma and N weren’t going to wait for her, either.

Damn...what am I gonna do…

She jumped as she felt her fingers bump against another hand.

“Oh, pardon me, I didn’t see you there.” N poked his head out from the other side of the trunk, tipping his cap in apology. He blinked in surprise when he saw who it was. Touko leapt back and started to bow several times.

“L-Lord N! I’m so sorry, I didn’t see you!”

N held up his hands. “Whoa, h-hey, like I said, you don’t need to be so formal with me, please.”

“Oh. I’m sorry L-- sir.”

“It’s alright.”

The pair then lapsed into an awkward silence. Touko did her best to not look at N for too long for fear he’d recognize her.

“...Are you hot?” he finally said to break the quiet.

“--Excuse me?”

“Are you too hot in that uniform? It’s pretty sunny out, and it looks like it might be pretty uncomfortable.”

“It’s fine.”

“Are you sure? Your face is red--”

“I said I’m fine!!” The heat frayed Touko’s nerves and she snapped without meaning to.

N stared at her with a startled expression and Touko cursed inwardly.

Fuck fuck fuck I blew it I fucked it up--

“I’m sorry,” she mumbled. “The heat must be getting to me.”

N was silent for a moment, but to Touko it seemed like an eternity. He looked around.

“Ah, there’s an ice cream stand over there. Would you like some?” he pointed to a nearby ice-cream cart.

That...wasn’t what she had expected. “I--”

“C’mon!” Before she could decline or even protest, N grabbed her hand and practically dragged her to the stand.

“L--S-Sir! Really, I’m--”

“Really Lysandra, you don’t need to be so formal! Just N is fine,” N smiled at her, and Touko snapped her mouth shut at the sight of that grin and surrendered herself to his pulling.

She had to remind herself he wasn’t smiling at her. Not really. Still, it felt weird.

A few minutes later, as Ghetsis reached his closing statements, Touko and N walked back towards the rally, each licking a large ice cream cone. N insisted on paying for it himself, and Touko must have thanked him roughly ten times. She decided at least two of those thank you’s were genuinely from her.

The pair was happy to simply eat in silence and listen to Ghetsis’ speech. Now that Touko really paid attention to him, she realized Ghetsis was a very good public speaker. In fact, he was alarmingly good. Her insides wriggled uncomfortably. Even though the nonsense he was spouting about Pokemon suffering under humans was, well, nonsense, he definitely was not spinning it that way. If someone gave what he said thought, he truly might end up swaying people. It was alarming and incredible at the same time.

Time to really play the part. Touko decided.

“That was quite an impressive speech,” she spoke up. “I hope this doesn’t come off as rude, but I wasn’t expecting such eloquent words. Spoken from the heart.”

Bleh. Well-written bullshit.

N smiled again, one of those smiles that reached his eyes.

“It makes me happy to hear that. I uh, I wrote it myself.” His cheeks tinted bashfully.

“You did?!” A note of sincerity slipped into Touko’s voice, but she didn’t notice. “That’s amazing! You’re a very talented writer.”

N’s entire face flushed pink and he quickly pulled the brim of his baseball cap down.

“You flatter me, Lysandra. I just write what I feel, it’s my father who manages to put so much feeling into the speeches.”

“Speeches?” Touko echoed.

“I write most of the rally speeches, actually.”

“Whoa, that’s cool! I didn’t know that!”

“Most people don’t,” he mumbled.

As Touko continued to eat her cone, she racked her brain for something else to say that N would like.

Aha!

“It was after one of those speeches that I thought for a long time about my relationship with my Pokemon. In the end, I...I released them.”

She thought of her Pokemon, unreleased, but not with her. Her voice caught on a lump forming in her throat.

“I miss them a lot sometimes. But, their happiness was the most important thing to me. If they were happier being free, I couldn’t deny them that.”

N’s right hand made a slight movement like he wanted to place it on Touko’s shoulder, but decided against it.

“So, I take it you don’t have a Pokemon right now?”

“No. Er...was I supposed to keep one of them to assist me?”

N shook his head. “Pretty much all Plasma members are provided Pokemon to help us achieve our goals. It’s temporary of course. Once we take over the League and establish a no-Pokemon policy, all Pokemon will be released.”

But,” he added. “If you don’t have a companion yet, I can arrange to have a Pokemon given to you.”

Touko quickly swallows the last of her cone in her haste to answer.

“Really?! Thank you, N!”

Before N could say anything more, a group of Grunts walked up to the pair. They were accompanied by Ghetsis himself. Touko snapped to attention and bowed at the sight of him.

“Ah, I’m sorry to cut this short, but I must be going. I will speak to you later about a temporary Pokemon,” N said.

With a wave, he walked off with Ghetsis and the rest of his legion. Touko watched him go, a feeling of triumph growing in her belly. She still had a long way to go, but after all that, she felt miles closer to her goal than she had this morning.

“Ohohoooooo, what’s this?”

A finger prods Touko’s cheeks. Andrea stood next to Touko, leaning in close with a mischievous grin. Did someone have some ice cream?”

“Yeah, and? What’s it to ya?” Touko shot back playfully.

“I saw ice cream on Lord N’s face, too. What were you two kids up to, hmmm~?”

Touko’s face burned.

“Oh please, as if! He just bought us some because it’s so hot out!”

This made Andrea’s eyebrows shoot up in surprise.

“Well, that’s surprising! Lord N doesn’t do things like that with Grunts, or anyone else, for that matter.” She nudged Touko playfully with her elbow. I dunno what you did, but Lord N sure seems to have taken a shine to you. Just don’t tell Ghetsis, or he may think you’re after his heart, hehehe.”

Touko rolled her eyes. “Oh god, in his nightmares. Like I’d try to distract N from his duties, they’re too important!”

Andrea nodded sagely, but her sly grin never left her face.

“Don’t worry kiddo, your secret’s safe with me. Mainly cuz the other like, 80 grunts who have a crush on Lord N would be super jealous if they found out he got you ice cream. Now, let’s get out of this heat!”

As the pair began to hurry to the train station, Touko’s chest felt lighter than it had in days. She was getting closer, she could feel it. Maybe N wasn’t as difficult to figure out as she had initially thought. <- Previous Next ->

[itsmalachitenow]

The Magnus Archives: Strangerville (Day 1)

“Statement of Jonathan Sims, regarding the strange happenings of a small town--Strangerville--he and his assistants were sent to investigate. Statement given by Jonathan Sims, Head Archivist of the Magnus Institute, London. 

Statement begins.”

“Strangerville.

I can’t say I’ve ever heard of the place. But Elias was insistent that I go to have a look at it. Do a little bit of digging with my team, to discover if there’s anything...out of the ordinary, going on.

I was skeptical at first. Of course I was--I always am. It’s a talent that has served me well previously, and I thought it might be useful here. But after what I’ve seen today...-sigh-...now I’m not so sure. 

Tim was excited. Sasha, too, though not quite as much. Martin...had mixed feelings about this whole thing. Of course he would. 

Elias got us a little house near the plaza of the town. At first I was baffled--there’s only a few beds, not nearly enough for all of us....

...until I discovered the secret passage leading to a basement. At least I won’t have to worry about anyone spying while I record my statements.

Everyone got to work straight away. Tim went to go and photograph some of the strange-looking plants around the house, while Martin caught up with local news inside on the television. At least it’ll keep him out of the way...meanwhile, Sasha managed to join the local military branch--it’ll be useful to have someone on the inside.

...that does mean she’ll need to be in better physical condition, though. 

As for me, I did a little investigating of my own and spoke to a few of the locals to get their testimonies. 

Wendy Thorpe was her name. Not a name held in very high regard locally, apparently, because a soldier stopped walking to join the conversation.

Apparently there’s some sort of ‘Secret Lab’. -scoffs- Not very secret if you go around talking about it, if you ask me....

Some random passerby stopped to give his input as well....even though I never asked for it.

...and then, someone else stopped beside us. I don’t really know how to describe him, except that...he reminded me of Elias, somehow. Maybe it was the way he carried himself. An air of importance...

He said his name was Ted Roswell. 

At this point, I was getting the distinct impression they were pushing me to have a look at this ‘secret lab’. A trap, maybe? To say that I was on edge would be an understatement. 

But it was nothing compared to what happened next.

...out of the corner of my eye, I saw a woman. She was walking....strangely. Like a puppet with a few of its strings cut. 

I didn’t want to talk to her. But something compelled me to try. She wasn’t very responsive--all smiles and gibbering nonsense. And that grin...I can’t get that grin out of my head. 

Not once did she take her eyes off me. Or stop whispering. 

“Our eyes are open.” ....but to what?

She got a little too close--and instinctively I struck her across the face. Anything to keep that hideous grin away from me. 

Surprisingly, that seemed to knock her out of her trance-like state. She was confused--unsure of where she was, or who I was. 

Jess Sigworth--that was her name. She seemed friendly enough now that...whatever she was dealing with seemed to be over. I asked her what she thought of the town. 

Strangerville certainly seems to be living up to its name. 

But behind her, I saw more of them, and my heart sank. Walking like broken puppets and grinning like fools. Heading right towards our doorstep...

I don’t know where Martin and Sasha were during all of this.

(“What are you playing, Martin?”

“Ah--Hello, Sasha! I’m just taking a break since I finished my research. It’s this game called the Sims...”

“...are those, us?”

“Um. Yeah? I--I wanted to make all of us! I figured we could all live in a house together.”

“Whatever works.”)

....but I watched Tim let them in.

He insisted he was just being friendly. But one would think, in a place like this, with people who are obviously under the influence of drugs...or...something else...he would know better. 

Needless to say, the addled group made themselves right at home and did plenty of talking!

I suggested slapping these ones to see if they would snap out of it like Jess did--but they were too far gone and ended up grabbing our hands when we tried. 

One of them left...something, in our fridge. I didn’t get a good look at it...something red and pulsing....almost like a heart....

Fortunately, when Sasha asked everyone to leave, they did so without any hesitation. I was worried there would be a fuss, but it seems to have worked like a charm. Martin seemed relieved. Who knows what he was doing in the basement this whole time...

(“...so it says I’m ‘Pinkie Pie’?”

“Oh! That’s good! She’s the fun one, always throwing parties and things. I knew you’d get her, Tim!”

“She sounds like a laugh and a half! Has Jon taken this quiz yet?”

“Aheh, no....I figure he’ll be Twilight Sparkle--that’s the really smart one who doesn’t always get along with people...”)

I wish I could say things calmed down after they left, but...a man and a woman in black suits and sunglasses came. They didn’t say a word, just looked around our house and property. 

The only time the man spoke was to ask sharply what we knew about the contents of our fridge.

....the fridge was gone by the time I walked into the kitchen. So was the man in black. All they left was a note on the floor. 

Infection...was that what the strange, pulsing fruit was? It’s probably safe to assume there’s a direct correlation between that fruit and the way those people were behaving. For now, I’ll be referring to them as ‘The Infected.’

Regardless, I was getting very annoyed at this point. Who were the people in black? Who are the Infected? And what do ANY of them have to do with this so-called ‘secret lab’?

(“Ohhh, it’s the aliens, boss--they’re here to suck out our brains, I’ll bet! Or probe us!”

“-sigh- You’d like that, wouldn’t you, Tim....”)

Tim was unhelpful.

I did a little bit of research on the area, looking over everyone’s notes...not to mention looking for listings for a new fridge. The others ate some of the food we brought with us.

Bizarrely, a name cropped up in both results. A man named Erwin Pries had a cheap fridge for sale, along with plenty of other ‘curios’ and ‘lifesavers’.

Martin and I headed out to have a look. You never know when you might need back-up. 

It was...about what I expected, to be honest. 

Still. Perhaps not all of it was useless nonsense. I bought a tin-foil hat for Martin...a few books...

-rustling of papers, the thud of a book-

The History of Strangeville, and...

....Avoiding The Watchful Eye.

I don’t know why the last one caught my attention. It’s not a Leitner--his stamp isn’t anywhere on this book, and there were plenty of copies of it. But I think I’m going to thoroughly enjoy reading that one. 

The most unusual thing for sale was an electronic bug. Erwin was very enthusiastic--albeit very quiet--when telling me how to use it. I’m sure I’ll find a use for it.

One of the throbbing, pulsing fruits the Infected left behind was for sale, as well. I bought it and slipped it into my pocket. Hopefully we can get a proper laboratory set up down here so we can have a look at it. Right now the fruit is resting on my bookshelf. 

As an afterthought, I interviewed Erwin a little about Strangerville. He was the only one who had anything useful to tell me. 

An explosion inside the crater...perhaps in this so-called ‘Secret Lab.’ 

But it was getting dark. Martin and I got the fridge loaded into the car and headed home. It was on the drive back that he confided one of the Infected came near him and whispered something.

Whatever strange thing is happening in this little town, it’s in that crater. I have to see for myself. Whether tonight, or tomorrow night, I’ll head out with Tim or Sasha to investigate. 

Statement ends. End recording.”

[ishgard]

♥ - … My muse’s older self

This is a little different from what I had in mind when I first opened it up to start writing cuz there are like, at least five different possible versions of what “Older Ahru” would be like, but Tola always makes me think of ADORABLE CHILDREN so this is the one I went with.

“‘Ama…”

Small hands clutched at her pant legs, tugging. With a smile equal parts warm and weary she turned a gentle eye towards the child, slowly crouching down beside him. Bright, jade green eyes peered up at her curiously, soft brown ears stretched tall and attentively atop his head. Endearingly cute, the tiredness subsided, just a little, and with a small chuckle she tousled his dark brown locks. 

“Alphi, you should be in bed…  What’s the matter darling?” She spread her arms out and he climbed into them without second thought, nestling close as she lifted him up and rose once more to her feet. 

“Why did all those people come here?” His eyes glanced towards the gathered crowds in the other room, cheering and laughing as they lifted their glasses. 

“Aheh, well… they’re some friends of mine, and they’re celebrating. You know, sort of like a birthday party?” 

His eyes blinked up at her in shock. “Is it ‘ama’s birthday?” Again, Ahru laughed.

“No, it’s like a birthday party. They all wanted to get together and celebrate a friend.” 

“Why did they come to our house then?” He was pouting a little, not entirely comfortable with having so many people in their home. His small fingers fumbled with her braid, pulling it undone in some places and patting it back in others. 

“That’s because they wanted to meet you, too,” she nuzzled her face against his cheek, placing little kisses along his forehead and making him giggle. 

“What about their friend?” 

“Aheh, well… That’s a little complicated.”

“…com-pi-kated?”

“Complicated, it means it could be a little hard to understand,” she hummed, considering it a moment. “Or hard to explain. You see… the girl we’re celebrating is here, and she isn’t.”

Alphaeus’s expression dimmed a little, his ears folded back. “…is she dead?” 

With a warm laugh Ahru shook her head. “No, no, she’s not dead. But she’s a different person now, and it’s easier for her to keep it that way.” 

“Hmmm… that does sound compikated.”

Turning away from the party she headed for the dimmed corridor beyond, holding the boy close and stroking his hair with her opposite hand. “Let’s see… how old are you again… ten?”

“Ama! I’m five!” He laughed, shaking his head against her neck. 

“Oh, right, right, my mistake. Five. And do you remember what it was like when you were four? Or three?” 

“Mmm…” he didn’t seem to know how to answer the question as he considered it.

“Well, either way, the older you get, you sometimes don’t like for people to treat you the same way you were when you were younger. This friends of ours, she was wild and carefree. Always getting into trouble, and always helping people get out of their own trouble, too. So much so that she often forgot to take care of her own self. She’d forget to eat, or even sleep. And she’d have terrible nightmares whenever she did.”

“That doesn’t sounds good.”

“Sound good, and no, it wasn’t. She’s a lot, lot happier now though. So… we’re sort of celebrating, I guess… how far she’s come. How much better she’s doing now.” 

“Kind of like when gramma was sick and we had that big party when she was feeling better?” 

“Kind of.” With a nod Ahru lightly pushed the bedroom door open with her foot. 

“I’m glad your friends better, ama.” His small arms encircled her neck, squeezing tighter. For a moment she thought perhaps he understood better than she’d hoped him to, and felt a little guilty for talking in circles around him. 

All the great and terrible things the Warrior of Light had done… wasn’t something she wanted him to know, not just yet. As much for his own good as her own selfishness, she supposed. Perhaps it wasn’t right to keep it from him, but she would tell him one day - and probably far, far sooner than she wanted. 

“Yes, I am too.” Setting him down in bed he crawled under the covers, and she tucked the blankets up around his chin as he curled up with a contended grin and sleepier eyes. “Now, get some sleep, darling.” 

“Mm… night-night ama…”

“Goodnight, Alphi.”She ran a hand over his hair, watching until his eyes fluttered shut and his breathing fell into a steady rhythm. 

[mowseries]

Allies Obstruct

=INTRO A: COLLAPSING PEACE=

((Courtesy of @codedhopes & @super-tired-robot))

<<—Previous——————Table of Contents——————Next—>>

[It is the year 20XX. Breakthroughs in robotic technology have ushered in a new era of peace and prosperity. Violence is confined to the Battle Colosseum, where robot combatants face off in spectacular duels. The sport has become a worldwide favorite, and elite competitors regularly rise to the challenge to garner glory… or else fall from favor.

Of all the world’s combat teams, the Mighty Numbers are recognized as the best of the best. The family was famous worldwide, and often attended exclusive events to defend their status. One such event—the Queen’s Tournament in England—had just come to a close. Now, the family was finally on the way home.]

Will: -Sighs as he looks at the folder full of papers- … (I don’t like working with sensitive material outside the office, but I should probably at least review some of these…)

[They had risen through the ranks and claimed their rightful status as champions and victors, but it hadn’t come without cost. The final match of the tournament had been held against team Greater Dusk: a notorious gang headed by an assassin.]

Will: -Pauses at the pile of newspaper clippings- (Oh, right… they must be interested in the coverage and how pervasive the search is…. I guess Avi put together these for their records.)

[The match had quickly turned from a touted title match to a deadly fight for their lives when most of the opposing team had become overtaken by a bizarre “berserker” mode, becoming insanely aggressive and losing their free will to the madness. The situation came to a climax when Dynatron, the electric diva, had been taken hostage by Bladeblaster…

…who was subsequently attacked by an inexplicable mysterious visitor.]

Will: -Frowns, flipping past printed copies of notifications from various federal authorities in London and New York, all of which were marked “VOID” by Shade’s Certified Assassins' League stamp- (At least everyone made it out safely…. Thank God Dynatron is alright. There’s no way they’ll ever find Tobias, and Kate is taking care of Jack even as we speak…)

[In truth, the young man who had intervened was not a Xelbot at all—but rather, a robot from another world entirely!]

Will: (Mikhail said that he had something to tell me about the finals… I wonder what it was?)

[For several years up to that point, the Mighty Numbers had been made aware of portals to other worlds. It was on one such fantastic adventure that they met a family of robots (known as “Robot Masters” in their native world) and become good friends.]

Will: -Snorts as he comes across these news clippings- (Oh, I remember this night... it's a little less than you TRULY deserve, Graham, so you really should be thankful—not that you're smart enough to figure out who really did this.)

Will: (At least they didn’t get in trouble. I’m glad Graham didn’t even try to pin that on us…)

Will: (Lord knows he’s been willing to do that every time else…)

[They had seen many adventures together, and it wasn’t only the robots who had made friends: the Doctors had, too. For the first time in ages, Dr. William White had made a friend—a human person he could trust…

…Well. About as much as he could trust anyone, other than his good friend and colleague, Doctor Soichiro Sanda, at any rate.]

Will: …

Will: (Ah, Kate’s notes! Oh dear—I think these are in code…) -Squints-

[The events of the Queen’s Finals (as they’d taken to calling the last four matches, and the championship match in particular) had left a lot of loose ends and many questions. The nature of the infected crosses that had caused the madness remained an uneasy mystery… one which had driven another friend of theirs to investigate the matter personally.]

[Unfortunately, he had only fallen into a sleep born of deep sickness, himself.]

Will: … (Still no word of Felix getting better. Oh, Felix… I do hope you are alright. Sounds like Jack is doing better, which is a relief. The poor man took a sawblade right to the spine when he stood up to his boss. But…) -Grips the paper tighter, pressing his mouth into a thin line- (I’m not sure if this bit about a “provider” is code…. If Bladeblaster was a CherryDyn construct, wouldn’t that company be their “provider”? That’s what it looked like when we investigated, at any rate. And…) -Narrows his eyes- (I really don’t like this bit about Bladeblaster apparently faking his death…. But of course it would be like Graham to cover his tracks like that, now wouldn’t it…)

[Tobias had made a public, international spectacle of himself. The Mighty Numbers had been bombarded with questions from all sides, not the least of which had been uncomfortable inquiries from federal authorities. Thankfully, the team’s sniper—Mighty No. 8: Countershade—was himself a member of the Certified Assassins’ League, and was able to pull some strings to get people to back off. He’d grown very tired and irritated in the process, though, as he’d been forced to take most of the heat… and was, as a result, openly short-tempered and snappy.]

Will: (I wouldn’t be surprised if he slept for several days once we get home… if it weren’t for the fact we have a match immediately after.) -Flips through the notes- —…

Will: -Stops and smiles at a picture of Beck’s birthday-

[The happy days with their friends seemed so far off after several months abroad. But soon they would be back home. They could celebrate missed birthdays, resume the friendly spars—after ending off on such a high note, with the exciting matches between Beck vs Echo and Cardinal vs Countershade!—and put all this gloomy mess behind them.]

Will: (I know how much the Mighties have been looking forward to bringing home the trophy, like they’d promised. I’m sure the Rebel Angels are excited, too….)

DING!

“This is your captain speaking. If you look out to your left, you can see the lovely New York City skyline as we approach…”

Will: (O-oh—) -Fumbles for phone- (Mother wanted me to call her as soon as we came stateside, even if it was an odd hour—) …

Will: -Mutters- Oops… forgot to charge, aheh… -Scratches head slightly, ruffling his afro- (With all the stress Dyna’s been under, I should have remembered to double check all the devices before landing. Wouldn’t be surprised if my laptop was drained as well…. I’ll have to recharge everything when we get home.)

Will: (Ah well! We’ll be home soon, at last! And that’s something to celebrate.)

[After all, they were more than a team: they were a family. And nothing could keep the Mighty Numbers down for long.]

<<—Previous——————Table of Contents——————Next—>>

[inklingleesquidly]

Octoling vs. Inkling 5: Walleye Whackiness

@scrushling

Another battle of wits between Lee and Dex is under way! Who will win today in this ongoing prank war between these two crazy practical jokers!

A Turf War just like any other was occurring at Walleye Warehouse. Dex was busy painting the floor as anyone with sense in their head would be doing. She made sure to keep her head on a swivel; what with opponents keen on gaining her ground lurking all over. She didn't think much of them though.

BANG!

KAPOSH!

She did spare a thought for the unmistakable noise of a Splat Charger, and a Splat Brella in the vicinity, knowing they belonged to members of the opposing team.

"AIYEE!!!" That too was an unmistakable noise; a scream belonging to a boy she happened to be well acquainted with. Lee Squidly rounded a nearby corner with a heavy stream of ink clipping his heel. Dex noticed his eyes were rattling, and his chest was heaving as he hugged his back against the wall, the weapon he clutched clinking and clanking as he shivered in unequivocal fear.

Then their eyes met.

Lee scrambled to her, throwing himself to his knees with his hands clasped together, begging and pleading to her. "Dex! Dex!! You gotta help me! You gotta help me-hee-hee," he blubbered fearfully. "These two guys are after me! I didn't mean to splat them but they kept walking into my Special and now they got it out for me! You gotta do something, you gotta hide me, please! Ple-hease!"

This was not an uncommon sight by any means, at least as long as she knew him. He was always so skiddish and cowardly—but knowing that about him caused a sly, mischievous smile to slide up the side of her face.

"Snap out of it!" Dex demanded, giving Lee a rough, rounding smack across his cheek to help him regain his composure. "Just relax," she gave a reassuring smile, "I'll help you hide."

Hearing that made Lee's eyes twinkle with equal parts delight and relief.  “You will? Dex, you're a real pal.” He proclaimed.

Wearing that same wily grin, Dex agreed, “Anything for you Lee.” In his fidgeting he failed to recognize the subtle hint of sarcasm in her voice. He further failed to recognize something was amiss with her as she opened up one of the many containers strewn about the battle area of the warehouse. "Quick, hop in here so you can hide." The only trouble was the flip top box she gestured for him to slip into was noticeably small.

"I—are you sure?" Lee wondered; sizing up the dimensions of the container, it barely reached the height of his knees.

BANG!

KAPOSH!

He hadn't long to contemplate it as the two pursuers were approaching fast as Dex was quick to point out. "They're coming for ya." Rapidly tapping his feet, the scared boy gave in, and hopped into the pint-sized crate, hoping that shapeshifting into his squid form would allow him even a little space to comfortably fit inside. The struggle Dex exhibited when trying to forcibly close the lid on him made it anything but comfortable for him, especially when she finally managed the feat by sitting her weight upon it.

"Aheh-ha-hem," Dex cleared her throat, rousing her talent of mimicry to start her fun.

"All right, where's that little nerd?" She shouted in a voice that wasn't her own. "You there, where is he?"

Answering herself, she said in her normal voice, "He's not in this box!"

"Then open the box and let's see!" She returned.

Dex fearlessly questioned, "Would I toss an active Suction Bomb if my good pal Lee was in this box?"  She produced the ink filled explosive, holding it threateningly in her open palm.

"You might girl, you might," she challenged in her imaginary voice for the incoming enemy.

"Then I'll show you he's not in this box!" As quick as a wink, Dex flipped open the box's top and threw the bomb inside. Lee barely had a moment to process what had happened, let alone shriek in dismay before she shut the lid on him.

BOMB!

It finally went off, nearly blowing the lid away if not for Dex pushing down on it with her hands. As smoke filtered out of the seams, the rascally girl clapped her hands together and finished, "You see, he's not in there."

"Fine, we'll go elsewhere." She punctuated the enemy pretending to leave by stomping her feet beside the box.

Right after, the top flipped open; a weary, woozy, ink splattered, but still very much in-tact Lee rose out of the crate. Before he even had a chance to speak, a voice rang out, "All right, where is that little nerd?"

Letting out a gasp, Dex clamored, "They're coming back! Quick Lee, get in the box again, get in, get in!" Not having any room to answer back, Lee returned to his squid form, only to be squished and compressed to fit back inside.

Approaching them was the mean Charger and Brella user that had been pursuing Lee. The Charger snapped, "You there, where is he?"

"He's not in this box!"Dex was unable to stop a grin from forming as she held up her hands in defense.

"Then open the box and let's see!" The Charger user commanded.

Holding up yet another Suction Bomb, Dex made her threat. "Would I toss an active Suction Bomb if my good pal Lee was in this box?"

Unknowing of what had previously happened, the kid with the Charger tried to call her bluff. "You might girl, you might."

"Then I'll show you he's-."

"--OH NO YOU DON'T!" Springing out of the box, the battered Lee pushed Dex out of the way, and ran to grovel at the feet of the members of the enemy team. "Please, please," he begged, "Take me away, splat me, do whatever you want with me, just get me away from that crazy girl!" He began bawling and crying, almost comedically as he scrambled into the arms of the dumbfounded Brella user who looked at his partner in utter confusion.

As they all left with the sniveling, blubbering Lee, Dex quietly snickered under her breath. "Chi chi chi," she laughed, "Got you again, Lee."