#I might get scared and scamper away though

[fagotazzcheezborgr]

also hi there are people in my notes now hi everyone 💕💕

[crystallinestars]

Jealousy Headcanons

Headcanons about how HSR boys react when they see you being flirted with by an acquaintance of yours. This turned out longer than intended, and I apologize if anything sounds repetitive or incoherent. Characters: Aventurine, Argenti, Jiaoqiu, and Jing Yuan

Aventurine

🦚 Aventurine wears a mask of smug confidence even when staking his very life on the line, but for some reason, he finds it difficult to maintain that grin of his when he sees you being flirted with by another man. A heavy pang of jealousy squeezes his heart when he sees the two of you together. The cheerful mood he sported at the prospect of spending time with you earlier evaporated, replaced by ice-cold despair.

🦚 If you are not in a relationship with Aventurine, then the gambler doesn’t interfere with your meeting. He settles for quietly observing from the sidelines, trying to gauge what your feelings are toward your acquaintance. Since he is not your boyfriend, Aventurine knows he shouldn’t get between you and your acquaintance due to his jealousy. He has no right, and the last thing he wants is to make you uncomfortable with his uninvited presence. Still, it pains him to see you laugh and smile at another man, watch you be wooed by someone else the same way Aventurine has subtly tried to all this time. If your acquaintance is the one you prefer, then so be it—Aventurine will respect your choice. He casts one more longing look your way before turning his eyes away from the painful sight, and quietly walking away. Though he is said to be lucky, perhaps that luck doesn’t apply to the field of romance. He has lost the bet for your heart.

🦚 If Aventurine sees you are uncomfortable with your acquaintance’s attention, he casually strides over to you and places an arm around your waist, pulling you close to him. With that same smug, confident grin, he introduces himself as your boyfriend and confronts the other man about his intentions toward someone who is taken. Aventurine hopes you'll play along to better sell his boyfriend act and will do his best to discourage your acquaintance from pursuing you. 

🦚 Even if your acquaintance grows aggressive at being rejected, Aventurine’s smile doesn’t fade. Instead, he switches tactics and informs the fellow that he’s a high-ranking IPC executive—a member of the Stonehearts, to be exact. His status is well-known enough to scare the average person into compliance because messing with the IPC and a Stoneheart, no less, is practically a death wish. Though Aventurine is not fond of flaunting his status, it does the trick of sending your acquaintance scampering. 

🦚 After the fact, Aventurine tries to casually shrug off any of your questions regarding his lie about being your boyfriend. As much as he yearns to be that close to you, he’s afraid of making you uncomfortable with the idea, so he prefers brush it off as no big deal and move on. He checks to make sure you’re alright and tells you to call on him if your acquaintance comes back or you find yourself in a similar situation in the future. It might sound fake, but he means it when he says he’ll help you out. Even if he’s not your boyfriend, he will do his best to be a deserving friend.

🦚 If you are in a relationship with Aventurine, the gambler acts on his jealousy. It’s not immediately obvious that he’s jealous, but the way he saunters up to your duo and pulls you into his side in an almost possessive manner is telling of his inner feelings. Aventurine smoothly inserts himself into your conversation, smiling and chatting up your acquaintance to try and get as much information out of him as possible. The blond wants to know what kind of person your acquaintance is. If he’s someone with nefarious intentions or a sketchy background, Aventurine will take precautions to keep you safe.

🦚 He still introduces himself as your boyfriend to discourage the other man from flirting with you further, but it’s not enough to chase away the jealousy digging its roots into his heart. His chest still feels heavy when you finally part ways with your acquaintance, so Aventurine spontaneously takes you out on a date. He takes you shopping and spoils you with luxurious items and expensive foods, sparing no expense in pampering you. It’s his way of proving himself, showing that he can provide and give you everything you want, so please, stay with him. 

🦚 Behind his self-confident veneer, Aventurine lacks self-worth and a sense of belonging. To him, the possibility of you leaving him for someone better feels all too real since he thinks so little of himself, which is why he’s desperate to keep your affection by spoiling you rotten. His confident mask is the same as ever, but you can tell he’s quieter and less playful than usual, and the way he showers you with gifts feels almost like he’s desperately trying to buy your love. Aventurine won’t admit he’s jealous even if you probe him on the reason for this sudden behavior, but it’s obvious that he isn’t feeling his best. Take his hand and spoil him in return, tell Aventurine you love him, and hold him close. Your affection is the only thing that will reassure him that you truly are happy with him, and it will make him feel better. 

Argenti

🌹 Argenti is very accepting of the people you surround yourself with. His motto is that your friends are his friends, and he will at the very least try to be friendly with them. However, that male acquaintance of yours makes his heart heavy with an ugly emotion he doesn’t want to acknowledge. Despite Argenti’s amicable disposition, the way that man flirts with you fills the knight with jealousy. Though Argenti also showers you in compliments and praises, the way your acquaintance does it feels bereft of the beauty with which Argenti presents his words. Something about your acquaintance’s flirting distresses him. 

🌹 If you and Argenti are not in a relationship, Argenti won’t interfere between you and your acquaintance. Though it hurts him to know your feelings for him are not as deep as his are for you, Argenti tries to put a lid on his jealousy and befriend your acquaintance, hoping that his impression of him may be mistaken. Argenti would rather feel positive feelings towards the man than negative ones formed solely from the heartache he feels at not being the one you love, but he knows he has no right to control who you spend time with. He is not your beloved, so he shouldn’t step out of line and risk upsetting you by acting on that unpleasant jealousy, though it doesn’t go away, much to his chagrin. 

🌹 If Argenti sees that your acquaintance’s flirting makes you uncomfortable, he rushes to your rescue. His first instinct is to stand by your side and attempt to peacefully resolve the situation. He informs your acquaintance that he’s making you uncomfortable and should stop doing so. If your acquaintance grows angry and aggressive in response, Argenti doesn’t hesitate to shield you with his body and summon his weapon. He doesn’t want to hurt the man, but he is prepared to fight to protect you. If your acquaintance doesn’t understand things the civil way, perhaps a more physical approach will get through to him. 

🌹 After successfully fending off the perpetrator, Argenti apologizes to you for causing a scene, and makes sure you’re alright. He understands such situations can be scary to deal with, but that’s why you have him—a chivalrous knight—to protect you. If you find yourself in trouble in the future, feel free to call on him and he will come to your aid. Even if your heart is not his, Argenti still vows to be a loyal and reliable friend to you.

🌹 If you are in a relationship, Argenti still tries to befriend your acquaintance at first. However, the Knight of Beauty feels neglected each time you choose to spend time with your acquaintance instead of him, and though he knows you’re probably just catching up with an old friend, it still makes his heart heavy. Jealousy is an ugly emotion—the antithesis of beauty—and Argenti hates feeling this way. It makes him feel guilty and selfish for wanting your attention on him and worrying about you growing an interest in someone else. He tries to win your attention back by giving you bouquets of roses and showering you with even more compliments than usual, but it’s not enough to quell the unrest in his chest. 

🌹 There comes a point where Argenti is unable to tolerate the feeling any longer, The Knight of Beauty has a private talk with you, laying bare the fact he dislikes seeing you give so much attention to another man. He feels guilty when admitting this weakness of his, but he hopes this confession can help the two of you arrive at a mutual resolution. Argenti doesn’t want to ruin your friendly relationship with your acquaintance, but neither can he bear the weight in his heart when he feels neglected by you.

🌹 It’s best to reassure and comfort Argenti that he’s the only one you love. Give him a kiss, go out on dates, and hold his hand. All he truly wants is some of your attention, so if you give him just that, he’ll be quick to cheer up. Argenti might still feel troubled when someone flirts with you too much, but at least he can find solace in knowing your heart belongs only to him.

Jiaoqiu

🌶️ Jiaoqiu takes pride in his ability to keep cool and diplomatically steer through any difficult situation. This ability of his was coming into great use as he watched you being flirted with by a man he’d never seen before. The healer sported that same fox-like smile of his, remaining polite and cordial, while internally, he felt irritated that someone else was stealing your attention away from him. You were supposed to help him shop for groceries, and Jiaoqiu was supposed to have fun teasing and spending time with you, but now those plans came crashing down because of some man.

🌶️ If you are not in a relationship with Jiaoqiu, then the foxian healer stands by the wayside, pretending to pick out ingredients while keeping a close ear on the conversation between you and your acquaintance. Each time he heard you respond positively to the man’s flirting; his chest felt heavy. Jiaoqiu didn’t think his heart was capable of breaking any more after the war had crushed it into dust, but oh, turns out there was still something left to break. Should you choose your acquaintance as a romantic partner, then Jiaoqiu respects your decision, though it leaves him numb inside. When you next eat with him, the food is spicier than usual, even for Jiaoqiu’s standards. It is practically inedible due to the spice content, but Jiaoqiu just smiles and says the burn makes him feel alive. 

🌶️ If your acquaintance makes you uncomfortable with his flirting, Jiaoqiu abandons shopping and comes to stand beside you. He smiles at the man, but there’s something sinister behind that smile, something intimidating and foreboding. Jiaoqiu cuts into the conversation and tries to delicately extract you from the situation by making up an excuse. Something about you needing to finish shopping and make dinner for the Merlin’s Claw, and that you shouldn’t keep her waiting. 

🌶️ However, if your acquaintance proves to be an idiot and gets aggressive, Jiaoqiu’s smile falls and he opens his eyes, leveling the fool with a threatening glare. The menacing gleam in Jiaoqiu’s golden eyes promises serious repercussions if your acquaintance dares to push his luck. With a thinly veiled threat directed at the man, Jiaoqiu leads you away with a hand placed on your back. He makes sure you’re okay first before informing you that next time something like this happens, you should call him, Moze, or Feixiao for help. One of them will definitely come to your aid if you’re unable to safely deal with the perp. Later that evening, Jiaoqiu cooks a super special dish infused with a high concentration of spices and laxatives and sends Moze on an errand to deliver it to your acquaintance. You won’t mind if you don’t see your acquaintance for a while due to his indigestion issues, right?

🌶️ If you are in a relationship, then Jiaoqiu is more assertive about keeping you away from your acquaintance. The foxian is very patient when it comes to you. He doesn’t like the idea of someone else flirting with you, but if it’s someone you want to talk to, then Jiaoqiu reluctantly lets it go. After all, he doesn’t want to be controlling since he also wants the same freedom from you. However, if you consistently ignore him in favor of your acquaintance, Jiaoqiu’s jealousy bubbles over and he saunters over to you. He smoothly inserts himself into whatever chat you’re having and introduces himself as your lover to halt your acquaintance from flirting with you more. 

🌶️ Jiaoqiu tries to get your attention on him instead of your acquaintance, and he goes about this in a variety of ways. At first, it starts subtly: a discreet brush of his tail against your leg and a graze of his hand against yours. However, if that fails and you continue to ignore Jiaoqiu, the foxian’s irritation grows. His tail twitches and bristles in annoyance, and he has to hold his fan in front of his face to hide the frown pulling at his lips. 

🌶️ If drawing your attention to him doesn’t work, then he needs to change tactics. Shooing this annoying man away ought to do the trick. With a sly smile, Jiaoqiu manipulates the conversation in his favor, making jabs and backhanded compliments at your acquaintance all the while keeping his speech polite and cordial to seem oblivious to his wrongdoings, though you quickly catch on that he’s doing it on purpose. Whether your acquaintance leaves of his own free will or you become mortified and bid a quick goodbye before dragging Jiaoqiu away—it doesn’t matter to the healer much. All that matters is that the annoying man is gone, and he has you all to himself again, even if you scold him for his behavior. Truth be told, Jiaoqiu couldn’t care less if he insulted your acquaintance. He doesn’t like him, and if he managed to offend the man, then good. He got his just desserts for flirting with someone who was already taken. 

🌶️ However, Jiaoqiu is petty and doesn’t take well to being wronged. Whether intentional or not, you made him jealous and ignored him for longer than he deemed acceptable, and the foxian doesn’t like that one bit. In revenge, he cooks a delicious meal full of foods you dislike. Oh, you don’t like mushrooms and onions? How unfortunate, Jiaoqiu spent so much time and effort making this just for you. You’ll still eat it all for him, won’t you? (Don’t worry, he made sure you wouldn’t feel the texture and flavor of the foods you dislike. It still tastes delicious.)

🌶️ Jiaoqiu can remain petty for quite a while unless you comfort him. Though he doesn’t state it outright and denies if you ask (Him? Jealous? Are you sure you’re not the jealous one?), it’s obvious he’s jealous, judging by the annoyed twitching of his tail and the pointed jabs he throws your way. It’s best if you made it up to him by apologizing for ignoring him and reassuring that you love him with some pampering and praises about his handsome looks and amazing skills. Jiaoqiu might tease you over this incident in the future, but your reassurance makes him feel much lighter inside. 

Jing Yuan

🦁 Jing Yuan wanted to skip work and was on his way to loaf around in your company when he spotted you chatting with an acquaintance of yours. The man was obviously flirting with you, and though Jing Yuan’s long life made him jaded to most things, something about that sight in particular made him feel uneasy. After all, even wise leaders like him can still fall victim to strong emotions.

🦁 If you’re not in a relationship, Jing Yuan carefully observes the friendly atmosphere between your pair and how happy you are talking with your acquaintance and concludes that now is not the time to interrupt. He’s mature enough to not allow his emotions to sway his actions, and instead bottles up his jealousy and quietly walks away. As a man, he is reluctant to let things be. He doesn’t like the thought of you being someone else’s other than his, but as your friend, he respects whatever decision you make. As long as you’re happy, then all is well, even if the disappointment gnaws at him from within. 

🦁 If he notices your acquaintance is making you uncomfortable, Jing Yuan quickly thinks of an excuse and approaches your pair with a lazy smile and a wave. He calls out to you and says, “Oh, there you are! I’ve been looking everywhere for you. There’s something urgent I need to discuss with you.” He acts oblivious to the situation so as to not escalate things and tries to calmly lead you away.

🦁 If your acquaintance is not deterred by Jing Yuan’s attempts to separate you, or if he starts to act aggressively, then Jing Yuan is quick to remind him that he’s the General of the Luofu, and civic misconduct will not be tolerated. You know Jing Yuan means business because his lazy smile is replaced by a serious expression, one that is seldom seen on the usually laid-back General. Should your acquaintance not get the hint and lash out, Jing Yuan subdues him with his martial prowess. He then calls for the Cloud Knights, and they arrest and escort your acquaintance away, leaving Jing Yuan to check if you’re alright. He comforts you in whatever way you need, be it a hug or giving you space to process things, before escorting you safely home.

🦁 If you are in a relationship with him, then Jing Yuan still tries to remain cordial when approaching your duo. Before letting his jealousy control him, he would rather have a friendly chat with your acquaintance and see what kind of person he is. Perhaps the man will back off once he realizes you and Jing Yuan are together, and the General could make a new friend. However, if he suspects something amiss about your acquaintance, he’ll do some investigating. 

🦁 Though Jing Yuan puts on a friendly and detached attitude, once you’re home alone, he becomes clingy. He wraps you up in his arms and requests that you pamper him with some head pats and kisses. If you refuse, he teases you until you give in. It’s difficult to tell that he’s jealous because he doesn’t act too differently from usual, but the playful requests for more of your attention are a giveaway of his true feelings. 

🦁 However, if you continue to frequently meet up with that acquaintance of yours, Jing Yuan’s jealousy will grow. He still acts lighthearted about it, but when you’re getting ready to head out, he clings to you and playfully begs you not to go or says that it’s been a while since you spent quality time with him, so why not use this opportunity to go on a date instead? It may seem like a lighthearted act, but deep down, Jing Yuan means it. Please don’t leave him, he hates the idea of you being flirted with by that man. If you still leave despite all his signs of jealousy, expect Jing Yuan to seduce you into bed and mark your skin with bite marks. He leaves some in visible places, so everyone who sees them knows you’re taken. Even if you scold him for leaving marks, he won’t feel sorry at all. 

🦁 This roundabout display of jealousy can be easily stopped if you give Jing Yuan the time and attention he craves. He always makes time in his busy schedule to see you because he loves you, and he just wants to feel that same love in return. It would be even better if you stopped seeing your acquaintance as often, or at least told him off for flirting with you, but just having the reassurance that he’s the only man you love is a relief.

[cillyscribbles]

munkuposting (metastrap?) for the jellinclined (i am so sorry)

you tell me i'm insane but i know my truth and my truth is that munkustrap wants to help her. he wants to reach out and help her up like he just helped jennyanydots during her song. he leans down and it's not just so he can look at her better. it's not just cause there's no point to his defensive stance here except for her to see, for him to communicate she's unwanted, and he knows it. shit dude the guy can't look her in the eyes for longer than 5 seconds.

like come on. munkustrap's running after old deuteronomy and the rest of the older/less agile cats so much in this goddamn film he might as well be Munkustrap the Mobility Aid Cat. man knows what he wants in life and that's going on as many walks with senior citizens hanging off his arm as physically possible and neither god nor the heaviside layer will stand in his way.

his responsibility's a whole different thing, though. look at the lad puffing up when grizabella shows up. that's a guard he uses against perceived threats like macavity and it's well and warranted then, but what in the name of ye olde cat gods is the old lady gonna do? garbage stink them all to death? it's performative as hell on purpose. both of them know she's not gonna jump him and he doesn't need to protect himself or his fellow cats from her physically.

in the macavity scares, odd as it might look on a person, The MunkuStance™ is a genuine threat. he's up above everyone else or he's one of the few cats on the stage, he's spreading himself out to look bigger, he HISSES lmao.

look at the lad. hissssss lmao i love him.

not only is he saying i won't hesitate bitch he's also establishing himself as The Guy You Fight. if you're an outsider looking in, you're probably not gonna notice Mr Mistoffelees Scampering Through The Pipes Again, but you sure as hell are gonna see the Snarling Tabby Fresh From Hell hopping around in the middle of the stage with his legs 16 kilometers apart at all times. and okay, doing that for the entire musical sure is a Choice, but it's a Character Choice, and mr michael gruber the man you are. the star that you are. i want to send him flowers and chocolate and a card. i would greatly like to do that.

with grizabella though? jesus christ she's about as threatening as a patchy sock. it's not even his first instinct to go Tall Big Puffy when he's trailing after her because there's genuinely nothing to defend against there.

he just sort of slowly stands into it as though he's forgotten he was supposed to be Protecting for a second. the stance, the threat, all that's only there to set a dynamic. it's there to say you're not one of us, we don't like you, please go away, but he's half-assing it so much it loses all its i won't hesitate bitch and turns into i have never hesitated so hard in my entire life. he still establishes himself as The Guy You Fight, but it's obvious grizabella isn't about to fight anyone, so now he's just The Guy She's Staring In Incredulous Longing At, and he can't even hold her gaze for long enough to pretend it's not getting to him because at his core he's not a bad person and he knows that all this is kind of a Dick Move.

this is what makes munkustrap so dummy god tier as a character to me. he may wish he could help grizabella. hell he may even want her back, if not as openly as old deuteronomy does. when all the cats scuttle away and turn their backs to grizabella before memory reprise, munkustrap never even fucking bothers ?? like he's straight up just watching her, and then later watching old deuteronomy watch her like with the most somber wee eyebrows up so can we finally do something about this expression i've ever seen on a performer lmao.

but that means nothing without the approval of the entire tribe! absolutely nothing! because munkustrap, in that regard, is exactly like old deuteronomy: what he wants comes second to what the jellicles want. it's harder to see in him because old deuteronomy is mostly up on the tire being cat jesus and munkustrap mingles with the rest of the ensemble way more, but it's really obvious when you look. they defer to his leadership, but he defers to their collective decisions.

he moves mistoffelees away from grizabella (just like the rest of the older cats) because mistoffelees doesn't know any better and grizabella is untouchable, but then he stalls and waits when demeter reaches out to her. like, i'm pretty sure he would've just let her touch grizabella right then and there. had demeter been a little less aware of the fact that this was the first 30 minutes of the musical, i'm pretty sure she would've just taken grizabella back in right then and there and memory wouldn't have even been necessary. munkustrap sure wasn't about to do shit about it.

he's actively leaning back to give her space!! (i know logistically that it's mr michael giving an opening for ms aeva to execute her Conflicted Scuttle Away but munkustrap is still leaning back however you put it so i'm right automatically. haw yee)

i'm fascinated by it specifically because this way it's almost as though munkustrap is an extension of the jellicle collective, if that makes sense. obviously he's the narrator so we can't give him a complex emotional storyline if we want to keep the aryas in single digits, but in turn this means that now he's a character who chooses to forgo his own feelings in favour of those of his community, and that's just, man, that's just. man. ca(s)t of all time for real. a guardian and a weapon and a storyteller and a teacher and not one of those for his own sake. Man.

tl;dr, old deuteronomy can be hella proud of his kid, and i can eventually stop crying. also here are the gifs of him finally getting to comfort grizabella a little. experience emotions with me.

unfortunately i have similar (if slightly less rambling) thoughts on tugger and why he's constantly being such a massive cunt to grizabella lmao. if you guys are unfortunate enough i may subject myself to the giffing and writing of that post too. toodlepip ✌️

[raz-writes-the-thing]

You Didn't Say The Magic Word (Good Omens One-Shot)

Crowley x GN!Reader / requests are open

Summary: Crowley isn't the biggest fan of your house guest.

GOMENS: @coffee-and-red-lipstick @quickslvxrr @clarina04 @motionlessindoubt @stevekempscocktails @go-bonkers-go-foolish @peytonpenguin37 @florduarte @complimentary-breadbasket (send an ask to be added to a tag list!)

___ ___ ___ ___ ___

At first, there had just been an almost imperceptible scurrying sound in the roof. So small and so quiet you’d almost not heard it. Scampering feet up in the roof that you’d not really been all that concerned with. If it was only one, that would be fine. If they started multiplying, however, well, that might become a bit more of a problem. 

But they didn’t, and one day when you’d been reading one of your many to-be-read books and chomping on some Indian takeout, he’d made his first appearance. A little ball of a thing, small, soft and very round and as soon as he realised you’d seen him, he scampered away back into whichever hole in the wall he’d appeared from. 

You’d left out a small amount of mouse-friendly leftovers and climbed into bed. 

He’d started coming out more and more after that, and you ended up naming him Dodgson. It became almost a little routine for you. Every night you’d leave a little bit of food out, and in the morning it would be gone. Sometimes you’d get to see him scamper out for his snacks and disappear again, but it was few and far between. 

Particularly when you had guests. 

“Not to be a bore, Pet,” Crowley sniffed, watching you with great and apprehensive precision, “but could I possibly ask… why you’re encouraging roaches?” 

You snorted and set the saucer down with tonight's helpings. Some cheese, some cracker crumbs and a small piece of strawberry. 

“Not roaches,” you insisted, pushing the saucer a little closer to Dodgson’s crack in the wall before standing with your hands on your hips. You turned to Crowley and continued, “Dodgson. Little mouse house guest.” 

Crowley opened and closed his mouth a few times, processing that information. 

“Ngk, I- well- why?” 

You blinked, brows furrowing in confusion.

“He’s cute, I like him. He eats his snacks and scurries in the walls at night. As far as I can tell there’s just the one.” 

Crowley nodded as if he understood but you were pretty sure he was just being polite. Crowley looked down at the saucer and grimaced. There, nibbling away, was little Dodgson. You held in the squeal of delight at seeing him so as not to scare him off. 

You sneakily produced your phone from your pocket and snapped a cute picture of him nibbling his cheese. 

Crowley watched this with curiosity, noting how fascinated and pleased you were by the appearance of this little rodent pest. 

“I wish I knew how old he was,” you said quietly, and when Crowley tore his eyes away from the mouse to look at you, he was not surprised to see a crestfallen look in your eye. “They only live for two years, and I don’t know how much longer I’m going to get to enjoy his company for.” 

Crowley hummed in response. 

You were too busy looking at your little friend to notice the twitch of Crowley’s fingers, though something seemed to startle Dodgson, and he scampered away with his cracker, leaving the strawberry. He’d back back later for it, you knew. 

“I suppose only time will tell,” Crowley said comfortingly, putting a hand on your shoulder and squeezing slightly. “Now, are we going to meet our Angel at the theatre or not?” 

You shook yourself out of your reverie and nodded. 

“We sure are.” 

You didn’t suspect Crowley had done anything to Dodgson for another eighteen months when the little mouse showed no sign of aging and was considerably agile for his age. 

Crowley would never confirm nor deny, but when Dodgson was still going strong six years later, and then another fifteen after that, well, it was pretty safe to assume what he’d done… and you were very grateful for it, too.

[realityjoey]

ANDERSON TAKEOVER (RILEY ANDERSON MC x EVAN BUCKLEY)

Buck and Riley dragged themselves into the 118 station, each holding a kid by the hand and one clinging to their legs. The weight of exhaustion clung to both of them like a second skin. Neither of them had slept properly in days, and it was beginning to show: Buck’s usual swagger had been replaced by shuffling steps, and Riley looked like she might fall asleep standing up.

“Alright, everyone out of the truck,” Buck groaned, gently prying Lily off his leg.

Lily, bright-eyed and full of energy despite the early hour, scampered ahead, tugging Miles along with her. Ollie trailed behind, his hoodie pulled up over his messy hair in a half-hearted attempt to look indifferent, though the excitement of being at the station was written all over his face.

Riley rubbed her temples. “We should’ve called out. I can’t believe we’re bringing the kids to work.”

“Hey, we tried every babysitter we know. Desperate times,” Buck replied, slinging an arm around her shoulder and kissing her temple. “They love it here. What’s the worst that could happen?”

Riley shot him a look that said, Don’t tempt fate.

As soon as they entered the station, the rest of the team clocked them immediately—exhaustion radiating from every inch of their bodies. Bobby noticed the dark circles under Buck’s eyes and the sluggish way Riley moved, the normally sharp and vibrant woman clearly running on fumes.

“Rough night?” Hen asked, arching an eyebrow as she took in the sight of the trio of kids, who were already poking around the kitchen area.

“Rough week,” Riley sighed, collapsing against the nearest wall. “I swear, these kids don’t sleep. They just… regenerate.”

“We’re drowning,” Buck admitted, running a hand down his face. “We just need, like, five minutes to breathe.”

Bobby gave them a fatherly look, one that was both stern and compassionate. “Sit. On the couch. Now.”

“Bobby—” Riley started to protest, but he shook his head.

“No arguments,” Bobby insisted, already moving toward the kids to intercept Lily, who was attempting to climb the pole in the corner of the station.

“Team, we’re on babysitting duty,” Bobby announced to the others. “Buck, Riley—take a seat. We’ve got this.”

Buck opened his mouth to argue, but Hen gave him a warning glance. “Unless you want us to tie you to the couch, sit.”

Too tired to fight, Buck took Riley’s hand and led her to the couch in the common area. As soon as they sat down, Riley leaned into him, and Buck instinctively wrapped his arms around her. They both exhaled deeply, their bodies sagging against each other.

Within minutes, they were out like lights—cuddled up, legs tangled, heads pressed close. Buck’s steady breathing matched Riley’s as they finally gave in to the sleep they’d been deprived of for far too long.

Bobby quietly grabbed a blanket and draped it over the pair, exchanging a knowing look with Hen. “Let them sleep,” he whispered.

Meanwhile, chaos was brewing across the station. Lily had discovered the collection of helmets and decided everyone—including herself—needed to try one on.

“Look, Uncle Chim!” she giggled, a helmet far too big for her wobbling on her head as she toddled toward Chimney.

Chimney crouched down to her level, adjusting the helmet so it didn’t swallow her whole. “Perfect fit, kiddo. You could join the squad.”

Ollie, trying hard to maintain his cool facade, found himself getting drawn into Eddie’s “training lesson” on how to operate the fire truck. Eddie showed him how to flick some switches, which Ollie pretended to be disinterested in—but the grin sneaking across his face gave him away.

“Think I could drive it?” Ollie asked, trying not to sound too eager.

“Sure,” Eddie teased. “Right after you turn eighteen and pass your driving test.”

Nearby, Miles was engaged in a full-on interrogation with Hen about every aspect of firefighting. “But what if you’re in a building and it’s really on fire? Do you ever get scared?”

Hen smiled, ruffling his hair. “Of course we do, kid. But that’s why we have each other. We’re a team.”

Miles mulled that over, nodding solemnly. “Like Buck and Riley.”

“Exactly like Buck and Riley,” Hen agreed.

The kids kept themselves entertained, with Lily assigning herself as “chief” of the station and giving out pretend orders. “Everyone! To the fire truck! There’s a dragon to fight!”

Chimney, never one to pass up a bit of fun, dramatically grabbed his radio. “Attention, team! This is Chief Lily. We’ve got a dragon situation!”

Hen, Eddie, and even Bobby joined in the game, following Lily to the fire truck while Miles scrambled onto the driver’s seat, shouting instructions to his imaginary crew. Ollie leaned against the wall, pretending to be too cool for the game—but he didn’t protest when Eddie roped him in to be the “lookout.”

“Alright, Ollie, if you see any dragons, yell,” Eddie said, nudging him playfully.

Ollie smirked. “What if it’s just Buck snoring?”

“Then we’re definitely in trouble,” Chimney quipped, making the others laugh.

Back in the common room, Buck and Riley remained fast asleep, tangled in each other and completely oblivious to the controlled chaos happening just a few feet away. Riley had tucked her face into Buck’s neck, her breath warm against his skin. Buck, in turn, had one arm wrapped protectively around her waist, the other tucked under his head.

“They look like they haven’t slept in a year,” Hen whispered to Bobby as they checked in on the sleeping couple.

“They probably haven’t,” Bobby murmured with a small smile. “Let’s give them a couple more hours.”

Eventually, the kids wound down—mostly thanks to the impromptu dragon hunt leaving them tuckered out. Lily curled up in one of the chairs, sucking her thumb, while Miles rested his head on Hen’s lap, blinking sleepily. Ollie leaned against Eddie, pretending not to be tired, but his eyes kept drifting shut.

Bobby gave the team a nod, and everyone moved around quietly, letting the peaceful moment settle over them.

As the shift wore on, Buck and Riley remained blissfully asleep on the couch, lost in each other and finally catching up on some much-needed rest. The kids were happy, the station was calm, and for the first time in what felt like forever, everything was… okay.

And when Buck and Riley finally woke up—groggy but more rested than they had been in days—they found themselves greeted by the sight of their kids dozing around the station, with the rest of the 118 keeping careful watch.

Riley smiled, leaning into Buck’s side. “Think we found ourselves some babysitters.”

Buck chuckled softly, kissing the top of her head. “Yeah… I think we did.”

[cocoabubbelle]

Twisted Wonderland AU

Ok ok ok,

Just hear me out..

Ahiru from Princess Tutu as Yuu!

And she helps deescalate overblotting when she dances ballet as Princess Tutu (like during their flashback to traumatic childhood moments)

I don't know if this would be like Sailor Moon/ Superman where no one but Grimm and the ghosts (and maaaaaybe Crowley?) know she and Tutu are one and the same.

Lilia totally knows and keeps saying vague things that confuddle Ahiru about whether or not her identity is discovered.

Jack maybe knows, or at least assumes they are related if not the same person.

Ace keeps saying things like "Man, you're such a klutz! You know who isn't a klutz? That pretty ballerina." While Deuce is all “She seems strong…I’d like to fight her!” please don’t

Maybe Idia, Ortho, Cater, and/or Rook would be the ones actively trying to find out her identity. Rook even dubs her "La Princesse des Cygnes."

All of the post-blotted dorm leaders + Jamil would look back on the calming dance with the mysterious princess fondly, even if some *Leona* won't admit it. Some might even developed a crush on the beautiful and gentle ballerina??

Malleus meets Ahiru as she is in her normal- klutzy - human form, and becomes fascinated by her without even knowing or being interested in the rumors of "La Princesse de Cygnes.”

Gym Class? Despite Coach Vargas's well-intentioned —though mostly overwhelming —support, Ahiru trips over her own feet, and cannot be trusted with a broom.

Alchemy Class? Professor Crewel makes Ahiru sit in a corner and do-not-move-a-muscle-for-the-seven's-sake so that no vials shatter and no potions that should't go together won't mix. Somehow, explosions still happen.

History Class? Professor Trein sees Ahiru as a well-behaved - well, as best as she can - student, but for some reason his cat finds reasons to pounce at her and scare her, disrupting the class.

If she still randomly turns into a duck:

Leona finds her duck version and -surprisingly- is quite sweet to the duckling (a more gentle and less sinister version of Scar teasing and playing with the mouse after the opening of The Lion King) before Ruggie interrupts him, and Duck-Ahiru scampers away in fright when Leona sarcastically tells the hyena he interrupted his lunchtime. Whoops.

Grimm doesn't actually attempt to eat Duck-Ahiru despite constant empty threats he'll do so whenever he and Ahiru argue. He actually comes zooming to her aid if he perceives the duckling to be in danger (much like Archimedes saving Wart/ Arthur when the latter was a fish in The Sword and the Stone.), though he quickly denies actually worrying about her and insists it'd be inconvenient if he lost his minion.

Prince Mytho Role:

Malleus, but actually interested in Ahiru from the start? Amused -and touched - that even though she seemed terrified of him at first, Ahiru actively makes an effort to get to know him till she's not even phased by his intimidating appearance and comfortably interacts with him.

Fakir Role:

Leona, in that he's rough and teasing to Ahiru, but is surprisingly gentle with Duck!Hiru, and maybe shows his hidden soft side to her. Big flustered tsundere when he one day puts two and two together and realizes why this cute and sweet little duck's scent is so similar to Ahiru's.

Just something I thought would be fun.

[the-graves-family]

No. 3: Set up for failure

The moment Aaron gets down into the basement, he knows it’s not going to be a good day for him. Ace looks like he hasn’t slept, which always puts him in a fantastic mood, and he’s tapping away loudly at his keyboard. Ace hates loud sounds. He only does that when he’s overstimulated or angry. Or both.

The corpse near the desk is still twitching, which might explain the irritability. Having his projects do things they’re not supposed to is one of his brother’s biggest triggers. And Aaron supposes that the metal thing around the poor fuck’s head wasn’t meant to kill him. 

He waits for a moment, wondering why he was called down here, feeling dread pool in his stomach. 

Ace’s fingers stop on his keyboard, and his gaze cuts to Aaron, sharp like a knife. “Do you think I keep you around to just stand there? Clean up.”

Ah. It’s one of those days.

Aaron keeps his mouth. Better to do that than get verbally, and maybe physically, lashed. Right. He has a body to get rid of. He’s done it plenty of times, but his limbs already ache from the thought of having to drag all that dead weight upstairs.

He’s not sure what to do about the machine attached to the guy’s head, though. Usually, Ace has already removed them before he calls him down. Taking a few steps towards his twin, he can feel the hair on the back of his neck rise. Hates himself for feeling so scared of what Ace could do.

Aaron would kill him if he could.

Crouching down next to Steve, that’s what he’s calling his dead buddy for the next few hours, he reaches out to see if he can find some unlocking mechanism or something, because he can’t bury it outside.

“What are you doing?”

Aaron hates the flinch that makes him almost fall back. He looks up at his twin briefly, then down at Steve. He’s glad Ace doesn’t do rhetorical questions, because he would never be sure if he’s meant to answer his stupid-ass questions.

“Trying to get the thing off his head?”

He can feel it before it actually turns on. He’s not sure if it’s an actual thing or if he just knows what Ace is about to do. But he feels a slight buzz under his skin before a thirty milliamperes current shoots up his leg and makes him fall on all fours, crying out in pain. It’s shorter than usual, just a warning zap. Just enough to make him shake and burn, but not enough to actually injure him. Fucking why? He has no idea what he’s done this time. He should never have come down here, but then Ace would have just shocked him worse. Like the last time he’d disobeyed a summons.

“Keep your hands off it.” The ‘filthy’ is silent but understood.

Gasping for air, trying to get his twitching limbs under control, Aaron keeps his gaze fixed on the floor, because if he looks up, he might try to actually kill his brother, and no one will have a good time, then. A few moments of silence pass, and finally the metal contraption, who kind of looks like a crab, maybe, unlatches and scampers off. Steve’s face is gone gone.

The crab freaks him out more than the lack of face.

“Well? What are you waiting for? Or do you just enjoy wasting my time?”

Ace’s words are sharp, and Aaron wishes he didn’t give a fuck. He really does. He wishes he could just hate blindly and not be obliged to this capricious, contradictory, obstinate piece of shit. But no. He’s not that lucky.

Grunting as he gets back up on his feet, he grabs the corpse by its arms and starts dragging it. Just you and me, Steve. Not like I want to die, but a nap sounds great, right now. He’s so immersed in his thoughts, that he completely misses the gear flying towards him.

Ace doesn’t usually throw things. Aaron wonders what the hell went so wrong in today’s test that his twin has become a fucking toddler.

The metal hits him in the head, and Aaron crumbles with a yelp, taking a hand to the blazing pain in his scalp. It comes back red. Fuck! He wants to scream, to yell, to do anything other than gasp and curl in on himself briefly.

“Is it that hard for you to work quietly?” Ace hisses, getting up and approaching him slowly. Maybe to finish him off. One can only hope. Still, Aaron doesn’t want to die, not yet, so he shuts his mouth and tries to inch away, just in case Ace decides the bloodied gear still has more use. “After everything I do for you, I’d expect you to be respectful of my peace.”

What he does for him. Sure.

“But I suppose I can’t expect a stupid dog to understand what it has to do. Be quiet.”

Aaron doesn’t respond, doesn’t say anything. There’s no way to stand up against Ace, that’s just asking for more trouble. He just has to shut up and take it, and then get himself drunk after Steve here is buried and forgotten.

“Clean up after yourself and leave. I don’t need to be reminded of the failures of our father more than I already have.”

That one hurts more than usual. Fuck you, Aaron thinks, glaring at the floor as blood drips down his face, staining the floor. You and the whole fucking family. But he has work to do, he can’t wallow in self-pity just yet. Getting to his feet as Ace goes back to his desk, Aaron grabs Steve’s arms again and as quietly as possible starts dragging up the steep, metal stairs.

He doesn’t make it a third of the way before his brother’s machines are coming after him.

[stuckinuniformdevelopment]

@soldiersam

(Previous) Falling down stairs only to be hit by the body weight of another person definitely wasn’t an easy thing to just shake off. Sam wheezed as the wind was knocked out of them, then winced as they realized there was a pain in their ankle. Still blind with rage, though, she was able to muster up the strength to toss Theodore off, then roll him onto his back to straddle him. Sam squeezed Theodore’s neck and lifted him forward, only to slam him back down. She went to do it again… But suddenly the door flung open! Light from the hallway above poured down the laundry room stairs, revealing the deus ex machina that stood at the top. It was a sniffling, haggard-looking Reverend Miriam. “HEY-” Her shout was interrupted by a cough. She cleared her throat, then squinted down at the two. “Is that you again Sam? Kicking you out of the kitchen wasn’t enough?” Sam scrambled off of Theodore and bowed, wobbling a bit as she put most of her weight onto one leg. Their respect and fear for the priestess ran deep. He opened his mouth to mutter out some excuse but was cut off by her. “And haven’t I told you to keep any fights with other Glornists to verbal arguments? I’m too sick to heal anything serious right now. Get up here.” Before Sam obeyed, they turned to glare at Theodore one last time. “Your days are numbered, Twinkle T-” Miriam snapped her fingers at them like she was trying to get the attention of a misbehaving cat. Sam flinched, then awkwardly limped up the stairs as fast as she could. Miriam stomped toward them when they reached the top as if she was going in for an attack, scaring Sam into scampering away for good. The priestess turned to look back down at the tailor. “This fucking laundry room, I swear to Glorn. Last night Cyrus was passed out in front of the door.” She rubbed her eye. “I gotta stop walking past here at night.”

Theodore had panicked when Sam wrapped their hands around his neck, and went from passively laying there to thrashing with all his might.

This wasn’t something he could ride out! Sam was going to kill him!

Just when Theodore thought his fate was sealed the door burst open! He blankly stared up at Reverend Miriam backlit by seemingly heavenly light, unable to know what to make of the current situation. He was too dazed to react to Sam’s threat other than shying away.

Finally, Sam was gone. Theodore numbly nodded at Reverend Miriam’s complaining as he shakily stood up using the stairs’ newel.

Although frankly, he hoped she would walk by more often.

[julieverne]

Somebody I fucked once

Jane doesn't remember how it started. Maura said something. It'd been an awful case. Kids. She hated the ones with kids.

And Maura brought her home and they drank wine and sat together on the couch and Maura was so soft and sweet and Jane was a little drunk and Maura was leaning in with one of those soft looks she gave Jane, like she wanted to kiss her.

So fuck it.

That's the last thing Jane remembers.

The next thing she knows is Maura's hands under her shirt, burning hot. Her fingers pressing through Jane's bra, sliding down the back of Jane's pants. Jane still has one hand cupping Maura's cheek because she hadn't quite expected this, but a moment later Maura has thrown her down on the bed (how did they get to the bedroom, Jane wonders later. There were stairs involved.)

Jane had assumed she'd be the dominant one. The one in charge. But Maura throws her on the bed as though her weight is inconsequential and climbs on top of her, straddles her like she's scared Jane will run away if she doesn't. The wine is coursing through Jane's veins but she's in complete control, and she lets Maura gyrate atop her. Helps Maura with Jane's buttons, and then Maura's, fingers trembling quickly against the cloth, against the flesh.

And Maura lets Jane touch her. The lace of her bra exposed, her tight abdominals before Maura pins Jane again, kisses her hard, moving against her like the tide, an unmistakable rhythm, one Jane matches, fingers questing.

She assumes, once Maura flops against her, boneless and shaking, that that's the end of that. But Maura gives Jane a wicked grin and kisses her way up Jane's bare chest, making pitstops, kissing Jane so tenderly that the healed wounds in her hands throb from the sweetness of her.

And Maura has all sorts of things she likes in bed, and she shows Jane at least seven more, and Jane quite likes them too. She falls asleep with the taste of Maura on her lips, and Maura's head on her chest.

When she wakes, Maura is partially beneath her. Their bones are entwined like an ancient burial.

"You're still here?" Maura mumbles, and Jane's heart catches, then releases. She scampers out of the bed like she's been burned. Maura didn't want this. She doesn't want Jane. She expected Jane to leave, for this to be a one night stand.

And of course that's what Jane wants too, isn't it? Just a quick little jaunt in the sheets. Get at least one woman under her belt for all the times she got called a dyke.

Maura is sitting up, wide eyed, face and chest bared to the morning light that catches her hair, makes her glow a little. Jane meets her eyes, then looks away, ashamed for ever imagining Maura might want her. She slinks off into the bathroom to dress.

She makes it out of the house without interception, and she avoids the morgue like a - well, like a morgue. Maura is polite, as always.

Jane never once considers that Maura asking if she was still here was because she couldn't believe that Jane wanted more than a single night. That Jane had been brave enough to stay.

After all, Jane was only somebody she fucked once.

[dehvastation]

Nice Surprise Part 2 (With @DesolateBadass)

Wilder: I sat there listening in on the conversation with Amber and the new guy in town, taking a sip from my glass of whiskey. My tongue darted out to catch a small drop on my lips. Mysterious man seemed to have all the right answers and made it sound as if he was here on business. I wasn’t buying it. 

I also wasn’t expecting you to stand up and walk over to my table. Taking that moment to let my crystal blue eyes scan your frame. It wasn’t very often that I came across someone as tall as I was, taking note of the way your shirt hugged your muscular physique. Standing up when you reach my table, my gaze locked with yours. Bold move to come introduce yourself, but it absolutely held my attention. 

Slipping  my hand into yours, giving it a firm shake. “It’s nice to meet you Dehv, I’m Wilder.” My hand lingers in yours for a brief moment, trying to get a read on you. I could hear your heart beating and it was calm, releasing your hand to motion to the chair. “Please feel free to join me.” 

Taking a seat Amber drops off your drinks and I watch you move, it was effortless. Unable to stop myself from taking in the sight of your features, curiosity written on my own. Chewing on what I wanted to say to fully break the ice. “The filet mignon, medium rare?” I blink and glance up at Amber feeling her hand on my shoulder. “Yeah, that sounds perfect, sweetheart.” She scampers off once more to put the order in for both our steaks. 

My gaze met yours once more and I did see the point in beating around the bush. “I’m sure it’s safe to assume if I can detect you are not human you are fully aware I’m not as well. So what exactly are you?” I state bluntly, making my own bold move to see how you’d react to someone being direct. 

“I know you're not the one involved with the attacks, your scent doesn't match theirs. Are you working with them? Scouting out the next victim? How the fuck is your partner able to manage to make a scent vanish with no trace of where they went? It’s infuriating. Also, might want to let whoever you’re possibly working with, it ends tonight. This town is protected by us and we don’t exactly take bloodshed lightly.” I lean back in my chair, not one to shy away from making it known that the locals are off limits. Taking another sip from my glass of whiskey, calmly waiting to hear what you had to say. 

Dehv: ~ I smiled lightly, keeping my posture light. I was happy to stay calm and reasonable until I was given a need not to. Wrath had said not to get involved, and technically I wasn’t. I was reassuring a local that I was friendly. Which I was, mostly. I waited until Amber was out of earshot, running off to get the order that sounded incredible. I was excited for my steak if locals were ordering one. No one kept coming back to somewhere if the food was shit. I lift the glass to my lips and then feel myself smiling again at the questions. Head tipping slightly to the side as I try to keep track of them all. I nodded to your first. If I could tell, you could tell. But damned if I was going to give you anything before I got something in return.

I held your gaze and suppressed the growl of annoyance at the tone of your voice. I was taking you seriously, but I wasn’t about to be run off when I had someone who might be able to give me a lead.

“Firstly, nice to meet you, Wilder. I can detect that, though my nose isn’t really good enough to tell me much more than your blood isn’t human.” I cleared my throat and fell quiet when a couple moved past us a little closer than I would have liked. While I focused my attention on the bright blues in front of me, I kept a keen eye on what was going on around me. I was here to hunt after all, and I wasn’t going to lose sight of that. 

“I’m not working with them, I don’t know who they are, though I do know they are like me. I might have scared them off for a night or two. I’m not sure. I have tried not to be too obvious, and I haven’t seen anything that would alert me to them being around. However, the night has only just begun, so I expect they will come later than this if they are as sloppy as they appear.”

I leaned in slightly, though my voice volume didn’t change. “I’ll have to know more about you before I can open up. And I would need to speak to my King to find out whether I’m even allowed to divulge any secrets. He’ll likely want to speak with you before I’m given the go ahead. And he’s, well, he’s prickly when he’s not comfortable with something. You want to know about me enough to show me yours before I show you mine?”

My lip quirked into a grin, though my fangs were mostly hidden, there was enough there to show they weren’t normal human teeth. Hopefully it will be enough for you to trust me. I was going to say more, but Amber came back with both our meals, which was impressive. I tipped my chin up and smiled. Reaching for the condiments in the center of the table. 

I stayed quiet, watching you, waiting on your reaction and whether I needed to make this phone call and piss Wrath off with the cautious need to reveal our secrets to a complete stranger. ~ 

Wilder: Formalities were not my forte when I felt my town was being threatened. Listening to your every word intently. I could tell you were slightly annoyed with my tone and I needed you to give any and all information you possibly could. Ripping open a dinner roll, adding some butter and salt to it. “I’d apologize for my bluntness, but I’m not exactly sorry. As stated, this town is under the protection of my Pack. Intruders who are unwelcome don’t last very long. But, we have been struggling to locate whoever is attacking people on the outskirts of town.” I take a bite from the roll, speaking out of the corner of my mouth as I continue. 

“Being that your scent doesn’t match the one we are trying to hunt, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt that the reason why you state you are here is true. We could use your help being the trail always ends up cold. I’m willing to see if we can work together on this, but we have to come up with an arrangement we are all comfortable with.” I stop talking when I hear Amber on the phone with Liam, telling him I’m here and that things look intense between us. 

“Excuse me.” I stand up and walk over to Amber, motioning for her to give me the phone. “I take it you got my text? Everything is fine, y’all stay put and I’ll fill you and Cassie in when you get back.” I could hear his concern in his tone. “No, do not cut your camping trip short.” My eyes meet yours for a moment as Liam attempts to insist I had some sort of backup. “I’ll be at Whiskey Row in an hour. Jackson already knows if I don’t stroll in at that time to head on out to find me. We have it covered.” I hang up with him and head back over to you, taking a seat. 

“Now where were we? A secret for a secret, yes? I believe the way you put it was if I show you mine you’d show me yours.” A sly smirk tugs at my lips, I couldn't help but to gutter those words. Allowing my gaze to scan your muscular physique. Had to admit I wouldn't mind seeing what was under your clothing. Cutting into my perfectly cooked steak, groaning appreciatively as I take a bite. Shoveling some mashed potatoes into my mouth as well. Having that all too important intimate first bite, licking my lips. “How about we give out what we are comfortable with first. If I need more information after that, then you can call this King of yours. It’s easier  for me if you simply ask a question. So, what would you like to know?” I take a sip from my glass of whiskey, hoping we can comfortably learn a little about each other without getting anyone else involved. 

Dehv: ~ I shake my head and chuckle, your lack of apology making me snort slightly “I don’t need you to be anything other than blunt. I get this town is yours, but for me all humans deserve protecting. So, I am here to figure out what’s happening and sort out the problem.” I leaned forward and scooped a little potato onto my fork, chewing and swallowing before I continued on.

“I have no clue who is here, but we have little pockets outside of our main Brotherhood home and training centre’s town. I’m assuming it’s more than one, but in all honesty, one could do this if it was very hungry or hurt. Seems more involved than that though, since they keep coming back.” I shook my head and then nodded once when you stood up. I kept you in my line of sight, but sent a quick message to Vishous 

‘Give me a full rundown of Red Lodge, Montana along with any outlying settlements.’ 

I placed my phone beside me, the thumbs up message back letting me know he had the assignment in hand. 

I could hear what you were saying, but chose to ignore it. Assuming that if you’d told whoever Liam was not to come, you must be willing to talk. I instead focused on my steak, cutting it into mouthwateringly perfect bites before adding a little mustard for the sharp hit. The potato was also cooked perfectly and I enjoyed my few minutes to eat without having to try and dance around what I was.

When you came back to the table I lifted my gaze to meet yours, my smile still hiding the tips of my fangs, though I was a little more relaxed knowing I wasn’t about to get jumped. I’d likely rather just walk into the sunlight than go back to Wrath and tell him I was run out of town by an unknown entity. He knew my mouth was likely to get me in trouble, but could also get me out of trouble. I didn’t want to bother him unless I absolutely had to. 

My snort was loud when you quoted me, unsure why my stomach clenched at the groan you made when you ate your steak. I had to admit it’s bloody good food, but I could certainly imagine that noise coming out of you for other reasons. Not that I would go there, I’m on a mission, not to have a one night stand. Rubbing my chest slightly I wonder why there’s a tingle there, but I need to ignore that to focus on the deaths in this town. Quicker I solve this, faster I can get back on a plane and back to Caldwell. “I wanted to know what you are. I know you’re not human, and nothing close to anything else I’ve met before. You smell different. What am I telling my King I’ve met when he inevitably asks me to check in later tonight?” ~

Wilder: When I sat back down you held what would appear to be my undivided attention. I was able to listen in on conversations around us and make sure we had the privacy we needed to talk about what we needed to without anyone overhearing us. I didn’t care for the idea of you having to report back to someone. The less others knew about us the better. Not to mention the way you spoke about whoever was doing this was hungry or hurt had me feeling a little uneasy, being I knew how the victims died drained of their blood. Inhaling a breath, my bright baby blues watching your every move.

 “You’re going to have to understand I have reservations about telling you certain things. What I can say is I’m not human. Think of me as a shape shifter of sorts.” I had to keep the safety of my pack in mind, for now all you knew about was that I wasn't human. “I’d prefer you didn’t tell your King a damn thing about me. But, if you have to report back I suppose you could say the town the killings are surrounding is protected and we do have one thing in common. Humans deserve being protected. If that’s how you operate then I can respect that.” There was something about you that made me feel like you really were there to help. The vibe you gave off wasn’t a threatening one. You were poised and spoke with ease. My initial gut feeling told me I could possibly trust you, but I wasn't comfortable with the idea of this King. 

“How can I trust that if I tell you things about me that you won’t send word to your kind and threaten my town further?” I ask, needing to somehow be able to have a little trust between us. “My family is here. As much as I would like your help, I have to protect them. What are you and why are the victims drained of their blood? Because all signs lead to Vampire, but we always thought that was a myth. Ain’t no way I’m gonna believe that this is the case unless I see some fangs.” 

Dehv: ~ I inclined my head slightly, watching you and taking you in. I knew you had to be pretty important to have the authority to pick and choose who had your back. You also had that way about you, one that said not to mess with you. Sure, you were all sweetness and light with the locals, and they obviously trusted you, but I also had a feeling that if we were to go toe to toe, we’d both walk away with some broken bones and not a whole lot of clear winner.

I cleared my throat, then took another bite of my meal, it really was delicious. I reached for a drink and nodded at your summary of feelings. I couldn’t blame you, I was in the same boat. How much could I legitimately tell you without Wrath quite literally throwing my ass out into the sunlight. We were a secret, but then we had humans that had joined us, half breeds meant that we obviously out there sowing wild oats with humans. Butch was…..well, Butch. I shook my head and exhaled. I reached for my drink and then an idea struck me. Pretty sure I twitched slightly. I lifted my gaze to meet your bright blue eyes, wondering absently if they shone as brightly as mine did in the right circumstances, then leaned in.

I was careful not to get my clothes in my food, but I leaned across the table until I only had to whisper to know you’d hear me. I paused only half a second to check in with myself, I’d likely get an ass kicking for this, but fuck it. “You want to trust me, and know that your instincts are correct, but you want to check to see if I am a vampire. Lore can be wrong, and you know in your gut that it is. Because I’m sitting right here. But for the sake of your pack, this town, our working together to figure out who is neatly draining the local folk of their well earned blood. You seem edgy about me reporting anything back to my King, and I am not about to fuck around and find out. You want to see my fangs, I want to know what you are. Feel like asking that gut of yours if you trust me enough to offer me your wrist? You see my fangs, you can tell me what you are.” I kept my face neutral for the most part, only my eyes giving away how amused I was, pretty sure you’d say no and just punch me in the face. Which honestly might mean you saw my fangs anyway, so whichever way played out. Win Win for you. Win Win for me, as once your blood was in my system I could keep a track of where you were roughly for a few days, which played very much to my advantage. “What do you say, Not Human?” ~

Wilder: I sat there cool as a cucumber watching your every move. When you leaned over the table and I inhaled your scent, instantly adding it to the rolodex in my mind. Your words were such that I let out a low growl only you would hear. Still in slight disbelief that you were actually a Vampire. My eyes instinctively flash midnight blue for a brief moment, exhaling a slow breath. Fuck. “Alright, I’ll offer up a wrist for you to prove a point, under one condition. While you’re in town, the locals are off the menu. If you are indeed what you say you are and need to quench your thirst, you come to me.” 

It would take a little more than a nip on the wrist to have me trusting you, but my gut was telling me I could. Pulling out my wallet to hold up my debit card when Amber walks by to pay for our meal. The two of us have a silent stand off while I sign the check, leaving her a generous tip. “Can’t help but to think this is an advantage for you of some sort, but let's take a walk.” 

I stand up, knocking back the rest of my whiskey in one swift gulp, welcoming the familiar burn in my chest and throat as I lick my lips. Giving you an unspoken hit as I pause to randomly pat a small wolf statue at the front of the restaurant. Feeling confident you’d follow, leading you to where my truck was parked. Turning to face you, my curiosity peaked. Wasn’t often that I stood eye to eye with someone, a soft grin tugging at my lips for no real reason. “Let's see those pearly whites.” I state showing I wasn’t intimidated. I was all for coming to some sort of mutual grounds. If a nip on the wrist meant it would protect my pack and the locals, so be it. It wouldn’t surprise anyone in my pack that I was stepping up to do whatever it took to stop these attacks. 

Dehv: ~ I watched you, my chest sparking with something I couldn’t place when your eyes flashed. But it was the reaction I wanted, I didn’t fancy a punch to the face. This was much better for us both, no townfolk got in the middle of a fight, and I could track you for a few days. What I didn’t bank on was your offer. I only needed to feed every month or so normally, but it had been a few weeks, and human blood wasn’t nearly as good. Perhaps this would help me more than I thought, if I could stomach it. 

When you stood, I followed suit. My heart started to beat just a little faster. Perhaps this wasn’t the best idea, but I wasn’t one to back down now. I left my whiskey, though there was barely any left, my eyes sparking with amusement as you patted the wolf on the way out. I hadn’t taken you for a superstitious kind of person, but perhaps you were. I gave the little wolf a look on the way out to the carpark, checking to see if the nose was polished like I’d seen in pictures of dog statues around the world. 

When we rounded to your truck I checked the area, it was fairly secluded and dark enough that human eyes weren’t picking up anything if we moved to the back. There was no way I was getting in the truck, I didn’t trust you that much. I reached out to take hold of your forearm, moving us both towards the bushes behind your truck, holding your gaze the whole time. Glad I didn’t trip on anything on the way. I kept my gaze on you as I lifted your wrist, not obscuring your view as I inhaled your scent, swallowing a groan, eyes almost shutting as I realised you smelled really fucking good. I couldn’t think on it any more, and let my fangs drop down, tips sharp enough that you’d barely feel the puncture, but it was likely to leave a mark with the paper thinness of skin at the wrist. I much preferred feeding from other places, but I would make an exception. You had certainly seen the fangs now, and I wasn’t giving you a second to think about it. I lowered my head and pierced your skin, the first mouthful of your blood making me groan. It was nothing like vampire blood, though it wasn’t far off. It was far better than human blood. I took a few more pulls from your wrist, the blood sending signals to every nerve, my body reacting accordingly. My chest throbbed and I felt my eyes start to glow as I lifted my gaze to meet yours again. Confusion probably showed on my face, and I instantly pulled free, swiped my tongue over the wounds and then dematerialised back to the carpark of my hotel. ~

Wilder: I made sure to listen to our surroundings and internally check on my pack members. I knew where every last one of them were and we were completely alone. The moment I saw your fangs I arched a brow. Holy shit, Vampires do exist. I couldn’t help but to listen to your heart rate the entire time, feeling the slight sting from your fangs piercing the skin on my left wrist. Standing still letting you take a pull from me and your groan sends a chill down my spine. A completely new sensation for me and I stood there trying to wrap my mind around what was going on. Something inside of me ignited and in that moment I knew I could trust you. 

Seeing your eyes glow, watching your every move. I had a thousand questions, only to be standing there alone a few moments later. “Well, that was cool as all hell. Also explains why the damn scent disappears.” I state to myself, wondering where Dehv literally disappeared to. Moving to sit in the driver seat of my truck, in complete shock lost in my thoughts.  

What the actual fuck just happend? I scrub my hand over my face, my gaze falling to the two puncture wounds on my wrist. The slight bruising that appeared didn’t alarm me, figuring it would heal fairly quickly. Trailing my fingers over them, feeling that heat inside of me grow. “Ain’t no fucking way….”

[medicus-mortem]

@chatcambrioleur answered [+]

Despite what many people seemed to think of her, there was very little that Nami didn't handle on her own, before joining the Straw Hats. She was forced to; after all, she didn't travel with any members of Arlong's crew. She preferred to be around them as little as possible, and she didn't 'do' sidekicks. That is, until a certain rubber boy showed up, and she became the sidekick.

Arlong had given her a dagger to handle unwanted attention; if anyone got too grabby with her, he said to use it without hesitation. He didn't give a damn if she killed; the captain likely would have preferred for his navigator to become as ruthless, as bloodthirsty, as he. Nami didn't use the dagger to draw blood, until she used it on herself one, fateful day in Arlong Park.

She had used it to threaten men, surely. Usually, the sight of a woman fighting back was more than enough to scare them away --- she could flail and kick, she could bite, and as a last resort, she would use that knife, to send them running. Seeing her as an unhinged liability, too much of a struggle to make it worth it, they would usually back off.

She didn't have that dagger now, but sometimes, she wished she did. Even with the protection of Luffy, Sanji, and Zoro, it would have been nice, to have something of agency, for herself. A way to defend herself, in case they weren't around. She had Zeus --- but sometimes, her weather powers weren't particularly convenient. Moments could be spent waiting for her clouds and lightning to conjure, while a man, ready to take what he pleased, would act within seconds.

With the Straw Hats nearby, and with Law, as well, Nami didn't feel much of a need to worry. She could sidle up to unsuspecting souls, desperate for a smile or a wink, and snatch a wallet without care. She would have to be hopping to another establishment before long, lest they all realize what they were missing --- but for now, she was having her fun, and getting a few drinks, on top of the beli she was snatching. That is, until one man got a little too pushy. There was always one, wasn't there? One who mistook her flighty flirting as something legitimate; hoping to catch the fly with honey. Honey she had no desire to taste.

She had been polite, at first. Almost ready to pull a 'my boyfriend is waiting' card. The man was already pulling her close, with his hands, wandering below her waist --- and Nami had been ready to call out for Sanji or Luffy. Before her mouth was open, Law was there. Stepping in, and defending her, and she hadn't even asked for him to do so.

The redhead's jaw slacked as she watched, the crack of the man's bone causing her to jolt. The sound of his head hitting the bar made her cringe, her shoulders tensing. Though she wouldn't deny, seeing such a fire from his actions made something flutter, deep within her stomach.

"Oh --- no. No, you don't ... need to ..."

She blinked away some of her awe, a hand landing on the surgeon's bicep.

"I think he's had enough. Uh --- thank you."

   Nami’s hand lands on his bicep, her words beseeching him to lay off. His jaw tightens for a moment, eyes staring at the navigator. Muscles flex under his shirt with his vicious urge to start stamping this dude’s face into indistinguishable slush but Law lets out a breath and shoves the desire away. Might just be going overboard a bit there with the protectiveness. This is enough. The guy certainly won’t be touching anyone for a while.

   “Don’t mention it,” he replies, turning his gaze back to the fool.

   The handsy scumbag is on the ground, whimpering and cradling his broken arm. Law takes a step closer and he scrambles back, the fear in his eyes meeting Law’s cold glare. He doesn’t get far before Law stoops down and grabs him by the collar. He hauls him to his feet with one hand and then nudges him back.

   “Get the fuck out of here,” he growls, waving the pathetic bastard off, and the guy does just that. Scampering off through the crowd of people, some of which have stopped to stare. Law turns his glare to them, gaze challenging before the club goers turn away to get back to their fun and their drinks. Law then relaxes his posture, shoulders once again hunched and hands getting shoved into his pockets.

   “Remind me to give you a couple lessons in martial combat later,” he says, turning back to Nami.

   He knows she’s good with a bo staff, the way she holds her clima-tact shows him that, but he has also noticed Nami isn’t the most combat focused. Maybe she doesn’t need to be because of her crew but Law is of the opinion that everyone on a ship needs to know how to fight. You never know what might happen. There might be a moment when she’s alone, when Straw Hat or any other fighter on her ship isn’t available. In those moments she’ll need to know how to break the hand of someone she doesn’t want touching her.

   “But for now,” he continues, already thinking ahead. If one person decided to take liberties with Nami others will too. Humanity is full of trash like that. “If you want an assist just make a hand gesture. I’ll see it.”

[yzeltia]

Handed Down from Stone

Chapter 14: Etched in Jet Characters: Claudine, Y'zel Tia Rating: T for Teen Notes: The last word is not a typo

-Sharlayan Settlement 1560-

Claudine swallowed as he heard the sounds of sniffling in the empty study. The room was locked when he came in, and he was rather certain his mentor, Y'lem Tia, had the only other key. Carefully setting tomes down, he looked about, jumping as he heard a hiccup in the dark. 

Fairly certain he didn't sense the aether of specter, logic took hold. Someone was there with him, even if not apparent. Carefully he wandered between desks until his eye caught a pink tail slinking under the farthest table. Walking to the spot, he squatted, finding a young Miqo'te curled up, rubbing his eyes, and sniffling.

"Hey there. How'd you get in here," he asked with a small smile.

The freckled boy jumped as he was talked to. "D-Don't eat me," he begged before trying to scamper away, hitting his head on the table and flattening himself.

Claudine stifled a bit of a laugh before moving chairs to sympathetically check on the boy as he rubbed his forehead, "I'm not going to eat you. I just wanted to know how you got to such a place."

"The key…" whined the little Miqo'te.

"And you're scared I'm going to eat you for stealing it?"

The younger boy shot up, freckled cheeks puffing out in a huff. "I didn't steal it! It's my key!"

"They don't give just give study keys out to little boys."

"They gave one to you!"

"I'm not a- You little!"

Claudine fumed for a moment then calmed himself, forcing a smile at the brat.

"Who gave you the key," the blond finally asked after being locked in a bit of a staring contest.

"My father."

"Oh! Professor Y'lem's boy. You're Y'zel!"

Y'zel nodded, sitting up and looking up to the other. "Mhm…"

"You shouldn't be in here, key or not. What if you got hurt," Claudine offered.

"I can't! I'm doing a bravery test."

"What?"

"Shtola said I couldn't stay in here by myself all day….and I told her I could. She told me a bunch of scary stories though about creatures that come out of the darkness to eat little Miqos before she left."

"Well, that's sounding like she cheated a bit to rile you up."

Y'zel nodded then hunkered back down under the desk. 

"Well, if she asks I'll tell her you were plenty brave given the circumstances…but perhaps I should take you to your father."

Y'zel blinked, staring at the Hyur as his hand was offered. Gingerly, he reached out, taking it and letting the other pull him from his spot. His ears perked suddenly.

"Who is Praxi…Praxithius?"

Claudine shook his head, "I'm uncertain. Did you read about them?"

"You just said it."

"I didn't say anything?"

Y'zel folded his ears back as his companion shook his head in earnest. Offering a smile, Claudine reached out, ruffling the younger boy's hair. "Let's go."

Y'zel nodded, reluctantly following along.

"You'll tell Shtola I stayed the entire night?"

"It wouldn't be right to lie…perhaps a half -truth. You stayed until I forced you out."

"That works I guess. She's a shrew."

"That's not very nice."

"It's not? Father says it means she's perceptive…though disapproves of Uncle Rhul letting her practice with Master Matoya."

"Oh! You meant she's shrewd. A shrew is a small burrowing animal."

"I guess shrewd then…"

Claudine laughed as Y'zel looked away embarrassed, "I believe a bit more work on your vocabulary might go a long way in mitigating some of your cousin's teasing."

"Mit..what?"

"Learn more words," Claudine laughed.

"I read better than a lot of my cousins…big books with several volumes!"

"And you didn't know what a shrew was?"

"I don't read about animals…"

"Then what do you read about?"

"Brave knights and adventures…a lot rescuing princesses from dragons…but I like the ones where it's just the prince and knight and they fall in love better…Shtola says that they're unrealistic though and will give me the wrong impression of what courting is like when I'm grown…"

"Perhaps a bit. I'm too young for that sort of thing myself, but imagine when I am I will be too busy with research to bother with that kind of thing."

"You don't want to live happily ever after?"

Claudine paused, turning to look at Y'zel whose blue eyes had widened, somehow threatening tears.

"I…well, there are other things to worry about."

"That's so sad! Even scholars deserve love! My father is a scholar and all he worries about is his work, but even he found my mother and had me!"

The Hyur blinked, finding Y'zel clinging to his student robes. He offered the boy a pat on the head. "I am not much older than you! As I said, far away from such things! There's no need for you to despair on my half!"

Y'zel sniffled then looked up at the other before his ears perked once more before worried expression turned into horror stricken. Quickly turning, Claudine gathered the other onto his arms then knelt down, shielding the Miqo'te before tilting his head as a Bhoot hovered by, arms outstretched to gently caress his face. The Hyur seized up, scooting back before it could slither around his neck. "Shoo! Off with you," he ordered, finding a discarded book to bounce off its dome body.

Hit, the creature floated back, then continued on, leaving the boys to huddle under the desk. Catching his breath, Claudine checked on Y'zel, the Miqo'te's pink hair on end. 

"Perhaps we've wandered too deep into the library for this hour. Let's just wait until someone wanders by," Claudine offered, trying not to appear as frightened as his companion.

Y'zel nodded meekly, recoiling against the other's chest, content to hunker down shielded by the student's robes. It was not before the two had dozed off together, the boys remaining undisturbed until found later by the Miqo'te's worried father.

-Coerthas, Y'zel's Cabin, Present-

Y'zel tilted his head as he read the letter a second time. Though most likely not his friend's intention, it has struck the more empathetic parts of him. To imagine the Voidsent were nothing more than scared aetheric consciousnesses seeking nourishment, made them seem frightened and in need of care, at least to him.

"Is your friend extending her sabbatical? You look as if you've been quite shaken by that letter," Claudien asked, lowering himself beside Y'zel on their futon.

"No, it's…well," he started before handing over the letter.

"Quite taken with your cousin…and this bit about traversing the Void itself! I really must invite her to dinner sometime and pick her brain…but I'm not parsing the reason you've become so upset."

"The Voidsent…they're…they're just trying to get by…"

"...by sucking the aether out of living beings, yes."

"There's so many things flushed with aether though! I imagine if we just found a way to supply it…" he muses quietly.

"You've got a big heart," Claudine sighed, kissing the Miqo'te's forehead before pulling him down onto his chest, "But…perhaps we wait on your friends to learn more about them before you make a buffet of yourself."

Y'zel puffed his cheeks out then crossed his arms as he rolled away from the other. "I have the Echo. I'm blessed with more aether than I need. Besides…I owe a Voidsent…"

"Pardon? How could you manage that?"

"I was cornered one time in some ruins in Gyr Abania…I had packed light for climbing, all I had was the training scythe my dad had gifted me as a boy."

"Raiden, not Y'lem correct?"

"Yes…Anyroad, I was cornered and when things got too hard to handle it appeared from the stone embedded in the hilt and felled the creatures."

"And you're certain it was a Voidsent?"

Y'zel nodded, "It wasn't if my own aether, and I felt this connection with it. An exchange."

"And since?"

"Well, I was scared after and on my return packed it away…but now I'm worried. It probably has a special connection to me and I've all but severed it."

"...Again, before you find yourself crawling into the nearest void gate, perhaps the scientific method should be involved? Testing. Retesting? I believe there are some resources on this phenomenon available in my department as it was of interest to some aristocrats in Ul'dah or something. Yet, another project added to my people in the wake of the reopened borders."

Y'zel relented and turned back around, nuzzling up under Claudine's arm, pinning his ears under it to dull the man's rant about work as he tried to doze off. As he fell into sleep, one ear perked, catching a familiar voice he couldn't place."Hunger…return…Pretzel…."

[mamayan]

“…The fuck is that…”

It smelled like iron and rain tonight, the floor of the bar wet and muddy from footprints tracked in carelessly. The wood was already old and rotting, and it was wonder a hole hadn’t been broken into the mildewed boards.

“It’s a dog.”

He sneered, face turning fully where his eyes bore into you, completely away from his switch to level you with the nastiest face he could pull.

“I know what a fucking dog is, asshole. I’m asking why the fuck it’s in here—?”

“Watch your crusty mouth, boss, I wasn’t going to just leave it to die out in the storm. Some piece of shit left this poor little guy in a box by the dumpster.” He wanted to vomit at the almost motherly look on your face, staring at the filthy shaking wet puppy you held with your jacket bundled around it.

“Find somewhere else to put it, it’s not staying here.” He turned away dismissively despite his eyes still staying glued to the bundle in your arms.

“Yeah, yeah, can he just stay here for the night? Even I don’t got a place to sleep besides the streets, but he might get sick if he’s stays in the cold any longer.”

He grit his teeth in agitation.

“If it pisses in here I’m dusting it.”

He left it at that, even going as far as to get up and leave the bar. You were left alone after that, the League out for now due to the horrendous monsoons sweeping the city tonight. You weren’t fortunate enough to have a place to crash though, but you did debate just breaking into an abandoned house or something. The bar was closer though, and the little guy needed a warm bath and some food, which you couldn’t provide in a place without running water.

You washed the small puppy in the sink, soft brown fur spiked up cutely as you scrubbed away all the gunk and sadness covering the flea bitten thing. You carefully dug out each one, ridding him of all the awful vermin before giving him one more lather and rinse for good measure. Then you dried him, a stolen hair dryer kept on low and held far away, a soft dish rag you’d scrounged up used to pet and sooth while he shook.

“I know the boss scared you a bit, but he’s not gonna hurt you,” you cooed, holding the pup as you found a can of tuna and decided it would have to do as puppy chow for the evening. The little dog seemed to have enough teeth, and you made sure to stir it up some after opening the can.

He fell face first into the can eating. Hind legs even going up into the air as he balanced on his front paws eating. When his belly looked sufficiently round, you pulled the pup off and gave him a little water. He looked like a new dog honestly, much fluffier and more adorable like this.

“You need a name…” you hummed, picking the pup up and deciding to bother the boss a little. He didn’t seem happy about the dog, but you noticed he kept looking at it with some sort of longing. Did he want to pet it? You weren’t sure as you moved through the hide out, seeing Shigaraki’s room at the end of the hall. His door was tightly closed but decorum hardly mattered with thugs and villains like you. You kicked the door open, smiling at the near vampiric way your boss seemed to live in the artificially blue illuminated space. His pale skin looking almost gray in the lighting.

“Gross. Your room is fuckin’ nasty boss.” Your comment is met with a vicious glare, his lips pulled almost into a snarl as he eyes you with disdain, but his gaze wavers a bit on the fluff in your arms.

“Why’s it all squirmy?” He scowls, leaning back a bit in his gamer chair, clearly knowing you’re too annoying to scare off.

“He needs a name. Help me?”

“No. Fuck off.”

“Come on boss! He can be our mascot!”

“No way in hell. I’ll dust it if you try.”

“Woof!” You both looked down at the happy and merry little pup wiggling to get down in excitement. You smiled mischievously, eyes narrowing in a way that made him nervous.

“Don’t you dare—!” He grunts in surprise as you release the hound, the happy pup immediately scampering towards Shigaraki with a wiggly butt swinging so hard it caught up with its little tail. It’s quick to scratch at his jeans, big eyes staring up at him with so much cuteness he swears under his breath.

“Get. The. Damn. Dog. Off. Me—!” He’s seething through his teeth, furious for the interruption and the little fur ball’s audacity.

“Mhm, Dog as a name is a little unoriginal don’t you think boss?” He’s going to kill you. Dust your ass and this dog too!

“Woof!” He flinches back, hands instinctively raising high to prevent the nippy little thing from accidentally touching them as it jumped for attention.

“He loves you though!” You coo, pulling your phone out even and snapping pictures.

“If you don’t—,”

“Here, let me help,” you sooth, and just when he thinks you’re going to be sensible and remove the mutt, instead you pick it up and place it in his lap.

“…!” He’s only able to inhale sharply, face stunned and incredulous as the pup licks and kisses at him with all the affection of a loyalist.

His eyes go up for help again, but you’re gone. Having even slipped out and closed his door without him noticing.

His quirk canceling gloves are in place, so he knows he can just pick it up and set it off him, but for several minutes Shigaraki does nothing but allow the tiny monster to kiss and nibble at him for attention until it grows tired and settles down in his lap for a nap.

Wide garnet eyes stare down at the dog you’d left in his lap carelessly. Tiny and absolutely no threat to anyone. Mascot you wanted it to be, but if they had even the smallest attack it would be injured and killed. His nails dug into the skin of his neck, furiously scratching as his mind blanks.

He only stops when a little lick catches him off guard.

Dark brown eyes stare up at him, innocent and feeble with a long snout and wet nose twitching. It licked his hand.

He’s not thinking when he uses to fingers to pet the dog’s soft little head. It lets him, mouth opening to reveal a long pink tongue and it pants in happiness for the attention.

“Should name you idiot or something, dumb dog.” He huffs, but he doesn’t stop the pets. Even scratching lightly behind the ear as the pup leans into it with a shake of it’s leg. “You get off on strangers touching you or something? Freak.” His insults roll off seamlessly, the pup still happily lolling it’s tongue and rolling in his lap.

Seconds turn to minutes as he relaxes, petting the sweet little animal happily curled in his lap and sleeping.

You find your boss and the pup hours later, both passed out in his gaming chair, one hand laid over it’s back gently.

You take the pup, leaving to put it in the little cage you managed to find and the blankets you cut up to place in with it. The pup wasn’t happy but you hushed it with a few treats and left after putting a blanket on top of the cage to help it sleep.

When you went back to check on the boss, he was awake, elbows leaned on his knees as he looks up at you under his bangs.

“It’s name is Ryo and it will stay in Doc’s care. Not here. Am I clear?”

You smile, almost too sweetly it makes his chest feel like ants are crawling through it, as you nod wordlessly. He hates the smug appearance you wear but only snorts and kicks you out of his room, this time locking his door.

Dividers/@cafekitsune

[multipleoccupancy]

Once he saw the last of them scamper out of the door, Theo let out a sigh of relief, putting one gun away but keeping the other out as he stepped away to make sure they left the property as far as he could see. Still very much in the defensive mode, he blocked the front doorway as he watched them running and trusted Violet when he heard her explain they were cowards and were unlikely to return.

Andrea cuddled Sunny but with her other arm she placed it on Violet's counterpart's shoulder having seen how shaken up she was. She thought they were all equally keen to leave and go somewhere safer but hopefully it was the last they would see of any of those wicked people.

"Lets hope Mr Miller isn't too far away," Andrea tried as some comfort that it was likely some of them would get caught and those that didn't were more likely to run away and hide in any case. "Violet's right though, they can't show their faces here and they won't be able to show their faces in New York either and as we travel back we'll be sure to tell other towns about them so they know too."

When the last of the troupe vanished out of sight, still heading towards the gates as far as he was aware, Theo did a small gun spin before holstering his right gun back in its place. He was anxious but was sure to hide that feeling as he turned around to look at everyone else again. "Good job, Little Lady," he told Violet for her aiming and scaring them off along side him but he did not offer a wink this time, a little shaken himself. "They ain't comin' back any time soon, they're probably gonna try an' leave the state." Which eventually they would do too but not for a while at least. They could have a head start.

"I'm gonna go and make a coffee and if you want I will start makin' dinner if you all wanna go off and do your things," he managed a small smile at them all, relieved there had not been a bloodbath though he did think how reckless he might have been in not making sure the rest of them were behind cover other than himself and Violet! "We'll do the fancy dish tomorrow, I ain't gonna be able to cook that up in a day and I sure don't wanna screw it up. So how's about we have some of the beef tonight and we'll try the chicken tomorrow?"

𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐎 & 𝐕𝐈𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐓 @multipleoccupancy

Violet kept her gun pointed at them. While she knew they were cowards, they were also treacherous. She didn't want them trying anything unsavory, especially with Sunny, Klaus, and her counterpart right here, unarmed. But Theo's countdown seemed to convince them it was indeed time to scamper away. They were gone before Theo could even reach "Two." Violet could see them out the window, running -and trying to avoid the many traps.

She sighed and lowered her gun. "I doubt they'll come back. They're wicked, but they ain't very brave. They ran out of here faster than a scalded cat."

Her counterpart seemed shaken up by the encounter. "Thank you," she exhaled with a cracked voice. Violet noticed she had taken Klaus in her arms. He was pale and wide-eyed. "They'll never bother you again," she assured them, feeling her heart breaking for all the woes and pain they had endured, "and if they ever show their face in San Francisco, they'll end up at the end of a noose."

[wakaposting]

working on modern tsugu babysitting fic again

The walk to the station was brisk, about eight minutes there and eight minutes back again. Yorishige tried to make small talk, but it fell mostly upon deaf ears.

“Really, Tokiyuki, you'll like him,” Yorishige said brightly. 

“I'm not worried about not liking him,” Tokiyuki said shyly. “I just don't know why you insist that I meet him. Don't you feel that it's a bit… odd? I mean, how are you going to introduce me…?”

Yorishige did not seem to find any issue with that idea. He strode along confidently, flashing Tokiyuki a small smile. “Isn't it just enough to say that you're my friend?” he asked. “I don't think he'll be too concerned. If we don't make a big deal of it, it'll be fine.”

“And what about your son, then?” Tokiyuki asked, somewhat snidely, though he didn't mean to. “If Tokitsugu ever asks, you'll just tell him you're ‘friends’ with someone my age…?”

Yorishige stuffed his hands awkwardly in his jacket pockets, cheeks turning red. “W-Well… well, that's different, you know,” he said, leaning his head back and staring at the sky. “I'll have a proper talk with him. At some point…” 

Tokiyuki heaved a sigh, bumping his shoulder against Yorishige's as they walked. “I don't know,” he said, his eyes downcast. “I just don't want to make a mess of things. I have a lot of fun when it's just us, but… when other people start to get involved, there's a lot of ways that this could fall apart quickly…”

Yorishige glanced down at him. “I don't want you to worry about things like that,” he said kindly. 

“Well, how can I not worry?” Tokiyuki asked in a huff, speeding up just enough to fall a step or two ahead of Yorishige. “We're ridiculous, you know. Absolutely ridiculous. And that's fine if nobody knows about it! But then, you start having to explain things to people, and they might not agree with it…” 

“Tokiyuki, are you embarrassed of me?” 

Tokiyuki stopped short, nearly tripping over the sidewalk. He whipped his head around, eyes wide. “What? No. No, I'm not embarrassed.” 

Yorishige smiled at him, and gently grasped his hands in his, holding them out in front of them. Tokiyuki shifted nervously, looking down at Yorishige's hands wrapped around his own.

“If you're not embarrassed,” he said sagely, “then don't worry about what he'll think."

For a moment, Tokiyuki looked up, seeing a soft wisdom in Yorishige's eyes. 

And then, Yorishige added with a toothy grin, “Besides - it's most unbecoming to be scared of a grade-schooler, Tokiyuki-kun.” 

“Oh, shut up!” Tokiyuki snapped, wrenching his hands away. Yorishige scampered after him, poking him in the cheek. 

“See?” he goaded as Tokiyuki continued to swat his hands away from his face. “You're a grown-up, aren't you? You're not going to let this scare you off, are you?” 

Tokiyuki nearly pushed him off the sidewalk. “Alright! Fine! I'll stay!” he said, his cheeks warm. “You're such a pain sometimes. You're lucky I'm not embarrassed of you…!”

[little-munchies]

𝔢𝔫𝔠𝔥𝔞𝔫𝔱𝔢𝔡 𝔴𝔬𝔬𝔡𝔰.

𝔢𝔫𝔠𝔥𝔞𝔫𝔱𝔢𝔡 𝔴𝔬𝔬𝔡𝔰 { 𝔭𝔱. 𝔱𝔴𝔬 }

𝔰𝔶𝔫𝔬𝔭𝔰𝔦𝔰 After Sasha agreed to going to the woods with Molly last might, they uncover a... cute secret.

𝔠𝔥𝔞𝔯𝔞𝔠𝔱𝔢𝔯(𝔰)/𝔭𝔞𝔦𝔯𝔦𝔫𝔤(𝔰) Molly Smith x Sasha Jaden

𝔴𝔞𝔯𝔫𝔦𝔫𝔤𝔰 N/A

A/N: popping these mfs out like nobody's business rn!!! (i'm procrastinating an english assignment)

𝔭𝔱. 𝔬𝔫𝔢 𝔭𝔱. 𝔱𝔴𝔬

It’s dark. 

That’s all Molly can think when she and Sasha walk into the woods, parents visiting other people.

“Molls, I don’t like this..” Sasha mumbles, not far behind Molly as they travel through the woods.

Molly sighs, mumbling something along the lines of, “I know you don’t,” holding up the lamp Sasha had insisted on bringing, instead of matches or a lighter, to see critters scampering away. 

They’re everywhere, animals, small and big. Although, Molly supposes, they are in the woods. 

“Ah!” Sasha squeals, clinging onto Molly tightly. 

“Molly. Something just touched my leg.” she whispers shakily, looking around in pure fear. 

“I’m sure it’s nothing, Sash.” Molly replies, rolling her eyes and walking on, keeping a reassuring arm around Sasha. “Oh, look, look!”

Holding the lamp up to a tree, Molly points to the symbol carved into the bark. Initials. They’re scratchy and messy, like they’d been hurriedly written. As if whoever had carved them was A.) in a rush, or B.) didn’t care how messy the initials looked.

“Q plus P..” Molly mumbles. “Hey, Sash, how many people do you think did something like this?”

“Not a whole lot.” Sasha answers in a mumble, inspecting the faded, sloppy initials. “I mean, these two might be the only ones. I wanna know who they were, though.”

“Agreed.” Molly replies. “C’mon, let’s go back to the dorm. I can just come back later, you seem scared.

Sasha furrows her eyebrows, finding the statement outrageous… to some extent.

“I’m not scared!” she exclaims, and quickly changes her mind when something slimy slithers by her leg again. “On second thought, yeah, let’s get out.”

A/N (again) PART TWO YAY!!!! and school lore ?!@?!#!@? anyways this is probably gonna go on hold (of sorts) for a minute because I need to make the other characters' bios 😭 but ya! i also might make one large one part of this once all the parts are done, but for now they're staying separated :,) luv y'all !! xx