#I realize I offered a lot of advice here when it wasn't asked for but I hope that's okay. Just know that you're definitely not alone

[pinksilvace]

This is such a specific question I'm sorry feel free to ignore it but I saw your post on ocd rep and it got me thinking, do you ever hear a one off comment from a person you think has some level of authority and it becomes a rule even though you don't really understand it/believe it and its actually a dumb hill to die on? But breaking that rule is extremely upsetting and might cause bad things to happen so you have to keep following it even though it's very inconvenient for everyone involved. Is that a thing or is that normal

Oh, absolutely! I'd say that that's both normal (i.e. relatively common, especially in social justice and religious spaces) and something that is a symptom of OCD, especially with how accessible information is right now.

I was thinking of something similar earlier today, actually. I hang pride flags on my walls since they make for good, large decorations, and I thought about how I would recommend doing so to anybody. Do they like the colors and/or consider themself an ally? That's a great reason to get a flag! Of course, some folks would say that only people of a certain identity should own certain flags, much less display them, but how does one identify an identity? How would one ethically police that? "Queer culture" itself is a misnomer - people of all cultures are queer, and nothing says that only gay people are allowed to pierce one ear but not the other or w/e. "Queer culture," as it is understood in many internet spaces, is White and USAmerican-centric anyway, and building strict rules within it is counterproductive, etc etc...

I especially understand what you mean when it comes to the subject of politics. There are many politically-oriented people in my life with a range of different views, and they express those views so passionately that it can be difficult to do anything but agree. My best advice when it comes to that is to slow down and acknowledge that it's okay for different people to have different opinions, and that includes you. It's hard. It takes a long time to embrace disagreement, even over little things, and that difficulty never really goes away, but it's still important to try.

Nothing you think can be held against you, and you do not owe anybody your thoughts. If you don't agree with someone and can't disagree with them, remaining silent is a completely valid option.

Ultimately, OCD is there to help you, albeit in a misguided fashion. Maybe it wants to keep you physically safe, or socially safe, or it wants society to see you as a "good" person, or it wants to grant you a modicum of control you have been denied elsewhere in your life. Rather than refuting it directly, I often find it helpful to acknowledge my OCD, thank it for caring, and let it know that it can settle down Marie Kondo-style. It's silly, but it's harm-free and it works.

This got completely ramble-y and I'm not sure if I properly addressed the question, but... hopefully this helped?

[bellanothadidloa]

I've been receiving a lot of inquiries since sharing my success story, and while I'm not planning to start a blog, I do want to address some common questions here.

Did I manifest everything from the void?

Yes, everything I listed was indeed manifested when I entered the void, as outlined in my story. I've had some successes with various experiments before, but none reached the level of my most recent attempt.

What was the most crucial factor in achieving the final breakthrough?

I wish there was a straightforward answer, but it probably boils down to the realization that no matter how much I complained or cried, I was determined not to give up. I would read success stories and find myself in tears because they mirrored the life I aspired to have. I wanted to shift realities, be wealthy, happy, and beautiful—it might sound vain, but that's what I desired. I longed to feel free, unbound by any world, and to pursue my own path. Who wouldn't want that? At some point, I asked myself, would I still be trying to shift at 30, while struggling with dietary issues caused by gut praxis disorder? If the answer was yes, what did that mean? It meant I wasn't going to give up. So, I kept trying different things, knowing that eventually, something would work. Inner work is essential, but I believe it's inevitable. The longest journey I've seen took seven years. Do I want that for myself? Absolutely not, but what if it happens? The very acceptance of that possibility means you're not giving up, so what does it matter?

What method did you use?

As I've mentioned, I've tried every method. The final one that worked was the morphic field. I don't really care whether it was the morphic fields or something else that clicked within me. As I mentioned earlier, I realized I was sad, but I knew I wasn't going to give up, so I let myself be sad. Who cares? Let me be angry; I'm still not giving up. So, why fight those feelings? I cared and was disappointed and scared, but I just decided to trust in the fields because, in the end, it didn't matter whether they worked or not. I wasn't giving up.

How do you feel now that you've achieved your dream life?

I've managed to transform my life and self-concept, and along with being incredibly happy, I feel a mix of sadness for everything I endured and pride for how I pushed myself before succeeding. Initially, I thought it would be hypocritical to say I love myself after I changed everything about myself, looks and life, but I realized this is my life, and I'm still the same person, just with desires that now align with my reality. Why would I want to be unhappy in a life that makes no sense to be sad in? I don't believe anyone deserves or doesn't deserve anything. Do what you want, pursue inner work if you wish, or just manifest your desires. Personally, I didn't feel the need to do the inner work after manifesting my dream life, but I know some people do, and that's beautiful too. Life is just beautiful.

How to mend your relationship with the void?

The only advice I can offer from my experience is to acknowledge that you're not giving up on it. It reminds me of toxic relationships where despite infidelity, they say, "I know where home is." Unlike those misguided people, the void genuinely serves its purpose and supports you. It already knows its home is with you, whether you realize it or not, and that's all that matters.

How did you exit the void state ?

Exiting the void was a simple experience for me. I simply took a deep, calming breath and set a clear intention to leave. The sensation that followed was like tunnel vision, where everything around me seemed to narrow and focus. This was followed by a profound sense of detachment from any sense of self, almost like becoming weightless or losing a sense of individual identity. When I finally opened my eyes, I found myself in a completely new room, confirming that I had successfully transitioned out of the void and back to reality with everything on my life

Did everything you wanted come true?

Oh, absolutely—and then some! I ended up getting things I didn't even know I wanted. The way I look now is even better than my Pinterest boards ever dreamed of. Like, I had this idea for how I wanted my room to look, trying to mash together different vibes and aesthetics, and it turned out way better than I could have pictured. I was stuck between wanting a curvy figure and that sleek Bella Hadid look, but somehow I got the best of both worlds, which is exactly what I was hoping for.

I wasn’t even thinking about changing my eye color, but it happened, and I absolutely love it. I thought I'd revise old friends, but instead, I found new, amazing people who fit into my life perfectly. Now that I’ve got a better sense of self, I see this is exactly what I really wanted deep down. Everything just fell into place so perfectly, and it feels like I've finally got a handle on what I truly wanted all along.

Can you manifest things for other people?

Well, yeah, but it’s kind of like it's really just about yourself in a way. I mean, there have been times when I managed to manifest things for my brother, but oddly enough, I struggled to do the same for myself. It's weird, right? I don't fully understand how manifestation works in every detail. I just kind of go with the flow and assume it works the way I want it to. If I can pull off all these manifestations, then why not just trust that I can manifest whatever I want, however I want it? That's the mindset I've adopted, and it seems to work for me.

What's it like being a master shifter?

It's like waking up and remembering who you truly are, and almost laughing at all the suffering you experienced. When you think about it, you might have lowkey created that suffering yourself, which is kind of sadistic, but instead of holding onto any negative emotions about the journey, I just appreciate my life more. It’s a mix of joy and bliss. I still remember my old life, sure, but somehow, this new reality feels just right. It's like destiny exists, and I’ve finally found mine.

This concludes everything for me, and I’ve decided I won't be continuing my blog any longer. I've shared a lot of helpful insights in the past, but I won't be actively posting from now on. Thank you all for the love and support. I’ve reached a point where I no longer have a reason to continue here, and soon, you won't either. Goodbye and take care!

[cvnt4him]

hiii! would you be willing to write some Iida x older!reader? like a senpai from U.A., one or two years older. thank you in advance!! ❤❤❤

I would love too<33

Tenya is so underrated chat he needs more love SEND ME MORE TENYA REQUESTS.

Being a third year at UA was interesting to say the least, you had a lot of respect from your younger classmen. However when people found out who you were dating they always gave you weird looks.

You walked down the first year halls at the end of the day getting glances and whispers from the first years crowing the halls. You brush it off and continue strolling to your desired destination.

You finally come across the class you were looking for; class 1A! The only class fit for your charming and adorable boyfriend. You peek through the door to see your midnight haired boyfriend tidying up and talking with his friends, it was so cute to see the way he mingled with them.

You knock on the opened door and the few people's eyes shoot to your direction, you offer a polite smile and a giggle as you head towards your boyfriend who had wide eyes and a bit of blush dusting his features.

"hey tenya, ready to go?"

You ask running your fingers through his hair, he was taller than you but everyone knew you were older than him, hell than everyone in that classroom. You were pretty well known however you didn't really dabble with titles or anything like that, you didn't care what people knew you as.

"ah! y- y/n.. you shouldn't be here at this time! I told you I'd text you when I was ready."

Tenya was embarrassed from the looks of his friends, a green haired boy had wide eyes and slight pink brushed over his freckled cheeks, he looked between the two of you before connecting the dots with a gasp. You look down to him and he blushed intensively.

You chuckle and swipe a quick kiss from tenya before putting the top of his head.

"I'll wait for you outside, yeah? Don't take too long love."

You say walking out and waving to his friends with a wink, the freckled one was still stunned and the brown haired girl was squealing and jumping up and down once you left. No one knew you and tenya were dating, everyone thought tenya was incapable of getting a girlfriend due to the way he acts.

The two of you started dating unintentionally. You asked for his number one day and he nervously whilst stuttering, gave it to you. You two talked a lot it was more of him asking for advice and if you could tutor him or if you'd like to study with him.

Tenya was smart sure but you were in a higher grade than him, he thought if you could help him out his work maybe he'd be able to easily understand your work as well. At the time when you two started hanging out more he didn't realize it but he actually enjoyed your company.

He thought you were funny, smart, eager to learn just like him! He found many similarities within the two of you and he liked he could be himself around you. When the stuff went down with his brother he accidentally ended up crying in front of you, tenya expected you to laugh or make fun of him but of course, you didn't. You held him close and made sure that he was okay.

Unknowingly, that's when he started catching feelings for you. He wanted to be around you more, talk to you more he just really liked you, your company. It took him a while to realize he liked you, but once he did he didn't know how to ask you out or if he even wanted to.

Eventually you began seeing the signs of him starting to like you, he was more brushy around you, more talkative. It's not like tenya didn't speak when you two hung out but now he was so eager to share every little detail of his life with you. It was rather obvious he had a slight thing for you, and you'd be lying if you thought that he wasn't cute.

To save him the trouble some time later you went ahead and asked him out on a date. Tenya was so flustered and confused, he thought you were psychic or something, he ended up telling you that he was planning on asking you out on a date officially as well. You two laughed it off over lunch and sooner or later just naturally started dating.

You two never really put labels on it until one time.he got jealous. You were hanging out with mirio and you two were getting quite close, mirios a naturally charming guy. He's funny, weird, and just honestly great company.

Tenya did not like that. Tenya never had a problem with mirio, he just disliked how close he was with you. Tenya tried to keep his distance from you as a punishment to himself for even letting himself slack off of hero/school work. He felt that he shouldn't have gotten a girlfriend, he shouldn't have fallen in love with you, he shouldn't have even talked to you or indulged in you.

However, tenya found.himself fidgeting and having trouble focusing on class. He hadn't talked to you in 2 days and it was driving him insane that you hadn't bothered to text him! Were you not worried? Did you not care about him? What was it.. were you cheating on him?!

He was never one to jump to conclusions but he couldn't help himself! The second that bell rang he zoomed out of the classroom to reach you, he headed over to the third years classes in search of you. Once he found your class he asked around for you.

"tenya? What are you doing here lover?"

"y/n.. I.. I..—"

He was at a loss for words. He didn't know why he rushed to you, he didn't know why he was jumping to conclusions.. you weren't known for being unloyal or untrustworthy. So why did he feel this fiery rage of jealousy burbling inside of him?

You pulled tenya out for the classroom and walked him to the outside of the school, the cherry blossom petals flying down to the ground d beautifully, they painted a sweet little walkway across the side walk, and all over the bench the two of you sat down at.

"tenya, what's going on sweetie?"

He loved when you had a variety of pet names to call him. He got quite flustered whenever you called him anything other than tenya.

You pulled his head onto your chest and brushed your fingers through his hair, he closed his eyes and let the breeze of the wind fly onto his face and through his hair.

Tenya sighs and wraps his arms around you holding you close, he couldn't find any words to say so he simply lived in this moment. You knew that something was up, but you'd ask again once he felt like talking.

AN: this is the worst shit I've ever written. I love tenya iida but I have a hard time writing for him, others see him as this uptight dork but I do believe that he strays away from that robotness once like he gets a bit older. Just me? Okay.. I love him sm chat I need to get better at writing for him

[discordiansamba]

was rotating another thought while making dinner about an idea in which, after being duped by azula at the start of season two, zuko makes a frustrated wish to not be so easily tricked by people's lies... which gets heard by a spirit that's a bit of a trickster.

or: zuko wakes up the next day and realizes he can now hear people's thoughts. this wasn't what he meant, THANKS.

zuko responds to something that iroh didn't say out loud. he just stares at his nephew- and then quietly asks zuko in his mind if he can hear him. zuko stares at his uncle in confusion. of course he can hear him. he isn't completely deaf. what kind of-

uncle why aren't your lips moving.

he cannot for the life of him shut it off. the more crowded an area, the more thoughts he can hear. it's headache inducing.

iroh helps zuko develop a few meditation techniques that help with the constant background noise of other people's thoughts.

he gets a. really rude wake up call when he encounters azula again, and can hear her laughing at him in her head. he knows she didn't even think twice about attacking uncle, because he could hear her think it- and then do it.

but he can also hear the genuine concern and desire to help in katara's thoughts. so when she offers to help heal iroh... he lets her this time.

(also, can they all stop thinking about how he has hair now.)

katara heals iroh. she says he'll probably ideally need at least another session to be certain he's free of any unexpected complications. zuko can hear that she's suspicious of him, but her concern for iroh outweighs it.

zuko tries to avoid them. they try to give zuko space. it's very awkward all around.

toph does not care about any of this. toph cares about the nice old man who gave her tea and good advice. zuko doesn't even need to read her mind to know about her conversation with iroh- she just tells him as much.

...and well. he's been hearing uncle's thoughts for weeks now. he knows beyond a a shadow of a doubt how much he cares about him.

long story short: zuko ends up tentatively joining the gaang here. mostly it's just for his own self-preservation at first. it's obvious azula doesn't care if he dies. he has better odds if he sticks with them. he still tries to keep his distance- but it's hard to do that while on the saddle of a flying bison, while you have mind reading powers.

(he goes with them to wan shi tong's library. he asks one of the knowledge seekers if they have anything about being able to hear people's thoughts. he doesn't really find anything conclusive. great.)

iroh makes the choice to part ways with him at ba sing se. his nephew has a chance to pass through the city unnoticed, but iroh cannot say the same for himself- at least, not if he's in the company of the avatar. zuko can hear for himself just how hard a decision this was to reach.

zuko: also. what's the white lotus.

(iroh sweats)

what's up it's round two of hearing your sister's thoughts. he hates it as much as the first time it happened.

zuko, meet joo dee. there's literally nothing going on in that woman's head. it's freaky.

(BA SING SE IS SO NOISY.)

at least the upper ring is a lot quieter. the gaang just watches zuko constantly get headaches and nod to themselves. yeah, that's zuko. he's just cranky.

how to find the avatar's missing bison: just read long feng's mind.

no need to figure out a way to tell everyone else this. just go get the bison yourself. also uncover a secret brainwashing facility?

toph knows something is up with zuko. she's just not sure what. his heartbeat just randomly went crazy when they were talking to long feng. and then when he comes back with appa and says he overheard the dai li talking? a total lie. spill it sparky. what's UP with you.

zuko: ...I could tell you, but none of you are going to like it.

sokka: try us.

zuko: I can hear everything you're thinking.

sokka: ...okay, yeah. I don't like that actually.

aang: zuko! you should come with me to meet the guru! maybe he can help you with the mind reading thing!

(he cannot, but zuko appreciates the offer.)

time to read your sister's thoughts! part three! she still makes zuko the offer to join her, but this time he can hear all of her underlying thoughts. she needs his help? more like she wants someone she can blame if things go wrong.

(but they don't. things always go right for azula.)

[an-exasperated-hades-kid]

So I've been seeing a lot of will solace hate, and I'm here to defend my son.

First of all, he's not a toxic person at all he's a human who can mess up at times and be unintentionally rude, like in that one scene boo where he says

‘Oh, please.’ Will sounded unusually angry. ‘Nobody at Camp Half-Blood ever pushed you away. You have friends – or at least people who would like to be your friend. You pushed yourself away. If you’d get your head out of that brooding cloud of yours for once –

^ that is rude but he didn't have bad intentions because according to him nico wasn't scary and the people that he hung out with - Lou Ellen and Cecil- didn't think that nico was scary either as they were both friendly towards him when they met him at the Roman camping area outside chb so while his delivery wasn't good he meant no harm and he also helped nico realize that not everyone hates him and then there are a few jokes that he made that people consider toxic or offensive but nico was never offended or sad about these jokes he only rolled his eyes and acted exasperated so he knew will meant no harm .

Will is canonically described as a laid-back and calm person, but he is also stubborn when it comes to certain things like medical related things which is understandable since he can feel everything physically wrong with a person by just touching them and is persistent that they don't die and Take care of themselves which is understandable since he saw majority of his siblings die and doesn't want more ppl to die .

Will is actually quite a complex character he's calm and laid back but he's stubborn and strict when he needs to be he's supportive and loving to nico but since he's a kid he struggles with being understanding sometimes hence why he asks persephone for advice on how to be there for nico properly showing that he's mature enough to ask for help . He's also someone represses his emotions because he thinks that as head counselor, he has to be a perfect example, and he told this apollo in the 1st toa book. He's also pretty insecure about his abilities, as shown in boo

Evidence:

You did,’ confirmed Nico. ‘But it was the way you did it. You made it clear that you wanted me around. You said you wanted me to come to the infirmary and help, because … because you could use a “friendly face”.’

‘It was true. And you did help.’

‘You brought me closer instead of rejecting me,’ Nico said, his voice cracking. ‘I’d never been called a friendly face. Ever. You made me rethink everything – my place in camp, my crush on Percy, my future. It took you scolding me like you were the camp director to make me realize that I was … wanted.

___

But with Nico … It’s hard, Persephone. I want the best for him, and he seems to disappear into his darkness, like he’s hiding in a place where he doesn’t want my light.’

‘Then why not offer him your darkness

_____

Nico sighed in exasperation. He hated working with other people. They were always cramping his style, making him uncomfortable. And Will Solace … Nico revised his impression of the son of Apollo. He’d always thought of Will as easygoing and laid back. Apparently, he could also be stubborn and aggravating

_______________________________________

In conclusion will isn't toxic and he isn't perfect and if I'm wrong about something please point it out cause I haven't read the books in a while and if I missed something please point it out and I'm sorry for the typos I wrote this without wearing my glasses as 3 am after studying for a test

[ylge]

"One Step Closer, Hands Intertwined"

A short #bamkhun Ballroom Dancer AU fanfiction by me

Happy birthday to our beautiful lightbearer, Khun Aguero Agnis!

***

The sound of waltz music filled the studio that afternoon. The sound of steps and squeaking shoes echoed in sync with the tempo. Two pairs of hands interwined, swaying softly in sync with the body's motions, accompanied by dim lighting and the orange glow of the sun peeking through the window.

"You are getting better."

That one sentence made Bam turn to his partner. He found Khun smiling at him.

"Thank you." He replied simply, returning the smile.

Today was supposed to be his and Endorsi's schedule to practice their waltz dance before their competition in two weeks. But instead, she sprained her foot during gym class this afternoon, making her unable to walk let alone dance.

Bam still remembered how angry Yuri had been with him—why not Endorsi?—when she found out what had happened to his dancing partner.

He could've practiced on his own without Endorsi, but it still felt different practicing without a partner. Or he could've asked Yuri to be his partner temporarily, but she was also busy with her own training.

"I will be your training partner until Endorsi is recovered."

Then Khun offered.

He had indeed become sort of a 'mentor' to Bam and Endorsi during their training in this studio when Evankhell—who was their original mentor—was not around. He gave a lot of advice and was actually a genius dancer, so it shouldn’t be a problem for him.

"I-is it okay?" Bam asked, somewhat hesitantly.

Khun raised his eyebrows instead, "Of course. You guys have a competition in two weeks, right? If you wait until she can walk again, it'll be a waste of time. Unless—"

Khun leaned towards Bam, making Bam took a step back, "You think I can't be your 'female' partner?"

"T-That's not it, Khun-ssi." Bam put both hands in front of his chest. Though, he slightly confirmed Khun's words inside. They were both males—leaders, so... well, if Bam could be honest, he wasn't too sure if Khun was capable of taking the place of a female partner.

But Bam was wrong; Khun did deserve to be called a genius. Not only was he a great leader, he was also great at taking the partner position. He quickly mastered Bam and Endorsi's routines—maybe it was because he had seen them so often, but it was still amazing! Just thinking about it made Bam's heart fluttered.

Their waltz routine ended with Khun spinning from Bam's arms to his side. They stopped right in front of the studio mirror, slightly out of breath.

Bam watched their reflection in the mirror. Was this the view the judges had seen of them on the dance floor all along?

Then he looked at Khun's figure in the mirror, realizing a few things. He was as tall as Khun now, and when he looked again, even though they were generally the same build, his shoulders were slightly wider than Khun's. He remembered a couple years ago, when Yuri first brought him here, Khun was still a few inches taller than him. Though there was one thing that remained the same about the man beside him...

He was still kind and beautiful.

"Bam?"

Bam jolted, turning to Khun who was now looking at him. There was curiosity in those sapphire irises.

"What's wrong? Is there something wrong with the routine?" he asked, voice soft.

"Uh, no! It's not! It's perfect!" Bam shook his head quickly, feeling embarrassed being caught daydreaming about the man beside him.

"I just think Khun-ssi is really an awesome partner. I'm really grateful to have you as my training partner today." he bashfully continued.

Khun smiled at that, "You're welcome. I'm glad I could help."

Bam felt his heart beat faster at that smile. He almost blurted out, "Then, do you want to be my partner forever?" But he quickly clamped his mouth shut.

"So, are you now thinking of switching Endorsi with me as your partner for the competition?" Khun added, smirking mischievously. Bam panicked and blushed. How could he not? Little did Khun know his words made Bam think that he was reading his mind.

"Just kidding," Khun chuckled, then his gaze softened.

"Alright, which dance is next?" he asked suddenly.

"E-eh, t-tango! Next dance is tango!" Bam stammered, Khun showed amusement at his reaction—Bam sure stuttered a lot today, did dancing with Khun making him that nervous?—and walked towards the music player.

"Your favorite dance, right?" Khun switched the music from waltz to tango—imagining Bam smiling on the dance floor every time his favorite dance started.

Khun turned around, finding Bam already standing right behind him. He tilted his head slightly, meeting his gaze with Bam's golden irises.

Khun extended both his hands and Bam immediately held them firm. Their hands intertwined, bodies pressed together, and the tango music started.

"Shall we start?"

***

Author's note?:

LET’S GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!

This was actually half written in 2021, I think? Based on a manga/anime called Ballroom e Youkoso! But this AU isn’t quite a BeY AU, maybe we can just call it regular ‘BamKhun ballroom dancer AU’ lol

I don’t have any knowledge in ballroom dancing aside from that series and a few researchs so I want to apologize in advance if there are mistakes in writing this fic :’))

Anyway, there are a few things about this AU I want to write but I can't so I will just dump it here:

1. Bam and Endorsi are dance partners; Bam didn’t have prior experience before Yuri brought him to dance in her (actually Evankhell’s) studio, and Endorsi was a latin dancer (Hatz was her ex-partner) before switching to classic.

2. Khun doesn’t have fixed dancing partner, he’s also inactive from competitive dancing after he split up with his partner/cousin, Maria, in his last year in middle school. But he still practices every week in Evankhell’s studio, and his frequency increases when Bam joined (an excuse to see Bam more)

3. They are like, in 2nd or 3rd year of highschool here

4. Khun was actually what inspired Bam to start ballroom dancing. He once saw Khun in a competition in middle school dancing tango, then fell absolutely in love with how Khun danced (and him eventually). That was why tango is Bam’s favorite dance

5. Khun and Bam are in love with each other (how surprising)

[spacexseven]

no but why is everyone so MEAN to the rat like I know he deserves it but you know maybe be a little nice??

Also imagine if god darling completely ignores him but then starts being all friendly to nikolai and sigma?

cw: yandere character, jealousy

nikolai easily catches onto your plans, especially when it concerns messing with fyodor.

he's thrilled at the realization that you were doing this on purpose, knowing the reason fyodor was looking so distressed lately was because you were refusing to entertain him even for a moment. though you never asked him to help you make him angrier, nikolai would never miss an opportunity to make the unmovable fyodor dostoevsky tremble in anger or burn with jealousy.

the best part of his plan, as he pitched it to you, was that none of this was anything new. you've always liked nikolai for his unabashed honesty, and for how unafraid he was of you. it was nice to be treated as something real, human, even. which was why you've always entertained his silly tricks and gestures, even if it meant he was splayed out on your lap and rambling about something you couldn't care all that much about. he's ready to play it up even more; if only to get on fyodor's nerves.

but it hadn't occurred to fyodor that you'd treat anyone else any more warmer than you treated him.

a strange mix of frustration, shock and a tinge of envy is all you can make out when he comes in as usual only to find nikolai wandering around your room, eagerly telling you all about his plans, and you're actually responding with "yes, nikolai," and "that sounds fun," and "i'd love to see that sometime."

here you were, having a conversation with the clown when you only ever looked at him like one would view a bug. and when he walked into the room, you didn't even spare him a glance, opting to politely clap when nikolai brings out more books from his coat.

sigma, too, had earned your favor.

it wasn't on purpose, at least not at first. sigma is hard to dislike, and harder to ignore. not when he's obviously seeking you out for help. he relies on you more than you think he should, and develops a strange attachment to you. this, too, fyodor notices. and he also notices your lack of a reaction to the fact.

the man who was merely another pawn in his plan had found himself a place by your side. a place where he could talk to you casually and you'd respond, often with some form of advice. you didn't ignore him, didn't glare when he lingered for a moment longer than he should, didn't scowl at him for talking to you or looking at you. it was everything fyodor yearned to have with you, even if he forced himself to be satisfied with the meager offerings he had now

it was quite clear that you were playing favourites.

fyodor is above whining or crying, but he wasn't just going to accept the situation. for one, he sends nikolai away and keeps sigma busy with the casino. and then, he considers changing his approach. was it his plans you disliked? but when nikolai told you all about his homicidal plans, you nodded along, never once complaining. then, was it him you disliked? he thinks back to your initial meeting—you had seemed a lot calmer, then. a lot more receptive to his ideas. you were curious about him, at least, weren't you? so was it the way he treated you that you disliked? the huge distance and enormous respect, the impossible expectations he had of you. or maybe, you just didn't want to play god in his plans. except...he couldn't have that. not when everything he was doing was for you, your lost glory, your forgotten name.

if you knew that he'd do anything to earn back your favor, then, would you finally spare him some time?

[bellaxgiornata]

Falling For the Devil [Part thirteen: "The First Time He Walked You Home"]

Pairing: Matt Murdock x Fem!Reader

Summary: Matt invites you out to Josie’s shortly after the night you both met and then he offers to walk you home.

Or

You assume Matt invites you on a date and become disappointed when you realize you've been friend-zoned.

[Series of one-shots about Reader meeting, falling for, and dating Matt Murdock.]

Warnings: 18+ for this series; contains humor, fluff, romance, angst, smut (like...a lot of it later in the series), language, some violence

Word Count: 2.7k

a/n: This one is a flashback, friends!! Just so you're not confused when you read it! It could be read as the second installment to this whole thing (which is what I'd intended but I wasn't sure at the time if I liked it but then later posted it anyway). This one becomes relevant in the next installment piece "The Time Matt Got Jealous" which is why it comes right before! And you can find all of the installments for this series on tumblr here.

It had only taken Matt four days to call you after your Monday night encounter at Josie’s. You'd easily gotten along with his friends when he'd introduced you to them as they finished their game of pool. Foggy had been friendly and was constantly throwing out jokes, and you'd especially hit it off with Karen, who had given you some useful advice on the story you'd been stuck on that night. Needless to say, because of her help you'd made headway on your investigation this week to Ellison's chagrin, but even he had to admit you were on to something. 

Before you'd gone home from Josie’s that Monday evening though, Matt had asked for your number–which had momentarily baffled you beyond words. And then you were further delighted when he'd called you only days later as you'd been finishing up for the evening at The Bulletin, getting ready to go home and relax for the weekend. Katy had hovered beside your desk, her bottom lip caught between her teeth as she tried to listen into the phone call while you repeatedly swatted her away. 

You had been giddy and excited on your way to Josie’s, heading straight there after you'd finished at the office. You still couldn't believe your luck at managing to capture Matt’s interest with your terrible flirting skills and in spite of how awkward you had been the other night. But then the smile had fallen flat off your face the moment you stepped into Josie’s, classic rock and the smell of must and mold hitting you, when you saw Matt sitting at a table not alone, but with Karen, Foggy, and a pretty blonde draped over Foggy’s arm. You immediately felt ridiculous for thinking this was some sort of date. 

And why would it be? You’d probably stuffed your foot in your own mouth more times than a contortionist generally did in an evening that night, so why the hell would someone like Matthew Murdock actually want to go on a date with you? 

For a moment you contemplated turning and exiting the bar, your heart rate increasing as another thought struck you. Maybe he hadn’t even meant to call you? Maybe he’d confused you for someone else he’d met recently, someone vastly more articulate and normal ?

You didn't have long to mope though because Foggy had spotted you and animatedly waved you over, loudly calling your name with a massive grin on his face. You'd had to swiftly plaster a smile onto your own face to mask the way your heart had sunk to the sticky bar floor. 

Despite your growing disappointment at your misinterpretation of whatever your relationship with Matt was, you'd enjoyed your evening having a few beers with the group of friends and only moderately managed to embarrass yourself. You'd even really clicked with Marci, Foggy’s girlfriend. Though you still blushed and occasionally made a stuttering ass of yourself whenever Matt directly acknowledged you.

And then the night had gotten a bit later and you'd not had a chance to eat dinner, so you'd finished your beer and told everyone you needed to head home. Which was precisely when Matt decided to slide his chair back across the floor and shoot you a charming smile that not only confused you but had your heart hammering in your own ears.

"Let me walk you home," he offered.

You nearly died on the spot. That sounded equal parts wonderful and terrible.

"Oh, uh, you really don't have to, Matt," you answered quickly.

He was already reaching for his cane on the table as his dark brows raised behind his glasses. "Would you prefer to walk home alone this late at night?" he countered. 

"It's not like I haven't walked home at night before," you pointed out. "And I don't want to make you leave just because I am."

"Would you feel differently if I said I truly don't mind?" he asked.

Your cheeks were burning when you realized the group at the table had gone completely silent, currently focused on the exchange between you and Matt.

"Besides," he added with a shrug, "I invited you out, I'd like to make sure you get back safe."

You fidgeted on the spot, fiddling with the strap of your purse across your chest. "Alright," you hesitantly agreed, nerves rising at the prospect of the few blocks of uninterrupted alone time you were about to have with him. And for some reason as he rose to his feet, unfolding his cane, your brain decided for you to throw out what could possibly be the worst attempt at a nervous joke ever made. "As long as you're not about to brutally murder me in a back alley and then chop me to bits and scatter me around the dumpsters of Hell's Kitchen."

Matt abruptly paused, freezing entirely with his lips parted and his brows furrowing together as they dipped low behind the red lenses, his cane only half unfolded in his hands. Karen snickered loudly behind a hand at the table, seemingly sharing a look with Foggy across from her. 

"That was…disturbing and oddly specific," Matt said when he recovered, finishing unfolding his cane. "Is that a common fear of yours?" he teased.

"I…watched a lot of true crime this week," you admitted awkwardly. "And I think the four beers on an empty stomach disintegrated that filter between my brain and my mouth,” you added, gesturing towards your mouth as you spoke. “I said I was awkward, right? I thought I made that abundantly clear. Or did you just invite the wrong girl out tonight?" you half-joked.

Foggy let out a low whistle at the table as Marci and Karen openly laughed, though their amusement seemed directed particularly at Matt and not you. 

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Matt asked, the charming smile not faltering on his face as he crossed the few steps towards you, cane tapping lightly along the floor.

You shrugged a shoulder. "I figured with your terrible pickup lines the other night that you probably have a lot of womens' numbers in your phone. You might have mistook me for one of the less socially awkward ones," you answered, truthfully only half-teasing.

Foggy was covering his laugh behind a hand, but the loud snort he let out had caught your attention and you glanced his way. When you caught his eye he called out, "He does get a lot of numbers, but I have never seen someone call him out on it like that." He gave you a thumbs-up, still openly laughing. "You're officially my favorite now."

"Well, I can assure you," Matt began, your attention returning to him, "I meant to invite the woman with the unique and charming ability to make any situation highly amusing and uncomfortable in a matter of seconds."

You felt heat rise to your cheeks at his words, your attention dropping to your feet as your stomach twisted in your gut. You still weren’t entirely sure what to make of Matt’s interest in you as he exchanged goodbyes with his friends. Did he just want to be friends with you? The awkward chick who amused him–was that it?

When he turned towards you, you sent a wave to the table and a quick ‘bye’ to the group. 

"Don't let Matt murder you!" Foggy called out, his hands cupped around his mouth. "He's got a violent alter ego!"

You snorted a laugh, quickly covering a hand over your mouth at the sound. Karen and Foggy broke into loud laughter at the table, Marci shooting them a confused look as she lightly laughed along with them. Matt grinned and shook his head beside you.

"Ignore them," he told you.

"That sounds exactly like what someone who was going to brutally murder me would say," you teased back. 

Matt laughed, shaking his head again, but he didn't say anymore. 

Soon you were both outside of Josie’s in the chilly April evening walking towards your apartment alone with Matt. You had become very aware of his presence beside you; occasionally your arm would bump against his and you'd apologize. It had happened so many times walking down the first block that he eventually teased you for feeling the need to apologize for walking beside him when he'd asked to walk you home in the first place. 

And then you'd awkwardly apologized again before becoming silent. 

That silence lingered over the pair of you for a half a block; the only sound was Matt’s cane tapping along the pavement and the music pouring out of the bars you passed. Occasionally a few cars would drive past or you’d hear a shout or laugh in the distance. The growing silence was starting to weigh on you though as your mind raced with potential topics that wouldn’t embarrass you. But it was Matt who finally broke the silence.

"You really think I didn't mean to call you?" Matt asked curiously.

Your hands nervously found their way back to the strap of your crossbody bag, your fingers toying with the black material. "Yeah, kind of figured it was a mistake and you just decided to run with it."

You saw him shoot you a look out of your peripheral but you kept your eyes ahead of you as you walked.

"Cause I'm blind?" Matt asked, his tone sounding partially amused and partially serious. "You think I dialed the wrong number?"

Eyes growing wide, you shook your head. "No, that's not–not what I meant!" you quickly stuttered out. "I meant you probably confused my name with someone else's and then were like, too polite to say so. And then just figured it would be amusing to see what other stupid shit I would say tonight to embarrass myself with. I mean, I'm honestly even shocked you asked for my number to begin with the other night," you admitted. 

Matt's head turned towards you as you both walked. "Why?"

You shrugged, your eyes focused on the sidewalk as you moved, too nervous to look at him. "Socializing is not a strong suit for me. I'm not–not great at making good first impressions. Unless I'm doing an interview," you told him. "Which makes no sense because you'd think I’m just overall awkward in all social situations, but no, apparently I can handle interviews," you continued, aware you had begun to ramble but couldn't seem to stop. "Which is probably because having a goal in mind for a conversation sort of…focuses me. Otherwise I feel like there's twenty different trains of thought going on at once up here," you explained, gesturing to your head even though he couldn't see it, "and sometimes that filter doesn't catch everything before something weird or embarrassing comes out." 

You both continued walking, Matt entirely silent again now as you finally fell quiet beside him. Slowly you began to feel like you'd finally made him realize just how awkward and strange you were and now maybe he finally regretted that one drink he asked you so persistently to stay for Monday night. You sighed, grip tightening on your purse strap.

"See? I made this weird," you pointed out. 

Matt chuckled softly, shaking his head. "No, actually. That just was an interesting insight into why your brain probably brought up me murdering you on the way home a bit ago."

You cringed at the reminder. "Can we maybe forget I said that thinking it might have been a funny joke?"

"Only if you tell me if you really think I have bad lines," he quickly countered. 

You shot him a look, one brow raised. "You really want my opinion on your pickup lines?" you asked.

"Yes, enlighten me," he said as a smile spread onto his face. "You're the first woman to complain about them."

You snorted, the sound unflattering as his smile only grew. You blamed that damn handsome smile on his face directed at you for the reason that you suddenly blurted, "No one complains because you're really, really good looking."

Matt chuckled, his brows rising behind his glasses at you as you realized what you'd just said aloud. Groaning, you threw a hand to your face. 

"That came out of my mouth didn't it?" you asked, your voice muffled behind your hand.

"Is there any other place you speak from that I'm unaware of?" he quipped back. 

"I knew letting you walk me home would be a bad idea," you grumbled into your hand. 

"Why?" he asked, tone teasing. "Because you think I'm really, really good looking?"

You ran a hand nervously through your hair, unable to look at him after that admission. You were pretty sure your face was beet red. "My foot is taking permanent residence in my mouth the more time I spend around you."

"That sounds uncomfortable," he replied. 

"You think there's a bus running out here this late that could hit me?" you mused, your eyes scanning the fairly empty street beside you. "Maybe a taxi even? A bicycle? Anything ?"

Matt chuckled, his hand reaching out and lightly grabbing your arm beside him. Your eyes immediately darted down to it, very aware of each of his fingers over the fabric of your cardigan. Gradually, your eyes traveled up to his face, those dark tinted glasses still covering his eyes.

“I meant to call you,” he stated firmly. “Believe it or not, I enjoyed talking with you the other night. And so did Karen and Foggy. We all wanted to see you again.”

Oh. So this was a friendship thing. He liked you as a friend . He enjoyed talking to you as a friend . Same as him spending time with Karen, Foggy, or Marci. His friends .

How stupid were you to think that the flirting and teasing were anything more than just banter between friends? That he would want your number to actually take you on a date? He was a successful, handsome, well-spoken lawyer who’s best friend had just minutes ago admitted that he got a lot of phone numbers. You were just the interesting quirky new friend he’d met who amused him.

You felt your stomach drop at the realization, your hands releasing the strap of your purse as your arms crossed over your chest. Matt’s hand had long released your arm as you both continued walking, but you saw him glance at you.

“You seem like your mood just shifted,” Matt pointed out. “You’re awfully quiet. What twenty different trains of thought are running through your mind?”

You sighed, shaking your head. Your apartment building was thankfully a few buildings over now and you were ready to forget this whole week. 

“Nothing, my building is right here though,” you answered him.

He came to a stop and you did as well. You awkwardly shifted back and forth on your feet across from him, not entirely sure what to say here. You felt a little foolish for thinking he’d felt something more.

“Thanks for uh, walking me back,” you muttered.

"It was my pleasure," he answered with a warm smile.

You frowned in response. Why did he have to be so charming and good-looking? It wasn't fair and it certainly wasn’t helping that stupid crush you were very obviously forming. 

"I uh, guess I'll see you," you said awkwardly. 

"How about next Friday?" he asked quickly. 

Your heart rate increased, your arms tightening around your chest. Was he asking you out? 

"Uh, sure?" you answered hesitantly.

His smile grew at your response. "Great! Foggy, Karen, and I always meet up at Josie’s on Friday nights. Usually around six. Sometimes Marci stops by, too. We'd all love to have you come out again."

Right. Because you were just like his friends. He wasn't going to ask you out. 

Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. 

You forced a smile onto your face and tried to sound cheerful when you replied. "Sounds great, I'll stop by if work doesn't hold me up."

And as you both said goodbye, you taking a moment to watch him leave, you told yourself it would be stupid to try to chase after a man like Matthew Murdock. You weren't even sure if you really planned to go back to Josie’s again, even if you enjoyed meeting and spending time with everyone. Because then you'd get to know Matt more, and he seemed like the sort of guy that you'd find yourself spending way too much time pining over. 

And he'd made it pretty clear you were just his friend.

[ramyeonguksu]

For the NPC ask game: Alphinaud!

Wrote a little ficlet from Alphinaud's POV for Post-ARR/Heavensward! Read under cut!

Note: Rifra will be referred to as Seren (her alias from ARR-SHB) for this fic.

The freezing cold of Coerthas wasn't something Alphinaud was accustomed to, and having to essentially be forced to trek through the ilms of snow made the little elezen shiver in his boots. It was all bleak; everything that he had strived for with the Crystal Braves was taken away from him, a mutiny against him planned right under his nose. He was humbled, to say the least, and for once he because acutely aware of his childish naivete that came with his young age. Which each step he thought of the Scions that placed their trust in him, that was starting to become a new family for him, left behind at the mercy of his own army and the Brass Blades.

At least the Warrior of Light Seren and Tataru were with him, and Lord Haurchefant's bottomless generosity was able to grant them refuge in the reclusive nation of Ishgard, yet what was he supposed to do at this point? Even if he wanted to clear their names at Ul'dah. what could he even do to achieve that? Being the top of the Studium students wasn't going to cut it anymore, and he no longer had his twin sister Alisaie with him.

Just where was she anyway? She had helped them, sending Brennan the peddler with a chocobo carriage to take them away from Ul'dah, but where was Alphinaud's other half when he needed her the most?

The elezen tripped as his mind wandered, landing face first into the stone floor. Hearing him fall, Seren immediately rushed to his side.

"Are you alright there?" The viera asked, helping him sit up and dust off the snow. It was a wonder how she was able to withstand the cold, dressed somewhat lighter than what one would expect in a frigid climate, but someone like her who grew up in the freezing mountain ranges would have no problem with the temperature.

"I'm…" Alphinaud muttered, hesitation in his voice. "I'm fine, thank you."

"Make sure you don't get too distracted, Alphinaud!" Tataru warned him as she slowly approached him, fighting against the strong winds. "I'm already having a hard time getting through here, can't afford to have you struggle as well!"

Alphinaud didn't respond, the feeling of incompetence that was growing in him increasing exponentially.

Seren immediately took notice and crouched in front of him with her back towards him. "Climb on."

The boy refused. "N-no, I can keep going."

"You're exhausted, Alphinaud," Seren curtly responded. "A lot has happened today, and you need to rest. I'll carry you until we make it to a shelter in Ishgard."

Her head turned to face him, a reassuring smile on her lips. "Besides, I'm used to carrying my little sister home all the time."

Alphinaud pursed his lips together, his heart twisting as what remained of his ego fought to refuse her offer. However, today was not the time to try and preserve such, and he allowed himself to climb on her back before continuing across the Steps of Faith.

As he rested against her back, the boy reflected upon his experiences from the past several moons. Riding the same boat to Limsa Lominsa as Seren before getting to know her, separating from Alisaie over differences before finding her once more at the Coils of Bahamut, joining the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, forming the Crystal Braves… A lot, too much, had truly happened for a sixteen-summers-old child.

Alphinaud laid his head against Seren's shoulder, basking in her warmth as the cold winds blew against the three of them. When was the last time was he carried like this by anyone? His father Fourchenault began to drown in his work, and he was now too heavy for his mother Ameliance to hold him on her back like this. Without him realizing, Seren had practically become an older-sibling figure that he never had, a long-lost family member that he was supposed to have known all his life. Someone he could turn to for advice. Someone he could lean on for support...

Finding comfort in her presence, warmth against the freezing winds that threatened to stop them, Alphinaud drifted off to sleep.

[itsawhumpsideblog]

The Safehouse, pt. 11

CW: for institutionalized slavery, mentions of abuse, treatment of people as things, description of injuries

Advice from the Box Boy Liberation Movement:

Some days will simply be exhausting. The work you are undertaking is difficult to the point of near impossibility with some rescuees. Trust your instincts in deciding how far to push as rescuees expand their comfort zones and don't be afraid to admit that something isn't working. There will be days when the best course of action is simply to rest.

The whole atmosphere of the house felt quiet and exhausted after that morning's conversation. Despite the excitement he felt and his desire to take time to contemplate the massive change in his life, Francis was so tired he could barely keep his eyes open.

It seemed best to allow Francis to stay in bed for a while and Tim offered to sit with him. This was partially to look after him, but also because Tim suspected that when he allowed himself to ask them, Francis was going to have a lot of questions. As Mikey seemed very reluctant to leave Angie's side, she took him along as she went downstairs to make breakfast.

While Angie made oatmeal, Mikey knelt on the cushion next to the table, where it had been placed for their first meal together.

"You really can sit at the table," Angie reminded him, but when she looked over her shoulder to see if he would do it, she found that he was still kneeling on the pillow, watching her with an expression that was fearful and pleading.

"I won't make you, don't worry," she said. His expression relaxed and he gave a small, satisfied nod. "Now, let's eat and then we'll take some of this upstairs to the guys, sound good?"

He nodded obediently and she put a bowl on the table for herself and one on the floor for him. "Think you can do it yourself?" Mikey nodded, but less sure this time. Angie thought she was starting to learn to read his expressive communication, such as it was. "Okay, go ahead and give it a try, then, and I'll help you if you need." She began to eat and tried to look like she wasn't watching him too closely.

Mikey studied the bowl and spoon for a moment and then bent forward towards them. He began by trying to pick up the spoon, moving his fingers very carefully and deliberately, but without success. It seemed that he could not close his hand enough to grasp something as small as the handle of a utensil. He attempted briefly to grasp it between his index and middle fingers, but this provided no dexterity and he returned to his efforts to force his thumb to bend enough to make a fist. At some point, his fingers refused to move any farther and Angie realized that his breath was coming in small, quick gasps, sharper in tone when he exerted the effort to close his hand.

Before she had a chance to intervene, Mikey reached his right arm farther out and swept the bowl in towards himself, pressing it against his knees and trying to get his hand under the far side to lift it. His balance wavered and he instinctively caught himself on his right hand, letting out an almost keening breath. He was horribly pale and there were tears starting in his eyes, but he reached for the bowl again.

"Hey," Angie interrupted him gently. "Wait- don't hurt yourself. I'll help you. Here you go." She leaned down and picked the bowl and spoon up. "Let me," she said. The oatmeal had cooled off a little by now and she took a spoonful and held it out to Mikey. He turned his teary eyes upwards in a look of deep gratitude and leaned forward to eat.

"I promise we're going to get a doctor to look at your poor hands," Angie told him. "Not a Pet doctor, either, a real one. We just have to figure out who to go to so we don't get... in trouble, I guess you could say." She reached out and ruffled Mikey's hair. "But we're going to take care of you, I promise."

Breakfast over, she stood to put their bowls in the sink. "I'm going to take some to the boys upstairs," she told Mikey. "I'll be right back down and then we can put something on TV or read a book or whatever, okay?"

He nodded and made his clumsy way out to the family room, sinking comfortably onto his pillow to rock soothingly back and forth and nurse his hand, sore from the effort to use it, while she took a tray upstairs.

When Angie had delivered breakfast and gone back to keep Mikey company, Tim debated whether to wake Francis. He appeared to be sleeping peacefully and Tim hated to disturb that, knowing how badly the rescuee needed to rest. Tim decided to begin by eating his own breakfast and was saved from having to make a decision when, as he set the bowl down, Francis stirred and opened his eyes.

"Good morning again," Tim said cheerfully. "Are you ready to eat something?"

"Yes, Master," Francis said. Tim was sorry but not surprised to find that the knowledge of his newfound freedom was not enough, on its own, to undo the behaviors that had been so thoroughly trained into Francis. For the moment, however, Tim ignored the word "Master".

"Let's get you sitting up, then." He bent over next to the bed and helped ease Francis up until he was propped against the pillows and then handed Francis the bowl. As Tim sat back down, Francis began to eat, calmly and methodically and very quickly. He really was unusually graceful, Tim thought; every movement looked as if it was part of a dance. Then, as Tim realized the implications of this level of perfection, his stomach gave a twist. There had been strict "training" behind that ability.

Francis finished eating, dabbed delicately at his mouth with a napkin, and accepted a sip of water. Then he put the bowl back and watched Tim expectantly.

"How about I do your bandages while you're already sitting up?" Tim asked.

"Yes, Master," Francis replied. Tim thought that they were going to have to talk about that at some point soon. For the moment, he left the room long enough to gather some supplies and returned to find that Francis had not moved a muscle in his absence.

Tim helped Francis remove his shirt and then Francis lifted his arms out to the sides in one fluid motion. "Thanks," Tim said absently as he unwound the bandages. Underneath them, the gauze was stuck to some of the open wounds and Tim realized that Francis was watching him nervously. All the training in the world couldn't stop his gaze from flicking between Tim and his own chest, clearly waiting for the pain of having the gauze ripped away.

"I'm not going to do that to you," Tim said, even though Francis had not asked, and reached for a sponge and a dish of water. Slowly and methodically, he bathed the wounds until the gauze came unstuck on its own and could be drawn painlessly away. Francis was still watching him, his eyes shining with something like awe.

"There you go. Now we'll put on that antibiotic cream again and wrap you back up. Sound good?"

"Yes, Master."

"About that." This seemed as good a time as any, since Francis had just had proof that he could trust Tim and they were stuck in this room together anyway. "You know you don't have to call me "Master", right? That's what Angie and I were saying this morning. You're the master." Tim smiled. "You are the master of your fate- you are the captain of your soul. That's William Henley. The poet."

"Yes, Ma- um...." Francis seemed uncomfortable and Tim hurried to provide a suggestion.

"You can call me Tim, like Angie does." The wary look in Francis' eyes told him this was still a bridge too far. "Or- I guess I could live with 'sir'."

"Yes, sir," Francis said. A small smile crossed his face, just for a moment.

"Good job!" Tim grinned at him. "Okay, how does that feel? I'm almost done." The injuries had been treated and Tim was laying fresh sheets of gauze over them. Then Francis lifted his arms in that remarkable dancer's pose as Tim wrapped him up and helped him lay down.

Once he was comfortable, Francis sighed softly, which counted for him as a display of great emotion, and draped the back of one hand artistically over his brow.

Tim moved to the end of the bed, bringing along the tray of supplies. "Seriously," he said, "How are you feeling today? Any better than yesterday? I know last night was pretty rough early on."

Francis looked down at him under half-closed eyes. He swallowed and opened his mouth, closed it, and then opened and closed it again.

"You're not sure how to respond?" Tim guessed.

"No, sir." The voice was a little shaky.

"Well... it's okay to just tell me the truth, even if the truth is that you aren't feeling too good. It's not wrong to be sick, you know? I won't get upset with you."

"Yes, sir. This Pet is not in working order, sir."

"Yeah, I figured you probably weren't." Tim smiled at him reassuringly. He began to remove the bandages from Francis' feet. "You know, we should come up with an alternative to 'this pet'. You can just say 'I', of course, but I'm guessing that's going to be hard for you, right?"

"Yes, sir." His voice sounded very small and very brave, thanks to the current of fear that his tone carried.

"How about your name? It's yours and it helps you sound like a person."

Francis nodded. He really did look exhausted, pale and listless with streaks of dark red high on his cheekbones. But he seemed to want to keep talking.

Tim said, "If you can tell me how you feel, it might help me know how to make you feel better. But right now, a lot of the problems are pretty obvious, so I can probably do whatever you need even if you're not ready to talk about it."

Francis nodded wearily from under his wrist, where it still lay across his face. "This Pet-" there was a long pause. "Francis- Francis is not in working order." Tim let the phrasing pass by without comment. It seemed to be Francis' way of communicating whether he was doing well and he might find an alternative on his own, given time. "His feet are swollen and aching. His head aches and he has a fever."

"Thank you for letting me know," Tim said. It sounded over-polite, but the handbook said that feedback like that was reassuring for rescuees. Then he whistled as the last of the bandages came away and he got a look at Francis' feet. "You weren't kidding. Not that I thought you were- it's just an expression. But honestly, this doesn't look great."

"Francis is very sorry to be so much trouble."

"No! You're not, I promise. This is what I'm here for. Okay- we need to do something about this. You must feel awful. You can't see it, but your feet are pretty red and sort of... hot to touch, you know? You can probably feel it. Let's start with some antibiotics- they won't make you feel better right away but we're playing the long game, here."

Whether it was the antibiotics themselves or just the cool feeling of the ointment and Tim's gentle touch, Francis thought he felt better just for having the medicine applied. Tim treated his wounds and then bandaged his feet again- more loosely this time, to accommodate the swelling. Then he left the room, saying only, "I'll be right back."

Francis waited with patient curiosity until Tim returned a few minutes later, carrying two bags of what looked like frozen vegetables. When he saw Francis look confused, he grinned.

"They make better ice packs than most ice packs, because they bend," Tim explained. "You have to use the same ones, though, because the peas get gross after you re-freeze them a couple times."

He bent the bags to loosen their contents and then pressed them gently onto Francis' ankles. They were deliciously cool and Francis sighed in deep contentment.

"That's better, huh?" Tim asked with another quick grin.

"Francis is very grateful," Francis said. "His feet feel... much easier."

"Good. Now if we can get your fever back down, you'll really start feeling better. So let me give you some medicine and then do you think you could go back to sleep?"

"Yes, sir." Francis suspected that he would have no trouble sleeping through the day and probably the night, too.

Next time: An unexpected knock on the door, with an equally unexpected result.

Master List

Let me know if you'd like to be added to the tag list! Also, I deeply enjoy reading your tags and comments, so thank you for that!

Tag list: @pigeonwhumps, @cepheusgalaxy, @i-eat-worlds, @honeycollectswhump @taterswhump @starfields08000 @fruitypinapple00

[alan-in-the-outernet]

au branch where Alan didn't show up in time or know there was danger until the next day. Alex respawns but is devastated by this loss and ends up swearing revenge against the faction that killed their family. They train harder than ever to hunt down the ones responsible for what happened. One of the assassins that was there when it happened ends up face to face with them and is terrified because "I watched you die..." meanwhile Alex is like "you cannot kill me in a way that matters" (let's be real here, Alex is a tumblr kid)

Alex is a lot stronger now and is no longer severely under leveled and is now actually over leveled. They are on full quest for vengeance mode.

Once word got out about what happened to the king and the princes, lots of players were definitely worried about how Alex was handling it. Even more incredibly concerning when no one knew where they were. Some wonder if this faction somehow found a way to kill players and Alex died for real. Others point out that Alex is most likely isolating themself in grief. Many try to find them because everyone is so worried about this poor kid who just lost their family.

Alan is definitely incredibly worried and is spending multiple sleepless nights looking for the kid, much to the concern of his own children. When Alan finally finds them, they're standing over a bunch of dead stick figures from that faction. Alan realizes that this kid is consumed by vengeance and it's just so heartbreaking watching them become a monster in their grief. He isn't able to talk them out of it.

He then goes to the bulletin board for advice, wanting to find a way to get Alex out of this downward spiral. No one else really knows what to do. At least it's been confirmed that they didn't die though.

Maybe Alan ends up going on a quest to the get to the giant tree to ask Noogai to bring back Alex's family? After all, nothing attacks him and it's like the world itself tries to work in his favor. No one else is able to get close but maybe this is something he alone can do? And if these glitches really are because of that character creation glitch and Noogai really does favor him, then maybe he can get it to help. He does not know that Noogai thinks he's part of it.

Darkest timeline 😁

...

It had been a long journey... yet not a hard one. It was like the world was moving in his favor... logs over rivers and holes... creatures watching him with wide and friendly eyes... as if entranced by him... and he couldn't help but feel a little freaked out by it all...

Yet still he kept going... until he found the trees...

...And it's trunk opened up... as if beckoning him inside... and he hesitantly entered... Reminding him who this was for... for his friend, Mango... for his kids... for the kid who lost their family...

...And inside, as if awaiting him, was a creature of code... it's gleaming purple eyes... moving closer... and it spoke... spoke of waiting for him... wanting him to come...

....To merge...

...He wasn't part of it, he insisted- he came here to help his friend..! To help the kid...!

...

It offers him a deal...

Merge with it... and he can bring them back with ease... after all, they will be one, as they should be... it can simply bring them back with no more then a thought... HE could bring them back with no more then a thought...

.

..

...

Shakily... he accepts...

[artisticxlly]

Hey :)

I'm a huge Bokuaka shipper. For me they are canon. What do you think happend after Bokuto finished school? In my mind he tried to get held back so he could stay with Akaashi, but Kuroo stopped him. How was Akaashi's first time back and realizing that Bokuto wasn't there? Do you think they moved in after Akaashi graduated (with Honors of course) I like to think that Bokuto proposed like after a month of them being together. Like: "You will always be my favorite setter and I want to cuddle with you all the time, so please marry me! We would be the bestest of husbands!" And then Akaashi has to remind Bokuto that gay marriage isn't legal in Japan, so Bokuto wants to move or ask Kenma to use all his followers to make a petition. What do you think?

Here's the thing, I'm still relatively new to shipping them, so you will have to excuse some inaccuracies /lh (As said before, I was criminally sleeping on them).

However for you dear anon (and in general because I love getting asks), here are some thoughts!

(Quick sidenote, Bokuto getting the impulse to repeat the year is adorable.)

Bokuto graduating would definitely affect Akaashi a lot. Being a more reserved person, Bokuto helped get him out of his shell. I'd think his anxiety would get really bad too, on some days more than others. (Speaking from personal experience here) having someone who is very reassuring and confident when you yourself are not is A+ support.

That is why I can see Akaashi graduating with honors too, pouring all he can into his work to occupy his mind, seek assurance and stability in things like grades since his support pillar and crush greatest friend, the star giving him light isn't by his side right now.

I think it would also be hard for him to adjust, sitting alone at lunch so suddenly for example. He often packed more lunch than he could eat so Bokuto could steal some from his bento previously, but now the sight of his half-eaten lunch box gives him this pit in his stomach.

Similarly, I'm also pretty confident in thinking that Bokuto has his insecurities and bad days too. He doesn't let it show often but he does miss Akaashi and entering a new career path where everything is suddenly so serious, so grave, is overwhelming. He'd like to hear Akaashi's advice or maybe even his ridiculing (Bokuto admires his intelligence), get his help on things he can't fully comprehend not because he's too dumb to, but because he isn't sure if he fits into this adult life just yet. Or hey, just having Akaashi's presence would help. Doing things together always benefitted both of them.

When it came to volleyball Bokuto stayed longer, practising even after training was over (with Akaashi staying as well to set for him) but when he joins the ranks of professional players he tries to substitute that and takes really, really long walks. Kind of similar in nature to him hiding in tight spaces (which he still does I'd say) he takes time for himself, isolated. The walks don't always clear his mind in a way he'd like but exhausting his body is a somewhat pleasant side effect to help him sleep later.

I'd like to think they'd move together too but additionally their schedules are dreadfully full at first, meaning they barely see each other despite it. They try to arrange a weekly night out or have specific days where they make sure to eat dinner together to mediate it (it doesn't always work but most of the time? sure).

I do like your take on them getting married early on but I want to also offer an alternative: Bokuto can either barely get the words out, so he procrastinates on it OR they both don't really feel the need to have their commitment down on paper. To both of them it is pretty much a given that they'll grow old together. I do think Bokuto would get them promise rings though.

And I do think Bokuto is be very prideful about having such a wonderful partner. He wears the promise ring on a necklace when he's playing or carries it with him in a different way, kind of like a talisman for good luck and support. He gets interviewed after being seen wearing it and does get adorably happy, shamelessly explaining that he has a wonderful boyfriend (Akaashi nearly goes into cardiac arrest when one of his co-workers shows the clip of it to him).

Kind of keeping your theme of Bokuto advocating for same-sex marriage in Japan because I find it terrific, I think that that aforementioned clip would garner quite the mixed attention. Bokuto rarely gets irritated but when people start developing this habit to talk in a more condescending way or ask backhanded questions he is QUICK to shut them down. Some people are quick to assume he's dumb or too oblivious to pick up on it… He does.

Anyway, I hope I could do them justice!! Thank you so much for the ask, anon :]

[beeblelady]

"There's No One Like You."

Kayson x Reader M4F

｡ﾟ•┈꒰ა ♡ ໒꒱┈• ｡ﾟ

Based on that one scene from To All The Boys I've Loved Before

｡ﾟ•┈꒰ა ♡ ໒꒱┈• ｡ﾟ

You are attending the annual ski trip, before you were hesitant but due to your best friend's advice you decided to go with them. At the bus, you see Kayson chatting with his friends and he gives you a wave as you wave back at him. You sit with your best friend because you feel so flustered and you feel to shy to sit next to him. Your best friend chats with you along the trip.

The students are at the ski lodge lobby, getting all excited. One of the girls tried flirting with Kayson as he just looked at the girl. You feel like you wanted to do a rain check but you had no choice, you're just here to have some fun with your friend. Then Kayson comes closer to you and offers you to go skiing with him but you tell him that you want to spend some time with your friend.

At the lodge you are assigned at a room with your best friend as you do the things you love such as writing letters and checking aesthetics at Pinterest. Your best friend styled up your hair with a few cute hair pins.

You let out a sigh as your friend asks you why you feel down for a while.

"You can tell me anything."

You wanted to tell your friend about your crush on Kayson and you couldn't stop thinking about him all the time.

"Well I have a crush on Kayson. But I never told him about it before because I have a feeling that he likes someone else."

Your friend rolls her eyes and she cheers you up.

"Listen, you've been hanging out with him all the time especially during break. You know, I can tell the way he looks at you a lot even during classes and parties. Especially when you're not paying attention. He looks at you, to see if you're having some fun. I know he likes you."

Your best friend lets your hair down and puts on a hair clip on your hair. You asked them.

"Are you sure he's waiting for me at the hot tub."

She nodded, you leave the room going to the ski lodge hot tub where you see Kayson, all by himself pondering. You greet him.

"All by yourself out here?"

He looks at you and looks away. You tell him.

"So what, now you're ignoring me?"

Then he responded.

"Oh, I'm the one ignoring you? That's hilarious."

You apologized to him and you admitted to him that you're not a good skiier.

"I wanted to offer you some lessons, even at the bunny slope."

You feel flustered all of a sudden about what he said to you. But he wasn't finished yet.

"You know for someone who has such amazing grades you can be half-witted sometimes. I really wanted to sit next to you at the bus. I even packed the snacks. I asked your friend where to find those candies that you love so much.

You giggled and told him.

"Well the grocery store is all the way across town."

Then he asked you.

"So if I went all the way across town to get something you like, then that means..."

You answer shyly.

"You must really like candy?"

Kayson splashes a bit of water at you and chuckles

"You are impossible."

You dip both of your feet at the hot tub and look at him dreamingly, you realize that he has feelings for you.

"You know, I have been having these feelings for you. I really do like you."

You apologize again to him.

"I'm so sorry I didn't sit next to you."

He is completely fine with it as the two of you looked at each other. You take off your duffle coat showing your gray nightgown as Kayson blushes and asks.

"Um...You're coming in, in your nightgown?"

You nodded.

"I didn't bring a bathing suit."

You come closer to him and you greet him again

"Hi."

He lightly chuckles and look at you lovingly.

"There's no one like you."

Kayson lifts you up as you're on his lap and kisses you as you blush and stops for a while but you wanted to keep going, he keeps kissing you at the hot tub.

After a few minutes, you hold his hand as you walk with him inside the lodge, Kayson is wearing a robe. Before going to your respective room all dried up, Kayson stops you and turns you around and looks at you.

You tiptoe to reach Kayson as he kisses you.

"Good night, my love."

You go to your room and lie on the bed smiling happily.

[lavenoon]

hi so I am extremely soft for Sun basically being all-hands-on-deck for assisting Y/N with outfits, Moon wanting Y/N to be comfortable, and Eclipse being all here for nice textures

how would the boys react to Y/N asking them (independently) to help them put together an outfit (something complicated that needs an extra pair of hands with buttons/zips). can be pre/post-reveal depending on desired fluff content - @clxckwork-sun-n-moon

(:

Pre-reveal: Sun: Flattered beyond compare - them asking means they trust his judgement enough to put their outfit in his hands! For a peacock like him, who's job is reliant on looking the part, that's a big thing. There's also, uh, the thing about having to go up into their room, their private space, to maybe survey what they have? The thought will fluster him enough to fumble, and ask if they have a few things in mind already, and ends up moving the fashion show downstairs. Just take anything that could come in handy to the living room, he can work with that! Would love to take his time and invite them to a shopping trip, but feels like that might just be too much and sticks with what's available. Will however gladly offer to lend things to them - perhaps a specific tie would match better, or a certain set of cufflinks... Very gentle, but focused while working with buttons and zippers. He takes pride in being asked, so he won't risk damaging anything or hurting them by getting distracted. By the time he's finished the bitter pang of knowing this outfit isn't for him comes back to punch him square in the face, and he's lucky he's always smiling because otherwise it would be hard to keep up. Y/N doesn't miss the way his expression twists, and can't quite make sense of it before he leaves with a quick, but genuine compliment.

Moon: So you have chosen violence. Given that this is reverse coded, you have the shy boy, who is awkward af around the nice landlord already, who has no clue about fashion as his only focus is "dark color scheme and good to move in." He near panics, but agrees to help in any capacity he can - then follows Y/N into their home while just listing off disclaimers about how he's really not that knowledgeable and doesn't know what he's doing with outfits half the time, but if they're really sure - Ends up being the one giving the least "advice" because Y/N could try on anything and he'd say they look great, with that earnest expression that just makes it impossible to be mad about it. Y/N can try the process of elimination, and he does a lot better answering "this or that" questions. The living room ends up a mess by the time he's actually starting to help, almost hesitant to make contact. His gaze keeps flitting up to their eyes, checking in with them if things are still okay and he's good to continue. Ends up losing his anxiety by the end of it, giving them a couple earnest compliments. But once he's out the door and back alone he realizes that's it, that was his role in this and that's what it'll always be, and that does sting a good bit.

Post-reveal: Sun: And here you have chosen death. No longer concerned about propriety and overstepping, because now boundaries are all in the open and secrets no longer exist, he's very eager to show Y/N the full extent of his knowledge. Will no longer be too shy to go into their room, either, and Y/N will have some mild regrets over him judging what they have available. Will also be much less coy about sharing his own wardrobe, and given that he wasn't shy about it before there's just a lot waiting for Y/N. Will still be focused during the actual buttoning and zipping, but his touch will linger longer when he draws his fingers back down the line of clothing he just closed up. God help them when it's at their back - you know what you do when there's sudden pressure drawn down your back? You arch into it, and Sun is living for it when Y/N just moves with his hand, maybe eliciting a small gasp... "There, all set" - and his grin is entirely too innocent when they turn to glare at him. Maybe missing the touch already, which is exactly what he intended <3

Moon: A little less violence, good for him. Given the lack of secrets Moon is much more comfortable explaining that his sense of fashion is very much just "I need to work in it and not get killed by Sun if he happens to switch into it" which will make Y/N laugh and set the tone for the rest of the little fitting. He'll be much more of a menace, pretending to contemplate and at times even impersonating Sun and trying to mimic his speech patterns just to make Y/N crack up as they hold different shirts in front of their body. But when he asks them to "Come here?" with that gentle smile, they don't even hesitate for a second. He's much more confident, maybe even letting out an appreciative hum as he works the buttons/ zippers. Of course, he'll want to look at his handiwork, and helps them turn with his hands on their sides, before grinning like a Cheshire cat and asking if they'll need help getting out of it later, too? Earns him another laugh and a playful smack to the face, but he only laughs too knowing that he will get to help them get comfortable after, too <3

Eclipse: (though not for AU!Y/N, and more a s/o) Eclipse: Oh, he wants to have fun with this! He'd love to start from scratch, and start it all off with a shopping trip to just look around! If the energy is there, he'd love to go to multiple stores and compare, mixing and matching whatever you like, and looking for accessories in the same go! (or another go. multiple trips is also fun, he just gets excited! online shopping he's also definitely open for, if that's more comfortable - he just likes the added bonus of exploration) The actual putting on he'll be quieter, but still giddy. Torn between reverent staring, excited noises and hand clapping, and actually helping, he's a bit of a scatterbrain about it, but it's okay! Just take enough time to get ready! Very, very careful and gentle with any buttons or zippers - he doesn't want to pinch you, or break anything, and animatronics are strong enough for a mindless little tug to end with a loose button or damaged zipper. With four hands he's got a good advantage though, and two can take care of buttons and zippers, while two can hold the rest of the fabric in place. If that happens by having his hands rest on your shoulders, sides, hips, or even all of the above depending on where he's currently zipping/ buttoning, that's between him and you! Will shower you in compliments as soon as he's done, before quietly asking if you like it, too - because he knows that's the most important part, and if he hasn't helped you before and/ or you have very different tastes in fashion, he'll want to check in that everything went well and you're satisfied! <3

[deadbydangit]

@vicketch I'm sorry you aren't feeling well, maybe this will help.

Cheering up a depressed Reader

Legion (Julie), Dwight, Kate

Legion (Julie)

Feeling down?

Not for long!

This girl has been there, done that.

When she first entered the realm, she had a period of depression.

But she pulled herself out of it.

And she's going to pull you out of that pit too.

First, she'll want to talk about it.

What's bothering you?

Is someone bothering you?

"If it is I'll go kick their ass right now."

She won't outright force you to talk, but she'll strongly encourage it.

Want some snacks?

She has lots of snacks.

Cookies were always her go to snack when she was upset.

Just no beer.

Or drugs

Julie knows better than anyone how drinking doesn't help solve the problem.

She and the other Legion have tried to drink and smoke their troubles away.

It does not work.

It makes things worse.

Wanna play a game?

Maybe do a make over?

Prank Frank?

Go for a walk?

Tell stories?

You sure you don't want to prank Frank.

"Trust me. It's really funny. I once replaced his knife with a rubber one and he came back from trials pissed."

And laughing is a good way to feel better.

Sitting around just makes things worse.

She's the type who wants to keep you focused on anything but your depression.

She'll even swallow her pride and tell you about her own experience with it and how she dealt with it.

"I was with the others, we all worked through it together. And you? I'll work through it with you. You won't suffer alone."

Dwight Fairfield

You don't even have to say anything, Dwight can tell.

He's great at reading emotions and detecting small changes in someone's personality.

So, when you don't seem like yourself, he knows.

He's been through depression before.

He knows how much it sucks.

But he won't outright say he knows you're depressed.

He'll lay beside you one day, and just start chatting with you.

"I've been where you are. I felt so useless, I thought everything was just pointless."

He'll pull your head into his lap.

"But then I realized, there are so many more reasons to be happy than there are to be sad. Even here."

And he'll list some.

"Sunshine, flowers, you..."

And he'll look down at you with tears in his eyes.

But he's still smiling.

He hates seeing you so upset.

But him frowning isn't going to make you feel better.

He's no therapist, but he'll listen and give the best advice he can.

Sometimes he'll do something silly or tell a really dumb joke.

But you're laughing and smiling.

He's also very good about keeping track of your health.

Did you drink enough water? Have you eaten? Was it healthy? Too much junk food can make you depressed.

It may seem overbearing, but he really wants you to get better.

You being so sad isn't on his list of things that make him happy.

Kate Denson

"What's got you all blue sugar?"

She'll make sure to ask in private.

She understands if you don't want your troubles going public.

She had enough of that in the real world.

Kate is also very good at sensing emotions.

This girl is almost always rainbows and sunshine.

So it's surprising that even she dealt with depression at a time

"I wasn't doing what I loved to make me happy. So my music wasn't happy. Then no one is happy."

If you want to talk about it, she's all ears.

If not, she's not going to force you.

Instead, she'll change the subject.

Something funny like a story or a joke.

"...And that's how I accidentally made Hannah Montana hate my guts."

And she'll laugh.

And her laughter will make you laugh.

She had written some music when she was in her depressive moments, and she'll offer to sing it to you.

Then she'll sing you her most upbeat happy ones.

It's to show you how strong she bounced back from her sadness.

"Come 'er Darlin'."

She's putting your fingers on her guitar and guiding you to a few strings.

It's her way of saying that you can get over it too.

"And I'll be right 'er with ya' the whole time."

[musekicker]

Ella and Buster go dumpster diving behind a craft store.

"Ella... I have a question."

Buster was approaching this question for Ella a bit carefully. It wasn't that Buster was afraid of Ella so much. Okay, maybe a little depending on the situation. But this was not that kind of situation. Still, he felt a bit nervous about having to ask Ella a obvious question.

"Did you use the mop from the janitors closet for that new puppet?" Buster asked.

Ella looked at Buster, then to the puppet she was doing a bit of repair work to currently. Said puppets hair did look a little mop like. Dyed a light purple color but very mop like.

"No comment." Was Ella's answer.

Far be it for Buster to judge how Ella's puppet making vision worked. She seemed to be a pretty good master of the art. That did not

"I see. Would kind of love it if you didn't just take random but needed objects from around the theater." Buster said.

"Okay, I can always go back to dumpster diving behind the craft stores." Ella said.

Buster glanced down at the clipboard a moment before answering Ella.

"Make sure to bring some thick gloves with you." Buster said.

The way that Buster had said that piece of advice was with a air of one who had experience in the subject. Ella looked at Buster once she realized that fact.

"Wait, you dumpster dove before?" Ella asked.

Buster looked up at Ella this time, nodding slightly.

"I was very, very poor for a good few years when the theater wasn't doing well. And I grew up fairly poor too. Of course I've been dumpster diving." Buster said.

This was somewhat new Buster lore for Ella, not having been around as long as some of the others at the theater.

"Ah I see. Got any more good advice?" Ella asked. "Or.. wait! I have a better idea actually. Why don't we both go dumpster diving. You can show me more tips and it be a good bonding activity."

Buster thought about the offer.

"You know what... okay." Buster said. "I did kind of enjoy some parts of dumpster diving."

"Kind of like treasure hunting, right?" Ella said.

"Yes!" Buster replied. "I mean yeah, it can be gross but sometimes you find some really good stuff."

Ella's eyes had that spark of excitement to them now. A expression Buster had often seen in two different type of scenarios with Ella so far. One scenario was during the moments when she had gotten into fights. The energy that Elle gave when she fought someone, even if they were many times bigger then her, was a undeniable force.

It was only equaled by her creative energy. That same energy that popped up when she was making puppets or working with them.

The latter type of energy was what Buster was sure that he was seeing in Ella's eyes now. Most likely she was imagining what things she could find that could make good puppets. And it was that creative energy that lit up Ella's grin.

"This is going to be fun." Ella said.

Ella normally was dressed in bright colors and wild patterns. Tonight her clothes were all black and practical for one about to go dumpster diving. They were also old and cheaper clothes, things she would not mind getting dirty. She came prepared with other tools too. A flash light, gloves, and lots of wet wipes among those things.

Buster was equally prepared. He too was wearing clothes that were darker and were not anything he worried about getting dirty or ruined. He too had a variety of the tools that were helpful in the art of dumpster diving.

Despite the fact that Ella and Buster were right next to each other, Ella spoke as if she were talking to Buster as if on the other end of some super important communication line.

"Puppet Master to  Mr. Trash Hands, the craft store is in sight." Ella said.

"I don't love that code name." Buster said.

Ella did not care. She was already looking forward to the future puppet making material she may have access to. However when they turned the corner around the building they saw that there was one obstacle in the way. A fence. Made of wooden planks. Ella frowned.

"This wasn't here last time." Ella said. "Looks like the store has caught on to me."

Ella stepped closer to the fence and put her hands on her hips and looked up at the fence.

"If the craft store thinks they can keep me out of their dumpsters with a simple fencing, they are very wrong." Ella said.

She very clearly didn't think much of the obstacle that had been placed in her path. Buster didn't think too much of it either. He had gotten over much bigger fences before.

"I already have a idea. Boost me over the fence." Buster said.

Ella nodded and got into position to do just that. She had experience in helping others get over fences it seemed. Not a surprise to Buster. Once at the top of the fence, Buster reached one of his hands to Ella for her to grab.

Both koalas were over the fence in less then a minute. The fence had done nothing to deter them. It might as well had not even been there. Neither Koala even gave it another thought as they both shone the light of their flash lights over what had been thrown away this night.

There was a treasure trove of crafting materials that were still in good and mostly clean condition. Some things they were going to avoid. Such as the bottle of paint that clearly had old, chunky paint inside. But there were plenty of still good items. A shockingly large amount that kind of made both koalas feel a little sick over how willing the store was to just throw it out rather then donate it to folks that might be able to use the items.

Ella gasped over one of the contents of the boxes.

"I already see some good containers of beads! Honestly, throwing away perfectly good beads!" Ella said.

Ella climbed over some of the garbage bags to get to the beads. Buster went in a opposite direction, having spotted a box of sewing thread. The night was full of discoveries. Both of the good type that resulted in excited voices over some materials that were going to be of use. And of the gross, they wish they had never looked in there type that required a lot of wet wipes.

There was one moment during a small debate over who would get some sewing needles that Ella picked up a small bag of what they both knew contained garbage and looked ready to throw it.

"Do NOT!" Buster had told Ella in the firmest voice he could.

Ella laughed but did lower her arm. Only a joke. Buster hoped anyways..

A hour later Buster and Ella had bags full of the best of the perfectly good crafting materials. Ella was particularly happy over the many packages of glue gun glue sticks she had found.

Getting over the fence with their loot took just a bit more effort. But they managed it. They had both just got down to the ground, their feet solid on it when a store employee, turned the corner. The light of their own flash light on the koalas like a search light.

"Hey! Where did you two get those?" the employee cried.

Ella hissed like a cornered cat. That made the employee startle back a few steps and think harder on what they were to do next. Giving Ella enough time to yell out to Buster.

"Run for it!"

They ran.

"Hey!" the employee cried, giving chase.

Ella and Buster were a bit weighed down by their trash goods. But they were still ahead. And both Buster and Ella knew the best escape routes from the back of the craft store. Then they made the chase even harder for the employee.

"See you at the meeting place!" Buster called out.

"Got you." Ella replied.

The two then ran in two separate directions. Now the employee could only potentially catch one of them. The employee stopped a moment, trying to decide which way to go before just throwing up his arms in defeat.

"Oh... this is so not worth it." the employee grumbled.

Ella and Buster met back at the theater not long after. That huge grin was still on Ella's face.

"That was fun! We have to do this again some time."