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#I ship at work so shipping at work and at home full time was exhausting haha
claypigeonpottery · 2 days
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This might be odd to ask, but how do you get through the work of production pottery? I love pottery myself, but with the amount of energy that goes into each piece... it seems herculean to put in that much of yourself into work after work after work in a production format. How do you get your energy to carry you through a full session, and how do you avoid it leading to burnout?
I don’t really think of my pottery as production pottery, which I think is a part of it. I’m prolific, but it’s mostly because if I don’t do something creative every day or so, I turn into a disaster. I’ve learned to avoid art slumps so that doesn’t slow me down anymore. the only thing that really throws me off when I’m making is taking on too many commissions and overwhelming myself. I’m still trying to figure out a good balance there tbh 😑
when it comes to kiln time, it is 100% a huge energy drain. luckily, I always have help. I don’t think I’d be able to do it without support. @subpar-lemon-bar helps me with so much around kiln time: glazing, loading and unloading kilns, inputting all the shipping info, and helping me pack and label everything.
but even working together, we’re both often exhausted after kiln time. this entire week I’ve been struggling with being constantly overstimulated, and I had a few times where I just had to put my head on the table and cry a little lol
as for how to get through a session, I work at home, so I can stop or start at any time. if I start a thing and don’t have the energy, I can leave. sometimes I won’t even clean up, I’ll just cover my work, and be done. it’s much easier than taking classes, or working in the studio. I used to miss a lot of class sessions, because having the energy at the right time was hard—plus it also took social energy, which is so much harder for me. and I knew if I went when I wasn’t doing well, I wouldn’t enjoy it and it would end up being frustrating.
I’m not sure any of this is useful, since I know it’s not always possible to work at home or get someone to help you, but these are the things that make it possible for me.
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shellsweet · 1 year
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Hello! Wanted to say I absolutely adore your art and saw you've mentioned selling prints before? Do you happen to have a store link? Having some of your art in my TMNT collection would be the highest of honors!
Thank you so much for the kind words! That's a huge honor! I appreciate it! I sold a huge batch a few months ago, I was privately shipping those by myself. I'm planning to do one more final batch soon, which I was hoping to do by now but work and life are kinda getting in the way right now. I'm hoping to make this a 200 copy limited print run when I'm completely finished. If you'd like to reserve a copy, please feel free to send me an email to [email protected] and I can send you the google doc that has all the information on the print and process (Also includes the request fill out form to get you started!). This will treat your order as a pre-order, and as soon as I start getting everything together again, I'll start with the payments/ect. I appreciate everyone for being so understanding!
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bau-muffin · 6 months
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“Pure Intentions”
Ship: Aaron Hotchner/Reader
Rating: E
Category: Fluff
Word Count: 1,162 Words
Summary: You are an agent who is also spiritual and loves crystals. So, you decide to give your favorite boss man, SSA Aaron Hotchner, black tourmaline.
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Hotch really didn’t know why insomnia had chosen to haunt him on a Sunday night, but he felt the full extent of it when he stepped into the bullpen the next morning. He wasn’t really given to vanity, but he felt like his eyebags were eye-totes now, and even though he had downed a cup of coffee before leaving the house, he felt like if he was still for even a second, he’d fall asleep.
Of course the weekend he had off was when his mind barred him from a good night’s rest- the night before work, no less.
He had not been at his desk for more than ten minutes when you bustled into his office, your smile wide as usual despite being almost eight in the morning.
“Good morning! I was going to wait closer to lunch, but then Penelope told me a case came in, so I decided to give this-“ you stopped to actually look at him, and even though an amused smile was pulling at his lips, he looked so exhausted. “I’m so sorry, I should have asked how you were doing first.”
“I’m not sick, just tired,” Hotch said kindly, “what do you have?”
“Black tourmaline! I know you’re not much of a spiritualist, but the low down on it is that it sponges up negative energy! And I mean… I know you don’t exactly have a choice, you know, to be or not to be around negative energy but…” you shrugged before admitting, “It also reminded me of you too. Also, again I know you don’t put huge stock into it, but I also charged it for you.”
You put the shiny black chunk on his desk, almost shyly. He picked it up, studying it and turning it over in his hands. You half expected him to pull his reading glasses out to look at it, and if he had- well, you couldn’t rightly be held responsible for the noise you might have made.
“This reminds you of me?” Hotch asked skeptically, his brows knitted slightly.
“Mhm! It’s a bodyguard type crystal. And… I guess you have that sort of… vibe? To me anyways,” you added on a little less than tactfully as you were visibly becoming fidgety, your hands smoothing down your skirt.
“You see me as the bodyguard type.”
You put your hands on your hips, an eyebrow raising. “Did you or did you not become overprotective when I said that my car alarm was going off in the parking lot and you insisted on stealthily going towards the car first with your pistol? Or did I hallucinate that?”
“I’ve seen some things in my time, and I know malevolent people would target a woman who’s alone when she’s leaving her workplace,” Hotch said defensively. You only smiled.
“Whatever you say. Regardless, that’s for you. Maybe, one day, I’ll get a keychain for you.”
“Thank you, that was… actually thoughtful and sweet of you. You’re right that I don’t put a whole lot of stock into this… sort of thing,” he admitted as he turned the crystal over in his palm again, “but I think… I think the weight of intentions are real.”
“Maybe those intentions will carry you home safe from this case, then. Judging from the groaning sounds coming from Garcia’s cave, I’m thinking it’s a doozy. By the way…”
“Mm?”
“Do you want me to make you a cup of coffee before you go in to briefing?”
“That would be wonderful of you, thank you. One sugar-“
“-and no cream. I know how you make your coffee, Supervisory Special Agent Aaron Hotchner,” you teased.
Hotch shook his head. “The full government name.”
You turned to walk out when he called your name, and you turned back to him.
“Can you come to my desk for a second?”
You complied, going to his desk with a nervous giggle. You thought he was going to speak, but instead he simply rose from his seat and kissed your cheek.
You touched your flushing cheek with a slightly shaky hand. “What was that for?”
He shrugged. “Just a thank you for being as thoughtful as you are. Truly… you make working here a bit easier.”
“Aw, you’re going to make me cry, so I’ll laugh instead.” You were going to turn to flee, but boldness filled you and you leaned up to kiss his cheek, except he moved, and you kissed the corner of his stern lip.
“Uh-” you backed away from him.
“Don’t panic,” Hotch ordered calmly- almost too calmly- “it’s not your fault, it was mine for reacting too quickly.”
Your cheeks flushed hot red and despite his command to not panic, you immediately fled the scene, leaving behind a confused but slightly amused Aaron.
A few minutes later, JJ entered his office with his cup of coffee in one hand and sat it on his desk, the other arm full of file folders. She gestured with her head towards the bullpen, “Hey, um, Agent-“
“I know,” Hotch said with a minuscule smirk, sipping the coffee, and almost immediately moaned aloud. True to your word, you knew exactly how he takes his coffee. He kept glancing towards the crystal sitting on his desk, and when Garcia called for him to come to the briefing room, he carefully slid it in his pocket.
On the jet, after all the details of the case had been discussed, Hotch leaned back in the chair, his fourth cup of coffee of the day in his hand. Even though he made his coffee exactly the same as always, it didn’t taste nearly as good as the one you made for him. He took the black tourmaline out of his pocket and held it in his hand. It works on a jet, right? It’s closer to the sun, it has to be like the best charging method.
“What do you have there?” Rossi asked from across him, looking up from a book- a compilation of Garfield comic strips over the years.
“A crystal. I think it’s… black tourmaline?”
Reid, of course, overheard this and had to jump in with, “you know, within pagan and spiritual circles, black tourmaline has protective properties, banishing negative vibrations, and it’s also supposed to be grounding.” He looked at the crystal in Hotch’s hand. “Oh yeah, I’ve seen this crystal on that agent’s desk. She and Anderson talk about them all the time, and apparently she keeps some of them in her desk, as does Anderson.”
“She and Anderson are good friends,” Hotch volunteered. “She’s the one who gave this to me.”
“She’s a sweet girl,” Rossi commented, sounding too innocent for Hotch’s liking.
“She is,” Hotch agreed simply, not taking the bait.
He and “that agent” were going to have to have a conversation when he got back home- he was entirely too intrigued by you. Perhaps he could ask you what crystal was the best for asking someone on a date.
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Shoto Discovers He Has A Daddy Kink | Shoto x Reader
Fandom: My Hero Academia
Ship: Pro Hero Shoto Torodoki x Reader 💋
Summary: Shoto is your Pro-Hero boyfriend coming home late from patrol. He finds you up to no good 😉 and decides to join you. In the heat of the moment, you call him "Daddy" and he goes absolutely feral. All characters are consenting adults in their late twenties. A hot, unedited one shot.
Genre: Smut, Romance, S*xual Tension
CW: MDNI!, A18+, Daddy Kink, Rough Sex, Femme Reader, AFAB Reader, Unprotected Sex
💕Link to My Master List 💕
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Neither of you see it coming when you say it for the first time. You didn’t plan on saying it, and there’s no way in hell that you could have anticipated Shoto’s reaction to the word.
It’s a Thursday night and Shoto got back later than expected from patrol.  It’s been a long week and you could really use a goddamn fucking orgasm to put you to sleep, so when it becomes clear your boyfriend isn’t going to be home on time, you start touching yourself in bed. You’re so in the zone you don’t hear the door open and shut when he arrives home, exhausted and sweaty from a long night out with his sidekicks.
He leaves his dirty hero costume at the door and stumbles into the bedroom in his underwear – tight black boxers that are a size too small. Shoto never learned how to shop for himself, and you’ve been slowly helping him build a wardrobe that compliments him.
He arrives in the doorway of your shared bedroom and sees you face down in his pillow, grinding into your fingers as you slowly pleasure yourself over your soft pajamas. His impassive expression quirks into a smile as he watches you squirm and shift your hips to get a better angle. He lets himself enjoy the view for a few moments, shedding his boxers as he feels his cock start to stiffen. He reaches down to stroke at himself, reveling in the way he gets turned on just looking at you. You’ve been together for 2 years and he still can get off to just the thought of you. He works at his dick for a few minutes, getting himself nice and hard as you continue to obliviously masturbate on the bed.
Finally, he can’t take it anymore. He needs to feel you. He approaches the bed quietly, then says in his authoritative Pro Hero voice “Stop what you’re doing, and stay where you are.”
You freeze, momentarily scared shitless. Your ass is in the air and your face doesn’t leave the pillow as you call out: “Shoto? You’re home?”
“I just got off patrol. Looks like someone couldn’t stand waiting for me.” He says softly, climbing on the bed and positioning himself behind you. “Looks like you got yourself all pretty and ready for my cock.” He reaches up and pulls your sweatpants down, revealing your ass. He slips the fabric down a few more inches until you feel the cool air conditioning hit your pussy. You shiver and Shoto smiles as he reaches down to caress your pussy with calloused, capable fingers.
You hiss in satisfaction when he slips a finger inside you, rocking it in an attempt to hit your G spot. The angle is no good, and you push backwards into him, craving more attention. You assume that he’ll finger you and then use his mouth like he usually does – so you’re surprised when he quickly removes his finger and shifts to replace it with his thick cock. His hard member slides easily inside of you, but you still cry out at the unexpected intrusion.
“Did you miss me, sweetheart?” He asks breathlessly as he begins to move, thrusting into you at an even pace. You groan in reply, happy to be full of his rock hard cock. He slides in and out of you leisurely, enjoying the way your pussy wraps around him so invitingly. “Fuck. I didn’t realize how badly I needed this.” He grabs your hips for leverage, slowly picking up the pace. You moan as he hits your core just right.
“I feel bad that you had to wait so long.” He says apologetically. “You know I’ll always take care of my sweet girl.” He thrusts a bit harder and you whimper as you build towards your orgasm, molten lava pooling in your core. “Is this what you wanted baby?”
His cock is stretching you out so good, treating you so well. You can’t even think straight. The words tumble from your lips before you have time to wrap your brain around them.
“Yes, daddy.”
Shoto’s hips stutter to a stop and you wine at the loss of action.
“What did you just call me?” He says, sounding confused. You double down, hoping to spur him to return to thrusting. You need him so badly, you’ll do anything to get him moving again.
“Daddy.”
“Fuck.” Some kind of switch slips in Shoto’s brain and he beings pounding into you, frenzied. His grip on your hips tightens and is almost bruising. He guides your bodies together again and again, chasing his high. You feel his hard cock slide in as deep as he can manage, kissing your cervix with a prevision that only a Pro Hero can manage.
“Oh, Shoto yes!” Is all you can manage to say as he pounds you into the mattress doggy style, all of his energy concentrated on absolutely railing your pussy.
You’re so close to cumming, your orgasm building and tantalizing you – just a few strokes of Shoto’s dick away. Your eyes slip closed as you enjoy the insane motion of Shoto’s hips. You’re absolutely cock drunk and drooling into the pillow.
“Shoto, I’m gonna - ” But just as your pleasure starts to crest, he pulls out of you and flips you onto your back. “Wha -?” He raises your hips and tosses your legs over his shoulders. His heterochromiatic eyes are blazing as he looks down at you, his bangs plastered to his forehead with sweat. He guides his cock back towards your entrance, rubbing his head against your clit for good measure before sliding back inside you. This new angle is absolutely heavenly – typically, Shoto likes to fuck slow and sweet. This aggression is a real treat. He does all the work, slowly fucking into you until he picks back up to his previous unbelievable pace. His pro hero body has so much stamina, you know that he can keep this up all night if need be. Your pussy flutters with the notion, your breath coming out in hot pants.
Shoto locks eyes with you and growls out “Say it again.”
Your eye lids are drooping as you focus on the smooth slide of his cock in and out of you. “Say what?” You moan out, enjoying the way your legs bounce on his muscular shoulders as he pistons into you. He slides a hand down from your hips and delivers a swift smack to your ass. Your eyes widen at the contact.
“Say. It. Again.” Your brain scrambles and searches for the words he wants to hear. With a start you put the pieces together.
“Fuck me harder – daddy.”
Shoto groans and shifts forward to rest his face in the crook of your neck, the change in position nearly bending you in two. You say a silent prayer to your yoga instructor and breathe into the new position. You cry out in pleasure as Shoto’s cock hits your G spot with shocking precision in the new angle. Your pussy squeezes around him and he’s in absolute heaven as he kisses desperately at your neck. He reaches down to deliver another sharp smack to your ass cheek and the mixture of pain and pleasure pushes you over the edge.
“Shoto, baby, I’m cumming. I-I’m cumming. Oh my God.” You feel the orgasm hit you in waves, your body shaking as you cum around your boyfriend’s perfect cock. The shockwaves of muscle spasms in your pussy pushes Shoto over the edge, too. You feel his cock twitch deep inside you before he cums, shooting ropes of ejaculate into your sweet core. As you ride out your orgasm, your pussy milks Shoto for all he’s worth and he groans out your name, unbelieving that sex can feel this good, this insane. He thrusts into you until your both over stimulated, groaning from the contact.
When you’re done, he pulls himself up a bit so that you’re in a more comfortable, less-foldy position, but he stays inside you for a few minutes as you both catch your breath. Beads of sweat slide down your joined bodies like raindrops, and you long for both sleep and a shower. You’re not sure if you’ll manage the latter.
Finally, breathing heavily, Shoto pulls out of you. He watches as his cum drips down your sticky thighs and pools on the duvet. He reaches out a finger to trace along the slit of your pussy, dipping into your sticky center in wonder. You shiver, over stimulated, and swat his hand away from your still-pulsing core. You’re on birth control, of course – but you and Shoto are usually so careful to use condoms. Shoto’s complicated history with his family makes him wary of fatherhood, and you both usually take every precaution possible when it comes to sex.
“I…I don’t know what came over me.” He says, shaking his head as he reaches to help you sit up. He uses a thumb to smooth sweat off your brow and tuck your hair behind your ears. “Was that too much, love? I’m so sorry if I took things too far.”
You shake your head, breathless. “Shoto that was…that was incredible.” You grin stupidly up at him, head foggy from your orgasm. “…I guess you have a daddy kink?”
He gives you a funny look. “I’m going to need to talk about this in therapy. This is clearly me dealing with my fucked up father issues in a new weird way.”
“…or….” You say optimistically, sensing that Shoto is about to shut down the way he does when his family comes up in conversation. “Orrrr you have a fun new kink for us to explore! Don’t overthink it, babe. At least not tonight. You must be exhausted.” You reach out and take one of his hands in yours, massaging up his wrist where you know he often aches from using his ice quirk. You pull him into a chaste kiss. He leans into the touch, grateful.
“There will be plenty of time for processing. But for now, let’s cleanup and go to bed.” You whisper, your foreheads touching.
“You’re right.” He says, scooting off the bed and getting to his feet. “What do you want – a washcloth and a water bottle?”
“Please.” You say, laying back on the pillow and stretching out your legs. Shoto comes back a minute later with both items.
“There is one thing I definitely want to do again.” Shoto says, his face burning a bit red as he watches you wipe yourself down with the cloth.
“What’s that sweetheart?” You ask him, curious.
“Can I spank you more often?” He sheepishly grins, his eyes darting down to take in the bright red spot he’s left on your ass cheek.
“Anytime, Shoto.” You laugh as you let him pull you to your feet and towards the bathroom for a shower. It’s late, and there’s plenty of time to discuss things in the morning over coffee and pancakes. All is well.
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jymwahuwu · 2 months
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tis i! wingweaver anon again back from the livestream with a vengeance XD.
https://honkai-star-rail.fandom.com/wiki/Transcript_of_Ten-Lords_Commission_Interrogation_With_the_Wingweaver_Xili
but i found this transcript and i realized that some wingweavers have come under the watch of the luofu. imagine a wingweaver reader from xili's clan being left behind on this strange ship. maybe you'd known xili as well, something of a mother to you perhaps, or a rather stern aunt.
even so, you are a proud little thing with your own biases and you are not fond of the xianzhou at all. but you're not one who specializes in any combat or military genius ( perhaps you are a labourer or servant class? ) so you cannot stir up trouble or run your mouth. you can no longer fly either because of the strict watch placed upon you and your clansmen, and you must content yourself with working odd jobs for a living with people who dislike you in equal measure.
but then there is a strange white haired man who comes and meets you sometimes. he likes pulling on your wings and feeding into your curious mind with stories and yummy food. and you can't say you're not impressed by him, xianzhou native or not. maybe at some point you slowly shed away that anger because it's so exhausting.
jing yuan had grown to have his own guilty pleasures, with your company exclusive to him and no one else. you're bright eyes, a little snarky, a little witty and you're such an adorable little birdie to him. surely he's allowed to be selfish, yes? and seeing you soften up and let him hold you, press soft kisses down your neck, he has an air of smug satisfaction.
but now you're trying to be civil with other people? he can't help but feel that bite of possessiveness. perhaps you've been a bit too brave in that regard, a bad little bird who has wandered too close to the bars of her cage.
he coaxes you to his home, to the coziness of his room when he finds out you're slowly going into heat. there were clear orders given to you and your clan that you were not allowed to proliferate...but really now, that was with each other, yes? you should be fine with him? and your mind and instincts do see jing yuan as a good mate. he is strong and he's proven a good companion, so you're more than happy to present yourself to him.
jing yuan does not stop till every bit of you if full with his seed. you'll bear his children soon enough and he's giddy at the thought, keeping you locked up for him to fuss, spoil and fuck. you could try to run but you learn rather quick that he's terribly good at finding you.
soon enough you do slowly give up a little and have him touch you all over, on your belly and breasts, cooing. he's so soft and kind to you and he keeps this nest you've made nice and warm. maybe you did belong here in the end, just for him. so you stay, with his ribbon tied round your neck like a pretty collar.
Thank you wingweaver anon, I absolutely love this series!! This sounds so cute <3<3
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tw: dub-con/non-con, forced breeding, bird's estrus, harassment
As you were working part-time and waving your wings, attracting curious attention from the people of Xianzhou, Jing Yuan was also attracted. He's always loved furry and adorable things - kittens, puppies, birds - and now, you, with wings and feathers falling to the ground? Real wings? His heart seemed to be tickled by your feathers. Maybe this is the cuteness attack. The general couldn't help but tug at your wings, which were softer than velvet.
You screamed softly, stepped back, and turned to look at him, your shy blood rushing to your ears and heating up. "Sir, please don't touch other people's wings at will!" Jing Yuan apologized casually, "I'm sorry, I'm just curious about your wings. Are you-" The words stopped. He realizes what planet you are from. You are an enemy being monitored by Xianzhou. A little bird in captivity. So he took time to come to your place of work almost every day. Stories, tips, sweet words. There's no point in getting angry at him, you feel like an ungrateful brat - considering he is Xianzhou's general and allows you guys limited freedom here.
Some occasional display of bird habits is also nice. It felt so good to him. Jing Yuan tentatively picked up some shiny necklaces and shook them in front of you, not missing your eyes lighting up (but then, you looked away and snorted).
Some Xianzhou people, as well as your kind, want to pursue you. You are so popular, you just didn’t notice it. Most people want birdie girls like you. Chirpy, smart, sharp and cute. Jing Yuan decided to take the initiative. He was convinced that given you a chance you would fly to a safe and comfortable nest. He can provide one. On the day when you were particularly grumpy and showing off your feathers, he slowly lured you into the general's palace. Under the influence of estrus (or do you just like him? You don't know.), you can't help but stare at his broad shoulders and chest, suspecting that those are so warm and sure to keep you safe and comfortable. He's huge, too.
There were soft chains on your hands, and you were being penetrated and creampied, the feathers then scattered on his bed. It was a bed specially purchased by Jing Yuan to simulate the space and environment of a nest. "…Jing Yuan-" With the high-speed and deep thrusting frequency, you tried to form words other than moaning. "Maybe-maybe that's enough? I-I'm going back to the nest-" His hands lifted both of your thighs up. And that giggle. The cock presses deeper against your cervix. "No, you're not pregnant yet."
"Pregnant?" You opened your mouth and widened your eyes, but your reproductive instinct inspired you, and you unconsciously wrapped your body tighter around his cock, milking him. He closed his eyes in enjoyment. You rolled your eyes, "mm ah-!"
"Yes. I'm going to be the father of the baby birds," he announced during the creampie.
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milliesfishes · 3 months
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𝓔𝓷𝓬𝓱𝓪𝓷𝓽𝓮𝓭𓇼 ⋆.˚ 𓆉 𓆝 𓆡⋆.˚ 𓇼
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[fem reader] contains: nudity, talk of male anatomy pairing: billy the kid x fem reader summary: pirate billy x mermaid reader author’s note: based on my love @francixoxoxo 's pirate billy au- leaving the tag below. (thank you lovey for letting me write for this!) I have a mermaid special interest and it's been a delight. Pinterest Board Spotify Playlist
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The sea was a home in and of itself, but it was lonely all the same.
Sitting on the rocks and looking out at the moonlight reflected on the water, Billy pondered this thought, but came to no conclusion from it. The crew of the ship was docked here for the night, on a regular supply run. It was also a chance for the men to stretch their legs, flirt with local women, blow off steam; gear up for the next bit on the ship.
It had been a long night of drinking and roughhousing, and truly, Billy was exhausted by it all. The usual distractions hadn’t sufficed, and now he couldn’t sleep, plagued by the thoughts he’d previously stuffed into the recesses of his mind.
Piracy was far from his first choice in lifestyle, but he’d had little choice in the matter. Growing up by the sea meant he’d taken to the work easily, and he got along with the crew well enough, but his inner voice irked him. It wasn’t honest work, he knew. And sometimes when he was tying a knot or leaning over the railing, he saw his life stretched out before him if he continued on this path. An endless path of mopping, sailing, robbing. He hated how it played out before his eyes. 
Shaking his head slightly, Billy began to strip his clothes off, deciding maybe a night swim would clear his head and get it back to normal. It was never good when he got too deep into thought- it only made things worse for a future version of himself. 
Summertime made the water warmer than it would have been otherwise, and he left all his clothes on the rock, sliding down into the water. The slight chill sent his thoughts scattering back into the dark from whence they came, and he breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, some peace. A little while in the ocean and they ought to stay where he wanted them for a good while, maybe even until the next time the crew came to port.
Since it was dark, he floated on his back, unashamed of his nude state. He was definitely far enough away from the village that nobody would be able to see him without coming real close. Relishing in the quiet of it, he breathed the salt air and closed his eyes briefly.
While some found the sea terrifying due to the unknown of it all, Billy was comforted by the mystery. His mother had told him young that the water was like a woman; an untamable enigma. One could only fully appreciate it if they leaned into the secrecy. Regarding both women and the sea, the message had served him well.
There was a sudden splash behind him, and he shifted so he was treading water. It was probably just a fish, but he’d learned quickly in his days as a sailor to keep his guard up at the first hint of danger.
Turning in a full circle, Billy saw nothing. Just the moonlit water. The waves lapped gently at his chest as he surveyed his surroundings. A human wouldn’t have been able to hide this easily. An animal would have swum far from him by now.
He moved a little closer to the rocks just in case, keeping an eye on the horizon. Putting one hand on the rough surface of the boulder that held his clothes, he peered at the water below. Nothing, as expected. It was stupid to think he’d be able to see even a foot under.
Another splash. Billy jolted, whipping his head around. He was getting suspicious. “Anyone near?” he called, squinting as if that would make the visage of darkness clearer.
There was the sound of a body in water. A human body. Reaching up for his pistol on the rock, he half-shouted, “I know you’re there! I can hear ya.” Billy stretched his arm. The gun was just out of reach. “Come about!”
Just as he was convinced he’d made the whole thing up, there was a movement in the shadow of the rock a little ways from him, maybe ten feet. Something was hiding.
Intrigued, he stopped trying to grab his pistol. A feeling told him his unknown companion wasn’t a threat. Billy cocked his head, focusing on the spot. “I ain’t gonna hurtcha.”
Slowly, the creature revealed itself from the shadows. The pale light of the moon revealed more than he thought it would. He saw it wasn’t a creature at all. It was a woman. And a stunning one at that.
You were unlike anything he’d ever seen.
Beauty so rare it felt otherworldly. Long, wet hair sticking to your breasts, and he could tell they were bare under that. Your shoulders were uncovered, except by spiderwebs of hair.
He knew he was staring, but he couldn’t help it. There was a magnetic quality to you that he couldn’t shy away from, that he wouldn’t if he had a choice. You blinked at him owlishly, innocently. “Are you a human?”
Oh, your voice. Lilting and light and only comparable to music. He regained his bearings, realizing the odd question. “‘Course. Were ya expectin’ the kraken?”
You tilted your head, gliding closer to him. He felt his heart palpitate as he got a better view. Now he could see the water clinging to your skin and eyelashes, your goosebumps from the night air. It felt like he was being studied, but somehow he didn’t mind. With anyone else it would have been bothersome. With you…he was happy to have caught your attention.
Reaching out, you took one of his hands in your smooth ones and examined it, turning it over once. You traced a finger over the veins, the bones. It was as if you’d never seen one before. Your touch set him on fire.
He realized the oddity of the situation. “What…what’re ya doin’?”
“It’s just the same as mine,” you held out one of your hands for comparison, flexing the fingers.
“I’d imagine it is.” His mind was half and half. One part grounded, the other transfixed by you, hanging onto your every move. 
Shifting closer to him, your eyes wandered over his chest, his face, his hair, as if you were looking for something. Billy swallowed. “Is…is everything okay?”
“You’re just like the men we’ve got,” you said distractedly, not answering his question. 
“How different are the fellas where you come from?” Billy asked, a thousand unasked questions on his tongue. 
“Not much, apparently,” you said as your eyes roved over him. “Except-” your gaze fell below the water, and he got the distinct impression that you were looking between his legs. Suddenly remembering he was nude, Billy reached a hand down to cover himself, cheeks flushing even though it was dark. 
“I…uh…” he stuttered, then remembered the water was pitch black. You wouldn’t be able to see him. He removed his hand, shifting a little closer to you now. “What’re ya doin’ out here so late?”
“I like night swimming,” you explained, not providing a reason for your state of undress. Billy wasn’t in any place to judge, since he was in the same way, but it was just so rare for women to be so unashamedly naked like this. Not the women he’d met anyways; you were clearly something different. Something special. 
Still peering down into the water, you were squinting a bit. Again, he felt like you were looking at a bit of him he didn’t normally show just anyone. “It’s dark…maybe if I got a closer look-” You made like you were going to dive down, and Billy quickly caught you by the shoulders.
“Ah…let’s not get so close, dontcha think?” he smiled boyishly, slightly distracted by how silky your hair was even though it was wet. 
You seemed to understand. “Maybe another time.” As he was holding your shoulders, Billy sunk a little deeper, and you perked up. “Here, let me help you.” Gently, you pushed him against the rock, just holding him there. He was surprised by your strength. Not that women couldn’t be that way, but he was a fully grown man. Yet another strange thing to categorize. But the more unconventional you were, the more of a desire he felt to know you.
“Do ya…do ya come here often?” he asked, trying to learn something about the strange woman by the rocks. 
“Not nearly as much as I’d like,” you smiled, and his heart stuttered. “My father doesn’t like it when I stray too far.”
“Especially when you’re meetin’ strange men after dark I’ll bet,” Billy grinned, and you laughed, pretty and clear.
“I don’t imagine he’d like that very much, no,” you sighed. “Especially since you’re…you know…” you nodded at his body.
He nodded back, his grin still evident. “Ah, yeah. Ain’t imaginin’ he’d be too pleased if he knew I wasn’t wearin’ anythin’ either.”
You frowned confusedly. “It’d probably be more about you being human.”
Now he was lost. “Now…why’d that be an issue? You’re…”
There was a beat of silence. You drew back a little, fidgeting with your fingers. Lips rounding in an oh shape, you swam back further, shyly. Leaning back a little and biting your lip nervously, you lifted your tail out of the water. A long, shimmery fish tail.
Billy’s eyes widened in surprise. And suddenly your fascination with his anatomy made sense. He moved closer curiously, but you drew back, looking slightly frightened.
Recognizing it, he stayed where he was, instead outstretching a hand. “I’m not gonna hurt ya. I was just…surprised is all.” Some of the men on the crew had spoken of dangerous women with tails who sang sailors to their deaths and made them mad with lust, and he hadn’t known whether to believe them. But here you were in front of him…harmless, shy and inquisitive.
Reemphasizing his hand, he gave you a smile. “I just ain’t never seen any merfolk before, not in person. But I ain’t gonna do nothin’ bad.”
Looking from his face to his hand, you cautiously moved closer. Billy nodded encouragingly, trying to coax you over. An idea struck him. “I’ll letcha look at my…” he looked down between his legs. “...sometime.”
Your eyes lit up at that. Cautiously, you reached your hand over to his, your soft meeting his rough. He brought you closer, so your stomachs were a breath’s width from touching. 
Now that he had you here he was even more enchanted. He knew why he’d been so drawn to you; no doubt it was a part of your mermish characteristics. But there was something else here, something sparkling. Your eyes were like the sea, tumultuous and secretive, and he liked that.
Lean into it.
Billy dipped his head and caught your lips in a brief kiss. You tasted like salt, which only made him thirsty for more. When he pulled back, he saw your eyes were wide like the full moon behind him. “What was that?”
He smiled. “A kiss.” Reaching up, he thumbed the side of your cheek, tucking some of your hair behind your ear.
You searched his eyes. “We don’t do that where I come from.”
“Ah,” he watched your expression. “Did you like it?”
Adorably, your brow furrowed slightly in thought. Then you slowly nodded, lips parting slightly as you looked up at him. “Yes.”
Billy hummed, his fingers finding the spot under your chin. “Do ya…wanna do it again?”
A slow smile came to your face, and you nodded again, tilting your head up and waiting, looking expectantly at him. He chuckled slightly, the hand that had been holding yours sliding around your waist and pulling you into him. Now he could feel the line where your skin ended and your tail began. Soft and sleek, all of you was.
“Close your eyes,” he said warmly, and you obeyed, your chin still lifted. Smiling at the sight of you, waiting to be kissed, he committed the image to memory. Your eyelashes were touching your skin, causing a pearl of water to fall from one of them, looking like a tear. Skin glowing from the light of the moon, hair wet and curling over your torso, you were a vision.
Then he leaned down and moved his lips against yours again, feeling like every star in the sky had decided to smile upon him that night.
Maybe he’d imagined he could be captivated by a mermaid, but he never dreamed he’d be kissing one.
Billy felt your hands slide up his chest, seemingly testing the waters. He smiled against your lips, nuzzling his nose on your cheek. His hand lifted to slide into your hair, holding the back of your head and pushing your mouth onto his.
You seemed unsure what to do with your hands as they were settled on his shoulders. Billy sensed it and took his other hand off your waist, fingers grasping your hand and dragging it into his hair. It seemed that instinct took over, and your fingers combed through his curls, eliciting a quiet groan from him. 
Pressing your chest into his, you folded your arms around his neck, your hand remaining in his hair. The action lifted your body further up, and he lowered his hand to where your bottom would be if you had legs, making you shiver against him.
Pulling back slightly, he ended the kiss with a few gentle pecks, slowly easing you out of it.
Your smile when he opened his eyes was radiant. Billy traced his hand up your bare back, stringing through your salt strewn locks.
“Why do humans do that?” you asked in a hazy way, smiling sweetly up at him. 
He returned it, feeling happy in a carefree, foolish way. “To…show other people ya…ya like ‘em. Cause it feels nice.” He stroked the apple of your cheek. “Did it feel nice for ya?” That part was asked in a whisper.
Your eyes were soft, slightly stormy in the best way. “I liked it.”
Billy smiled and leaned in for another kiss, but you lifted your head suddenly, as if you’d heard something. He frowned. “Are you-?”
“I have to go,” you said hurriedly, fixing your eyes back on his. Carefully, you pressed your lips to his for a slow kiss goodbye, and he felt like he was floating.
Before he knew it, you had slipped out of his arms and the last thing he saw was the glimmer of your tail on the horizon. 
Billy didn’t move for a moment, dazed by you. He took in a breath, laughing slightly in disbelief.
A mermaid. He’d kissed a mermaid. And it had been like fireworks.
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swappingbryn · 5 months
Text
Best Purchase
I knew I would likely not be able to achieve ALL my fitness goals, but I still wanted to try and achieve some of them. I was on the wrong side of 30, not balding but my head was thinning, I gained the “freshman 15” and it grew like compound interest, and I had little visible muscle.
After a year of strict diet, exercise, supplements, I had lost about 20 pounds of fat, gained some muscle, but I was fat from where I wanted to be and from where I thought I would be after all this hard work.
I kept seeing ads for a clothing brand “Midlife Changes,” which I only remembered because I thought it was strange that a company called “midlife” would have only influencers as models. However, they had lots of five star reviews and nothing below a 4, but the weird thing was that all the reviews were short or had no comments. Their prices were high, so I only bought a shirt from the clearance page called “Ragin Ray.”
It arrived in a small, nondescript package a week later (since I refused to pay for expedited shipping). Inside the package was a note thanking me for my purchase, a request to leave a review once I was satisfied, and instructions. I thought it was strange to include instructions with a shirt, but figured it was just washing instructions, but it was a detailed note explaining how to use it. I was to shower, then wear it to bed, the entire following day, making sure to work out as much as possible, not to shower or remove it, and sleep in it once more, and only then should I remove it and shower and then was the shirt. I thought it was stupid, but figured I had nothing to lose. I waited until Friday night, so I’d have all day Saturday to follow the instructions, I showered, put on the short and went to bed.
I woke up the next day and I felt different, and once I saw myself, I realized I was at lease 10 years younger. I wasn’t big, but I was younger, and with the extra time, I knew I could make better gains.
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I wore the shirt all day as instructed, and went to the gym for two hours that morning, when I’m usually exhausted after one hour. Went home for lunch, I wanted to shower since I smelled but I held out, then knowing I couldn’t go out with friends or do anything since I was sweaty and smelly, I went back to the gym. I did another 3 hours. I was drenched in sweat but still felt good. When I went to the locker room, I saw my reflection, I was amazed, I was huge.
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I went home, had a small dinner and went to bed. I refused to deviate from the instructions. I woke up Sunday and KNEW something was different. I ran to the bathroom and realized I was even bigger. As per the instructions, I removed the shirt, got in the shower and explored my body. It felt amazing, huge muscles, hard abs, and my dick was almost 9”. I exited the shower and when I entered my room, it was all different, trophies all over the wall, messy bed, a desk, and a closet full of clothes that for me, the new me.
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I threw on some clothes, grabbed my phone and wallet and went to the gym. When I arrived, the desk attendant, who never paid attention to me before, said “what’s going Ray? Party last night?” I mumbled agreement and kept going. I checked my wallet in the locker room and saw a new ID, I’m Joel Raymond Edwards, 24 years old.
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This was the best purchase I’ve ever made, and I made sure to leave a 5 star review, but only write “best purchase ever, love this shirt.”
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@kiwineeds
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tw1l1te · 6 months
Note
In your opinion who do you think in the chain in most flusterable to the guide showing skin and being flirty?
OOhhhhh This is gonna be funnn~
Based on my personal headcanons and others' fanfics I've read, I think that Sky, Hyrule, and Wild would be the most flustered at our guide being flirtatious and showing more skin than they're used to.
However, that's not to say they're the only ones, the others are just better at hiding it.
Let's take it from the top!
Warnings: VERY SUGGESTIVE, NSFW
Minors do NOT interact
Sky
Our cute sleepyhead is beet-red. Absolutely in flames.
It was supposed to be a quiet, typical morning in Skyloft. He would get up and make some tea and look at the Sky before meeting up with the rest of the Chain.
But of course you decided to go on a jog that morning, wearing nothing besides a sports bra and shorts, as you tended to overheat during exercise.
Being so exposed in any of their eras was unheard of, so of course it was a sight to see, particularly for Sky.
The way your chest bounced with every movement, pearls of sweat dribbling down into the crevice between your breasts. He wondered what it would taste like on the tip of his tongue, licking each bead of salty sweat.
The way your hips moved in tandem with your jogging, expertly keeping up with the movement of your legs. Hips that he would grip while he rammed his cock into you, hitting the spongy spot every. Single. Time.
The way your face was pink and rosy from the slight chill in the air, but also running for so long, nearing exhaustion. Your tear-brimmed eyes looking up at him as you took him entirely in your mouth, whimpering at how full you felt.
You suddently waved at him, smiling and yelling something you taking a shower.
You threw a wink over your shoulder at him as you left him behind
Was that an invitation?
Hyrule
He wasn't sure if he loved or hated Wind's era for this.
Going on Tetra's ship for a side quest was the last place he expected for something like this to happen but... he wasn't complaining. Hell, none of them were.
You saunter out from under the deck, wearing nothing but a "string bikini" (as you call it)
Hyrule.exe has stopped working
Wars had to snap him out of his staring, as he was starting to drool
You walk up to him and sit down, looking out onto the ocean
"Eyes up here, Fairy boy."
He fumbles around trying to come up with an excuse while you double over in laughter, he was too in shock to process anything
Once he calms down, you both continue looking out onto the expanse of the horizon, sun begininng to set
He tried to ignore the way the sun illuminated your body, all the small scars and curves in your body highlighting your features
"You know.... I wore this lil' number particularly for you, Rulie. Seems like you like it." you whisper, nipping lightly at his ear.
Before he can respond or formulate a thought, you get up and hold out your hand
"Care to go for a swim, Fairy boy?"
You were gonna be the death of him.
Wild
Wild liked to think he was pretty good at keeping his composure, after all, he was a stoic knight in his past life.
That's not to say he doesn't show emotion, he's so much more open know and genuinely laughs and smiles ever since he woke up from his century long slumber.
So when all of you returned back to his era, he was ecstatic to show you around more, as last time you dind't get much of a chance to.
What he didn't take into account is that you would be sharing a bed with him.
Sweet goddesses, he wasn't gonna be able to sleep for days.
He was right
The first night cam around and the Chain setup their sleeping mats on the lower level of his home, shifting some of the funiture to make sure they all fit, while you went under the stairs to change
Wild was anxiously pacing upstairs, biting his finger nails.
This is fine, its fine! There's nothing weird about two friends sleeping next to each other, if that's what you can call your situationship with him and the seven older boys. It's fine! It's only a night- oh sweet Hylia you were wearing the shortest nightdress he's ever seen-
You yawn as you stretch, one of the straps falling off of your shoulder.
Mother of- he's done for. He's so done for.
You make your way to his bed, crawling up to the side closest to the wall. Peeking over your shoulder, you look at him, his face illuminated by the candle on the nightstand.
"You getting in bed with me or what?"
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amarmoria · 2 months
Text
Thinking about an alternative ending (or this thing that kept repeating in my head) with @rebelscums! Qimir x Padawan!Reader🤭 (I luv your Qimir fics sm please don't die)
Like the part where Sol's saber was already slowly burning dove's neck and Qimir says he didn't care about you and your screaming because of the searing heat that's going through the layers of tissue and because your master cares more about Mae than he ever will you, so your like all I'm giving up and let me die status, there's fat crocodile tears sliding down your cheeks and you can't stop it, not when you you've mastered this already, but it's like the feeling of your mother having another child she prefers over you but this is like your master, the one making your pussy aching, and like your depressed that your going to die and the last thing you see is your master monster cock bae with his fav acolyte (not like you ever were✋)
Then (imagine there's still a few jedi's left from Sol's crew, zaddy will kill them anyways) Sol's small backup comes to ambush Qimir and to Sol's advantage too because he now has the chance to grab you and bring you to their ship instead of killing you, half of what he said not long ago was true, that you can be a great jedi if you wanted to.
"Master.."
"It's alright, we're almost, almost there" Sol huffs, holding your arm tightly over his shoulder and his other hand on your waist, you eye the lightsaber on his belt, it's so, so close, just a little more.
"Eyes forward, find our ship."
"I ca— can't, it's," you pause, not having the strength to finish the sentence. "I'm sorry, for, for earlier I— I didn't want to—"
"It's fine, just.." you hiss, clutching the side of your abdomen where the pain continued throbbing, it doesn't even help that you also have a burn on your neck.
"You're gonna be okay, keep your eyes open, breathe for me alright?" You couldn't hear what he was saying anymore, not when the ringing of your ears started blending every sound that nears you, maybe it was the pain, or the after burn, but all you could think about was how your master, no no, Qimir was looking at Mae despite the choking— in fact he couldn't look at you like that when he doesn't even choke you like that (ykyk?)
Ugh your heart can't take that kinda rejection, it's way too much.
"Padawan!"
Your thoughts were snapped when Sol lightly slapped your cheeks, your legs began working again and limped beside him as the both of you course through the thick forest.
"Can you feel him? Where is he?" He heaves, readjusting you so that you won't slide down. "He.. I, he's not—"
A force separates you from Sol, his back pivots to a large tree while you gracefully slide down a small hill full of bushes, one of which the leaves poking through your burn making you hiss and cover it with your hand but then you realize it burns even more with the soil and dirt stuck on your palms.
You kept fighting your eyes from closing, not now, not when you don't know what your escape plan is, not when your big juicy bae is there (you don't know that yet), you groaned and gave yourself a violent slap, maybe it's force that wants to keep you awake, ready, on guard.
You hear leaves crunching from behind you, but you can't bring yourself to turn, no matter how much your foot tries to turn you over, your body's just exhausted, tired, aching, you want to go home.
Home
Where is home now when your master has already decided to disown you, where will you go, stay. The buzzing of a lightsaber nears behind you, threatening, red, and hot. Only when you hear tackling behind you then your body opt to turn over, you whine when your side hit the floor again, clutching your sides tightly like it's going to fall out.
You witness the two sabers, green and red, clashing against each other, ironic little detail because I once thought green and red crayons were enemies, ANYWAYS, Qimir kept his face bare, no mask this time, you snort, if you even can, his karma for doing you bad like that. You could feel yourself getting lost at the distant lights dancing around each other, you couldn't hear them clearly, only muffled grunts was all you can process.
"She's not leaving—"
"You've abandoned her right in front of her eyes, don't even think for a second that she'll come back to you," Sol pauses, overthrowing the red but Qimir quickly regains his stance, separating the one saber into two.
"I'm her last hope, she has no one to teach her anything other than me"
"You're wrong—"
"Oh like you'll take her in and turn her into some jedi?" His laugh sounded almost manic, before aiming for Sol's neck although Sol acted fast and dodged, blocking the attack just in time, if he was only a second late, we would've had a rolling head coming right at you.
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Ugh idk how to even end this🙄
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merrybloomwrites · 7 months
Text
I Hear Them Calling (Chapter 6)
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Story Summary: Alpha Harry Styles and omega Y/N Y/L/N meet under less than ideal circumstances. Overtime their paths will cross and they will be drawn to one another in ways they never expected.
Chapter Summary: Harry is full of surprises including a package shipped to Y/N's home, shows cancelled due to the flu, and an unexpected visit.
Previous Chapters: Prologue ; Chapter 1 ; Chapter 2 ; Chapter 3 ; Chapter 4 ; Chapter 5
Word Count: 4.8k
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There’s over five weeks between when you arrive home from Chigaco and when you finally have your doctor's appointment scheduled. The first week, you feel totally fine. Spending a full weekend with Harry, dropping in his presence, and being scented by him has completely taken care of your touch deprivation symptoms. Temporarily.
By week two the dizziness starts to creep up again. Then the itching, followed by the chills. No matter what you do, you just cannot seem to get warm. Towards the end of the third week, it’s starting to become unbearable. You’re constantly exhausted and shaky and just so cold.
Even though you have been talking to Harry almost every day, you haven’t told him how bad the depri has been getting. Part of you still hasn’t gotten over your pride. It’s difficult to admit that you need help just due to your biology. The other part of you doesn’t want to worry him. You know how busy he is and the last thing you want to do is add another stressor.
Even without you saying anything, the alpha seems to sense that you’re struggling. Just as it’s getting really bad a package arrives at your door. It’s a huge box and when you open it you find it filled with a number of smaller, sealed bags.
There’s a note on top, handwritten by Harry, that reads:
Dear Y/N,
I hope you’ve been doing well since we last saw each other. I know you still haven’t been able to get new soothers yet and I was worried your touch deprivation symptoms might be bothering you again. I remember you saying that nesting doesn’t help much without other scents present.
I’ve scented a number of materials for you. Sarah has as well, in case it’s better to have a variety. The bags will trap the scent in, which is why I’ve separated the materials into a few different bags. You can open each as you need more, and they’ll hold on to our scents longer.
I know nesting is very private for omegas, so don’t feel like you need to report back if it worked or not, though I’m always here to listen if you’d like to talk about it.
Sincerely Yours,
Harry
It’s late-afternoon and you’ve already finished your work for the day, so you start looking at the labels on the bags. There are blankets, shirts, sweatshirts, hats, scarves, stuffed animals. Anything you could want to make a perfect nest.
Suddenly you’re hit with an overwhelming desire to build a nest, something you’ve never felt before. There’s a section of your room between the bed and the wall that will be the perfect spot. It’s cozy, tucked away from the rest of the apartment, and the large windows let it sunlight for most of the day.
The first thing you do is vacuum the carpet, needing it to be perfectly clean in order to begin the project. Next, you grab the old twin mattress out of your basement storage space, grateful that you hadn’t thrown it away when upgrading to a queen-sized bed. It fits perfectly in the spot you’ve chosen, and you take out your own spare comforters and blankets for the base. Since they’ll be covered in scented objects you figure you’ll save the scented blankets for another time.
After the base is made you get stuck. You’ve never successfully nested before, and you’re unsure where to begin.
It’s a frustrating feeling. You’re an omega, nesting should be second nature to you.
Before you can spiral too deep, you call Harry who immediately answers with a “Hi there, love. How are you?”
Just hearing his voice is enough to calm you and stop the spiral.
“Hi,” you reply. “I’m good. I got the package you sent. Thank you for everything.”
“Of course. I hope it helps.”
“I uhm, I’m trying to build a nest.”
“That’s wonderful!” He sincerely replies.
“Emphasis on trying,” you say. He’s quiet for a moment, giving you time to explain further. “I’ve got the base, but I’m stuck now. I have no clue where to put everything else. And I feel like a lousy omega because I should just know how to do it, right?”
“Not at all, sweetheart. First of all, you could never be a lousy omega. But there might be a bit of a disconnect between you and your inner omega. You’ve been on suppressants for years, basically since you presented. Your instincts will come. You just need to be patient with yourself.”
You take in every word he says and a weight lifts off your shoulders.
“How do you always know what you say?” You ask with a laugh.
He laughs with you for a moment before his chuckles turn into coughs.
“You alright?” You ask.
“Yea, I’m good, just a little tickle or something,” he answers, voice slightly raspier than usual. “Listen, I have to go get ready for the show soon. I ordered you some food, it should get to your apartment in a little while. Take a break, relax, eat some dinner, and try again. Don’t overthink it, just start and see where it takes you, alright?”
“Okay. Break a leg tonight,” you reply.
“Thank you darling. Talk to you soon,” he says as he ends the call.
You take a quick shower while waiting for the food to arrive. This isn't the first time Harry’s sent you a meal. It’s his way of taking care of you even from across the country. The doorbell rings and you’re not surprised to see that he ordered your favorite Italian dish, reminding you how much he truly listens, and somehow seems to know what you’re craving before you do.
You do as he says and relax during dinner, watching an episode of your favorite comfort show. After you’re finished you decide to try again. You put on Harry's first album and grab one of the bags from the box. The note says it has two shirts, a sweater, and a scarf, all with Harry scent. You open it and his scent surrounds you. The task at hand no longer seems daunting, but rather exciting.
Over the next hour you construct a perfect nest, at least in your opinion. You’ve used materials from two bags of Harry’s and one of Sarah’s, as well as scenting a few materials of your own. The combination of smells is wonderful, absolutely soothing to your omega.
Possibly your favorite thing Harry sent is a new stuffed bunny, referencing the fact that you’ve compared him to a bunny rabbit on multiple occasions.
You’re cuddled in the best, new bunny in your arms, and you pull up your phone. It’s later than you thought, and Harry’s show will be starting soon. Lately you haven’t been able to watch many of his concerts due to the time change. But you decide to stay up late tonight and start a little bit later than usual tomorrow, fully taking advantage of the freedom you have for your job.
Everything starts normally but you notice a change in Harry’s demeanor about halfway through. His voice starts getting raspier, he’s turning his head to cough and clear his throat more often than usual, and he generally just seems a bit off.
That coughing earlier was definitely not just a simple little tickle.
You give him thirty minutes after the show ends to get home and shower before you FaceTime him. He answers immediately and says, “What are you still doing awake?” His voice sounds even worse than before.
“I was watching your show,” you answer.
“So you saw how shit I was?”
This is what you were afraid of. This is why you stayed up even later to talk to him. Because you knew he’d be beating himself up even though he’d obviously pushed through pain to give the very best concert he could.
“Harry, no, you absolutely were not shit. I won’t lie, you sounded a little croaky when you spoke, but the songs sounded perfect. You still put on an excellent show. How are you feeling?”
“Well, I’m upset for starters. But physically I kind of feel like garbage. My throat burns, my body’s aching, and I’m exhausted.”
“You need to rest, Harry. Give yourself time to get better.”
“I know that you’re right, but it’s hard. There’s always something that needs to be done,” he says with a sad, small voice that nearly breaks your heart.
“It’s not healthy to push yourself too hard. You need a break or it’s only going to get worse.” Your voice is laced with concern, as you practically plead with him to take care of himself. You’ve gotten to know him well over the past few weeks and you’re fully aware of his tendency to overwork himself, and his habit of putting everything before himself and his health. He’s explained that it’s a holdover from his early experience in the music industry and how hard management pushed him and the other boys when they first started. Since then, it’s been hard to change his mentality on the issue.
He nods without saying anything, and you take it as a win; albeit a small one. At least he’s willing to agree that he needs to take it easy. You can only hope that he actually will.
“Where are you?” he suddenly asks. “I don’t recognize your background.”
You smile and blush before replying, “I’m in my nest.”
“You are? It worked? How to do feel?” There’s a definite change in his attitude now, excitement rather than despair.
“It worked. Thank you again for the materials and the help earlier. I feel,” you pause for a moment to think before saying, “content. And safe.”
“I’m so happy to hear that. Truly just made me feel better knowing I could help you in some way.”
“I wish I could do the same for you.”
“You do. You help me. By calling, and talking me down from a spiral. And looking so cozy in your lovely nest.” Your cheeks warm again at the alpha complimenting the nest you worked so hard on. You feel proud to have made something that he approves of, especially with no prior experience. Suddenly thoughts of nests you can make for the two of you, maybe one day pups as well, force their way into your mind.
“I’m glad I could make you feel better,” is all you say in reply.
Your eyes meet for a moment, just simply taking each other in, before Harry finally says, “It’s pretty late here, and I know it is way past your bedtime. Get some sleep darling.”
“I will. Please, take it easy tomorrow, okay?”
“Okay, love,” he replies with a soft smile.
“Good night Harry.”
“Goodnight Y/N.”
You roll over, nose facing the wall of the nest, where Harry’s scent is strongest and you’re able to pick up on a hint of Sarah’s as well. Even though you’re worried about Harry, your surroundings have you calm enough to quickly fall asleep.
The next few days are difficult. Harry gets diagnosed with the flu and seems to just be getting sicker. He does everything he can to get better, but unfortunately ends up needing to postpone three shows while he continues to rest and get back to performance shape.
He’s upset and frustrated about the situation, and you spend much of those days texting and talking on Facetime to reassure him that no one is mad at him. While you agree that they might be a bit disappointed, you remind him that his true fans care about him and wouldn’t want him to push himself too far.
One week of rest does him a world of good. It’s obvious at his next show, exactly seven days later, that he has made a full recovery. You stay up again to watch the very beginning of the concert and fall into a peaceful sleep knowing that Harry is back in full health and back to doing what he loves.
Another week after that Harry’s finished his US residencies and it’s finally time for your doctor’s appointment.
As much as you’ve been looking forward to being seen and having your problem fixed, you’re incredibly nervous going in. You hadn’t been able to speak to Harry that morning as he was traveling and you’re more anxious than you expected to be.
Your doctor is a lovely beta woman who doesn’t bat an eye when you lay your sweatshirt next to you on the bed during the exam. You’d pulled it out of one of the bags that morning specifically to have Harry’s scent with you, and since you had to change into a patient gown this is the next best option. It works in keeping you calm as she goes through the rather invasive checkup.
After the physical exam is over she leaves so you can change before discussing what she found. Once you’re dressed the nurse leads you to her office and you sit across from her at the desk.
“First of all,” she begins. “I want to assure you that you’re perfectly healthy.” You breathe a sigh of relief at that, not even realizing that you’d been at least a little concerned that something was wrong.
“It seems we were right in assuming that you’ve developed a tolerance to your medication regimen. You were on a fairly high dosage so unfortunately it won’t be as simple as switching to different meds. You’d likely start having these same problems within just a year or possibly a couple of months.”
You listen closely, hanging on to every word even though you’re worried about where this is headed.
“What I would like to have you do,” she continues, “Is go completely off the medications for six months. This will allow your body to basically reset. I won’t lie, it will be tough for a while, especially if you don’t have an alpha, but it will ensure that the meds will be completely effective for years to come once you start back up.”
“I’ve never been unmedicated before,” you quickly say, trying to communicate how unsure you feel about what she is saying.
“Why don’t I tell you what you can expect during this time?” She asks and you nod, wanting as much information as possible.
“If you don’t have an alpha, then you’ll likely experience touch deprivation. It may be a little worse than what you’ve reported feeling recently, but I promise it will not be debilitating. It takes over a year for those symptoms to become severe. Nesting with objects that have been scented by an alpha will help with that. There are a couple of programs that can provide you with those materials if needed. I can give you the contact information.”
“No, thank you. I have a couple of alphas who have given me things. I’m sure they’ll be able to re-scent them for me if I ask,” you reply.
“Okay, wonderful. I’m glad you have some trusted alphas to help you. I urge you to accept help from them during this. It will make everything much easier for you and your inner omega. Now I know you like to hide your scent in public, which I completely understand given the way people tend to treat omegas. While you can’t take the oral scent blockers, the spray on kind is fine in moderation. I don’t recommend constant use though. And of course, being scented by an alpha is not only approved, but recommended.”
You smile slightly at this, thinking Harry would probably be happy with an excuse to scent you whenever possible.
“The last thing we need to discuss is heats. I have here that you’ve only experience two partial heats, correct?”
“Yes. My presentation heat, which lasted about a day, and then a two day heat a few months later before we landed on the right suppressant dosage.”
“Okay, you should experience two heats while off the medications. The first will be in about three months and will be similar to that last one you had. Shouldn’t last more than forty-eight hours and won’t be too intense. The second one should occur three months after that. This will be your first true heat and will last anywhere from four to seven days. It will also be more intense. I’ll give you some literature to read up on and some good sources to do research so that you can be prepared. After that second heat we’ll begin working out your new medicine regimen. Do you have any questions?”
Yea, you think to yourself, I have about a million questions. But no complete thoughts actually form in your brain, so you just reply, “No, I think I got everything.”
“Well, if anything does come up please reach out. I recommend email unless it’s something urgent since I have some time each day to sit and give a detailed reply, okay?”
“Got it.”
“Since you’ve already taken your meds today I’ll list tomorrow as the first day without them. You may start to feel a bit different within the next week.”
“Okay. Thank you so much,” you say as you both stand. She walks you out of the office and you part ways as she says, “Take care.”
You sit in your car for a moment as your mind spins with all the information you just received. When you finally feel focused enough to drive you wonder where to go next. You’d blocked the day off for this, knowing you probably would be too distracted to work at all after the appointment.
For a minute you debate stopping for a coffee on the way home. Getting a little treat after something unpleasant is like, a core part of girlhood.
But when you pull out of the parking lot you immediately start driving home. Because you know what you need right now, and it’s not a mocha latte.
Walking through your front door you quickly change into comfy clothes and curl up in your nest. This is exactly what your omega needs after the stressful morning. Nothing can beat being surrounded by the alpha’s wonderful scent.
Well, nothing except actually being with the alpha.
But that’s currently impossible. He’s traveling, probably almost in Mexico by now.
Right?
He’s going to Mexico. That’s what you keep telling yourself. It’s what you say when there’s a surprise knock on the door. It’s what you repeat when you open the door and see none other than Harry Styles standing in your apartment hallway.
He’s going to Mexico. Except he’s very much standing in front of you, flowers in one hand, a tray of drinks in the other, and a small suitcase next to him.
“Hi,” he says sweetly, dimples making an appearance as he smiles at you.
“Hi,” you answer just as quietly, still in disbelief of what you’re seeing.
You step back, silently inviting him in. He places the drinks and flowers on the table in your entryway so he can roll his suitcase in, shutting the door behind him.
The two of you stand there for a moment just taking each other in. Slowly, Harry leans down and presses a gentle kiss to your lips. He pulls back just an inch and there’s a moment of tension between you.
The moment doesn’t last long. You don’t know who moves first, but your lips quickly crash together in a kiss more heated than any you’ve shared before. His hands grip your waist, and you bite back a whine at the feeling of how big they are on your body. Your arms wrap around his shoulders, one resting on the back of his neck while the other slides through his hair.
You begin to walk backwards into the living room, never breaking contact. Harry sits on your couch, and you follow to straddle him, kneeling over him so your legs bracket either side of his. The kiss gets more intense, and this time you can’t hide the noise of pleasure when his tongue just barely passes between your lips.
After a few minutes of what is by far the best make out of your life, his hands move to your thighs. They slide up further and you become overwhelmed, pulling back from the kiss in response.
He doesn’t ask what’s wrong, doesn’t question what happened or if you’re okay. He knows why you stopped. He can read that you’ve gone as far as you’re comfortable with at this point. He smiles, presses one more chaste kiss to your lips, and then readjusts you so you’re sitting next to him, legs resting over his lap. He pulls you in, so you’re tucked against his side, and you stay like that for a few minutes, just enjoying being close together.
“So, how did the appointment go today?” he finally asks.
Before you can answer your stomach starts to growl loudly, causing you both to laugh.
“Hold that thought,” he says, “let’s get some lunch first huh?”
“Sounds like a good plan. I can make some for us,” you say, and immediately head to the kitchen.
Harry uses the restroom while you prepare some sandwiches and fruit salad. It gives you a moment to process everything that happened that morning. You also think about how you’ll answer Harry’s last question. You decide to tell him the truth, tell him everything. He’s proved how deeply he cares about you, and honestly at this point you can’t imagine keeping anything from him.
So over lunch, you explain everything your doctor said. You tell him about the touch deprivation, and he reassures you that he’ll make sure you always have freshly scented materials to wear and put in your nest. You even tell him about the upcoming heats, though not without blushing the whole time.
“Is there anything I can do to help with that? Would you want me to be with you through it?” You’re endeared by the fact that his blush matches yours now.
You think about his offer for a moment and reply, “I don’t think so. At least not the first one. I don’t think I’m ready for that yet. And, uhm,” you pause for a moment before admitting something. You’re scared to tell him, but you’ve already talked about enough embarrassing things today with him and your doctor, so one more can’t hurt. “I’ve never been knotted before. And though I want to someday, I want it to be right. And I want it to be when I’ll remember it, not while I’m under the haze of a heat. When we’ll both remember it.” You’re nervous at the end, including him the way you did, like you’re assuming he wants that too.
“I completely understand. There will be a time when we’re ready. And it will be perfect,” you share another shy smile, reassured that he included himself without any hesitation. He wants this, and he wants this with you. He sees a future to your relationship, just like you do.
“Now,” he continues, “when it comes to helping with the touch deprivation and you requiring scenting, I think we should choose some dates when we can be together. It’s not healthy for you if we’re apart for long periods of time. And honestly, I don’t want to go months without seeing you.”
“Me neither,” you reply.
“Do you want to pull out our calendars now, or forget about all this for the afternoon and just spend the day together and make some plans over the phone after I leave tomorrow?”
“Make plans later. Definitely. I want to enjoy the day with you.”
And so, the two of you have a lazy afternoon in. It had started to rain while you ate lunch, which gives you the perfect excuse to turn on the fireplace and lounge in the living room. You watch movies, play some games, and get lost listening to each other tell stories. Harry orders in dinner, Thai this time, and you each take your own showers before getting ready for bed.
Harry hasn’t been in your room yet, and you hesitate before opening the door to let you both in. He’s seen your nest over Facetime, but this is different, and suddenly you’re hit with the overwhelming need for him to approve of it. You don’t know what you’ll do if the alpha doesn’t like it.
Of course, your fear is for nothing. Because the second you bring Harry to the side of your bed and show him what you made, he immediately showers you in compliments. He tells you how perfect it is, how cozy it looks.
“Would you like to lay in it with me? I know it’s kind of small, so I understand if-” he cuts you off before you can complete your sentence and says, “I would be honored to be in your nest with you.”
He looks to you for guidance, needing to know exactly where you want him. He knows how important nests are to omegas, and the last thing he wants is to mess it up in any way. You instruct him where to lay down and he does so without pause. He holds his arms out and you quickly go to him.
It’s no surprise when you begin to purr. Wrapped in his arms, in your nest, surrounded by his scent, you think you may have entered heaven.
No one speaks for a while, and you start to think maybe Harry’s fallen asleep. That is until you hear him clear his throat. You look to him, knowing he wants to say something, and he takes a deep breath.
“I have a question for you. And I know it may be too soon, but it seems silly to delay when we obviously have a connection. We’re old enough now to know what we want. And what I want is you. I understand if you don’t feel the same way, or at least not yet, but I couldn’t leave without asking. Y/N, would you be my girlfriend?”
“Harry, I would absolutely love to.”
He holds you closer in response pressing a kiss to your lips before pulling back and seeing the huge smile on your face.
“There’s just one more question,” he says. He seems even more nervous about this one, but you remain calm, even releasing some calming pheromones of your own.
You can tell he senses them as he relaxes and says, “Would you also do me the honor of being my omega?”
This question is even more unexpected than the last. He’s right in saying that it’s very early to ask, but at the same time, it’s not too early at all. Because there’s an undeniable connection between the two of you, not just as people, but as alpha and omega. It would be silly not to make it official.
Happy tears fill your eyes, and you nod yes in answer to his question. His eyes are similarly watery, and he leans down to press a kiss over your mating spot, a promise of what’s to come in the future, and you snuggle impossibly closer to him. To Harry. Your boyfriend. And your alpha.
You sleep soundly through the night, waking only when you realize Harry isn’t beside you. The spot is still warm, so he hasn’t been gone long. It’s early, a little before 7 a.m., and you hear Harry getting ready in the bathroom. He’ll be leaving soon. He mentioned a car would be picking him up to take him to the airport first thing in the morning.
Before you can get up he crouches down, running a hand over your hair. He’s ready to go, but he lays down next to you, soaking up every last second before he absolutely needs to leave. He scents you, does it so strongly that he’s practically scent marked the room, and you’re grateful for that. Since you’ll be stopping your medications today, having a space filled with his smell will help ease you through the transition.
Too quickly, his phone rings with a message that his ride is waiting outside.
He leans down to kiss you and say, “Everything is going to be alright. We’ll work it out, and I’m with you the whole way. Goodbye, my omega.”
You preen at the title and press another kiss to his lips before replying, “Thank you, alpha. Be safe.”
“I will, I promise,” he says. With one final press of his lips on your forehead, he drags himself out of the comfort of your nest and then out of your apartment.
It’s quiet without him, but you reflect on his parting words. You believe them wholeheartedly. It’s going to be difficult, but he’ll be there to help.
With the reassurance that you’re not alone, and Harry’s delicious scent filling the room, you slip back to sleep, feeling nervous but hopeful about what’s to come.  
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AN: Thank you so much for reading! I really enjoyed writing this chapter so I hope you all liked it as well!
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colibrie · 2 months
Text
Uncharted Territory, part one.
All love and credit to @trilobitepunch, for the amazing art work,the listening ear, and the endless encouragement. You are amazing Trilo!
“I’ve got snacks!”
Mikeys cheery voice cut through the racetrack of his thoughts, shepherding Leo’s attention back to the bustle and hum of the fuel depot. His younger brother was skipping towards him, boxes of ration bars and a few brightly colored bags filling his arms to near bursting. 
“The selections not that great,” Mikey continued, cheeks puffing in annoyance as he reached Leo, hopping comically on one leg as he fought to open the cargo hatch with his toes. “But I did manage to finagle two boxes of the better rations out of the shop keep, aaaaaand she even threw in some of those sweet sticks I like!”
“The ones dad banned you from having because of that time you were literally bouncing off the walls?” Leo teased, leaning casually against the ship’s hull as he flashed a smirk at his baby brother. “Force help us all.”
“Leeeeo!” Mikey whined, beak wrinkling in embarrassment as he scowled affronted at big brother. “I was six! Don’t be a jerk!”
“Hey, as the only other person stuck in an incredibly small ship with you for the foreseeable future, I think I have a right to be concerned!” Leo goaded, reaching out to casually flip the fuel valve off as the warning chime sounded. 
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“Just for that, I’m gonna hide the good rations from you,” Mikey shot back as the hatch finally opened with a soft hiss. “You get the spinach and spiva protein flavors, while I get the strawberry and chocolate.”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa, you got strawberry?!” Leo squawked, arms flailing as he spun around, feet briefly slipping on the steel grating. “Hand em over!”
“No!” Mikey jeered, sticking out his tongue as he shoved the boxes and bags into the hold.
“Miiiikey.”
“Who’s the funny one now Leon?!”
“Your face,” Leo muttered lamely, pursing his lips into an exaggerated pout as he disconnected the hose. He projected a cloak of sulky energy, shaking his head with covert fondness as Mikey crowed in triumph and bit into one of his sweet sticks. He could let his little brother think he’d won this round. At least one of them deserved to laugh through this.
He blinked, and the world fell away once more.
Crimson blades reflecting off obsidian armor. The wall crumbling under his shell, like wet tissue paper. Screams of anger and fear as the darkness closed in, air cut off as something heavy twisted his lungs…
“So!” Mikey’s voice snapped Leo back once more to the fluorescently lit present. The smaller turtle had ducked under the shuttle’s wing and now stood at his side, oblivious to Leo’s lapse in attention as he worked with way through his treat. “What do we do now?”
Leo quickly turned away, scowling at the fuel hose as he wound in back into the holder.
“What do you mean?” he asked, proud of how even his voice stayed as he worked to get his face back into a casual smile.
“I mean, we’ve covered step one, right? We’re far enough away from home that no one will recognize us. We’ve got a full tank of fuel and enough rations to last two weeks if we play things right. What’s step two? How are we going to get Raph and Donnie back?”
“First off, we are going not talking about things where anyone passing by could hear us,” Leo chided under his breath, turning back to Mikey with a roll of his eyes.
“There’s hardly anyone around!” Mikey protested.
“And there are even less people around in hyperspace,” Leo retorted, flicking his fingers in a dismissive shooing motion, “so go start the pre-flight checks so we can get out of here.”
“Ugh! Fine! Be that way,” Mikey groaned, stomping away towards the cockpit with an energy only the youngest member of a family could muster.
Leo watched him go, sucking in a subtle breath through his teeth once his sibling was safely ensconced within the metal walls of the ship. He let his body sag for a second, leaning his temple against the riveted metal. Exhaustion seemed to press in from every angle, cheerfully reminding him of how large his sleep debt had grown in the week since they’d left their home and their father behind. How many nights his insomnia kept him awake, listening to Mikey’s squeaky snores while his thoughts raced at double time. Hours spent staring out the view screen as stars blurred past, fighting to keep his gritty eyes open as incomprehensible nightmares hounded the darkness behind his eyelids. What little sleep he had found was haunted by his twins’ parting words, repeated over and over like a tattoo beaten into his brain.
Find me. I need you. Find me. I need you. Find me. I need you. Find me, find me, find me…
I’m coming. I swear.
“Cmon Leon,” he muttered, pushing himself upright, shaking out his sluggish limbs and angling body towards the hatch as the engines hummed to life. “You got this.”
“Good job on the pre-flight munchkin,” Leo called, plastering a bright grin as he sauntered through the door. “Now outa my chair.”
“Doesn’t have your name on it,” Mikey supplied the rote reply, fingers tapping a happy beat on the consul. “I can launch us.”
“Not on your life brat,” Leo answered as he shoved his brother out of the pilot’s seat, snickering at the indignant squawk that followed.
The controls were comforting weight in his palms as he smoothly guided the ship up and out of station, the restless need to move in his soul settling slightly as velvety folds of the cosmos greeted them once more.
“Can we talk about things now?!” Mikey asked peevishly, flopping into the copilot seat.
“Sure. We can talk. We can talk about the stars, or the latest holo’s. Or where you put those strawberry ration bars. Or-”
“Leeeeeeeo,” Mikey cut in, drawing his brother’s name out in a sing-song tone that barely covered the hard edge reflected in his smile. “What’s the plan? I know you have one, you always do.”
“Of course I have a plan,” Leo hedged, careful to keep his eyes forward and smile easy as Mikey eagerly leaned in towards him.
Perhaps “plan” was a generous way to describe the looped track of findthemfindthemfindthem that had dominated his mind from the moment he’d stormed away from their father, drowning in a hurricane of disbelief and fury. He could not remember where he’d gone to wait out the remainder of that day, or what he might have done. He could barely remember sneaking back into the house to fill a bag with clothes, food, and a few meaningful trinkets. The need to move, to do, to fix things had simply been to great for rational thought to penetrate.
Finding Mikey waiting by the shuttle that night had been like a bucket of ice water to the face, the tempest of his emotions spluttering under his baby brother’s boundless spirit and unyielding will. Every smile, laugh, and hug soothed the embers further, calming the storm enough for clearer thoughts to fill his sleepless nights. Thoughts that wasted little time in confirming just how supremely stupid he’d been acting. Donnie and Raph out matched them in both strength and training, and if their last meeting was any indication, neither was likely to be open to simply talking things through. Mikey’s force abilities were fledgling, and Leo’s were inconsistent and unstable at the best of times. Following his feelings would have led him straight into an early grave. and now it wasn’t just Leo’s shell on the line.
Leo could admit, if only to himself, that he was still flying utterly blind through this. He did not have a plan. No clear course to retrieving those they had lost. But Mikey didn’t need to know that. Leo was nothing if not a proficient performer. Short a plan, he reached for his next best skill, improvisation.
“We are never going to match the people who have Raph and Donnie as we are now. They've proven they can wipe the floor with us,” Leo started as he sat back in the pilot’s chair, idly scooping up a spare gasket to roll through his fingers as he stared hard out the view screen.  
“What’s this “with us”? I seem to recall only one of us getting their shell beat,” Mikey answered with a proud smirk, only to let out another squawk as the gasket nailed him between the eyes.
“As I was saying,” Leo grumbled, “If we want to stand a chance of saving our brothers, we need to get stronger. And to do that we'll need a proper teacher.”
“But who could do that?” Mikey questioned, absently chewing on his lower lip as he cocked his head in thought. “All the Jedi are dead.”
“Splinter survived with two kids in tow,” Leo countered, smiling his most confident smile as he piloted them away from the fuel station. “If he could do it, I am sure there had to have been others who got out and went to ground.”
“Yeah, but… finding a random Jedi hiding in the galaxy… isn’t that is like finding a needle hidden in an ocean of needles?”
“You’re right,” Leo acknowledged, thinking hard. “But we aren’t looking for any random Jedi. We… are… going to find Master Karai. She was Da-Splinters Master. If anyone survived the purge, it would be her, I know it. We just need to find her somehow.”
“Oh!” Mikey perked up, sparks dancing in his smile as he reached out and unsteadily called the holocron to him with a wave of his palm. “We can use dads holocron and the force to find her!”
“Huh?!”
“If she was dad’s master, then he must have gone a lot of places with her. Places she might have gone to hide when the temple was destroyed. If we use the force to look through the maps, maybe it will tell us which one.” Mikey reasoned, tongue poking out between his lips as he tossed the glowing cube between his palms.
“A nice thought, but that's not how the force works Mikey,” Leo declined with a shake of his head.
“How do you know?”
“I just do.”
“How come?”
“It just…doesn’t?”
“That doesn’t sound like a good reason to not try. The recordings of Master Plo Koon said that the force is in everything.”
“It is, but it is not like my magic tricks Angelo. It can’t just make things appear,” Leo tried to explain, struggling to dig back into hazy memories of temple classrooms and supreme boredom. “They told us Jedi masters could use it to pick out individual force signatures in a crowd, but only if they were familiar with the person or knew what to look for. I mean, not even Grandmaster Yoda could find someone all the way across the galaxy!”
“Master Plo also said the force has a will of its own. What if the force wants us to find her?” Mikey countered, staring hard at the holocron before looking up at Leo with hope burning strong and bright. “It led Raph and Donnie to us, I know it. And, I don’t think it would have done that if it didn’t want us to help them. If finding Master Karai is what we need to do that, then I just…I have a feeling the force will steer us in the right direction.”
“Mike…”
“What do we lose by trying?” Mikey coaxed, holding out the holocron.
“It’s…yeah, okay. Sure. Knock yourself out,” Leo sighed, looking away with half shrug.
“We. We can knock ourselves out. Because we are going to do it together.”
“Uh, no we are not! Do I need to remind you of all the reasons why it would be really bad for me to try to use the force? Particularly in a tiny ship in the middle of outer space?!”
“I don’t remember her. Not like you do. And you were the one who just said that a Jedi needed to know the person they were looking for. You don’t have to do anything big, just try to focus on your memories of her. What did she look and sound like? How did she feel in the force? Tell me about it, and I’ll handle the razzmatazz side!”  
Maybe it was the sleepless nights, or the lack of better options no matter how hard he scoured his brain for one. Maybe it was that he had never developed a full proof defense against Mikey’s “please” face. Either way…
“Fiiiine,” he groaned, engaging the autopilot with a flick of his wrist before flopping back in his seat. “I want it on the record that I am humoring you, because there is no way that is going to work. And I am calling the right to rubbing it in when it doesn’t work.”
“And I will be happy to make you eat an “I told you so” sandwich when it totally does.” Mikey replied, beaming. “Now let’s do this!”
Leo reluctantly swiveled the pilot’s chair to face his brother, knocking their knees together. Mikey released the cube, the device opening as it rose to float between them.
“Man, this is stupid,” Leo muttered, begrudgingly holding his hands out, palms turned towards the cube as though warming them on the world’s worst campfire.
“You’re being stupid,” Mikey replied absently, copying Leo from the other side. “Stop complaining and tell me about Master Karai.”
“What’s there to say? She was a dedicated Jedi. She was awesome with lightsaber combat and could be strict when it came to training.”
“How did you meet her?” Mikey coaxed.
“She volunteered to take shifts in the creche whenever she rotated back to the temple,” Leo replied, taking a deep breath to steady himself before reaching back into cobweb covered memories. “She could be a bit awkward sometimes, but she…she cared.”
Leo smiled faintly, eyes slowly losing focus as his attention turned inward, mind wandering further down the paths of remembrance.
“She was loyal to the council, but she never really followed their stances on not forming attachments. Even though she wasn’t in the creche often, she was one of the few people who took the time to understand the four of us. Our personalities and what we needed as individuals. You used to spend time between her visits drawing her all kinds of pictures, then you’d make her sit down and go through each and everyone of them. She’d give you her full attention, every time.”
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“She sounds nice,” Mikey murmured, eyes falling to half-mast as he tried to reach for that fickle feeling of the force inside of him.
“She was one of the few that had the patience to understand Donnie, to see him for the genius he was. She never scolded him for things he couldn’t control. She tried to learn what set him off, and tried to get things that would help him cope when I wasn’t there, even though it was against the rules. And she was always there as a listening ear for Raphie. He always looked out for us, but Karai was the one he went to most with his problems. She could always tell when he was getting upset, and she’d take him somewhere to let him blow off steam.”
“And what about you?” Mikey mumbled, closing his eyes fully as something warm bloomed in his chest. Something that crackled like the brightest bonfire, filled him from head to toe with warmth. It swirled in his veins, happy to dance, happy to be, yet unhappy to be so alone. It stretched instinctively towards a distant, cloudy aura, a weak glimmer of deep blue lightning flavored with ozone and storm winds. Seeking, searching.
“She got me,” Leo trailed off.
Lightning blue flinched, shying away as the golden fire prodded it.
“What did she look like? What did she feel like? Do you remember?” Mikey mumbled, fire following some unspoken instinct to keep going. Between them the holocron began to rapidly cycle through maps.  
“She was about my current height. Long black hair. She liked to wear two strands down by her face with the rest pulled back. Light skin, black eyes. She liked to wear long green robes while at the temple, and we used to love to pretend to hide in them. She was…she felt like your favorite blanket after a day in the cold, or my favorite cup of tea. Soft and reliable, and safe…”
Fire hummed. Lightning sparked, finding that tiny, barely mended gap.  
“She made us feel safe.”
For a moment, lightning touched fire. Something snagged, a loop of thread pulling tight. Mikey snapped his hands closed, holding onto it with everything he had. The holocron went still, washing the cockpit with a triumphant glow as it presented the chosen map.
“Omigosh it worked!” Mikey cheered, eyes snapping open to eagerly take in their new destination. They had done it! He had done it!
“Take that Le…Leo?”
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His older brother was pale, beak scrunched and shoulders faintly trembling with pain as they curled inward. One hand covered his eyes, fingers digging deep into the sockets as the other hand clutched his chest. Sharp breaths whistled between clenched teeth as a slick of dark red rolled steadily from his nose. The impression of wind and ozone quickly fading away as Mikey scrambled out of his seat.
“Shell Lee, I’m so sorry! What can I do?!”
“It’s fine,” Leo mumbled, leaning away from Mikey as he pulled himself upright. Enthusiasm for their accomplishment fizzled out like a dying sparkler as Mikey watched, chewing anxiously on his cheek as he frantically ran through a check list of this brother’s symptoms.
“Are you dizzy? Nauseous? Is anything numb? What’s your full name? Where are we? Who is the-“
“Whoa Angelo! Slow down. Kinda to the first, meh on the second, no on the third, and I don’t need a concussion check. It’s the usual stuff. Mainly just a headache.”
“You sure? The way you’re holding your chest-”
“Yes, I’m sure. Relax Angie, or you’ll start getting wrinkles to rival Splinter.”
The balm of relief coated his nerves as Leo relaxed back into his seat, expression shifting from a pained grimace to an indolent grin as he casually wiped his face with the back of one hand.
“Plus, I didn’t blow anything up this time, so score me some bonus points!”
Mikey huffed, gently shoving at his older brothers’ shoulder before pushing himself back to his feet. Headaches weren’t new. Headaches they could handle.
“Do you want a stim shot?” he asked, glancing at the ship’s small med kit.
“Nah,” Leo denied with a dismissive wave. “We’re better off saving supplies, just in case. I’ll just nap it off once we set coordinates for… the Yakai system?”
“Yeah, that’s what the holocron landed on! Do you know it?” Mikey inquired, leaning in to admire the holomap that still floated between their seats.
“No but look at it Mikey. There’s nothing there. Just an asteroid belt and some low-grade planets.”
“Sounds like the perfect place for a Jedi to hide out!”
“Low-grade means no organic life dumb dumb. Nothing lives there.”
“But there isn’t any harm in going to look!” Mikey rejoined, straining to lean across his brother towards the autopilot.
“Ack! Mik-sto-getoff! We aren’t wasting the fuel.”
“Sorry, can’t hear you!” Mikey chirped, beaming as consul chirped to indicate the successful input of the coordinates.”
“Ohmi-”
“Lets just go and have a quick look! If we don’t find anything we’ll do things your way from there. Unless you’re scared to admit I could be right…”
“…Fine. But not only do I get to rub your face in it for eternity, you’ll owe me. Whatever I want, whenever I want it.”
“I can’t wait. Now go lay down. Autopilot says six hours till we reach Yakai.”
Leo whined and grumbled as he was prodded out of the pilot’s chair, dragging his feet as Mikey herded him to one of the benches.
“You nap, I’ll fly.” He insisted, pretending to ignore the dark bags gathered beneath his brothers’ eyes when he pulled off the blue mask.
“It’s not flying if the autopilot’s engaged,” Leo sniped petulantly, laying back reluctantly when Mikey pushed on his plastron.
“Whatever you say. Nighty night bro!”
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still-fatemeh · 4 months
Text
失 しっ 敗 ぱい (shippai)
Dark era! dazai X prostitute! reader
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[The reader has a name, again. Because I don't like putting the word y/n into the fic, but this isn't really an oc, you can read your name instead of the character's. Tsuneko was the name of the bartender yozo commits double suicide in No Longer Human, that results in his survival and tsuneko's death. I've written this a long time ago, its ooc and full of mistakes but bare with me I'm writing another one that's better. Dazai acts younger than his dark era counterpart but he's addressed as an executive, his age something between sixteen to seventeen. But I wrote this with fifteen dazai in mind, which makes the age of the girl a bit too messed up, so I abandoned it. She's a year younger. And yes, I stole one too many parts from the light novels 'cause my english wasn't that good at the time. Enjoy (^3^)/]
It was a dumping ground-a place long forgotten by all. Beneath the stormy sky of the night lay haphazard piles of shipping containers, one on top of the other like dead bodies. Toxic substances illegally dumped in the area seeped into the open soil. Even field mice knew to stay away.
The sound of high heels clicking on the ground and dazai's soundless dress shoes was the only thing that could be heard at such hour at night. The figure in red dress was a guest, stepping hesitantly behind dazai. Tsuneko had been doubting her decision one too many times now, but was following him meekly nonetheless.
Not located on any map, this was the loneliest place in Yokohama. And near its center lived Dazai.
Dazai didn't live in a house, though. He lived inside one of the thrown-away shipping containers originally used for exporting cars to foreign countries.
As soon as dazai stopped walking, tsuneko questioned.
"Where's this, dazai-san?"
Dazai turned and looked right at her with a sheepish smile as he put his hands in his pockets.
"It's a good hideout for you tonight."
He turned back to face the front once again and took two more steps forward before stopping.
"The reason I'm taking you here is because you need a place to stay for tonight, as simple as that. And this is as far away and secluded as a place can get in the city. There's no better hiding spot for someone. Don't worry. I won't kill you."
He said with a soft and carefree laugh that made a shiver run down tsuneko's spine.
She entered the container after dazai did, as quiet as a mouse. After dazai turned on the only light, she observed the inside with a confused look.
Inside the large container was a refrigerator, an exhausted fan, a desk and chair, a bed, and a small and a naked light bulb.
"Is this where you live?"
She asked with a skeptical tone of voice.
"Unfortunately, yes."
He turned and faced her as he folded his arms behind his back.
"The organisation I work for could supply me with a house but I don't care for that kinda thing. This place is enough for me."
He tilted his head ever so slightly and stared at the ceiling for a moment as a thoughtful look came across his face.
"Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?"
"No, not at all... Go ahead."
Tsuneko answered as she kicked off her heels. She wasn't as tense as before. She didn't even seem uncomfortable because of the oddity that was the shipping as a home. Dazai assumed she'd seen worse, so that wasn't a big deal for her.
"What's it like living at the brothel?"
He turned and looked directly at her with a solemn expression, he then walked over to the light switch and turned it off, leaving only the gentle glow of the outside night sky shining into the container from the gaps in between the metal walls. He then took a seat back on the bed and motioned towards her.
"Sit with me."
"It's... nothing pleasant."
She finally spoke with a hint of disdain in her voice though she managed to flash him a faint smile of gratitude for sheltering her tonight as she slowly walked towards him, the sound of unsure feet stepping on the metal flooring cutting through the silence.
"Why do you wanna know?"
Tsuneko sat on the bed, giving him a glance from the corner of her eyes. Baby blue, and glassy like porcelain, shining in the dark.
"Just curious."
He smiled with his gaze still locked onto her pale, azure stare. He could understand her cautiousness and uncertainty. She had been living on the run, and she was right to be afraid of him. However, in this specific case, she had no reason to be wary. As weird as it sounds, right now dazai's intentions were pure.
"Does he hurt you a lot? The owner I mean."
Her eyes darted to the ground, looking somewhere in the darkness with a solemn face.
"He raised me, I have no right to complain. And now he wants the money he spent on me back."
She sighed, shaking her head, trying to forget the stinging wounds and the screaming, especially the night that never fades in her memory.
"But it was too much money in a really short time..."
Dazai let out a breath and looked down at the bed in a melancholy expression as he listened to her.
"So how many years of your pay go to him, then?"
His voice was soft and gentle, but his eyes were cold in an unsettling way as he waited for her reply. It was something he knew, but wanted her to say it herself.
"Two years of my pay 'til now, the filthy money that I made since I was fifteen. He wants the rest of it whole, and I have no such way of getting all that much money all of a sudden."
Her eyes were empty, they reminded him of his own when he looked at his reflection in the mirror.
She went silent a few minutes, before speaking again.
...
"I've always wondered dazai-san, is there a reason you wear bandages on the right side of your face, is there an injury?"
There wasn't an injury.
A random question, to distract herself from the demons of her past.
A slight chuckle and a grin crossed his face as he looked at her.
"There's no injury. It's purely cosmetic. I do it because it looks neat! That's pretty much it."
He then paused in thought, looking into the shadows with his one visible eye.
She merely cocked a brow at his response, her eyes glimmering in that darkness with something akin to amusement.
"I've never seen anyone use bandages as cosmetics, it's weird honestly. Are you trying to make your soul look more pretty and beautiful? Because your appearance only looks more frail and sickly with them on."
She teased, a quiet chuckle escaped her lips.
"Heh, you sure have a way with words."
He tilted his head in amusement as she teased.
"So basically you're saying I look ugly with the bandages and even more ugly without them?"
She snickered lightheartedly at his response.
"No, you're quite a handsome guy, in my opinion..."
She praised him with a giggle, it felt like a mother praising her little son in a new outfit. It didn't sound flirtatious at all.
Dazai blinked, a perplexed look flashed over him for a few moments as tsuneko praised him in a motherly way. He wasn't sure how to take it. It wasn't unpleasant just a bit strange.
"Tell you what. I'm feeling generous tonight. How about, for tonight only, you can call me dazai, just dazai. Not dazai-san. There's no need for such 'honorifics'."
A smile tugged at the corner of his lips. He wanted to keep himself detached but that little smile gave away his hidden emotions.
She tilted her head to the side, looking at him with a surprised expression.
"I'm aware you don't like me asking personal questions about you but, what do you do for a living, dazai?"
He just tilted his head in a more thoughtful manner.
"You know the Port Mafia, right? Well... I'm a member of this group. Specifically an executive."
He explained it with the most casual and relaxed tone of voice possible.
She snickered even louder.
"Yeah, also, I'm not a whore, I'm an actress playing roles in hollywood!"
Tsuneko joked in an exggrated manner, not taking his statement of being a port mafia executive seriously. She thought he said it as a joke.
Port mafia was a terrifying organisation, there's no way this lump of bandages could be working there. You needed to be an inhumane monster to be able to do such dirty work and also, the money was probably filthier than the money she made.
"Where do you actually work? Or are you just loafing around in a shipping container living off unemployment benefits from the government?"
Dazai just stared at her for a moment as she spoke. Then, out of the blue, he just started laughing. And when he started laughing, he continued laughing louder and louder. At first it was just a light chuckle, but soon it turned into a hysterical laughter. He held his right arm across his chest as the left gripped his sides.
His body started shaking from the laughter as his mouth formed a wide grin.
"Why? Why do you think so hard about me being an executive of the Port Mafia? Is it impossible for you to believe?"
His hysterical laughter made tsuneko gulp hard, trying to make sense of dazai's behaviour.
He was a bit nuts, that was for sure.
"But, my guy... People like mafia executives are filthy rich, they don't live in shipping containers or go to dingy brothels for a night of fun. They are important people with loads of money, a number that you and I can't even dream of, at least I can't."
Tsuneko was just a girl. Compared to him, she was as innocent as a lamb.
She just tapped her index finger on her bottom lip in an overdramatic display of thoughtfulness.
"To me, you seem to be from a rich background. You are intelligent, educated and well-spoken and your clothes look quite expensive. Maybe just the fact that you weren't raised properly. Something happened and you aren't with your family anymore. Did they disown you or something?"
The girl's assumptions were based on her logic and proofs but only this time, she was dead wrong.
To an outsider, seeing the title of Mafia executive on a guy who could easily be mistaken for some kid would be a hilarious joke. But they wouldn't be laughing if they saw Dazai's list of achievements, a dark and bloody list.
Around half of the Port Mafia's profits those past year were all thanks to him. A little girl like her couldn't even fathom just how much money that was, nor how many lives were lost as a result.
Dazai's laughter continued as he placed his hands on his knees and hunched over in delight. His hair fell over his eyes as his voice was muffled from all the laughter.
"Oh, tsuneko-chan! What a silly little girl you are."
He looked up at the shocked and to an extent concerned girl with a wide grin.
"You're right about one thing, I came from a wealthy family. And no, I was not disowned by them. I left of my own will. Why? I was bored. The answer's simple like that. I just got bored."
She flashed him a semi-worried expression and her brow shot up in confusion upon hearing his intense laughter.
:"Are you okay, my guy? Like... are you fine? How much did you drink at that bar?"
She shook her head with faux disappointment.
"I'm completely fine."
The corners of his mouth curled up into a faint grin as he stared down at the girl.
:"You left your family, because you merely got bored?"
She asked, a little perplexed by that apathy.
:"I don't know why... But that's completely up your alley, dazai."
Tsuneko's tone shifted to a more serious one as she said that.
"Yes, it is exactly something I would do. It's not that hard to understand."
Dazai took a moment to calm himself as a more serious expression crossed his face.
"You know, you're awfully curious, tsuneko-chan. You've asked me quite a few questions."
He raised his eyebrows slightly as he looked down at her.
She gives him an unconvinced expression, her brows knitted together in confusion but she eventually just sighs softly.
"I get that a guy like you might get bored of his own family, It sounds like something you would do because, yeah, that's totally up your alley. But... But... Do you not miss them? Did you not love them? Didn't you want any of that inheritance money?"
She asked, with sincerity in her eyes. Despite the fact that her mother died in a brothel, she'd still give up her life to see her just one more time.
He stayed silent for a moment as he considered her question.
"Miss them? Love them?"
Dazai's eyes narrowed as he looked into the dark void once more.
"Of course I miss them. That kind of attachment does not disappear in a few months. And as for love...."
He closed his eyes and chuckled.
"I've heard of it before, but what exactly is love? What is 'missing' someone? I may be a simple-minded individual, but I have not yet learned any of these things."
She takes it back, he is more than a little nuts, indeed.
"Love is an attachment, an attachment to life."
Tsuneko answered, her eyes and expression blank though her tone was slightly grim.
"You wanna cherish the one that you love. That type of attachment leads to sacrifice... It's when you put someone else before yourself."
She spoke with a far off look on her face.
The word 'love'. Did it have any meaning? Love was filth for people like her.
"You know... I think I figured why you want to kill yourself so bad. We accept the love we think we deserve, you think you don't deserve any. You view yourself as a stranger, dazai."
She gently touched his hand, as a form of reassurance.
"Do you think I need someone telling me that?"
He stared down at her her hand as the corners of his lips curved upwards into a light smile. Something about the gesture was quite touching.
"But thank you, the way you spoke about love sounds beautiful. I haven't seen much love and attachment in this cruel world thus far. It is quite nice."
He remained silent for a moment, lost in thought.
"Hmm, am I a stranger to myself? I suppose you could be right. I never really thought about that."
A faint frown grew on his face as he looked up at tsuneko again.
"It looks as if you are."
She just commented with a soft sigh.
But she wasn't looking at him, it seemed that she was somewhere far away, truly deep into her memories. With the far off and grim look on her face, dazai could guess that they were far from good memories.
She intertwined their fingers and brought it to her lips, pecking his hand oh so gently.
He flinched from the sudden action and turned to look at tsuneko, his left eyebrow raised.
"Hmm?"
He looked down at their intertwined fingers as they were brought to her lips. A light blush spread across his cheeks and his dark brown eyes widened as he looked at her in surprise.
He didn't know what he was feeling in this moment—was it pleasure, discomfort, or maybe something else entirely? The words 'love' and 'attachment' still sounded new to him.
"Tsuneko-chan, what exactly was that just now?"
He chirped with a lighthearted tone, his face not at all in sync with what was going on in his head.
Was she flirting? Was it a form of comfort? Or was it something entirely different—a gesture of gratitude for giving her shelter here tonight?
He had no idea, but he certainly felt something.
"Old habits die hard."
She spoke, seemingly nonchalant as she let go of his hand.
"What I mean is... I owe you one, I'd have to repay you one way or another... However you'd want me to."
The girl was speaking with a lopsided grin, as if unbothered by all that happened.
Dazai's face was stained by a bright shade of red. He was stunned, completely speechless as he stared at her with his eyes widened in sheer disbelief.
Did she actually just…
Did she really just offer to—
Oh.
That's exactly what she did.
He didn't know what to say. So much was happening all at once that his brain felt like it was moving in slow motion.
"Red suits you."
Tsuneko's lips absent-mindedly twitched into a pleased smile, as she said that. Her tone a bit teasing.
"I've never seen you flustered before..."
She mused, suppressing the urge to giggle.
This guy was a mystery to his core, unravelling him has to be like unravelling bandages... layer by layer. Dazai was willing to get to know her... It wasn't everyday that people wanted a whore's opinion on questions like whether or not life is worth living. He listened to what she had to say, and that was enough for her to consider his company a bliss.
Dazai's cheeks were on fire by this point. Everything she said was pushing his nerves to the very edge. She even said red suits him—his cheeks were burning up—and he didn't have any logical explanations for this whatsoever. Something about hearing these words come out of her mouth just threw him off.
"You certainly have a strange way of showing gratitude."
"Do I now?"
She said, cocking a brow in amusement.
"It's the only way I know."
The next words however, left her mouth quietly, with a sarcastic edge to them.
Umi curled up more comfortably on the bed they were sitting on, hugging her knees with a sigh.
"But all jokes aside, thank you for getting me out of the brothel without any pressure for doing... stuff, even for one night. I was really going crazy there, tomorrow when the owner wanted his money, I didn't have any chance to pay him back but now at least I can buy some time... I really owe you for tonight."
She said with a subtle smile.
"It seems that I really have a talent for getting myself into debt, hm?"
Dazai nodded at her and a faint smile spread across his face.
"You really do have a talent for that, tsuneko-chan."
He paused for a moment, his mind going over every word she said. Why did he offer to help in the first place? What was even going through his mind at this rate? As he thought, he shifted his focus of on her and raised a eyebrow.
"You're really that deep in debt, huh?"
"For... A lot of people the amount I owe the owner isn't considered much, but for me it's quite a lot of money."
She mumbled with a quiet voice, the words leaving a bitter taste in her mouth. She still remembered very well the last time she told the owner she didn't have the money, even the thought of it made her body hurt.
After a few minutes of silence, she broke it with a whisper of his name.
"Dazai..."
She looked at the ceiling with a blank expression on her face.
"Were you actually telling the truth when you said you worked in the port mafia for a living, as an executive? You weren't joking?"
He remained quite for a moment. His silence hung in the air as he stared down at the girl with an almost eerie seriousness. He wanted to say "yes" but his mouth wouldn't form the words. It was almost as if his throat was filled with concrete. His dark eyes darted away from her as his body language seemed much more timid than before. He looked away and finally muttered something.
"Yes..I was telling the truth."
Tsuneko let out a loud groan and rolled over in his bed. Her back facing him, she was internally cursing herself for... she couldn't even say for what, but her options were quite a lot.
"So that must real the real deal then?"
She said aimlessly, her hand pointed to the direction of the coat hanger, a silver pistol's handle sticking out of the pocket of his one of coats. It was one of his subordinates' that he'd Probably forgotten to return. Probably the reason she'd asked the question in the first place. She didn't look scared while pointing that out, her expression was solemn, her eyes clouded over with something unrecognizable.
There was a moment of intense silence in the air. Tsuneko was pointing her finger to and the outline of the gun in the pocket of his coat and he had already noticed her staring at it. He looked back down at his coat and then back up at her again. When he finally opened his mouth, his voice sounded strangely stern.
"Yes..It is the real deal."
The man in front of her probably was the thing he said he was, an executive of the port mafia. He could've easily be mistaken for some boy. Too young to be taken seriously. That sparked the same question again, why did he lived in a shipping container? If he was really an executive, he would've been filthy rich.
Of all the questions she could've asked, the most uselessly obvious one found its way to her lips.
"Have you ever... killed someone?"
The girl speaks with a slightly stretched out voice.
There was a slight hesitation, but he eventually answered.
"More times than I can count. The first time was when I was 14."
He answered simply, his face void of emotions despite what he was saying. His dark eyes showed nothing. He sat there as if he were narrating a story from a book instead of an admission of guilt. Yet his words held a certain weight to them. The weight of all his past deeds.
Tsuneko gulped.
She'd fucked up.
She'd fucked up so bad.
She'd trusted a guy who'd killed more people than he could count... but that was exactly it. She didn't regret her decision. A port mafia executive, an actual executive of the port mafia... If he really was from Port Mafia, she would have to be careful even about lifting or lowering a spoon in front of him. When it comes to the Port Mafia, the synonym of darkness and violence, there's no assurance that if she does something he doesn't like she wouldn't be murdered. That'd definitely hurt more than the owner's beating.
"Aren't you gonna sleep?"
Tsuneko asked dryly, the back of her head still facing dazai.
"No, not really. When I close my eyes and try to sleep, I always end up having the same nightmare."
He leaned back against the bed, putting his hands behind his head. His dark brown eyes fixed in on the ceiling for a few moments, before he looked at her.
Umi sat up on the bed and her eyes silently scanned his face, a curious expression shining on her features.
"A nightmare? Is it the same one every night?"
What it would take for a nightmare to keep a person like you awake at nights?
He remained silent for a moment. The dark brown of his single visible eye flashed with a slight spark of sympathy as he saw the sad expression on her face. She seemed so innocent yet she was stuck here. A life of pain and agony. He had to look away from her for a moment before finally speaking again.
"And... Yes, it's the same nightmare every time."
"What is that nightmare of yours that manages to keep you awake at nights?"
It was more or less a rhetorical question, she knew he wasn't going to answer him.
"The only thing I can imagine you fearing, is not being able to die."
She said that with a subtle smile.
"Maybe it's a warning of some sort."
A soft, bitter smile spread across his lips. But his eyes remained filled with sorrow and his words carried the faint feeling of shame.
"It is a warning of sorts. Not being able to die. But there is also another part of this nightmare that keeps me up at night."
His voice felt hoarse as the next words had a certain difficulty in coming out of his mouth. As he spoke, he kept his eyes trained on the ceiling. He couldn't bring himself to even look at the girl sitting in front of him.
"You really think that I would just snap and kill you for a random ass reason..? Don't you think that's a bit of a stretch?"
"Common sense commands me to be scared of the person with a loaded gun."
She whispered softly under her breath.
"Ah, I see. I'd imagine you would've met quite a lot of shady characters, working in a brothel."
"Yeah, I know. I've met lots of port mafia members, they're far from friendly if they don't get what they want. Working in a place like I do, you will see this kind of people a lot. People who are used to getting their way, one way or another."
She says that with a distant gaze and he just nods his head.
"You're funny."
Tsuneko suddenly said with a calm smile.
:"That's the first thing that struck my thoughts when you first spoke about how excited you were to finally off yourself, explaining and comparing different methods of suicide like you were comparing different games you wanted to play. Any normal person fears death, but you seem to be driven towards it, hoping for a kind of excitement. Something to cure you boredom but man..."
She spoke with a mindless snicker, albeit a little bit bitter.
"But... I bet you know better... Bein' mafia and stuff... But death isn't anything exciting. No one around me has died with dignity, they've all died like street mice stuck in a glue trap. Died in fear, in pain, in filth, in blood. So to think that you want to die so bad, really annoys me. Because death isn't anything precious to begin with."
His eyebrows narrowed as he heard her words. Was she mocking him? Was she scolding him? His mouth contorted into a grimace at the way she talked about life and death as if it was something simple. His voice was barely a whisper as he whispered back to her.
"Then why haven't you died yet? If the world is so full of pain and suffering for you, why do you bother to breathe each day? Why did you crawl out of the drainage ditch instead of just lying there and dying?"
"The less you have to lose, the more you cling to life. Hoping for something that will never come..."
She says, her smile not faltering. But it was certainly bitter now. Her gaze was as sticky as mud.
"There's also something else..."
She leaned closer to whisper into his ear.
"I'm scared of the fact that when I die, there wouldn't be anyone there to bury my corpse, no one to mourn for me. Dying in a cold dark alley, left there to rot for god know how much time."
Her pale blue eyes rivalled his chocolate ones, in terms of how much they were depraved of light.
"Let me tell you something, my guy. Death wouldn't be anything out of your expectations, nothing beyond what you would expect will appear. Death isn't the sweet release, it's just another step in life that you have to take."
He finally turned his eyes back at her. They were darker and sadder than before, void of all light. His mouth was set into a soft frown. With a weak voice, full of resignation, and perhaps acceptance, he whispered at her, his tone strangely empty.
"Why... Why didn't you just let the owner kill you back there? If the world is so pointless, and people suffer so greatly... why do you cling so desperately to life? There's nothing here for you, especially not for someone like you. Just let go already."
"I... don't want to die like a sewer rat, dazai."
Tsuneko's words came out as a desperate plea for life.
Then it hit dazai, she wasn't like him.
"My mother wanted me to become someone who she could be proud of. A person of value. I'm not going to let her down, not when she sacrificed everything so I could live."
She had nothing to lose, it doesn't matter how many times life kicks her down, she'd still stand up.
Dazai could see the determination in her eyes, the intent to survive.
"As long your heart is beating, you shouldn't waste it, not a lot of people have that privilege. "
"...The human spirit. It never ceases to amaze me."
Dazai mumbled those words under a quiet breath. His words were full of both admiration as well as some contempt. Admiration for the sheer strength she had. Contempt for the fact that she was so naive at the same time.
"Your mother must be a good person if her last wish for you was for you to live a meaningful life."
A smile found it's way to her lips, a wide, beaming smile like a little girl who'd just been gifted a precious doll. her eyes crinkled with her smile.
:"I loved her so much... and I still do. I would give up on the world just to see her smile one more time."
She mumbled, looking at dazai with glimmering pupils, dilated with childlike joy. A total contrast from her eyes a few moments ago.
"Do you want to know what my mom did when I woke up crying because of a nightmare? How she lulled me back to sleep?"
She asked with a wide grin.
"What did she do?"
Dazai asked quietly, not missing the sudden, stark contrast in her expression. There was a certain warmth that suddenly appeared in her eyes. Almost as if she were a different person.
"Why don't I show you?"
She giggled, flashing him a cheeky grin.
Tsuneko brushed a hand through her hair, gesturing him to lay his head on her lap so she could stroke his hair. The smile lingered on her lips, it was enduring in a way.
There was a moment of doubt, a moment where he considered whether accepting her invitation or refusing it, before he finally did. He slowly placed his head on her lap, looking up at her with a somewhat puzzled expression.
Her hands began to stroke his hair as she mumbled some old melody under her breath. Her touch was soft and gentle and there was something comforting and nostalgic about it. As if he'd felt it before. But despite the comforting nature of her gesture, dazai's nose was still scrunched up uncomfortably.
"Is what I'm doing right now, perhaps... bothering you?"
She asked him with a sly grin.
"No."
Dazai replied in a soft, almost monotonous voice. But there was no mistaking that the touch of her hand was soothing to him. However, he wasn't going to tell her that. There was something a little bit embarrassing about it. Still, he decided not to move or resist against her. He just let his hair be stroked and his eyes be fixed on her.
She couldn't help the smile creeping up her face, as she saw his face. Dazai looked like an awe-struck boy.
"You like it, don't you?"
She teased him in a playful manner as she ran her fingers through his chocolate locks gently.
:"Your hair is so fluffy~"
She said in a baby voice, giggling as she messed his hair. Dazai was surprised at how much it came naturally to her, being this affectionate. Tsuneko has never had anyone to shower with her affection, now that he wasn't resisting it, she continued. Just like a little girl playing with a doll, showering it with with care and affection.
For an executive of the Port Mafia this was something beyond embarrassing for him. He was being treated like a little kid again. He thought of how this would look to people if they knew the fearsome Port Mafia executive that dazai was, was laying down in the lap of a prostitute with his eyes half-closed in pleasure. But the only thing he could really do was enjoy the moment as he lay there. It felt a little bit shameful, how much this affected him. He even felt his stomach flutter as her fingers ran through his hair and she spoke in that soft baby voice.
Dazai couldn't help but consider that she had an ulterior motive from all this, that she was putting up an act to deceive him. But the thing that scared him even further, was that he couldn't find any proof for his assumptions.
The smile on her face seemed so genuine, so sincere... like she was showing him a glimpse of her conscious, how it feels when she loves somebody.
While he was looking for a sign to tell that she was acting, he noticed her smile. Her smile was soft and gentle, full of fondness. As childish as it was, her smile was beautiful. It was so enduring the way her cheeks had a red hue to them, when she looked at him like that. It was a rare moment of vulnerability on both sides.
He kept staring at her. He let everything sink in. He took in all the beauty of her smile, of her blush, of her eyes. This simple, silly little gesture was causing him to feel so much. He couldn't get enough of her eyes. He could have stayed like this forever- just staring up at her, as she stared down at him. It was something unexpected, but also not unwelcome. He felt like, for the first time in such a long time, he wasn't a cold-hearted outsider. He was feeling human again.
Tsuneko leaned closer to his ear.
"I promise... Tonight, there wouldn't be any nightmares..."
She whispered, her voice filled with a sincere certainty, she knew that tonight he wouldn't be seeing any nightmares. Before muttering something else under her breath, which he couldn't quite grasp what it was, perhaps, 'good night'?
That was the last thing he heard before he fell asleep...
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cozage · 1 year
Text
The Daughter's Return Part 3
Chapter 12: The Call Home
Start From Beginning | Next Chapter | Table of Contents | Read on AO3
Characters: female reader x Portgas D. Ace Word Count: 1.7k
The amount of times you were dry heaving into the toilet made you think your body was trying to delay this conversation with your father. You had to admit, you were thanking this baby for prolonging the inevitable. The thought of hearing your father and Marco on the other side of the transponder snail made you start another round of gags into the toilet. 
A knock came at the door, Whitey’s friendly voice asking if you were okay. 
You almost laughed at her question. How could you answer that? You were pregnant. Thatch was dead. Teach was a traitor. Ace had abandoned you, and now he was set to be publicly executed. 
You were far from okay. 
And yet, when you answered, you simply let out a weak “I’m fine!” Even though your heart and soul had been collapsing in on itself for almost a month now. 
You and Ace were supposed to be going to doctor's visits. Your baby was the size of an avocado now, if you remembered correctly from that pamphlet the nurse had given you back in Alabasta. 
You should’ve defeated Teach easily. The two of you working together would’ve been no match for him. It didn’t matter what his devil fruit was. The two of you would’ve won. 
If Ace wouldn’t have acted irrationally, the two of you would still be together. The two of you would’ve been okay. Life would be a little less bleak. 
But Ace never thought about the consequences of things. He only ever just did them. 
God, you were so tired. 
You began crying again, hot and angry tears. You wanted to scream or punch something, anything to get rid of your frustration. You wanted to create a lava flow so extreme that you created a new island from your grief. 
But you couldn’t do any of that right now. You could only cry. 
“I’m coming in,” Whitey said, opening the door. 
“Hey babe,” she said softly. “I told you it’s going to be okay. Do you really think the Whitebeard is going to let his second commander die?”
“It’ll be a bloodbath,” you sobbed. “People are going to die regardless of what we choose to do.”
“Let’s not think like that,” she said, although she knew you were right. “Let’s go talk to Pops and see what ideas come up.”
You wiped your face free of tears and took a deep breath. You had to be composed for this meeting. You had an idea, and you knew your father would only let you do it if he thought you were in an adequate mental state. The plan was risky, but at least you were the only one being put at risk. 
The snail began to call, and the knot in your stomach tightened. 
“Yes?” Your father’s voice boomed from the snail. He sounded exhausted. You couldn’t blame him. 
“Hey Pops,” Whitey said. “It’s-“
“Whitey!” His voice became more enthusiastic, but you could still hear the exhaustion. “Tell me you have good news.”
“I do.” Whitey nudged you, motioning for you to speak. 
“Hey dad.” Your voice came out weaker than you wanted it to, but still confident, given the circumstances. 
“Y/N.” You could hear your father’s voice get watery, and you knew he was just as relieved to hear your voice as you were to hear his. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”
“Listen, dad.” You took a deep breath. “I have a plan.”
“A plan?”
“If Whitey can give me Ace’s vivre card, I can intercept them before he gets to Impel Down and-“
His voice cut you off, full of rage. “Absolutely not.”
“Dad!” You cried, trying to stay calm. “It’s the best way for us to-“
“No. Your ass is coming RIGHT back to this ship and you are staying here until I say otherwise.”
“I can do it!” you argued. “I need to-“
“You are not doing it. That’s an order.”
“You know I can do it!” You screamed. You knew you were losing your cool, but you didn’t care. Ace’s life was at risk. Everything was at risk. 
“I want you to report back to the ship.” You could hear he was struggling to keep his composure. 
“That’s not fair!”
“I don’t want to hear SHIT about fair. What’s not fair is you keeping secrets! I have tolerated your rebellions and let you get away with far too much these past few months. But this is crossing a line. You WILL remain with Whitey until you return and then we will have a private discussion on your involvement in this rescue mission going forward. Is that understood?”
He knew. Of course he knew. Marco would’ve told him as soon as he read the report. 
“Dad, ple-”
“Whitey,” your father said, ignoring you. “Do whatever you have to in order to keep her on that ship. Put sea prism cuffs on her. Throw her in the brig if you need to. But do not let her get off that ship until you are here. Is that clear?”
You looked at Whitey, your eyes full of silent begging. You needed her to fight for you. To vouch that you could succeed. 
“Of course, Pops,” she said, giving you a remorseful look. “We can do that.”
“Whitey-“ you pleaded. 
“Y/N.” He sounded so tired. “For once in your life, don’t cause more problems than there already are.”
His words made tears prick at the corner of your eyes. They were harsh, but they were true. All you had done was cause problems recently. For everyone around you. The least you could do was follow this one order to return home. 
“Yes sir,” you whispered, and the line disconnected without further conversation. 
“Im not going to lock you up,” Whitey said. “But you are going to have to stay in my view the whole time.”
You gave her a weak smile, thankful you wouldn’t have to spend your journey in the cells below deck. “Just like old times, huh? When the others couldn’t pay us to be apart.”
A wave of relief visibly washed over her face, thankful you weren’t going to resist. “Just like old times.”
You slept with Whitey in the captains quarters that night. 
Slept wasn’t the right word. You couldn’t sleep. You just kept thinking of Ace, chained to a wall and being beaten and ridiculed. Had he given up on life as much as you had? 
You knew you couldn’t go get him. The fleets that were escorting him were going to be full of high level marines. Even on a good day, you weren’t sure if you could do it. Trying to do it now would be suicide. 
But maybe there was something else you could do. Someone else who could help. You just had to get to them. 
You carefully climbed out of bed, trying your best not to wake Whitey. Every creak made you wince, but Whitey stayed asleep. 
The door was the hardest part. You knew it would groan as you opened it, and there was nothing you could do to prevent the sound. 
Slowly, painfully, you opened it, your eyes glued to Whitey. She stirred in her sleep a few times, but she never opened her eyes. You finally opened it enough to slip through, and you silently shut it back into place. 
You quickly moved to the kitchen, grabbing food rations and other supplies that you would need. You were going back to the New World. It would be a long journey, especially with your current state. But you would do it if it meant saving Ace. 
You would need a bottle of sake, and you found the perfect one. A large one from the East Blue. It wasn’t nearly enough for the favor you had to ask, but hopefully he would be gracious. 
“What are you doing?”
Fuck. You hadn’t been fast enough. 
“Whitey!” You turned around, her icy glare on you. “I was just-“
“Don’t lie,” she snapped. 
“Please Whitey I…I need to do something.”
“Do you even have a plan?” She demanded. “You can’t take on that kind of naval power even on your best day, and you know it.”
“I’m not going to rescue him!” As much as you wanted to, you knew Whitey was right. You couldn’t do it alone. 
She scoffed, clearly doubting your words. “You’re not? Really?”
“I swear Whitey. I’m going to ask for help. I know I can’t beat a naval fleet, but there is something I can do. Someone I can talk to.” You looked around desperately. “Please, just go back to bed.”
She shook her head. “You know I can’t do that.”
“Whitey please-“
“I can’t let you leave after explicit instructions,” she yelled, and you feared that other people would come to investigate the commotion soon. “I’d be disobeying my captain. And you might be able to do that, but I can’t.”
Your words wouldn’t convince her. You’d have to use strength. Against your best and oldest friend. 
Tears pooled in your eyes. “Please don’t make me do this.”
She closed her eyes. “You have to.”
You took your bracelet and held it across your knuckles. “I’m sorry, Whitey. I don’t want to-“
“Good luck,” she whispered, a smile on her lips. “You can do it. You can find a way to save him.”
You swung as hard as you could, aiming for the spot you knew would knock her out. Your fist and sea prism bracelet connected with her pressure point, and she slumped to the ground, unconscious. 
You grabbed your things and took off towards your sloop, which was still connected to the back of Whitey’s ship. 
“Okay baby,” you whispered to your stomach. “Just let me get to help, and then you can make me as sick as you want, okay? Just cooperate until then. We can do this.”
You really were a terrible person. Lying to everyone around you, knocking your best friend unconscious, forcing your unborn child to go through dangerous waters with little sleep and little nutrition. You had never been this careless or thoughtless in your life. 
If you kept acting like this, you were going to die. You knew that. But you didn’t care. Ace promised that you could die first. If he was moving up his timetable, so were you. 
You took off on your sloop, pulling out the vivre card to follow. Onto the New World. 
Onto find Shanks.
--
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perseephoneee · 7 months
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𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓽𝓮𝓻 𝓘𝓘
In which, you, a lady of the ton, are forced to participate in courting season. Except that courting season comes with one particularly silver tongued Prince who is making it his mission to drive you absolutely insane.
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a/n: this is such a filler chapter, and it's also terrible, and i hate it.
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While you knew the Odinsons, you didn’t know the full extent of their history. That is until you made it home from the dance, and your sister demanded you tell her about your rendevous with Thor. You were so exhausted you could barely get the answers she yearned for.
Lady Frigga, the mother of Thor and Loki, was originally a lady of the ton but married Odin, a Prince of Norway at the time. After Frigga’s passing, Odin moved the family back to London in honor of her spirit. You found it surprisingly romantic. 
You awoke late the following day, finding the night before's events tiring. Social situations constantly exhaust you. Going through your closet, you put on a green gown, ignoring any help that could be given to you. You resented having someone else dress you. You were so in your own head as you bounded down the stairs to your sitting room that you barely noticed the man taking up space on the couch. 
“Your Highness,” you bowed, eyes wide as Thor sat up to greet you with a bright smile. Your Grandmother was perched on one of the other setees, an excited sparkle in her eyes. Oh, how you wished to squash that gleam. 
“Lady Chilton, how do you fare this morning?” Thor asked, hands clasped behind his back. He was ridiculously tall, and you had to tilt your head to take him in. 
“Well, I wasn’t taken in my sleep, so I would hazard that I’m doing well,” I said, taking slight glee at the glare my Grandmother shot me. Thor let out a hearty laugh, though. 
“I’m glad you are still in our presence,” Thor answered earnestly. “I was wondering if you would like to accompany me to the races today?”
“Races?” You dared a glance toward your grandmother before looking back at Thor’s icy blue eyes. You clasped your hands before answering. “Absolutely. That sounds wonderful.” Thor perked up at your answer, as did your grandmother. 
“Splendid, do you need a second before we leave?” he asked. You shook your head no, letting yourself be ushered out with his hand on the small of your back. You didn’t bother looking back at your grandmother; you knew she would be ecstatic. 
Of course, the carriage that Thor showed up in was immaculate, and he helped you into one of the seats. You settled yourself, adjusting your skirt as Thor joined you in the carriage and closed the door. Your hands sat in your lap, anxiously twiddling your thumbs. 
“Have you been to the races before?” Thor inquired. 
“Heavens, no,” you chuckled, catching yourself. Your insubordination was going to get you in trouble someday. Thor seemed to find it charming, though, so he just laughed. “I prefer a good book.”
“So does my brother,” Thor sighed, glancing out the window. The sounds of the ton and nature were fast approaching, and the mention of Loki changed your mood. He was an enigma to you, something you couldn’t quite put your finger on. “We’ve arrived.”
You glance out the window, taking in the scenery. The races were held near the lake, with green pastures surrounding its perimeter. Many members of society were there, and the available men were already courting some eligible ladies. Pastel colors and parasols obscured much of the natural sites you would’ve loved to see. Still, maybe you’d have time later. 
A light conversation occurred between you and Thor as he led the way to the stadium. He was attentive to your words, asking probing questions that let you know he was listening. Unfortunately, you didn’t have much in common. Still, he was kind. He respected that you weren’t a ‘typical’ lady of the ton. If you had to marry, it wouldn’t be a wrong choice. 
The truth was, you had yet to learn how races worked. You had the general idea, but you had never attended one. Thor seemed excited, so you tried your best to adopt his enthusiasm. Unfortunately, your seat had to be next to his brother's. 
“What brings the fair lady out to join us today?” Loki coos, a teasing tone evident. You rolled your eyes as you and Thor approached. Thor left to place his bet, giving you a second alone with the raven-haired prince.
“Your brother invited me,” you smile, tilting your head. 
“Looks like you found someone who enjoys your wit,” Loki says, looking out over the fields slightly teasingly. You bristle, eyes narrowing. 
“If only you could find someone who enjoys yours,” you mumble. Loki looks at you through narrowed eyes, biting his tongue as Thor returns. 
“Apologies for the delay, m’lady,” Thor says, leaning down to your height. “Hope you were able to stay entertained.”
“Conversation could be better, but otherwise, I’m fine,” you glanced at Loki, raising your eyebrows in amusement. He crossed his arms, indifferent. Thor chuckled, leading you to your seats. 
The race was about to start, and all the horses and their riders lined up. At this point, the event was beginning to feel like a Venetian breakfast– way too long. Like all the other sensible ladies, you wished you had brought a fan to stave off the heat. That would mean conforming, though, something you never excelled at. You found yourself much more interested in the race than you thought. When the horses took off, you were on the edge of your seat. One would pull in front of the other, then fall behind. You found yourself rooting for the grey-dappled horse; something quiet about its demeanor drew you in. It would’ve won; you believed that if it wasn’t for the Palmano next to it that distracted your chosen horse enough that it ended up only placing second. 
“Oh, come on!” you exclaim, standing up in a huff as the stadium erupts in cheers or disappointment.  “That was–”
“Perposterous,” Loki finished your sentence, indignation in his tone. You made eye contact, resenting the way his green eyes made your heart skip a beat. 
“What’s wrong?” Thor asked, concerned but still joyful. 
“That wasn’t very sportsmanlike,” you mumble to him, brows furrowed. 
“Life isn’t always fair,” Thor says. “Sometimes what we think is right isn’t always.”
“Sounds like something that a man who just won a race would say,” Loki sighs, sprawling out in his seat. You hide a hint of a smile, refusing to acknowledge either brother's words. 
“You two are too similar,” Thor huffs, causing you to chuckle. Too similar or too obstinate, you couldn’t tell. You did know, though…you didn’t want to spend more time with Loki.
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dearharriet · 8 months
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could you write a steve x fem!reader fic based on little freak by harry styles? thank you!!!
ty for the req!! <3 i hadn’t listened to little freak since harry’s house came out but this prompt rly grew on me :) hope u like it! (1.6K) 🦢 (cw: drinking, smoking, foul language)
A football team of college pricks had invaded the kitchen. You felt bad. In high school, the kitchen was always a haven at parties for chatting and drinking and planning to leave. What you were witnessing felt like the desecration of God’s land.
You were on the counter, where you’d stationed yourself an hour ago. The rowdy group would rotate between flirting with you and rooting through the cupboards and drawers, or roughhousing (which had broken three household items so far), or yelling.
The guy talking to you now smelled like Windex and had calluses on his hands that kept snagging on your tights.
“—and girls always say they like blue collar guys but really they’re just talking about Bruce Springsteen.”
“Mm-hm,” you mumbled a half-hearted agreement.
You’d exhausted your options, and were considering letting Windex take you home. Half of the other guys wouldn’t even talk to you, only shooting furtive glances your way.
“Have you seen how lanky that guy is? He’s never seen a day of work in his life.”
“Uh-huh.” You scanned the crowd, desperate for another chance, but only found two girls eyeing you from the punch bowl. Caught, they scampered out of the kitchen again giggling, their full cups sloshing red onto the linoleum.
“Hey,” Windex pulled your attention back to him. Your face felt warm, and you chided yourself. The girls never used to make fun of you for being liked.
“Hey,” he said again, taking your chin. You tamped down a cringe. “Wanna get out of here?”
This time when you swept the kitchen, hopeless, there was someone standing on the threshold.
There was a fuzzy familiarity about him—the nose, the big brown eyes.
Windex finally turned to see what was distracting you, and his grip on your leg tightened.
“Oh, Jesus. Here comes royalty.”
The other boys in the kitchen noticed him too, and started heckling him. The chaos of their insults made them indecipherable. You caught the stranger’s eye and smiled demurely, but he averted his gaze, and then lurched forward like someone pushed him. A small dirty blonde traipsed in behind him, speaking a mile a minute.
Windex blocked your view with his body, standing between your thighs.
“C’mon, let’s get outta here. I think the rats are moving in for scraps.” He pulled at your legs to slide you off the counter, but you anchored yourself with your hands.
“I think I’m gonna stay a little longer,” you told him, and because your subtlety is nonexistent, your eyes flicked over to the boy and his friend. Windex caught on quickly, glancing between you two and scoffing dryly.
“Right,” he said. “Have fun with that. Just don’t be surprised if his dick is softer than his hands.”
You straightened. “You can go now.”
He threw his hands up in surrender and backed away.
“You guys can give it up,” he shouted over the music and the jeering. “King Steve is here!”
The guys all groaned, dropping everything and abandoning ship.
One of them threw his cigarette into Steve’s brand new cup of liquor and it flamed. Steve jumped back, tossing the drink away from him. You gasped.
“What the hell?” Steve was giving the guy what for? but everyone else was staring at Windex. Steve’s drink was seeping into his flannel shirt, a blotch of brown over the forest-green. Thankfully the flame didn't last, so he was only soggy and unhappy.
“Real nice, bud,” Windex bit out. “My shirt is fucked.”
Steve’s friend spoke up.
“Tell your idiot friends not to make molotovs out of his damn drink, then, bud.”
“Rob, stop. Let’s just go, they were here first.”
“No, please, your highness. She’s all yours.” Windex shot a look your way, and then him and the rest of them went away.
With the guys gone, the typical kitchen crowd started reappearing. Steve and his friend seemed content to lean against the island and people watch.
You assumed she was his girlfriend after a while, but then a pretty redhead appeared and whisked her away, their fingers nervously interlocked.
Steve made his way over soon after.
“Hey.” There’s an art to charming guys, and you were always naturally talented at it. You’d dip your chin and look up through your lashes, and speak just a smidge too quiet so they’d have to lean in to hear you.
Steve, however, didn’t lean in. His mouth pulled into a strained smile.
“Hi.”
“Everything okay?”
“Yeah, um, fine.” He glanced behind you. “Would you grab me a paper towel?”
Twisting around, you found the roll on its spool under the cabinet and frowned. The section tore off cleanly and you slid it across the counter to him.
“I remember you, now,” you said before he could escape. “From school. You’re the ladykiller.”
He blew a breath out and ran a hand through his hair. You remembered that, too.
“That’s not something I’m really proud of.” He winced. “I’m trying to leave it behind.”
A throaty giggle sprang out of you.
“I don’t know if spilling drinks on people is a step in the right direction.” You were joking, but he frowned.
“Yeah, I’m, uh. I’m sorry about that.”
“Are you?” You squinted.
“No,” he said with retroactive irritation. “He was being a prick. They all were. But I’m sorry for you.”
A scoff rolled out of you, slightly affronted.
“Gee, thanks.” You folded your arms and leaned back into the cabinet. “Is this how you charm all the girls? By feeling sorry for them?”
“I don’t do much charming,” he muttered. You raised a skeptical brow. “Anymore.”
Laughing, you lifted your butt to grab the pack of smokes you had stashed away in your back pocket.
“Clearly. I’m starting to think you’re actually here for the paper towel.” Kicking a leg out, you grazed his hip with your sneaker while you pulled a cigarette out.
Steve watched you light it, something churning behind his eyes.
“I don’t get it,” he mumbled, almost too quiet for you to catch. He was shaking his head.
“Hm?” Blowing your first drag out into the kitchen, you relaxed a little further in your perch.
“Just…in school, guys always talked about you like you were odd. Freaky.” He shrugged. “You just seem like a girl to me.”
Your brows pinched, conflicted. “Oh.”
Steve kept eyeing your smoke. When he realized he wasn’t being subtle enough, he turned to gaze out at the kitchen, arms crossed.
“Yknow, I always wondered what you thought of them.”
You looked out into the kitchen, but there was no identifiable person that he was talking about.
“Who?”
Ruffling the back of his hair a bit, he said, “The guys you’d talk to.”
You hummed. Ashed your cigarette onto his forgotten paper towel.
“You mean why I liked them?”
“No, just—” Steve paused. Intrigued, you scooted to the edge of the counter to listen closer.
“Just what you were thinking.” Steve kicked his sneaker into the floor. “You looked kinda far away most of the time.”
A smile crept over your face.
“Yeah, that sounds about right,” you muttered, swaying your feet. You tried to sum your thoughts up without being long-winded.
“I think…they’re bored.” Steve looked at you and you added, “And sad.” Smiling bitterly, you looked away. “Mostly sad.”
Steve's laugh was hollow as he rubbed his cheek with the flat of his hand.
“Yeah. Sounds about right.”
You shared a look, and then shared a silence as you finished your cigarette. When you were done, you stubbed it briskly and leaned forward onto your hands again.
“Hey, so.” You cleared your throat. “I think I’m gonna go. And if I leave on my own, at least one of those guys is gonna follow me. I know you’re not interested, but, um…”
Smiling at him—a real smile, not a simper or a manipulation—you asked, “Do me a favor and walk me out?” Steve looked unsure, so you added, “You can come right back. If you don’t want people to think…”
Nodding slowly, Steve came and helped you hop down. You tried to concern yourself as little as possible with his big hands, with how automatic his decision to help you was. You failed miserably, especially when he started guiding you out by the small of your back.
Windex was shirtless on the couch, talking at a new girl who wore a thousand-yard-stare that rivaled yours. He stilled when you passed, watching the both of you with contempt, but didn’t stop you.
Outside was chilly, being night and near-October in Hawkins. You rubbed your arms over the thin sleeves of your shirt and sucked in a shaky breath. It came out as steam.
“Thanks,” you said cheerily, giving Steve's forearm a small grateful squeeze. “I’ll see you ‘round.”
You probably wouldn’t.
The gravel driveway loomed before you, and you started your trek with a huff.
“What are you doing?”
You spun around to see Steve looking at you, perplexed.
“I’m walking home.”
Steve's face flickered with emotion before he shook his head insistently.
“Uh-uh. Let’s go.” Shoving his hand into a pocket, he produced his keys and started toward a BMW.
“What? Steve, no, it’s fine. I do it all the time.”
The passenger door was already open.
“Get in the car, crazy.”
Shifting where you stood, you found yourself tempted to do just that. You glanced at the house.
“People will think—“
“That’s fine.”
A beat passed between you, and then a cold gust of wind pushed you into the cushy leather seat, and Steve closed the door behind you.
When he slid into the driver's side you asked, “What about your friend?”
He smiled. “She left a while ago.”
“Oh.” Nodding, you relaxed. Steve put the car in reverse and turned the radio up, and you laughed outright.
Springsteen was on.
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thank you for reading! 🌝
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is-on-its-way · 1 month
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Breathe Peace
Episode:  s02e08 One Breath
Part 1, Part 2
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Mulders POV He had never intended to tell her that, to tell her the only time he was able to sleep in the last weeks had been when he was so exhausted he could barely drive, but always found himself unlocking her door and collapsing on her couch just to smell the slowly decaying scent of her in the air, in that sweater; and dreaming about her coming through the door to him.
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He picks her up from the hospital a week after she wakes up. She’d called him at work the day before to inform him she was getting out and to ask for his help getting to her place. He’d come every evening after her family had left to visit her, a mix of not wanting her to be alone for a second, and wanting to be alone with her. Mostly he brought all the food cravings she requested and they ate and shouted answers at Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune and then watched reruns of whatever was on. He was really good at Jeopardy and she was really good at wheel of fortune. Yesterday, to celebrate her impending release, he’d brought her, her favorite greasy mushroom, fried egg, cheeseburger, from the local diner near work. When he pulled out a package of bright purple Snoballs, that had almost been an afterthought from the checkout counter, she’d insisted they eat them first because “Life is short!”. They split the package, squishing them together in a cheers before the first bite.
Her face lit up when he knocked on the open door. A mix of relief and excitement peaking out from behind Missy’s figure. “Hi Fox” she said. “How are you Melissa” he nodded at her. “Ready to get busted out of here?” He asked Scully, as he walked to the opposite side of her bed. “I told her I could do it but she insisted on you.” Missy looked at him with a slightly smug smile on her face. He pushed his lips together in answer and looked down at Scully looking up at him. “Alright well I’ll stop by tomorrow to make sure you’re settled okay sis?” She bent down to hug Scully goodbye. “Okay, thanks Missy” came Scully’s muffled voice from her shoulder. She smiled at Mulder before sweeping out of the room in a mess of layers of lace and boho skirts. “You kids have fun” she said at the door with a smirk. Scully rolled her eyes, and looked at Mulder apologetically. 
“She’s just happy Im back, full of the big sister energy she missed out on for a month and half.” A nurse came in with a wheelchair and started the checkout procedures with Scully. As she was being helped into the wheelchair, ‘just procedure’ the nurse had assured her, she looked up at Mulder. “Thanks for doing this. Missy would've had to drive my car and she’s a terrible driver.” Mulder chuckled as he picked up her bag. “Alright come on miss Daisy.” “Not you too.” She whined as he chuckled from behind her.
——— She walked through her apartment like a castaway adrift on her own ship. She’d grown more and more quiet the closer he drove her to her apartment. And had stood in front of the building for a solid five minutes before deciding to go in. Mulder standing silently with her, wondering if he should’ve taken her back to his place. 
She stopped to inspect everything like it was her first time here. She brushed her hand over the kitchen table as she walked from the living room to the kitchen. Mulder stood silently watching her with fascination. Wondering at how elegant she was despite everything. He cleared his throat. “Your mom cleaned up when you were in the hospital, just dusted and mopped. She didn’t want to go home but she needed a break so she came here.” “You guys stayed with me.” She knew the details of her family’s support already so he wasn't sure if this was a question. She didn’t turn to look at him just kept looking around, at the moment, the pantry. “Missy and your mom did, I…” He swallowed. She looked up at him. “I tried to find who did this to you so I could kill them.” He stated unemotionally. She blinked, swallowed and then her lips drew apart opening in such a familiar way. He was drawn back to long car rides and pit stops and her thinking face when he said something insane but worth a second thought. 
She said said “Oh” matching his statements emotion as she wandered to the fridge and ducked into it. He came as close as the dining table feeling like she was a tightly wound string about to snap. “She probably told you already but she brought you some food.” She stood up, still looking in the fridge. “But I can take you to the store… if you need something...” he trailed off, slightly perturbed by how she was being. In the hospital she’d been cheery, cheerier than he’d ever remembered. This change was worrying, but he didn’t quite know if he could or should attempt fix it. She shut the fridge, then turned her back to the kitchen to look out of the window. “I don’t feel like I missed anything, but everything around me feels different. Further away…” she said softly, far away herself. “The doctor said your memories could come back.” He was leaning against the kitchen entryway now, watching her. She was so lost being back here, he wasn’t sure if this was a good idea, maybe she should’ve gone to her moms. “I hope not” she said quietly as she turned around leaning against the window sill. She met his eyes for the first time. “Do you… did you find out who did this to me?” She asked. They hadn’t talked about it yet. Talked about what it was like her being gone. He shook his head looking down, ashamed. “I might have, but your sister” he sighed “She convinced me revenge wasn't going to wake you up, and if you… while I was… I would’ve regretted it forever.” She walked to him and brushed a hand on his arm as she wandered away.
“But we can try now. If you, you know, come back…” 
She disappeared around the corner.
“Or if you don’t…”
He found her in her bedroom staring at the window above her desk. “Its fixed” she said. “Yeah, I had the FBI cover it.” “Thanks.” She picked up the green sweater her mother had taken off the couch and folded. The sweater that felt like he had some ownership over, having spent the majority of his time he’d spent in her apartment asleep on her couch with it in his arms. “Did I leave this out?” “You left it on the kitchen table” when she looked at him confused he realized she had been asking no one, herself. “I slept here sometimes, on the couch…” He had to explain now. “I missed you” his cheeks burned. He had never intended to tell her that, to tell her the only time he was able to sleep in the last weeks had been when he was so exhausted he could barely drive, but always found himself unlocking her door and collapsing on her couch just to smell the slowly decaying scent of her in the air, in that sweater; and dreaming about her coming through the door to him. “Im sorry Mulder.” He laughed mirthlessly, shaking his head. “You don’t have anything to be sorry about Dana.” He said softly. She looked away from him down at the floor.
“Im going to shower. Will you stay?” She found his eyes. “Please?” “Of course, whatever you need. Do you want anything? I can order pizza?” “No. I think I just want to sleep.” “You have to eat, I’ll heat up the soup your mom left.” She nodded and disappeared into the bathroom.
She came out half an hour later in a robe and silk pyjamas with white piping. He motioned to the table and put a bowl in front of her. “Are you eating” she asked as she picked up the spoon. “Yeah” he said sitting down with his own bowl of chunky tomato colored soup “I’m gonna miss your moms cooking.” He said off handedly searching for conversation. She looked at him for explanation as she took a spoonful of her moms version of Maryland crab soup with chicken instead of crab like she liked. “Your mom would bring me food sometimes.” He shrugged, he didn’t want to elaborate, if he did he’d probably start crying at the table at the generosity he never deserved. At the kindness her mom had for him when he was the one responsible for losing her daughter. He looked down into his soup and ate and after a minute feeling her eyes boring into him, she continued to eat as well. When they had finished, or as finished as Scully could manage he cleaned up and did the dishes. As he walked back to her wiping his hands on his pants he said “Okay I can come over tomorrow, the same time…” The panic in her eyes was clear. He faltered, the words dying on his breath. “Stay.” She begged quietly “Will you please stay?” “Of course” he answered automatically. He hadn’t wanted to leave really, afraid she would disappear, all alone here. He put a hand on her shoulder. “He’s dead Scully.” In answer she said “I’ll give you a toothbrush” she took his hand and he obliged her to the bathroom. They brushed their teeth standing together over the sink. He found her face in the mirror and she smirked at him through her toothbrush foam. He chuckled and said speaking to her reflection “I have to pee.” Just as muffled by his own toothbrush. She laughed and answered a muffled “Okay” When he opened the door she was waiting for him. “Night Scully.” He said as he made to make his way to the living room. She stopped him with a hand slipped around his forearm. “Will you…” she bit her lip as she looked into her bedroom. There was no discomfort in her asking him to sleep in her bed, just at the thought of being alone. He understood. He wished he could tell her how much he understood. Instead he took her hand and walked with her to her bed
They stood across from each other, the bed between them and he chanced a smile at her. “You cant sleep in jeans.” He removed them. She removed her bathrobe and slipped under the sheets. He climbed in after her and was careful to keep his body from touching her. She turned off the bedside lamp and lay facing him. “Will you hold me?” Came her whisper, he hardly heard it but knew from the moment she’d touched his arm, what she was asking for. Because his mind had been screaming for it too. He obliged without question or pause. He turned over and shifted his body to her, feeling her silky pjs on his legs. His mind blank except for this moment right now, after everything. There was no want or confusion. Happiness flooding him at being able to provide her the comfort she provided him in just being alive. 
The pure contentment of her being here and alive and in his presence. She had been lost. Gone and had returned. It was beyond feeling. It was cataclysmic. It was changing him in the depths of his soul.
They were partners and they were friends and they were entwined in ways they couldn’t quite understand but at the moment it didn’t matter what the definitions of their relationship were. Tomorrow they would return to normal. That was unspoken and understood. But tonight, they both needed the comfort of each other, they needed to disappear into each others bodies, in the purest way two people could. He enveloped her in his arms and she sighed with a small vocal “Hmm” into his chest, her head fitted under his chin, her arms tucked up against his stomach, hands resting against him. She fit her knee between his legs and he wrapped his around her thigh. “I cant believe you’re here.” he said into her hair. “I feel like I’m dreaming you.” “I’m happy I’m not dead too.” He chuckled, then sighed. “Goodnight Dana” his thumb brushing circles on the spot of baby soft skin behind her ear. “Night Mulder” she sighed back, as she burrowed her head closer into his neck, reminding him of a cat getting comfortable. They both slept a deep, unmoving sleep, staying entangled as they were when they slipped into unconsciousness. Their bodies demanding rest, after so long being awake, searching. After so long, being awake, unknowing, lost. When they woke in the morning they felt rested for the first time in a long while. They stayed entwined, holding onto each other for almost an hour, holding onto the peace between them, listening to each others breath. Dozing between waking and the twilight of shared sleep. They shared breakfast and a hug and he left her to her sister.
@today-in-fic 🙏
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