#I still got one like this and I cherish it like a gold treasure

[kurlik42]

By the way. A weirdly specific question (but I guess that's what this place is for)

Does anyone remember these MFs. Where. Where did they gone. I miss them

[milesmyrales]

your watch read 11:32 PM, yet you're still awake, standing on deck and staring into the wide ocean that looks like it leads to nothing. maybe you weren't sleepy, maybe you're still hungry, maybe you needed a drink to calm you down. calm you down from what exactly?

maybe it was from the overwhelming thoughts about a certain blonde on the ship.

maybe it's because he's standing right next to you too.

it wasn't long since he joined you to watch the ocean waves and the moonlight shining through the waters, though he didn't bother to say anything let alone start a conversation. it was quite calming honestly, it wasn't bad to have some company at night.

you've had your eye on sanji for a few months now, not wanting to ruin the friendship you already have with him you decided to keep your mouth shut. it was a wise choice, seeing that he couldn't have possibly feelings for you too. you were just a mere crewmate for him, nothing more and nothing less.

girls practically fawn over him. i mean, who wouldn't? he's such a sweetheart, such a gentleman, and such a flirt too. he flirts with every girl he sees, including you.

but to you, sanji isn't just an amazing cook, a sweetheart, a gentleman, and a flirt. in your eyes he's much more than that.

you notice a lot of things from him. from the way he precisely follows the steps for a recipe, how he smugs his face whenever he argues with zoro, the way he refuses to use his hands to fight because he's afraid to lose them, and losing them means not being able to cook anymore, and how he looks into the eyes of every girl he flirts with that's not you.

the wind is strong enough to sway your hair back, you glance at the blonde that's beside you.

and there he was, holding his cigarette in one hand while the other fits comfortably in his pocket, his hair slightly moving because of the wind. oh, how you wish you could cherish this moment forever.

he turned to look at you, "enjoying the view, darling?"

the nickname rolled off smoothly as if he was destined to call you that. you smiled as you nodded, "what about you? and what brings you here at almost midnight?" you replied.

he sighed, "a lot of thoughts. seems like you're also here for the same reason." you slightly smile at his response, also curious about what could be on his mind for him to be awake at this time.

you both continued standing side by side, enjoying each other's presence. your heart beating slightly by just being alone with him.

"have you got any advice for confessing?" sanji asked suddenly, his gaze still hovering over the waters.

your eyes widened, what lucky girl could've received a confession from sanji himself? surely he was just bluffing, right? there's no way he's in love with someone on the ship-

"nami... she's just so incredible," he said softly like a whisper but still audible to your ears.

ah, so it's her. you should've known it from the start, the way he looked at her as if he was looking into a treasure chest full of diamonds and gold. the way he secretly cares for her and the way his gaze automatically searches for her in a crowded place says a lot.

she's something that you're not. she's everything else that you're not.

sanji continues to ramble about almost everything about her, you decide to play along and pretend to listen, pretend to be interested, and play along to give the pieces of advice that he asked for.

you felt slightly lightheaded, wanting this conversation to end as soon as possible. how you wished he was talking about you instead of her. but that will probably never happen no matter how many times you've tried to be your best and get the blonde's attention.

you felt stupid. why would you keep chasing him who wouldn't even give the same effort, why would you keep chasing him who doesn't even have feelings for you?

you held your tears back, and for right now, just for today, you decided to bury your feelings even more. if it's for his sake. if it's for both yours and his sake.

[pastelraccoons]

SuleMio Week 2024 Day 3: Wedding

(If you'd rather read this on AO3, you can do so here!)

Suletta couldn't stop her worried hands. Her fingers gripped the armrests of her wheelchair enough to make them creak beneath the pressure. She stared down at her feet and looked over her pristine white dress.

She wore a bright red corsage on her wrist. The sweet scent of the flower drifted up and tickled her nose. She brushed her fingers over one of the soft petals in an attempt to pull herself together.

Come on, Suletta, she thought to herself. She took in a slow, deep breath. I know you're nervous. I know you want today to be perfect for Miorine. It will be.

She closed her eyes in an attempt to gather her thoughts. Without warning, the nearby piano kicked up into the Bridal Chorus, which immediately snapped her back to attention.

Suletta looked up the aisle, past all of their guests, and ignored their low mumbling. The large wooden doors at the end of it creaked open, and her breath got stolen all at once.

Miorine stood in the doorway. A long, opaque veil obscured her face. Her pure white dress had been broken up by intricate lace patterns of the same color. That same lace was made into gloves that covered her hands and forearms. She held a beautiful bouquet of flowers in her hands by her abdomen.

Even though Suletta couldn't see Miorine's face, butterflies fluttered wildly in her stomach. They kicked up into high gear once she started walking slowly down the aisle. She nervously twisted the skirt of her dress atop her lap. Her heartbeat picked up when Miorine finally stopped in front of her.

Suletta could barely make out her peaceful expression past the veil. Miorine kneeled in front of her and lowered her head slightly. Suletta took a deep breath and held it to steady herself before she reached out to grab the edges of the veil. Her hands shook a bit when she finally revealed Miorine's face.

Everything became still all at once. The butterflies finally settled down. Her heart calmed its frantic thudding in her chest. Everyone's hushed whispers fell silent. She could finally breathe easy again.

Suletta felt tears of happiness well up in the corners of her eyes. She gently cupped Miorine's cheek and brushed a thumb against it.

“You look beautiful,” she whispered.

A light pink blush dusted Miorine's face when she smiled. It took all of Suletta's willpower to not try and kiss her then and there. The officiant politely cleared their throat to signal them to get in place.

“Sorry,” Suletta whispered.

She pulled her hand from Miorine's cheek so she could stand opposite of Suletta. She gladly took hold of Miorine's hands instead as the officiant started their speech. She knew they were saying something important, but it didn't fully register in her ears. She was too focused on Miorine to care.

Suletta shared her vows, nearly crying again when Miorine repeated them to her. If she was being honest with herself, she was waiting for a single moment.

The officiant finally turned towards Suletta.

“Suletta Mercury, do you take Miorine Rembran as your wife; in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish until death do you part?”

Suletta took a deep breath before finally saying the words she wished to say for so long.

“I do.”

“And you, Miorine Rembran, do you take Suletta Mercury as your wife; in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish until death do you part?”

Miorine squeezed Suletta's fingers and stared straight into her eyes. An air of seriousness thinly masked the obvious joy hidden there.

“I do,” Miorine finally spoke.

A hush fell over everyone when the rings were presented. Simple gold bands sat atop a velvety pillow. Suletta carefully plucked one from it and held it like the most valuable treasure known to man. She took Miorine's hand and slid the ring onto her finger.

A slight tinge of embarrassment settled in her chest when Miorine took hers to slide the other ring on her hand. She was sure Miorine could feel the nervous sweat on her palms. If she could, she didn't show it.

The officiant soon smiled, closed the book in their hands, then bowed their head slightly.

“Then you may kiss the bride.”

Before Suletta could even register what was happening, Miorine knelt down in front of her. She felt one of her hands lace their fingers together and rest on one of the armrests of her wheelchair. She rested the other on her shoulder. Miorine then quickly closed what little distance was between them in a kiss.

Suletta didn't care about the congratulatory clapping surrounding them. All she saw in that moment was Miorine and the feeling of her soft lips pressed to hers.

Miorine's hand on Suletta's shoulder moved up to cup her jaw. Suletta placed her free hand on top of it just to keep her close. Everything felt so right in that moment.

Suletta begrudgingly broke off the kiss to press their foreheads together. Miorine's clear silver eyes stared back at her. Her heart swelled with sheer bliss. The tears finally spilled over when she finally realized that they were well and truly wed.

All she could do was smile and laugh. No words would come to mind. Though her true thoughts and feelings seemed to reach Miorine as she followed Suletta’s example.

Suletta brushed the tears from Miorine’s cheeks, and she sniffled herself. She opened her mouth to say something, but still nothing came out. Instead, she just pulled her into another kiss.

A kiss filled to the brim with an “I love you.”

[lovelytsunoda]

birthday girl | mickey “fanboy” garcia

summary: used to feeling like an afterthought on her birthday (mostly due to its proximity with christmas), mickey sets out to make sure that his sweet lover girl feels treasured and loved

pairing: mickey “fanboy” garcia x female reader

warnings: 18+ content, 'birthday girl' is used in a sexual context, its part of smutmas so idk what yall are expecting but its gonna be smutty

author's note: i totally wasn't planning to write this about eddie rojas from season 3 of the lincoln lawyer before i realized that there was only one post in his tag and not a single gif of his adorable face-

birthdays were seldom easy for people unfortunate (or fortunate, depending on how you looked at it) enough to have their special day land in such close proximity to a major and widely celebrated holiday.

every year, her birthday felt like an afterthought. while her sister spent her birthday with friends, or going out to dinner, her birthday was spent doing housework and preparing the house for when family came over the celebrate christmas eve the following day.

all of that changed when she met mickey garcia.

mickey went out of his way to make sure that she felt loved and cherished on her birthday, and for the first time in a long time, her birthday didn't feel so lonely.

the spent the day out on the town, starting with the christmas market and village, stopping for pictures with all the brightly lit trees. (technically, they started with breakfast in bed, where y/n was presented with a hardback copy of a new book she had been wanting to read, and a silver bracelet that she swore never to take off, but who was keeping track?) and ended with dinner at her favourite italian restaurant. after the meal, the waiter brought out a chocolate cake with 'happy birthday, mi vida', and she almost wept with joy.

she didn't want the night to end, and it would appear that mickey didn't intend to let it end so early himself, a giddy smile on his face as he led her towards the bedroom.

"do you remember when we watched fifty shades of gray and i was slightly drunk and asked what would be in your sex room if you had one?"

"you were more than a little drunk, mickey." she giggled. "but yeah, i remember."

"and you said that all you needed was a soft bed, some massage oils and a few scented candles."

"and a record player."

"right, we can't forget the record player."

"mickey," she raised an eyebrow at him. "where are you going with this?"

mickey just laughed, shaking his head as he reached for the bedroom doorknob. "just you wait."

beyond the threshold, there was a path made of fake flower petals, in a soft blue tone, winding towards their double bed. on top of the bed, was a towel clumsily folded into the shape of a swan, and a shiny gold box. lofi music hummed away in the background, no doubt from the speaker connected to mickey's phone.

"every year we say we're going to get that record player, and we still haven't, so i had to improvise."

"mickey, this is incredible." she smiled, kissing him gently.

"all for you, birthday girl. now why don't you go sit on that bed and make yourself comfortable, while i make sure i have everything i need to make you feel your best."

she sat at the foot of the bed, leaning over to open the box, which was embossed with the logo for the body shop. as she was pulling the lid off the box, the speaker crackled behind her, the lofi soon replaced with george micheal's 1987 solo debut. inside the box, nestled among tissue paper, was an assortment of body butters and balms. she unscrewed the lid from one of the balms, taking a sniff of the pleasantly scented cream.

"still can't bring yourself to go into a sex shop, can you?"

mickey beamed at her, dropping to his knees by her feet, shoulders swaying in time with the music. "i'm a good catholic boy, remember? if my mother even got an inkling that i'd been to a sex shop, i'd end up buried under her flowerbeds. did i ever tell you about the time she found out i'd been to the back half of a spencer's? besides, i know you love the body shop, and i figured we'd get more use out of body butter."

humming along to the words in ‘faith’, mickey took one of her feet into his hands, kissing her ankle before he began to undo the strap on her black high heels. he repeated the motion with her other foot before he began to gently kiss and muzzle up her leg.

he pushed up the long skirt of her black dress before getting to his feet and reaching for the dish of body butter. he lathered up his hands, and she rested one foot over his heart, allowing him to massage the butter into her legs. his hands moved gently, working out the knots in her muscles.

“how you feeling, birthday girl?”

she sighed under his touch. “heavenly”

the higher that mickeys hands travelled, gently pushing the body butter into her skin, the more aroused she got. her chest filled with warmth, her panties growing damper as she thought about just how loved mickey made her feel.

he repeated the process with the other leg, balk soaking into her skin as she wrapped her legs around mickeys torso and pulled him in for a deep kiss. his hands caressed her sides, gently urging her back into the bed and diving underneath her dress.

“you’re so beautiful, birthday girl. I’m so damn lucky to call you mine.”

true to his word, mickey garcia spent that entire evening worshipping every square inch of her body: massaging her achy shoulders, sucking on her perky nipples, eating her out until she saw stars (twice!) before he even thought about sticking his dick in her.

their bodies were intertwined underneath the ikea duvet, her cheek against the pillow and mickeys chest warm and reassuring against her back as he rocked his hips against her, his heavy cock resting a pleasant, burning drag against her walls.

above her head, mickeys hands clutched hers against the pillows, his lush lips leaving open mouthed kissed along her neck and shoulders.

moaning harshly, she turned her head to kiss mickey, his hips spasming against her.

“you’re doing so well, birthday girl. you feel like a dream.” he whispered huskily before hoping at her earlobe. “I love making you feel good.”

“fuck, mickey. right there!” she arched underneath him, trying to roll her hips against him.

he was holding back, purposely going slower and trying to drag the night out. enjoying the moment instead of chasing a high.

he dropped her hands, arms coming around to hug her midsection, holding her close as his thrusts became deeper.

“I love you, pretty girl.” he groaned, biting into her shoulder. she whined under him, a noise his body all too desperately reacted to. “fuck, baby, you undo me.”

he could feel her walls clamping down around him, hear the breathy moans that meant she was getting closer to her peak. she reached for the back of mickeys head, tangling her hand in his hair and pulling down gently.

“fuck, baby, I’m so close. oh my god, I love you.”

“I love you more, birthday girl. te amo, mi vida.”

[bullet-prooflove]

The North Star - Part One: Moments (NSFW) - Terry Bruno x Reader

Welcome to mine and @the-hinky-panda The Bronx universe featuring our favs Terry Bruno & Mike Duarte.

This story takes place several years after 'Blood Out'. Terry still lives in the Bronx and works in Manhatten SVU.

Following on from @the-hinky-panda story 'The Dog' Mike has retired from the NYPD on medical grounds due to seizures causes by the attack. He has a therapy dog called Bono and lives with @the-hinky-panda character Meredith.

Tagging: @mysoulisasunflower @legit9thlunaticwarrior   @bbyxoo  @the-adzukibean  @xoxabs88xox   @crazy4chickennuggets  @beardedbarba  @wooshwastaken   @justreblogginfics   @im-just-a-mississippi-girl  @storiesofsvu  @anime-weeb-4-life 

There were a thousand different things that Terry loved about you; it would take an age to list them all, but it started with the way you said his name.

Terry…

It was a sweet drawl emitting from your lips as your fingers tangled in his hair, tugging just a little. He moaned at the sensation, pleasure erupting through his synapses as he moved inside of you with slow, deliberate strokes.

“Oh, pretty girl, the things you’re doing to me.” He mumbled against your mouth, his thumb skating over the apple of your cheek as his lips brushed over yours once more. You whimpered against his stubbled jaw as he hit that deviant little spot inside you, the one that made your hips arch and your body tighten. “You got me right where you want me.” He whispered. “So, fucking in love with you, I can’t tell which way is up.”

You keened for him, your core gripping him like a velvet fist as that beautiful rose flush blossomed across your cheeks. It was bliss, pure unadulterated bliss and it shot through his veins like a narcotic stealing away as his breath as you climaxed. It was the most magnificent fucking thing he’d ever seen. Lips parted, head tilted back into the pillow, sensuous body taut underneath his. It was perfection frozen in a single moment.

The thing about Terry, he collected these moments, treasuring every single one of them.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

The problem with early morning wake up calls was that they always made you late. In the aftermath of this morning’s love making, you’d fallen asleep in Terry’s arms, your naked form draped across his chest, his fingertips combing through your hair. There had always been something about him that soothed you, he was the only man that made you feel loved and cherished. The only person that made you feel safe.

You were a flurry of motion and activity, damp hair pulled back into a messy bun that somehow coordinated with the tailored grey blazer you were pulling on over a white V-neck shirt that clung to your form. That tiny gold compass hung on a slender chain around your throat, a pinprick diamond glinting in the light from the cluster of Edison light bulbs that hung from the black fixtures in the ceiling.

So that you can always find your way, he had smiled when he’d given it to you for your birthday.

It was beautiful and understated, just like you.

Terry couldn’t help but be fascinated by your actions as he stood in the kitchen decanting a cafetiere of Cuban blend coffee into your polka dot travel mug. You were always a pleasure to watch, a purposeful whirlwind that had entered his life out of nowhere. He hadn’t been looking for love when he’d met you, he wasn’t looking for anything but there you were, a Sergeant in the Bronx Homicide Unit. The instant you shook hands it was like a lightning bolt had struck him, it was a raw dynamic feeling, a stirring of something more and suddenly saw the potential. He started to envision a future. He’d been living in the moment for so long after Rose had left him, he’d forgotten what it looked like to move forward. That had been almost two years ago, and he hadn’t looked back since.

“What?” You said glancing up at him, shoving some of the paperwork you had been working on into your black leather satchel.

“Nothing.” He said, a small smile twitching at his lips as he leaned on the counter. “I just like having you around.”

“I like being around.” You responded, clipping your badge to your belt.

“Maybe we should make it more permanent.”

You paused for a moment, tilting your head to look at him. There was silence between you, he sensed your hesitancy before he nodded his understanding.

“Terry I…”

The words lodged in your throat; you couldn’t seem to spit them out. They grew in your chest like an ache, swelling until you tasted copper on your tongue. It was a rush of adrenaline, your heart pounding in your chest as your back hit the wall, the shatter of glass falling around your head.

“It’s alright.” Terry said, rubbing the back of his neck. “I get it.”

He didn’t and you couldn’t explain. He picked up the keys before grabbing your travel mug, the matching polka dot lunch bag clung over his shoulder as he pulled open the apartment door and gestured for you to step through it.

“Come on, I don’t want to make you late.”

Love Terry Bruno? Don’t miss any of his stories by joining the taglist here.

Like My Work? - Why Not Buy Me A Coffee

[nakanotamu]

2023.09.24 5 Star GP 2023 in Sanjou Sanjou City Public Hall 504 people (sold out)

Hanan vs Waka Tsukiyama

The Hanan to Club Venus saga continues. I mean not really since Mariah was about to leave and it’s more just a fun interaction than a real story per se but it’s still fun seeing them interact. Anyway I thought this was a perfectly solid singles opener. Maybe a little slow but I think that’s understandable given Hanan was in the 5 Star and this is right in the peak of when people were dropping like flies. It’s interesting in hindsight given where Hanan’s at now and the two of them feuding over the New Blood Tag belts but nothing crazy, totally fine for what it is. - 3

Koguma vs Saki Kashima vs Yuna Mizumori

Wow…. Saki before the days of “No running, no bumps, no high speed”... I had fun with this but it’s also a very standard house show sort of high speed three way. It was fine and the finish was fun but there was really nothing to it and all 3 of them can for sure do more. In my insane dedication to watching my backlog shows it’s such a bummer seeing perfectly fine matches like this that just have no story running through them at all. - 2.5

Suzu Suzuki & Mei Seira vs Megan Bayne & Hanako

Mei really really brings out the best in Megan and Hanako is so good, especially for how long she’d been around at this point. I don’t like Megan no-selling and warping a whole match around her at the best of times, but she actually gave Suzu & Mei a little, and even got to lose bc she was with a rookie! She’s also at her best just literally tossing someone like Mei around, even better given how much fun Mei obviously has doing it. She took some gnarly bumps here too that were really not necessary for what the match was or this house show but I hope she had fun. - 3

Red Stars: Syuri vs Starlight Kid

I thought about skipping this match bc I didn’t really want to watch Kid bust her ankle, but she came in with it already taped up and was pretty clearly trying to work around it already. Given she was working against that I thought this was really solid and I remain pretty consistently impressed the 5 Star is as good as it was given the backstage stuff at the time. I liked Kid trying to work Syuri’s leg vs Syuri being. Syuri. And you could kind of see Daichi and Syuri using the fake checking on Syuri’s knee at the end to actually check on Kid’s ankle, which I thought was sweet. I’m sure in a better situation Kid and Syuri could do way more than this but I still liked it. Oh, and the booking of this show itself - like, the order of the card was fucked. Why on earth was this not the main. On a 5 Star show where it’s the only 5 Star match???? - 3

Mina Shirakawa & Mariah May vs Natsuko Tora & Ruaka

Every Rose Gold match is a precious treasure to be cherished, and this was the last one…. Truly tragic, not doing anything crazy but an enjoyable sendoff for a tag team I would not have expected to like as much as I did or see kiss as much as I have. I hope everyone else is taking notes. - 3

Giulia & Maika vs Hazuki & Saya Iida

This would be like a perfectly fine house show main event but again it’s just absolute nonsense that this was the main to this show. Has no character stuff really at all even, coming during a weird down period in the on-again-off-again Maika leaving DDM story that ultimately went nowhere. Not that that's their fault but it still sucks. I did actually end up enjoying this more than I expected to, my hopes weren’t high going into it but I enjoyed every combination of people in this and Hazuki and Maika in particular were really cooking, that could very much be My Shit and I’d love to see a lot more from them together. I mean I would like to see a lot more from Hazuki all of the time in any context but this was a good combo. All in all perfectly solid house show when you take into account when it took place and what was going on. - 3

[caesarclowningaround]

holy shit dude i’m so sorry for just now saying this. today was EXHAUSTING. but anyway: HAPPIEST OF BIRTHDAYS TO MICKEYYYYY!!!!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ i’m currently reading your fic, that’s what reminded me to send this lmao.

on this lovely birthday of mickey’s, could you perhaps tell me about his hobbies/interests?? like what does he do in his free time.

ALSOOOOOO please tell me any cool gifts he’s received over the years, from his mother, edward, others, whoever! his most cherished gifts 🎁

NO WORRIES!!! YESSS THE HAPPIEST OF BIRTHDAYS TO MY FAVORITE SHITHEAD MICKEY MIRANDA!!!! AAAAHHH I'M ANSWERING THIS WITH ONLY 2 MINUTES LEFT OF HIS BIRTHDAY (and it'll probably be after midnight by the time i get all my thoughts out LOL) YAAAY I hope you like it!!! 💕💕

Mickey's hobbies/interests include (in no particular order):

Gambling (from card-playing to the nastier stuff like betting on boxing matches and illegal animal fights)

Theater (he attends the opera often because he likes how being in a box with other wealthy/"important" people makes him feel, but he enjoys plays and smaller-time libretto works more. He is SUCH a theater snob and has Opinions™ on everything he sees)

Whoring (either himself or paying for company (lol that's cute. no, Edward always pays))

He has a low-key interest in fashion and always tries to stay on top of the latest trends

Cartography was a necessary hobby for him to pick up, and it helped he was always good with geography

History! He loves learning about history in general, but also the history of weaponry and warfare. The Ancient Roman Empire is his favorite

Related to above, but he's also fascinated with ancient pantheons

But even more than those, Mickey loves languages! both ancient and modern. He's fluent in Spanish (his first language), English, Latin, French, and some scattered Italian and ancient Greek. Ever since he was a schoolboy, he tried to learn as much as he could. Even though he rarely has time for learning any new ones, he owns a lot of books on languages!

Gifts he's received are a complicated matter for him. While he still has the recipe box and scarf his mother gave him, they weren't birthday gifts and he doesn't have anything she ever gave him for his birthdays. Most of his belongings he carried on into adulthood were practical objects and birthday gifts were pieces of his childhood that he mostly left behind in South America.

Though, he loves getting birthday gifts. Here's a few that stand out for him:

A gold pocket watch Edward got him for his 27th birthday. It was very expensive and it looks it, all shiny with an engraving inside that reads, "To my dearest friend Mickey, Happy Birthday". Mickey always wears this watch, though not because Edward gave it to him, but because of how admired it is among their peers. Mickey himself could not purchase a nicer watch and thus treasures it

Several of his neckties were gifts, two of which were from Augusta

An enormous painting from the embassy that Mickey keeps over the fireplace in his office

KNICKKNACKS!! Mickey loves knickknacks, from statues to decorative antlers. Just STUFF he can put on surfaces to show off he isn't the miserable little boy who has little to nothing left from his childhood. Friends of his know he always appreciates a new object to add to his collection

Books are also always a well-received gift Mickey is happy to get on his birthday

Tickets to some show or event. Edward's taken Mickey to the opera for his birthday more than once

Chocolates (because of course he loves chocolate~)

[aggimaginary]

The Bad Guys season 1: Our Own Story (chapter 23) - A Suspicious Affair

First Previous Next

Intro

Mr. Wolf: Yeah! I'm bad!

Mr. Snake: You're bad!

Ms. Tarantula: He's bad!

Mr. Hornet: She's bad!

Mr. Piranha: We're bad!

Mr. Shark: Who's bad?

The Bad Guys: Yeah!

We're the Bad Guys!

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At the News Company building. Mira was typing an article on the Bad Guys. They stopped another criminal almost doing something drastic to an innocent family. Glad that the Good Bad Guys arrived just in time to save them. That is going in the newspaper

"Aaand… done!" She typed fast in the end, and lifted her hands from the keyboard, "Phew, the Bad Guys had done it again, huh? Now I deserve my break," Mira then saved the file of her article, and opened another one. The file is just a story that she made as a hobby if she ever got bored with her job. She continued typing where she left off.

"And so, after having to have searched through many of the thriving habitual residencies where the gentlest of wildlife reside, the lonely woman finally found her savior in khaki. Callum greeted her with a friendly hug right in front of the zebra exhibit, where the zebras themselves mimic the humans' special display of bonding by cuddling one another as well. Mirabelle looked into Callum's eyes, feeling her initial despair and loneliness fade away and only for an instant because of the special moment she was sharing with the love of her life. Both humans standing together, where only the sound of the parakeets at the Aviary nearby provided a harmonic serenity to their moment. Safe in her comrades' arms feeling as snug as a joey in his mama's pouch, as if nothing in the world could ever harm her emotions as the feelings of loneliness she resided with many many moons ago before meeting the special man. Despite many eyes of the wildlife watching, it felt as if they were the only ones on Earth together, them against the world where only the army of animals around them would protect them and guide them. For someplace as chaotic as a zoo, work chaos and craziness drive among more than the animals themselves, for one single moment as the pair laid eyes, locked in a trans as steady as the stare of an owl, and shared a gentle kiss under the bringing light that made their love shine so bright, even the bats in the darkest caves could see it. Callum was a man of many passions when they came to the protection and care of the animals around him, but the most important animal that he made sure to always care for the most was Mirabelle, who to him, was like gold, a treasure he would always cherish forever and ever."

"Mhm." Mira nodded proudly for herself at this paragraph of her story. Then, she looked at her wristwatch. "Oh, almost time for lunch," She saved her file but didn't close the window. She left the computer open just in case she'll return to make some edits for her story.

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Later, a few minutes after Mira left, Shark came by her office, holding a pen.

"Hey Mira, I just came by to return your pen," But when Shark looked up, Mira's desk was empty, "Mira? Hello?" He wanted to make sure Mira is still around the room, but everyone else already left for lunch.

After dropping the pen into the pencil holder, Shark couldn't help but look over behind Mira's desk where the computer was on and her file was open, "'A Wildlife Lust by Mira Rose'. Wow, Mira really likes to write," When Shark took the time to read the paragraph Mira just wrote. His eyes slowly widened in shock, and gasped "Oh, my gosh, this is amazing! This is basically a guide to what Mira is looking for in a lover."

Just then, Piranha, Tarantula, and Hornet came by in front of Mira's desk where they found Shark behind it.

"Hey, Shark, have you caught up with Mira?" Piranha asked.

"No, but check this out," Shark said while pointing to the screen with his fin, "Mira is writing a romance novel about a woman who is unhappy with her life and begins to have a torrid affair with a lover who loves zebras. Don't you know what this is?"

"That you violated her privacy?" Tarantula guessed.

"It's a description of her every fantasy and desire. This could finally be my key to…"

"To what, making out with my friend?!" Hornet gagged, "You know, you are the worst. And I thought Snake was the worst."

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The next day, at Mira's house, Mira was doing some gardening when all of a sudden, a shadow blocked the light behind her back. Mira turned around where the shadow came from. To her shock, she saw Shark, wearing a tan safari hat, a beige khaki shirt and shorts, and brown boots, and riding on a zebra.

"Good morrow! What is thee, uh, up to?" Shark tried to get into character that Mira wrote.

Mira stood up, and asked, "Shark, is that your zebra? Wh-When did you get a zebra?"

"Oh, I've been an Equus for a while."

"Do sharks like you can be Equus?"

Shark hopped off the zebra, and patted its side, "Just my trusty steed here. We have a special connection. Me being an equestrianist and everything."

"I-I had no idea you were into zebras," Mira was unsure of this about Shark.

"Attractive, huh?" Shark smirked.

"No, seems like a hassle, and expensive. How do you pay for it all? Did you use the stolen money?" the journalist inquired.

"Well, the costs are meager when you're able to dominate and control the beast with just... the slightest glance," Shark explained whole narrowing his eyes with his fins, until the zebra attempted to eat his hat, "Stop it," he managed to pull the hat away from the zebra's mouth.

The Bad Guys were behind him as their "wingmen" as Piranha laughed, "Ha, ha! What?! This is loco!"

"Anyway, I've been speaking to my zebra in the silent language of knowing, and I…" When Shark moved behind the zebra while explaining, the zebra kicked him, and landed in front of his friends.

"Never walk behind a zebra. You would have to hate zebras not to know that," Hornet warned.

Bu Shark got back up, and walked back at Mira and the zebra, "Being one with nature…" He was behind the zebra again as he got kicked away. Shark returned, still back behind the zebra, "A mutual bond of trust…" He got kicked once again, and went back, "Different species, same heart."

That last kick caused Shark's snout to get twisted to one side. Shark confronted the zebra from the front as he fixed his snout back to its rightful place, and said in À La Daffy Duck accent, "You're dethspicable."

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Later in the afternoon, the Bad Guys were headed in front of a zoo where Shark was holding a printed copy of Mira's story after he had Tarantula secretly printed it for him back in Mira's workplace yesterday. When Shark was headed to the entrance, the Bad Guys followed him, and Wolf decided to pay for the visit.

"What the heck, Shark? I thought we were gonna get a ten-dollar scoop of ice cream with all the millennials who can afford ten-dollar scoops of ice cream but can't afford to move out of their parents and/or guardians' house," Hornet said.

"We are. But first I need to pick up this hat that Mira mentioned in her story. Where's that part about the hat?" Shark said as he looked down on the copy of the story as he and his friends entered the zoo after Wolf finished paying, "'Both humans standing together, where only the sound of the parakeets at the Aviary nearby'," Shark read while the Bad Guys walked near the bird aviary and see some parakeets flying around, "'Despite many eyes of the wildlife watching'," Shark continued reading as some pigeons and squirrels scattering the sidewalk, "'For one single moment as the pair laid eyes, locked in a trance as steady as the stare of an owl'," Shark read the last part as Snake noticed a barn owl at the zoo's petting zoo staring at them

"Uh, Shark, everything you read just happened to us. I think her book is about the zoo," Snake noted as Wolf, Piranha, Tarantula, and Hornet noticed this too.

Then, Shark turned around, and gasped with his eyes widened in shock, "Oh... my... golly."

"What?" The other Bad Guys asked.

When they looked in the direction where Shark was staring at, they saw a man in a tan safari hat on his head, a beige polo T-shirt with dark beige sleeves, and a symbol of a dove carrying grain on the left side of his chest, tan khaki shorts, and grey hiking sneakers with white laces. feeding a lovebird in his hand. His name tag was written "Callum".

"It's the guy, Callum, from Mira's book!" Shark exclaimed, "She's fantasizing about being in love with this guy. Or, who knows, maybe even is in love with him.

Suddenly, an old man approached the Bad Guys, and looked down at Piranha, "Excuse me, do you have nachos?"

Piranha was confused about what was happening when an old man asked him for food, "What? We don't work here. We're the Good Bad Guys. I... do I... Do my-do my clothes make it look like I work here?" He asked his friends.

"I think it's your suspenders, yeah," Hornet mentioned.

"They must've thought you work in the zoo's food area here," Wolf guessed.

Then, the manager of the food court appeared, with the same suspenders as Piranha, and told the little fish, "Hey, get back to work."

"I'll see you back at home, amigos. I've got to finish my shift," Piranha said as he rushed to work.

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Later, Piranha left work after his "shift", and exhaustingly rode a cab until near the bridge to prevent the driver to know the Bad Guys' secret hideout. Piranha had to walk all the way down there to get to his home. When he made it to the hideout, only he brought was a little amount of money, and a bag of food he got from the zoo.

While they were waiting for him, the Bad Guys had been doing their hobbies, except for Shark who couldn't stop thinking about Callum for being Mira's fantasy guy who was real all along.

"Guys, I can't believe it. I mean, do-do you think Mira likes this Callum guy more than me?" Shark inquired sadly.

"Maybe you're overthinking this, Shark. I mean you and Mira are just friends, remember? You guys dated just once, and that's it," Wolf said.

"Yeah, what's your big deal on this?" Tarantula asked before guessing in a loud shock, "Are you… are you in love with Mira?"

Shark shook his head, wanting to deny it, "No, not really. I mean, a little bit. Just a little school crush. She's a nice person, and she deserves better."

"And you think she deserves you as her partner for life? I'm not against it, Shark, but you know our reputation in the city. What would other people say about Mira when she would end up with a former criminal shark like you?" Snake clarified their status.

Shark didn't like where Snake was going, but for once, he agreed with him. If Mira ended up with Shark, her reputation would be ruined, and he didn't want Mira to have that kind of life. Mira already liked her life and her job, and Shark didn't want her to lose all that because of love.

Just then, Hornet received a notification from his helmet. He wore to see what he received, "Hey guys, Mira texted me that she's going out and won't be back until later tonight."

"Why did she text you about that?" Piranha asked suspiciously.

"We're texting buddies every now and then. And also she wanted to inform me that she's okay every time she goes in and out of her work and house," Hornet smiled.

Shark gasped, "Oh no, guys, she's going out and won't be back until tonight? Do you know what that means?"

When Shark turned around, all of his friends wore disguises, Wolf dressed as a cop, Snake as a cowboy, Piranha as a treasure chest, Tarantula as an anime cutesy maid, and Hornet as a Brazillian Carnival Dancer, only with a skirt and a headdress.

"Disguises? We know it's your favorite thing," Tarantula guessed.

"No, but we should follow her and see what the hell is going on," Shark suggested.

Snake groaned as he facepalmed with his tail, "Face it, Shark, you're jealous that Mira likes someone else than you."

"No, I just want to protect her from the worst decision she'll ever make, now come on!" Shark demanded as he rushed to the elevator to get to the car. The other Bad Guys groaned as they followed him, still having their disguises on.

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The Bad Guys, without their disguises anymore, arrived in front of Mira's house across to street to avoid getting caught by Mira. Wolf thought it was a ridiculous idea to drive and hide from Mira while Shark wanted to investigate Mira's "fantasy" guy, but the leader has no choice. Shark is his friend, and he couldn't let him down.

The Bad Guys waited for an hour until Mira got out of her house before locking the door.

"There she is," Tarantula pointed at Mira who walked towards her car, and drove away.

"Follow her," Shark demanded.

When Piranha opened a can of soda, and drank it, Wolf hit the pedal, causing an opposite reaction where the soda spilled all over Piranha's face, "Aw, great," he groaned, and noticed his clothes were soaked with soda too, "Just great."

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The Bad Guys continued to follow Mira. It was a little bit far from her house, but then, she parked beside the sidewalk. Wolf then parked a little far from Mira's car, but near enough for the Bad Guys to watch her got out of the car. Then, there was another car coming, and parking in front of Mira. It was Callum, stepping out of his car.

"There's Callum too," Wolf pointed.

As the gang observed, Mira and Callum opened their arms, and leaned forward towards each other.

"He's going in for a hug. They're hugging! This is insane!" Shark exclaimed.

But Hornet didn't pay attention to all that as he took pictures of Callum with his helmet, "I know. This guy. This guy is a star."

"Ugh, Hornet, this is unnecessary," Piranha rolled his eyes, feeling jealous.

"I can't believe it, guys. She met up with him here. They hugged. Mira is dating this guy. We've got to stop them," Shark said worryingly as he unfastened his seatbelt, and hopped out of the car. The other Bad Guys unfastened their seatbelts, and moved out of the car. The Bad Guys rushed to Mira and Callum before something that they expected would happen.

"Mira, don't do it!" Shark shouted.

Mira and Callum were startled as Mira turned to see all 6 of her criminal/vigilante friends, "Shark? Bad Guys? What are you all doing here? Don't do what?"

"Don't date Callum! It's not worth it!" Shark pleaded.

"What are you talking about?" Mira asked confusingly.

"Look, I found your file and read it. I thought that you wrote everything you were looking for in a lover, and, if I could embody some of those things, maybe I would have a shot with you. But then I found out Callum is real, and-and I couldn't bear to see you do something like this to yourself," Shark confessed, feeling worried for her.

But then, Mira was surprised about this from Shark, and instead of feeling shocked, she made a disappointed look, "Wait, let me get this straight. You, without asking, read something I wrote? Then, thinking I was revealing all my most intimate wants and desires, you thought that you could exploit what you read to impress me? But when you thought I might be cheating with someone other than yourself, you found that, and only that, morally objectionable? And you bring your friends here, who doesn't understand what's going on?!

"Trust us, We understand a little bit what was happening," Snake chuckled.

Mira rolled her eyes before clearing her throat to introduce them to the guy next to her, "Guys, this is Callum Kalemberg, he's my ex-boyfriend."

"Your ex-boyfriend?" The Bad Guys repeated in unison.

"Wait, so that means you used to date him?" Wolf questioned to clarify this.

"Yes, but that was a few years ago. We broke up because, well…" Mira wanted to explain, but she's not the only one who decided this break up.

Callum stepped in to explain further, "Turns out it never worked out between us. So we decided to break up."

"But if he's your ex-boyfriend and you're not in love with him, why do you have to meet up with him?" Shark asked.

"I'm just here to pick up our daughter," Mira answered.

The Bad Guys gasped loudly, and yelled in shock, "YOU HAVE A DAUGHTER?!"

Mira nodded, "Yes, I have a daughter. Ever since she was born, Callum and I shared custody with her. Callum kept her from Sunday to Wednesday, while I took her in for just Thursday to Saturday. Her school wasn't far from our houses, so there's no need for longer or shorter custody time."

"Oooooohhh…" The Bad Guys finally understood what was going on.

"And yes, I have fantasies about him dominating me with his idiot charming looks…" Mira admitted without even looking back at Callum.

"Aww, and hey!" Callum felt appreciated yet insulted about two things Mira described to him.

"But it's just that... A fantasy. That's why I wrote it in a story, because I knew that I would never act on it," the journalist finished her sentence.

Callum scoffed while his arms crossed, "It's more like you wanna take that all out through writing."

"I'm a journalist. I love to write," Mira glared at Callum before glaring back at Shark, "Ugh. I never thought a shark could be such a genuine piece of human garbage."

Shark finally felt ashamed that he tried to swoon over Mira by following what she wrote in her story, which violated her privacy, then he did something drastic when he thought she was dating another guy, who was her ex-boyfriend, out of jealousy. Shark sighed sadly, "Mira, I'm truly sorry for what I thought. It all just made sense to me at the time. But now that I see what it is, I'm ashamed of myself. I hope you can find it in your heart…"

While Shark confessed his apology speech, Snake brought a zebra behind Shark, and called out to his marine friend, "Hey, Shark."

When Shark turned around, Snake let out a loud and vicious, "Hissss!" the zebra was startled and frightened as it kicked Shark from behind. Then, Snake pulled out an apple, and fed it to his striped friend, "There's a good girl," he patted its snot with his tail.

"Okay, I deserve this." Shark grunted in pain from the kick before standing up, and approaching Callum, "And Callum, I'm so sorry that I suspected you as a bad person."

"It's okay. No hard feelings," Callum understood before turning to his ex-girlfriend, "Mira, don't be mad at Mr. Shark. You're really lucky you have good friends like the Bad Guys who were just looking out for you."

Hornet gasped, "You know us?"

"Of course. Who hasn't?" Callum chuckled.

"So, you're not afraid of us?" Piranha asked.

"Please. I'm a zoologist and a zookeeper. I love all animals, even bad ones."

"That's a little racist," Snake cringed disturbingly.

"Sorry. But I also heard about your reputation, and you still balanced your criminal lives with your job as crime-fighters. So, I'm quite impressed," Callum smiled.

The Bad Guys were a little surprised that there are other people than Mira who liked their good-and-bad balanced lifestyle.

"Wow, thank you," Wolf said.

Then, Mira remembered someone very important to her, "Oh, since you guys are here, do you want to meet my daughter?"

The Bad Guys looked at each other, and they all chanted in agreement.

"Yeah."

"Sure."

"Why not?"

"Let's see the little cutie."

Callum excitingly ran back to his car, and opened the left backseat of the car. He stick his head in, and whispered to a person inside, "Sweetie, come here. There are people would like you to meet."

The Bad Guys and Mira heard Callum's soft voice as the formers tilted their head to take a peak quickly. When Callum pulled his head out, he held a small little hand, and gently guide a little girl out of the car. She was a 5-year-old girl with blonde hair, wearing a white top, a pink skirt, and a giant red bow.

"Aawww!" Wolf, Shark, Piranha, Tarantula, and Hornet cooed to see the cuteness of the little girl, but Snake didn't care.

When Callum led the girl towards them and her mother, Mira grabbed her hand, and guide her to walk a little forward toward the Bad Guys.

"Guys, this is my daughter, Mariposa," Mira introduced her friends to her daughter.

Mariposa looked up at her mother, who nodded that it was okay, and she came closer to them.

Wolf knelt down with one leg to reach Mariposa's level.

"Hey there, little girl," Wolf patted Mariposa's head.

Mariposa stared up at Wolf as she touched his nose, then tried to reach between his ears. Wolf bowed down for Mariposa to reach his head, making him wag his tail.

"Doggy," Mariposa blabbered.

Wolf chuckled embarrassingly, "Eh, yeah, but I'm not a dog, I'm a wolf."

"W-w-wolfy?" Mariposa tried to pronounce it right.

"There, now you get it," Wolf ruffled Mariposa's hair, making her giggle.

Mariposa then tilted her head to see the rest of the Bad Guys behind Wolf. She gasped when she saw a familiar giant fish, "Sharky!" she rushed to Shark, and hugged him lovingly.

"Aaw, she loves to hug." Shark blushed, and embraced her in return.

"Yeah, she's definitely cute," Tarantula commented, hanging on Shark's shoulder.

Mariposa opened her eyes, and noticed Tarantula, "Toy!"

"No! I'm not a–!" But Tarantula was grabbed by the child, and hugged her tightly, "She's crushing me!"

Mira quickly made Mariposa release Tarantula from almost getting crushed to death, "No, no, no, sweet. Ms. Tarantula is not a toy."

When Mariposa released her, Tarantula crawled back on Shark's shoulder, gasping for air, "That kid didn't know her own strength."

After Shark released Mariposa from the hug, she noticed something tiny flying in front of her face, "Bee."

Hornet chuckled, "No, sweetie, I'm a hornet."

"Bee!" Mariposa turned to her mother while pointing at Hornet, and it made the other Bad Guys snicker.

Hornet groaned, "Why do other people mistake me for a bee?! I'm a hornet!"

"Cute bee!" Mariposa patted Hornet playfully with a hand, though it hammered him down, and almost touched the ground.

Hornet didn't like to be patted like that, but the girl's cuteness made him not hate her.

Then, Mariposa noticed Piranha, "Friend!" she hugged him tightly.

"Uh, do I… do-do I look like I'm some kind of kid?" Piranha asked his friends while feeling uncomfortable.

"You two have the same size, I guess," Wolf said.

"Friend!" Mariposa blabbered again.

Piranha was flattered by this gesture as he slowly released himself from the little girl's hug, and patted her head, "Awww, she is kinda a cutie."

Lastly, when Piranha moved backward, Mariposa then stared up at the tall snake. She was speechless and her jaw dropped.

Snake sighed as she knew what the girl was thinking about her, "I get it. You're scared of a grumpy ol' snake, aren't you?"

Mariposa suddenly smiled with sparkles in his eyes, "I wove snakes!" She quickly hugged Snake, and snuggled her face on his chest.

Snake was startled by the sudden hug. He was surprised that a little kid like Mariposa liked a dangerous snake like him. He was just frozen there, not wanting to move a muscle to avoid startling the kid.

Wolf knelt beside Snake, and smirked, "Look at that, Snakey, you got a new friend."

When Snake looked down at Mariposa, she was still hugging him. He didn't know what to do, but his tail slithered on Mariposa's back, and patted her gently, smiling calmly.

When Mariposa suddenly yawned and almost slept on Snake, Mira chuckled as she pulled her daughter away from Snake, "Okay, Mariposa, you can let go of Mr. Snake now," she carried her, and had her kid's head rest on her shoulder.

"Your daughter is very sweet, Mira," Hornet complimented happily.

"Yeah, just like you," Shark said, making both him and Mira blush a little, "And you're sweet enough to forgive me, and I thought I could be… you know…"

"Oh, Shark, you know that I like you. I really do. But not romantically like you," Mira clarified, making Shark frown, "And it's not because of Callum or Mariposa. He and I are through with it, and Mariposa was used to us being separated. And it's not even because you're a Bad Guy or a shark. It's just that… I don't have feelings for you…"

Shark nodded lightly, "I understand."

"But you're my friend," Mira added making Shark raise his head to look at her, "I appreciate you're trying to look out for me or even trying to impress me, but we would be better off if we're just friends."

Even though Shark felt sad that he has no chance to be with Mira in a romantic way, he was still happy she still accepted him as her friend, "Yeah. We're friends."

When Shark offered a fin to Mira, she accepted it, and the two shook hands as a sign of friendship.

Callum smiled at this sight before clearing his throat, "Well, I better get home. You guys take of yourselves," he walked back to his car with the Bad Guys and Mira waved goodbye at him, and he drove away.

When Callum was gone, Mira noticed Mariposa already fell asleep, "I better get this little one home. It's past her bedtime anyway. I'll see you tomorrow, guys."

The Bad Guys said their goodbyes to Mira as she put Mariposa in the backseat on his child seat, and she stepped inside the driver's seat before starting her car and driving off.

When Mira was out of sight, the Bad Guys decided to get back to their car with Shark's head hung down sadly.

"Sorry, Shark," Tarantula patted. a hand on Shark's face.

Shark sighed while he and the Bad Guys stepped into the car, and fastened their seatbelts, "Well, I know things weren't meant to be, but, at least, Mira forgave and still wanna be friends with me."

"Of course, Shark. Who wouldn't?" Hornet asked.

That question made the Bad Guys wonder silently while staring a each other. That is the question. Who wouldn't want to be friends with the most famous criminals-yet-vigilantes in the world? The Bad Guys snickered before laughing hysterically as Wolf drove the car back to the direction of their home. It was a little funny that everyone wanted to be friends with the Bad Guys. Not everyone should be, but not everyone can. It depends on others. Like Diane, Mira, and now, two more people like Callum and Mariposa.

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Credits:

Sam Rockwell - Mr. Wolf

Marc Maron - Mr. Snake

Craig Robinson - Mr. Shark

Anthony Ramos - Mr. Piranha

Awkwafina - Ms. Tarantula

Rhenzy Feliz - Mr. Hornet

Stephanie Beatriz - Mira Rose

Oscar Isaac - Callum Kalemberg

Kaycie Chase - Mariposa

David Sheftell - Zoo's Food Court Manager

Author aggimaginary

Co-Author MasterClass60 TU4QU0I53T4IAN6L3

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So you're a tough guy Like it really rough guy Just can't get enough guy Chest always so puffed guy I'm that bad type Make your mama sad type Make your girlfriend mad tight Might seduce your dad type I'm the bad guy

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So, this is another chapter focused on Mira and Shark again, but this time, with an interesting twist.

The whole chapter is a reference from Family Guy: Family Guy Lite.

The chapter revealed that Mira had an ex-boyfriend and an illegitimate child with whom they shared custody.

I named Mira's child "Mariposa" as a reference from the movie Encanto where Stephania Beatriz, the voice actress of Mira, worked in.

The Bad Guys continued keeping their alternate title "The Good Bad Guys" as vigilantes.

Special thanks to MasterClass60 and TU4QU0I53T4IAN6L3 for helping me with this chapter.

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[everydayoriginal]

The friends we made along the way by Dianita

Life is hectic. It brings us from here to there. Sometimes we feel settled, sometimes it makes us fly to other places. Just as seasons change, life follows the same rule.

It stays the same for some time. A new heartbreak, a new adventure. A new hello and many goodbyes. All is temporal, but memories get to stay with us with every step we give. In those memories, we keep the souls that lived with us through our days. Our adventures together, our sadness, all that made us what we are today.

No one knows where the road will take us. What I do know is that we keep gathering this treasure that transcends change, the one that we’ll take with us when our next chapter begins. The friends we met along the way is a phrase that got lots of meaning as I moved from home. Memories with those amazing people, that even for one day, got to be in our lives. We smiled together, we cried, we hurt each other. We cherished them, and maybe we let them go. Or maybe we still spend our seasons together, close or in the distance.

My treasure is every one of you. May this new Spring or Fall brings you a friend, human or creature to witness your life. To be there and share their lives with you. Even for a second, or decades. Cherish them until it’s time to move to other adventures, apart or maybe together.

One thing is for sure. I’m lucky to live in the same time as the ones I love.

About this piece:

I’ve always thought that friends are like unicorns. They can look as average as any human or pet, but they’re magical and they infuse our life with love, admiration and excitement.

Someone as regular can change our lives, just like an unicorn appearing out of nowhere, right?

Spring is one of my favorite seasons. New adventures begin, new growth, new colors. I really wanted to portray a nod to Spring this time.

The painting:

This is a painting made with acrylics and color pencils on mixed media paper. It also has gold paint touches. The image measures 6in x 6in while the paper is 7in x 7in.

Frame is not included.

International friends: Please be aware that there might be custom fees in your country, like VAT and the likes. This is something you need to pay in order to receive this piece in places like the European Union. This is responsibility of the customer. Thank you.

VIEW DETAILS brought to you by Every Day Original

[gracefield81194]

AHAAA okay so today I decided to re-watch SK8 The Infinity as it's been a few years since I have (the last time I watched SK8 was when it was still first airing so .. definitely some time!) and I'm actually so happy because I forgot just how much it means to me

sounds a bit dramatic; I am aware, but when I first found out about sk8 (and tpn, to be honest - which was around 2020 but still), I had SO many good memories with my old friends who I knew around 2020.. early-ish 2021, and boy, I miss them so much, glad one is still my best friend though (THREE YEARS STRONGG)

on discord especially, I had a lot of servers with said friends AND group chats for both - tpn and sk8 the infinity. I have so many happy, good memories with these two fandoms that's why I cherish them both an insane amount.

the servers were like, mostly roleplaying ones, because I was a huge roleplaying nerd around this time (sort of still am, actually, but not AS much), and I made most myself or with the help of my friends (funnily enough I had an old friend who was called Emma and I miss her lots) we roleplayed a lot too, the tpn server was WILD we had sooo many people in it, I of course got the role as ray so I was a happy man. My friend emma was (obviously) emma, maybe someone else too? Phil? No clue. Then we had others like, Norman, Anna, Don, I think there was a Gilda, I don't remember who else but there was a LOT of people and it was active and just so friendly, everybody was nice and funny and we'd occasionally (not much because I stutter too much and I was so awkward on calls, still very much am) vc which was fun too.

It was similar for the SK8 servers, roleplaying and just ones to chat in, though the server(s) were sort of a mix of both combined, lovely. I had so many amazing friends and treasurable memories thanks to them and Emma, but especially the server - and my still-going-strong best friend from now, which funnily enough I met her in her and her friends own tpn server back in 2020 so that's just gold to think about

There is SOOOO much more I could say about everybody and the servers, friends, fandoms, I miss all of them so much but now every time I look back on SK8 The Infinity and TPN all I think about is the memories I have and just how much it meant and still means to me, never fails to make me smile surprisingly. I miss them, hope they're all doing well now.

[watatsumiis]

helloo!! I'm entering for your 200 followers event. Congrats on that, by the way!

Could you do a Zhongli x reader with the number 43?

I hope I did this right 😭

Thank you !!

I can do that, certainly! And you did do it right :>

I've got a feeling this is going to be some angsty stuff, so sorry in advance -

Content: gender neutral reader x Zhongli (in a timeline where canon events haven't happen and he still retains his gnosis and archon status) (romantic), mentions of death (not of either main character), some unhealthy obsessive/messed up behaviour from Zhongli that stems from his grief. A little bit dark maybe, if you're unsure feel free to DM me and I'll give you a proper rundown (I just don't want to spoil it all right here)

Word count: ~690

They say that dragons hoard what is most precious to them, building up piles upon piles of treasures that they then protect with their lives. 

Though not a full-blooded dragon, Zhongli still retains some of the instincts of his ancestry, no matter how long he spends compressed into his 'human' form. 

The treasures he decides to collect, however, are anything but traditional. 

Despite his status as the God of Mora, there is something that Rex Lapis himself values more than gold, more than all the shining gemstones hiding beneath the planet's outer crust. 

History. 

Zhongli has never been one to forget a face, nor to let a good story go to waste. He always takes special care to make sure rumours and tales reach the right people so that they can live onwards and travel to the far reaches of Teyvat, even if their protagonists couldn't. 

As the years wear on, everything and everyone has its allotted time to go, Zhongli came to accept this many centuries ago now. Stories are forgotten, once-important traditions drift off into obsolescence, people pass on. 

But in recent years, he's grown restless. So many of his loved ones are slipping from his grasp, like fine sand cascading out into the endless dark of the abyss, where he is unable to follow. 

Even stone wears down eventually, and Zhongli is finding that as his hard outer shell thins, thinking of every loss pains him more, like touching an exposed nerve. 

As always, he surrounds himself with those he cares for, those who make him happy, but lately, he can't seem to shake the looming truth that they'll all one day disappear like dust in the wind. Life is unpredictable, inconsistent, he begins to dread every day, knowing that it could be someone's last.

"Hah, if only all of us could be immortal and all-knowing." You'd said it as a joke, a throw away line directed towards Zhongli after he'd corrected you on something unimportant. 

At the time, Zhongli had seemingly taken it in stride, reacting with a tight-lipped smile and a gentle chuckle. Little did you know, that was the beginning of something darker, much more… sinister than you'd ever know. 

Zhongli considered himself happy with the way things were right now - modern day Liyue was gorgeous, its citizens in good spirit and health, and free from strife, though rumours of trouble brewing in their neighbouring country of Inazuma were often circulated. Something about their Archon clinging to the ideal of eternity.

Eternity. Zhongli tucked this knowledge away too, adding it to his quickly growing hoard of thoughts to muse on when he had a spare moment. 

Why couldn't everything be the same? Not for an eternity, of course, but just… just for a little while. He's been working so hard for so long, Zhongli firmly believes he deserves a break. 

He spends a lot of time thinking about you specifically. Of course, his other friends and companions occupy his thoughts too, but there's something particular about you and the nature of your relationship that he especially cherishes, despite the fact that when it's all in perspective, you're barely a blip on his millenia-spanning timeline.

Zhongli doesn't mean to hide himself away, he's simply… thinking. Thinking of ways to share his power, his burden, just for a little while, to ease the waters flow on the paths of sorrow that have worn their way deep into his heart. Surely that isn't selfish, right? 

Given the opportunity, he'd share his backhanded gift of immortality with all of his loved ones, but you're at the top of his list, the crown jewel of his collection. 

One day, he thinks to himself as he pores over a heavy old tome. 

I know that you will be there. 

He knows it in his heart, you'll be accompanying him to the ends of the earth if it's the last thing he does. 

One day, I'll focus on the future, maybe. 

Once he's sure you're safe and secure, he'll turn to the horizon and think about what comes next. 

One day, 

If you say no? 

Oh baby, isn't life so fucking inconsistent?

He'll find a way. 

Please don't repost, steal, copy or otherwise plagarise my writing! This includes posting translations to other sites (without credit + permission).

[sleepypaladiknight]

OK FIC IDEA:

that one au where you can hear your soulmate singing out loud in your head- but leopika

leorio wasn’t much of a singer as a child- the impoverished corner of the world he lived in didn’t have much music to sing to, either. the closest he’s got were the staticky, muffled and clipped tunes that rattled out of the neighbor’s radio. that’s why he’s always preferred listening- listening to his soulmate’s songs.

it was in a language he didn’t understand, but it was the clearest, sweetest music he’s ever heard. he memorized those humble tunes and lullabies, tracing the foreign syllables over and over with his tongue and humming the melodies nobody but him and his soulmate knew. he carved his soulmate’s voice into his mind, bragging to Pietro about his melodic partner and how he couldn’t wait to meet him.

then one day they stopped.

he found it coincidental- that it was on the same day Pietro passed away from illness. but it was fitting- it was a day where all the music and life left him.

as years went on his hopes of hearing his soulmate’s comforting tune dwindled away, but the music and the tunes he cherished so much as a boy remained, even as he learned new songs to sing to in the world around him. he’d sing out as loudly as he could, the raunchiest and most irritatingly popular songs he knew on some days, hoping offhandedly to lure the music from his partner again and hear that kind, soft voice just one more time. it never worked.

so, he swore to never sing that song, that one soft melody, until he heard it from his soulmate themself.

then he met kurapika. a guy who didn’t sing at all, and whose expression alone sang out his melancholies. his voice was prim and strict, the annoying, uppity kind that made Leorio’s blood boil, but it was familiar.

in the confines of trick tower, the topic began to stray.

“your soulmate must love your singing.” he teased.

the blond seemed to hesitate, and didn’t meet his eye. “i don’t care about soulmates.” kurapika’s voice sounded almost sad. “it would be for the better if mine never meets me at all.”

“yeesh, that’s real positive of you.”

“and what about you?” he said almost accusingly. “what do you think of your soulmate?”

“i don’t care about my soulmate, either,” he bit out, “but it’s for a good reason. mine stopped singing to me.”

“they must have their reasons.”

“which are probably as pompous and bratty as you!”

then they were back to their usual bickering. life went on, and his ambitions neared with every step of the journey he completed. their little group parted ways to chase after their own interests and dreams, and for around a year, leorio never saw one of them face to face.

then kurapika showed up on a cloudy evening, after billions and gazillions of ignored calls and texts left on delivered. they exchanged apologies and grievances and angers, embraced each other and shared glances that lasted a few seconds too long as they talked.

for some reason, kurapika had a strained look on his face when leorio began to sing the lyrics to some queen song. he wouldn’t even look at him, but leorio shrugged it off as usual angsty behavior.

they found themselves on the rickety balcony of leorio’s cheap apartment, looking out over the city.

“so, still given up on your soulmate?”

kurapika said nothing.

“well, me too, i guess.” he sighed out. “i lied to you- back at the exam when i told you i didn’t care about my soulmate. i,” he laughed, a bittersweet sound, “i actually cared a lot. it just felt easier to deny it. it’s... pretty damn hard facing the idea that maybe my soulmate really doesn’t care anymore, doesn’t want to meet me. maybe they’re gone. maybe they hate my voice or something- from what i remember, they were a hella good singer. nice, bright voice and everything. maybe they didn’t wanna end up with someone musically talentless like me. maybe that one time i sang ‘call me maybe’ in the shower was the last straw.”

and to his delight, it drew a soft chuckle from the blonde leaning against the railing next to him, arms brushing and shoulders touching. his hair looked like silver in the moonlight. still, kurapika didn’t reply.

so leorio forged on.

“i, uh, already told you my soulmate stopped singing. like, completely. but i still remember the songs they used to sing. they were a huge comfort to me when i was little, when things were hard and a little bit of song was something people couldn’t even afford. i didn’t even know what the words mean, still don’t, but all i know is that they meant the world to me.” leorio glanced at kurapika with a sheepish smile. “wanna hear? so maybe you can hunt down the bastard that left me hanging?”

“sure.” his voice was scratchy, almost pained.

and leorio began gently. kindly. he was sure his accent was off- it didn’t roll off his tongue as fluently as it did for his soulmate all those years ago. but the sounds and the tune was the same- the one that he’s devotedly committed to memory, the one that he hastily wrote down on a piece of binder paper as a reminder of the comfort his soulmate used to bring, the one that he swore to never forget- it was his soulmate’s last song.

when he tapered off into absentminded humming, he realized kurapika was crying. his eyes were blown wide, flecks of magenta shimmering across the deep, scarlet hue of his irises. tears rolled down his soft, pale cheeks, glinting like diamonds in the moon’s embrace, falling on a dampened shirt that clasped trembling shoulders. leorio felt clumsy and dumb, trying to soothe kurapika, asking him what was wrong, if he was okay- then kurapika began to choke out words, rubbing away at his eyes with his arms.

“how do you know that song.” it wasn’t a question, it was a demand.

“i already told you, my soul-“

“no. you don’t understand. it’s a very personal song. a traditional song.” kurapika teared up again, liquid sadness welling up in his eyes. “it’s a song- a lullaby- that i’ve forgotten for the longest time. it’s my mother’s.”

leorio gaped, “your mom was my soulmate?!”

“no, you idiot!” Kurapika couldn’t help but laugh through his tears, beating a fist against leorio’s chest. they burst into a fit of laughter, boisterously cackling in the silence of the night, overpowering the honking cars in the streets below and the sound of their worries adrift in their heads. nothing but them existed.

kurapika’s hand remained there, on leorio’s chest, starting to clench at the fabric of his dress shirt. they were silent, for seconds, minutes, maybe hours, until Leorio’s hand drifted up to meet it, brushing gently against the soft, scarred skin of Kurapika’s slender fingers.

“i’m sorry.” kurapika whispered softly, barely above his breath. “i wasn’t fair to you. you were always trying, always singing to me.”

leorio couldn’t speak.

“i’ve been hearing your voice for years now. you and your- your stupid songs-“ he laughed out, but it sounded more like a choked sob.

leorio couldn’t breathe.

“i didn’t mean to make you lose hope. but i was hoping you would, so you wouldn’t chase after someone like me.”

leorio couldn’t think.

kurapika was leaning closer, voice growing quieter and quieter until they had to be inches apart to hear, to exchange words.

“i couldn‘t bring myself to sing. i didn’t have a reason to, not anymore. not after what happened to my clan. i noticed you stopped singing for a time, too. but it only took months before you began again, gaining more momentum with every song. i envied you and your strength.”

kurapika had started to shake, small frame shuddering against leorio’s. without thinking, he brought his other hand up to thumb away a tear that had begun trickling down kurapika’s face.

“i wanted to sing to you too, but all the songs i wished to teach you had disappeared from my memory. i was so preoccupied with my goals, that i... i began to forget the things that mattered more. what the faces of my family and my old friends looked like. what the lukso sunlight felt like on my skin, or how the grass felt underneath my feet. what the croons of a happy piko bird sounded like, or how beautifully blue the sky was on a sunny day. what my mother’s voice sounded like, what the words to her songs were, i, i-” kurapika sobbed, “i betrayed myself and my entire clan. i thought i had truly lost them and the part of myself that i swore i wouldn’t let die.”

their foreheads fell together, touching reassuringly. kurapika’s eyes fluttered closed as he spoke, body rendered as fragile as his voice, his feelings, his heart. leorio held each with careful, treasuring hands.

”i’d become a monster. a stranger in the same body i walked my home with. i thought- i thought that my soulmate didn’t deserve someone like that. someone like me.” he heaved out, chest shuddering with every quiet breath, “you don’t deserve someone like me, and i could never-“

and leorio shut that bullshit up with his lips.

they slotted together perfectly. call him disgustingly cheesy, sappy, any romantically insulting insult you could throw- but it felt like harmony. it felt so beautiful, his emotions crescendoing and his heart thrumming mercilessly in his chest as it fitted against kurapika’s. those soft, slightly chapped lips, damp from the tears that had trickled past them, felt perfect on his, like his lips were made to meet them. and just as easily as he had lost the music and life all those years ago, it was returned to him, in the form of a blond, pressed up against him and demanding for more, more, more with his mouth, hands all over his shoulders, fingers tangled in hair, breathing in each other, kissing like it was the very last thing they could do.

when they parted, leorio let himself get intoxicated by the sound of kurapika’s panting, drunk on the soft sounds that spilled past his lips like music.

”cut- cut the crap,” he breathed out, pulling kurapika closer by the waist and burying his head in his head of gold. ���for the rest of my life, stop talking. and start singing.”

[afteriwake]

Special Gifts (1/1 - An “In The Wake Of Change” Story)

So this is just a piece of Mollcroft fluff answering a prompt from the September list I reblogged and @mollyappreciationweek day 1.

Special Gifts - Mycroft has a special Christmas gift for Molly, and she has one for him as well.

READ @ AO3 | SERIES PAGE

She was surprised to find she was nervous about the dinner Mycroft had asked her to have with him the week before Christmas. She didn’t know what his schedule for the rest of the month would be like so she asked if she should bring him his gift. He almost sounded surprised she had gotten him something, but they were friends, and when she had found the sword umbrella in an antique shop it had seemed perfect for him. But now she wasn’t so sure.

She smoothed down the front of her black dress before entering the restaurant. The Fat Duck was supposedly a three-star Michelin restaurant, but she’d never heard of it before. All she knew was a car had picked her up and the driver had said they would be traveling to the village of Bray. But if Mycroft had picked it, it had to be good.

She had the umbrella specially wrapped in silver and gold paper, and it gleamed in the lights of the restaurant. She was taken to a table where Mycroft was waiting. He stood when she approached, and he waited for her to sit before he sat back down again. “I took the liberty of choosing Volume Five: Christmas Edition for us to dine from,” he said. “All things considered with the season and all.”

“I will be happy with whatever we get tonight,” Molly said with a wide smile. “I trust your judgment.”

Mycroft flushed at that but remained composed. “Very well. Some wine, perhaps?”

“Please,” she said. He signaled for a waiter and placed an order for wine from what she assumed was a wine list, and then they made small talk over the wine as the food arrived. It was unexpected but delicious, and she was quite sated with good food and good wine by the time dessert was brought to them.

“I thought I could give you your gift now,” he said once he had finished his food. It was a large parcel, expertly wrapped in red and green wrapping paper. She took it and noted it was heavy, and she opened it to see a cookbook. She was surprised to open it and see that it said “Property of Julia Child” on the inside. “I know you like to cook and bake, and I thought--”

“It’s perfect!” Molly said, moving back her chair to give him a hug. She was still holding the book and went back to her chair to set it down and give him a proper hug. He embraced her back and then waited as she got him his gift. He unwrapped it carefully and saw what it was. “I already have an umbrella, but this is one I will cherish.”

“It’s more than an umbrella. Twist the handle.” He twisted the handle and the sword slid out a bit. The smile on his face told her she had gotten him a good gift. “I figured you could stay safe while you were carrying it.”

“I will treasure it beyond measure,” he said. “Perhaps I can accompany you back to London? Your car should still be waiting.”

“That would be lovely,” she said. They got up and left the restaurant after Mycroft arranged for payment of their bill. They got into the sedan and sat in comfortable silence for a moment before she spoke. “Mycroft, you didn’t have to get me this. It’s...such a gift.”

“But I think quite highly of you,” he said.

“And I you!” She reached over and gently cupped his cheek, forcing him to look at her. “I find I think of you quite often.”

“You do?” he asked, looking surprised.

“I do.” She paused for a moment. “May I...may I kiss you, Mycroft?”

“You may,” he said quietly, leaning in towards her. She leaned in as well and their lips met in a soft, sweet kiss. She sighed into it and he took that as a sign to increase the pressure a bit. She met him with an eagerness she hadn’t felt in a long time, but soon enough they had to pull apart. She was holding onto the lapels of his suit jacket while he had a hand on her hip. “This...changes things.”

“Good,” she said before he leaned in to kiss her again. Yes, it did change things, but it seemed like it was going to change them for the better, and she was glad for that.

[tewwor-a]

Hahm Dal 

pspspspsps it’s time for me to indulge in yet another creative outlet. if you like this i will take that as a sign of interest and hurtle myself into your dms.

( tw: mentions of abuse, terminal illness, death )

47 years young, cis male ; he/him, demisexual

ability: physical restoration ( only applies to inorganic material / larger objects take greater time to restore / knowledge of inner workings can help decrease time ) & deconstruction ( able to take revert inorganic object to it’s previous / worsened state )

Dal grew up in a family that viewed the patriarch a bit too seriously. He was a daddy’s boy, always looked up to his father that taught him how to be a ‘man’. When in reality, all that son of a gun was doing was warping Dal’s view of the world to enact his own insecurities and childish behaviors — pass along that generational trauma that was constantly swept under the rug.

His parents fought often, and there were times where things got physical. All his mother did was take each and every degrading word without lashing back, and that tore at Dal. He still acted like the son his father wanted to see, but he took the time to listen to his mother as well; to understand her views and reason, and relate to the tenderness he also had within him — just like any other person did.

Yet the strain in his home created the perfect breeding ground for him to learn how to compartmentalize like a champ. Over time, it seemed like his emotions became stunted. He wore a stoic mask day and night, but it wasn’t a façade to him. Not for a very long time.

How Dal came about his powers remains blurry at best. Something had broken — a toy, glasses, whatever — and the fear of being reprimanded when father dearest came stumbling home aligned something within him. The object seemed to mend itself back into perfect condition. Enthralled, but aware of the potential, he managed to keep quiet about it throughout his time at home. He’s seen how exploitative his father can be if anything could benefit him in any way, shape, or form. Wasn’t it bad enough that he had to endure being the rotten apple of that man’s eye?

A few stunts were pulled once graduated from school. Half of his tests of skill rewarded him with some quick cash ( even became quite the salesman ) and the itch for bigger, grander scales soon whet his greed.

At least, it started to but then some romcom bullshit happened and he fell stupidly in love with a kleptomaniac and.. well, ideally the rest would’ve been history. They could’ve gotten married, gone on some high stakes operations, lived and breathed gold and gems.. but half of that never happened. The most that did occur was their marriage and a few treasured successes. Quick to fall in love, quick to marry — no one could’ve seen what ailing future was in store of his wife. 

To watch her health deteriorate in such an aggressive manner isn’t something he’ll ever recover from. Of course, he remained supportive and tried his damndest to keep morale up however he could, but it wasn’t enough. Nothing was enough. Not even the coveted power he held at his fingertips — the one she had so gleefully gushed over the second time they met. 

What good was he if he couldn’t fix the one thing he cherished and loved?

Dal said his last goodbye on a sweltering summer’s evening. It was her last wish to be freed if she ever succumbed to being unresponsive for an extended period of time. And what better day to do it when her most favored weather was in play? Her death was marked at 9:32 p.m. The same time they had met all those years ago.

Things were never the same after that. Dal feel so out of tune with himself, most considered him barely alive. Even the use of his power stayed dormant for years to come. The reminder of her always too strong for him to find any comfort or joy he once experienced. Perhaps that’s the reason why it warped in such a manner. For when he did make use of it again, things weren’t restored properly. Rather, things began to deteriorate instead. Nothing past the worst existing condition of an object, but the discovery of how his ability mirrored his own condition ( emotions and all ) was.. well, laughable. 

Time never did heal his grief completely, but it’s made things bearable. Dal runs a little electronics repair shop that doubles as a drop-off for other things to be fixed as well — firearms, artifacts, etc. so long as it can be moved without being seen. Anything bigger and/or more precarious that needs to be restored in another location is also doable, but the client is responsible for covering his traveling expenses. 

[cheesiedip]

perhaps fate.

tags: fluff, no warnings teehee, not edited, rushed ending, and terrible writing please i really tried, gn!reader word count: 1038 words

a/n; yea so i was in zhongli brainrot bc he came home twice to me during his rerun and i just wanna share this yall </3 um.,,.. it’s kinda bad and it's my first fic in a while, i’m sorry </3

in your dreams, a man resembling a face who has pretty cor lapis irises, his chocolate brown hair with tips that glow like the bright sun and tall, and you don’t even know his name. he kept coming in your dreams and tried to look for him everywhere, yet failed as he is nowhere to be found around the town you lived in. disheartened, you decided to leave your village to look for him.

each night he visits you in your sleep, his voice is hazy yet his appearance is so clear you’ll never be able to forget it. your heart race when you think of him, your mind constantly thinking of the mysterious man that comes by pretty often and it convinced you he’s the lover you’re bound to be with for eternity. you promised to yourself once you find him, you’ll never wish for anything else besides a life you’ve already envisioned yourself with him after his nightly visits. no other person could compare to him when he held you so gently, how he stroked your hair softly and a kiss he leaves on your forehead or the warmth of his embrace emit on your body before he disappeared when the sun arose from its slumber.

you have never been so determined to find someone this much, especially when you know he’s here in teyvat, he was somewhere close but where? the mysterious man never gave you a clue where his voice was incomprehensive when he talks nor can you read his lips. the compass you have was your heart and the stars that glimmer over your head; when you get lost in your journey, you still manage to go where you’re supposed to be. it’s as if he guides you with the wind, the rocks, and river.. it’s all you really needed on this adventure you set out for yourself to find your beloved.

the night was young, the shiny rocks that appear in the clear sky once it’s dark begin to awaken as the sun starts to rest deep in the horizon. you decide to turn in for the day and relax in a small camp you had already put up; a small tent with your bag inside, a campfire available for one person, you were ready to sleep once more, to be with him again like you two have always been doing for the past few months.

before you relax in, however, a glint from the shimmering sky caught your eye. you didn’t think much anymore of it for a moment of time yet it was quite odd. you set your things aside and only grabbed your weapon that you use to fend for yourself from the monsters and treasure hoarders you encounter amongst your journey; it was a claymore made of fine materials scavenged throughout the greatest mines of liyue, almost as tall as you are. if not, then it’s almost the waistline of the man that holds you in your dream. you’re getting desperate for him to come to you, to feel his hug and be with him for once and for all.. your heart now telling alerting you that he’s here, you could almost feel it that he’s within that star.

the star that once took your attention then turn into gold, as it flew across the beautiful night sky like it was a meteorite. you ran after it, following its direction until it lands on dirt or water or just somewhere and it did stop near a cliff, and it did. thick mist surround the area and you try to come near it, but a tall figure slowly fade in within the fog. you couldn’t see clearly, but your heart was telling you that it’s him and he’s home.

you drop your weapon as you drag your feet on the grass towards the man. the closer you got to the figure, the clearer everything has become; it’s him. just as what your dreams were showing you, it was exactly like him. the same exact face, his eyes you adore, his hair you love to play with.. he was everything you imagined him to be in real life.

“i’m home.” he smiled at you, his voice was gentle and baritone. it was literally exactly what you expected of what he sound like.

“zhongli…” you say under your breath. that’s right, that was his name. it like what you remember from what you could make out from the first time you met him, like truly a dream come true.

a tear pricked in your eye as you slowly walk to him as he did as well. you picked up your pace, jogging up the hill to where he stood. once you reached him, you wrap your arms around his waist, giving a tight embrace; he smelled like tea brewed from quality leaves and old books from an antique shop, that you didn’t really expect it but will grow to love in the meantime.

zhongli caressed your cheek before he exchange your hug, his hold made you feel he truly cherish you and loved. he had been longing for this moment to come and now it became a reality. he could never want more than having you beside him until the end of time. you will forever shine like a mora in his heart, even when you grow old and gray zhongli would always remember you as someone who loved him as he is.

“i’m back in your arms again, my darling.” he whispered, making it loud enough for you to hear him. you simply nod in agreement as you look up at his beautiful face and your hand reaching up to graze your thumb across his cheek gingerly.

you let go of each other and left the scene with your hand holding his own. you lead him down the hill from the cliff back to where you were resting for the night to gather your things and head to the harbor. the night felt long with him, talking about topics endlessly and hearing one of his stories about the archon gods and whatnot. perhaps fate could bring the one you love, your own soulmate no matter how far they can be.

[spicycreativity]

Fantasy au moceit fluff, for the ask thing. <3<3

Thank you for the request! And sorry it took so long to fill 😅

I went with a Mushishi fusion. The simplest explanation of Mushishi is that mushi are creatures somewhat analogous to fae/faeries and tend to cause chaos when they interact with humans. So it's Japanese fantasy, but it's still fantasy!

I could go on a whole rant about how Mushishi is such a great reflection of Japanese cultural Shintoism and how Janus as a character rejects that and Patton embraces it, which is a fun juxtaposition because Janus is the mushi-shi in this story, but I won't 😇

Anyway! It's a little under 2k, CW for very mild body/eye horror (Patton temporarily gets afflicted with frog traits that affect his skin and eyes)

The steep mountain path was neither well-worn nor clearly-marked, the ground a uniform carpet of deep green pine needles dotted here and there with pinecones. Still, it was a path Janus could tread with his remaining eye closed. A few wooden signs still stood, though they were mostly grown over with moss. Janus let them be. Very few visitors came to this tiny mountain village, at least by this particular path. He was more interested in the chorus of frog croaks that grew ever louder the closer he got to the village. He thought, though it was hard to be certain, wispy and ephemeral as they were, that the mushi were increasing in density, too. This place had always been a hotbed for mushi, even without Janus' presence to draw them near. It was unusual, he reflected, to hear this many frogs this high in the mountains. The croaks were now a maddening constant, enough to make him wish that he only had one working ear, instead of one eye.

He guarded that wish carefully, in case any mushi with the power to make it come true were nearby. 

He made it into the village unscathed, pausing when he realized that the croaking had stopped. For the most part. He looked around, rubbing his face against the sharp, familiar bite of the mountain wind, cooled further still by the nearby presence of a lake. Now, only one plaintive croak reached his ears. He tried not to let his heart sink, tried not to jump to conclusions, though he set off for the house where his sweetheart waited for him with an uncharacteristic urgency in his movements. 

The life of a mushi-shi did not foster close relationships, and Janus had long since closed off his heart to new connections. Growing close was a one-way journey to becoming hurt, as he could never stay anywhere for long. Yet somehow, on a trip to a lonely mountain village, Patton had slipped through his defenses. They couldn’t be together, not the way they wanted, but they had promised themselves to each other. It was an easy thing for Janus to promise not to love another. The challenge had been in entrusting Patton with his heart. But he had gotten there in the end. In the absence of a proper wedding ceremony, they had simply taken a scrap of the other’s clothing as a token. 

Janus didn’t bother to knock on the door when he arrived. Patton’s door was always unlocked, unbarricaded. To Janus’ dismay, the croaking did not stop upon his arrival inside, and several mushi danced in the corners where the walls met the ceiling. “Patton, love?”

“Don’t come closer!” Patton’s voice was high, tight with panic. “Just wait a second,” he added in a pleading tone. “I’m glad you’re back, but--”

“Having trouble with mushi?” Janus guessed. The singular frog croaks had stopped when Patton spoke. “Please, do keep worrying about how I’m going to react.” he tugged on the scrap of cloth tied to the straps of his woven backpack. It was old and tattered now, no longer smelled like Patton or bore the pattern it had before.

“It’s just…” Croak.

Janus considered. Whatever mushi had latched onto Patton, it was probably affecting his appearance, hence the hesitancy. “Come on, love, let me see. I’ll have you cured in no time.” He paused and thought for a moment. “Besides, it’s not like I’m a paragon of good looks, either. Maybe we’ll match for a bit.” This was only partially true in Janus’ mind. His own looks were inoffensive, but strangers tended to shy away from him, frightened by the piercing gold and slitted pupil of his remaining eye.

It was silent for a moment. Then came the shuffle-scrape of bare feet on wooden floors. Patton appeared at the end of the hall with his head angled downward. Even still, Janus could see the patches of mottled brown skin on his hands and cheeks. Frog skin. “We do match a little,” Patton said, forcing humor into his voice. He came closer and lifted his head to reveal that one of his eyes was now golden, with a horizontal pupil.

“Oh,” said Janus, careful not to tease. “That’s not so bad.” He cupped Patton’s face, gently running his thumb over a slightly damp patch of frog skin. “You’re still beautiful, love.”

“But you can cure it?” Patton asked.

“Of course.” Janus smiled a little. He hoped it was reassuring. “You’ve been poisoned by a kaeru mushi.”

“Poisoned?” Patton yelped, and a little nervous croak escaped his throat.

Janus patted his cheek. “If only you knew a deeply intelligent, highly skilled mush-shi who could take care of that for you.”

“If only,” Patton repeated, widening his eyes at Janus. The effect was somewhat dampened by his frog eye, but only somewhat. It was still enough to send a wave of fondness through Janus’ chest.

"Come on," Janus said, taking Patton by the hand. He led Patton to the kitchen and set his backpack on the ground with a light thump. The tight weave was strong, but it was beginning to get creaky with age, and Janus made a mental note to see about getting a replacement. "You can take it as a tea, although the flavor is more savory, like a soup." He opened up his backpack and began to dig through it. The paper-wrapped vials rustled and clicked beneath his fingers, and a few specimens brought back memories of his recent trip. "Here we go." He held up the vial and showed it to Patton. "It does take a while to brew. I hope you don't mind being stuck like that for a bit."

Patton extended a hand to help Janus up and pulled him into an embrace, mindful of the glass in Janus' hand. "I already feel better now that you're here."

"You know me," Janus said, nuzzling Patton's forehead. "I live to serve."

It was meant to be sarcasm, though Patton refused to take it as such. "You're so selfless," he said into Janus' chest.

"Patton, love, you are the first and only person to ever accuse me of that." It was true. Janus' bedside manner was objectively abhorrent, his patience for stupidity and stubbornness nonexistent. Most villages regarded him as a necessary evil, rather than a presence to be celebrated. He pulled away before Patton could get it into his head that Janus needed comforting. "Let's get going on the antidote, shall we?"

Patton nodded. "There's a patch of snow out back," he said. "I've been fishing, trying to make the most of it."

"Fish soup?" Janus asked, putting the pieces together.

Patton nodded. "You'll have some, won't you?" He made a point of looking Janus up and down, and even the golden frog eye did not diminish his look of somewhat paternal concern. "You work too hard."

"Again, Patton," Janus said, turning to examine the cooking pot, "you are the only person who's ever said that about me."

"I think I would know," Patton said definitively, taking Janus by the hand to lead him outside.

They held each other while they waited for the cure to steep properly, Janus wrapping his arms around Patton and holding him close. He rested his chin on Patton's shoulder and watched the mushi dance around them. He found it hard to regard them as anything other than vermin, little nuisances who made his life worse. The world was cruel and arbitrary and mushi were no more than a reflection of that, but he couldn't help but resent the situation at hand. Patton didn't deserve this.

As though reading his thoughts, Patton nuzzled Janus' cheek. "Are they here now?"

"The mushi?"

"Mm-hm."

"Yes." Janus pointed even though he knew Patton couldn't see them.

"Describe them to me?" A principle difference between the two of them: Patton treasured every living thing. He never resented the bears that sometimes stole his fish, he never resented the deer when they ate the flowers he'd worked so hard to cultivate. He cherished them. He cherished mushi, too. Even now, when the poison coursing through his body was turning him into one (though Janus had decided not to tell Patton that, thinking that there was no sense worrying him when the cure was at hand).

"They're moving around a lot," Janus said, trying to keep the bitterness out of his voice. Though he harbored no love for mushi, he loved Patton dearly. "There's one that looks like a little octopus." Patton was not very well traveled, though he had gone to the ocean once. "And a few that look like worms. They're all glowing."

"They sound so pretty," Patton said, covering Janus' hands with his own.

"I'll bring you back some candles next time I go out," Janus promised, the idea occurring to him in one lightning strike. "And some lanterns made of colored paper. You can string them up outside."

"Oh!" Patton spun around to pull Janus into a proper hug, and Janus was careful not to stare at the frog skin now slowly-advancing down his neck. "That would be lovely."

"Lanterns are better than mushi, anyway," Janus said, his resolve finally cracking a little, "because they're actually useful."

Patton only smiled and brushed a few stray strands of hair out of Janus' face. 

It was around evening when Janus deemed the cure properly steeped. Patton made him sit down so they could eat together, smiling all the while, and Janus found any protest he might have melting away in the face of Patton's innocent kindness. It wasn't like the cure could hurt him, after all.

It took effect when they were washing the dishes with water Patton had carried in from a nearby stream. He stopped what he was doing and touched his face, already turning to Janus for confirmation.

Janus nodded, privately satisfied to see both of Patton's eyes back to their rich, deep brown. "Back to normal."

"Thank you, love." Abandoning the dishes, Patton pulled Janus in for a hug. His hands were wet, but Janus couldn't couldn't bring himself to mind the icy droplets that crawled down his neck.

Janus, who was incurably given to teasing, finally let himself off the leash. "Oh, don't thank me; it was for my own benefit. People would laugh if they found out I was in love with a frog-man."

"Oh, you don't mean that," Patton said. He had known Janus far too long, long enough that Janus no longer had to beat back the urge to flee like a startled animal in the face of such intimate knowing.

"You're right," he said, and he meant it.