#I’ll be fine I’m not hurt or anything but I still don’t feel like drawing

[dailyjevil]

Day 150 of posting Jevil every day

[maplewozapi]

I should have known if I brought up wc I’d have to talk about. But it includes of a lot of issues with feral/furry designs that use feathers in hair. I don’t necessarily know why the conversation only started and stayed in the wc fandom when horse/wolf/lion feral fandoms are still doing the same thing.

Now having feathers in the design isn’t a racial attack first thing off because there’s a lot of context around what feather’s are used, the shape, and where they are placed. If the look is anything like "rave Coachella looking tribal fantasy feathers and beads" it’s probably insensitive. I’m not to sure why it has to be feathers, I honestly think the wc fandom are holding themselves back when it comes to forwarding designs in a unique way. Tail feathers are also left out in this conversation as well, one or two feathers or feathers in the shape of a birds tail are fine but bunched together feathers are leaning to close to how we have our horses wear feathers. This is in the context of the design already looking like a "medicine cat" already its bad. it’s like those yt girls wear feather head bands but animal addition.

I’ve talked about this before but silhouettes are so important, like Native American stereotypes are on the global scale you cannot escape this silhouette you just have to avoid it. There’s no "but it’s in so many other cultures" no it’s not it’s totally unique to our people that’s why people flock to it because it’s so "mysterious, sacred" whatever their weird twisted up reason is. There’s so many unique ways to break this silhouette you just gotta be more creative. And I feel like instead of being more creative and coming up with totally different ideas it’s just easier to lean on these visual native stereotypes to get across "wild mythical nature fantasy"

I could get into the horse fandom and the weird situations they’re doing over there but that’s another crazy thing. I should say because someone will ask, ostrich feathers on like show horses or knights or puss in boots style is fine not the same thing (breaking the silhouette) they’re not related.

And it comes down to understanding what you are drawing and where this imagery comes from, I’m not gonna get my feelings hurt because of your design but I’ll question why are you drawing stuff like that. You cant remove that cultural/stereotypical imagery, and if you don’t care about it then you don’t care about the history or how it looks on your character and art.

I made it this far on the internet but if you want to be conscious about these things good on yea it doesn’t take much☺️👍

Edit: can’t believe I gotta say this but yes other cultures utilize feathers, if people are using feathers that are used in their culture then don’t harass them. That’s weird have some common sense. Ostrich feathers, peacock feathers it’s actually so interesting how native birds to an area affect the culture there.

[ivymarquis]

Say You Won't Let Go

Last House on the Right

Pairing| John Price x F!Single Mom!Reader Rating| E Word Count| 1.1k Kinks/Content/Warnings| Post Apocalypse!AU, Single Mom!verse, pregnant reader, mentions of pregnancy related eating issues + vomiting, Reader's got some separation issues. Fair warning this is so half baked I haven't even decided what kind of apocalypse it is, but somehow Ive got a whole plotline regardless.Same pairing as my fic Blind Date

Next Chapter

You can’t believe your luck. 

You’re not sure what exactly it was about this house in the dead of night that had you so transfixed, but your intuition has paid off in spades. 

The area’s been abandoned, to your knowledge leaving you the sole inhabitant meandering around. 

Or maybe waddling would be a more apt description.

Fear and uncertainty of the outside hurry you along into the house. Most everyone- the survivors- has splintered off into groups. There’s no evidence of anyone still living here (admittedly it’s not like you’ve taken the time to check every room, but there are signs when a house is inhabited), but you luck out that the cabinets haven’t been picked over. 

It’s been entirely too long since your last meal, and it takes a good amount of restraint to not devour the can of ravioli too quickly. 

As much as you’re tempted, you know there’s a fine line between what will and won’t have you immediately throwing up in the sink- grazing seems to keep the worst of the upset down.

There’s no hospitals to jaunt off to if you end up dehydrated. Excessive vomiting is not ideal post end of days.

If you were in your right mind- not frightened, isolated, starving, cold- and not focusing on how the unheated chef boyardee might as well be a five star michelin meal for all you can think right now, you might have been paying more attention.

The sound of a safety clicking off behind you freezes your blood far more than the cold. That sound is deliberate. Whoever’s behind you- gun pointed at you- wants you to know they got the jump on you.

“Hands where I can see them,” the order is gruffly barked at you.

You feel stupid. Of course all of this was too convenient for you to simply be catching a break. It wasn’t exactly well lit and designed to draw you in- but you’re an animal caught in a trap regardless.

The fork clatters against the counter next to the can as you go to comply.

“Turn around. Slowly.”

You’re not much of a threat in your current condition. That much is obvious.

Time stopped having any sort of tangible meaning a while ago. You should know how many weeks you are, but the days run together fending for yourself and you just know that you’re close. There’s no hiding the swell of your belly.

The man at the doorway looks as gruff as he sounds. Your mind spins like a tire in mud to process everything in front of you in the poor moonlight. Military, that much is obvious. You’re not actually sure if that’s a good thing. Handsome from what you can see, though historically your type has been men who don’t have a weapon leveled at you.

The taciturn expression on his face falters when he spots your bump, but you’ve learned by now to not expect any sort of special treatment.

“I’m sorry,” you apologize immediately. “I-I didn’t know anyone was here. I’ll leave, I swear.” 

He looks at you another moment before a look of resignation washes over him.

“Turn back around. Keep your hands up.” Oh God. Your mind immediately goes to the worst- That this man, for whatever reason, has decided that your infraction has signed your death warrant. That he can’t quite bring himself to fire on a pregnant woman staring him in the eyes, so the last thing you’re ever going to see is some tacky wallpaper and ugly cabinets.

You yelp when one of his hands finds the pistol on your hip. Holy shit you didn’t even hear him cross the room.

“Easy, love,” he soothes as he starts to frisk you for more weapons. “Not gonna hurt you. You have anything else on you?”

“A knife in my back pocket.” It doesn’t even occur to you to lie; putting yourself in his good graces is your only option and you can’t do that by lying.

His hands slip under your jacket, the hem oversized and hanging even with your arms up, making a wrong guess at the first pocket he checks before grabbing the knife out of the second one.

“Anyone going to come sniffing around looking for you?” A fair question, but one that sticks like a knife between your ribs.

The “No,” that escapes you is softer than you meant it to be, voice warbling as you try not to cry.

Hormones would have had you on the verge of tears at any given point, and that would have been before the end of the world and before your group abandoned you. You’re well entitled to your tears, you think, but try to stuff them back down anyway.

“You’re out here alone,” he grouses, sounding like he doesn’t believe you. The like this? is implied.

Your arms are still up, and they’re getting tired. Everything tires you out these days.

Like he can read your mind, he releases you with a “you can set your arms down now, love.”

“Thank you,” you’re in full fawn mode, turning to face him. While he’s clearly decided against killing you, you’ve been scared and alone for the past few days and you really don’t want to be separated from the only person who will give you the time of day right now. 

“Is there anyone else here? Other soldiers?” Your fate is sealed and lies in the soldier’s hands regardless of his answer.

Nothing with change, no matter what he says, but you think you’re less intimidated if it’s just the two of you. 

The world’s gone to hell in a handbasket, and yet you’ll never forget watching 28 days later when the line I promised them women was dropped.

“Got separated from my team.”

He turns away from you, gesturing to follow him out of the kitchen and towards the living room.

He’s limping.

You haven’t seen him move until now. You’re more an expert on busted hardware than busted body parts, you can’t tell if it’s a fresh injury that’s still healing, or an old one that’s set in place.

“They left you.” They left me, too.

“They didn’t leave me for dead, they think I am dead. Gonna take a bit more than that to get the job done, though.” 

You have no reason not to believe him. Despite having just met him, the man is like a living manifestation of everything masculinity is supposed to be- down to the surly attitude despite him herding you further into the house. It doesn’t take much to figure out that he’s tough as nails and sure why not flirt in death’s face that her last attempt wasn’t good enough?

You sit on the couch he points to, as he settles into the leather chair across from you.

“Christ what’d I’d do for a fucking smoke right now,” he mumbles, pawing at his chest absent mindedly on reflex.

You mean to sit stiff as a board, but your body is tired and the couch is surprisingly comfortable.

The soldier, however, sits like he owns the house. “And now for the question of what to do with you.”

[writtenbymoonflower]

hi!!!! could you do polymarauders reacting to reader getting a tattoo (or multiple!) dedicated them? love u!!! 🧁

Thank you for requesting, lovely! gn!reader x poly!marauders.

cw: tattoo, swearing, Sirius being himself

681 words

You knew the secret was out when you had flinched away from James. He hadn’t done anything wrong, he just didn’t know. When his hand found its usual spot on your ribs as you were laying down on the couch with him, you couldn’t hide the discomfort you were feeling as his hand pressed into the tender flesh. James, of course, had no clue. 

“What’s that for, baby?” He looked a mix of concerned and amused. “Did that tickle?” He turned mischievous as he tried to worm his fingers into your side again. Remus flit his eyes to you both, stifling chuckle. You hissed, squirming away from your boyfriend's hands, no matter how gentle they were. 

“Ouch, Jamie.” You said before you could stop yourself. This made Remus drop his book. 

“What hurts, lovie?” His eyebrows rumpled, leaning closer to you and James. 

“Nothing, I’m fine.” You said, looking panicked. It seemed like Sirius could smell the trouble, because he stood up from where he sat at Remus’ feet, crawling over to you like a cat. 

“You hissed when Jamie touched you here, dolly.” He wriggled his fingers over your side, looking surprised when your shirt moved oddly slickly over your skin. You tried to bat his hands away, but he didn’t move. 

“Siri! Get away.” You tried to seem unsuspicious, but you mostly gave up on the act. 

“What’ve you got under here?” Sirius waggled his dark eyebrows at you, pulling your shirt up until your whole torso was exposed. You almost felt bashful at the realization that your whole chest was pretty much exposed, but they weren’t looking at it. Instead, they all looked varying levels of surprised. Remus moved faster than you’d ever seen him, crouching at your side next to Sirius. But it was James who spoke first. 

“Sweetheart! When did you get that?” He kept looking between your face and your ribs. Underneath the plastic cover was a small tattoo over your ribs. Lined up was little drawing of a moon, star and sun. 

“Well it was gon’ be a surprise.” You playfully scolded. “But I got it a week ago. It’s… it’s for you three.” You turned shy on the spot. You thought you would’ve had more time to get over the sliver of anxiety you felt. You had all been together for a long time, you all loved each other very much, you were all each other’s emergency contact even! But this was a big step, permanently marking them on your body. 

Sirius gently thumbed the skin next to the tattoo, looking in awe at your rib and leaning down to kiss over the plastic cover, being featherlight to not irritate you further. He knew from experience it was probably still sore. “I fucking love it.” He whispered against your skin. 

“Lemme see better.” Remus (gently) shoved Sirius out of the way, making him squawk offendedly. Remus didn’t care though, he looked entranced. James squeezed you tighter to him. 

“I can’t believe you did this and didn’t tell us! We would’ve gone with you, baby.” He trapped you in a kiss before you could respond, rubbing his thumb over your jaw gently. Sirius snickered at your dazed look when he pulled away. 

“Like I said,” trying to push away your flustered state. “It was a surprise.”

“Hell of a surprise.” Remus had nuzzled into your waist. “I’m gonna need one too.”

“Ooh, I like that.” James said at the same time that Sirius whistled.

“Oh yes fucking please.” He dramatically fanned himself. “You too Prongs,” He licked his lips looking at your boyfriend. James didn’t know whether to feel objectified or very flattered. (As how Sirius usually left people feeling). 

“I should, now that I’m the only un-inked one in this relationship.” He playfully jostled you. “You’ve abandoned me, lovely.”

“Don’t worry, honey.” You kissed his cheek. “I’ll pull you to the darkside with me.”

“Oooh, you minx. Thankfully I’d let you three corrupt me any day.” None of you would complain about that.

[softestqueeen]

i don't know what i'd do without you

pairing: aaron hotchner x reader

summary: aaron comforts you after a nightmare

warnings: fluff, tiny bit of angst

wordcount: 764 words

a/n: i need this man so bad. don’t worry i’ve already have some smut ideas (i’m a slut ik, shame on me whatever) anyways, enjoy <3

„No, no, please don’t. Stop it,” you all but mumble in your sleep.

Aaron had just returned from his latest case and was about to jump under the shower when he heard you talking. For a moment he had worried about you mistaking him for an intruder, but once he stepped closer to you, he realized that you were having a nightmare.

Your beautiful face was scrunched up into a frown, your legs were drawn tight to your chest and your hands were gripping the blanket for dear life.

The unit chief crouched down in front of you, now noting that that you were wearing his old college sweatshirt. He knew you loved wearing it, but he also knew that you always wear it when you feel down or miss him. The realisation breaks his heart.

“Please don’t hurt me,” your repeated mumbling startled Aaron out of his trance. He places a gentle hand on your shoulder and slightly shakes you.

“Honey, wake up. It’s just a dream. It’s all right,” at first you only turn a bit but upon hear his voice you startle awake.

Your breathing is heavy as you try to face in your surroundings. Now that you were sitting up, Aaron slightly stood before taking a seat at the edge of the bed next to you. His arm finds it’s way around your shoulders before he places a gentle kiss against your temple.

“It’s all right, honey. I’m here, you’re safe. Whatever happened it was just a dream, it was not real. It’s over now,” Aaron gently comforts you. At hearing his voice, your face snaps towards his voice. Aarons free hand cups your cheek and you instinctively lean you hand into it. Slowly a tear rolls down your face, which his thumb immediately wipes away.

“Do you want to talk about it, honey? You don’t have to, but it might help,” he gently says. His voice always had a soothing effect on you.

For a moment you stay quiet and only nod. Aaron let’s you take the time you need to collect yourself. While one of his hands remains on your cheek, the other one now draws smooth and lazy circles over your back. He places another kiss on your forehead before you muster up the courage to talk.

“I was- um… it was like,” you take another deep breath before the words practically tumbled out of mouth “So I was standing in the kitchen and making lunch for Jack, nothing unusual everything was normal but then my phone rang which is also not uncommon but it was Garcia who sounded like she was crying and she told me that something had happened to you. For a second I couldn’t see or hear anything but then she told me that you’d been shot and didn’t make it. I could feel everything going numb and I could still hear her over the phone and then I realised that I had to tell Jack and-“ at this point you had to take a deep breath before a sob escaped your lips.

Aaron immediately drew you close, your head tucked safely into the crook of his neck. He knew you worried about him when he was on cases, but it still broke him every time he saw you crumbling underneath your worry.

“Oh, honey, it’s all right. I’m here and I’m fine, nothings happened. The case went smooth.  You know I’ll always come back to you, right?” he now tried to soothe you with a gentle voice. You could only give a small nod as more tears made their way over your cheeks. Aaron continued to rib your back, while he pressed his cheek to the crown of your head. He slightly rocked the two of you, hoping that you would calm down. Even if it wasn’t the most efficient way, it definitely helped.

“I really don’t know what I’d do without you, Aaron. I love you,” you said as the tears slowly subsided. You slightly leaned back to place a gentle kiss to his stubble covered chin.

He gave you a quick smile before asking you “I know it’s late, but I really have to take a shower. Want to join me?” He normally wouldn’t ask, but he knew that you probably didn’t want to be alone right now.

“Yea, that would be nice.”

Even though, when you both lay in bed later on, Aaron knew that he would never be able to fully erase the worry from your mind, he also knew that he’d be always there to comfort you.

a/n: i hope you liked this, if so please leave some notes, likes, reblogs and comments! feedback is very appreciated!

please also consider supporting my ao3: @ softestqueen

taglist: @silvermagnolias @milywatermelon @BigBananaa

requests open!

[jujutsukgojo]

The Baby Project Chapter 4

Izuku Midoriya x reader

Chapter One, chapter two, chapter three

Summary: The Sports Festival is here! Unfortunately, so is the principal. tw: angst, violence, fluff, neglect(?), stress, hate, anxiety(?)

 “Alright, alright, number six, seven, and-oh now this isn’t cute at all. Six, seven, eight, nine, ten? So lame.” The table laughs and urges you to. “It’s a good one!” 

“It’s stupid. Here.” You begin to lay out the dishes in front of them. The back of Noa’s head lays on your chest. You’re careful not to hurt him.

 “You’re doing great, love. It’s okay!” 

  You thank them and when you have successfully managed to lay them out without bothering the baby, they clap gently. “Thank you, thank you.” You wave the circular tray and head back to the counter. 

  “Honey love, I was thinking,” Ken appears through the window. The spatula that was in his hand is placed beside him. “How about you stay behind the counter? Let Yona take on the waiting.” 

  “Ken…” He puts the towel down that was on his broad shoulder. His messy black hair is put in a half bun today. He still needs a haircut though. 

“I’m serious. It’d be better to do that than jeopardize him and more importantly, yourself. You could get hurt.” You don’t see how, but the father in Ken apparently can.

  “My tips, Ken.” He sighs. “I’ll work on that, okay? Stay behind the counter. You look cute like that.”

“Pfft!” You laugh and unsurprisingly, so does Noa. He’s been doing that a lot lately. Ken smiles at you and Noa. “Yo, Yona! Switch with her!” Ken yells.

  “Boo!” 

“Shut up, Aoi!” Aoi Sato huffs at Ken and crosses his arms in protest. Yona comes close to the two of you. “Fine, fine, she can take it. Her and Noa’ll be good for business anyway. A pretty girl and a cute baby at the counter may draw people in.”

You snort and the bell above the door rings. “Welc-oh my God.” He comes in and stands there wide eyed. In his hand is an All Might wallet and his body has various mechanical devices. On both of his wrists, around his hips to look like a belt. His shoes are clunky and the red fabric peaks through in some spots. Other than that, it looks like a steel toed heavyweight shoe. 

 Your mouth drops and your heart stops.

Fucking Deku.

  And Noa, the little brat, giggles and reaches for him while saying his first word: papa.

-

The two of you sit down with Noa in a wooden highchair. The tension is palpable as the two of you stare at each other. Even though this doesn’t involve him, you feel guilty. Like you lied to him personally even though he doesn’t really know you. Yes, he has helped with Noa and has even gained claim to Noa’s milestone of his first word. However, you don’t know each other. 

  “You gonna snitch?” Your eyes focus on him. He shifts in his seat and tilts his head to get a good look at you. “This is against the rules. Can I know why you’re doing this?” 

  “I’m broke.” His green eyes soften. “I get that. I have a friend whose finances aren’t the best so I can understand to that degree.”

  Good.

“But this is against the rules. Do you think you’re going to get away with it?” you take a deep breath. “I will if you keep your mouth shut. This isn’t for fun. This is important to me.”

  “I’m just saying. Lying is wrong, it’s better in the long run to be honest. Maybe U.A. will understand. It’s better to let them know now than it is to let it spring up on them.”

“This is from the man who can do anything. Didn't you lie to literally everyone?” If he wants to go the holier-than-thou route, you can take it there by dragging him by his ear.

He sucks his teeth and looks down at the table. “I'm speaking from experience. Lying damages everything in the long run. That's why I’m encouraging honesty.”

There’s a sudden wash of guilt when you look at his eyes that quickly try to cover up what seems like hurt. However, your pride has always been an issue. 

“No.” You say quickly. He licks his lips and gives a cheerless smile. You don't like it. You are not liking how you're snapping at someone who has only been kind to you. “Well, I won't tell.”

Good.

He taps on the table. “Food any good here?” You shake your head no. “Awful, terrible.”

He looks at you warmly. “I'm sure I'll love it. Maybe we can finish that meal we never got to?”

Fucking Deku felt bad about it and came back to pay. The damn goodie goodie. Noa wipes the table. Izuku points to him. “Ah, no wonder where he got it from.” 

You scoff and try to fight the smile on your face as the two of you watch Noa. “Yeah, he helps me wait on tables and stuff.”

“Well, at least he’s not in the kitchen.” You suck in your lips. “Right, (Y/n)?”

Izuku leans in. “Right?”

“He’s fine!” You point to a distracted Noa. Izuku’s face is fit for a comic book. He grips the edge of the table. “Why would you do that?!”

You smack the table. “Stop screaming at me!” Noa starts to cry and calls for papa again. The two of you freeze. “Is that what he said? He said-”

“He said mama first!” Noa said dada when Izuku walked in, but Izuku must not have heard him. You have been working with this little punk all this time just for him to say papa? You’re shooting daggers at your robo-son. The audacity, the gall, the disrespect. Disgusting! 

Yona pokes her head out. “Lie. Yes, our favorite broccoli boy, you’re daddy.” 

Izuku stands and picks Noa up. “Yay, big boy! Say it again!” Noa gives him a kiss. Not a bite like he does you. He repeats his first word. Repulsive!

Izuku rubs his face against Noa’s. Yona, the new retirement home victim, records it then gets close to your face. “Aw, one day the baby boy will say mommy. He just happens to not like you.”

“I have an entire drawer filled with brochures. For you.” You have been collecting nursing home brochures to scare her with and even give them to her kids. 

“I am nowhere near retirement age!” Her wings slightly flutter then pin themselves on her back.

“Then why are you scared?” She goes to hit you with the towel.

“Girls, girls, now is not the time to do that. It’s time for a refill, seriously, get off your asses.” Yona shushes one of the customers, Aoi, who waves a cup around.

You go back to studying Izuku and Noa. Both look your way. Noa with a cheesy grin and Izuku with a curious look that settles into one of knowing. “You wouldn’t happen to be jealous, would you?”

“No.” 

  He does a sharp intake of air and slowly makes his way to you. “Ah, because he really does like me, no?” He slowly makes his way to you. “Noa, say, mama.” Noa doesn’t speak. 

“Nope, doesn’t bother me.”

You tap your foot, trying to ignore the inching Izuku who looks disgustingly mischievous. Noa rests on his hip naturally. Izuku leans down with a smirk. “Y’know, I could help you. I’ll teach you on how to speak in ‘Noa language .’” 

  Your bottom lip sticks out, your leg bouncing. “I speak Noa language just fine, thank you.”

“Say mama!” Noa shakes his head no. You smack the table again. “I don’t deserve this disrespect!” Izuku laughs and places his hand on the back of your neck gently and says, “It’ll happen eventually, my dearest. Or maybe he really doesn’t like you.”

What he called you goes over your head.

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

A week later, it’s time for the Sports Festival. It’s been so awkward and warm between you and Izuku since he found out. For some reason, there is a lightness to it all. It’s that dark cloud hanging over your head that won’t leave that’s making you fail to trust the situation. This cloud has formed over the course of your life. You can't just get rid of it because of one nice person.

 Anyway, you promised you’d be there cheering. You sit next to your friends on the stands. Everyone is up and bouncing despite the hard days of studying. Lately, tests and homework have been a challenge since Noa turned one. He’s been even more curious and adventurous. Whenever you try to calm him so you can work, he gets even louder and becomes disruptive. You don’t know how many times you’ve apologized.

Right now, you’re focused on the Sports Festival. It’s the first since Shigaraki. It is one of the things he didn’t ruin. It’s all going good, going smooth. Your mood is upbeat until you spot Kaibara with a smile. He waves at the spectators, spots you then looks away. 

Concerning Kaibara, you’ve given up on him. You were lenient to a fault because of him being your partner, but he has shown you that he doesn’t deserve anything. The only thing you include him in is the progress report. You can pat yourself on the back and say that you tried. That you were the one that didn’t fail, it was him.

Halfway into the Sports Festival, Noa squeals in excitement as Izuku is on the screen. He’s allowed to wear only parts of his suit for this. Was there concern about it? During Izuku’s first year, support items were allowed and his suit is a support item too. Then again, it gives him back the power of a god. People may view it as cheating. That alone is reasonable, but it is also a spit in the face for the students. It is as if the people are calling them weak. It has the same quirks he has in the first run, so what’s the difference? Perhaps it is fear more than anything.

Izuku hasn’t explained it but doesn’t he still have some of the quirk left? Maybe that’s a reason too. He has shown superior speed and strength than his peers who don’t have a quirk to aid them in those areas. Would it be fair if he had that and still used a suit? It goes above your head.

After every trial, Izuku finds you and Noa in the stands. He waves at you with a flush to his cheeks every time he does so. At first, your stupid brain made you think it’s because of you and not because of the physical exertion. Thankfully, common sense won out.

  He’s doing really well with the scraps of his suit. Carefully planning while he goes around or through his friends’ quirks. Izuku’s speed and strength is still incredible. Not as fast as Iida but definitely second place. 

 Overall, the hero course is truly something. These two classes alone show promise and there are so many schools that probably hold just as much talent. If another Tomura were to happen, the world will have a better time with it than the first go around.

Noa wiggles on your lap when Izuku stands in the arena. Noa leans forward and tries to reach Izuku. You notice that the green haired boy hasn’t looked up at the two of you this time. 

  “And back from the dead, Izuku Midoriya! Who will win? Who, who, wh-” Present Mic bounces in his seat. 

“Shut up.” Aizawa cuts him off and tells Snipe to start the match since Mic is getting on his nerves again. 

  The crowd cheers and shouts their names. The babies all have those clunky headphones on to cancel out the noise. Noa has decided that he hates his and keeps trying to take them off. And just when your eyes are off of him so you can stop Noa, Izuku wins this round. You look back up and see class B’s Kendo, flat on the ground. “Damn it.”

  Up next is Todoroki and Tetsutetsu. Naturally, you know who to cheer for. You stand up but Riko pulls you down quickly.

 “Let’s do it, Tetsu! You got this!” 

“You are so obvious, I swear.” Riko rolls her eyes then stands. With loud claps to go with it, she shouts, “Win, Tetsu!” 

“I’m obvious but you join in?” Noa frowns and points at her. “I know, Auntie Riko is a mess.”

She gestures to herself. “It’s better when I do it.” 

  It’s an interesting fight. Apparently, they went against each other in their first year. He had trained his body to withstand extreme temperatures and was able to deliver amazing blows. It ended in a draw but without Tetsu, class B would have lost. 

  “Whoop his ass, Tetsu!” You and another person shout. You look over and see a girl passionately screaming against Todoroki. In her hands is an infant with her features but familiar dual-colored eyes.

Tetsu punches Todoroki in the face, sending him back. Todoroki catches himself from falling over. “Deadbeat motherfucker!”

 Tetsutestu lands another punch. Todoroki shoots out his flames directly at the steel boy. Despite the terrible heat, Real Steel takes it all on.

"Endeavor lover!" Jule screams with his baby on his hip mimicking his hand waves. You’re jumping up and down, completely entertained by the fight. With every hit Tetsu gets in, the general studies shout, “Yes!”

Tetsu dodges one of Todoroki’s hits and lands a kick of his own. What was that Mirko said? Those with long range quirks are usually weak in combat? She definitely hit it on the head. Todoroki is great, but Tetsu is fierce. Each hit is clearly doing some damage. Every punch seems to knock the wind out of Todoroki. If this were anyone else, they'd be flat on their asses.

“You got this, Real Steel!” He’s relentless. Even though he’s stark red from the terrible heat, he doesn’t stop. You know nothing about the heroes' training or fighting, but it looks like his movements are getting more fluid, looser in a good way.  

In a strange turn of events, right after Todoroki shoots out a powerful blast, he freezes the stadium, barely missing the onlookers. It immediately stops the cheering for Tetsutestu. You scream as you fall back to your seat. The ice is dangerously close to the audience. Noa shivers and sniffles from the frost. Immediately, you rub him to get some heat. 

  “Um, Tetsutestu is out! Todoroki wins!”

“Boo!” 

-

 Next is, you can’t believe your eyes, Kaibara versus Yaoyorozu. Both stand proudly on the opposite sides. They are ignoring the crowd and focusing on the task.

“Y'all both suck ass!” 

“Boo!” 

  “Deadbeat motherfuckers!” Again, you don’t know who that came from. What you do know is that everyone in general studies are against those who have shown their true colors. 

  “It’s a death match! Yes!” You scream. Snipe shakes his head and points to you. The camera goes to you. You tense up at the camera and lower yourself. 

“Anyway, as you can see, these two are not popular. The majority of the heroes don’t have many fans Eraser…”

“Popularity isn’t necessary. Heroics should have nothing to do with a popularity contest.” Aizawa says sternly. You roll your eyes. With hollowing your hands, you shout, “Boo! You two in the booth suck!”

Riko touches your shoulder. “Sh, let the violence relax you.”

“Begin!” 

  You see Benio intently watching. He shields Kobeni from the fight. Right then, Kaibara runs to Yaoyorozu who immediately blocks his attack. It’s the same mistake she made in the first year. She got nervous during the one on one and got pushed out. Now, she seems to be doing the same thing. Clearly, she’s more of a support hero than a fighter.

  Kaibara drills right through her shield. Surprisingly, she had a gift for him in the shape of a gun with non lethal bullets. Your eyes are glued to the fight. There’s no way he’ll be able to dodge them, right? 

  Suddenly, as she fires them with excellent precision, he manages to drill his body to protect himself, spinning round and round until the bullets fly away. Whatever the hero course is teaching these students, it is absolutely working because both of them slide and run from the other, one trying to close the distance, the other tries to create it.

  Yaoyorozu comes through with a baton that sparks electricity. She charges at him and duels. With every drilling twirl of his, goes through her electric baton, only to be met with another. Finally, Kaibara stops holding back, apparently. 

  He’s a monster. She’s creating shields and tries to come up with weapons, but in terms of martial arts, he is a savage that Yaoyorozu can’t keep up with. It takes one hit to the face, and she’s thrown back and outside the lines.

 That…was exciting. She wasn’t scared or nervous like she was in her first year. Now, she faced her opponent head on. Yaoyorozu seems to need more training in fighting, though. Other than that, Benio's baby mama was amazing.

You peer at Benio who fights a smile then takes a deep breath. He kisses Kobeni’s head and leans back. Is he trying not to be happy?

  There are more fights that earn several boos. One had a purple haired boy, Shinsou, that was surprisingly really good. It was quick for him. He went against the antagonistic blond boy, Monoma, and won. You’d think that since Monoma knows about Shinsou's quirk, he'd shut up but no. It’s too much for him. You shake your head and watch as other matches go down. Finally, there is one that catches your attention by far.

“We have Izuku Midoriya, with only parts of his suit, and Sen Kaibara!”

  Noa calls out ‘papa’. Izuku looks up and sees Noa shaking his hand at him. “You can do it!” You shout. Kaibara turns around and sees the two of you. The camera zooms up on Izuku who is still excitedly waving, making Noa do the same. Lost in the moment of you cheering, you blow a kiss to him. It goes right over your head. Doing it came naturally.

You don’t look at Kaibara until you for sure feel his eyes on you. You make eye contact and instantly regret it. The more he stares, the more anxious you feel. His expression goes from indifference, annoyance, confusion, and finally to anger. All of these in the span of a few seconds. 

   You stop cheering and tense up. Noa continues to call Izuku papa, not realizing that the man in front of Izuku is his real father. He is totally unaffected by the look in Kaibara’s eyes. Kaibara moves his jaw and flares his nostrils. He turns around and faces Izuku who does not look happy. Izuku has totally changed his demeanor. You kiss Noa’s face and lower his standing form. 

  “Are you okay?” Riko asks. You turn to her. “Yeah, yeah, I’m just a little tired.”

What do you say to her? What was that anyway and why did you feel it? He wasn’t near you. “You sure?”

  You shake your head at Riko. “I must be feeling off.” It’s the truth. You weren't scared or anything, just unnerved. No way would you ever tell anyone this, though.

  Riko hums. Right as she does, Snipe yells, “Begin!”

In an instant, Izuku is on Kaibara without giving the latter a second to drill or block. Kaibara’s face is taking hit after hit. Next, Izuku lowers Kaibara so he can kick him in the chest. Kaibara takes this and flips Izuku over.

“Sweep the leg!” You yell. Following you, Izuku sweeps his leg to hit Kaibara’s knee, leaving a crunch noise behind. You cover Noa’s eyes so he doesn’t see that. Kaibara miraculously fights without thinking about it. How long has that taken him? How much training did he have to do in order to swirl his leg back to its original place with his quirk to keep it still?

  Kaibara isn’t done and Izuku’s just getting started. The fight is fast and messy, yet each hit is deliberate and trained. Both are bleeding, from Izuku’s nose to Kaibara’s mouth and cheek. He has a gash that Recovery Girl will need to handle. Kaibara is displaying master artistry in martial arts. Even without using his quirk, he’d be deadly to villains. 

  Izuku hasn’t used his suit once, though.

Finally, somehow, Izuku gives a powerful kick upward, sending his opponent up. With complete savagery, you see Izuku fling Kaibara around in the air to drop him. They both land with a shake of the ground. Kaibara barely manages to stand while Izuku does it perfectly with power. 

With mighty punches and kicks, Kaibara isn’t able to even defend. Izuku hasn’t even used his suit yet. Izuku right hooks Kaibara and is met with cheers with every swing. The crowd shouts his name and his alias, Deku. The energy from the fight is so intense, you can almost see it flow into the air for the audience to absorb it. 

“Get it, Deku!” Ema pumps her fist in the air.

“Deadbeat motherfucker!” 

You stand and shout, “Grab the bag, rob his wallet, hit the bank, and beat his ass! Yes!” 

  Riko pats your thigh. “Where did you get that?!”

Izuku grabs Kaibara’s hand. Kaibara uses his quirk in retaliation, making Izuku's skin raw by the rapid spinning. Yet, there’s a smile on Izuku's face. With one squeeze, Izuku completely crushes Kaibara's hand. Immediately, blood gushes out. You are on the edge of your seat when Izuku is flung back in a circle. Kaibara is something else. He hasn’t slowed down and manages to keep his weight off his broken knee.

  “He isn’t using it…” You whisper as the fight goes on. Izuku has a suit that could be used against Kaibara’s quirk. Looking at the fight and knowing what Izuku is used to doing, it’s like he’s playing with his food. 

“It’s a fist fight for him. The parts of the suit are still incredibly strong and fit to use against those with an offensive quirk,” Riko leans in, “This isn’t a competition for him. It’s an all out brawl.”

  Finally, Izuku moves his arms. Immediately, everyone recognizes Gear Shift. Kaibara, for the first time, takes a step back. That is all Izuku needs to land three hits. One punch to the nose, one to the gut, and a kick to send him back. The epic sounds are thunderous seconds after Kaibara is sent flying through the stadium’s wall. The impact affects the entire arena. The vibration is right under your feet and the blast of wind pushes you back into your seat. All of this happened and Kaibara didn't land near you.

 Your jaw drops. You’ve never seen Izuku in action. And this is what Shigaraki was dealing with? And Izuku only used the suit for one thing. He has a bruise on his jaw and his hand is bleeding. He’s lowered in a hunched position, ready to strike if Kaibara comes back. 

The arena is silent. 

Everyone knows that Izuku’s suit is fit for him only. What he has on are his usual arm compressions and shin guards. Each of these give him the ability to use some of his suit’s quirks. And yet, he didn’t need it. In fact, he could have done without the Gear Shift. Riko was right. This was a straight up brawl. If you aren’t mistaken, it looked personal.

  “The winner is Izuku Midoriya!”

He straightens up and looks at you, already knowing where you are. You smile warmly, standing again to cheer for the man who can do anything. Noa, of course, has to be the loudest and call for his papa. You stand back up and blow him a kiss. Izuku's eyes shine.

The Sports Festival is an intense event. People you didn’t expect to get far got the farthest, for instance, Jirou absolutely dominated her opponents until she came across Kaminari, whose electricity had knocked her down. At least she tore him up before she got out. Uraraka’s awakening helped tremendously. Honestly, she’s scary as hell. It was amazing to see her and Bakugou go against each other again. It was incredibly close. Bakugou had barely made it. Present Mic of course, the president of her fan club, wasn’t thrilled and made it known. He even wanted a rematch. 

  Then it came down to Todoroki, Bakugou, and Izuku. This is the fights that people have been waiting to see. Both Bakugou and Todoroki have shown how brutal they are compared to their first year. And no one thought that Izuku would be able to make it this far with or without his suit, yet here he is proving them wrong left and right. His technique, intelligence and natural physical prowess are immaculate. And with his suit, he still bears a striking resemblance to the boy with everything.

Unfortunately, Noa decided to be a boob and knock his headphones off right when Bakugou’s quirk exploded at Todoroki. The sound irritated him so badly, you had to leave and go into the hallway. In true Noa fashion, he stopped and fell asleep with his usual ding, then would wake up with a bird’s hum, then go right back down. Right when the Sports Festival was over. You had missed it.

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

You enter Recovery Girl’s office to find Izuku on the bed. He perks up when he sees you and Noa, who is no longer sleeping.

  “How’re you doing?”

“Pretty good! I thought I wasn't going to get far without the suit.” He smiles widely and sits up, still tucked under the covers. You wonder if he's actually okay. Izuku, for the short time you've known him, hides himself away.

You feel so guilty. “I wanted to see-”

“I understand. It’s probably better that way. Kacchan’s quirk is loud so I don’t know if Noa could handle that.”

  You sigh and sit on the foot of his bed. “He couldn’t. Right when Kacchan used his quirk, Noa freaked.”

“Kacchan?”  He raises his eyebrows in shock.

“That’s his name, right?” Noa rocks himself back and forth in excitement. “It’s my name for him-”

“Are you jealous?” You ask in the same tone he did back at the restaurant. He scoffs. “No. I’m worried for you, that’s all. He might get mad.”

  “I do as I please.” He chuckles and leans back. “He’s definitely going to be mad.”

You shrug. “Whatever,” You play with Noa’s face. “Did you win?”

After a moment, Izuku sucks on his teeth and looks at you through his lashes. “We can watch it together some time instead of me telling you. If you want too!”

“I guess? Yeah, keep the suspense up so I’ll be on my toes around you?”

“No!”

“I don’t know Izuku, you’re a brutal fighter.” You smirk and sit on the foot of the bed. “I didn’t think they’d let you use the suit to be honest.” You set Noa down who then crawls to his favorite. Hmph.

You scratch your cheek. Your eyes dart away from his, not really wanting to say what’s to come. It’s surely vain. Quietly, you ask, “Did you know you’d face him?”

“No.”

You haven't looked at him yet. “Um, thanks for punching him in the face then. I know it’s a competition so it can’t be ah, that-”

“For what?” He kisses Noa on the head. You take a deep breath. “I know it wasn’t for me. It’s just nice to see him get hit.”

  Izuku gives a closed mouth smile. Even without teeth it’s genuine. “It was both. Yeah, it’s a competition but he deserved it.” He sits up. “I saw how scared you got. (Y/n),” 

  You’re facing the window, only seeing him from the corner of your eye. “I won't let you be scared. I was happy to beat him for you.”

  You turn your face fully to him. “I wasn’t scared.”

“I know.” He says, after a few seconds of staring at you. Even though he agrees, you aren’t dumb enough to believe he meant it. You weren’t scared. Unnerved, yes. But not scared. Sen Kaibara won’t hurt you again. Not when his reputation is still slightly on the rocks. It was the hostility when he looked at you that was unnerving.

You mess with the soft, white cotton blanket. It is warm and comforting. Something to hold you down in this conversation with a boy who is making your heart flutter despite him being annoying. To change the topic, you decide to tease him. “Noa was mimicking you. I don’t know if I like that. You may not be a good influence, Deku.”

You barely know him, but he is someone you’ve come to start welcoming inside your built walls. Even though you hate heroes, this one may be the only one in your grace.

  “I think Noa likes me just fine. He’s turning out okay, too.” He shrugs. You squint your eyes and hum. “Mm, it’s me you have to worry about Deku.”

He’s a little flushed. “Well, I’ll just have to win you over, won’t I?”

   There’s no way that meant anything, so stop.

 You sigh and watch Noa stand up and mess with Izuku’s face. “Y’know, you could teach him some of your moves. For self defense and all.”

“Eh?! That’s too dangerous!” He holds Noa close to him. Izuku bounces the boy a little and asks, “You don’t want to do that, Noa.”

You lean in, ready to antagonize Izuku who is desperately telling Noa to never do it. “Yes you do, buddy! You want to be just like daddy, huh?” Noa squeals and says yes. Izuku gasps. “Where’s my phone? We gotta get this!”

 You take out yours and hit record. “Noa, say hi daddy!”

“Hi, daddy.” For the first time, he’s able to pronounce daddy, rather than papa. “Noa, say mama!”

Silence.

“Call me mommy!” He remains silent and just stares at the camera then to you. “Oh my God.”

Izuku bursts out laughing. Noa goes along with him, the little asshole. You sigh and are about to put the camera away until he looks directly at you and says, “Love ya.”

Your breath stops. These robots are said not to have souls and yet he said that with a brightness in his eyes. He said it smoothly like music. You hope Izuku doesn’t notice how you are frozen and warm. You pray that this feeling of fondness and care for Noa goes away. That somehow, you'll be sensible enough to not love him. You won't, no matter how much Noa says he loves you. And how much it sounds like he means it.

“Good job, Noa! Say it for me, please? Say I love you.” Izuku urges. Noa doesn’t do it. It’s your turn to laugh at Izuku’s expense. He tries and tries to get Noa to say it, to the point of tears.

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

You scratch your head at your notes. Recently, Snipe decided that his students weren’t able to do major tests like before. No one could get a hold of studying at the same time, even Ema. So, he decided to give more time to prepare and a study guide everyone went through in class.

  However, Noa, in all his wisdom, decided that having a fit that involved throwing himself around was necessary. Snipe was annoyed so rather than listen to him bitch and complain, you excused yourself to the bathroom to calm him. 

  When you went back, class was over. 

Your heart dropped. None of your friends had the energy or hands to do two papers. Snipe stopped you from leaving and gave you a set of them. They were all over the place and sloppy. They were the teacher’s notes. He didn’t say anything other than how cute Noa is in the videos. Without another word, you knew what that meant. So, you left the classroom and went about your day with a smile. Now, here you sit with Noa in front of you playing with Riko’s gifted toys and snacking on banana puffs. He feels the need to show you everything he has in his hand and if you don’t look, he growls. He’s cute but distracting. 

Suddenly, a familiar voice calls out, “(Y/n), Noa! I’m here!” Izuku jogs to you with a heavy looking backpack and another bag. At first glance you see more snacks and books. 

  “I thought he’d like these. It’s the same I grew up with.” He puts the cereal on the table. “I remember those. Not too many, Izuku. That’s a lot of sugar.”

  He nods. “Not all of these are for him.” He pops several in his mouth. After swallowing, he asks, “What’re you doing?”

“Remember that test? He gave us a study guide and I’m trying to look at.”

Izuku perks up. “I’ll help! Noa and I both. Ain’t that right bub? We’re gonna help mama?” Noa responds with the awful word, papa.

  “Um, can you watch Noa while I study instead? I won’t be long, I promise.”

“That’s a good idea. It’s been a long time since Noa and I bonded.” He ruffles Noa's hair. You blink once then twice. “You just saw him two hours ago.”

“Yeah, I saw him. We didn’t hang out, (Y/n)!” 

You rub your eyes. “Alright, then. I’ll be in my room. Call if you need me, okay?” He shoos you away and eats the cereal with Noa, who is equally obsessed with it.

-

You look around for your boy who was just playing with the colorful blocks that he's obsessed with. Worry starts to creep inside you. You left Izuku and Noa in front of the coffee table in the commons. Now an hour later, the boys are gone. The only thing there on the table is Noa's colorful plate of what looks like sweet potatoes and Izuku's cereal right next to it. 

“Have you seen Noa?” Jule shakes his head no.

“Have you seen Noa?” Sakura says no and adds like the little bitch she is, “Lost him already?”

On her hip is Mira, an exact replica of Kacchan but with her mother’s hair color. It isn't as spiked as his either. She is a cute little thing but is so bratty. Even now her arms are crossed and glaring. It is a little scary how much she acts like him for an eight-month-old.

  “Have Mira for the first time ever? Actually being useful? Big happenings for both of us.” Sakura gasps and in Mira fashion, the baby laughs at her mother.

  Have you seen Noa? Is repeatedly asked in your dorm and every time it is answered with the same word: no. It's practically an echo by now.

 “Noa! Noa?” You run through the halls. You call Izuku with no answer. Finally, you run across a large room which was decided by your class to be the movie room. You hear noises in it. Slowly opening it, you gently call out Noa’s name. A weight is lifted off of your chest when you see Izuku laying down on the orange sofa with Noa on his chest. A gory zombie movie plays on the screen which goes ignored with snores.

  You walk up to the boys and see that they’re totally fine. It seems that both of them played hard. You poke Izuku several times. He wakes up with a jump, nearly knocking off Noa. “Hey!” You quickly grab the baby before he falls.

“Oh no! No, no, no, is he okay?” You hold Noa protectively while Izuku jumps up and puts his hands out. “He’s fine.”

“I-I’m sorry. I have trouble waking up like that.” Ah, that’s right. The wars. You stop tensing up and slowly release. You totally forgot about them and the effects it might’ve had on him.

“Um, Izuku,” You pat Noa’s back. “I really appreciate you and all but, please don’t take off with him like that. It scared the hell out of me.”

He looks confused for a second then gasps. “Shit-excuse me-I’m sorry for that. I didn’t think about it.”

 You smile as the future hero looks panicky. The movie continues to play and gets progressively scarier. “I, ah, want to go outside. You coming with?” Izuku looks around then at the ground. “You sure?”

“Positive. Anything to get away from this movie.” He looks taken back then defends it. “It’s a classic!”

“It’s nasty!” You leave the room and head to yours to get Noa’s bag. Izuku follows you closely. “Zombie movies are imperative to cinema. They’re great monster movies.”

  You struggle to get your key from your pocket. As he defends the movie, he takes it from you and opens the door for you. “Whatever. It’s an excuse to watch gory porn.”

“What?!” You can’t help but laugh at his face. He’s growing increasingly offended. “I said what I said. How can anyone watch a movie where people are being eaten if someone isn’t into that kind of stuff?”

“Well, you like slasher films!” 

“Barely. Another thing, people are interesting. Why do they kill? Why is the dumb blonde in the woods? Why are they going up the stairs? Not dead humans who eat brains.” He takes Noa’s bag and when you leave your room, he locks it for you. “That is an old stereotype. Zombies eat people, not just brains. And slasher films are not psychological thrillers. They’re just as gory as zombie movies.”

“Agree to disagree. Even though I’m right.” He scoffs and opens the door to the dorms. The sun is bright, and the breeze is perfect. He lets you walk out first. “Whatever! It is not gory porn.”

“I knew you were freaky. What is that saying? Save a horse, ride a zombie.”

“What? Now who’s the freak-” His voice starts to raise to protect his nasty movies. You don't bother to hide your smile. “You watch bloody porn. I don't think you have the right to insult me.”

“I do not watch bloody porn!” A teacher stops and stares. The great hero Deku’s breathing stops. His eyes are blank and unfocused. You don't even try to hold in your laugh. With a proper voice, the hero in purple tights says, “Do what you want on your own time, Deku. But please don't say it out loud.”

The hero walks away. Izuku has yet to get life back in his eyes. Meanwhile, you have the ugliest laugh at his devastation.

-

The three of you sit on the grass. In Noa’s bag were some toys and his banana puffs. You laid everything out for him to get his hands on. He sits in front of you two and after he picks each of them up, he shows you what it is. Izuku acts incredibly interested. You lie on your back against Izuku’s jacket and rest in the sun. He insisted on you and Noa sitting on it.

  “Deku!” The loud and raspy voice annoys the hell out of you. The source stomps along the pavement, heading towards you and Noa, the unsuspecting victims of his voice. Izuku smiles widely and holds Noa up. “Kacchan, he said his first word!”

The spikey haired blonde holds his twin on his hip. Sakura must've tossed Mira to him again. Mira sports the same expression as her dad when she sees Noa, who is totally oblivious. 

“Mine’s already done that!” For some reason, perhaps out of sheer possession of evil, he makes this gremlin face. Mira smiles at her dad, clearly amused by it. 

“Noa said papa! Isn't he cute?”

“Ain't this drill boy’s kid? And that's his first word?” Kacchan stares down at you. His red eyes aren't judgmental, but genuinely curious. Mira’s identical red eyes however, are totally rude. 

“He calls me papa!” Izuku says proudly. Then, with the same smugness as before, he adds, “What was Mira’s first word?”

Kacchan glares at Izuku. Through his gritted teeth he says, “Bitch.”

At first you think he’s insulting Izuku until it sinks in. Mira’s first word is actually bitch. You cover your mouth in an attempt to stop the laughter. Finally, you fall back. “Oh my God!” 

Izuku, as you suspected, knew what her first word was. You were upset that Noa has yet to say mama, though after hearing this, you’re happy with what you got. Better that than being called a ‘bitch’.

“Fucking Deku!” 

Izuku sets Noa down. “I’ll be right back.”

Some of class A stand at the side next to the tall and healthy trees. A few of them have their dolls, including Kaminari and Todoroki. You rubbed your eyes when you saw them. Your hands turn to fists on the grass as you look at those two in particular. Apparently, Todoroki has been pathetic in this project. And it’s his fault!

Before you can get up to give him a piece of your mind, Noa stands up, gives you a sloppy kiss, and says, “papa.”

Noa, for the first time, starts to walk. “Izuku!” 

He turns around and quickly gets his camera. “That’s my boy! Look at him go-here record this!” He hands it to Todoroki and gets on the ground with his arms open. Noa makes a wobbly run for it. You cross your arms. You’re happy Noa’s doing this, but this is some bullshit. 

Ema comes up to you without Hana. She points her thumb behind her. “Uh, Nezu and co. want to see you.”

“Alright, after-”

“No, they mean now. Either I went to get you or a teacher.” You freeze then look at Izuku who doesn’t see this. Did he snitch on you? 

  You get up and call out, “I have to go somewhere.” You don’t look at him again when Ema walks with you to the principal’s office. Your heart is practically coming out of your chest. Wait, who’s to say it’s because of your secret? It could be one of your many outbursts that's finally gotten you in trouble! It could be something different. 

  Your heart starts to calm down. Thankfully, your knees stop shaking so much. This anxiety could be leading you to something completely false. Izuku knows and said he wouldn’t tell, Kaibara has known for a while and hasn’t said anything either and there were tons of times he could have. So, you’re in the clear. Snipe is probably just mad again. 

  You open the door and a teacher, what’s her face, thanks Ema and excuses her. All of the general studies teachers are here. Nezu sits at his desk. The movement at your side makes you look over and lo and behold, Kaibara.

 Nezu, in a lighthearted voice says, “We have been told that you are working, (L/n).” 

Son of a bitch. You stare at Nezu, not breathing. “Don’t deny it, we’ve seen proof. We just want to go over the rules with you.”

“What evide-”

The door opens and Izuku comes in. “Principal Nezu?” 

“We’ll keep this short with you Midoriya. Did you know that (L/n) is working at a restaurant?” Since when is he involved? And where's Noa?

  Izuku opens his mouth. “Before you lie, know that this is just confirmation that she was seen there.”

Izuku says nothing. His teacher sighs and Nezu excuses him. Izuku doesn’t leave and instead stands between you and Kaibara. “Midor-”

“With all due respect, but this requires more than the insight of the teachers and a bitter partner.”

  “Bitter?” Kaibara scoffs. “She stole-”

“It’s not stealing if you participated in the project.” Eraserhead flicks his eyes over to Kaibara. Dracula speaks, “Kaibara, there’s nothing wrong with her asking you to participate financially. What’s wrong is that you kept this from us.”

“How is it his business? Or any of yours?” Your heart rate is racing right now. At the beginning, you were afraid Kaibara would say something. After your talk in the yard, you don't remember if he mentioned it. Part of you, a naive and senseless part, thought he forgot, that maybe he let it slip from his mind.

Of course, he was just waiting to strike. Why? After all of these months he chooses now. Noa is a year old, talking and walking, and you’re doing all of the work! You haven’t asked him for a thing since then. The only request you have for him is to participate in the report and like Benio and Yaoyorzoru, he’s copying your homework. Plus, it’s only once a month!

  So, what happened? Why?

Izuku stays by your side even when he is repeatedly dismissed. “(L/n), this job you have, no matter how mundane, has to end.”

Your throat is tight. “This isn’t fair.”

“It doesn’t seem like it, but your scholarship requires your full attention, and your grades are already slippi-”

“Because of this stupid project! You heroes are the laziest sack of shits I’ve ever met.”

Snipe stands up and hisses out your name. “No, no! My stipend is less than others because I’m a scholarship kid. And he-” You point to Kaibara. “Hasn’t done anything! I have to force him to meet up once a month to do the progress report. That’s it! He hasn’t even held Noa!”

“That’s not tr-”

You cut Kaibara off. “Did you know Noa said his first word? He walks? That he likes banana puffs and mashed potatoes? How about rice and Izuku’s katsudon? How about the fact he thinks Izuku Midoriya is his daddy! Because you aren’t there!”

  Everyone remains silent. “Yes, I work. I have bills to pay and Noa to provide for. That stipend is just a few bucks that barely covers anything. And Kaibara literally gave me twenty dollars that one time. I paid for the rest and went without.”

“We know-” You interrupt Nezu. “You don’t know. Yes, I work. My job prevents me going from without and now that Noa is added on, I need it more than ever. The project is hurting us except for the future pros. Who not only get paid by you but also by people’s taxes. And I’m in trouble for what? Actually doing something? Managing a job, school, Noa, and that thing right there?” Kaibara scoffs when you point at him. “Where’s Tomura when you need him, oh my God.”

Izuku touches your arm. You move it away. “Nah, this is why the people don’t and never will, trust your asses. I trust Sir Dusty over you people any day of the week.”

Nezu stands on the table with his hands behind his back. Kaibara clears his throat. “With that being said and the slander against me and her clear support of the League, I think it should be noted that she hangs out with villains regularly.”

  You turn your head to him so fast. “Kenji Hara is a villain who was a known serial killer a few years back. I'm worried for Noa and even her safety. That’s why I brought this whole thing up.”

“Thank you for bringing it to our attention even though you should’ve said she was violating the rules of the scholarship sooner. If you truly were concerned for her safety, we should've been notified immediately.” Dracula gestures to you.

  Your eyes are bulging. He did not just bring Ken into this. “Lord forbid the man had a hobby!"

"Murder is not okay!"

"I never said it was. And he paid his debt!" Kaibara opens his stupid mouth. "He ripped people's bones-"

"He now gets them ethically."

Eraserhead inhales deeply. “Fraternizing with villains isn’t a proper thing to do, (L/n). Especially one of such violence.” 

“But killing them is? Need I remind you of the countless human beings you have killed?”

Izuku tenses next to you. Snipe rubs his face under his mask. You take the stage since no one says anything. “I said what I said. This whole thing isn’t fair and for you to judge me for rubbing elbows with someone who made his own choices in life is bullshit. How much sense does that make? He’s killed people and so have you! What’s the difference?”

Eraserhead sighs for the millionth time. He's wearing a facade of indifference, but you can tell you're chiseling it away. “There is a difference. Heroes don’t agree with-”

“Damn, at least Ken takes care of his kids. Can you say the same for yourselves? Not even just the kids. What about us?”

 Nezu answers you in his usual annoyingly chipper voice. “I know this is hard. The baby project has its reasons. Although you should be kicked out for violating the rules of your scholarship that was specifically clear and endangering yourself and others by associating with bad influences," You swear your heart stopped. "I won't punish you for it. You made your point, and we'll give you another chance. Don't slip up like this again. You're very bright, (L/n). It'd be a waste to lose you." Nezu always has such a jolly face.

You want to stab everyone’s eyes out. “Thank you for proving me and the League right. You and the fakes you teach have yet to beat the allegations.”

All of them flinch as your words begin to settle. Those words are held with such conviction and anger that could only be called righteous with the promise of wrath.

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

You walk out with your head held high. Izuku stayed behind for some reason and Kaibara has left to the other side of the hallway, not looking back at you. Your breathing is shallow, and your head is spinning. Even still, you march on. You have to find Noa and go to your room. You’ve had enough for today.

 Izuku comes up and touches your arm. “Where’s Noa?” 

“I’ll get him, I’ll be right back.” Once he leaves, you say to yourself, “I need to call Yona.” 

You go to the random chair in the hall. It sits next to the large window and gives a terrible view of the building. No one knows why the window is there or the chair. It’s usually used for when people need to tie their shoes or for phone calls.

  “Hey, Yona? Um, they found out.” She’s dead quiet. “What does that mean?”

“I quit, ma’am.” You’ve been around Yona and Ken since the wars. You were one of the ones that weren’t able to get into a shelter. Ken found you and Yona who stayed close to her restaurant. Heroes have done nothing but disappoint you time and time again.

  “This is a short notice, bug.” You want to be lighthearted and laugh; find joy in her teasing. “Ma’am, it’s been wonderful and an honor to work for you and Ken.” Your voice starts to shake, warning her that you’re about to cry. You hear her ladybug wings flap in the background. They do that when she's nervous.

Izuku comes up and squats to your level. “I have to go.”

“Not go. We’ll see each other soon, little bug.” Her wings are flapping more. You hang up and put your phone in your pocket. You blink a couple of times and look up into his green eyes. He's holding Noa. He stretches out his hand that you don’t take.

You get up and walk back into your room. “Thanks for helping me back there. It won’t happen again.” You take Noa from him and go to set him in his crib that he’s about to outgrow. You have to look into getting another one. Maybe just get a big kid's bed and hope for the best? Perhaps he can just sleep with you now. These are decisions for later.

  Izuku stops you from closing the door. “Wait-”

“I need to do anything that doesn’t involve what happened today, thanks.” He pushes it open anyway. “It’s not good to hold things like this in, (Y/n). Let me help.”

 “And I’m sure you’ve dealt with everything right?” In response, he wraps his arms around you. “I hate this, Izuku. Stop hugging me, I don’t need it.”

You understand he wants to comfort you. Why? What does he get out of it? It’s probably to play the hero. The hero that put you through that mess and he’s best friends with the hero that’s putting you through your current predicament. You can’t really blame him for something All Might brought or that Todoroki started. But God, you’re so mad.

 “Get away from me.” You push him away; his body is like a brick wall, and he doesn’t stumble. He doesn’t look hurt at all. Why is this? Why do you want him to feel pain? He corrected his mistake back then and took Tomura's fine ass out. Izuku’s quirkless now but God, isn’t this a martyr complex he has? Hero complex? Or just straight up annoying?

That's what this is, isn't it? He views you as a project and something to save. You hate them, all of them. “Leave me and Noa alone.” You finally yank him away. He stumbles to the doorway. It’s only right. The heroes have left you alone with this project. Your doll “son” is going to drive you mad. And you can’t afford to fail, or you’ll lose your scholarship and everything you have ever worked for. And for some reason, this all hurts your heart. Pushing him away hurts too, God, do you hate him. All of them. 

  You slam your dorm door in his face. You try to keep it quiet. You try to stiffen up your bottom lip and smile instead before you turn around to face Noa. It will be too familiar if you don’t. You’re trying, you’re trying! So, why are you failing? There must be something you’re doing wrong. Your hands are against the door and the tears fall. These damn tears are happening a lot lately and you hate it. You hate them as much as you do everyone else.

Stop it, stop it!

You’re just so angry, disappointed and disgusted. Sen, why? If this is about the stupid Sports Festival, you had nothing to do with it. Did you cheer him on? Hell no. But you were impressed despite everything. If Izuku’s fight triggered this then oh my God. You had nothing to do with that.

  Noa gurgles and you turn around with puffy eyes and a forced smile. You rub your face and smack your cheeks. “Hey, Noa.”

  He sits up in his crib. His eyes that look full of life and wonder peer up at you, studying. Noa stands up and reaches for you. “Nah, I don’t think that’s a good idea. You’re getting too used to being held.”

  For literally one second he accepts this then takes it all back with a scream. Despite the noise, you’re firm. “You need to learn to be by yourself, y’know.”

  His round eyes look up at you. You wonder what he’d say other than papa. Then again, when they start to talk, they become even more annoying. You just stand in front of him, watching his reaction. He’s technically fine and definitely not real.

 There is a knock on the door again that goes unanswered. Then again and again. Someone’s probably complaining about the noise again or how Noa’s started a chain reaction and now they’re pissed. It’s always the same, it’s always angry here. And you are fully aware you’re the main contributor.

Another knock and another. Noa cries for papa even though Kaibara got off the hook again. You lost, again. War of words has always been considered your forte, so suffering a loss for the nth time because of heroes breaks your heart. You can’t win here.

 Noa is still crying for some reason. How can you comfort him before comforting yourself? 

“(Y/n)!” Izuku’s arms sweep Noa up. The doll rubs his face along his shoulder. “I’m here, I’m here.”

How many times have heroes said that and lied? Every time. They’ve never shown a lick of care. Here one is pretending to care about anyone but himself. A boy with everything at his fingertips and has used it to make you miserable. Him and that peppermint thing in his class. If you were to ever see that asshole, you’re punching him in the face. 

“Are you ok-” Izuku sees you side eye Noa with a blank expression. Izuku places Noa back in his crib. Your eyes go to Izuku. “Get out.”

  “I know you’re upset; I am on your side. Please, don’t take it out on Noa.”

“He’s not real, Midoriya,” With a smirk on your face and malicious intent, you face him. “So don’t worry your green boy scout head. You can’t disappoint him. Unfortunately, you also can’t gain praise. He's just another thing you heroes use to punish us with.”

  Izuku glares and walks towards you. “Because of your kind…” You take a deep breath. “I’m stuck here, and I have to deal with this shit. No job, a child, and a venomous boy who bit me for no reason.”

  You poke his chest. “What are the worst parts? I get pitied by the boy that did all of this and the thing he’s friends with is still here, sleeping happily. Living and relaxing while the rest of us go through the wringer.” Izuku grabs your offending hand that repeatedly pushes on him. “And that thing in the crib isn’t even real, yet I suffer for it. You heroes should’ve crumbled years ago.” You hear Noa sniffle.

Rather than fight back like you craved for, as you expected, he pulls you in and wraps his arms around you. “You think you don’t want it, that you don’t want my help. But dearest, take it anyway. You will take it."

  Why does he keep hugging you? Everything is happening at once. There’s no way you can support Noa with what you get. The only thing left is to give him to Kaibara since he can support him. That means you will be basing your grade, your scholarship, into the hands of someone who hates you. Someone who is spiteful. And the one who is holding you is someone who doesn’t even know you, who pities you, the scholarship kid.

“Let me go.” You growl. He shakes his head no. You growl, struggling to get out of his hold. “I don’t need your pity.”

“I’m not giving it. That’s for people who could have done better and chose not to. You don’t deserve it.” His voice is low in your ear. It feels like vibrations. “You’re too young to be a mother, this is just an assignment, and yet you have a mother’s tears, and I hate it. So, I’ve decided not to pity you. I will help you because I care and understand. I know someone who had the same tears, and I hated it then, too. Do you understand? I will help you whether you like it or not because I care.”

  Your breath is shaky. He cradles your body with one arm and his other hand goes to your head, bringing it to him and placing a kiss on it that neither of you will talk about. You pause, no longer crying.

“You want to help, Deku?” 

He tenses for a second. “Yes?” He separates himself from you to look at your small smile. “Can you watch Noa for a second? I just need some air. I’ll be back soon, promise.”

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

You charge through the library on a mission. For years, the people have had to play by the heroes' rules and millions of people get left behind. Look at League, who just needed help and when they opened their mouth, it was smacked. Then heroes stomped on them to their death.

  You put several old and weathered books in Noa’s stroller that you’re using as a cart. “Bad influence? Ken’s a bad influence? What the hell are you a saint?”

Books fall into the stroller. The librarian comes around and tells you to calm down. You cry out, “You are the bad influence! How many people have to suffer for you to realize that!”

  You come across a tall shelf and raise your hand to the person on the ladder. “That one! All of them! Give me the U.A. rule books!” U.A prides itself on innovation and progression. The technology used is state of the art and fits any and all heroes and support. However, they are still traditional and play by the old rules as much as society does.

“To protect a sexual deviant and another who puts his hands on his partner, hell no. A villain is a villain, right? What the fuck does that make you!” 

You continue gathering as many books as you can. You struggle to push the stroller to an empty table. “Why’d you call us?” Benio comes in with Kobeni, of course. Because no way is Yaoyorozu helping him. 

As you slam books on the table, you ask, “Do you trust me?” 

“What?” The rest of your class come in. All of them in various conditions. All of Jule’s eyes have bags under them and Sakura’s usually perfect hair is mussed. 

“I’m not going down like this. I lost to these assholes twice, maybe even more, because I wasn’t prepared. This is their turf. You can’t go to someone’s home field without being prepared.” You set books down on the table. “So, do you trust me?”

 Benio is the first to realize what you're doing, what you're going to do. “I trust you.”

“I’m not a fucking punk. And none of you are either. I need you to trust me and the move I’ll make for us. I just need your help.”

  “With what?” Ema comes forward without Hana. 

“I am going to go head to head with them and show them that they are wrong for this. The project, their expectations, the inequality, all of it. But I need proof to do it because our conditions aren’t enough.”

  “What do you need?” Benio lifts one brow. “I need eyes, I need study partners who will read with me, I need support. Jule,” You point to the four eyed boy. “I need your camera to document this and the confrontation. The people are going to see every bit of this.”

  “Won’t we get in trouble?” 

“For what? Posting on social media? As long as you don’t tag the school, we’ll be fine. It’ll spread on its own. Jule, I need you to be in charge of recording and Sakura,” She looks at you with a hint of sadness in her eyes.

“Bakugou does everything with Mira. But this has to be getting in your way and bothering you. You gave up arguing because you knew we couldn’t oppose it at the time. Sakura, you have to be angry too, right?” She nods. “Then I need you to help Jule with posting it. You and Jule will handle the media. Hansuke, when it’s time, you’ll invite the school to the assembly so everyone can see it.”

  Hansuke, normally a social butterfly, is naturally charismatic. It’s so crazy that he could charm anyone. He’s the perfect guy to convince people. Without another second of delay, Hansuke smiles and nods. He waves his manicured hand. “Anything for you, pretty.”

 “What about me?” Riko’s voice is quiet. She rubs her arm and stares down at her feet. “Do you trust me too, Riko?”

As far as you know, she is going to counseling with the dog hero and has made some progress. However, there are times when she retreats. Now looks like one of those moments. Sometime later you need to see if she’s doing okay. You want to give her space but not so much she gets lost. You don’t know what he did to her, all you can see are the results of it. 

She bites her lip. “I have nothing to do with this project.” 

“No, but because of this and their negligence, Mineta harassed you. They only got rid of him when it came to your expense. There has to be rules against what they did and if there isn’t, let the people decide.”

  Her eyes peer up at you. They’re glossy and scared. “I trust you.”

“Understand, this will take months for justice. We’re taking this to the top, not the principal, not the teachers. No, we’re taking it up with their boss.”

  Jule asks, “Hawks? The commissioner, Hawks?”

“Yep. Going to Nezu does fucking nothing. But Hawks? We need ammo, we need all types of shit. Most of all, I need you to trust me to go in front of this man, the most powerful man in this country with everything I got. It will take months. This isn’t something to just throw at the big guy. No,”

You lean in with the most serious expression. “Even if the project ends before I can begin, I am going to burn this school to the ground.”

“Let’s do this.” Benio smiles and sets Kobeni down on the chair and picks up one of the hero law books.

a/n: the library scene is like Bernadine's from Waiting to Exhale. It fit the moment.

tags:

@js-favnanadoongi , @imas1mpp, @bigchungusdrinksspritecranberry, @luvrluvrr

@moodyhuesworld

[whoistartaglia]

you avoid your crush.

how do you deal with an unwanted but undeniable crush? you avoid them: save the friendship, mourn the relationship. or, so you thought.

including: cyno, the wanderer.

warnings: gender neutral reader, slight angst, mostly fluff.

cyno.

when you realized you’ve developed feelings for cyno, your best friend, you didn’t know what to do. you couldn’t tell him and ruin the friendship. that would be a disaster, and break your heart twice over: once, to lose cyno as a friend, and again, to lose him as anything more. so you resigned yourself to only have your heart broken once: you would avoid cyno until your feelings disappeared, and keep your friendship with him intact.

so that’s exactly what you do. everything was going fine, too—until today, when cyno cornered you in a small alcove at the akademiya.

“oh, cyno…! funny seeing you here…”

“is it, though?” he asks. “i do work here. we both work here, actually. wouldn’t it be stranger not to see me?”

yes, it is, but cuno doesn’t give you time to respond before he continues: “so isn’t it quite strange that i haven’t seen you in what? a week or two now?”

“yes… i guess.”

cyno waits for more, but you give him nothing else. you fidget under the weight of his stare. he’s observing you and you get the feeling like you’re an experiment gone wrong, a conclusion miscalculated.

“al-righ-t,” cyno finally says, drawing out each syllable. he hesitates for a second before his face hardens and he says, “if you want to avoid and ignore me and pretend i don’t exist, then you can avoid and ignore me and pretend i don’t exist. i can’t stop you, even if i hate it. but i would have at least wanted an answer as to why.”

cyno steps aside then, as if to tell you the conversation is gone, you’re free to go. but you don’t move, can’t move. you can’t even think as cyno steps away, only his words ringing in your ears: i would have at least wanted an answer as to why. you owed him that much, at least.

“wait, cyno—“ you take in a deep breath, and the words tumble out all at once. “i’m sorry, i’m so sorry for avoiding you i— i really thought it was the best since i like you and you don’t like me, and i didn’t want to ruin our friendship but it just ended up hurting the both of us and it was a really stupid, but i didn’t know what else to do and… i’m really sorry.”

you look up when cyno doesn’t say anything. he’s still studying you, maybe even more intensely than before.

“yes.” he finally says.

“what?”

“it was really stupid.”

your face burns in embarrassment. cyno continues, “not just your plan—but that you thought we couldn’t be friends if i didn’t feel the same way back.”

“i know i just—“ you abruptly cut off, repeating what cyno just said in your head. “you feel… the same way back?”

“yes. i’d tell you it was stupid not to realize i also like you… but until now, i didn’t know you felt the same.”

“oh.” and then again, because you don’t know what else to say, “i’m sorry.”

cyno allows a faint smile to grace his lips. “i’ll forgive you this time, [name]. honestly, i’m just relieved you don’t hate me.”

“i could never hate you,” you say immediately.

“it didn’t feel like that this week. or last.” you look down again, disappointed that you allowed yourself to make cyno feel that way. he continues, a little gentler: “you’re going to have to make it up to me.”

“how?” you ask, already knowing you would do anything.

“how about you let me take you on a date? granted that’s something you probably want but there, you can tell me everything.”

you wouldn’t say no on any circumstance, but especially not when cyno’s finally smiling at you again. your relationship was off to a more than rocky start, but you find yourself hoping you can turn it around for the better.

the wanderer.

it was hard to avoid the wanderer as you were adventuring over teyvat together, just the two of you. when you first realized your feelings for him, and decided they would only prematurely end your expedition when he didn’t feel the same back, you swore to keep them a secret. to do that, you would need to distance yourself from him, but that proved rather difficult and… well, extremely obvious.

you stare into the flames of your small campfire. you sit opposite of the wanderer, though on previous cold nights like these, you probably would have been right next to him. similarly, you both would have trading stories and reminiscing about past adventures, not blanketed in this silence.

it’s clues like those, coupled with the equally obvious signs that you were had feelings for him, that let the wanderer discover your plan.

the wanderer leans back, resting on his elbows. the sun was setting, and already the stars would come out. on clear nights like these, you would spend hours—maybe the whole night—pointing out the different constellations.

looking at you now, eyes boring in the fire, the wanderer knows that’s not going to happen tonight. at least, not if he doesn’t do something about it.

“you’re quiet tonight,” he starts. you glance up sharply at him.

“yeah, i guess,” you mumble, looking back down.

“why?”

you trace circles in the dirt. “i’m just… tired. i guess. yeah, i might just go to bed early—“

“have you ever heard of,” the wanderer cuts you off, “the phrase, ‘absence makes the heart grow fonder?’”

you pause. he can’t possibly know… can he?

“i’ve know of it,” you reply tightly.

“so then you also know that you’re little idea of ignoring me in hopes that your feelings go away was doomed from the start, right?”

startled, you look back up again, and meet the wanderer’s gaze. you meet the wanderer’s gaze, and like all the times before, you know there’s no use in lying to him. not when he already suspects the truth. “i… yes.”

“and i assume you didn’t want me knowing because you didn’t think i liked you back?”

your silence is answer enough.

“well, you’re right.”

what.

what?

but then the wanderer cracks a smile, and he’s beside himself laughing: “oh, you should’ve seen the look on your face.”

“you’re the worst.” but now there’s a smile on your face, and you’re also laughing: at him, at your plan, at how despite your fears, the wanderer likes you back.

it makes you feel giddy, like you could spend the entire night laughing under the stars—and looking at the wanderer, now coming to sit next to you, you feel like you just might.

[boundbyeclipse]

Hii, I just want to start off by saying that your writing is absolutely amazinggg seriously! And I’ve now seen that you uploaded a prompt list so I was wondering if you could do prompt 5 from angst, and specifically maybe if it would work out Kai saying that to reader because she’s an original vampire? You don’t have to do that of course it’s just an idea and then maybe if it would be possible to combine that with prompt 2 from smut?

Anyway i just want to say again that your writing is amazing anddd im so happy that you write for Kai cause we really need more Kai fanfics out here

hello, darling! ♡ i cannot describe how grateful i am hearing such words, it’s exactly what keeps me going! and yes, we do need more fics with kai on here, i totally agree with you. glad to be one of those who can give people what they want! feel free to request, leave feedback, give ideas or just ask anything in general ♡ + i decided to portray kai simply as a powerful witch in this fic, no bad background, no murders, no sociopathic behavior. will this make any sense? i don’t know. anyways, i hope that you like it ♡

tags : witch!Kai, female!reader, original vampire!reader, Kai with a lingerie kink, a little fight, hickeys, oral sex, make up sex (?), Klaus and Rebekah mentioned

♠️ 5. “Why would I help someone like you?”

⛓️ 2. “I like it when you say my name like that”

“So, what are you here for?” Kai asked as he tilted his head sideways, standing across the room.

“I need your help”

Ever since your brother has gone missing, you have been nothing but desperate to find him. You’ve searched for ways to know where he is, and there was nobody who could help you track him down. Not a single witch wanted any business with the Mikaelsons knowing their past behaviors and stubborness. Every time you pleaded for help, they would turn you down and leave you with no other choice but to keep trying. And as much as you had no good of a relationship with people in Mystic Falls, this was your last chance. Your only hope was no other than Kai Parker.

The man who you once had a romance blooming with.

“Seriously? Why would I help someone like you? You and your family left Mystic Falls without saying goodbye, know how much that hurt me? You left me. I thought we really had something. You Mikaelsons are all about leaving things and people behind just for your own sake”

You shook your head as you took a few steps closer to him, gulping as regret began washing over you.

“It’s just because my family wouldn’t let me. I wanted to, Kai, I really did. But I was forced to leave and I had no time to come and say my goodbyes. And I’m sorry for that, okay? I’m really, really sorry. I know it’s plain stupidity of me to show up like this out of the blue, but I really need you to help me”

“And of all those witches in New Orleans, you chose me? Is it because you wanted to see me again? Or is it because you think that I’ll help you since I’m the only one who cares?”

Tears welled up in your eyes when Kai said the very last sentence. Does he still care? Even after your unnanounced disappearance? Maybe there’s still a little spark in his heart just like there is one in yours. There has to be. It’s in his eyes. You can see it. Yes, you’ve managed to adapt to a new location, new life, but no matter what you did, Kai never left your mind. He was always there.

“Probably both, if I’m honest. Don’t lie to me now, Kai, admit that you actually do still care. Admit that we still have something”

Silence stands in between you both as Kai avoids to give you an answer. It’s almost crystal clear that there are feelings lingering between you both, even after all this time of not seeing each other. The connection, the way your hearts beat in sync, the way you look at one another. It gives it all away. Love has never left your poor souls.

“Fine. What do you want me to do?” he finally breaks the silence, drawing your attention back to him as you were lost in your thoughts.

“It’s my brother. Klaus. I need you to do a locator spell on him. He’s been gone and no one wanted to help me. Someone must’ve taken him and imprisoned him”

Kai walked up to the table and grabbed a map, unfolding it and placing it down. He lit up a few candles and put them on the sides. He shot you a look, from which you understood that he needed a personal item or anything with your brother’s DNA on it.

“Oh, right. Here” you came up to him and handed an old ring of Klaus’s that he used to wear a lot.

“I’m gonna need to draw some blood from you since you two are related. Just a little bit. Shall I?”

You nod and watch as Kai grabs a knife, then taking your hand in his gently. Your eyes meet at that moment, the skinship creating a pretty much awkward atmosphere in the room. Kai clears his throat while you look away for a few seconds, knowing deep inside your heart that you have missed this so much. It was so nice to feel his skin again since the last time you saw him. It brought back many memories and it hurt. You really wanted things to be good again. You wanted Kai back.

He cut your palm and you squeezed it into a fist, allowing drops of blood to drip onto the map below.

“Give me your hand now”

You gave him your other hand to hold as Kai began to chant a spell to find Klaus. The small drops of blood began moving to connect into a big one, leading to the location of your brother.

“He’s in New York” you sighed in relief, letting go of Kai’s hand as he revealed the location. You could only nod before speaking.

“Thank you” a faint whisper could be heard.

As you stood up from your seat ready to leave, you heard a low, full of desperation voice that called out your name. You froze in place, feeling the way every muscle in your body tensed up once your eyes met.

“Wait” he says, voice shaky and husky, eyes glossy and wide open as he stands in front of you, his quickened heartbeat reaching your ears. He was nervous.

“I admit it. I admit that I still care. And I really was angry that evening when you left, I really was. I tried to move on, had other girls hit on me, but it never worked out. Not in their favor. Because it was you who occupied my mind day and night, I couldn’t let any other woman get to know me because I always held on and waited for you. I was even willing to wait for however long I should. I’m sorry, ____, I shouldn’t have lashed out like that”

You let out a choked sob, running over to Kai and pressing your lips against his, indulging yourself into a passionate kiss. You then pulled away, lips parted as you looked into Kai’s blue eyes, his pupils dilated. The tension was growing with each second that passed.

He did not hesitate and pulled you into another kiss - this time, a deeper, lustful one. His strong hands held your hips firmly, constantly pulling them against his own body, soon finding their way to the back of your thighs. You felt his fingertips digging into your soft skin, leaving you breathless and craving for something more. You pushed him against the wall, ripping his shirt open, buttons flying everywhere on the floor. Kai let out a little moan as your lips kissed on his neck, leaving wet traces on it. He grabbed you by the waist and fumbled with the hem of your shirt, pulling it up to take it off. He attacked your exposed chest with bites, sucking on it lightly as he left marks here and there.

“Kai” you moaned out loud, head thrown back.

“I like it when you say my name like that”

It felt so ecstatic to feel him again. You have almost forgotten how soft his skin was, how much his touch brought you to your knees, how beautiful he sounded whenever you kissed his neck. But tonight, everything came back to you.

Soon you both were left nearly naked, clothes scattered all over the room as you were on top of him in his bed. Your nails left scratches on his stomach as you kissed down his v-line, listening to Kai’s breath hitch in reaction to the sensation. You smirked against his flesh, enjoying the little whimpers of his. Your hands then played with his rock hard length, stroking it agonisingly slowly in order to tease.

Your dominance was short lived as Kai sat up and flipped you around, now hovering above you, his fingers digging under your panties to rub circles on your wet clit.

“Oh my god” you wailed, arching your back and gripping on the mattress.

But then, to your surprise, your phone that you left on the drawer in the room started ringing. It stopped Kai from doing what he was doing, but quickly enough his lips curved into a smirk. He leaves you lying on the bed for a brief moment, grabbing the phone and bringing it to you. The person’s name showed up on the screen and your eyes widened.

“Pick up” he challenges you as he hands you the device, hovering above you and continuing to tease you with his hands.

“Kai-“

“Come on. Pick it up” his eyes darken and you’re left with no other option but to oblige. You grab your phone breathless, watching as Kai lays down and positions himself in between your legs, kissing your pulsating core through the fabric.

You gulp as you swipe right to answer the call.

“Rebekah” you say, trying your best to not sound suspicious. It’s hard to do so once Kai pulls your panties aside and dives in, using his tongue to please you. He licks a stripe up your folds, causing you to bite your lip to suppress the moans that were fighting to slip out.

“Did you find Klaus?”

“Y-yeah, we found him. He’s in New York” you spoke with a pretty shaky voice, fearing that she’s going to catch on and embarrass you right here right now.

“Are you alright? What’s going on?” she asks.

Damn it.

“Yes, I’m okay. Just- Just head there, I’ll join soon”

Rebekah sighed, “Okay. I’ll leave you to your fun then”

You quickly hang up and Kai giggles against your cunt, to which you can only respond with a huff. But your mind is taken back to where it was when Kai sits up and aligns himself with your entrance, his tip brushing against it. You choke on your breath, looking at him with pleading eyes.

“Stop teasing, please”

“I will. Because I cannot hold it any longer either” he groans as he pushes himself into you, making your mouth open wide as you gasp. Kai leans in and kisses you, moving his hips back and forth as he grabbed your hands and placed them above your head, intertwining the fingers. He wasted no time in picking up the pace, the bed now creaking and bodies layered in a coat of sweat.

It did not take long before you both felt your climaxes coming. Kai sat up and pulled you in, now holding your body close to his as you worked your hips back and forth, your faces so close your lips brushed against each other’s. You buried your fingers in his hair, tugging on it lightly while Kai took a good squeeze on your ass.

Both of you had your heads thrown back once you reached your ends, fireworks exploding in your bodies. He held you tightly throughout your orgasm, then planting a kiss on your forehead as loud breaths filled the room.

“I so wish I could stay” you confessed, caressing his cheek as you two now stood near the bedroom door.

“You don’t have to. I’ll come with you”

“What?” your eyes widened, thinking you might’ve misheard him.

“You heard me, angel. Now let’s take a shower and go help Rebekah to get your brother back, alright?”

You nodded, pecking his warm lips as you followed him down the hall to the bathroom.

[cyten0]

A Symphony in Crimson

Act 1: A Movement in Black

Chapter 14

Finally. Back at this storage room. It took a while, you made sure the party got through without a scratch on them. The scent of blood isn’t as bad anymore, you can control yourself, but it still feels horrible to smell, for many reasons.

The ONE thing you nee to do right now is keep them safe, that matters more then anything else, even a drop of blood makes you feel like a blinding failure. What’s the point of all of this if they get hurt? You’ve already failed them before, you won’t let it happen again if you can help it.

It makes them a little nervous, seeing you puppet the sadnesses about, making them flee, or tear each other apart. But it’s fine. As long as they're safe.

This is now YOUR lair, not the kings. And you’ll never let them get hurt here.

But right now, they're trapped here. And it’s past time to fix that. Your family watches as you grab the book about wishcraft from the shelf and flip it open, searching for answers.

◉ “What do you have there Siffrin?”

✦ “A book on wishcraft”

...Oh they probably want to know why your looking into it. Hm.

✦ “… It’s likely how the king got the power over timecraft.”

▲ “Oh Crab!”

◉ “T-That seems important!!”

◆ “Mind if we take a look?”

They can’t read it but they don’t know that. So you just show them the book. As expected, they look at it frustrated, before handing it back.

✿ “Those were bad letters.”

◆ “Honestly surprised you can even read it.”

Perhaps you should go into detail. They might have insights.

✦ “I’ll translate, and explain. Take a seat.”

▲ “Awfully serious huh? “

◉ “Reminds me of the teachers here… I guess that makes this an extra class!”

You nod. Teacher angle makes sense. You’re a little tired to make all the normal expressions, but you’re frankly excited to teach this again! Properly this time!

✿ “Do we have to? I don’t want to do school again.”

✦ “You sure? You’d learn how to do real miracles. But I guess if you aren’t interested...”

✿ “I am now very intepid.”

◆ “Interested.”

✿ “That.”

▲ “Wait, hold on a second, you said actual miracles?”

You give Isa a grin. You have everyone's interest!

✦ “Take your seats, and we can begin.”

They sit down around the nearby table, while you skim the book quickly to make sure you’re ready.

◆ “Very well, professor Siffrin. Whenever you please.”

Alright. Best start with the basics first.

✦ “Now then. Wishcraft is, as the name implies, the ability to craft with wishes. Specifically, it is the art of turning raw belief in a desire into real force by drawing from elsewhere. This is done through any number of rituals, which help translate and amplify your intentions to the stars in the night sky. Then, your will to see it done sways them into granting that desire.”

▲ “The stars? They can do that?”

Ah, you should explain this again. You briefly explain the stars, other worlds, their craft energy, and so on.

◉ “Wow, that’s… So, every time we make a wish, we’re taking from hundreds of other people?!?”

✦ “Billions, but... No, it’s more complex then that. Like I said, We’re also a star to them, and they can draw from us. It’s more like sharing, on such a wide scale we can't tell. But more importantly, it’s normally borderline impossible to draw anything meaningful normally. That’s why rituals need to be designed for this.”

◆ “And what do these rituals involve?”

✦ “I’m glad you asked! Every star has affinities for certain actions, desires, objects, and so on. In order to contact several, you have to find stars close enough to each other that work together. But, since we don’t have a say in what these affinities are, the rituals can get… Unusual.”

✿ “I wanna know one! Tell us, tell us!”

Well, you know one like the back of your hand, so...

✦ “Well then, let’s go for something you’re familiar with. Favor trees.”

▲ “WAIT WHAT!?!”

◉ “THEY CAN GRANT WISHES?!?”

✦ “Yes! They can. It’s not the strongest ritual, but it can work small miracles. Like learning a skill effortlessly, giving good luck, or with strong desire, even stuff like transformations and small bits of magic-like abilities.”

▲ “I-It can’t be as simple as just clapping your hands can it? We would have known by now!”

✦ “Right. Visiting the tree is just one step. The actual ritual goes as such: First find a leaf that represents yourself, whisper the wish into the leaf a number of times significant to you, or just three if you want, fold it closed, and then set it loose in the wind.”

They all just take a second to process that.

✿ “That’s so weird.”

◉ “Kinda complicated. And nothing like what we were taught…”

You feel a little annoyed at that, for some inexplicable reason.

✦ “Hey, designing rituals is tricky. Finding a specific combination of stars that even respond to favor trees took MONTHS of work, and after that you just have to work with what’s available to make something even doable at all. The fact there even IS one is a borderline miracle.”

◆ “No need to get upset Siffrin. It’s not like you designed it.”

… Wait

… Oh. That’s why it’s so clear in Siffrin’s memory. And why you know so much about this from them.

...AND they could tell from your silence.

◉ “...Oh Change.”

✦ “I tried, okay?”

▲ “Hey it’s a good ritual, you did your best.”

✿ “Yeah, but why’d you never tell us! I would’ve totally used it yesterday!”

✦ “...I forgot.”

They have a bit of a chuckle at that. Oh stars, that’s really embarrassing…

Siffrin wanted it to be a gift for their neighboring country. You barely even remembered it. It would have been the perfect thing to share.

◆ “So, these rituals contact the stars. But that leaves me with a few questions. For example, how do they make sure it goes to the wish, and not something else? And what about contradictions, such as if two people wish for opposing things? And also, what kind of ritual did the king use for their powers? Is there a way to disrupt it?”

Huh. You can’t quite remember. But it seems important. You start flipping through the pages…

✦ “Hm… Not getting much. It seems those first few points are handled by something called an Arcanum, but it doesn’t mention much about them. And this book doesn’t actually list many rituals, more just how Wishcraft works.”

◉ “Then we should keep an eye out! I’m kind of invested now!”

✿ “I really wanna know more magic stuff!”

You nod, and everyone gets up. Alright. That’s a new insight! You might have talked a LOT there, but the recap was important, for them and you both. The headache is mild, since you were mostly reading for that knowledge. Worth it.

And it served as a bit of a distraction. The reality of you being in the house suddenly comes back to you in full force. Right. You have to keep them safe till the next book. Now you need to make extra sure you don’t loop until the end, or else you will have to do all that over again.

You walk out the door, and see a sadness. NO. You sing, and it rips itself apart. You stab it for good measure, before the others even get out the door.

◆ “...Gems, that never gets any less unsettling.”

You hear Isa whisper under their breath.

▲ “(Back to cold Sif, I guess… Hope their okay.)”

...Oh. You… haven't been putting effort into being expressive lately, have you…

...It’s fine. Save your energy for the parts that matter. Even if you have to go a bit monster in between.

>>>

Second floor. You ended up having that talk at that diary in the library, and… let them know that that’s where you, and wishcraft come from. It felt important to mention this time.

It was. Nice, how they comforted you afterwards. But, you assured them it was fine and moved on. You can’t accept comfort for that. They’d never forgive you if they found out the truth. No one would.

Still, you made your way to the secret library. And searched the shelves for that book. You hope it has what you need… Perfect!

✦ “Guess what I found! A book on constellations, their rituals, and it has a section discussing Arcanums!”

▲ “CRAB Yeah!”

◉ “Yes! Please, tell us all you can!”

✿ “I wanna know if there’s any magic wish stuff I can do!”

◆ “Yes, if you would be so kind?”

You nod, and start skimming through… Hm. This is rather interesting.

✦ “Okay, so first off, the Arcanum is a construct of sort, that helps focus a specific constellation to our world. But it also says here it… ‘Puts wishes in the hands of the patron star’.”

◆ “What does that mean?”

✦ “Can’t see what this stars name is, gives me a headache trying but… Apparently they act as some kind of. Controlling force? They sort of manage the wishes, make sure they go right.”

Wait, something catches your eye.

✦ “Apparently this involves fixing contradictions, increasing efficiency, and… even merging similar wishes together?”

▲ “Huh. That makes sense. If a bunch of people want the same thing, it makes sense to just bundle it into one.”

… That might be it. Your wish wouldn’t have done this, but if it got mixed into another, bigger wish, then maybe THAT is what’s causing this? But what wish could be doing that… What wish could have enough power to repeatedly turn back time?

◆ “Interesting. Still, if this Arcanum is important to the efficiency, then disrupting it would weaken the king, yes?”

✦ “Maybe? But unless he made it himself, it’s probably back on the island. Still, a wish this intense typically comes with a caveat or two.”

◉ “… Is there a way to check that?”

Hm. That would be useful. You skim through the pages a bit.

✦ “Apparently if we can find an Orrery, they come with ways to trace wishcraft to their constellations. I’ll take the book with us in case we find one, and can cross reference.”

▲ “Sounds like a plan!”

✿ “...Okay, that’s cool and all, but can we get another cool magic ritual?”

Oh yeah, fair, that would be nice! You flip through the pages, seeing if you can find anything interesting...

✦ “Let’s see… Oh, here’s an interesting one. Who here knows how to make a paper crane?”

Nobody except Odile raises their hand.

✿ “...You better teach me, Dile.”

◆ “Sure. Now then, what do you do with them?”

✦ “Apparently, if you successfully fold one thousand paper cranes consecutively, without tearing or damaging a single one, and whisper your wish into each one as you do, on the final one, your wish will be granted.”

◉ “That sounds… Difficult.”

✦ “Maybe, but this is a strong wish! It can do some crazy things. Stuff normally impossible. Like learning a complex skill instantly, Create things from nothing, Gain the power to control the elements, and so on.”

✿ “… I am SO gonna do this one.”

✦ “Interested to see you try! Let me see if I can find another… Oh hey, here’s the favor tree one! Discovered by-”

You freeze in place. That. That can’t be right. You can barely stand straight.

◉ “Siffrin! A-Are you alright?!?”

As you stumble, Isa grabs you. Holds you upright.

That...That was Siffrin?!? You… You killed… You pretended to be… You can’t breathe…

▲ “Sif! Take deep breathes, buddy, in and out, like you always do, come on.”

You-! You-! You…. In and Out. In. And out. In. and. Out.

You're still shaking. You can’t… You absolute monster. You can’t believe….

✿ “What’s wrong Frin? What scared you like that!”

✦ “It-It’s nothing! Just… M-Might have been some backlash from… memory stuff! It’s fine! It’s fine.”

Odile looks at you suspiciously.

✦ “…Just... shouldn't have read about myself... I’ll hold onto the book for now, but I think we’ll save reading until relevant.”

Your family reluctantly accepts, and you start to put yourself together. Those words burning in your mind.

You’d known Siffrin was important, but you never had any idea it was anything more then maybe some notoriety in a field.

If you had known, you’d never have pretended to be him. Masqueraded as him. Dragged his corpse around as a common traveler. Let the scant few survivors you’ve met, even if only in the depths of their subconscious, think that he was still alive...

Discovered by Crown Prince, Siffrin Polaris.

… You really are an absolute monster.

>>>

You are on the third floor. Your family is a little nervous, since you’ve been a little tense since the secret library. And have been taking that tension out on the sadnesses. You’ve started getting a little creative with how you make them kill each other or themselves, and aren’t exactly letting them run away. Or at least, if they do, you make sure they're dead within seconds of leaving line of sight. You don’t let it get in the way though, your family is as safe as always.

Oh. This door.

You’ve seen this odd, star shaped door before, but never gone in. Couldn’t read the text. But. You can now.

The name of the Star Blessed kings shall always be welcome.

… You don’t deserve to say it. To stain that name any more then you already have, by letting this twisted mimicry of it’s last member speak it.

But… There might be something important in there. It feels horrible but...You speak it, barely above your breath.

✦ “Polaris.”

The door opens.

▲ “Huh? Did you say something Sif?”

✦ “Don’t worry about it. Let’s head in.”

You walk in and. Oh! Guess you were right.

✦ “Well that’s lucky. Found our Orrery.”

▲ “Oh, okay! So that’s what that is.”

◉ “Hehe, it’s fun seeing Siffrin be the expert for once!”

✿ “It looks kinda weird. I don’t get it.”

◆ “Agreed. Care to show us how it works?”

You nod, and take a closer look. Even if you didn’t have Siffrin’s memories, mechanical stuff like this is your forte!

✦ “So, it can be used in two ways. The first is to map out how our world looks from the outside in, which is used for a lot of star based things. For reference, this ball here in the center is the sun, and this tiny ball here is where we live.”

✿ “WHAT!! That’s so small!! Why is the sun so big!”

✦ “It's actually scaled down quite a bit. It's much bigger, We’re just really far away from it. If it was accurate, with the sun at that size, the earth would be a pebble, and the distances would make this thing bigger then the entire house!"

▲ “That… Wow. That’s... Way bigger then I thought. I can't even picture that in my head.”

✦ “It puts things into perspective doesn’t it? We’re really just a tiny speck in the scale of everything.”

◉ “It’s a little overwhelming…”

✦ “Really? I find it comforting... Anyways! Let’s move on to the reason we need this… Hm…”

You look around a little bit, find a loose rock frozen in time, and place it against a scanner at the base.

The machine whirrs to life, spinning into the right position, matching when the constellation would be most visible. Then the room grows dark, as a misty circle of shadows forms around you all. You watch as you all go slightly transparent within the crafted illusion, and a series of lights is highlighted against the edge, lines connecting the phantom stars like dots.

▲ “CRAB!!!”

◉ “WHAT?!?”

◆ “GEMS!!!”

✿ “WOAH!!!”

You give them a second to adjust before explaining.

✦ “Look like this ones pretty fancy. Normally it’d just be a projection around it, but this is much cooler!”

You point to the highlighted stars. The whole is overall shaped like a heart with a dagger. There’s a lot of stars in it too!

✦ “There’s the constellation! Let’s see if it matches up to anything in here…”

▲ “This is actually really crabbing cool….”

◉ “It’s really beautiful!”

✿ “I can see through my hands!!”

You search through the book, going through the high power constellations first.

✦ “Oh, yeah, here it is, let’s see if there’s a caveat or something… Oh… That’s…”

◆ “Hm? What is it?”

This… Dear goodness. You knew the king was insane but this is just…

✦ “I’m going to give a warning ahead of time and say this ritual is… Gruesome. The king is clearly messed up to even attempt this.”

The others take a pause, look at the constellation, and nod. You take a deep breath in, and out.

✦ “Take a piece of iron. Mix your own blood, freshly spilled, into it’s metal every day for one hundred days. Then, on the one hundredth day, forge it into a dagger, and then pierce your own heart. Should you survive unaided from dawn till dusk, without removing the blade, it will fuse into your heart. So long as the blade remains and your heart still beats, you will be given the power to see your wish granted.”

…

Your family is left speechless.

◆ “...Gems alive…”

◉ “That’s horrible!”

▲ “How desperate was he?”

None of you know what to say to that.

✦ “… Guess that means killing him really is the only option.”

◉ “I… I guess.”

✿ “… But we know it’ll work, right?”

!?!?

✿ “I-If the magic stuff only works while his heart's working, then when he’s dead, it’s gonna stop, right? Everything will go back to normal, right?!”

Bonnie is on the edge of tears.

◆ “I… Yes, Boniface.”

✦ “Yeah. It will. And… If they're willing to go that far, then we don’t need to feel bad about it. Someone like that… Would kill to get his way.”

You know that from experience…. Can still remember how they…. You look at the constellation on the wall. Such a twisted ritual. But…

✦ “It says here… that this ritual was once used by the most loyal knights, dedicated to protecting the world itself. Only those willing to risk everything for the people. To bleed and die for the ones they care for..."

A faint memory scratches the back of your mind. Someone you looked up to?

✦ "It’s sick, seeing him twist something like that into this.”

Mirabelle looks at you, determined.

◉ “… We’ll put and end to it.”

...Monsters, twisting what few bits remain of your home into nightmares. The King. And You…

You’d best check your own wish, while you’re here. You place your hand against the monitor. And the device shifts and spins, highlighting the favor tree constellation. You suppose your wish IS involved then. But…

◆ “Checking your own wish, hm?… Why does it look… Cracked, I guess?”

It does. The stars and it’s patterns are leaving cracks on the display. They're also far brighter then it should be. That means it’s likely under considerable strain. Could be a result of the wish going wrong.

But more notably, the stars at the center seem the most strained, and no other stars are highlighted at all... Which means...

The wishes bundled into yours were also done at favor trees. Otherwise, other stars would have been at least somewhat highlighted. And the favor tree isn’t a strong constellation. To pull this kind of power from it, so focused, it would take an absurd amount of will. Which means it was done by many people. But what wish...

✦ “No idea. Still, that’s enough for now.”

That’s a lead to look into. You turn the device off, and the illusion fades.

▲ “Guess we learned a lot, huh?”

◉ “… We did, Didn’t we? Thank you Siffrin.”

You nod. You’re glad they were here to help with this…

But what now? You guess you need to figure out what people wished for at the favor trees. See if you can find a consistent theme, something that would work.

You guess it’s time to head to Dormont… You lead your family out of the room first though. You don’t want to die in a room like that.

◆ “...Before we go any further, Siffrin... Is there something you aren’t telling us?”

Huh?

▲ “Madame?”

◆ “You’ve been acting off since yesterday, have known how to navigate the house nearly on instinct, and clearly have far more understanding of the king and his methods then beforehand. I doubt you learned this Sadness control craft overnight, but it’s not the only thing that’s off. So. Mind telling us what’s happening?”

✦ “… Don’t worry about it, it’s fine.”

◆ “… Oh really. So, you’re not dealing with any timecraft yourself, HM?”

Oh. Oh no.

◆ “I had my suspicions for a while, but the way your wish looked back there practically confirms it. You’ve established that Wishcraft can alter time, and you’re practically an expert on that field. If anyone could craft a wish that could turn it back, it would be you.”

◉ “H-Huh?!?”

◆ “Which would explain a lot of things. Your sense of calm, even to traps, your knowledge of where each key in the entire house is, and several other things. How else would you know all this, unless you’ve done it before?”

▲ “That… would explain some things.”

◆ “I don’t mind secrets, but this is VERY important to us. And the fact it looks damaged means that something is wrong, correct? You even admitted a favor tree wish couldn’t do that. But Clearly yours wasn’t normal. So tell me. What. Is Happening?”

… Blind it. She’s angry again. Of course she is. You’ve kept them all trapped here for so long. You greedy monster. This is all your fault. It’s YOUR wish that went wrong.

✦ “… I’m sorry. I didn’t want to trap you all here….”

The others react in surprise, as you confirm her suspicions. And you turn towards a nearby tear.

✦ “...But it’s alright. I’ll fix it soon. And you won’t have to remember any of this.”

◆ “What?!?”

You unfurl your body, grabbing the tear before they can react.

《《《

…Blind it all. You HATE them being upset with you. You KNOW you messed up, seeing them also be upset at you is horrible. You’ve turned this final adventure into a horror story for them.

But it’s fine, right? You’re a very gentle monster. You won’t hurt them. You just need to help them out before you can’t keep up the lie. Then their story won’t be tainted. Then they can have their happy ending, never fearing the monster they escaped.

You just need to fix this, and it will be alright. You just need to fix this, and then they’ll be safe.

✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸✸

Oh, dear researcher, too clever for your own good~ But it doesn’t matter! This whole terrible affair will be over soon.

… Royalty, then? You guess that make sense. Where else would you have gotten the ability to summon something like yourself? Probably stole that power from his corpse in your gullet, back when you were Stardust. A power like that could only be used by those blessed by the red star.

… Hm. A little input from your patron. How interesting~ Guess that confirms it!…

You wonder what kind of nation it was, for their kings to have craft as bloody as that. Combined with that ritual Stardust found, and you’re getting the impression your former home had a turbulent history.

You guess it makes sense if you and Stardust came from there! Where else could such abominations be born?~

...Not that it matters in the end. You both are getting close. Close to finding the answer to this issue. Close to the ending. You can feel it.

[munsonsreputation]

New Romantics

eddie munson x fem!reader

word count: [3.6K] not proof-read sorry

warnings: no use of y/n, strangers to lovers, major fluff, tiny bits of angst. (Please let me know if I'm forgetting anything!) oh and cursing.

summary: You and Eddie meet after each getting disappointed on prom night eventually leading to the surprising start of something new.

_

“Shit, you got stood up too?”

The flick of the lighter and his voice came from behind you. The mop of hair that usually sat messily my against his shoulders was for once tamed. And his customary leather and denim ensemble was now swapped out for a black tuxedo. 

But still Eddie Munson rocked his beat up pair of chucks and silver rings with a joint hanging from his lips. 

You sniffled, fingers skimming below your eyes where unknowingly your mascara had smudged and your the whites of your eyes were now bloodshot. 

“More like my date showed up with another girl and totally embarrassed me in there.” You croaked out with a breaking voice.

Eddie grimaced, coming beside you to take a seat on the curb. One of his hands resting against the concrete as he leaned back, watching the night sky fall as your soft sniffles and distant music from inside the gym surrounded his thoughts.

“Well, at least your date showed up. Mine just left me stranded.”

You laughed faintly, rubbing your fingers together, “Same, same” 

“Touché” He nodded, taking another drag before holding it out for you. 

You shook your head, hands pushing it back towards him, “I’ve never smoked before.” 

“Really?” He rose his brows questionably as you nodded again. 

“I have really bad asthma.” You explained, turning away slightly at the smell, causing Eddie to hasten out of consideration. 

“Well, shit.” He got up, blowing the smoke away from you, flicking the end of the joint, essentially putting it out. 

You sighed, giving him an apologetic smile despite the puffy eyes, “You really didn’t have to do that.” 

He shook his head, fingers carelessly tucking the blunt into the pocket of his suit, probably staining the inside with ash, “s’ the least I could do…I’m Eddie, by the way.” 

His hand stuck out as he still towered over you while he was standing, “I know.” 

Eddie chuckled, squeezing your hand lightly when you shook his, before drawing it away and joining you once again on the curb, “I know you know, but doesn’t hurt to refresh the mind, y’know.” 

“Touché.” You smirked simply, letting silence fall between the both of you while you adverted your attention to the little pebbles that littered the ground.

Eddie finally cleared his throat. “Did you want me to go?” 

“No. Stay. I mean…like not that I’m begging you to stay, but if you want to stay then you could totally stay, but don’t feel like you have to stay because I’m telling you to stay —“ 

He laughed out loud as he watched you scramble to find the repetitive words, before you stopped, squinting your eyes at him with a deep breath, “Sorry. That was a lot.” 

“No, you’re fine,” He assured you, patting your bare shoulder with his warm hands, “I’ll stay because I want to…aaannnd because you allowed me to.” 

“Thanks, Eddie.” You said, slowly forgetting the reason why you had come out here after all, but surprisingly grateful he was in your presence. 

“So who was the dick that got you out here all sad?” 

And just like that you now remembered. 

“Some stupid basketball player.” You waved off with a bored voice, attempting to push back the replay of what transpired only a couple of minutes ago. 

He hissed inwardly at the confession, turning his head toward you where you were now resting your elbows upon your knees as your hands cupped your temples, “‘m sorry for asking.” 

“Don’t be…at least you’re not the asshole.” You joked dryly, seeing him smile apologetically in your peripheral 

“Stacy Burnham. She stood me up tonight.” 

Your wide eyes shot up at him, his arms crossed against his chest while he smiled at you and nodded his head, “You asked Stacy Burnham to prom?” 

“She asked me, but I have a feeling she was playing a sick joke and wanted some free weed.” He shrugged his shoulders before untangling his arms and tugging at the tux collar awkwardly.

“Got all suited up just to be deserted on the dance floor.” He grunted with a frown until your voice went on.

“You like to dance, Munson?” You teased, eyebrows raised as he shook his hand vigorously with his palm out. 

“Definitely not, I’m more of an observer if y'ask me.” 

You leaned in closer, shuffling your knees towards him as the action dragged the length of your dress across the dirty pavement, “Is it ‘cause you suck at dancing?” 

He huffed out, eyes furrowed at you as he shook his head once again, but this time, you laughed hard. The kind of laugh where it starts in your chest and ends with a mouthful of continuous cackles that takes your breath away. 

You couldn’t pinpoint why you were laughing…maybe it was because Eddie looked so offended that you accused him of being bad at dancing or maybe someone had spiked the punch and you were a little tipsy and over exaggerating his facial expression. 

Either way, Eddie liked it. Sitting outside his real life hell and sparking up a conversation with a stranger as she laughed in his face definitely wasn’t on his schedule tonight, but you sure as hell made it worth it. 

“You, Eddie Munson, must kill at dancing.” 

He smirked, wigging his shoulders, with wide arms, only making you let out a fit of more guffaws, “This is my favorite move.” he nods with a lifted brow as he continues the corny move until you die down from laughing, but still a wide smile on your face. 

“Stacy Burnham is a total bitch for ditching you and your dance moves tonight.” You shook your head as it resting on your fist. 

He smiled sweetly, inching his hand closer to your face until his thumb softly swiped under your eyes, “That jock is a total asswipe for making you cry and fuck up your mascara.” 

“Shit!” you groaned, closing your eyes tightly, but never backing away from Eddie’s touch. 

When you finally opened them back up, Eddie’s hand had left your face and was back resting in his lap. You reached into the cup of your dress, totally oblivious to Eddie’s shock as you pulled out a small mirror compact from your tits. 

“I look like a raccoon.” You frowned, swiping the excess smeared mascara off your face and looking towards Eddie who stared at your with an open mouth and blank eyes. 

“A pretty raccoon. A funny one even.” Is what Eddie was thinking.

“Is it that bad?” You asked, moving the mirror in the air as you attempted to get better lighting out here in the dark. 

There was a slight track of tears that flowed down your cheeks, which caused your foundation to disappear slightly. The gloss on your lips, now entirely dulled out due to the pouting and angry swiping from moments ago. Your best work of the night now turned into a shitshow of products now clinging onto your skin for dear life. With a feeble attempt to salvage your face by patting and blending the makeup with your fingertips, you eventually gave up, shutting the compact with a hard snap and peering back up at Eddie. 

He jerked out of it, shaking his head and closing his mouth. “Are we just going to ignore the fact that you just pulled out a mirror from your boobs?” 

You let out a relived sigh, smiling down at your covered chest and then back up at Eddie, “My dress doesn’t have any pockets, thankfully having boobs are like having built in hiding spots.” 

“Wish I had those when Principal Higgins ordered a bag check last month.” He whispered as tucked it back in place before tugging the top of your dress up higher to secure it. 

“It’s all fun and games until you have double D’s and immense back pain.” You informed him and his eyes widened and you nodded, lips in a tight knowing line. 

You and Eddie shared another moment of silence. Comfortable silence that is as now crickets could be heard on the outside while the booming music still stood inside the school. 

Eddie was again the one to break the silence, “You gonna head back inside to your friends?” his thumbs gesturing back to the gym where the bright colorful lights shone through the windows. 

“They’ve all got dates.” You said defeatedly, feeling like you were missing out on what was supposed to me one of your core memories of high school.

“We could go in together.” He offered, resting both palms against the curb. 

Your neck snapped at him and you even stammered from pure shock, “W-what?” 

He laughed outwardly, giving you a convincing smile when he glanced at you for a second then back at the moon, “Relax. We don’t have to. I know you probably don’t want to be seen, let alone associated with a freak.” 

Instinctively, your hands launched out, reaching to wrap around his arm while the other rested on his knee. He tensed under your sudden touch, but the second he felt like you were going to pull back, he fell under, letting himself relax to keep you here. 

“Contrary to popular beliefs, I don’t think you’re a freak, Eddie.” You promised to him, squeezing his knee and rubbing your thumb against his wrist.

“You don’t think the freak of Hawkins High is a freak?” 

You shook your head, laughing lightly as he chuckled, “I don’t… I just never thought you’d ask me��y’know, ‘cause you’ve got this badass reputation and I’d probably fuck it up.” 

He snorted, eyes closed while he laughed, “My reputation is already fucked, sweetheart…it’s yours we should be worried about.” 

“I don’t care about reputations.” 

Your voice was soft but filled with confidence as you leaned closer, nearly face to face with Eddie as he seemed to feel this new wave rush over the two of you. It was sudden, as if there was some sort of magical spell that was cast in this very moment that possessed you and Eddie to enter a kind of haze that you wanted to dive into headfirst. 

When his hands left the curb, yours unwrapped from his wrist, but the touch on his knee stayed still, hoping he couldn’t feel the nervousness from under the fabric that separated your touch.

You could feel his breath hitting your face against the cool air. He smelt of the blunt and a twinge of mint, the kind of scent that sent your senses into overdrive. 

“What about mine?” He asked, breath fanning closer, and he leaned in on an angle, lips nearly brushing against yours as he kept his eyes on you, trying to distinguish whether you two were on the same page or not. 

“Y-your what?” You murmured, brain fogging up when you felt his hand brush the side of your face and tangle gently into your hair. 

He took note of the way you fell, trusting himself to make the move that he wanted with your permission, “My reputation.” 

You swallowed thickly, the words falling from your lips, “It’s cruel, but it makes me want to know you. The real you.” 

Eddie hummed, his free hand ghosting around your waist where he could feel your breathing quicken by the second, “And if I told you I want to know you too?”

“We can arrange that.” You smiled, fluttering your eyes closed when your lips finally touched and moved against one another in slow motions and sweet brushes. 

Eddie didn’t want to pull away. He wanted to curse himself out for not taking a deep breath beforehand, but he had to, slowly backing away from your now bruised lips. 

“Sorry, you took my breath away…literally.” His hand released the hold on your hair and slowly worked its way down your cheek until his thumb caressed your lips where you kissed it tenderly, leaning the weight of your head against his palm. 

“You’re gonna kill me.” He whispered lowly, making you smile until he pulled back, standing up as you frowned below him. 

“Can’t kill you if you aren’t down here kissing me.” You argued, crossing your arms across your chest, trying to put on this best annoyed look that didn’t convince him one bit. 

He just chuckled, shaking his head at how cute you were being, now holding out a hand for you, “I believe I owe a pretty lady a night of dancing?” 

Your cheeks rose with a smile, now breaking character with your poor acting skills as you took his hand in yours, but still not getting up. 

One more important question you needed to ask your Prince Charming, “And kisses?”

“And kisses.” He nodded in agreement, squeezing your hand as you finally stood up. 

Your dress flowing beneath you as the moonlight tumbled against the fabric highlighting every curve and inch of your body. 

“You’re gorgeous.” He said, pulling you closer to him by the waist while you intertwined your fingers together. 

Your other hand wrapping underneath his arms and squeezing his shoulder tightly, feeling the warmth of your bodies radiating off in another. 

“And you look really hot…not only in this suit, but all. the. time.” You admitted with rosy cheeks, making him smirk.

His grip got tighter but never hurting you, as he squeeze you side making you crack a small laugh, “You’ve been checking me out?” 

“What can I say?” You shrugged your shoulder up with a sly smile, “I steal a few glances here and there…never knew I had a thing for metal heads until I saw you wearing a leather jacket.” 

He groaned in satisfaction, leaning his forehead against yours and humming when your lips moved against his again, but only for a few seconds until you were pulling away and tugging in his arm. 

“Let’s go rockstar! We’ve got a dance floor to kill.” 

Your heels clicked against the pavement as Eddie snickered behind you, following your lead until the music got closer and now the two of you were back where it all began. 

The freeing guitar riff in Sweet Child O’ Mine now filled your ears along with you and Eddie’s laughter as he spun you around and swayed you to the music. Unbeknownst to you and Eddie, the stares of the student population were in full effect, as they had never seen the metal head dancing around and definitely never pictured it’d be with you. 

However, you and Eddie paid them no mind and had zero care in the world as Eddie played air guitar and you swung your hips until he had reached for your arm, twisting you into his chest as yours bubbled with laughter watching him mouth “where do we go now?” the lyrics to the song.

You mirrored his actions, forehead scrunching as the two of you sang the words to each other, dramatically attempting to mimic Axl Rose’s voice as if the both of you weren’t heartbroken people a half hour ago, and now singing proudly. 

This was peace if the two of you had ever known it. Forgetting the teenage angst of getting stood up and played by some jock and stuck up preppy girl. And instead finding joy and comfort in a stranger that you merely shared a hallway with. 

Slowly, Guns N’ Roses died down and you wrapped your arms around Eddie’s neck while he draped his arms around the small of your back. It gave the two of you a moment to catch your breath before Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes, “I’ve had the time of my life,” began playing. 

“How fitting.” You spoke loud enough for Eddie to hear as you two stepped to the music. 

He wiggled his shoulders, making you snort, hiding your face in his neck and peppering kisses against the exposed skin, stopping at his ear to whisper the sweetest words of the night…matter a fact his life. 

“This has been the most romantic night of my life, Eddie Munson.” 

He nudged you with his chin, forcing you look up at him with doe eyes, “Getting stranded might just be the best goddamn thing that has ever happened to me.” 

“Not meeting me?” You asked sarcastically as he playfully rolled his eyes, spinning you around before having you in his arms once more. 

“Oh! Please leave me stranded…it’s sooooo romantic.” He humored you, pushing your back towards him, bringing the front of your body closer to his, yearning to melt into each other and savor this memory for all it was worth. 

“Thanks for taking me dancing.” You smiled, resting your chin on his chest, beaming up at him brightly. His lips jutting down to yours, as the two of you danced the night and the heartache away and replaced it with this fresh feeling of a new romance that sparked because of unfortunate events but couldn’t have ended any better. 

— 

bonus scene: 

“You sure you don’t want me to carry you?” Eddie chuckled, arm resting on the small of your back as he guided you out of the gym with his jacket pooling around your shoulders to keep you warm. 

You hummed, voice a little hoarse from screaming the lyrics to mostly all the songs that played tonight, “I’d really kill for a burger, though.” 

“Benny’s is open ‘till 3.” He suggested, forcing a moan that fell from your lips, just at the thought of digging into a delicious meal. 

Eddie laughed to himself, taking notice of how hungry you were after a night of dancing and wanting to make sure you were going to recuperate just fine.

You leaned your head against his arm, as you two continued walking to his van, parked way down into the lot, but you didn’t mind. Every second you had gotten to spend with Eddie tonight was worth it and you’d walk miles on your heels if it meant getting to do it with him. 

But thankfully you had reached it, giving your feet a break as you leaned up against the metal, watching Eddie empty his pockets in order to find his car key. 

“Can you be a doll and hold these for a second?” He looked up at you, hands filled with his wallet and all other sorts of things he managed to jam in those pockets. 

“I’m so jealous of the sheer amount of things you men are able to fit into your pants.” You shook your head, resting it on the window. 

Eddie continued to dig, smirking with his lifted brows, “I mean, I’m flattered babe, but you haven’t even seen my package to know—“ 

“Oh, my god! Eddie Munson!” You gasped loudly, prompting an even louder laugh. 

He pulled out one thing from his pocket, and low and behold, his car keys were dangling from his fingers. 

“Your carriage awaits, pretty.” He jiggled the key into the slot until it clicked, pulling the handle and holding the door open for you. 

You happily slid into the seat, leaning down to peck him on the lips while he began stuffing his pockets with the things that now laid in your lap. 

“Did you spike the punch?!” You yelped, grabbing the flask and twisting it open, the strong smell of whiskey filling your nostrils. 

“I was,” Eddie said, taking it from you and twisting it back closed as he stuffed it into the glove box in front of you, “but I didn’t want innocent lightweights to end up with a hangover tomorrow.” 

“How noble of you.” You retorted, sinking back in your seat with a dopey smile on your face as you felt the seat belt fasten over your midsection and click into place. 

Eddie brushed the messy flyaways of your hair down, pecking your cheeks, making you giggle, jokingly trying to push him away from the onslaught of compassion that you never wanted to end. 

He never budged, only grabbing your cheeks and kissing you harder than your amusement trickled upon his lips and he spoke, “Burgers. Milkshakes. Then I’ll drop you off at yours?” 

“I’d much rather me spend the night at yours,” your eyes dazzled up at him while your pointer finger rested on his chest. And he pulled away, staring at you in wonder with an unbelievable shake of his head. 

“You know,” He pointed his finger at your, wagging it suspectedly, “'m starting to think you’d never want me to leave.” 

You bowed your head, biting your lip as you didn’t care that he read you like an open book, “I don’t…remember I said I wanted to get to know you?” 

“Hmm,” He hummed, removing your hand on his chest and taking it in his and rubbing your fingers with his rough thumbs. 

“I meant it…i-is that ok?” You sought nervously, as if you didn’t kiss the guy and cling to him like he was your boyfriend the entire night. 

He noted it, instantly nodding his head with a cheeky smile on his face, “If I recall correctly, a certain metal head wants to get to know you too.” 

“Did you just speak in third person?” You asked ridiculously, shaking your head with giggles about to pour over by the second. 

Eddie just rolled his eyes, poking your side, being the fuse that caused his new favorite sound to erupt and fill the cavity of his ears like the favorite song, “Gonna get my girl some food now and we’ll go back to mines.” 

“Thank you.” You whispered, leaning forward to peck his lips one. two. three. four sweet times before he finally regained the courage to pull away, shutting your door and making his way over to his driver’s seat. 

This was the first but definitely not the last time you and Eddie would ever find solace in oner another because if there was one thing that was true it was that sometimes the best people in life are free…and it just so happens that it could be their soulmate. 

A/N: I'm back from a long hiatus...hope this tickles the fluff lovers out there and puts a smile on each one of you hopeless romantics out there (me included)! Inspo for this small little fic comes entirely from Taylor Swift herself and the masterpiece of "New Romantics," one of the best songs on 1989. Thank you all for sticking around...can't wait to write more--happy holidays!

[ladykailitha]

Royal Pain Part 11

Hi! It’s been a rough week and I burned up my backlog. This is the last finished chapter I have left and with the busy weekend I had with my sister and getting a migraine yesterday and today...I don’t if I’ll have anything ready for Thursday.

Also since I finished Roads, I have leaned more into The Boy With a Bat Book 2. I’ve completely overhauled chapter two because I rushed from the play (which was in March) and jumped straight to June and meeting the lovely Robin. But I realized that I could draw that out more. Build up the relationship between Eddie and Steve more. Play on Eddie’s friends clashing with the “Let’s Pick on Steve” style of love from the Monster Hunter gang up a bit.

I’ll also put up a poll to see what other stories you guys might be interested in seeing me do next.

But on to Erica, Chrissy and Argyle’s first day. Still no Eddie, but don’t worry, he’s not forgotten, the dinner ‘date’ is next.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10

***

Chrissy and Argyle turned up for work the next morning and Steve was vibrating with excitement.

“Hi, guys!” he greeted them cheerfully. “This is Erica Sinclair. She’s going to being doing henna for our clients this summer as a bit of summer special to get more causal clients through the door.”

“Totally rad!” Argyle said with a thumbs up. Steve was pleased to note that his eyes were clear and the faint aroma of weed was gone.

Chrissy just nodded.

Steve turned around and grabbed a couple of oranges from the fruit basket. He tossed one to Chrissy and one to Argyle.

“Until I can get the synthetic skin in, this will have to do,” he explained. “I want to you tattoo something simple into the rind of the fruit. Get creative. Have fun.” He looked at his watch. “You each have a room with a chair set up with everything you’ll need. Don’t do colors yet. I just want to get a feel for how you work. You’ll have one hour.”

Steve watched Chrissy first she had a deft and steady hand. She did a gynandromorphic butterfly. The right wing only had basic stripes of a female butterfly and the left wing had the spots and showy patterns of a male butterfly.

It was an interesting choice. He left her to finish up the left wing as he wandered over to Argyle’s room.

He started on a surfboard. He was bent over the fruit with an intensity that lacked in the man’s usual demeanor. His long hair covered most of what he was doing but Steve could see it was a well-thought out piece.

He waved at Argyle to get his attention. Argyle looked up with a big smile. “Hey, dude!”

“You’ve got a really good head for design,” Steve told him. “You fill the space without making it look crowded.”

Argyle’s smile turned into a grin.  “Thanks!”

“Since you’re almost done, can I talk to you about something really quick?” Steve asked.

“This is about the weed, huh?”

Steve nodded. “I don’t care what you do in your off hours. Just don’t bring it to work, get caught with it on your person, or come to work baked. You’re are an amazing artist and I would really like to keep you.”

Argyle nodded. “The big meetup was a bit of an accident. I forgot to account for inhaling my roommate’s blunt on top of my morning hit and was still a little too toasty.”

Steve nodded. “Fair enough. This is one job that takes care and precision and since we’re doing permanent work on people. Messing up is little more...”

“Heinous?” Argyle asked, cocking his head to the side.

Steve burst out laughing. “Yeah, that! As long as you follow those three things, you and I are good.”

“You don’t care I smoke weed?” Argyle asked curiously.

Steve shook his head. “It’s fine. I just can’t have it here, I’ve worked to hard for everything to go up in smoke.”

Argyle nodded sagely. “I will abstain while I’m working for you, dude. I wouldn’t want to hurt you in that way.”

“You don’t have to completely abstain,” Steve assured him. “Just not on days you have to come in.”

Argyle gave him a thumbs up. Steve looked at his watch. “You’ve got about enough time to finish that up and the hour will be done. Come back out when your done.”

He stopped to check in on Erica. He peaked his head in her room where she was testing out the different colored henna on herself. She was doing a pretty lotus pattern on her left hand with the different dyes.

“You really do have a steady hand,” he said as he strolled up to her.

She grinned up at him. “Thanks! The darker the red is, the harder it is to show up on my hand. See?” She held up her hand so he could get a better look at it.

“Yeah. Does the dye have to be red?” he asked.

She nodded. “Real henna starts off bright orange and darkens over time. There are other dyes that can be used for henna, but it’s not from the plant of the same name.”

Steve nodded. “I got you the paste stuff, but I can get you other kinds if you would prefer that.”

“That’s fine for now,” Erica said. “The powder isn’t shelf stable and can go bad. If I decide to do it full time, I’ll think about going to the powder, but this will work.”

Steve nodded. “Wanna come see what Chrissy and Argyle did for their first tattoos?”

Erica grinned and immediately jumped to her feet and followed him out to the reception area.

Argyle and Chrissy were leaning up against counter chatting with Robin.

“Hey, guys!” Steve greeted. “Let’s see what you’ve got.”

Argyle and Chrissy turned, throwing both of their oranges at him at the same time.

Steve caught them both which raised eyebrows.

“Dude!” Argyle said. “That was wicked.”

“Shit,” Chrissy said with a giggle. “I forgot you were on the baseball team, too.”

“You were on the baseball team?” Argyle asked.

“In high school,” Steve said with a shrug. “And the basketball team and the swim team.”

“Wow.”

Steve chuckled. “It was so my parents could pay to have someone else watch me instead of doing it themselves. But I had fun. I was captain of the basketball team and co-captain of the boys swim team.”

“You have depths, bro,” Argyle said. “That’s so cool.”

Steve blushed. “Thanks.” He handed one of the oranges to Erica. “Hold this, please.”

She rolled her eyes but wisely said nothing.

He looked at the orange in his hand and saw it was Chrissy’s. “I guess will start with this one.”

Chrissy grinned at him.

“It’s a good design,” he told her. “It’s unique. The lines are strong without being too thick.” He peeled the orange and looked at the rind. “Right, okay, so they go deeper in some spots and not as deep in others. So you’ll need to work on consistency.”

She nodded. “I didn’t even realize I was doing it. That’s a neat trick.”

Steve smiled at her and tossed the orange back to her. She sat down with it and studied where she had gone wrong with it. He took the other orange from Erica.

“This was your first time with a tattoo gun, right?”

Argyle nodded. “Thanks for setting it up for me. It was bit different from the stick and poke my nana taught me.”

“You were taught how to do the stick and poke style?” Steve asked. He felt an overwhelming sense of relief. Stick and poke done by amateurs was dangerous but knowing that he had been taught to do it put him at ease.  

Argyle nodded.

“If you want, I can get you a proper set,” Steve said. “If that would make you more comfortable.”

Argyle lit up. “I have my own set my nana gave me, I can bring that by and have you take a look. But I wanna learn how to use a gun, too.”

“That would be great,” Steve agreed. “Bring them tomorrow, I’d love to take a look.”

Argyle beamed at him.

Steve lifted up Argyle orange. “The style is good. The lines are clean.” He peeled the orange and winced. “It’s a bit too deep.” He tossed it to Argyle for him to take a look.

Argyle stumbled with it and it fell to the floor. He picked up with a grimace. He looked at the orange and winced too. “Way too deep. I tattooed the orange and not just the rind.”

“Yeah,” Steve agreed. “I think it’s because with the stick and poke method it’s easier to see how deep the needle goes and with a gun it’s all about pressure.”

Argyle nodded. “That makes sense. Looks like I’m buying a lot of fruit in the next couple of days.”

Robin chuckled. “At least you can claim it on your taxes.”

Argyle’s eyes went wide and he smiled broadly. “I didn’t think of that, that’s awesome!”

Chrissy giggled. “It’s great doing something like tattooing for a living because you can claim all sorts of things as tax write offs. Took your best friend out to dinner, talked about tattoos? Business meeting. Bought new ink that looked pretty, and you might not ever use it, but you don’t know that, business expense. It’s great.”

Argyle looked as though his mind had been completely blown.

“You won’t need a lot of fruit anyway,” Steve said. “I’m getting synthetic skin in later this week so you learn about how different colors appear on different skin tones. It’s important to learn because one yellow might look good on a person, but not the next.”

“I’m having our friend Will do up binders for you two,” Robin said, holding up Steve’s three-ring binder that had his portfolio in it. “So that we can start getting you clients, too.”

Steve nodded, crossing his arms over his chest. “That won’t be until the end of the summer. So in the mean time, we’ll be building up your tattoo skills and to talk to clients. Then probably after the 4th of July, we’ll start you off with the smaller and simpler tattoos, get a good foundation in.”

They both nodded.

He turned to Erica. “I’ve already started advertising your henna. So if you have pics of some of the work you did for your friends get them to Will so we can display them.”

She saluted. “Roger that!”

“Also I’ve been looking into it,” he continued, “would you be willing to do henna nights for bridal parties?”

Erica wrinkled her nose in thought. “I don’t think I can. That’s a lot of work and it has to set overnight, I’m good, but not that good.”

Steve nodded. “Fair enough. That’s why I asked first, I knew Robin would get calls about it and now she has a firm answer to give.”

Robin nodded.

Steve blushed and ducked his head. “I had this idea and it sounds stupid in my head, but...”

“I think it’s cool,” Robin said sticking her tongue out at him.

Chrissy cocked her head. “What’s the idea?”

“I thought we could lean more into royal theme a bit,” Steve muttered to his feet, “go by nicknames,”

Argyle blinked at him a moment. “Like what?”

“Lady, Marquis, Duchess, Stewart...” he mumbled.

Robin grinned manically. “Go on tell them what your name would be.”

“King.”

Chrissy cackled. “That would be perfect!”

Argyle just stared him blankly. “Wha’?”

“You see,” Robin began, “the reason for name, the decor, everything is based off a nickname from high school. King Steve.”

“Who was a massive asshole, by the way,” Chrissy said with a wink.

Steve rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah. Until my senior year when I realized I didn’t want to conform to what my parents wanted me to be and gladly handed the crown to the next poor schmuck.”

“But when we were looking for a name for the new shop...” Robin said in a sing-song voice.

“It just made sense, a royal pain?” Steve said. “That’s me to a tee. So I kinda leaned into the whole vibe.”

“So you want to lean into that a little further?” Erica asked. “Because I am so claiming Lady. Not sure if I want to do Lady Applejack or Lady E. Because just Lady is the name of a dog and I ain’t into that shit.”

Chrissy laughed. “I’ll happily take just Duchess because while it can be a dog, it’s also the name of several kickass characters.”

“Oohh...” Argyle said. “I could be the Marquis de Carabas! I named myself after a fairy tale!”

Steve frowned in confusion. “What now?”

Argyle bounced in excitement. “It’s from the book, ‘Neverwhere’ by Neil Gaiman. It’s so rad. It’s about this dude who finds himself in a London that is weirder and wilder then the one you see. One of the bros he meets is the Marquis who has this wicked black coat. But he got his name from the fairy tale Puss in Boots. But not like the Shrek one.”

Steve blinked. “Yeah sure. It’ll be a work in progress to be honest. And I won’t start it immediately. Just an idea to float out there.”

They all nodded. Steve smiled at them. This was a going to be the most fun he’s had in a long time and he gets to share it with all of them. And he had Eddie to thank for it all.

He couldn’t wait until tonight.

***

 Part 12  Part 13 Part 14  Part 15  Part 16  Part 17  Part 18 Part 19  Part 20  Part 21   Part 22  Part 23  Part 24  Part 25 Part 26  Part 27  Part 28  Epilogue

Tag List: @spectrum-spectre @estrellami-1 @zerokrox-blog @artiststarme @swimmingbirdrunningrock @gregre369 @pyrohonk​ @renaissan-vvitch @goodolefashionedloverboi @chaoticlovingdreamer @maya-custodios-dionach @messrs-weasley @val-from-lawrence @plyerice27 @thedragonsaunt @chaoticlovingdreamer @sapphirecobalt-1 @a-little-unsteddie @i-must-potato @danili666 @carlyv @rozzieroos @wonderland-girl143-blog @itsall-taken @justforthedead89 @emly03 @bookworm0690 @aizawa-emma @redfreckledwolf @thesuninyaface @bookbinderbitch @yikes-a-bee @littlewildflowerkitten @scheodingers-muppet @archermightbegay @hallucinatedjosten @ellietheasexylibrarian @anne-bennett-cosplayer @cinnamon-mushroomabomination @bestwifehaver @xxfiction-is-my-realityxx 

[lulublack90]

Prompt 15 - Before

@wolfstarmicrofic January 15, word count 974

It was the day of the full moon. Remus, had slept for most of the morning but was determined to get to his afternoon lessons. He ached all over. Some of his rib bones kept flexing painfully as though getting ready for later that night. Sirius had come and collected him for lunch. After they had double potions. Remus didn’t particularly like potions, but Lily had agreed to do most of the work, letting Remus sit at the desk and read out the instructions to her or chop the next ingredients. 

The room felt insanely hot for some reason this lesson. It wasn’t long before Remus had a splitting headache. Everything was too loud. He couldn’t seem to filter anything out. Every little sound found its way to his ears. He could hear Peter nibbling on the end of his quill. Mulciber scratching his arse, and Snivillius sniffed repeatedly as he refused to use a tissue. 

He was clammy and feeling very nauseous. He wanted to leave so badly, but he had to be careful not to draw attention to how often he was ‘ill’. 

He felt a gust of cool air begin blowing over him. He closed his eyes and sighed. He opened them again and looked around the room trying to find the source. Sirius winked at him, his wand in his hand. Remus was suddenly overcome with emotion and had to look up at the stone ceiling to keep the tears from flooding down his cheeks. 

“You doing ok, Remus?” Lily whispered. She knew about his furry little problem and would constantly check on him on the run-up to the full moon. He nodded slowly at her, not wanting to move too quickly in case he was sick.

Eventually, the lesson was over. Lily had successfully brewed their Befuddlement draught with almost no help from Remus and now there was only dinner to go before he went to the hospital wing.

“You go ahead. I’ll catch up in a minute.” He told Sirius as he packed his things away. 

“Are you sure? I don’t mind waiting for you.” Sirius said full of concern. 

“No, it’s fine. You guys go eat. I’m probably not going to have much anyway. Plus, my head hurts. I’m going to need a minute before I can deal with the Great Hall.” Remus winced as someone scraped a stool across the floor. Sirius reached out and squeezed his hands. 

“Okay, I’ll make a plate up for you for when you’re ready.” Sirius grabbed his things and followed the others out of the classroom. 

Remus followed soon after, relishing in the coolness of the corridors. He was just debating whether it would be better if he went straight to the hospital wing instead of dealing with the Great Hall when he found himself being cornered by Snape and his cronies. He must have wandered down the wrong corridor on his way back up to the main part of the castle. He really wasn’t in the mood for this. 

“Aww been abandoned Lupin? Have your little pals finally had enough of you?” Snape sneered at him. Remus let his wand slip down into his hand from his holster. Mulciber and Avery were still chortling at Snape’s not-so-funny retorts.

“Piss off Snape. Haven’t you got anything better to do, like washing your hair maybe?!” Remus growled, narrowing his eyes as hatred flooded his veins. This close to the full moon the anger came easily. Sparks shot out of his fingers, he just wanted to be left alone. 

They swarmed him, pressing him further into a corner. He was trapped. More sparks shot from his fingers. Mulciber shoved him into the wall sending spikes of pain through his body. He started shaking. He wasn’t in control of his magic anymore, one more hit and he’d explode. His eyes darted around looking for a way out.

“Gods, you are a lunatic aren’t you Lupin?” Snape snarled at him. “What are you going to do lunatic? There’s three of us, don’t think you’re going to make it out.” Remus tried to push past Mulciber but he slammed him back. Remus cried out in pain. He barely stopped his magic from blasting out into the Slytherins. 

“Well, well, Snivillus. And what exactly do you think you’re doing to our Moony?” Sirius appeared out of nowhere, leaning against the wall and buffing his nails on his robes. “Petrificus totalus.” He said lazily, pointing his wand at Muliciber. Not even waiting for him to hit the floor before he repeated the spell on Avery. He turned his attention to Remus. 

“You alright, Moony?” He asked, completely ignoring Snape. Remus shook his head. He could feel his magic wrapping around himself. He needed to get to the shack, away from the other students.       

“Sirius, I need you to get me out of here before I hex someone.” Hex was putting it lightly, but Sirius knew the signs of Remus’s magic explosions. 

“Okay, come on, let’s get going.” He held out a hand that he knew Remus wouldn’t take, but it was a gesture to get him moving.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Snape screamed after them. Sirius didn’t even turn around. He shot the spell over his shoulder as he kept an eye on Remus limping next to him. Snape fell to the ground in a full body-lock curse. 

“Sirius, I need to get rid of this magic before I explode.” Remus held up a hand, showing the blue threads wrapping themselves around his fingers and disappearing up his sleeves. Sirius nodded, still not touching him. 

“We’ll get you to the shack, and then I’ll help you get rid of it.” Remus nodded. His whole body shaking. Just a little longer, he kept telling himself. Just hold on a little longer before you let it go.  

[hacash]

I’ve said before that I think it could make sense that Nate might want to return as assistant kitman for a little bit - to concentrate on being happy, to be one with the guys, to join in with all the team rituals he was barred from in S1. I also think that, going by clips from 3x12 and dialogue from 3x11, it’s not ridiculous to assume that he ended up back as coach, and that the kitman stint was intended as temporary (and likely done at Nate’s instigation).

However, do to that well it really needed a couple of additional scenes, which I can only assume had to be cut to save time...

-

“Good to have you back, mate,” Colin says, coming up to Nate while the team come together, chatting and laughing over Isaac’s costume. “But what are you doing as assistant kitman? We thought you were gonna be our coach again.”

“Oh! Oh, I know that. But, you know, it was all very sudden, and there wouldn’t have been time to draw up a new coaching contract before the season ended, and I still wanted to return in whatever capacity I could, and I - ” Nate’s cheerful ramble ends, his gaze slides over to where Will is shaking Isaac’s hand, “I had some unfinished business here, you know? Besides, I always enjoyed spending time in the locker room with you lot.”

“Glad to hear it, boyo. But you’re going to be coaching us next season, right? We didn’t trek it all the way over to Tooting just to set you up doing laundry, you know.”

“Hey, I’ll have you know that my fabric softener blend has been much sought after by members of the team,” Nate snarks. “And their mums.”

Colin just looks flatly at Nate.

Finally Nate grimaces, eyes briefly tensing shut. “I…I don’t know; alright, Colin? I just – I didn’t behave well as a coach at all when I was here, and I don’t know if I trust myself to do the same thing again, you know? I don’t think I deserve to be your coach again.”

“Oh, come on, you weren’t all that – ”

“No, no, no, let me say it – that was something I was wanting all my life, you know, and I,” hands flail, “I fucked it up, alright? I made mistakes, and I hurt people, and I just – I’m not sure if I want to put myself back there yet.” Nate sighs, visibly pulling himself together. “Look, for now I just want to enjoy my time here and focus on the last game, alright?”

Colin sighs and huffs, but he nods. “Whatever you say, Nate.” He glances around and lowers his voice conspiratorially. “Look, rules are rules and all, but me and the Honourable McAdoo are gonna split your fine between the two of us, yeah? No need to worry about it.”

Nate laughs. “Well, that’s very generous of you; but if I’m part of the team I want to be part of the team, and I can afford it now – ”

“Nah. Don’t worry about it, boyo. Just some unfinished business, yeah?”

Colin tips Nate a wink and heads back into the group of laughing footballers, leaving Nate watching them all. His eyes travel over the Greyhounds – the team he once said could do anything, his smile broad – and then, as his smile softens, he glances back to the coach’s office. Ted can be seen in the window, talking to someone.

Jolted out of his reverie by someone’s laughter, Nate looks back to the footballers. He laughs genuinely, loudly. When Bumbercatch gestures him into the crowd he joins them, willingly. He’s part of the team.

-

“No! No, no, no, that’s…that’s lovely.”

“Knew you’d understand.” Ted pauses, smiles. “Mind if I ask you a personal question, Nate?”

Nate’s still blinking back tears, but he manages to muster a deep breath. “Of course, sure.”

“What the heck are you doing back here as a kitman anyhow?”

Nate nearly flinches again, as if Ted has snuck up on him a second time. He looks around sharply, but Ted is just staring up at the wall, smiling.

“Sure wasn’t expecting it, when I came in to see you folding towels again.”

“I just…didn’t feel it was right to return as a coach yet,” Nate says. “It just didn’t seem right.”

Ted looks at him, until Nate blushes and glances down. Finally Ted nods.

“Right, right. Well, I get that. After I came home and found out that my dad died I dropped out of my high school drama club entirely. Kept thinking that if I’d just got home in time that day I coulda gotten him the help he needed, I felt it was only right.” Ted’s words are soft. Nate blinks in surprise, looking at him carefully. “Just landed the role of Kenickie as well. Heckuva thing, could have landed myself a career on Broadway rather than Richmond.” He smiles. “I just wonder…what would have happened if someone had pointed out that I was just wasting time punishing myself, you know? That it wasn’t helping anyone to deprive myself of something I loved, least of all me.”

Nate bites into his lip. He’s trying not to cry.

“Right. I…I think I understand that.”

“I knew you would, Nate. You’re a smart fella.”

Another pause.

“I just need to think about it, Ted.”

“Well, you’d better think long and hard about that sucker,” Ted says. His eyes crease gently. “After all, after this week there’ll be a space going free on the coach’s team for someone with plenty of smarts and a big old heart as well. I can’t think of anyone better for the job.”

Nate visibly softens as he looks at Ted. “You’re really going back, aren’t you?”

Ted pauses. His eyes flicker back up to the space where the poster used to hang, and then a tender smile deepens. “Time to go back, Nate. I didn’t know how much longer I could take, not being with my little boy.”

Briefly Nate hovers, and then touches Ted’s elbow. “Yeah. Yeah, I get that.”

-

“Aren’t you going to stand up with the other coaches, Nate?” Will asks as they sit together, awkwardly watching eleven grown men openly weeping on the pitch.

“I’m the assistant kitman,” Nate murmurs absent-mindedly, already chewing on a thumbnail. God, he’s nervous. “To. Assistant to the kitman.”

There’s a pause. He glances across to see Will glaring pointedly at him.

“You get a better view from back here anyway,” he adds weakly.

“Uh-huh,” Will says, not sounding particularly convinced.

-

Throughout the match Nate is on the edge of his seat, almost straining at the bit. Unable to join Roy, Beard and Ted standing on the sidelines. Not quite part of their group, but not in amongst Will and the physios and the reserves either. Eyes fixed on the Richmond team.

Whenever the Greyhounds miss a pass or take a tackle Nate winces. Halfway through the second half Ted turns and sees a notebook has appeared in Nate’s hand: he’s jotting down notes without even taking his eyes off the play. Ted smiles to himself, and then turns back to the game.

When the additional seconds of time are added Nate’s on his feet: still not joining the coaches, notebook still in his hands. Staring onto the pitch as if his life depends on it. Nate’s eyes are flickering as Roy and Beard debate the merits of trick plays - murmuring beneath his breath, brain going into overdrive, and then – oh. Ohh.

Realisation dawns on Nate’s face. On Ted’s face. Their gazes meet.

“Oh my God,” Nate says softly. Half a whisper, half elation.

“Yep,” Ted is going – grinning, already beckoning Nate to come forward. “Yep, yep, yep, yep, yep – ”

“You sure that – ”

“Yes.”

“You really think it’ll – ”

“Yes! Hey, hey Jamie!” Ted hollers for Jamie’s attention and then mimes handing something over to Nate. “It’s an Oscar!”

“Or a Tony Award!” Nate hollers. He’s grinning.

He knows where he belongs.

[1mlostnow]

𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞!!

Hi!! I’m Evan! This is Intro Post IV.

- Red text is primary information, things that I’d like to bring attention to, or just things I’d like to elevate above the others

I’m genderfluid, I only use he/him, I don’t have a label but I mostly like guys, and I’m a minor!!! If you’re 18+ feel free to interact but please don’t DM me or send asks.

[spotify] [insta] [wall of text] [tone tags] [ppth staff]

This intro post is incredibly long so I put primary info before the cut ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ I love using those faces

Apologies if the red or the Blinkies are hard on the eyes :<

Other Blogs ⇩

EvanRadio : @evan-radio

Poetry and Writing : @1mfoundnow

House MD [B. Corcoran] : @head-of-forensics

House MD [G. Kramer] : @plastic-surgeon-gabi

Blinkies below the cut and throughout intro :>

Table Of Contents ⇩

1. The Basics

2. Fun Facts

3. My Resume

4. Primary Music

5. Guide To Tags

6. Hobbies

7. Other Media

8. Kinnie List

9. Primary Fandoms

10. Cast List

11. Outro

[ The Basics ]

- I absolutely adore nicknames, feel free to call me anything you want; chances are I’ll be fine with it

- pretty basic DNI -> homophobes, transphobes, racists, xenophobes, proshippers (wincest ಠ_ಠ)

- feel free to interact or spam (the good kind), my notifs are off so you won’t be bothering me at all!! Feel free to do asks or anons as long as yr a minor, I love love love answering asks. I promise I’m not scary, I don’t bite (anymore lol)

- I would prefer it as a personal boundary that you don’t DM me unless you truly deem it fit, those 1 on 1 situations tend to be incredibly uncomfortable for me. If there’s truly something you’d like to speak to me about in private, go for it.

- I love my mutuals to death. Whether we talk every day or haven’t spoken once, ily :)

- I greatly appreciate tone tags!!! There is a list at the top of this intro with a tone tag guide!

- CDT timezone, typically active from 7 AM - 12 AM (this will change to 6-8AM and 5-11PM soon)

[ Fun Facts ] + notes

- my car’s name is TOMATER (all caps)

- im the ninth wonder of the world

- I love doing little drawings

- if you want one just ask (examples at end)

- once again I love love love my mutuals

- Richard Cameron defender for life

- theme changes often

- ADHD & severe social anxiety

- if you ever draw anything for me I’ll love u forever

- The Man Who Would Be King (6x20) is the best SPN episode and nobody can convince me otherwise

- if I don’t respond I swear I’m not ignoring you!! Chances are I said ‘I’ll answer later’ and then forgot—just @ me!!

- if you ever have any corrections for one of my posts (typo, incorrect facts, hurtful language) please please let me know whether it be public or private, as the last thing I’d want to do is upset anybody.

[ My Resume ]

- Professional Ghostbuster, Midwestern Cowboy, Supervillain (for the fits)

- Bug you put in a jar with sticks and leaves and a few holes in the lid so it can breathe kinda guy yk?

- Weird kid and loser for life (I’m happy this way)

- I believe I’m incredibly funny (tell me if I’m not)

- Most sentences have bonus sentences (for the thoughts that didn’t fit into the sentence right)

- hot feral scientist

[ Primary Music ] + fav song by each (‘m basic wtv)

- AJJ -> Getting Naked, Playing With Guns

- Cage The Elephant -> Spiderhead/Halo

- Car Seat Headrest -> Life Worth Missing

- David Bowie -> Rebel Rebel

- Radiohead -> Karma Police

- Seb Lowe -> The Man, The Myth

- The Front Bottoms -> Be Nice To Me / More Than It Hurts You

- The Smiths -> Pretty Girls Make Graves

- Vundabar -> Worn/Wander, Sad Clown

- Will Wood -> Memento Mori

[ Guide to Tags ]

- #evan speaks -> yapping time, applies to majority of my posts

- #evan rants -> I’ve got a lot to talk about!!

- #evan draws -> I draw :3 some art at the end

- #evan can’t vote -> US politics (doesn’t come up that often, but still)

- #evan loves his mutuals -> y’all are my best friends and ily sososo much

[ Hobbies ]

- Occasionally crocheting

- Reading and writing

- I play alto sax in marching band (never rains on the *redacted* 🫡🌧️)

- loveeee art so much, specifically pencil drawing and painting

- idk if music counts as a hobby (listening+playing)

[ Other Media ]

Shows -> Supernatural, Sherlock, House MD, My Babysitters A Vampire (Rory my beloved), Scooby-Doo, Over The Garden Wall

Movies -> Dead Poets Society, Ghostbusters, Velvet Goldmine, The Truman Show, Goonies, Stand By Me, Saw Franchise, IT 2017

Others -> Homestuck, The Secret History, getting into newer classics (highschool english class books tbh), I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream

[ Kinnie List ]

Steven Meeks (DPS), Castiel (SPN), Richie Tozier (IT), Truman Burbank (TTS), Egon Spengler (Ghostbusters), Adam Stanheight (Saw), Henry Winter (TSH), Will Graham (Hannibal)

[ Primary Fandoms ]

Supernatural, Sherlock, Dead Poets Society, Homestuck, Ghostbusters, House MD

[ Cast List ] <- y’all are like my family ily

@pingunaa @ghostboyhood @wordssricochet @poetsinnyc @meekspeaks @midwest-quill @yourfavvgal @alightelixe @lv3buzzz @craicapparition @asclexe @lefthandedspaghetti @notcatseatheadrest @wilsons-three-legged-siamese @de4d-poet-kisser @cherrishnoodles @blakenation1 @desire-mona @prettypinkbubbless @sesamie @hemlocksloadofbull @mighthavebeenmurder @tired-and-bored-nerd @neil-perrys-suicidal-tendencies @sillyhyperfixator

^^ if we ain’t close like that lmk and I’ll take you off dw ♥︎ and if I somehow missed you please please tell me and I’ll fix it right away, there’s some people I was gonna add but I wasn’t sure if we were friends like that yet lol

Outro!!

If you made it to the end of this thank you thank you thank you so much it means the world to me.

I can’t add more photos, so I’ll make and link a separate post with my art, so you can decide if that’s something you’d be interested in!!!

[ art here!! ]

[yesbutmakeitgay]

Lifelines Intertwined

Chapter 4

Valkyrie x Reader

Summary: Was it all too good to be true?

Word count: 1.2k

Soulmates, Slow burn, Angst, Injuries.

Beta'd by @cordeliasdarling <3

Masterlist | This Series Masterlist | AO3

Found A Demon In My Safest Haven

It is now close to two months since your arrival to New Asgard, and you can confidently say, this is your favorite assignment you’ve ever been sent on.

The entire time you’ve been here, you haven’t once thought about your mark, or your soulmate, or lack there of. Having developed such a wonderful and fun dynamic with Valkyrie, you almost hope the threat keeps on extending further so you can continue to work for her.

She has become a friend to you like no other, you truly feel like you can trust her with your life, and you would, without a doubt, give yours up for hers in a second.

This endeavor is going better than King Valkyrie could have imagine when she agreed to receive a Midgardian to aid her Kingdom. She’s been enjoying taking you out to dinner and other activities when her schedule allows, and finding that you have a lot more in common than she ever thought possible in her five thousand years of life. She almost hates how you remind her of how lonely she’s been lately, the mere sight of you makes her heart flutter.

It’s been a slow day in New Asgard, so Valkyrie suggests you go outside and train for a little bit, something you have done a few times by now.

Feeling overtly bold, you ask her if she might use the Dragonfang today, which she takes as an invitation to be rough and not hold back.

You begin your session like all the others, you have learned so much just from fighting Val and you’re starting to memorize all her favorite techniques. Today is a little different, however, it seems the Dragonfang comes with it’s own special set of moves that you were really not prepared for.

The battle gets heated a lot quicker than you’re used to, on account of the fact that Val is finally using her favorite toy, rendering you incapable of putting up with it.

During a lapse in judgment, you make a wrong swing, and Valkyrie takes advantage of it by retaliating with her blade meeting your forearm, "Ah, shit!" you scream as you drop your sword and clutch your arm to your chest. Valkyrie gasps and tries to approach you to look at what happened, but you don’t let her get too close, "I’m fine," you assure through gritted teeth.

"You’re bleeding." She takes another step toward you, and you instinctively turn away from her.

"It’s okay," you pant.

She finally reaches you by moving quicker than you can react, "Let me take a look." She pulls your glove off to reveal your now slashed soulmark and feels the air leave her lungs as she inspects it, "What’s this?" she growls.

"Stop it." You try to pull away from her, but she holds your arm firmly, she can’t help but feel offended by what she’s seeing.

"A regrettable tattoo?"

"It's not a tattoo," you mumble as you yank your arm back to apply pressure on the wound.

Her hands go to her hips in an accusatory gesture, "So you draw it on every morning?"

"It's my soulmark just leave it alone." You finally make eye contact with her again, trying to decipher her attitude.

She suddenly forgets all about your injury, "Is this some kind of a joke? An attempt to impress me?" She is in complete disbelief that you would pull such an off putting gimmick.

"I don't need to impress you, I came to you highly recommended," you wrap the cut up in your cape, "not to mention, I’m here doing you a favor, so spare me some respect, Your Majesty," you hiss defensively, "I’ll be in my quarters if anything of importance arises." You walk away, kicking your weapon that now lays on the ground with disdain.

Valkyrie watches you, still worked up and confused. As she goes to sleeve the Dragonfang she sees your blood on it and remembers this all started because she hurt you, but now she can't ask if you're okay.

She picks up your weapon, swallowing a thick lump in her throat as she makes her way back to her office. She replays the scene in her head a hundred times. Your demeanor changed so abruptly, you didn’t want her to see it, but why?

She has no idea how badly she fucked up.

What the hell is a soulmark? Of course, she can't talk to you about it anymore, and if she asked one of her advisors, she'd probably end up with the same knowledge she has now.

That night, Valkyrie finds it impossible to sleep, despite her numerous attempts at shutting her brain off, so at about three in the morning, she decides to stop trying and goes to her office to find some answers.

She sits at her desk taking deep breaths while she waits for the call to get through. A hologram of Carol appears when she picks up.

"Marv, what's a soulmark?" Valkyrie forgoes any pleasantries.

Carol frowns in amusement, "Do I wanna know why you're asking?"

"Just tell me," Val’s voice is slightly irritated from the lack of sleep.

The Captain thinks for a moment before explaining, "Like many civilizations in the universe, humans are born with a mark that matches that of the person or persons they're destined to spend the rest of their lives with."

"So, it's a tattoo that tells you your fortune?" The King tries to clarify.

"Kinda?" Carol chuckles, "Not exactly a tattoo, they have texture to them, they can't be replicated."

"Do you have one?"

"Yeah, same as Maria’s."

"Why have I never seen it?"

Carol brushes it off, "It’s on my upper back, they're pretty easy to conceal."

Valkyrie thinks about her next question carefully, "Is it possible that some of them aren’t?"

"I guess, but I've never seen one out in public, let alone matching ones." Such a statement coming from Carol means a great deal, she has been to every corner of the universe and has seen things Valkyrie could never even dream of.

"Can I look at yours?"

"No," Carol is quick to respond.

Val is taken aback, "Sorry, is that a very intimate thing to ask?"

"For some people it is, I just don't wanna take my shirt off in front of you."

"Right, wouldn't be the first time, though."

"Mhmm." Carol bites her lip involuntarily.

"Do you know if Jane had one?" Valkyrie tries to recover herself.

"Jane…Foster? I never met her, ask Thor."

"I’m not going to him for human advice, plus he's so thick he probably wouldn't have noticed if she did."

Carol is too busy to realize why Val is asking all these questions, but she could have worked it out if she had thought about it for half a second. Fortunately for Valkyrie, she didn't have the time.

A loud beeping starts going off in The Captain’s ship, "I have to run, but I hope you can figure it out."

"Yeah, thanks." Carol hangs up, and Valkyrie slumps back on her chair scratching her arm unconsciously, a side effect of the bumps that recently formed on her skin.

Tomorrow will be a new day, hopefully one where she will have the chance to apologize, and everything will go back to normal.

Chapter Five

[waterdeep-weavemoss]

Reprieve

One for @crimson-and-lavender! Disabled!Tav x Gale, fluffy and sweet. Hurt/comfort because chronic pain.

Taglist:

@boufsy @owlseeyoulaterpal @lanafofana

@auroraesmeraldarose @aryancunin @miradelletarot @marlowethebard @silent-words

@netherese0rb @sorceresssundries @mumms-the-word

Tav woke slowly. She opened her eyes to pale grey sky, the campfire burned mostly to embers, the odd lick of flame keeping the cookpot burbling. Groaning softly in pain, she ran a quick mental scan: the shoulder she’d slept on was stiff and sore, a deep ache radiating into her back, down her thighs and calves. The crooks of her elbows were tender, and as she breathed a little deeper, stings of pain jolted through her ribs. Reaching for her walking cane, she hauled herself to her feet, exhaling hard.

‘Morning Tav,’ said Gale. He walked into camp with a wicker basket brimming with herbs and mushrooms, even a skinned and gutted rabbit hanging from his belt. His hands were stained with blood. ‘Would you take the basket for me? I don’t want to get blood on the herbs.’

‘Did you kill that yourself?’ she asked, nodding to the rabbit.

‘Is that a note of admiration I detect?’ he smiled. ‘Certainly. I gave it a quick death, I assure you. Frankly I find the process rather thrilling.’

Tav hobbled over, took the basket with one hand and set it down on a flat rock by the fire. Rolling her neck she hissed at the tenderness in her muscles.

Gale walked to the lakeshore and scrubbed his hands clean, returning to find Tav chopping mushrooms and dropping them into the pot. ‘I’ll do that,’ he said. ‘Sit.’

‘Oh… okay,’ she said, perching on a rock. ‘I just thought it would be helpful.’

‘It is,’ he assured her. ‘But let me help with your pain a little.’

I didn’t think you even noticed, she thought. ‘Honestly, I’m fine-’

‘Enough of that,’ he said sharply. ‘You’re not fine and you’re obviously experiencing high pain levels today. Let me help.’

She nodded. He stepped up behind her and gently pulled her shirt off her shoulders so he could press his fingers into the muscle. Slowly and carefully, he kneaded with practiced hands. They were cold from the water, their soothing chill taking the bite out of the pain. ‘That feels so nice,’ Tav admitted.

‘I know it won’t fix anything,’ he murmured. ‘But if it will afford temporary reprieve, I would do this for you every day if I could. I hate seeing you in pain. I hate seeing you just endure it even more. You shouldn’t have to.’

‘I hurt everywhere all the time,’ she said bluntly. ‘There’s not much you can do.’

He pressed his thumbs to her neck, drawing them downwards firmly. ‘You need rest.’

‘No, I’m fine-’

Gale stepped in front of her, eyebrow raised. ‘That wasn’t a suggestion, Tav. Stay with me in camp today. Even if you don’t want to be cared for you can admit that we need you strong. I’ll talk to Halsin if you don’t, see how gentle the bear will be when he sees you’re not taking care of yourself. I’ll at least be a little more lenient on you.’

‘Fine,’ she said sullenly. He pointed to her bedroll and she settled back into the furs, watching him prepare carrots for the stew.

‘Mornin’ you two,’ said Karlach, emerging from her tent. ‘Late one Tav?’

‘Must’ve been,’ drawled Astarion with a smile. ‘It’s not like you to still be in bed at this hour.’

‘You will have to be ready soon,’ said Lae’zel. ‘I am itching to slaughter goblins.’

‘She’s staying here,’ said Gale. ‘To rest.’

‘Mhm,’ said Astarion, unconvinced. ‘Rest isn’t really something she does.’  He put the back of his hand to her forehead. ‘Are you feeling alright, darling?’

‘Oh, get off. I’m fine.’

‘A bad pain day is not fine,’ said Gale pointedly. ‘You have got to let us take care of you for once.’

‘Agreed.’

‘Hear hear.’

Tav looked from Lae’zel to Karlach in annoyance. ‘Thanks.’

‘We need to catch up with Wyll and Shadowheart,’ said Astarion. ‘And the bear. Gods know where they’ve been all night…’ He swept out of camp, trailed by the others.

‘I feel like a naughty child being kept inside at playtime.’

‘Oh, you wound me, Tav. Surely my company isn’t that bad?’

‘No. But killing goblins is better. You’d have more flavour in the stew if you roasted the onions and meat, by the way.’

Gale gave her a look and added wood to the fire, using mage hand to roast the onions on the open flame before chopping and adding them. The seared rabbit he threw in whole to collapse slowly into the broth. ‘You know your cooking techniques, I see.’

‘Mhm. Used to work in a tavern kitchen. Add an apple. A green one, not a red one. And wild garlic.’

Gale did as bid and then scrubbed his hands again, settling onto his own bedroll with a book. ‘C’mere,’ he said. Tav shifted closer and he reached out a hand tentatively to touch her hair.

‘Oh. Alright.’ What harm? It’s not like he’s interested in me or anything. Why would he be? She leaned into his touch, feeling like a mistrustful cat, and he began to read aloud. “’The differences between natural spellcasters and wizards is a matter of study. A typical wizard may learn at such prestigious locales as Blackstaff Academy, taking up such disciplines as evocation, conjuration, illusion and enchantment. A sorcerer, by contrast, is born with their magic. It is often chaotic and poorly controlled when they are children, leading to humourous, even dangerous, effects…’”

Tav closed her eyes, feeling herself lulled by his voice, and when she opened her eyes again, the sun was overhead. Shifting, she realised she’d fallen asleep with her head on Gale’s thigh. ‘Oops,’ she croaked. ‘Sorry.’

‘Do you feel a little better?’ he asked gently, smiling down at her.

‘Relaxed,’ she said. ‘A bit safer.’ The pain would never go away, but as far as temporary reprieve went, this was the best she could get.