#I’ll probably write this eventually

[not-sure-what-im-feeling]

Went to a theme park this morning and now I have a fanfiction prompt for y’all (strangers to friends/lovers style)

Your two characters are both at a theme park, either alone or temporarily away from their group. They both are in line for the same rollercoaster/ride. The ride seats two people at a time, but neither of them have anyone to go with. They get seated together, and enjoy the ride together. Bonus points if one of them, while they may enjoy thrill rides, gets really scared on them and the other needs to help them calm down.

Ideas/variants to play on this:

The one that gets scared had two other friends, but those two were seated together and they were left alone

One of them gets highly motion sick, and it has to end with profuse apologies

They go their separate ways afterwards, but KEEP FUCKING FINDING EACH OTHER IN THE PARK

The scared one, without meaning to exactly, clings to the other for safety. They let them.

The one who doesn’t get scared is screaming from joy and excitement, thinking the other is doing the same. It’s not until they look over at them that they realize they’re horrified.

Its one of those roses where you’re seated really close together

If you want them to talk on the ride, go for something like a Ferris wheel instead. They can go for longer, and tend to be quieter. Bonus if they get stuck. Double bonus if when the box shakes on falls onto the other.

[petrichorium]

Okay I have said he actually. Ends up getting deployed days before our wedding but is so desperate to lock me down that he just says go through w it without him yk n then we spend an extended period married-but-not-involved.

Anyway when that bubble finally bursts he calls a maid to fetch my wedding dress and basically recreates what would have been our wedding night…………..

Anyone want some Wildly Indulgent Capitano Selfship Lore™

[nab1wuzhere]

Magnetic

“You wouldn’t look at me.”

“I saw plenty.”

“In my eyes.”

“…Does it matter?”

~

summary:

Bakugo Katsuki, No. 3 Hero in the charts, massive amounts of fan girls, always invited to galas, events, and even award shows along side his peers, but he has never once gotten a dating scandal in his whole career. Has never even looked in a woman’s direction. So you can be certain he won’t change his actions when artist Y/N is invited to sing at a private Christmas Gala hosted for hero’s to celebrate the season and a year well done of duties…right?

Singer, artist, model Y/N, has it all. Looks, wealth, awards, friends, family, and boyfriends.. her music revolves around her relationships and past relationships along with her mental health that she speaks about through her music. She gets asked to gigs almost every day but few are lucky to book her, when her team gets a request for the Christmas Hero Gala which is highly exclusive, she immediately agrees to entertaining the hero’s, excited for the night she doesn’t realize she caught a certain man’s attention in the back of the crowd..

• slow burn - secret pining - romance - bold Y/N, shy Katsuki - vice versa - celebrity!y/n x aged up!katsuki

• following contains, eventual smut, mentions of suicide, alcohol, mental illness, heavy party scenes and probably more !

• 18+ only!! this is your warning

�� the rest of the celebrities mentioned in this series i do not take credit for, and the songs mentioned all writing ownership belongs to them! i do not take credit except for this fan fiction!

!! just a friendly reminder this is all fake, simply my imagination placed into writing !!

intro

chapter one

furious knocking is heard on bakugo katsuki’s hotel door, with shouts of “katsuki!! katsuki!!” being heard on the other side of the door.

katsuki groaned furiously as he got up and headed for the door, opening it loudly

“what the hell?!”

katsuki opened it to see his best friend, eijiro kirishima standing before him with a star eyed look on him. katsuki sighed and opened the door wider for his red headed friend to walk in.

“this better be good shitty hair, i was about to eat my fuckin’ breakfast.” katsuki spoke with a grumble

“katsuki! you’ll never believe it, guess who’s the performer for the gala?!” eijiro said practically shouting the walls away, his hands in tight fists, barely holding himself together.

a massive sigh was heard from katsuki, “will you PLEASE, for the love of god stop the fuckin’ shoutin’?!” he practically raised his hands in the air with annoyance

eijiro nodded happily, no sign of embarrassment or fear covered his body, his hands just moved in a “guess” motion

katsuki gave him a blank stare before running a hand through his spiky blonde hair. “who is preform—” before he could finish his sentence eijiro already announced the performer,

“Y/N! THE Y/N! like global sensation Y/N?! SHE of all people will be preforming FOR US katsuki!!! can you believe it?! oh my god!!”

katsuki gave him a look of “who the fuck are you talking about” before realization dawned on him, on his face, “oh, the chick who sings ‘NDA’?”

eijiro nodded excitedly, “and therefore i am, your power, when the party’s over-”

“oh yeah, i like when the party’s over”

“male fantasy, i love you- OH my gosh what if she sings i love you? oh ill sob. oh not to mention, illicit affairs, my tears ricochet—”

“eijiro.” katsuki spoke in a harsh tone “we get it, she sings a lot of songs you know.”

eijiro walked towards him and sat down, “see that’s just the thing katsuki, she doesn’t just sing. she’s- hah! she’s an idol, she- she literally defines music, she’s a poet and composer and creates masterpieces using something that comes naturally to her- she- she creates art out of instruments and makes millions out of it-” eijiro reaches for the tv remote. “i mean look she even-”

“oh i’d rather you not go down this rabbit hole of obsession”

“yeah well i’m going to so shut up and eat your pancakes”

katsuki stared down at his plate of buttermilk pancakes and looked offended as eijiro flipped to ‘youtube’ on the hotels tv, seconds later there’s a video playing of Y/N preforming at coachella a year ago, singing her song, ‘idontwannabeyouanymore’ her voice soft and smooth as she sang the words with ease.

“i mean you see how natural it is for her? there are so and i mean so so many singers out there but jesus.. there’s only one of her.” he pointed to the screen and katsuki’s eyes followed to it, the camera panning on her face, her eyes shut, lashes brushing her under eye, her lips close to the microphone, there had to be a fan right above her, her hair flowing around, but yet somehow it didn’t look messy.. like it did but it was a good messy, her eyes opened and a glint of happiness shined in them, her lips curved up into a smile as she harmonized the end, and the whole crowd screamed and emerged into clapping, she looked down at her feet, the air blowing her hair, she looked up and her eyes shined from the blue spotlight creating a glow over her. she mouthed “thank you” before shouting, “THANK YOU COACHELLA!!! I LOVE YOU ALL SO SO MUCH” and the video ended.

“i mean come on!! she’s a fucking legend and in her fucking prime right now, and to even think she’s gonna perform for US?! oh god man i could pass away” ejiro says as he fake swoons and falls onto the hotel couch, his hand on his forehead.

katsuki scoffs as he takes a bite of his pancakes, “yeah, i mean she is good, she’s got a voice that’s for sure-”

ejiro interrupts katsuki immediately, “it’s not just the voice man!! it’s her, she’s from a whole other world! and she’s like the nicest person you’ll ever meet-”

“and have you? have you met her?” katsuki gives him a sarcastic look, ejiro presses his lips met with silence, katsuki sighs as sets his fork down and crosses his arms, “don’t believe everything you see on the internet ejiro.” he said with a serious tone, “not everyone is who they seem to be, i can sniff out who’s a fucking fake from a mile away, i would know” he gives an annoyed look.

ejiro sighs as he gets up and pops a blueberry in his mouth that had been sitting on katsuki’s breakfast plate, “yeah well we will have to wait to meet her so you can “sniff her out” yourself..” ejiro scoffs, “trust me katsuki, she’s the real deal.” he ended with pointing at the tv who had Y/N smiling out into the crowd at coachella, her eyes like glitter.

ejiro said his goodbyes and walked out leaving katsuki by himself and just him staring at the tv screen, his arms still crossed, he mentally slapped himself before pressing the video that would come up next, another performance at coachella from the same year, her hit song, “when the party’s over”. now this one katsuki was familiar with, it was one he found himself listening to a lot in his car, the lyrics were raw he would give her that, and her voice- god if katsuki knew it was something sent out of a dream to become katsuki’s worst nightmare he would have never clicked play.

[pizzaqueen]

A snippet from a future fic I'll probably never write, where Steve is a widower with two teenage kids, and he and Eddie randomly meet up, rekindling their old flame. This is when they've been together a while:

“Thank you,” Steve says, coming up behind Eddie at the bathroom sink.

Eddie pauses, catching Steve's eye in the mirror. “What for?” he asks, mouth foamy with toothpaste.

Steve slips his hands along Eddie's hips, hooks his chin over Eddie's shoulder. “For loving my kids.”

“You don't—” Toothpaste dribbles down Eddie's chin and he stoops to spit what's left in his mouth into the sink, gathering his hair to one side. He rinses his mouth out, wipes his face with a towel, then turns to Steve. “You don't have to thank me for that. Of course I love them.”

“Not everyone I've dated has.”

“They're idiots.” Eddie grabs the hem of Steve's shirt, pulling him close. “I mean, first of all, they're part of you, and I don't think I could love you and not love them. But...” He trails off, a small smile tilting his lips. “They're amazing kids.”

Pride swells in Steve's chest; he slides his arms around Eddie's waist and says, “They are.”

“And I'm pretty damn honored I get to be part of their lives,” Eddie says, “so thank you,” and he butts his head gently against Steve's.

Steve huffs and slides his hands up Eddie's back, pulling him into a tight embrace. “I love you.” He presses a kiss to Eddie's neck.

“I love you too.”

“And they both love you as well.”

Eddie lets out a shuddering breath. Steve knows how nervous Eddie was, when they started dating, that he wouldn't be welcomed, but it's almost like he's always been part of their family now. “Good to know,"”Eddie says.

Steve holds Eddie a little tighter. All those years ago, back in Hawkins, when they ended things, Steve thought he'd never see Eddie again. But here they are, together—a family—and Steve's never letting him go this time.

[shepscapades]

"You've seen his eyes through the visor and the bottom half of his face" Sheeeeeppp! My brain didn't come with a darn graphics card (I have aphantasia) so I won't know what the pretty man looks like until the day you face reveal him help. The bit is hilarious though and I respect that cup of tea even as I resnt it lmao

NAUUU no it’s okay I get you, I don’t have aphantasia but I definitely wouldn’t be able to put a solid image of his face together if I were yall either LMAO dw jokes aside you will see his face one day

[xxlady-lunaxx]

i kinda want sanemi being so new to relationships other than family so it takes him a while to differentiate what he feels for kanae as something familiar or romantic. like, he knows he and masachika were best friends, but with masachika it felt a lot like family. but kanae’s someone completely different, he doesn’t really understand it and just assumes that she reminds him of his mother so that’s why he cares so much. but then there’s a little something here and there, subtle pointers to a little four-letter word. something a bit deeper than friendship—something he can’t discern. to the point he ends up rambling about it to kanae, hoping she can help him. kanae only smiling and patting him (sanemi was too confused and stuck in his own thoughts to avoid it) and telling him that he’ll figure it out himself in all due time. but he doesn’t place it until it’s too late. and he’s so excited to tell her, finishing his mission faster than usual just to make his way to the butterfly estate. only to be intervened by a crow telling him that all his efforts have gone to waste and it doesn’t matter if he knows what it was. because now it only ‘was’ and never ‘is’. kanae’s dead, and sanemi knows that. he doesn’t need to ask her to tell him.

[jamandjazz]

Even though I don't know much about Mason, what are your favourite hcs of him? :3

I’m going to kiss you omggggggg

• Mason loved his horse, I do NOT care what anyone says, but he loved Tex more. He wanted Tex to be happy so he didn’t ask for his horse back so that they could have more money to use to buy Tex his horse back

• I’m not sure if this is canon but Mason absolutely skipped meals to save money.

Like…????

• He wanted to go to the fair. You CANNOT convince me he DIDNT want to go. He just knew they wouldn’t have enough money for the two of them and he figured Tex should be able to go anyways, with or without him.

This is a conversation I’ve had with my brother when money was tight. “I just don’t want to go, drop it.”

• That ulcer was from stress for sure. Like no way it was anything else.

• He’s absolutely tried, on multiple occasions, to show Tex how bad their dad is because Tex keeps talking abt him like he hung the stars and Mason can’t STAND IT. He wants their dad to care more, but he doesn’t ever let himself believe that he will. Tex might have the luxury of not worrying about money and get to think their dad will be back soon but Mason doesn’t. He needs to plan in case their dad doesn’t EVER come back, which I’m pretty sure is a genuine fear that’s mentioned but I didn’t screenshot it and I can’t get into Internet archive rn to check 💔

• Completely self indulgent hc but bros aroace. There’s genuinely valid reasons that I can go into depth with but it’s a LOT of yapping and this post is already pretty long so all you get rn is ✨vibes✨

• Bro learned to be a silent crier bc he did NOT want Tex to ever know when he was genuinely upset. Didn’t think it should be his problem.

[lovelyreprisethirteen]

okay so… does anyone else see a very clear potential future storyline of adam coming back as a demon and after trying and failing to get revenge against charlie and co. end up as a guest at the hotel in a last ditch attempt to get back into heaven only to become a genuinely better being and happier than he ever was as an angel further blurring the lines between heaven and hell in terms of the morality of the people in them eventually fully cementing himself as a fan favorite himbo by like season 3 or is that just me????

[vaperarmand]

if we're doing lbf rpf can I admit that my favorite scenario to rotate in my head is Assad being publicly insane about Eric and then going home to have super normal casual fwb sex with Luke. I simply think that would be really funny. Bonus points if Eric knows and perhaps does not feel entirely normal about it

you. you understand me.

[were-wolverine]

fic idea i will probably write at some point:

when toph goes after zuko after his terrible introduction (hello, zuko here) he still startles and burns her feet but instead of running away he immediately rushes over and starts fussing over her, picking her up and treating her burns

he lays her down on his bedroll and gets his first aid supplies. he’s kind of an expert at dealing with burns. aside from the obvious, he was often burned during his childhood while training to fight with bending. it was why he was so fond of the dao swords, something he was much better at

he doesn’t realize he’s been talking aloud until the girl (does he know her name yet??) pointedly coughs after he trails off. he shakes the thoughts away and warns her the balm he is about to apply will sting at first.

he surprised when she fists a hand in his shirt, hissing in pain as the medicine does its job. he wraps it and moves onto her other foot, repeating the process. once he’s done, she looks in his direction quizzically

“it’s… numb,” she says, surprised. zuko smiles and explains

“it numbs the pain and heals the burn simultaneously. you should feel better in the morning after a good nights sleep, but you should still reapply it so it stays that way, okay?” he asks. she nods and then seems to debate asking something, before speaking

DISCLAIMER i know nothing about medicinal herbs/balms so this is 100% made up

“the others tried to describe you to me when i asked… pretty much all i got was ‘ponytail jerk with a shaved head and a burn on his face’ and obviously that’s not really a great description…” she trails off. zuko laughs softly

“if it makes you feel better, the ponytail is long gone. my hair is long enough to mostly cover the burn, too…” he replies

she nods thoughtfully before hesitantly lifting her hand towards his face, stopping a few inches away.

“um… you can say no, of course. but if it’s okay, can i touch your face? it’s how i see people,” she explains quietly. zuko flinches back slightly before thinking about it. her hands are so… small. and she hasn’t hurt him (yet).

the last person who touched his face was Uncle, helping zuko apply the burn salve after a bad day (the scar tended to hurt more if he was upset or angry… which was often). he had been so careful, it made zuko feel cherished.

he lets out a breath and agrees

the grin he receives is probably worth his discomfort

he closes his eyes and feels her small hands trace his face. she hums to herself as she maps it out in her head. zuko can feel calluses, likely from her earthbending, and laughs when she runs a hand through his hair, whispering “just checking”

they both quiet once she’s explored his entire face aside from the scar. she seems hesitant, so zuko nods slightly, reassuring her.

he cant really feel the hand tracing his burn. that area has been numb since his father…

he’s used to it. her hand on the other side of his face, keeping his head steady, is grounding and he releases some of the tension that had built in his shoulders when she traced the edge of the scar

she lets out a tiny gasp, and zuko can feel hair being pulled back from his ear- or what’s left of it. the burn had reached the appendage and a bit of his scalp. luckily his long hair was able to easily cover it. thinking back on his days wearing the symbol of the banished, having the entire thing exposed, makes him feel sick.

she finally drops her hands and when zuko opens his eyes (when had he gotten teary?) she’s sitting back across from him.

they sit in thoughtful silence for a while before toph snaps her fingers in recognition

“oh yeah, are your eyes really gold?” she asks

zuko finds it odd that the group had even noticed his eye color, but confirms her question

“cool,” she grins and zuko can’t help but smile back. she eventually scoots over on the bed roll and demands zuko sit next to her (and who is he to say no?)

they spend the next couple of hours talking. zuko finds out toph also comes from high society, and they bond over the stupid rules they were forced to learn and such.

toph doesn’t ask how he got the scar, but she does ask about it.

“can you hear at all in this ear? and are you able to see with this eye?”

he allows her these questions because she’s one of the only people who can understand what it’s like

“not very well, but enough to get by. as for my eye… it’s mostly blurry and i can’t open it past a squint. honestly, everyone was surprised it hadn’t lost all function,” he explains

she studies him thoughtfully before replying

“is that why you have two swords?”

zuko blinks. he hadn’t ever actually thought of it like that, since he was already using them before getting banished. but it makes sense. he shrugs

“maybe subconsciously?” he says, and she laughs at his uncertainty. he can’t help but smile at the sound

[possum-quesadilla]

Uh oh. I may have a new Beetlejuice AU to write a fanfic for alongside LoopJuice.

Basically, the Maitlands are alive and family friends of the Deetz, and Emily still passes away, but in a car accident involving another family friend, Lawerence, whose body was never found. A year after that, Lydia stumbles upon her dear friend wandering through a graveyard.

But it isn’t him.

It’s a demon named Beetlejuice possessing his dead body.

[loudlightobservation]

How do you think Syd and Carmy will realize they have feelings for each other?

Here’s what popped into my mind.

(Forgive me as I am often poor at articulating my thoughts)

Carmy

Carm and Syd are in the kitchen at the Bear.

They are both independently working, kind of like in S2, ep 5. Sydney knocks something over, curses under breath, grabs a broom and dustpan and starts to sweep.

What she knocked over definitely made a big mess. Usually Carmy would jump in to help but instead he just finds himself observing her. He has a slight smile on his face. We then see scenes of Syd and the times they’ve spent together, as though they are racing through Carmy’s mind. And then, like a ding when something is done cooking, we return back to Camry’s face of realization. He realizes “Oh that’s what these feelings have been? I like her?”

Syd snaps him out of it, “Hey you gonna just stand there? Or are you gonna help me?”

Spell broken, he bends down and helps her clean up, unsure of what to do with this new information. Body on fire because of his now close proximity with Syd.

[only10th]

Okay but… tears of the kingdom AU? Lan Zhan is Link and wwx is Zelda… the final battle with Ganon gave me way too many thoughts of PrinceXian and knightJi. I can’t do this

Like… Tell me LWJ wouldn’t devote himself to protect wwx. Tell me he wouldn’t search sky, earth and sea for his beloved prince who went missing as they were exploring the Burial Mounds in look for clues and history about their kingdom.

Tell me LWJ wouldn’t internally lose it when wwx falls like this and he’s not able to catch him.

Tell me LWJ wouldn’t shed a few tears when he finds out his beloved prince sacrificed his mind, his heart, everything that makes him “Him” just so he could protect his people… so LWJ could thrive and put an end to the evil plaguing their beloved land. Even if it meant they wouldn’t see each other again.

Like… Just seeing wwx in his dragon form, shedding one last tear and sending his last memory. His sacrifice—

Save me totk AU

[daboyau]

Here’s a little No. 6 fic I’ve been working on off and on for years. It is Shion focused and a little emotionally angsty, I guess? Enjoy, or don’t. :)

.

Hamlet dies when Shion is nineteen. It does not come as a surprise; he had read that the lifespan of a rat was two years, on average. All things considered, Hamlet lived a remarkably long time. 

Still, it feels like a slap in the face for Shion; a wakeup call he wishes he could ignore. He had always thought that when that promised reunion came at last, all three of the rats would be there for it, and that it would be like nothing had changed at all. Now, he has lost another part of Nezumi with the death of his little friend, and it hurts more than he could have imagined. 

He buries Hamlet in the little plot of land behind his mother’s bakery, beneath the cover of the flowers she had planted just the year before. He kneels in the grass and stares at the freshly turned dirt for a long moment, eyes glazed and thoughts distant. The morning sun shines brightly, breaking through the rise of buildings all around him. The dew soaks into the knees of his pants and even finds its way into his shoes, somehow. The flowers look beautiful.

Shion does not notice any of it.

Hamlet has been a constant at his side for three years. He has been with him through too many lonely nights and forced-cheerful days. He has been a much-needed reminder of what had happened, because despite the city changing for the better all around him, there are dark days when Shion finds it hard to believe that the time he spent with Nezumi was real.

And if Nezumi, who was possibly the most vivid thing to have ever happened to him, was not real, then what did that mean for everything else?

Slowly, Shion pushes himself to his feet. There is something growing in his chest, an emptiness that he does not know how to fill. Maybe it’s always been there. After all, he had felt it before, during those years between 12 and 16, before Nezumi swept in like a storm for the second time and undid his world yet again. 

It hurts, like something visceral and real. Like a knife to his throat or gunpowder burning his hand. Unlike those things, though, there is no physical evidence to show for the horrible pain. He finds himself wishing that there was.

He lets himself linger for one moment more before he pushes the thought away and turns his back on the fresh grave. He ignores the void inside his chest, changes his pants, kisses his mother goodbye, and goes to work. It is just another day.

.

There are not many who are invited to attend his birthday party, but that does not stop his mother from having cheerful conversations with all of them, or from laughing like this is the happiest day of her life as she brings out a cake. There are 21 candles on the top, and Shion’s name written in her careful scrawl. It is easy to tell how much love went into the creation of it.

Shion thanks her with a tight hug, the sensation of her arms wound tightly around him and her familiar smell comforting. He laughs at something Rikiga says and waves off compliments and well-wishes from the few coworkers he has invited to join them. Everyone cheers as they sing happy birthday to him.

He feels nothing but exhaustion as he blows out the candles. He watches the flames flicker and die and, suddenly, 21 years feels like a horribly long time to be alive. 

He feels a hand come to rest on his shoulder, a gentle pressure meant to sooth, and he very carefully does not flinch at the contact. He smiles up at his mother, who wears such a fond expression it almost makes him feel bad. Inukashi stands to the side, little Shionn practically glued to their leg. They are both smiling at him, expressions so close to identical in the same way Shion and his own mother tend to wear similar expressions without realizing it. Shion has known Inukashi for far too long to miss the sharpness in the way they narrow their eyes once the happy moment has passed, or the worry hidden in the tight stretch of their lips. 

He hopes they won’t say anything to his mom. She worries too much as it is.

After the party is done, Inukashi will try to corner him. They will try to get him to talk, and just like every time before, Shion will smile and say that he is fine. He will promise that nothing has changed.

It will, of course, be a lie.

Ever since the day that Hamlet had died (or maybe earlier, when he watched Nezumi leave him alone to pick up the pieces of something too heavy for him to bear by himself — or earlier still, when he was a child and the stifling sense of being trapped and helpless and angry enough to want to tear it all down around him but knowing he couldn’t was too much to bear) something within him had begun to change. It was a buried something, and it had been growing bigger, more and more each day until he could feel it broiling just beneath his skin. He is drowning beneath the weight on his shoulders and the roiling sea of emotions within his mind.

There are people counting on him, though, so he bears it with a smile and keeps pushing forward.

.

The piles of papers on his desk have been steadily growing. Even eight years in, the plans for the city have not slowed in the slightest. As head of the restructural committee, it is up to Shion to keep the reformation of No. 6 moving forward at a steady pace. He is the only person in the whole city who truly understands what is at stake. It is up to him to keep their promise to Elyurias, to make sure that every step the city takes is in the right direction. The burden of responsibility feels like shackles around his neck. A collar heavy on his neck. It is something he had borne gladly before. He’s not sure what’s changed; only knows that he has to keep pushing onwards.

He shifts through the documents, processing and filing and highlighting, approving or denying, making changes and proposing entirely new ideas. It is exhausting work, and he has fallen asleep at his desk more times than he cares to remember since he started this project at the tender age of sixteen. If he can ensure that the city and all its inhabitants stay safe and happy, though, it will be worth it. 

It has to be worth it.

.

“You need a break,” his mother says. The sun is filtering in through the window over the sink, slanting golden shafts of morning light over the table. The dark liquid in his coffee mug glows amber for a moment and he squints down at it before shifting the mug an inch to the left and out of the sun. 

It’s too early to admire the beauty in something so simple. He has a budget meeting in two days and he still hasn’t finalized his proposal. His mother is still talking, but he can’t focus on her gentle words. His eyes are heavy and burning. He wonders idly if Nezumi would prefer his coffee black or sweetened with cream and sugar. Maybe he’d hate coffee, preferring hot chocolate even well into their adulthood. The fact he doesn’t know hurts more than he cares to admit. He hopes he’ll get the chance to find out. 

He offers his mother a smile, bland but genuine, and kisses her forehead as he stands from the table. He had gained several inches in the last few years of puberty and he towers over her, but she still finds a way to glare him down. There is no anger in her eyes, only concern, but it still makes him want to cringe away from her gaze. 

“I’ll take a break next week,” he lies. “I just have to get through this meeting. It’s important.”

She sighs but concedes, hugging him tightly. He allows himself just a moment to melt into her warm embrace and enjoy the feeling of being loved. There had been a time when he did not know if he would ever see her again, so even years down the road, he makes a point of enjoying these moments with his mother whenever he can. He hates how hard it is sometimes, how much effort he has to put into reminding himself to smile and hug her back, but it is worth it. This is all for her and he wants to be strong, but sometimes it feels like an insurmountable task, and they can both see him struggling to keep up.

“Have a good day, Shion. Don’t work too hard. I’ll be making stew tonight, so come home for dinner.”

Shion laughs and says he will. Maybe he’ll be able to keep that promise today.

.

The typhoon is roaring outside his home, wild and free and dangerous. He can feel it calling to him, singing in his blood and roaring in his throat. It feels like fire and acid and gunpowder burning him away from the inside. He wants to wander out into the storm just to soothe the pain. It would wash away all the filth and all the anguish that’s built up inside his soul over the years and lighten the burden of the chains that grow heavier year after year. He knows it. 

His chest is tight, his throat is stinging. He yearns to escape the confines of his bedroom and lean out into the storm. He wants to open his mouth and let all the sorrow and exhaustion and that strange deep ache be pulled from his core. 

If only he could let the wild of the storm sweep him out into the night, the wind to carry him somewhere far far away, and the rain to fill his lungs until he can’t breathe anymore. The thunder crashes and lightning flashes, and he feels a smile grow so wide his cheeks hurt. This is the most alive he has felt in years. He can feel the scream bubbling in his chest, begging for escape.

It is agony to deny it. 

But. 

His neighbors’ homes are pressed close to his own. They’re probably asleep, unaware of the storm promising release as it rattles their windows and pounds upon their roofs. Who knows what they would think if he woke them by screaming into the night.

He sits in silence by the window and watches the storm rage outside, wishing he was one of the storm clouds high above the city. It aches.

.

Shion wakes one day to find that he is 26. It has been a decade since the walls fell. Since Nezumi left him to clean up the mess. 

Nothing has changed, so Shion goes through the motions and ignores the ache inside his chest, same as always.

He files his paperwork and smiles at the woman who is kind enough to bring him coffee and a pastry once in a while. She smiles back and asks him about his day, brushing long brown hair away from her eyes and listening earnestly to his every word. He invites her to come to his mom’s house that evening for birthday cake and she accepts, a blush dusting her round cheeks. Shion smiles politely and excuses himself from the conversation after just a few moments. He has work to do before the evening comes.

His coworker brings him a gift that evening, which surprises him for some reason. Most of the reconstruction committee have worked together so long that the little things like birthday gifts get lost in the shuffle of day to day life. It stopped mattering to him a long time ago, but somehow, he still finds himself touched by the woman’s kindness. 

She smiles at him, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose. Her dark eyes sparkle as she hands him the wrapped package and her teeth are white as pearls and straight as tombstones when they flash at him from between painted lips. Shion thanks her earnestly before tearing the paper away. 

A pale purple scarf sits in the remnants. He stares at it for a long moment, taking in the heavy yarn and the single missed stitch. It is handmade. Not something she could have done in a single afternoon, which means she has been working on this knitting project for a while. 

He looks at her and is reminded of another girl, young and smart and deserving of the world. His coworker stares back, anxious and shy and not at all like Safu except in the way her feelings and intelligence shine from behind her dark dark eyes.

The moment passes, and Shion smiles. His coworker slumps in relief and smiles back. 

“Thank you. Did you make this yourself? It’s lovely.” 

He sets the scarf aside as they chat, already knowing that he will never be able to bring himself to wear it.

.

Inukashi finds him huddled in the bathtub, naked and shivering as the water runs cold. They watch him for a long moment, silent and calculating, sharp mind unchanged despite the softness that parenthood has brought to their life. Shion buries his face in his knees, too tired to even feel ashamed.

“You’re ridiculous,” Inukashi grumbles, sweeping forward and taking charge like the pack leader they have always been. 

Despite their slight size, they are able to lift Shion easily, hauling him to his feet like he doesn’t have more than a foot on them. They wrap him in a towel and turn on the heater, not at all thrown by his nudity or the way his eyes stare blankly into some distant memory that only he can see. His scar twinges when their warm fingers brush it. He flinches away from their touch and Inukashi freezes, dark eyes watching his face with an intensity that no one born and raised in No. 6 could ever hope to have. 

“I don’t know how you stand it,” Shion tells them, a smile trembling at the corner of his lips. Inukashi scoffs. They don’t need any explanation to know exactly what is on Shion’s mind.

“Me? I’ve got more food than I know what to do with and a house big enough to keep my whole pack warm and comfortable. You should be more concerned with yourself.”

Shion tilts his head, uncomprehending, and Inukashi looks like they’re debating whether to slit his throat now or wait until he’s asleep. They pinch the bridge of their nose and heave a put upon sigh. 

“You’re an idiot. You always have been.” Inukashi leans in close, lips curled into a snarl, an accusatory finger hovering just an inch from Shion’s face. “You’re not happy Shion.” 

“...what?”

“You heard me. It’s been ten years and I’ve watched you get more miserable and complacent every year.”

“Nezumi—“

“It has nothing to do with that rat bastard!”

Shion stares, wide eyed, as Inukashi seethes. His sleep deprived brain turns the words over slowly, almost reverently, until they click into place. 

“Huh,” Shion says. 

“Yeah,” says Inukashi. “Now get dressed and come downstairs for dinner. Your mom and little Shionn have been worried about you for months. Maybe even years. You owe them an apology.”

They won’t meet his eye, and their hands are clenched into shaking fists at their side. For the first time in a long time, Shion smiles. It is sad and bashful and real, and Inukashi stares back with wide brown eyes. Shion reaches out and pulls them into a tight hug.

Inukashi stiffens at first, cheek smushed against the scar on Shion’s chest. Then, all at once, they melt into the embrace. He hears them sniffle, feels the way they tremble. 

“I’m sorry,” Shion murmurs, and Inukashi presses themself tighter against him. 

“Idiot,” they say, but it comes out wet and muffled as they bring their arms up to return his hug. 

.

Shion lays awake that night, mind reeling. He already knows he will need at least three cups of coffee before he even leaves the house for work. It’s just that kind of night, and every day is that kind of day. As he often does on these troublesome nights, he prays. 

It isn’t to any god he learned about from theology books. There are no churches constructed for her. Instead, he prays to Safu, asking her for strength and guidance. The more he thinks about it, the more he realizes he knows exactly what she would say if she had lived to see the way he is now. He can almost picture the way her forehead would crease, and how her mouth would turn. He knows she would be worried and disappointed in turn, would know exactly what chemical imbalances have him off kilter and wrongfooted, have him distant and hollow inside despite his best efforts. She has haunted him for so long, and he is grateful for it.  

He wonders if Elyurias is out there somewhere, and whether she would care enough to listen. Maybe this is a punishment. Maybe being shoved back into a cage after tasting freedom is worse than never knowing what you’re missing at all. He probably deserves it.

When he gets up in the morning and looks into the mirror, he sees a wrinkle beginning to appear between his eyebrows. He frowns and watches it deepen. He wonders what Nezumi would think, and how the other man’s face has changed with the years. It’s hard to imagine that beautiful, youthful face ever changing, but he hopes he gets to see it. The honor to trace fingertips over new wrinkles and morning stubble is something he fantasizes about sometimes, when he dares to allow himself to imagine the future he once thought they’d have together. The signs of a life lived would only make Nezumi’s face more beautiful. He yearns to see it for himself.

He doesn’t know if he’ll ever get the chance.

.

He goes to work and goes through the motions. 

He can feel an itching beneath his skin and thinks of parasitic wasps. The fine line between his brows and the bags beneath his eyes continue to deepen and grow, becoming valleys and walls and reminders that time continues to pass and neither Safu nor Nezumi are coming back.

.

On the evening of his 29th birthday, Shion walks out of the office, waving goodbye to his coworkers. He has no intention of ever going back. 

After 13 years, they had finally created a system that would sustain itself for the foreseeable future. The plants would continue to grow in tandem with the buildings, the soil outside the borders of their city had finally healed enough to support life, and trees were standing proud and strong all around and within the city. There was no more caste system, and Shion and Inukashi and Rikiga and Karan had personally waded through every government record and chased down every rumor and lead until he was absolutely certain that there was no more corruption.

He has done everything he could, and the city he had sworn to protect and reform is finally at peace. He feels a lightness in his chest, a melodic buzzing inside his head, the quiet curl of satisfaction that is not quite his own, and he knows that Elyurias is pleased. Maybe, at last, it means that he can also be free. 

Free to rest. Free to roam. Free to learn more about himself in a way he hadn’t been allowed to explore when he was a child, and hadn’t allowed himself to dream of after the walls came down and he took the burden of ensuring the continued survival of so many humans upon his trembling shoulders.

As Shion walks through the familiar streets, he watches the people all around him. He smiles at the familiar faces and stops to make friendly conversation when they wave him down. He realizes with a strange jolt of grief that he doesn’t know any of their names. The smile he offers is the same for each and every one of them. They all greet him with the familiarity of old friends, while he is left speaking with strangers.

.

He packs his bags that night, after the guests leave. His mother watches him, and her eyes are soft and sad, but there’s pride in the way she smiles as she reminds him to pack an extra sweater. The lump in his throat threatens to choke him, but Shion smiles back and does as she says. 

In the morning, she wraps him up in a tight hug, face buried in his shoulder, and he can feel each shaking exhale. She doesn’t hold on like she’s afraid to lose him, though. When Inukashi steps close, she lifts one arm to let them join, and little Shionn is close behind. The four of them huddle together, and Shion smiles as he presses his cheek to the top of his mother’s hair.

“You’re so tall,” she says with a breathless laugh, pulling back to gaze up into his face. Her eyes are red rimmed and glistening, but there’s a happy glow to her that has him catching his breath, realizing for the first time that she’s happier now, preparing to say goodbye, than she has been in years. “My baby boy.”

His smiles through tears, and the bubbling brightness inside his chest threatens to overwhelm him. Laughter rises to meet hers, and it’s like a weight off his shoulders, because he feels the same and it feels so good to know that she’s going to be okay without him there.

“You might be big, but you’re still as airheaded as ever,” Inukashi scoffs, mouth twisted in a scowl but eyes suspiciously swollen and cheeks all flushed. “Watch yourself out there.”

“Of course,” Shion promises, reaching out to tuck an errant strand of long hair behind their ear. He doesn’t duck away from the punch he knows is coming, well aware that his dear friend’s default when trying to hold back tears is violence. 

He laughs even though his arm stings from the blow, and is startled to realize that he means it. A final kiss pressed to his mom’s cheek, one to the top of little Shionn’s messy hair, and a final tight hug for Inukashi. Then, he hoists his pack a little higher on his shoulder and turns to face the path out of the city. The sunlight is bright and dazzling as it glitters off the rocks that line the path and the early morning dew.

“I’ll be back soon,” Shion promises, but it doesn’t feel like a tether or a burden. The world is laid out before him, bright and beautiful and exciting, and for the first time in thirteen years, he greets the morning with excitement for a new day, finally free to forge a path towards the future he wants.

.

(And the next time a storm blows through, Shion won’t hesitate to spread his arms wide and scream his feelings towards the sky, smiling all the while.)

[thebluestbluewords]

re-reading Mal’s Spellbook

Evie should be meaner, actually??? But also, a) Jay has totally fine handwriting in the spellbook, the font they chose for his writing is way more legible than the one they chose for Mal, and b) is this what the kids are mean about these days???

[creative-chaos-apparently]

I’m trying so hard to get past my writer’s block but it’s so funny because at 1:00 AM this last night I sat down and I just wrote the most boring and random ass conversation between Jedediah and Octavius I have ever seen in a fanfic.

This is the content I have y’all waiting months and months for and I’m so sorry