#I’m officially out of ideas so let’s hope it’s last part xd
Explore tagged Tumblr posts
raplinenthusiasts · 1 year ago
Text
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
BTS x The Office pt. 2
Tumblr media
1K notes · View notes
aiura-stan · 9 months ago
Text
Here we go, the first proper chapter of the Saiki K manga, 1-1!
Tumblr media
Manga Saiki my beloved. How I missed you. I won’t comment on every single panel because I don’t want to spend —that— long talking about trivial things in this manga. But I’ll do my best to be annoyingly thorough in this re-read. Since I figure it will probably be my last proper re-read from end to end, sequentially. (Because quite frankly this manga is long. And I have other things to do. Hopefully.)
Tumblr media
I’m not sure “lax” is the word I would use here? But I don’t like the anime’s use of “airheaded” much either, so?? “Considerably low key” maybe? In any case, the next panel sums it up “They both were the type not to think that deeply about things.” Let’s see… it says かなり緩かった. That seems to be about right, translation wise.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
incheresting.
Also, it implies hypothetical strict parents of psychics exist, which… ironically enough, simply doesn’t exist in the Saikiverse. Come on Asou sensei. Give us an official continuation so we can meet some new psychic kid who meets this requirement of having grown up with strict parents.
I love how the very first page shows Saiki committing some selfless act with his powers. And yet he still gives us the spiel about how much psychic powers suck with his signature chronic >:(. Yes; Saiki has been a tsundere since the very beginning.
Saiki’s tsundere-ism aside, I have always liked how Asou sensei explains how psychic powers might be a significant drawback as much as a strength. The metaphor of a domestic dog who is fed and therefore doesn’t have the skill to hunt for itself, and the spoiled child who is given everything and thus robbed of agency, are both particularly good ones. (The curry and spoons one just makes me think of Mob psycho. Do you think One sensei read Saiki k???)
Tumblr media
Saiki just lists all of his powers here. That certainly saves time. Though people who have already read the oneshots have the advantage of knowing exactly how these powers work (if we assume them properly canon.) There’s details about Saiki’s powers that get changed from the oneshots to the manga proper, like the timer on his spirit-body separation ability and his “clairvoyance” being called x-ray vision. Wait, no, that was the oneshot. Well, my point still stands.
Tumblr media
I also like this part about a sense of achievement being impossible for him, since everything is too easy. It’s rather depressing if you think about it too much. Saiki definitely doesn’t belong in the “normal” life role that he forces himself into. But given his alternatives (Allow himself to become a government lab rat and subject himself to experimentation? Become a worldwide celebrity who fixes the problems of the world and maintains peace, essentially becoming a human god?? hang out with his amoral genius older brother who hates him???) his attempts at normalcy are understandable. And very entertaining.
Tumblr media
No extreme emotions… I hope Asou sensei knew the can of worms he was opening by having Saiki say this. But I’m guessing he didn’t.
And the first of Kusuo’s problems in his titular disastrous life is the very normal problem of having to unlock the door for his father, who locked himself out of the house. But at this point, we the readers have no idea the extent of his powers and just how much his full potential is underutilized.
why doesn’t Kurumi have a job..? their mortgage is probably expensive and her son is an older teenager and fully capable of taking care of himself… i guess she just wants to be the doting mom for her son.
Tumblr media
Ah!? Is that where Saiki gets his standards for how he uses his powers? Makes sense.
Sigh. watching your parents wrestle while waxing eloquent about coffee jelly. Never change Saiki. (and he never does.) He is really making me crave coffee jelly.
Tumblr media
so cute.
Tumblr media
XD his father’s thoughts are so ~kawaii~. Teehee.
Tumblr media
Also, I never see anyone use forced telepathy in fics! More stuff that has so much damn potential… note to future me reading this.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
The word used here in the manga is “psi user.” Let’s see… In Japanese, it is 超能力者(chyounouryokusha). Exactly what I expected; the same term as used on the cover. And that’s the word he uses in the anime, too, but in the subtitles, it’s translated as simply “psychic.” For those wondering, he says: 見せてやろう…超能力者の力おな… ‼︎ I am too low level to properly translate this, but I’d say it’s something like, “I’ll show you… a psi user’s power!”
Our translators: “I shall show you… the power of a psi user…!” (and they keep the punctuation and spacing used in the original Japanese.)
Tumblr media
:,) He smiles… I love it when he smiles with the sparklies and the shine comes into his eyes. He doesn’t make this expression but a few meager times in the comic. And one of them is at the very end.
Tumblr media
Papa also has a temper?? Ugh. He’s such a spoiled child. I can’t blame Kusuo for being a brat when his dad is like that.
And then Kusuo immediately smashes every window in the house using his psi powers out of coffee jelly induced jealousy. Another turn of events that just doesn’t make sense in the anime!!!
The translator note at the end is very sweet. I feel lucky that such a good scan team took on Saiki k; they really put effort into it, even the untranslatable stuff.
Alrighty, (wii fit meditation announcer guy voice) that’s… the end. It took me the better part of four hours to read and touch type all of this on my smartphone. Time well spent. (though I really should have used my computer. No, actually I’d better not, or all of my posts are going to be the length of 0-6…)
end of 1-1💫
39 notes · View notes
hacked-by-jake · 1 year ago
Note
Hey hbj, how u doing? I'm dying to see what Jake will be like after he's confessed his feelings and been reciprocated, if he's going to be more open in conversations, I can't see a drastic change in Jake's personality, honestly MC and Jake already act like a couple, specifically married, especially when they argue, they seem to have been married for years, but I want to see how they are going to be officially, for sure who would start to put affectionate nicknames would be mc and Jake would feel ashamed but he would love it, until a time comes for him to create a nickname for MC, Jake already acts like a perfect boyfriend, he compliments in the most gentlemanly ways possible, tries to make mc comfortable at all times, understands and respects the MC's decisions even if he "Jake went offline" When he doesn't want to argue anymore, besides of course, being extremely protective, it can be an impression but Jake has a very obsessive way with who he likes, if he appears in moonvale (Please Everbyte), How will he deal with the new possible romantic interests? One thing is for sure, we will see a very very jealous Hacker stating at all times that mc is yours 🤭 Yeah, these are my thoughts while moonvale doesn't come out.
Hey Ho, dear Anon. <3
Well, to be honest, I really can’t add that much, I agree with almost everything you said.
I can’t imagine a big change in Jake’s public behavior. I don’t think he’s suddenly running around the world telling everyone he’s with MC now. xD
I think the only thing that will really show a little more that they are a couple is that Jake is really becoming more protective. And a little more affectionate, I guess he’ll agree with MC more often and pretty much always agree with what MC says. He himself will probably not really notice this but everyone else will notice it.
However, what would also be very interesting in my eyes, if Jake would suddenly withdraw. Let’s say he was sure he wouldn’t get out of the mine without being arrested. That’s why he was open to MC because he thought that either way he would never have a chance to have a relationship with MC.
But if he somehow comes free and suddenly MC is "standing opposite of him" then it could be that he backs out of fear of putting MC even further in danger.
I can’t really imagine it, I mean, he even said that he doesn’t want to fight it anymore, but I would find it very interesting.
However, I think if MC and Jake are really a couple then Jake will have to learn a lot. I mean, yeah, he often acts like a really good boyfriend, but he can also be quite an asshole and unfair. Also, in my eyes, he is often too determining and forgets that MC does not have to do everything he says. Of course, sometimes he accepted and respected MC’s decisions, but often he didn’t or wasn’t enthusiastic.
Often he behaves really great, he is sweet and as you have already said, a gentleman. But of course, the whole thing between Jake and MC is not that healthy. And I doubt that this will change immediately if MC and he are officially a couple, even if I hope so.
But I can only agree with the last part. I mean, Jake can seem pretty intimidating because of being a wanted hacker, and I’m pretty sure he’s going to make MC something untouchable for others.
We’ve said it many times in the fandom and I love the idea of it.
MC is the visible and conspicuous part of the two, the person who takes over everything that is playing in public and the one who speaks to people etc. While Jake is this big black shadow that you can’t really see unless someone gets too close to MC in some way. Most of the time you can’t see him but everyone knows that he is there and that he always sees what happens.
I can also imagine that he will never openly show MC that he is protective, or no, rather, how much protective he is. But he is. In front of MC he does not show it so much but will do some things behind MC’s back because he knows that MC would not be so enthusiastic if he goes on the offensive with others just because he is jealous, for example.
I think many possibilities vary from person to person and I think everyone will have their own way of imagining Jake in Moonvale. That’s why it makes it even more exciting to read the thoughts of others, so thank you a lot for sharing this, it´s so interesting. I love such asks very much.
There are so many possibilities and that drives me crazy, I need information, we need Moonvale. :'D
And please excuse the very late answer, answering asks is sometimes hard for me and I sometimes need some time. I hope you don’t mind.
I very much hope that you are well and that you will have a nice day/evening/night! Take care. 💚
14 notes · View notes
inksandpensblog · 11 months ago
Note
That makes sense. I like to stick as close to canon as I can, though with some characters canon characterization can be difficult to pin down, so with them I’m left trying to build on minor details that I hope mean something indicative XD
Maybe I can provide that explanation for why so many fanon Victim interpretations contradict canon? If you’ll allow me to ramble on for a bit ^_^
tl:dr fanon Victim contradicts canon Victim so much because we were interested in him long before the series decided to address him again and so we didn’t bother waiting for canon to shift attention back to him and instead just forged ahead with our own ideas o7
I became a fan of the show sometime between Animation vs YouTube and AvMs1ep1 The Rediscovery, but I didn’t really find a community within the fandom until after The Showdown aired. Most of us were also pretty sure that Victim was never coming back, but that sure didn’t stop us from talking about him. I mean, the whole thing started with him, and yet nobody except Alan knew he’d ever existed. Talk about thematic potential XD We had speculations aplenty, from what might’ve happened to him after AvA1, to how the color gang might react if they learned of him and what Alan had done, to roles the sticks might play in his reappearance if he were to somehow return.
I remember there used to be an idea floating around that Chosen was Victim, reincarnated somehow (because noogai almost reused the name when creating Chosen, and Chosen didn’t even take time to look around before going on the offensive), and how that might affect Chosen’s characterization. I remember friends pointing out that Orange shares more similarities or parallels with Victim than he does with Chosen, leading some to wonder if Orange was actually the second coming of the victim, despite his title announcing him The Chosen One’s Return.
(I remember a bunch of us being frustrated by conversations in the official server where people were calling Victim evil. As in, AvA1 Victim. That guy. Before the rockets and boxes and whips, back when he was just a little stick whom god picked a fight with. They were calling him canonically evil. As you can probably tell, I didn’t agree XD)
I remember void Victim: there was a time in the fandom when it seemed like most people who wanted to include him in their stories would handwave his apparent death with the explanation that he was “in the void.” (We actually tried to figure out where this idea originated, a while ago, and as near as we can discern it seems that multiple people had the idea independently of each other at around the same time.) Others instead made him a ghost, lingering on and witnessing the events of the series without being able to influence them. Either way, this saved many of us the trouble of having to figure out plausible mechanics for how he could’ve survived, and let us get right to the fun stuff: character dynamics.
And that meant a lot of us started filling in the giant blank slate that was Victim’s canon characterization, at the time, with whatever suited our fancy.
I don’t know if there’s a term, for this phenomenon of fandom fleshing out a bit character to the point where they’re almost completely divorced from their canon representation, and the character in turn becoming recognizable mostly by their fanon portrayal rather than their canon depiction; but AvA isn’t the first fandom to do it and I’m sure we won’t be the last.
What I haven’t witnessed before now is that bit character being brought back for canon to fill in that previously blank slate. So this is a new experience for me XD
(For my own part, my characterization of Victim took shape when I looked at the tragedy of his situation and all the talks about how awful his experiences must be and went “okay but what if he’s not angsty actually?” It was a bit of an intentional departure from what seemed, to me at the time, to be his general fandom characterization, which from what I saw mostly focused on how pitiful he must be. My Victim’s story also involved prolonged solitude in the void, so contact and connection became a theme with him, for me.)
(Handshakes and hand-holding were a big thing, with him; every friendship in canon seemed to start with a handshake, or at least a grasp of hands in camaraderie, so I used that. He’d also insist that he won the fight with noogai and refuse to hear otherwise. I wanted him to be scrappy and resourceful, since that’s how I saw him in AvA1, so…he doesn’t start fights, but he can finish them. Unfortunately his understanding of what constitutes “starting a fight” is…not finely honed, let’s say.)
(I also gave him a fondness for small, enclosed spaces. Like boxes. As a contrast to Chosen’s possible dislike of small, enclosed spaces.)
(Like boxes.)
(…revisiting some of my old headcanons feels really bizarre now.)
Did Vic already got asked for the bingo?
nope!
Tumblr media
the reason i put a question mark above the 'everyone is weird about them' is because ava 6 is SUPERRRRR recent and the main thing i don't like is the previous interpretations that had a completely different idea of who they'd be (more kind and friendly)
so basically i dislike the non-canon interpretation but canon is recent enough that it's understandable that there's still takes from before they reappeared floating around
12 notes · View notes
bleachhaven · 4 years ago
Text
Soutaicho’s Secret Admirer (Shunsui x Reader) — Part 3/6
Author’s Note:
I know I said I’d have something for you this weekend, but all the love ya’ll showed Part 2 of this story had me super inspired that I just sat down and wrote this out. After all, feedback is what fuels writers xD There should be a few more parts left after this. I know I know...the 2-parter story has evolved into a 5-parter :P
First off, thank you so much for all the love! Secondly, I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. 
A very special thanks to @sexintheseireitei​ for all the encouraging words! This chapter is dedicated especially for you!
--
Read Part 1 and Part 2 first...
Tumblr media
As much as Nanao-chan strictly insisted that today was just like any other day, the bits of pink and red popping up all over the black and white of the seireitei said otherwise. Of course, Squad 1 was devoid of such nonsense, despite Shunsui's several clandestine operations to host a party in the 1st for the last decade. He had been sternly thwarted by his fuktaicho who did not believe this day to hold any meaning at all.
Maybe that's why it was that much more fun to bother her thoroughly with something she would definitely think to be too extravagant.
"Happy Valentine's Day, my sweet, sweet, Nanao-chan," Shunsui said with a cheeky smile, plopping the gift down on her desk.
She stared at the little teddy-bear donned in red bows and holding a red plushy heart saying "sweet, sweet, Nanao-chan!"
Her gaze turned upwards towards him. "This is a highly inappropriate gift to give to your fuktaicho."
"Ah, but we are practically family. And you are my sweet, sweet, Nanao-chan after all..."
"Hmm..." was all she said in response.
Even if she said she hated the gift, she dared not move it. She allowed the fluffy thing to take space on her desk and carried on working.
Shunsui continued to stare at her, waiting impatiently and expectantly. She continued to look over another expense report from the 11th for property damage, but Shunsui didn't move.
Finally she looked up. "Did you need something?"
He pouted at her. "Did Nanao-chan forget?"
She wanted to pretend and feign ignorance but she just couldn't do it. She has clearly gone soft in the past couple of years if his pouting face could make her cave this easily.
"Fine," she sighed, and reached into her desk drawer. In her hand was an assorted box of chocolates all complete with a white ribbon tied into a bow. "Happy Valentine's Day, Taicho," she said.
"Why, thank you, Nanao-chan! You really shouldn't have," he said making Nanao snort a bit. He was already opening it as he sauntered towards his side of the office.
On top of his desk was...well, nothing but paperwork, and he had to say he was just a little bit disappointed. He had been wondering what his beloved Secret Admirer would give him this Valentine's Day. Truthfully, it was all he had been  looking forward to this week. But there was no love letter hidden beneath other official mail or left on top of his window sill.
He sat down at his desk and pulled out his latest project. He popped in one of Nanao-chan's chocolates, the taste of salted caramel teasing his taste buds, and spread out the fancy lavender colored paper.
After all, she wasn't the only one with a way of words.
Even after becoming the Soutaicho, he continued to write a few chapters for "Rose-Colored-Path." Sure, that was mostly erotica but writing a love letter couldn't be that difficult, could it?
He already had a bit written out. He was still trying to figure out how to tell this sweet Secret Admirer he would want to get to know her, without making it sound like either its a command from the Soutaicho, or as if he was a complete and utter lecher trying to score a night or two of fun.
Then of course there was the bigger problem. How in the world was he to get this love letter to her? He still had no clue who she was let alone if she was actually serious about the things she said. It was both frustrating and romantic.
Right now, as things were, it was mostly frustrating.
It was in times like this that he desperately wished Juu was around. He was certain his best friend would have had some kind of solution or at least some words of wisdom to offer to this heartbreaking dilemma. Or maybe he would have admonished Shunsui for falling for someone he hadn't even seen yet. With Juu gone, and with the position he now held, he had no one to talk to about things that bothered him.
He had no peers after all. Being the man at the top was not easy. He knew it would be a difficult job when he stepped up to it, but he had no idea that it would be this lonely.
All of his quiet sighing and restless shuffling naturally drew Nanao's attention.
"How difficult is it to read through a missive and stamp your seal of authority?" Nanao asked, stepping up to his desk. He tried to hide what he was working on, but Nanao's sharp eyes would not be waylaid. "Unless...you are not working on the paperwork as you were supposed..."
"No, no!" Shunsui insisted, knowing the lavender paper was peeking through his hands. "It's just a bit of difficult paperwork. Strictly official business, I assure you, my dear Nanao-chan."
"Oh I see," she said, and Shunsui hoped she really didn't see at all.
"What is it?" he asked warily.
She had a strange smile on her face. One that had Shunsui wanting to run for cover. It did not bode well when Nanao-chan bared her teeth like that.
"Does this have anything to do with...your Secret Admirer perhaps?"
Shunsui could swear he tried to remain expressionless as to not give anything away, but maybe his heart stopped a little."I don't know what you are talking about."
She raised a brow at him. "Really? Do you really think anything would get by me in this office? That I wouldn't notice the fancy little letters you've been hiding from me?"
"You knew?" Shunsui asked, a bit shocked. And here he was thinking he was being so hush hush about the whole thing.
Nanao rolled her eyes and returned to her desk. "It offends me that you thought I didn't."
Interesting turn of events this turned out to be. He couldn't help but wonder. If Nanao-chan did indeed know all about his Secret Admirer...maybe...
"Do you know who it is?"
Nanao, who had picked up her paperwork again, smiled down at the form before her. "Maybe I do, maybe I don't," she said non-commitedly.
"Please, Nanao-chan! Don't be so mean to your Taicho. Just tell me."
She shook her head, denying his request. "I'm not telling you anything about anything. Now, please either do your work, or run along and let me do my work in peace."
"So mean," Shunsui mumbled, picking up the brush once more and dipping it in ink.
However, the whole conversation planted a terrible thought in his head. What if there really was no Secret Admirer? What if it was some elaborate prank on the poor lonely Soutaicho by someone? Maybe the SWA was having a laugh. He wouldn't put it past Matsumoto-san honestly. Or even his own Nanao-chan. The more he thought about it, the more it made sense. And the more it made sense, the more it made his mood plummet.
But he didn't want to believe it. He longed for these letters to be true, for it was too late now. He was halfway there...falling for a nameless, faceless woman who had romanced and seduced him with just a sweet words. How cruel would it be for it to now turn out to be nothing more than a prank?
A few minutes passed by, the silence broken only by the scratch of brush on paper. Then a commotion outside startled Shunsui out of his reverie.
A sharp knock, and a bid to enter, was followed by an officer of the 1st relaying some strange information of something or the other that Squads 11 and 12 had gotten up to. A fight or a brawl.
Nanao sighed, standing up from her desk. "Not again."
"It's alright, Nanao-chan. I'll take care of it. You carry on with whatever it is that you were doing," Shunsui said making a move towards the door already. His mood was feeling low and this was the perfect excuse to get out of the office for a while.
Once he was gone, Nanao cleared up the completed paperwork on his desk to be sent to the relevant divisions. If the little lavender paper got stuffed between some forms and approvals, it was purely an accident. If that specific set of forms ended up in Squad 13, it was surely unintentional. If it was found by the third seat of Squad 13 it was only because their squad was without a fuktaicho still and all the paperwork fell upon her.
Nanao definitely couldn't have predicted any of that after all. But then again...Ise Nanao almost always knew exactly what was going on, did she not?
Shunsui was in a glum mood when he finally returned to the office. Nanao had left a message with another officer to let him know that she had a SWA meeting so she would be leaving the office a bit earlier than usual to attend that before the Valentine’s Day Party at the 8th.
He almost thought to go straight to said party. Lisa had continued with his silly tradition as the current Taicho of Squad 8, and she went all out. He dared not be too late and risk all the good sake provided generously by Squad 6, and the cellars of  Kuchiki manor itself, running out. But he had to finish his love letter, even if he knew he might never get to send it to the relevant individual...if there even was an individual in the first place.
When he stepped in, he couldn't see the lavender paper on his desk. Truth be told, he couldn't see anything on his desk at all.
It was covered with a huge, and by huge meaning gigantic, bouquet of red roses. He shunpoed to see if there was a card left for him, and there definitely was.
Dear Shunsui,
I have to say I don't need a special day out of the year to show you how much you mean to me. Still I know how much you enjoy this day. I used to love the parties you threw back then. Yadomaru Taicho carries on the traditions but I feel it's not just the same. Not without you.
Every day feels like a day dedicated to love when thoughts of you haunt me always...but what a beautiful way to be haunted indeed.
Happy Valentine's Day, Shunsui!
These roses may one day fade, but my love for you never will. I've loved you for a lifetime already, and I know I would love you for another lifetime more.
These are chocolates I made especially for you, infused with your favorite sake, just the way you like it. Every time you taste one, I hope you'd think of me thinking of how much I yearn to taste you.
With love,
Your Secret Admirer
He picked up the box of chocolates he hadn't noticed earlier as it was hidden behind the elaborate bouquet of roses. It was an elegant box with a pretty pink print of sakura blossoms, tied together with a pink bow. It almost looked too pretty to undo. Almost.
He slowly opened it and popped a cute heart-shaped chocolate into his mouth, savoring the taste of delicious chocolate mixed with the mild bite of the sake. It tasted absolutely divine.
He was floored. If this was a prank, it was truly an unnecessarily elaborate one.
But he allowed himself to cherish this moment in the solitude of his now quiet office. Handmade chocolates and flowers...it was something he would do for someone he was romancing. Now to be romanced by someone so extravagantly, it felt truly amazing. He couldn't believe someone made these with her own hands just for him. He didn't think he had something so sweet done for him in a very long time...maybe not forever.
He was the one who had always played the role of the romantic, the seducer, the lover...it did indeed feel nice to have this kind of charm turned on him.
But as much as he devoured the attention, he also felt strangely dismayed. Instinctively, he was a giver. It applied to his family and friends, and it definitely applied to his love life. Even if it was a summer fling, he still treated his companions with respect and adoration. In whatever way possible, he tried to give everything he could to those he loved and valued. It was not in him to not reciprocate. He didn't know how to not be a giver. It wasn't in his nature.
This time, he truly desperately wanted to shower his admirer with so much love and affection, and it killed him inside to not know who she was...
Read Part 4 next!
Get added to the Tag List here!
Or check out more of my work through the Masterlist here!
202 notes · View notes
crystalirises · 3 years ago
Note
Fundy joins the Syndicate au
Ooohhhh, Syndicate Fundy... You know what, at this point I'll take it. I worry about what the Syndicate are actually gonna do in canon, but ya know that's for future us to worry about. For now, they are just... Well, I guess they're just a group who doesn't want a government to rise up again?
Anyway, this isn't all too serious since I wanted Fundy to have a good relationship here with Phil and Techno since in canon Phil and Fundy have sorta made up... I'm not sure about that but ya know, the last canon interaction Fundy had with Phil was somewhat positive and I'll just take that before they break my heart again. Then again, this could be a serious plot, I have no idea XD
Hope you like this!
"Quackity asked me to join Las Nevadas." He sat in Phil's cozy cabin, taking a sip of tea that Phil had prepared. His son was over in the other room, his little kit had been excited to meet grandpa Techno.
Phil frowned, "What did you say?"
"I told him I'd think about it." Fundy smiled, "He'll visit tomorrow."
"Las Nevadas, it’s new, but not one that we haven't heard before. It's a rising power, I believe." Phil leaned back against his chair, black wings rising a bit. Fundy nodded along, glancing over at the raging snowstorm outside Phil’s cabin. He’d have to rush home with Yogurt tomorrow, but for now he’d stay with his grandfather and uncle. “It’s established by Quackity and is near Snowchester. Ranboo and Tubbo have caught glimpses of the city from their home.”
“Anything the Syndicate needs to worry about?”
“It’s a casino city, mate. There is a lot to worry about.” Phil took a slow sip of the tea, wincing as the scalding burnt his tongue. He took a deep breath, he was afraid of that. “You should stay away. It will bring you nothing but trouble, Fundy.”
“Ya... Phil, I have a proposition for you.” He finished his tea, his tail wagging so fast that Phil could tell he was excited to share what he’d had in mind. Fundy was... angry, for lack of a better word. Quackity had come to his home, mocked him for being alone and that he didn’t matter to anyone... he’d mocked Fundy right in front of Yogurt. “No one knows that I’m part of the syndicate, Phil, ya?”
“Until we decide on your Syndicate name, we can’t officially welcome you.”
“You don’t know, Phil, but I know a thing or two about being a spy. Quackity doesn’t know that I’m part of the Syndicate, and he thinks that I’m alone. I have an invite inside Las Nevades, I could help from the inside, give the Syndicate information that you could use to bring that country to its knees.” He remembered the thrill and danger of his last spying mission, of course, Wilbur wasn’t all that happy even after Fundy had helped him out. Maybe... he should have told his dad, but he can’t change what was past. “Let me spy for you.”
“Fundy’s a good spy.” Techno spoke behind him. Fundy turned around just in time to catch his son. His uncle chose to stand in the doorway. “I was there.”
“Papa, wook!” Yogurt interrupted before Phil could reply.
In his son’s hands was a golden earring. He glanced over at Techno’s ears, realizing where Yogurt had gotten it from. Techno didn’t seem to mind though.
“I don’t know, mate.” Phil sighed, “It’s dangerous work.”
“I can do it.” Fundy hugged Yogurt to himself, he’d have to leave his son with Phil. If Quackity were to discover his deception, he’d have him killed on the spot. Better Quackity assume that there was no one else that he could hurt besides Fundy. Yogurt purred, nuzzling against Fundy’s neck. “I’ve spied before, I could do it again. I can get the Syndicate information. Trust me. Please, grandpa.”
“Promise me you’ll be careful. I can’t lose anyone else to a country that isn’t worth a single human life.” Phil stood, a weary smile on his face. “Promise me.”
“I promise, grandpa.”
Techno moved into the room, clasping Fundy on the shoulder.
“May the gods bless you on your quest,” Techno smiled. “Sinon.”
38 notes · View notes
bush-viper-cutie · 4 years ago
Text
Messages || Part 1
(Part 4 of The Crystal Ball)
Pairing: Snape x fem!reader
Word count: 9,099
Rating: M for Mature
Plot: Severus experiences a major bump in his relationship that he’s never experienced before. It’s easy to be confident in a working relationship when being together is a daily habit, but when the relationship turns long distance after summer is over, he just doesn’t know how to keep himself afloat.
Warnings: Sex scene :o (mainly at the end), tiny bit angsty
A/N: Hello everyone! :D This is part one of a two part arc within the crystal ball series so I hope I make sense in saying that Messages part 1 and Messages part 2 will both count as part 4 and 5 of the crystal ball XD (this one is long and part 2 might be just as long so I hope that’s ok :D) (also also this is officially the first of the 500 next part request… so 1 down, 499 to go XD) I hope everyone’s holidays went great! 
Posted: 12/31/20
Masterlist
Tumblr media
~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~
Severus stood in front of his shelves of books, looking for new titles to introduce into the curriculum but none caught his eye. He ran his finger along the spines, dust coming off each one in a long streak and collected under his nail. They were all worn, their binding fabric once rich in texture now flush and smooth as the hard cover underneath. Their once-golden names rubbed off from excessive obsessive use from years of studies during and after his time as a Hogwarts student. His eyes followed his finger as he tried reading the titles, hoping one would spark a memory of a passage easy enough for his students to grasp.
I should introduce the Odd-Stir Method to the fifth years after winter holidays. I think Rotus explains it best – though I doubt they’d be able to get over his outdated terminology… I’d have to give them translation sheets though… Perhaps E. K Nimgo uses more appropriate language… even the densest of dunderheads should be able to understand her phrasing.
He’d reached the very last shelf and stood, clutching only two books from his collection and sighed, not entirely certain that his efforts to make brewing easier would even be appreciated. He wiped his finger on the rough fabric of his black vest and sighed, realizing he’d just created a very visible grey streak across his chest.
He heard a soft giggle and looked up, blushing at the beautiful woman leaning on the doorframe to the kitchen, watching him intently. Severus smiled and shook his hair to cover his face. He tapped the books in his hand with his finger, trying to draw her attention away from him in embarrassment. “Should I even try this year?”
She pushed herself from the doorframe and walked over to him slowly with a finger tapping her chin as if in thought. She slid her hands under his arms and pushed her face into his shoulder blade. “No – In fact, maybe take a break from teaching and stay here with me this year.” She’d been begging him for several weeks now as their summer fun was coming to an end.
He wanted so badly to say yes… But Dumbledore won’t allow it. It’s still too soon after… He sighed. He ran his hand along her arm and pulled it away, freeing himself to face her. “Help me pack these?” Her smile dropped and he almost winced. “You know I’ll just throw them in,” he whispered.
She nodded and gave a slight smile. “You’re so awful at packing, Sev.” She took the books from his hands and planted a kiss on his unready lips. Her smile widened at his look of joyous surprise and laughed. “You act like a schoolboy receiving his first ever kiss every time I do that.”
He pressed his palm to his mouth until he felt his stupid smile fade and frowned at her, removing his hand. “I do not. Besides… it’s hardly my fault.” He placed his hands on her hips and pulled her in for a proper kiss. He let his lips linger on hers and made sure to speak low, just how she liked. “I can’t control what you do to me.”
She bit her lip and pulled her chin down, looking up at him with innocent eyes that sparkled wickedly at him. Merlin help me. He slid his hands down her sides and played with the hem of her skirt, loving the invisible sparks of lust and tension popping in the air.
The flames of the candles scattered around the room flickered under the influence of their accidental magic, brought on by their subconscious need to dim the lights and set their favorite evening mood. His living room had never held any romance to it until her. It was the one room in the house whose floors were maintained perfectly clean. It was the one room where they constantly found themselves on the floor of.
A soft tapping from the kitchen pulled his eyes away from hers. Merlin, I didn’t mean literally. He sighed. “I have to answer back.”
She dropped her arms that had snaked their way around his neck and folded them over her chest. “I’ll go pack these into your trunk.”
He watched her march out of the room and listened to her footfall on the stairs, heavy with anger. The door to their room slammed and he headed into the kitchen. A large brown owl sat on the rim of the empty potted plants outside and tapped its beak to the window again.
“Silence already!” Severus swung the window open and took the letter from the owl’s beak. “Tell that man if he wishes to be enraging he’s doing a fine job. Next time he hands you a letter, wait for the next one.”
He tore the envelope open and read the fourth letter sent to him that day. ‘I forgot to remind you the lists will be sent out next week, though if you have the required textbooks ready, the sooner the better this year.’ Severus pinched the bridge of his nose and walked back into the living room, scribbled the title of the textbook his students had been using for the last three years and folded it up, not bothering with a new envelope.
He marched back to the owl and held the note out for it to take. “Try not to come back – or better yet, get lost on the way.”
It hooted and took the note, tapping the window once more for the apparent pure satisfaction of seeing Severus scowl and fluttered away. He closed the window with a tight snap and pulled the curtains closed. He headed out of the kitchen and looked around.
Where is she? It was around this time he’d normally sit down to read at his chair, only to be interrupted and asked to join her on the small couch instead so she could lean on him while she entertained herself with her own books – or on busy days, her work.
Severus crossed the room and headed into the foyer, stopping at the bottom of the stairs. He called out her name and listened. Silence.
He looked down at the long rug covering the center of the staircase. She’d found it on sale a couple of weeks ago and bought it for ‘the house’ claiming she was tired of the loud clomping of shoes on the stairs. Looking at the rug – along with the new matching towels and pillows and cushions for the couch – had made his chest feel unpleasantly tight for the first few days… Now he always felt a slight smile coming on when he noticed them. It was her way of moving in, knowing full well he was too scared to ask her to live with him in his grotty hovel of a house.
He headed up the steps and opened the door to their bedroom. She was laying on his side of the bed, face down on his pillow, with his books left out on his cluttered night stand. Her shoulders shook with silent sobs. He closed the door behind him and stood awkwardly at the end of the bed for a few seconds.
This is all my fault. If I’d never… Merlin. I regret everything but you. “I’m sorry,” Severus whispered.
She pushed herself up onto her forearms and turned to him, wiping her tears with the back of her hand. “Oh Sev. Please don’t go… You’ll be gone for so long – ten months! I’m going to miss you so much! It’s going to be so hard not coming home to you every day… Everything’s going to be so much harder without you around.” She closed her eyes and fell back onto his pillow, shaking more violently than before. “Who’s going to make me soup after I finish ranting about how awful my boss is?”
He could barely make out her muffled attempt to lighten the mood and smirked, trying not to feel the growing hurt of seeing her so upset. Severus moved to the side of the bed, holding in tears that mirrored her pain, and kicked the open trunk away. He knelt on the bed and pushed her on to her side, holding her tight the moment she sat up for a hug.
He stroked her hair and bit his lip. “It only seems hard now.” He swallowed thickly. “Trust me, you’ll forget you even want me around.” He forced out a chuckle. “You might even forget I exist.”
Her hands clawed his back, pulling him closer. He let her pull him onto the bed, careful not to crush her with his weight, and allowed her arms to keep him in her sweet embrace. She was still crying into his neck and all he could do was kiss her head and press his hands into her back, pulling himself closer. As much as his heart broke when she cried, a small part of him warmed at the idea of being wanted so bad it hurt.
He was used to his brain turning on him, trying to convince him she didn’t actually care for him, despite checking to make sure he’d eaten when she got back from work, asking how he’d slept every morning, and every other little show of affection. It often times told him the small frown she wore was because of him, something he’d done wrong, despite her whole face brightening at the sight of him. All summer he’d felt like he was sitting on the edge of his seat, dreading the day she’d wake from her trance and leave him. It was hard to accept his luck when all his life he’d had anything but that.
And now here she was under him, crying over the pain she swears she’ll feel not seeing him every day… and he can’t help but want to cry over just being loved so openly and plainly. He felt guilty.
It won’t last. He closed his eyes and held her closer to him, attempting to focus on her rugged breaths of sorrow and not the cruel words ringing in his ears. We’ve only spent three months together, no one could ever feel this way for me in such a small amount of time… Not me… Not Snivellus… Not ever.
She’ll forget about me after the first month apart – less even. I’ll only cause her pain for a handful of weeks and then… then she’ll be perfectly fine without me. He pulled away as her sobs calmed and kissed her smooth salty lips with the same longing he knew he’d feel the whole almost ten long months without her. “Everything will seem normal in a matter of months. I promise you won’t feel this for long.”
She wiped her eyes and gently pushed him off her, curling up to his side and shook her head. “No. It’ll hurt this bad and worse.” She sniffed and draped her arm over his middle, pulling him closer. “Will you go over the plan again?”
He nodded. “We’ll write letters every day. You’ll visit me every weekend at the Three Broomsticks. And twice on as many weekends as I can.”
She lifted her head and kissed his chin. When she pulled away, she was finally smiling up to her eyes behind her glimmering tears. “Promise me?”
The way she looked at him, with love and hope and need, made him want to melt on the spot. I promise you anything. He swallowed. “Of course.”
She pulled away and she was no longer smiling, instead searching his eyes for something. “I really will miss you, Sev.”
He nodded and sat up, feeling the strange tightness in his chest again. He felt goosebumps on his arm despite feeling no chills, and his shirt seemed oddly restricting again. “I’ll make us dinner. Anything you wish.” He kissed her cheek and turned away, swinging his legs over the bed. He stood and crossed the room to the door, opened it, and left, giving her just enough time to mumble ‘something creamy’ before he closed the door with a snap.
~ * ~ * ~
Severus stood over his trunk and started unpacking his things. The chamber was quiet and cold with new shining webs decorating the corners and connecting rows upon rows of glass jars. The fireplace cracked in the corner, vaguely illuminating the cavity he called his office, filling the air with the scents of cherry firewood, thickly sweet.
I should thank her for the new wood. She’ll surely gloat about being right, though just imagining her smiling is enough to be worth it. Severus grinned to himself and took out a folded piece of parchment where he’d been keeping notes on what to send in his letters since he’d left her at Kings Cross station. He jotted down the ‘thank you for the new fire wood’ she’d snuck into his trunk to help him relax and slipped it back into his vest.
“Ah, Severus. Finally here I see,” McGonagall’s voice echoed in. She stood on the threshold with hands on her hips, looking around at the state of things. “You’re normally on the first train back – You will be dusting won’t you? I’d give you my spell, but as you so kindly pointed out last year, it’s inelegant wording might disorganize your… ‘systemized assortment of components’… or as I call it – clutter.”
Severus rolled his eyes and faced her. “I had business.”
She arched her brow. “I see. Well welcome back, and I suggest you get started with Poppy soon, unfortunately several vials went bad over the summer – something about cheap valerian and the Ministry’s fat pockets – she’s been raging about it since she arrived. Afterwards I think Pomona’s having trouble reviving her oleanders.”
Severus nodded and waited until the crisp clacking of her heels could no longer be heard before gathering what he needed and headed out to his usual pre-term duties as the school’s only Potions Master.
After a long night of replenishing the hospital’s stocks, an early morning brewing Come-’Round serum, and an annoying evening spent with Sprout and her plants, dinner rolled around and he hardly noticed the maddening levels of screaming and laughing and talking coming from the house tables full of old and new students.  
“Severus,” McGonagall drew his sleepy attention to her. “Albus mentioned you expressed an interest in taking over monitoring the corridors at night.” She took a sip from her goblet.
Severus frowned. “I mentioned the need to double down on dawn and dusk hours. Not – ”
“That is a marvelous idea. I’m sure you will keep plenty of nosy students out of trouble this year.” She sipped her goblet again.
Severus blinked several times at her. “D-did you just hand over the entire position to me?”
She continued drinking as if he hadn’t spoken and turned back to her food, glancing over at him every so often to check if he was still glaring at her.
Severus grumbled to himself and turned back to his food. I miss ONE meeting and suddenly every tedious responsibility is handed off to me. Of course.
Soon the Great Hall was emptied of students as their prefects led them to their houses and Severus prepared himself for a short night’s rest. He spent three hours walking between corridors from one house entrance to the next, catching at least five students out after hours walking about the castle in the dead of night, and two in the early hours before the sun rose.
He sat back at the high table with a groan and stretched out his legs. The morning light filtered through the tessellated windows high above the tables and reflected off the maple-glazed sausages and glittering butter that melted over his toast.
A familiar wood owl soared down and landed on the top rail of his chair, hooting happily with an elegantly ribbon-wrapped note clutched tight in his foot. Severus suppressed a grin, keeping his usual scowl plastered over his face, and took the note, quickly unraveling it from its pink satin bindings.
2 September
My dearest Severus,
You have not replied to the letter I sent yesterday. How was the train ride and our first night apart in months? I missed you more than you could ever imagine. You said I’d be glad to have the bed to myself, but for the second night in a row I have missed your warmth and your embrace. I fear to even wash the sheets and erase your all too alluring scent… Although I will. When did we last wash them? A week ago? Please fake your death and come back to me.
Love,
Your already forgotten girlfriend.
‘Girlfriend’, his heart skipped as his eyes reread the word. He felt a strange forgotten ache deep in his core, of sleepless nights as a student wondering if he’d ever have someone to call his. It was within these very stone walls that he’d muttered curses under his breath at any student that pointed out the fact he was alone and would forever be alone. He’d been wrong, and it was a pain he wished he could go back and relieve from his younger self. He took out his quill, flipped the note over and smoothed it’s curves on the dark oak table.
2 September
My unforgettable girlfriend,
I’ve officially taken over monitoring the corridors at night. It seems McGonagall is trying to remedy my insomnia with hours of walking the halls like a soul-lost mummy in the deep caverns of Khufu’s temple. I caught seven just last night, and apparently my reprimands were deemed ‘unfair’ and ‘dumb’ by these pests we call students.
Severus
He paused.
Also, thank you for the logs. They were nice, but I will switch them out soon for something more menacing.
He folded the note and handed it back to her owl, who had been intently watching his quill feather jitter as he wrote. Her owl took the note in its beak and joined the dozens of other owls leaving through the windows.
Although the letter had suppressed his stress for a few minutes, it soon bubbled back up as the bells rang for the start of lessons. As he’d expected, none of the students had done an ounce of studying over the summer, resulting in the floors being covered in melted stirring rods, the high ceilings dripping with fluorescent watery syrup, and six cracked cauldrons from high-tempered concoctions.
But of course I’M the one writing to the ministry about replacing six cauldrons. If it were up to me, each one of those brats responsible would be writing apology letters begging for new cauldrons themselves. He started writing out the letter towards the Ministry’s Educational Mayhem Funds Committee explaining the need for new ones and how he would supposedly prevent the need for more. Perhaps suggesting teaching dogs instead is not a reasonable approach.
He skipped dinner and by the time it was a quarter to nine, he set out patrolling the corridor and this time checked every broom-closet twice. He slept, and by dawn was up again, pacing floors until the smell of eggs and citrus filled the passageways, wafting in from the kitchen vents.
Breakfast, he sighed. He made his way down and took his usual seat. At some point between his first and second poached egg-topped buttered crumpet the familiar aspen-feathered owl landed on his chair, delivering a newly ribboned note.
3 September
My hardworking boyfriend,
I do not envy those under your authority. I’m sure in the coming week, everyone will remember how strictly you rule the corridors and classrooms and will choose to stop breaking the rules. Perhaps slapping the desk harder while you yell will really make them quiver in their shoes. Speaking of heavy hands… will I see you at the end of this week? I miss visiting Hogsmeade and especially the butterbeer from the Three Broomsticks. This weekend will be a MUCH needed break from work and everything that reminds me of my boss’s red warty face. He’s driving me mad. Come down and hex him for me, won’t you Sev?
Yours always,
A previous pest.
Severus chuckled and replied immediately.
Do not tease, especially since the weekend is two days away – it feels like a lifetime when imprisoned within these walls. I shall see about a room at the Three Broomsticks. Regardless, Saturday for lunch. Noon exactly.
Severus
He handed the owl her note and stuffed the new ribbon in his pocket with the other. ‘Heavy hands’. He pressed his elbows to the table and his fists to his growing grin. He was sure Sprout would let him pick a few of her bluebonnets to take with him. It’d be a lovely surprise he was sure she’d more than appreciate.
He pushed away from the table and made his way out of the Great Hall towards the dungeons. His first lesson of the day was in a few hours. The first years are probably running Pomphrey dry on the Dreamless Sleep elixir. She’ll likely ask me about it this weekend… If I get started on it now ­–
The library doors opened and a shrill voice called out to him. “Oh! Professor Snape!” The new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher came marching up to him with a determined look about her. “I was told to seek your advice – Professor if you have the time.”
Severus kept from rubbing at his temples and breathed out in what almost sounded like a groan. “In what are you seeking council?”
The new professor shook her head, her large bun bobbing from side to side, and placed her hands on her hips. “The library does not stock extra copies of the books I have assigned as required textbooks. I was told you’d had this problem when you first began teaching?”
Do not remind me. “Ah… yes. The library will not stock books outside the Ministry’s recommended reading. You could try convincing… Dumbledore,” the word rolled off his tongue distastefully. “But the Headmaster prefers leaving it up to the professors to figure out.” Severus turned to leave.
The woman laughed. “Is that your advice? Figure it out myself?”
Severus turned back and narrowed his eyes. “If the books you are seeking… are not stocked. Then they are not from the list the Ministry has provided you – as I’m sure you know, as we receive updated lists every summer. That means either your book is considered too dangerous – ”
“It’s not! I would hardly call unicorns and counter-clockwise counting clocks dangerous when – ”
“Or,” Severus interrupted, lowering his voice to a dangerous whisper. “They are too expensive. If some students cannot afford the textbooks, then it is your job to provide them or incorporate them into a learning plan.” Severus turned on his heels and started walking briskly down the dungeon stairs.
“And am I supposed to make a learning plan after term has already begun!”
He kept walking without turning back. “That IS the situation you find yourself in. Yes,” he yelled back. How many more of these incompetent teachers will Hogwarts endure before Dumbledore allows me the position? Talk about maddening ‘bosses’.
Severus hadn’t even sat in his chair for more than a few minutes before his fireplace burned with flames alit with minor Floo powder.
“Severus.” McGonagall’s voice drawled from within the flames.
Severus pinched his eyes closed. “Minerva,” he hissed.
“As much as I enjoy watching new teachers flop around from task to task, it is not me that applies for the Defense Against the Dark Arts position every summer. Perhaps showing some initiative would propel Albus to take you more seriously next year.”
He could hear the amused smile in her voice. He seethed in his chair for a minute. “Last time I ‘showed initiative’ I was given the whole bloody task. I am NOT filling my schedule with her poor attempt at education.” He thought for a moment. “Unless.”
McGonagall sighed. “What do you want, Severus.”
“I will be gone this weekend. Saturday and Sunday… And sometimes other weekends as well.”
The bright green flames flickered over the cherry firewood and a log fell, sparking tinier flames for a few seconds before the larger ones engulfed them.
“Alright.”
The fire cracked and then died down to the normal short flames that he liked. Well that solves that.
~ * ~ * ~
Severus stared at the densely grown purple wildflowers that filled the smallest planter in the greenhouse. The cool blues and purples of the bonnet-shaped petals made his mouth turn up in a smile, mirroring the very same one he knew he’d receive if he showed up to his date with these in hand. He clipped diagonal cuts into the stems and wrapped them in the two ribbons he’d kept from her letters. The pure pink of the ribbons shined brightly among the mellow blues of the flowers. Perfect.
Severus carefully tucked the bouquet in his inner cloak pocket and headed out towards the gate. Not feet from the door of the greenhouse he heard Madam Pomphrey calling his name from the castle doors.
“Ah! Severus! Glad to catch you before you left.” She waited for Severus to approach her. “The first years have just about drained my supplies of Dreamless Sleep. Minerva suggested having some flown in from that new shop across from Zonkos but I refuse to give the students anything I wouldn’t just make myself.”
Then why have ME make it? Severus sighed. “Of course… I’ll have that for you Monday.”
“No sooner?”
Severus refrained from frowning. “No sooner.” He turned – noticing Pomphrey’s eyes glancing down at the purple pollen smudged on his black cloak – and headed towards the gate.
~ * ~ * ~
Hogsmeade was busier now than it was when Hogsmeade trips started for students. He guessed it was because there was only one month during the year where there were no loud and screaming children bumping into people out on the streets or taking up unnecessary room in shops. If he’d realized just how pact the day would be, he’d have suggested meeting in the room he had gotten instead of out on the street.
He sat on one of the benches near the Three Broomsticks and took out his small journal, hunching over to see his small writing. On Mondays and Wednesdays I can help plan defense lessons in the mornings, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays will have to be in the evenings, so those days will have to be plans for the following day which means this Monday or Wednesday I’ll have to help plan two lessons… Sunday I can get back early… I’ll only be able to brew a fourth of the stock… I can catch up on it next Sunday if my visits with her are just Saturdays… at least for only a week or two. He quickly scribbled down his plans.
Two hands pulled his hair up out of his eyes, and he found himself staring at a pair of shiny heels. He trailed his eyes up her legs and looked up, squinting at her smiling face already diving down for a kiss on his forehead.
“Sorry I’m late.”
Severus quickly stood and took out the flowers he’d picked just for her.
She smiled so bright her eyes glowed with delight. “Sev!” She took them and jumped onto him, clinging onto his neck.
He felt his face go red and cleared his throat, acutely aware of just a few stares pointed their way. She didn’t let go of him, however. She held on tight and all he wanted was to breath her in so desperately. To pick her up and twirl her and never let go, but there were so many people. He forced a simple hug and pulled her away. The room! It should be available already.
“What’s that little smile on your face for?” She arched a brow, hugging her flowers tight.
Severus bent down and pushed her silky hair behind her ear, gently tracing his lips on the soft ridges of her ear. “Room? Now?” Am I a barbarian? I haven’t seen her all week and all I can muster are two single-syllable words? He pulled back and watched as her teeth bit down her plump lower lip.
“Take me away, Severus,” she whispered.
His brain had turned into dense fog and all he could think to do was nod and take her hand, leading her inside. He slinked past groups of people thunderously enjoying their early morning drinks and up the stairs, gripping her hand tight, making sure not to lose out on a single second of feeling her skin on his.
He pulled out his key and slipped it in the lock, turning it until it clicked, and opened the door. The room had a single bed and closed curtains, which was really all they would need tonight. What if she was expecting something better? He couldn’t afford any of the nicer, larger rooms available.
He turned and watched her saunter in, paying no attention to the room and only to him as he closed the door with his heel. Her intense sultry eyes eyed him up and down as she bit her lip, taking him in like a cold sweet treat left out for her to have on a hot summer’s day. His face went red again, and he could remember the feel of her hands all over him, begging him to give himself to her to do with at her whim.
Did she lick her lips? He swallowed.
“My Severus,” she whispered.
Mind blank, he lunged for her lips and they both fell onto the bed. His hands roamed over the fabric of her dress, outlining her figure with a yearning need. She moaned and squirmed under him, making his temperature rise with desire. In one swift move, she had him pinned down, her knees straddling his hips. Her lips teased light bruises onto his neck and a deep moan escaped his mouth.
Before the new hour had even struck, they were already under the covers in an embrace deeper than ever before. Physically, the positions were the same, needy and wild; emotionally, his soul couldn’t get enough. Her scent, her touch, every minute sound that escaped her lips, breathy or fierce, sent a fire down his body. He’d missed her so much.
“Severus!” she moaned in his ear, holding him down with a shaky grip. Her body tensed with pleasure and finally relaxed onto him, limp with euphoria.
He shivered and closed his eyes, keeping the same steady rhythm that had undone her. His hands gripped her hips and pushed her down as his heels dug into the mattress and his own hips pressed up. She was huffing in his ear, moaning, whimpering. And with the same sudden flowing energy, he followed in her pleasure. He wrapped his arms around her as the waves washed over him and hugged her tight as their breaths caught and their rhythmic movements ceased, fully satisfied.
He smiled and chuckled, laughing louder as her giggles bubbled out as well. “The room was a good idea.”
“I see you can form sentences once again.” She laughed and pushed herself up to kiss his face.
He blushed, wishing she hadn’t noticed how utterly speechless her presence had left him in only a single week of not seeing her. “Yes – well – ” Merlin, a sentence! Finish a sentence. He cleared his throat. “Lunch? Er – Would you like to send for some lunch to have in here?”
She bit her lip, poorly hiding a wide grin, and nodded. “You can go order for me. I’ll be right back.” She took her clothes and headed into the bathroom, leaving the door ajar like she always did before a shower.
He dressed quickly, headed down to the bar and ordered two meals and a few drinks. It only took a few minutes to receive his order despite the crowd of wizards and witches sitting at tables talking with friends. He flicked his wand and the meal led the way back up the stairs and into the room.
The rest of the day was spent eating and laughing on the bed, talking about mainly her work or things she’d added to his house – or ‘the’ house as they had been ‘sneakily’ calling it. He liked it, maybe this summer it could be ‘our’ house. After several drinks and hours spent in each other’s arms, they got ready for bed.
Severus wrapped his arms around her, squeezing them between the mattress and her back, and rested his head on her chest. He closed his eyes as she played with his long hair, curled it in her fingers, and smoothed it out with her palm. Within seconds sleep seeped into every corner of his mind.
~ * ~ * ~  
Although breaking the news that he had to leave early that Sunday had soured their last hours together, Severus felt far more relaxed as the week went on. His memories of her warmth and softness were renewed and he could put more focus into his work, knowing what the ends of the weeks would more or less look like now.
Of course he had told her that the following weekend date would have to be canceled if only to ensure that the rest would remain free. He still had potions to restock in the hospital wing that took several days to brew single batches. And that lesson plan, he grumbled to himself.
The full week that followed had felt like one long trek up a mountain, only to reach the peak and see more mountain to climb. The weekend was spent slumped over one of his brewing tables with an elbow dug into the wood and his head glued to his palm. He stirred and stirred for hours, waited for the potion to turn purple, and then stirred for longer.
He ran his hands through his hair, trying to replicate the feel of her fingers brushing through his greasy tendrils, and sighed, wiping his hand on his trousers. The room was quiet except for the slow pop of bubbles and he knew if she’d been in the room he’d have had to demand she leave, unable to brew under the tight squeeze of her hugs. He lifted his head off his palm and wrapped his arm around his middle, hugging himself close as his other hand stirred.
Once the tall jars were filled and stoppered, he walked them down to Madam Pomphrey’s office and headed to dinner. His eyes narrowed on a group of students suspiciously whispering to each other. Hufflepuffs. It was no coincidence dessert tonight was the Hufflepuff favorite, honey-stuffed bear biscuits. Their house door was only a corridor away from the kitchens and there was always left overs of this particular dessert for some reason. Sprout denied having anything to do with it, Of course.
He waited in his office watching the clock and smiled as the hands marked the start of After Hours. He stood and smoothed out his teaching robe, preparing for an eventful night of patrolling. He started with the other houses first, going from top floors to the bottom, and allowing the Hufflepuffs plenty of time.
He finished his dungeon rounds and headed up to the main corridor. He crossed it with a light stroll, and turned the few corners into the Hufflepuff and kitchen passageway. The kitchen door was left ajar, and a creamy warm light seeped into the shadows. Severus stalked through the dark and pushed the heavy kitchen door wider, observing the chaos in secret.
Six Hufflepuffs stuffed the cookies into sheer golden bags and tied them around their hips by the stings like valued coin. Two were reaching for the jars of deep golden syrup placed high above cabinets while the others overloaded the biscuits with slices of grilled pear chunks.
He stepped into the kitchen and held his hands behind his back, glaring at the back of their heads. He could see their shoulders tense one by one until they all stopped their movements and turned around ever so slowly.
Severus licked his lips and lowered his voice to a growl. “Detentions. Scrubbing cauldrons and boiling devilpods.” Severus flicked his wand and every last treat disappeared from their sticky hands. He marched them to their house door and slammed it hard behind them.
He was half way to his office when it suddenly dawned on him. Six detentions? Where in Merlin’s shiny bald head would he fit six hours of detention supervision in his schedule? His hands fisted at his sides and an angry growl roared out of him into the darkness.
“Shhh!” A portrait hushed from up the nearest stairs.
Potions. Severus stalked down the dungeons stairs. Lesson Plans. He threw his office door open. Detentions! He slammed the door shut and glared as a jar threatened to topple off his shelf. “When does it end!” he snarled.
It was two weeks into the first term and his patience had already run dry. If he wasn’t going to see her this weekend either, then there was no reason to hold out on punishments for misbehaving brats. There was no more scraping the bottom of the barrel for mercy for any student or coworker.
His words dripped with venom, his actions were sharp, and what little restraint he had shriveled and died. Everywhere he went the whispers followed, ‘Careful, Professor Snape is coming this way.’
~ * ~ * ~
20 September
Of course. Next weekend it is then. I miss you, Sev.
Yours Always
Severus sighed and pinched his eyes closed. The guilt in his gut had clawed its way into his veins and was now circulating his whole body, making him cold with worry. This was the second weekend he canceled on her and after expecting anger, she’d delivered a short but loving message showing how much patience she had for him.
20 September
I’m sorry. I miss you too. I’m sorry, truly.
Yours, Severus
He handed his reply to one of the school owls in the owlry and watched it fly off into the greying sky. The wind was chilly as it brushed passed his nose and hair, sending goosebumps down his arms. He stuck his hands in his pockets and squeezed his eyes shut as more guilt shivered up his core. She hadn’t yet mentioned the fact he wasn’t replying every day to her letters anymore, and that made him all the more scared. Was that her way of telling him she had expected he wouldn’t keep up with his promise?
Merlin, I’m an awful boyfriend. He forced a trembling laugh. Couples were supposed to hug and kiss and lay in each other’s arms and talk often weren’t they? He didn’t know anymore. It had seemed so easy over the summer. He’d felt so proud when she called him her boyfriend, especially when he knew he was doing everything right. Bringing her flowers, helping her with work, complimenting her every morning and night before and after work. He’d felt he earned the title.
But I don’t deserve it now. He barely talked to her, had broken all his promises, kept canceling on her, I keep disappointing her. He began walking down the spiraling stairs down the owlry, hardly taking in his surroundings, mind haunted by his past. Words floated in his head, voices that made him tense with rage. ‘Stop lookin’ Snivellus. You’ll never find a girl who’ll ever want you.’ The walk from the owlry to the dungeons was a tormented blur.
His office glowed green as the fireplace flames waved on an old burnt log, an inch high and ready to fizzle out. He wiped his nose on his sleeve and picked up one of the cherry wood cuts. He wrapped his arms around it and carried it into his room, placed it in the fireplace, and shot red sparks from his wand into it.
It caught fire instantly and soon a thick sweet scent filled the air. He wrapped his cloak around himself, still feeling the cold chill from the outside, and fell onto his mattress, pressing his face into his pillow. He welcomed the summer memories, allowing them to fill every crevice of his mind.
He missed the way she looked at him. Missed the way his heart skipped every time she did. He closed his eyes tighter and started to sob into his pillow. I miss her hugs. I miss her warmth. He couldn’t even explain to himself how much he missed just rambling to her about small unimportant things and blushing when she actually paid attention to him. It was hard to experience the fullness of their relationship over letters and two-day visits alone. And even harder now that he couldn’t even keep up with that.
He wiped his face and huffed roughly, turning onto his back. He felt exhausted and depleted and it didn’t take any effort at all to close his eyes. He gave one final sigh and – Fuck. I have essays to grade.
~ * ~ * ~
28 September
I’ll see you soon! Same room, order dinner, bring it up, and close your eyes! No peeking and no barging in! I’ve got a little surprise…
Severus smiled and put the letter in his pocket. He picked up the bronze key that she’d slipped into the envelope and ran his finger over the smooth edges. She’d picked the same room he had gotten them. Either she was as broke as he, Or that room actually meant something to her now. He leaned back in his office chair and crossed his arms, holding the key close to his heart.
There was a knock at the door and he quickly slipped the key in his pocket and sat forward. “Enter.”
McGonagall pushed the door open. She stepped in and sighed happily, looking around at his dusted shelves and turned, quickly erasing her look of satisfaction. “Well, Severus. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I must. Your requests to hold the meetings for week days next month have been denied. There are too many teachers and everyone is busy most class days.”
Severus gave her no response and stared at his hands as they began to tremble. He squeezed them into fists and pressed them to his knees.
She looked him over from across the room and frowned. “However, like always, Hogsmeade visits will be kept free… The meetings will be held on the weekends between Hogsmeade visits, and there are only two…” She stood for a few seconds, still looking at him, as if having expected some note of frustration from him, or any sort of disgruntled response. “You’ll only be missing two weekends…”
“I’ll have missed four in total by next month,” he whispered.
McGonagall crossed the room and waved her hand over the empty space in front of his desk, summoning one of her office chairs to sit in. “Might I ask what it is you’re missing out on?”
Severus leaned away and kept his eyes down, his hair falling over his face like protective curtains. McGonagall and him had never talked about anything other than lessons, Hogwarts, or the Ministry. She hardly knew anything about him and he had never asked a thing about her.
“Does it have something to do with whoever you gave those flowers to?” She smiled when he scowled at her. “Poppy might have mentioned…”
Severus looked away again, deciding to fix his energy on glaring at his burnt fire log and the bit of charred entrails he’d accidently dropped last time he prepared a potion in here.
McGonagall stood up and waved her hand over her chair. “I’ll see to it that after October, you get the weekends free, as you requested.” She looked around at his unswept floor and tisked. “Let me know if you need that spell I mentioned.” She fixed her emerald green hat and left his office.
Severus stared at the door and nodded. He had no doubt she’d keep her word. Some bad news… but mainly good? Maybe I won’t entirely ruin tonight with this.
~ * ~ * ~
The Three Broomsticks was just as crowded as before, except the wizards all looked like they’d stopped bothering to take any sort of sobering tonics. Severus ordered their dinner, sparing no expense. Cheesy onion rings, three types of dips, a lettuce salad, fruit salad, battered fish with onion gravy and mash, toad in the hole, two drinks, and garlic chips to share. It was a feast of everything she loved and anything she could be in the mood for tonight and anything they wouldn’t eat he was sure she’d be glad to take back with her.
He waved his wand and followed the trays up the stairs, hissing at rowdy wizards that almost bumped into the food as he went, and stood outside the door. He closed his eyes and knocked. He heard it open and a surprised gasp.
“Are we dining with the Queen?”
Severus’ lips pulled up into a coy grin. “I’m dining with a queen.”
She giggled and pulled him in by his cloak and shut the door behind him. She slid her arms around him from behind and pressed her chin into his shoulder, holding him close. Her breath fanned over the ridges of his ear as she spoke low and quiet. “Then you are my king.”
Severus bit his lips and opened his eyes. There were a few candles hovering around the room and red sparkling petals on the floor. He could feel himself shaking with anticipation and before he could tempt himself, he moved forward and placed the trays of food on the table by the closed curtains.
“Turn around, Sev.”
He let out a shaky breath. Whatever the surprise. I don’t deserve this. He swallowed and spun on his heel slowly, dragging his sight along the floor and stopped at her silver heels. His eyes trailed up her legs, her curves, her glowing face, and flowing hair. She wore silver lace that sparkled with her eyes and a sheer flowing green night gown with feathers at the cuffs and hem of the wide trail.
A heat started burning at his core, and his face flushed red with color. She was wearing his house colors again and an immediate rush of greed flowed through his veins. Since he was young it had been instilled in him what those colors meant. Silver and green were a Slytherin’s pride, a Slytherin’s territory, it meant it was Slytherin owned.
He trailed his gaze all over her body. “Mine,” he growled.
She bit her lip and slowly let the sheer gown drop and pool at her feet. He crossed to her and let his hands roam over her soft skin and plump curves, squeezing and gripping with need and want. She pressed herself closer, putting pressure on his hardened member and looked up at him. He met her eyes and whimpered; her eyes sparkled with a wildness that sent shivers down his spine.
“I need you,” he huffed, his voice low. He reached down and squeezed her curves, pressing her closer into him, feeling the pressure on him mount and the tense heat between them rise.
“I need you too, my wonderful boyfriend,” she whispered.
His breath caught in his throat. ‘Wonderful boyfriend.’ He looked at the deep red petals on the bed and pulled away. He squeezed his hands together, trying to stop the shaking but all it did was make it spread down his whole body.
She frowned with concern. “Severus?”
His breath came out in huffs and he squeezed his eyes shut, feeling hot stinging tears run down his icy cheeks, cold with dread. I have to tell her now. I can’t wait ‘till after. I can’t… I can’t –
“Severus?” she repeated more urgently and pressed her palms to his jaw. She ran her thumbs over his cheeks and wiped away the river of tears. “Tell me,” she whispered.
He sniffed and sat on the edge of the bed, bending his head low enough for his hair to fall forward, shielding him from the world. “I’m not a good boyfriend,” he sobbed. “I haven’t been responding to your letters… I’ve been canceling our dates… And – I have to cancel two more. I can only see you during Hogsmeade visits next month and – ”
She sat next to him on the bed and pulled him into her, rubbing her hand up and down his back gently. “I know you’re busy, Sev. That doesn’t make you a bad boyfriend. Your job as a professor keeps you in the castle… and that’s ok…”
“It’s not ok…” He wrapped his arm around her waist and pressed his nose into the crook of her neck. “You were crying all summer and I promised you – ”
“I was just scared, Sev. I’m so sorry. I was so upset and I missed you so much already that I made you promise me something you couldn’t keep, just to make myself feel better…”
He nuzzled closer and ran his hand down her arm.
“You’ve done nothing wrong, Sev. I should have asked you to send me notes and messages only when you had time… I shouldn’t have put you in a position to cancel dates we’d planned before the school year even started… You’re everything I want. I promise… Dates on Hogsmeade visits sound wonderful.”
He sobbed once more, taking in her words. He didn’t feel she had any hate or loathing, only understanding and care for him. He wasn’t used to this. I don’t deserve her. And yet here she was, giving herself to him, accepting him, caring for him, even after he’d broken his promise and disappointed her countless times. He let his nose trail up her neck and pressed his lips to her warm skin. She tilted her head in response, exposing more of her neck for him and all he could think to do was kiss her tender skin harder.
She giggled and pushed him away with a wink. She moved herself up the bed and laid back against the pillows, moving her finger to motion him over. He followed her, kicking off his shoes and kissed her lips, exploring her mouth with his tongue. He crouched over her, cornering her, and moaned when her legs wrapped around his waist. Her hands ran up and down his thighs as his own hands tore at the delicate lace she wore, unwrapping her like a gift.
He leaned down and began marking her with needy kisses, leaving red marks all over her chest and replacing the ones that disappeared with newer ones. She held him close, encouraging more as her hands played with his long hair. He let his tongue slide out and licked over sensitive areas with hunger. With every moan she gave he grew harder, finally needing to undo the buttons of his constricting trousers.
Her hands found him, and released him from his pants. He groaned and pressed himself against her while her fingers got to work on the buttons of his jacket, vest, and shirt. He slid himself between her lips only, rocking himself, groaning as their bodies began to grind with eagerness.
He tore his mouth away from hers and shrugged off his clothes quickly, sliding off his trousers and pants and threw everything out of his way, unable to keep from her any longer. He closed his eyes and moaned as he slid in slowly, enjoying himself fully. He looked down and pulled back out just as slow and made sure he was fully slicked and glistening before pushing back in all the way and cuddling into her open arms.
“I love you Sev,” she moaned.
He moved his hips slow as he held her, savoring every sensation. He was warm and secure in her arms, like he often felt when they cuddled in bed after long days. He hugged her close and closed his eyes, moaning into her neck with every push he gave. He felt close to her, confident in their shared affection for each other and he realized there was never anything to fear. He moaned and trembled in her embrace as he built up their pleasure slow and steady, knowing soon the romantic mood would dissolve into pure lust and need. He needed to show her how much he loved her with every pleasurable push he gave.
She’s getting wetter, he couldn’t help but notice. Nor could he help the sudden throb he gave at that thought. I need her. He pushed his hips harder and whimpered at her moan. Her hands tangled in his hair and pulled, sending a jolt of electricity down his spine. The slow give and take of his movements turned into hard pounds sending more vivid waves of pleasure throughout his body and hers.
Severus pressed into her, holding her tighter, pounding faster, making sure every wave was immediately replaced by the next. He groaned and held her locked in place as every ripple of pleasure was followed by his name moaned in his ear. He breathed out shakily as her legs wrapped around his waist squeezed tighter and her back arched. Her nails raked across his back as he pounded harder, faster, until her breath caught and her muscles stiffened.
He throbbed as she tightened around him and pushed harder as she relaxed under his weight, letting him press his body back into her inviting curves that cushioned him so perfectly. His breathing was rugged, gasping, trying hard to hold out longer, feeling the pleasure begin to boil over. He dug his face into her neck as the final tidal wave crashed over him and the perfect rhythm he had going broke with every throb he gave deep inside her.
“You’re made for me,” he gasped, shuddering as the wave washed over every nerve in his body. He relaxed completely and her arms held him tighter as she rubbed slow circles on his back.
She pushed his chin up with her finger and kissed his nose. “We’re made for each other. Soulmates.” She whispered.
The message from fate couldn’t be any clearer as they caught their breathes and breathed each other in. They had thoroughly enjoyed not only each other’s bodies, but their hearts and souls as well in this blissful evening.
~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~ * ~~~
Masterlist
(Part 4 of The Crystal Ball)
—–
@wow-life-love4​
@x-avantgarde-x​
@dandyrua​
----
General taglist:
@setsuna-meiou31
@severuslovebot​
@bionic-otp​
—–
Thank you to those who requested a fourth part and for all the lovely comments on part three and messages in my ask box (which I will answer in the coming days :D )!
163 notes · View notes
behindheremeraldeyes · 4 years ago
Text
sasusaku month 2020 days 12 & 15 - gimme shelter // recovery
title: her dear friend
summary: Set after their mission at Redaku – Sasuke and Sakura are finally going back home after their latest discovery when they’re surprised by a storm. She’s worried about her best friend, and he knows he has to do something before she puts herself at risk.
a/n: So, if you’re tired of seeing Sasuke caring for Sakura, this story is definitely not for you. I had this idea a while ago and of course I used it as an excuse to re-read Sasuke Retsuden (everything can be an excuse for that XD). I had initially planned to post this for the SasuSaku Month, but life happened and... Well, enough of me, I hope you enjoy this one, and if you want, I would love to hear your opinion on it!
(also, this is un-beta’d. Please, go easy on me)
.
.
.
Redaku continued to prove itself as a strange land even now that they were just a couple of miles away from the border with the Fire Country. Dark clouds had been announcing a storm ever since they left the Tataru Astronomy Research Institute— or at least what was left of it—  and even if there were still a couple of hours left of sun-light, the forest where they were had been enveloped by a shady atmosphere. Birds were coiled up inside their nests and squirrels hid in tree-trunks as an ominous wind swept the leaves beneath their feet. 
All the signs around them indicated that Mother nature was about to unleash her fury, and neither of them wanted to be out in the clear when that happened. Even if they were in a hurry to return home with the new info they had gathered regarding Naruto’s condition, they knew better than to defy the natural forces.
For the storm was due to any moment now, they decided that it would be better to deviate from their original route so they could seek shelter in a safe place. It sure took them a while, especially because they didn’t really know the area, but eventually, Sasuke managed to spot an empty cavern. It was damp, cold and filled with bats; but it would have to do for the time.
It was not like they had any better options.
As soon as they verified the cave to make sure it was safe, his wife was the one who used her fists to gather some dry wood, and by the time he had started the fire with his fire jutsu, the downpour began. It had been years since he had last seen a storm so destructive and powerful like that, and for the moment, he was just glad to have found a place where they could stay.
They had fire to keep them warm, enough food and water for the night, and—well— they also each other so they wouldn’t feel lonely. All they had to do now was wait.
However, for his wife, waiting seemed to be a lot harder than facing the storm.
Once they had settled inside the cave, the male Uchiha couldn’t help but notice how restless the pinkette was. While he was calmly sitting by the fire, she was standing up, pacing around and looking outside. Her arms were crossed across her chest, and he had already lost count of how many times she had already sighed or cursed the heavens for the rain outside.
Sakura was pissed, he could tell. Her shoulders looked tense and she had barely said a word ever since they were forced to stop. He knew she wanted to go home as fast as possible, and being stuck inside a cave had certainly not been part of their plans when setting the fastest route home earlier that day. More than anyone, he knows how much she hates the unforeseen, and at that moment, of all times, anything slightly different from their original plan was enough to give her a huge headache. 
They needed her back in Konoha. Naruto was slowly getting worse, and even if they hadn’t really found the cure in their mission, they had found new and relevant information that could lead to something— anything, really. Ever since the blond had fallen ill, she had been on the edge, reading countless medical books and ancient scrolls, looking for a cure or at least a way to slow down its progression. She might have found a thing or two during the many nights she has spent up, but it was still not enough.
Naruto was still sick at the end of each day, and the only difference now was the she wasn’t by his side. And even if she knew that what they had done in Redaku was also very important, he knew better than to believe she wasn’t bothered by the fact that she was miles away from Konoha.
In fact, the guilt of being away was slowly eating her alive, and if she continued to put herself under so much pressure, it would be just a matter of time before she had a mental breakdown.
He had to do something. Just like in the past, he would have to take care of her so she could take care of the others.
“Sakura.” He started, his voice soft as her name rolled out of his tongue. “It's no use. You know the storm won’t just stop because you’re glaring at it. Come sit by the fire.”
“Don’t even try. You and I know I don’t want to sit.”
“So are you just gonna stand there all night?”
“Maybe I will, so what?” She turned to him, her hands balling into annoyed fists as her voice came out an octave louder. She forcefully closed her eyes for a second, then, sighing exasperatedly before her stiffened expression melted into a worried one. ”I’m sorry, Sasuke-kun. I just…I just want to go home.”
He knew she didn’t mean to sound rude. It was just the stress getting the best of her, and even if he hated to see her like that, Sasuke knew there was nothing he could do to solve her problem at that moment. For he was still feeling a bit drained after what had happened at the Astronomy Institute, he knew he didn’t have enough power to use his Susano’o all the way back to the village, and anything other than that would be useless— irresponsible, even.
There was really no way out of that situation.
Still, it was not like their friend was facing an imminent threat at that moment. Even if he really was getting worse, all of his vital parameters were stable and the progression of the disease didn’t seem to be so fast that his condition would suddenly become life-threatening. A day or two wouldn’t make any difference, both Shizune and Shikamaru granted that in a letter they had sent on the previous day.
Naruto would still be okay by the time they got home. And however logical that sounded, it would never be enough to calm her poor heart.
“I know you do.” He said, his voice offering her some sort of comfort. “But we both know we can’t do anything right now. Not with this storm out there.”
“But…but don’t you think we should take the risk?” She spoke, her green eyes now looking at him with a serious expression. “We have experience in field missions, and if we are careful, we can escape the storm. It will save at least a day of journey.”
His eyes widened at her statement, and it worried him to listen to her talking like that. She was actually serious about that— serious about walking aimlessly in search of a new way back home in the middle of the pouring rain. It was possible to see that her thoughts were now clouded by her sense of guilt, as she was clearly considering putting herself at risk out there just so they could try to arrive a day earlier or two.
 Sakura was acting recklessly. And he had to stop her before she did something stupid. 
“We’re not going anywhere in the middle of the storm. It’s not worth the risk.”
“What? Why not?”
“What do you mean why not? Tch, you know very well how hard it is to move in such terrible conditions. It’s dark, we don’t know the area and the storm is too strong.”
“I-I know it’s dangerous, but this is an emergency, right?”
“It's not an emergency yet. They said his condition is stable and we still have time to get back to Konoha.”
“They don’t know for how long it will be stable, Sasuke-kun. It might get worse.”
“You don’t know that, Sakura. This is just speculation.”
“Of course it is. We don’t know anything about this stupid disease.” She started, her voice now growing irritated. “He might as well be better by the time we arrive, but he also might drop dead before we get the chance to use what we’ve discovered in Redaku.”
“Hn.” He nodded in acceptance, closing his eyes. “I guess we will just have to wait and see, then.”
“Wait and see?” She said, turning to face him. He watched as her green eyes were now glaring at him with vivid fire, and at that moment, he suddenly remembered how intimidating his wife could be. “Are you perhaps suggesting that we should just bet on his life? He is the Hokage.”
As he watched the pinkette growing angry at his words, Sasuke realized that, apart from his efforts, she had finally lost it. She was now using their official positions at the village as an excuse to her behavior, and though she has always respected the shinobi hierarchy, that was probably the first time he ever heard her calling Naruto 'Hokage' when they were just the two of them in the room. His words had been completely misunderstood by her, and at that moment, even if she wasn’t really using words to describe it, he knew exactly what was going through her head.
Sakura was angry. Truly and inexorably angry.
Guilt was taking over every fiber of her heart and even if she knew it wasn’t her fault that Naruto was sick, she was blaming herself for not being there by his side. It was not like she didn’t trust the people back in Konoha to take care of him, but she knew she was the only one really capable for a job that has always been hers. 
Whenever one of them needs her, she’s there. Whenever they’re sick, she finds the cure. That has been the ultimate rule of her life as a medical ninja, and even if they’re all grown ups now, it was still hard for her to let go of that motherly part of hers. 
She has always been overprotective towards them. She has always tried her best to make sure they were both safe, and after marrying the Uchiha— much to her husband’s surprise— she grew even more worried about the blond. Perhaps it was the fear of losing her bonds with him or even the fact that they were each other’s closest fraternal connection, but whenever Naruto ended up at the hospital, she wouldn’t sleep until he was feeling better.
They’re too close. They have always been, especially after all of the time that were just the two of them. They’ve shared memories, promises and dreams; and it would be impossible for her to just ignore all that and not worry about him. It was stronger than her, and fighting against that would be useless.
He couldn’t change that part of hers even if he tried to. All he could do was make sure it didn’t hurt her like it was hurting at that moment.
Sasuke stood up, then, his heart beating as calmly as before. He knew better than to be mad at her for letting her feelings rule her thoughts, especially when his own emotions almost made him destroy Konoha. Just like all the times when she has showed him compassion during his times of pure rage, he owed her the same kind of reciprocity. 
His wife deserved to be heard, and for she has always been more technical than him, he knew she would eventually give in to reasoning if he presented it to her in a way she could understand.
His feet slowly took him closer to her until his body was towering over hers. For she has never been the kind to be intimidated by anyone, Sakura kept glaring at him with the same intensity as before. He was holding a serious expression, and his voice didn’t change when he started his speech. “Stop pretending you care about the Hokage.”
His mismatched eyes watched as her expression changed. Her eyes widened, her lips parted, and slowly, she grew even angrier at him. “What did you say?” He could tell she was really mad at him, and if he didn’t choose his words correctly, chances were she would end up beating him to dust.
“I told you to stop pretending you care about the Hokage, Sakura. If you really want to go out there in the storm, at least be a little more honest about your reasons.”
“How dare you say something like that to my face? After everything I did and after leaving my daughter alone so I could help you gather new information, are you really saying I don’t care?”
“Aah.” He confirmed, his voice still as calm as before.
“Screw you, Sasuke.” She said, finally looking away from him. “I'm going. With or without you." At that moment, he realized he had driven her to the edge, and that was the right time to act on their problem.
That was the only way he could ever talk some sense into his wife. And even if he could end up with a broken rib or two, he figured it would be better than letting her get hurt. 
She was fast to take her backpack from the ground, and as she was making her way towards the exit of the cave, Sasuke took a deep breath before giving her a decent answer. “At least admit why you’re leaving.” At his words, she stopped in her tracks, turning one more time to glare at him. Sakura opened her mouth to talk, but before she had the chance, he continued. “At least admit that you’re doing this for your best friend. Admit that him being the Hokage has nothing to do with this.”
Her eyes widened once more, and he watched as she bit her lower lip before balling her hands into fists. “Stop with your silly games. You know it makes absolutely no difference right now.”
“Of course it does.”
“Oh, and do you care to explain how?” She crossed her arms across her chest, her legs now slightly parted as a sign that she was standing her ground.
“You wouldn’t be acting like that if Kakashi was the one sick.”
“Bullshit. You know I would–”
“You wouldn’t.” He said, firmly, and he realized she was taken aback because of his words. At that moment, he used that opportunity to get closer to her. “If the one sick wasn’t that idiot, we both know you would be a lot calmer right now. It has nothing to do with his position as the Hokage. It never had.”
“Tch, and so what, Sasuke-kun?! Am I that wrong for caring?” She started, her eyes now tearing up. At last, his wife was admitting the truth to herself and it was relieving to see the walls she had built around herself crumbling down. If he wanted to help her— and he certainly did— he needed to be able to reach her first. ”What if I really am worried about my best friend? He’s sick, okay!? He’s sick and I have no fucking idea of what’s happening with him! I’m scared that something bad might happen and I won’t even be there by his side. And though I know there are very capable people back home, I don’t know if any of them would go far enough to keep him alive like I would!”
Her arms were now embracing her own body, making her seem smaller than she really is. She was bitting her lower lip, and even if it hurt him to see his wife like that, unfortunately, it was the only way he knew to calm her down. Thanks to that depraved shinobi system they grew up in, it was only natural for her to keep it all to herself. According to that system, her fears, her thoughts and her emotions meant nothing in times of crises, and there was no reason to prioritize them over their mission or their Hokage. She’s a medical ninja, trained to heal and not alarm those around her, even if it meant she would be haunted by her own secrets for the rest of her life.
No wonder why the previous generations of shinobi suffered so much. More than anyone, he knew how destructive emotions can be when they’re kept inside for too long, and he was not going to let her go through that kind of suffering. 
Sakura had to let it all out. That was what Naruto would tell her if he was there. That was what he has always fought to protect.
And now that she did, it was time for her to pull herself together. He has seen her doing it before, and for she is this brave woman, he knew she could do it again. She just needed to be reminded of that.
“Sakura, look at me.”
“Leave me alone, Sasuke-kun.”
“I'm serious.” He said, placing his hand on her shoulder. “Look at me.”
Though she refused to do as he said at first, her worried eyes eventually gave in to her husband’s words. Her cheeks were puffed in anger, her eyes were turning red due to the unshed tears and he could see that her teeth had already left their mark on her rosy lips. His wife was sad, but it was inevitable for him to think about how beautiful she was, as her true colors oozed from her every pore.
“Let me go to him.” She said, her voice low, almost as if she was begging him.
“I can’t do this. I can’t let you risk yourself out there.”
“Why not?”
“Because you’re his only hope, Sakura.”
“What?” Her eyes widened in surprise, and her lips went agape. She was certainly not expecting those words, and he knew he had to take advantage of her state of bewilderment to tell her the one thing she needed to hear.
“Just think about it. You are the only one who can actually save Naruto. Shikamaru, Kakashi and I can search for things that are related to his condition, but you are the only one who can actually do something about it. You will put all the pieces together and you will find a cure, I’m sure of it.”
“What if you’re wrong? What if I can’t do anything and he dies before we get the chance to get to him?”
“I'm not wrong.” He said, his voice powerful and with no hint of doubt. “I know you can do it. We all know it, and that includes that idiot. He understands why you had to leave, and right now, he’s also doing his best to make sure you have all the time you need. He’s not going to die, Sakura.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“I’m not.” He said, his voice soft and delicate as he spoke to her. “But I trust him. He’s strong and he’s too stubborn to lose before using his best weapon.” His hand moved, then, slowly climbing up to her neck until he was cupping her left cheek. He brushed his thumb against her soft skin, and he offered her a tender smile before continuing. “And right now, his best weapon is you, Sakura.”
At his words, a delicate silence took over them as he simply watched as she made peace with her mind. Knowing his wife like he did, Sasuke knew she was probably thinking about a million ways to refute his arguments, but thankfully, she didn’t seem to be finding any. He felt as she allowed her head to rest against his palm, and she carefully placed her own hands over his as if to indicate she was welcoming the comfort he was offering her. She closed her eyes after that, letting go of all the tension that was taking over her shoulders, and he sighed in relief after that.
“You're right.” She nodded, slowly, as she opened her green eyes to face him. “He's strong and…he’s gonna make it.”
“I’m sure he will.”
“It’s gonna be hard, but I have to trust Naruto on this.” She giggled, finally moving her head away from his hand so she could wipe a tear that had dared to fall. “Shannarou, when did he become such a dependable adult?”
“Hn, he didn’t. Don’t forget that Kurama is the one doing it all for him.”
“Yeah, that’s the only possible explanation.” She blinked, tugging a strand of her hair behind her ear. “Thank you for helping me see things through.”
“No need to thank me. You already knew everything I said.“ He reassured her, their eyes still connected. "You were just a bit confused because of your maternal instincts towards that Dobe.”
A chuckled escaped her lips at his words, and slowly, a smile was decorating her face. It was good to see her like that again. "I guess you’re right. “ She said, scratching the back of her head. “I should probably start worrying more about my husband, don’t you think?”
“I wouldn’t mind that.” He started, turning away so he could walk back to where they had placed their belongings. The night was getting colder because of the storm, he was tired, and after all of that commotion, he just wanted to sit by the fire with his wife. “Now come. It’s been a long day and we need to rest for tomorrow."
“You’re right.” She agreed, instinctively following his steps. “Help me heat the water, then. I’ll make us some tea to keep us warm.”
“Aah.” 
And so, after the raging thunder in her heart dissipated, the Uchiha couple could finally settle down by the fire. The water she had collected from the rain was now boiling inside an old kettle with some herbs, and while they waited for their tea to be ready, both Sasuke and Sakura sat next to each other, finally sharing a moment of peace. Her back was pressed against his chest, her head lingered near his chin and he could feel the way her muscles were relaxed against him. The sound of the rain outside felt like a serene symphony, invading his ears and allowing his heart to beat slower.
In a couple of hours, he knew they would both be up and back on their way back home, and perhaps, they would have to face some challenges. The near future seemed to have a lot of uncertainties that they would have to deal with, but for the moment, he figured he could let himself rest while enjoying his wife company.
He really had missed her, after all.
With that in mind, Sasuke closed his eyes and took a deep, calming breath. Her sweet scent invaded his nostrils, and slowly, he could feel his thoughts disappearing one by one, until it was just them, the fire and the rain.
the end
67 notes · View notes
ask-mingle · 4 years ago
Text
MINGLE - BREAK/GOODBYE
So… I need to take a break from Mingle. And not just for vacation. Longer break. The kind of break I… might not return from.
NO MORE MINGLE? Now, that does not mean I won’t be posting anything ever again as Mingle. I may do something from time to time, if I’ll feel like it. And I will most likely sometimes take some commissions too, as I can’t really afford not to do it once in a while. And who knows, maybe one day I’ll return full-time, depending on how my situation will develop, so this is not a definite good-bye.
WHY? The reason is – I want to try other things. Over the six years I was doing Mingle I had a ton of other ideas and projects I wanted to take on. Unfortunately I do have very little time to draw every day. And it was just too easy for me to always choose doing something for this blog, when finally having some time, and creative energy. I mean – with her I knew I was going to make a good amount of people happy with every post. I developed a small fandom waiting eagerly for more, and I even managed to make some money with Patreon and commissions, so how can anything else compete for my attention? But the truth is I am getting weary. I love this character, and people she allowed me interactions with to no end, but I think it’s time to let go, give a chance to other projects, distance myself. That is also why I’m making it an official statement, even despite not cutting myself off completely, and knowing I will drop by from time to time, or even return completely if one day my enthusiasm will get refreshed. I really need it to be a decision, not just shy attempts to fade out with time. I’m sorry, and I hope You’ll understand. INTERESTING NEWS! But, I do have some announcement regarding this situation, that may pick Your interest :O
PATREON: I would not feel good knowing that I’m not going to produce any more content and still taking money from my supporters. And of course since it’s important for me to let go, I obviously won’t be able to make any more Patreon rewards. Buuuut… that also means this might be the best time ever to become my Patron for a moment ;3 Hear me out.
I have 148 posts on my Patreon ( https://www.patreon.com/askmingle ) now. About 20 of them are stories from Mingle’s life (which are canon!) and about 120 are small naughty pictures. And I’m not done yet – I have rewards for August and September already prepared, which means there will be two more stories and pictures (the last one will be also kind of a send-off for my Patrons, but as it does only involve my current ones – just to be clear). I will also post one bonus text with some interesting Mingle behind the scenes facts X3 So, I’m not saying anything, but some of You might find some value there ;3
After that however there will be no more new content. I don’t want to really close my Patreon account, as that will wipe-out all the posts and comments, and that’d be a shame, since it’s a nice archive :/ So I’m not sure how I’ll go on to deal with that situation. I’ll consult my Patrons about that too, but most likely I’ll leave just one cheap tier, after everybody leaves and then I’ll figure it out.
HALLOWEEN POSTS: Okay, so – I can’t say anything for sure, but the tradition of making Halloween poll and then turning a winner into a full art is by far my favorite activity here XD I can’t promise that this particular tradition will stay… but I’ll say it’s more likely than not X3
COMIC: This thing is tearing me apart. I want to finish it one day, I really do… but at the same time it’s getting to the part that… might not make sense to be shown if Mingle isn’t here to stay much more. I mean… You may think about her waaaaay differently after that, so maybe some secrets are better kept as such. I mean, it would be her/my style, wouldn’t it? ;3 But alas this is something, that unfinished will definitely stay I the back of my head, so it may one day just force me to finish it.
END So, that is it. Thank You all for staying with me and bringing me so much joy for so long. Really no matter if You were here for the 6 years I’m doing it, or if You found me just today, I do appreciate You greatly and I will always be grateful for having You here :3 Best wishes to all of You, and good luck with everything You’re set out to do too.
Yours lovingly, Mingle (P.S. In case Mingle returns one day with full force – the in-universe explanation for her absence is… well, she’s pursuing a mystery she keeps a secret, so she set out on the journey. But she knows this one is the one she may not return from (expecting that she may be forced/wanted to stay where she goes, not die, so don’t worry X3 ) so she said goodbye’s in advance ;3 )
26 notes · View notes
3laxx · 3 years ago
Text
Built to Last - Chapter 1
Amity hadn't dreamed to spend her summer like this. She had just graduated from a prestigious private school and had hoped she could escape to her own little adventure until her scholarship at the college starts, but instead, her parents decide to pimp up her résumé and make her a supervisor at their newest little project, a mansion in the middle of nature. She would rather be anywhere else, yet as she meets Luz Noceda, she finds construction work very interesting, all of a sudden. And that's totally not due to the fact that Luz is all her gay dreams coming true.
Heya people! I'm back with a new story!
One of my bigger projects at the moment and one of the reasons why I haven't been uploading for over a month xD I started working in my new job! Also got my first paycheck already! And I've been writing A LOT ever since the start of September! So yeah, this is kind of inspired by my work and I've written quite a bit for this already. It's basically just Luz being hot, Amity being gay, and a lot of mad blushes x)
Ao3 / FF.net
---
As Amity’s car came to a stop, she sighed, before pulling the handbrake and looking up to the mansion that was standing in front of her.
Or rather, the structural work she could see. While the shape of the mansion was already erected, with the base and all the walls out of sturdy concrete standing, there was still a lot to do.
Her parents had decided to build a giant new mansion in the middle of a huge land they had purchased, full of forest and beautiful scenery, and it was on her to oversee the construction.
It wasn’t that Amity had any idea how construction worked.
Her parents were on a business trip, like almost all her life long, and her siblings were in the middle of their studies, and focusing on this was of the utmost importance in the Blight household.
Amity was twenty now and had just graduated from an expensive private school her parents had sent her to, to enable a scholarship at a very renowned university.
So, essentially, her summer had been meant to be free and be spent by maybe relaxing for once, maybe even traveling a little, but since her mother detested holes in her résumé, she had to be kept busy somehow.
This meant that her position in overseeing the progress on their new mansion project was registered as “construction project management” and she was required to at least show up once a day and stay for a few hours.
She knew exactly what her parents' plan was.
They believed workers worked twice as fast and neatly when the customer was standing right behind them and monitoring their progress personally.
In short, her parents believed in intimidation.
It really wasn’t Amity’s style to be a fearmonger and do nothing more than to annoy the workers and create tension in their workspace. It was an issue of trust, that Amity had in the companies her parents had hired, but her parents didn’t and she couldn’t understand why.
After years of being monitored down to the littlest detail, she knew out of experience that someone breathing down her neck wasn’t something that helped along with productivity, quality, or speed.
But her parents had put her name on the project, it was all over everyone’s plans and she was an official member of the board overseeing this construction.
It wasn’t mandatory for her to show up to the site in her job description, nor was it mandatory for her to oversee any progress. But her parents had made sure to let her know what they expected of her before they had left. Amity hated that she was so intimidated by her parents to fulfill their wishes even if they weren’t here, even if she wasn’t sure if they were still on the same continent, but she was and so she had driven up here every single day and seen the mansion be built up completely in a matter of a month. Well, construction had already started when she had still been in school, so she hadn’t seen all of it.
Her parents had done that, of course.
Sighing, she got out of the car and headed up to the mansion, located on a little hill, towering above the giant property. It was a holiday getaway, her parents had insisted, even if she believed it was more to house some high-ranking guests, maybe some politicians her parents paid, to get in their good graces.
She mostly had that theory because she couldn’t remember the last time her parents had taken a genuine break from their work. Granted, sometimes they traveled to some holiday homes or some luxury hotels, but even these were sprinkled by meeting someone, having a friendly round of golf to discuss business and such things.
Her parents never acted without their business in the back of their heads.
Shaking her head, Amity freed her thoughts of her parents. She didn’t want to think of them. Coming in a few months she would move far away from them, actually near where they were building this mansion right now, and start her studies. And then she would only have to deal with them whenever they cooked up another business thing and roped Amity in, or at family holidays to keep the illusion of a happy family. She was just glad her siblings would be there with her.
Today, the interior design team would start.
The structural work was done, as far as it went, as were all the systems in place like heating, water, and gas.
Now, they had commissioned a fairly small local company building luxury interiors to do all the decorating in the entire house with floors, walls, ceilings, doing all the interior design of the sanitary rooms and kitchen, as well as all built-in furniture and whatever else Amity could think of.
It wasn’t that Amity knew what was necessary for the installation of everything, but she had self-taught quite a lot of theory through videos online due to a personal interest of hers and at least had an idea of what they were talking about.
Not that she let them in on that.
Whenever she had been there overseeing construction of the structural work, she had done her best to make herself appear as clueless as she could without sounding dumb, so they would be able to relax a little more.
If someone was looking over your shoulder who had no idea what you were doing anyway, it’d always feel more relaxed.
She hoped to at least relieve some of the intended intimidation meant by her parents.
Approaching the estate, she already saw some of her colleagues looking in her direction, some of the actual project managers, and a new site manager that she didn’t know yet. She had long black hair and a relatively tall statue, as well as a rigid posture. She was wearing a suit, too.
Did someone tell her Amity was coming?
If so, and she had decided to wear a suit just for her, that’d be embarrassing.
She appeared to acknowledge her arrival but turned back to another site engineer that Amity hadn’t had the pleasure of being introduced to yet. She looked very similar to the other one, only that her hair was really long, gray, and in a rather messy ponytail.
She also wore work pants and a simple shirt with the name of the company printed on the back and, smaller, on the chest. Amity immediately recognized the symbol on the woman’s chest as the one printed on the van next to them as well, which was a stylized owl, and read Clawthorne Sisters beneath it.
Amity had been excited for them to arrive. Now that the concrete was in place, all the drywall installations were finished and all the necessary cables and pipes were installed, the interesting part would begin. Making everything look like a home, instead of a palace of concrete and ugly pipes.
Or, well…
A house. Make it look like a house, instead of a skeleton. This mansion would never become home to anybody.
Finally arriving at the front door, Amity greeted all the project managers, engineers, and architects she already knew, who didn’t show up every day but had only come here to oversee the start of the interior design, before turning to the tall woman with a clipboard and strikingly green eyes.
“Good morning, my name is Amity Blight.”, she started and held out a hand to the woman, whose eyebrows shot up at the mention of her last name. Apparently, nobody had told her that she would be coming and Amity felt relief flooding her veins when she realized that this site manager had not dressed up for her.
“Lilith Clawthorne, it’s my pleasure.”, she greeted back and they shook hands, before she turned to the other, an equally tall woman next to her.
“This is Edalyn Clawthorne, site engineer and master mechanic of our company. You may direct any questions you have about plans, time management and schedules at me, and any technical questions at her.”, Amity nodded to that and shook the other woman’s hand as well. They seemed to be the sisters after which the company was named.
“Alright, good to know.”, she said but didn’t continue any further, so she just listened to the project managers talk for a while, before looking around and finding the master mechanic missing.
The site manager seemed to notice this.
“If you like, Miss Blight, we can head inside and oversee the progress since this morning.”
To that, Amity nodded, although a feeling of dread pooled in her stomach.
This meant producing the stress her parents wanted. They had explicitly instructed the project managers to inform their workers not to address them or interrupt their tour in any way.
In Amity’s experience, this had always resulted in tensions.
But Ms. Clawthorne was already heading inside and everyone else stepped back to let Amity in first, so she followed.
Just after the door, they each took a helmet from a prepared stand and put it on, since there would be overhead installation going on and the Clawthorne Sisters company had insisted on everyone, without exception, to wear a helmet. That had just made them all the more attractive to Amity, while she already held them in high regard judging from their portfolio and versatility in interior design and luxury decorations.
As expected, the conversations between some workers installing a floor in the entrance area quickly died out and they hunched over, focusing on their task ahead. They stopped as Ms. Clawthorne began explaining how these natural floorboards would be imported for them, ground and finished to feel natural yet soft, while Amity began looking around.
There were a lot of new faces around here since the Clawthorne Sisters had brought all their workers and replaced the construction crew almost completely, safe for a few left-over workers who cleaned up the last of their work and deconstructed some equipment they had used.
Amity mostly noted how young most of them were.
The entrance area was manned by two boys, maybe even younger than her, who were doing some of the easier tasks, managing wires to be hidden by the floorboards by tying them together and treating some sealed pipes. Down the hallway she saw a girl, around her age, managing some wires in the walls and making sure everything was neat and orderly for the wall decorations to be installed on top.
Taking a few steps away from the planning team, she peeked into the main lobby and saw three more people, two boys, and a girl, rearranging some supplies and equipment they had brought to be stashed in the wide space and not be in anyone’s way, looking just a bit older than her.
“Huh…”, she felt herself mumbling, before turning back and feeling all eyes on her as she returned to the group, immediately feeling a blush rising.
“Is everything to your expectations, Miss Blight?”, Ms. Clawthorne asked and she was quick to nod.
“Oh, yes, everything is alright!”, she was quick to assure, but the piercing eyes of the site manager quickly realized there was a question forming, so Amity seized the opportunity, “Just… I’ve seen a lot of workers my age. Do you usually employ younger workers?” To her surprise, Ms. Clawthorne smiled at that, something she hadn’t expected to see today when she had seen the slight scowl she always seemed to wear on her lips.
“We’ve had a few workers leaving the company for their retirement lately, and my sister and I strongly agree to encourage and support the younger generations to get an education in handicrafts. We have assembled a strong team of young employees and trainees for our company and they’ve proven to be very reliable, you can be assured.”
Amity nodded at that and quickly jumped in to reassure that her question wasn’t meant as a critique or concern.
“Oh, I wasn’t worrying! I think that’s very progressive.”, she quickly said and earned a nod from Ms. Clawthorne, giving her the feeling that she had just risen in her respect before the group continued walking through the mansion. Ms. Clawthorne pointed out a few things, explained some others, and they gradually lost more and more project managers and architects to discuss plans in more detail, until just Ms. Clawthorne and Amity were left to walk through the upper level, talking about some decoration elements that would be installed up here in the master bedroom, their conversation having turned rather relaxed and almost amicable after they left all the workers and other project planners behind and had some time to get to know each other better.
Until someone came stomping up the stairs rather loudly.
Ms. Clawthorne, Lilith, as she had assured her, immediately stiffened up and Amity turned to locate the commotion, seeing a tall girl her age come barreling up the stairs with some boards on her shoulder, a wide grin on her face with white teeth that shone against her dark skin in the contrast, as she jogged up the last few steps.
The girl turned, the boards swinging around, and suddenly, Amity saw the boards coming her way, right at the height of her face.
Seemingly just before impact, the girl gave the boards a nudge while Amity was already ducking her head, and a cheerful voice that sounded like it was laughing a lot in her life, sounded.
“Whoops! Duck!”, she exclaimed and the boards went right over Amity’s head, bonking her helmet, before she dared to look up again, watching the girl stopping right in front of her, still turned sideways not to have the boards that she was balancing on her shoulder trying to decapitate Amity again.
“Woah there, that was almost bad! You good?”, the girl chuckled, her not-so-scrawny shoulders shaking in delight, before giving Amity’s helmet a knock with her knuckles. Her ears were almost ringing from the knocking and she ducked her head again, only then did the girl let off, “That’s what the helmets are for!”
Amity managed a nod but the girl was already walking past her, whistling a happy tune, while waving her hand back at them.
“Sorry again!”, she called, before rounding the corner and apparently finding a coworker of hers with which she began talking, her voice carrying away the further she went.
The young Blight was embarrassed to admit that she had stared after her toned forearms and biceps, her slim calves, and her back long after she had vanished behind a wall.
Slowly, Amity could relax her shoulders again and straightened back up, adjusting her helmet, and turning back to Ms. Clawthorne. To claim she was furious was probably an understatement.
Her entire face with a rather fair skin tone was flaming while she looked after where the girl had gone and she was shaking in anger.
Turning away from Amity, probably to shield her from her voice, she yelled after the girl, raising her fist.
“LUZ NOCEDA, COME BACK HERE RIGHT THIS INSTANT!!”, she yelled and Amity couldn’t deny she had flinched before the melodic voice with the slightest Spanish accent called back.
“Just a moment, Lily! Be right there!”, she faintly called, but Amity couldn’t focus. All she could think about was her name that she had just learned, and she swore she wouldn’t forget it.
Luz Noceda.
“You wanted to talk to me?”, the girl, Luz, grinned as she came back, this time without boards, and propped her hands upon her waist. Only now, Amity could get a proper look at her.
She felt her heart speeding up when she took in her whole appearance. Luz was wearing worn-out safety shoes, some loose-fitting shorts, and a dark pullover with the company’s logo printed on her chest with the sleeves pushed up to her elbows, as well as a toolbelt and a helmet on her brown, sweaty, and very messy hair.
Her face was cute and looked like she was a lot of fun to be around, her brown eyes sparkling with joy about something she had just experienced, maybe a joke with a coworker, judging from the volume at which she had been laughing downstairs and down the hall.
Well, Amity had known she was gay, but that gay?
Gulping, she took in the girl in front of her that was about half a head taller than her, then she flinched at Ms. Clawthorne’s voice winning in volume again.
“Luz Noceda! First of all, workplace safety! You know exactly to check your way when carrying big loads. And second of all, you apologize immediately! Do you know who-”
Luz seemingly shrunk more and more with each word her boss was yelling at her, and since she couldn’t bear watching that bubbliness being suppressed like this, Amity acted unthinkingly and cut into her tirade, holding out her hand.
“I’m Amity. Pleasure to meet you.”, she quickly exclaimed, a little louder than planned to interrupt Ms. Clawthorne, but her speaking up had an immediate effect.
The older woman next to her gulped the rest of her sentence and switched her gaze from Luz down to Amity, staring silently.
In contrary to her boss, Luz was apparently delighted. Immediately, her shoulders straightened again and she took Amity’s hand after taking off her glove, grinning.
“Luz. Sorry for slamming the boards on your head, I’ll take better care next time. You the architect’s intern or something?”, she replied while shaking Amity’s hand and she giggled, shaking her head, paying Ms. Clawthorne no mind while she started getting angry again, ready to make Luz three heads shorter.
“No, I’m-… Doesn’t matter.”, she laughed, waving it off, “A-And, uh, don’t worry about the boards, that’s why we wear helmets.”
Luz gave her the finger guns and clicked with her tongue, before pulling on her glove again.
“Alright then, have a lot of fun planning or whatever you guys do, I’ll do more interesting stuff.”
She winked and Amity could’ve sworn she was flirting with her. Which completely distracted her from the fact that Ms. Clawthorne’s eyelid was already twitching in uncontrolled rage.
While Luz sauntered off, Amity caught the attention of her boss again, eager not to let her be too mad at her employee. Trying a careful approach to change the topic, she softly clapped her hands together, winning back Ms. Clawthorne’s attention.
“So… I believe we haven’t talked about the bathrooms yet, am I correct?”, she inquired and Ms. Clawthorne immediately switched back to her polite way, nodding stiffly.
“Yes, Miss Blight, right this way.”, she offered Amity to walk ahead and led her down the same hallway Luz had gone, and she couldn’t stop herself from peeking inside the room Luz and a coworker of hers were preparing to work on, catching a glimpse of Luz’s toned calves flexing when she stood on her tiptoes to mark something on the wall.
Unfortunately, the door went by quickly and she couldn’t see much more of her when she had already walked past, before having to turn back to the topics her parents wanted her to discuss. Which was a lot drier planning and listening and trying to visualize complicated construction plans.
It really wasn’t that Amity wasn’t interested in learning all of this. She loved hearing about construction projects and planning where to put elements to create a harmonizing room.
But now that she had seen Luz?
Well, it wasn’t that Amity was overly starved of seeing attractive people. There were a lot of attractive people in her close environment, some of her friends for example and she couldn’t deny that most of her family’s acquaintances were fairly good-looking as well.
But something about Luz had fascinated her.
The way she moved, the way she was covered in dust and sweat and had still smelled kind of good. The way her eyes were sparkling and how she was so comfortable in her own skin, walking through her life as if she was exactly in the place where she wanted to be.
Amity was fascinated by the honest and self-assured way she was moving, behaving, and acting.
And, well, there was the fact that Luz was just ridiculously attractive to her.
She sure as hell wouldn’t forget the way her white teeth shone against her dark skin and how her muscles moved and-
“I’m afraid I must ask you to excuse me, Miss Blight.”, a firm voice suddenly interrupted her thinking and she looked up from the plan Ms. Clawthorne had spread on a nearby table, only then hearing the ringing of a phone. Mutely nodding, Amity took a step back to grant her some privacy and tried to look back at the plan, making some sense of what she saw. It was some kind of cover for the bathtub, she believed. Or was it for the sinks?
Internally groaning, she shook her head to herself. If she hadn’t spent dreaming about Luz the entire time she would have an idea of what Ms. Clawthorne had been explaining to her and she’d be able to work out what the plan was about.
But, as luck would have it, she got off her phone and turned to her with an apologetic face.
“I’m very sorry, Miss Blight, but I’ll have to cut our tour short here. Some of my workers have started laser measuring the walls downstairs and I’m afraid I have to join them and the architect to work out the plans for that. Do you need me to bring you back to the front door?”
Her chance!
Quickly, Amity shook her head and smiled.
“Oh, no thanks! I will look around a bit more and get back to you before I leave, thank you.”, she excused the woman and without missing a beat, the site manager nodded and left her to her own devices.
It wasn’t that Amity had wanted her to go, but now she could maybe sneak a peek at the attractive worker, Luz, again…?
Tempted to slap herself, she furrowed her eyebrows.
Spying on workers?
How shameful. She shouldn’t do that.
Humming, Amity turned to wander out of the bathroom-to-be and down the hallway again, hearing voices getting louder the closer she drew to the room where she had seen Luz starting her work. But instead of spotting the ridiculously attractive girl, she was met by her rather sturdy coworker with slightly chubby cheeks, a kind face, and dark hair, along with the dark-skinned boy she had seen in the entrance hall already. They both talked quieter when they noticed her wandering past and Amity picked up her pace to be out of their hair as quickly as possible again.
She wondered where Luz had gone.
Maybe she had gone downstairs again to get more boards?
Amity decided that checking it out wouldn’t hurt, so she walked downstairs, past some more surprisingly young workers and some of the management board nodding to her politely, before stepping out of the entrance area again into the fresh air and breathing through.
Behind her, the work was picking up and she began hearing a drill hammering into some concrete, as well as a saw somewhere around the mansion, but she didn’t think much of it, the air was feeling way too nice after walking through the dusty construction site.
Wait a minute…
She had seen Luz carrying up boards from below. Maybe she had cut them to length?
More out of curiosity than anything, Amity stepped off the porch and rounded the mansion, peeking around a corner, only to spot the very same girl she had found herself losing her concentration to upstairs, standing by some trestle legs on which she had placed boards, cutting them with a circular saw. She looked very concentrated and was wearing some ear protection now, as well as some glasses to protect herself from the saw dust.
Amity clenched her hand around the corner of the house when she felt her heart speeding up, licking her lips when she saw how Luz was leaning forward a bit more, the muscles on her elbow coming out.
She wasn’t overly muscular or anything, and Amity didn’t like bodybuilder types anyway, but it showed that Luz had worked in this field for quite some time already, and with being on constructions like this one, she probably got all the workout she needed just by working.
Humming, Amity finally decided to stop being a creep and pretend to be on her phone like a normal human, pulling it out to pretend and tap on it a little while walking out from the corner.
She did her best to appear busy on her phone, but Luz didn’t even acknowledge her.
Better for her, because she could keep staring.
Out of the corner of her eyes, Amity could see the saw dust covering Luz’s forearms, giving them a slight sheet of dust, and she wished she could be closer to watch her cutting those boards in more detail.
But this was getting really creepy. She should stop.
Shaking her head, Amity groaned and looked up to the sky, before shooting Luz one last glance and walking back to the entrance area, putting her phone away.
Maybe she could talk to her someday. Or just listen to her again.
Grumbling to herself, Amity did one last tour of the whole house, waiting and hoping for her confidence to build up again to talk to the cute girl, but when she had walked past Ms. Clawthorne a second time, she supposed she had to wave that wish goodbye.
Bidding her goodbyes to all the members of the project management board, she walked back to her car and sat in the driver’s seat, defeated.
Now she had had the chance to have normal conversations here, the entire mansion was full of young workers instead of moody old men, and she had blown it. She could only hope Luz would be there tomorrow.
Sending a last, longing gaze to the now-abandoned saw sitting on the trestle legs, she started her car and put it in reverse.
Either this had been it or she would have another chance tomorrow.
For now, this was enough for her. But this evening she would deeply regret leaving without having tried anything because when she lied down to sleep, the pictures of an unfairly attractive girl working at the site wouldn’t leave her mind alone.
 ---
“LUZ NOCEDA!”, a voice yelled from downstairs just before the evening and the young woman currently handling the last of the wires listened up.
“Oh, that sounded like Lilith.”, she noted and Willow snorted.
“Ya think?”, she asked and Luz grumbled when she got up, shooting Willow a look.
“I don’t need your sass right now, Willow.”, she shot back at her friend who just snickered, shaking her head before going back to drilling holes into the boards for tomorrow.
“COME DOWN HERE RIGHT THIS INSTANT!”, made both of them flinch, causing Luz to duck her head.
“You better go, she sounds seriously angry.”, Willow shooed Luz with a handwave, putting her drill into position again.
Luz quickly made her way out of the room and down the hallway towards the stairs, where she already saw Lilith standing at the base of them.
Gulping, she made her way down and Lilith glared at her, making her grimace.
“Uh, yes?”, she sheepishly responded, already scared of what she had done wrong when Lilith turned and waved her to follow. Oh, this was bad.
If she didn’t want to scold her in front of everyone, she was going to get the harshest yelling she had ever gotten. Lilith led her outside, before turning back to the young woman and holding out her finger, her face uncharacteristically red.
“Do you have any idea what you did today?!”, she hissed and Luz pulled up her shoulders, eyes wide.
“Did-… Did I, uh, what did I do?”, she carefully asked, but that only seemed to explode Lilith’s rage.
“You embarrassed us IN FRONT OF OUR CUSTOMER!!”, she finally yelled and Luz could already feel all eyes on her while her coworkers gathered on the windows to watch where the yelling had come from.
“O-Our customer?”, Luz ducked her head more when Lilith got redder.
“YOU SLAMMED BOARDS ON HER HEAD, YOU IDIOT!!”, she screamed and Luz’s heart dropped into her pants. So that fancy-dressed had been because she had been the customer.
Oh.
Oooooh.
She had… She had bonked boards on her head and then knocked on her helmet. On their… On their million-dollar assignment customer.
Gulping, Luz sunk into herself more. She had absolutely blown their assignment, hadn’t she? She had just lost the company a couple Million dollars, she had gotten all of her coworkers fired, she’d pay compensation for the rest of her life, she would-
“You’re lucky she wasn’t hurt!! This could’ve gone very differently! I don’t know what kind of guardian angel you blackmailed to look over you, but if this had been Odalia Blight you would’ve been dead and the company along with you!!”, Lilith got closer to her and her screaming suddenly dropped to a very dangerous whisper, “If this hadn’t been the daughter of our customer, I would’ve killed you on the spot. You’re lucky she’s a lot nicer than her mother.”
Gulping, Luz leaned back a little.
“I-I’m not fired…?”, she tried and Lilith finally found back to her normally pale skin color, adjusting her suit.
“Your mother and my sister would have my head if I fired you. Also, Miss Blight was very forgiving and didn’t cancel our assignment, yet. We’re allowed to continue working for now. Until that’s not clear, though, you better not step too far away from the hanging tree, because I will personally put the hangman’s noose around your neck if the Blights terminate that job. Is that understood?”, Lilith got dangerously close again and Luz gulped, rubbing her neck.
“Very graphically understood.”, she mumbled and Lilith glared at her one more time, before straightening back up and walking back to the construction site.
“If you speak to her again, it will be an absolute emergency and you will do so politely and with some respect and dignity. And now clear up your things, we’ll leave at five sharp and if you’re late you’ll sleep here.”
Grumbling, Luz patted her chest to attempt and soothe her beating heart, before running a hand through her dusty hair and shaking it out. This had been shorter than she had anticipated.
Once again rubbing over her neck, she then followed Lilith inside and sighed. She was looking forward to the days where the jobs would be mundane enough for Lilith to stay in the office and let Eda handle the coordination. Having Eda as her superior instead of Lilith was absolutely preferable.
Well, if she was lucky, she would have to focus on work so much she wouldn’t even have time to acknowledge Miss Blight anymore. Maybe she also wouldn’t come back tomorrow, after all, the rich and wealthy had other things to worry about, right?
Especially their customers, who were paying for this giant mansion.
Humming, she entered the building again and ignored all her coworkers looking at her, before starting to pack up the tools she had used and collecting her personal stuff, like her gloves and jacket.
Willow shot her a sympathetic glance and Luz clapped on her shoulder to reassure her that she was okay for now, then they all gathered around their bus to be taken back to the company so they could end the day.
The whole evening, though, Luz fretted going to work the next day, fearing the possible encounter with the Blight girl. Hopefully, she wouldn’t show up so Luz wouldn’t risk her head, her financial stability, and her dignity for all eternity.
---
Let me know what you think! <3
9 notes · View notes
ja0-s-blank-canvas-fic · 3 years ago
Text
Part 2 - Chapter 53 - No Stone Unturned
Blank Canvas Part 2
AO3 - here
Fanfiction.net - here
Happy Tuesday, dear readers! Hope you had a pleasant Easter to those who celebrate it.  It's time to see who's been working late. ;)
Announcement before we get to the chapter. This is the official last chapter of this arc and we'll be transitioning to part 3 next update. However I'm going to go on hiatus for a bit. This AU is NOT abandoned, not in the least bit. I have at least 3 more parts after this planned with tons of ideas. But for the start of part 3 I need more time to collect my notes and build up my buffer of chapters. Mostly because I was a dumby and while I did have Izuku analyzing and getting ideas for improvements throughout the series, I didn't actually record them in an easy-to-reference way. XD I've been working on it but he's a smarty and so there's a lot in combination to your own suggestions and ideas. I'm almost done compiling those so I can best work through Izuku consulting with the other Hero students. But yeah, I need more time than the typical two weeks.
I was thinking at least a month and at most maybe 3 just to not have the pressure to update before I'm ready. Though we'll see how that goes. ^___^ I'll be posting one last chapter to this part as an author's note to announce the start of part 3 once I'm ready. That way if you've bookmarked this part or subscribed to the series you'll know. I'll also post on the tumblr and discord. In the mean time, if you need to reach me you can comment on here or reach out to me on the tumblr or discord. I still read all of your comments and appreciate your support. So please be patient with me. :)
And now, the chapter. Enjoy!
Linktree to all the things!
End notes for the chapter are under the line.
STAINY IS GOING TO BE A CONSULTANT!!!! :D There. That's my way of keeping Stain in the story post capture. Which was a fun brain blast that gave me so many ideas for future parts of this AU. Chizome will still be a player in the background same as before and will pop up from time to time as needed. I'm sure there will be questions of if Chizome and Izuku will ever reunite. All I will say is yes but I'll let your imaginations run wild as to how and when. ;) But yeah, Stainy is still in play and is not just getting chucked into Tartarus to rot.
The investigations are happening! Aldera will be going down followed by Endeavor. Though when exactly I'm still working out. But it will happen! With the combined front of concerned mothers, a worried friend, angered Heros, a determined detective, and a strong-willed Villain with the potential addition of certain crispy bacon boy. ;)
Now there is some secrecy going on with them targeting Endeavor. I would feel the Hero Commission wouldn't have much care for the lower ranking heroes since they don't have as much media attention. But going after higher ranking like Endeavor would definitely get their attention. They'll have to be careful and cautious moving forward, but they will move forward. I'm still deciding what consequences Endeavor is going to face so any thoughts on that would be much appreciated. (I probably already asked that at the end of a previous chapter but it never hurts to ask again!) I have some ideas like jail time, losing his hero license, losing custody, etc. But any others are welcome! I'm still playing around with the fire extinguisher idea suggested to me. ;P So serious or silly ideas would be appreciated and taken under consideration. ^____^
That's it for this chapter and for this part of the series!!! :D Thank you so much to everyone who has joined me on this journey and keep coming back for more. Which there will be more of in the future but as I said I'll be taking a break from posting for a bit. In the mean time, stay awesome and take care of yourselves. We'll be back next time to continue Izuku's journey of becoming the first Quirkless Hero in part 3, Blank Canvas: Heritage. See ya then! :D
6 notes · View notes
Note
I know it's been said before buy I just have to say I know the whole demetri and yasmine plot was just so that all the gay undertones of the rivalry and obsession and tension between Demtri and hawk could be easily overlooked
Lololol Anon you’re not even WRONG
Once they yeeted Moon out of the picture the writers were like “Oh shit, better No Homo it again!!!”
I guess in the writer’s (very feeble) defense, they DID set it up kinda, by having Demetri be like “Wow!!! I’d love to have Yasmine spit in my face!!!” and then very atrociously trying to hit on her at the beach party. But I thought his sorta-crush on her was just supposed to be like...comic relief??? Like “haha look at this nerdy guy being hot for this sexy popular chick he’ll never, ever get, isn’t it good memes???” I mean, him coming on to her at the party and just FAILING at every level was so incredibly funny BECAUSE of how much someone like her was just...never going to go for a dude like that in a million years. Like I thought that was the whole joke??? And Cobra Kai seems a bit more realism-leaning than some teen shows in how the teenagers actually act, so I figured from that angle it was gonna be the trope of “nerdy guy into hot popular bitchy girl” set up...but then, Reality Ensues, and she’s not only not remotely interested, but mildly to moderately disgusted at the idea. And that’s the comedy of it.
So yeah, after Season 1, I thought we were done with that whole arc, and it was literally just like...a joke “love” subplot to balance out the more serious relationship difficulties Miguel was having at the time. But now...Yasmine’s back, I guess??? And she apparently did a full 180 and is sorta nice now and went through a bunch of Character Development offscreen, none of which we got to see? So I GUESS her and Demetri were hinted to eventually become a thing, just like...very, very poorly. And in “hints” I assumed we were in no way meant to take seriously at all.
But yeah, the Yasmine/Demetri thing DOES seem kinda thrown in last-minute, given how finished that arc felt back in s1. And we only ever really get to see Yasmine when she’s interacting with Demetri, so it really feels like she was only brought back to be his love interest, which like...VERY weird flex, Cobra Kai writers, but okay :/
It IS incredibly sus how much time and energy Hawk and Demetri devote to their rivalry in particular, rather than like...idk, moving on with their lives??? Just ignoring each other and doing their own things, now that they are officially no longer bros and are in different friend circles, etc etc? Like they go OUT OF THEIR WAY to fuck with each other when they could just like...chill and move on. Like Demetri, a socially-awkward dude with limited people skills, works up the balls to get onstage and roast Hawk in front of an entire partyful of peers. Hawk SEARCHES THROUGH AN ENTIRE SCHOOL to hunt down Demetri at the school fight. Hawk goes up to Demetri on the first damn day back at school just to GLARE at him ominously (which I also just realized is RIGHT after some freshman girls give Demetri moony looks as they pass--jealous much???) Later on, Hawk coulda ignored Demetri and finished eating lunch with his Cool New Friends, but instead he goes out of his damn way to bust Demetri’s project and then come over and roast him about it. Demetri then eagerly goes over and reciprocates said roasting and spends that entire fucking soccer game tryna screw with Hawk in particular. They fricken almost IMMEDIATELY go for each other in the Golf N Stuff fight, IIRC. Really, they devote more time and energy to each other and their Rivalry™️ than either does to like...any other character? Like are Eli’s thoughts 90% “what’s the next thing I can do to fuck with Demetri?” Are Demetri’s thoughts 90% “what’s the next thing I can do to fuck with Eli?” Because like...I just don’t think obsessing over another man that much, even in a negative context...is very straight XD
There’s also the fact that their arcs are WAY more intertwined with each other’s than ANY girl either of them dates or interacts with. I mean ffs, Moon dumped Hawk BECAUSE of how he treated Demetri--even Hawk’s supposed Straight Romantic Subplot™️ ties directly back into Demetri! And the only reason Demetri joins Miyagi-Do at ALL and doesn’t just like...fade into the background in Season 2 is to show HAWK SPECIFICALLY that he can “fight back.” And later we have DEMETRI being the one to make Hawk realize he’s gone too far with Cobra Kai (i.e. his guilt after breaking Demetri’s arm) and ultimately being the catalyst that makes Hawk SWITCH SIDES! I honestly think every major point of development for both characters directly involves the other in some way--you could even argue Eli initially becomes “Hawk” in part because Demetri quits Cobra Kai, and isn’t around to stick up for him anymore--so he has to find another way to protect himself from bullying. Even their sense of “dojo rivalry” is mostly just about each other--Hawk’s animosity toward Miyagi-Do lowkey seems to stem almost entirely from Demetri in particular joining it and “betraying” him, while Demetri’s animosity toward Cobra Kai basically entirely comes from Cobra Kai taking Eli away from him. I literally like...cannot think of a single thing in either of their developments that doesn’t tie into the other in a major way. 
Like to put it plainly, Moon and Yasmine feel like a single step in each of the boys’ character journeys--a single turning point to spur them in a certain direction. But Demetri and Hawk just...ARE each other’s character journeys. They’re not a step for the other to discover something about themself or get pushed in a certain direction--they just ARE the entire arc for each other, if that makes any sense. Like you could argue BOTH Demetri and Eli/Hawk’s arcs like 90% center on how to navigate their relationship when Eli gains confidence and their interests diverge and they no longer need each other the way they used to. Like??? Name ONE aspect of either of their arcs that doesn’t tie directly into their undying gay love friendship in some way??? It’s INCREDIBLY integral to both their stories and is just...SO much more compelling to watch than either of them making out with hot girls at parties or in the hallway. And them repairing their relationship and/or evolving it as needed, realizing that they love each other too much to let one another go, even if they’re both somewhat different after everything??? And realizing it’s a romantic kinda undying love they’re feeling, because really, what good reason is there for it NOT to be??? We HAVE enough male characters in media already with strictly platonic/brotherly friendships, why not just let two male characters with a compelling story, a strong prior friendship, and REALLY good romantic chemistry just like...be gay??? It feels natural, it’s a good ending to their arc, it feels narratively satisfying in a “Finally having the ‘will they or won’t they’ couple get together” kinda way...why not do it??? It makes ALL the damn sense and would be incredibly thematically interesting and SATISFYING, but y’all writers are COWARDS DAMMIT
Just gonna make that crack ship from Season 1 canon so we can prove that Demetri isn’t gay, no sir??? No Homo my guy??? We can only have one (1) LGBT character per television show, or the “traditional values” viewers will come for us???
Pre Season 3 I honest to god was hoping that part of Demetri’s arc, if he ran into Yasmine again, would be him realizing that he could honestly do better than someone that bitchy and vile, and having enough self-respect to just...lose interest in someone who’s going to push him around, act like he’s beneath her, and talk smack about his friends the second she thinks they’re “lame.” Maybe it isn’t too late though, and we’ll see this in Season 4? Here’s to hoping, because I am going to THROW HANDS if this fricken pairing is ENDGAME endgame. Like...what even do these people have in common, besides getting wedgies??? Do they even have like...any of the same interests??? At all??? How are they going to build a lasting relationship off of...both having gotten a wedgie? And being mean to people sometimes, I guess?
Like, sure. Let them date for a bit--they’re horny teens, they’re prone to jumping into relationships for not exactly the most deep and meaningful reasons. Physical attraction, teenage horniness, and raging hormones are no joke. So sure, I can see them having a fling solely because they both think the other’s hot. But you wanna tell me they’d LAST??? No SIR, I must inform you I Do Not Buy it.
(Tfw you meant to do a short ask making memes about what a crackship Demetri/Yasmine was in Season 1 and you ended up having WAY too much to say about All The Things and now it’s 3 am and you’re typing like a madman. I probably cycled back across the same 5 points like 5 times each because it’s late and I’m not thinking straight, I apologize.)
51 notes · View notes
majorshirahjordis · 4 years ago
Text
Rescue
We Can Be Heroes: Marcus Moreno x GN Reader
- Warnings: Mentions of blood (nothing too descriptive), kissing.
- A/N: First non-Star Wars fic, I have no idea how side blogs work so I hope this works xD - I have not seen this movie, cause I don’t have Netflix, I used the trailers and some official clips to make this so hopefully there aren’t any major spoilers.
Tumblr media
not my gif
----------------------------------------
Marcus and you were the last of the Heroics to be dispatched to the field. Before you two got to the landing zone, Marcus got hit down. Looking back, you saw him crash against a car as he landed. It didn't take long for you to get hit down next. Now that you reached the ground, you doubled back to help Marcus, despite your orders to push forward. - By the time you got there, you could only call out his name and watch in horror as the invaders took him. As you tried to get somewhere near him in hopes of rescuing him, you were thrown back into some rubble. Your head throbbing with pain as you stood, fighting as best you could before being tried out and captured.
They threw you into a large strange room with the other Heroics; the exhaustion getting to you as your eyes closed, hearing only the sounds of shouting and footsteps approaching you. - Marcus pushed his way through the others to get to you, quickly pulling out a medkit to patch up your injuries. 
"We should have just stayed at headquarters..." He muttered to himself.  "So you can hide where it's safe?" One of the other Heroics complained. "No, so we could actually help you all, now we're just stuck here with no way of escape and no one left to rescue us..." He replied.
"He's got a point," Lavagirl said, looking around at all the Heroics who were trapped there, most of them caught up in their own arguments of whom to blame.   “Point or not, you’re stuck here with us now Marcus, any bright ideas?” Miracle Guy said while crossing his arms, annoyed that everyone had been so easily captured.
 “Any bright ideas I had, were drowned out by the incessant complaining and blaming going around,” he retorted. The room goes mostly silent, only a few scoffs of annoyance to be heard.
Most of the group goes back to trying to figure out what to do and worrying. Meanwhile, Marcus was focused on you. Only looking up for a moment to nod to Lavagirl as she told him you would be okay and that she was going to join the others and see if she could help calm things down.
He knew she was right, but still couldn’t help but worry. He sat down and crossed his legs, resting your head on them as he gently stroked your head, running his fingers through your hair. After a little while you woke up, blinking a few times before your eyes focused on him. He was looking down at you with a small smile on his face, the warmth of his hand against your face made you want to drift back off to sleep, but you forced yourself to sit up. His expression became concerned as he helped you, reminding you to take it easy.
“So I guess this is why you left the Heroics?” You joked as the two of you turned to look at where the shouting was coming from. The rest of the captured heroes were arguing and bickering with each other about something again.
Shaking his head, he let out a sigh. “How long have I been here?” You asked.
“About as long as me, I’m not sure how much time has passed, it’s hard to tell in here.”  - You noticed he looked sad and concerned, he was probably thinking about his daughter, she could be a target along with the other kids of the Heroics. “Hey, she’ll be okay,” you say, placing your hand on his shoulder to ease his mind.
He relaxes some before turning to look at you, his eyes moving around as he searched for the right words before finally looking at you, “I hope so...” was all he managed to say. You could tell through the sound of his voice that he was sad. Leaning forward, you hugged him. Your action surprised him, making him lean back some before he allowed himself to be comforted. Closing his eyes and wrapping his arms around you, letting out a deep and shaky breath. Rubbing your hands up and down his back, you reassured him that she was strong and brave.  - Leaning back, you move your hands down his arms before holding his hands, his teary eyes looking at you as his hands squeezed yours. He smiles shyly as you placed a quick kiss on the side of his cheek. “Now how about I fix up your injuries,” you say, looking at some of the scratches on his arms. Both of you sat on the ground, tending to each other's minor injuries.
"You know... I was sent on a mission to protect her, and honestly, she didn't even need it.”  Marcus looked confused for a moment before realizing you were talking about his daughter, “Wait...a mission? Was she in danger?! Why was I never informed, who was after her?” He said panicking as he absorbed your words.
“Marcus, she was okay, it turned out to just be some kids at her school. We dealt with it, so don’t worry.” - “Don’t worry? Missy was in danger and you guys didn’t even think to tell me, I’m part of headquarters too, so someone kept me in the dark!” 
“She was the one that didn’t want you to know, I would have told you otherwise, but she made me promise not to, she didn’t want you to worry about her.”
He let out a sigh and closed his eyes. He did worry a lot about her, and she about him, that’s why he had promised to quit the Heroics and just work at headquarters instead. “She’s just like you, well maybe a little bit more rebellious,” you joked to brighten his mood. He shook his head as he laughed, “Yeah,” he said with a smile.
- After a while, the aliens came to drop off a new captive, Marcus’ Mom. With no time to explain you told Marcus not to worry before charging at the aliens, to the utter surprise of everyone, including Marcus who rushed after you to stop you. You were able to get through just enough of them to escape the main room. The others tried to follow your lead but couldn’t get through, though, for you, it worked out as all the aliens focused on keeping the group contained. It took a while of hiding and searching to finally espace. You remembered that Missy had the tracker you had given her in case she ever needed your help. The signal must have been blocked in there, but now that you were outside you used your wrist device and saw the ping. It was faint but got stronger as you travel. Following it for a while, you were able to track her down. Getting attacked by a group of kids before she had the chance to tell them you were on their side. Quickly they stopped, turning to Missy to hear her out. Some of them recognizing you and getting excited that a Heroic was there with them now.
Introducing yourself to them and they to you, Missy explained that they didn’t have much time if they wanted to save the Heroics, that the aliens had already found them hiding here and they needed to go now.
“I’ll take most of the hits, understand? I don’t want any of you getting hurt!” You say trying to make sure you wouldn’t need to deal with the wrath of angry parents if you showed up with their kids having been injured. Some reluctantly agreed, wanting to have a chance to show off their powers, but everyone agreed it was best to support each other and work together. - It wasn’t an easy fight, making your way through the maze of halls to get to the room that held the Heroics. It took everything each of you had, everyone getting their moment to shine. You allowing them to, acting as their support shield, taking hits and helping them dodge attacks.
While fighting you noticed an attack going right for Missy, at the last second you were able to jump in front of it, knocking both of you to the ground. She shouts your name, but soon she defeats the enemy with the help of Guppy. Rushing over to you, she helps you up. “Let's get you back to your Dad,” you said, trying to stand straight as you held your hand against the wound on your head. “Yeah, he can help you,” she joked, looking worried.
Once the group of you get to the room where the Heroics are, all the kids go to greet their parents. Missy runs over to Marcus after making a promise to have him by her side the next time the Heroics are called on to fight. The two of them hug. He lifts her off the ground, holding her tightly, being thankful she was not only okay but that she rallied all the kids to come to save everyone. “I’m so proud of you,” he said as he placed her back down on the ground, a smile on both their faces.
When he turns to look at you, he realizes you're injured and quickly comes over to you, taking your face in his hands as he pulled yours away to inspect the injury. You try to brush it off as nothing but Missy insists Marcus help you and so does he, "That’s two to one,” she joked as she handed her Dad a piece of cloth to stop the bleeding. Telling him about how cool you were fighting, and you told him how brave and strong she was, that you were only there to help out. He's upset that you got hurt, but in a caring way, that both you and his daughter noticed. A cheeky smile on her face as she looked at you. His hand pressing the cloth against the injury makes your heart flutter for some reason. He was so gentle and the way he was focused on you and your wellbeing made you love him more than you already did. Not that you had ever told him how you felt. Missy knew though, it was written all over her face as her smile turned into a smirk and a small giggle as she looked at her grandma who was also smiling.
“Here, put your hand on it and keep the pressure,” he said, placing your hand against his. As your hands switched places, he pulled his hand away only to bring it back, lightly pressing against your own, making sure you kept the right about of pressure. You noticed his eyes were now looking directly into yours. A shiver flowed through your body. At the moment the two of you thought of nothing, he just instinctively cupped your face with his other hand and leaned in for a kiss which made his daughter cheer with joy. “Finally!” She teased as the two of you kissed. Your other hand slid up his chest and around the back of his neck, making him tilt his head so he could deepen the kiss.
His Mom and Missy giggled to each other before the two of you pulled away. Missy made a joke making him snap back to look at her, but before he could reply you cupped his cheek and turned his face back towards you kissing him more passionately, his hand moving to wrap around your waist and pull you closer. Running your fingers through his hair made him let out a little moan, making you smile against his lips. Leaving small kisses on his lips before finally stepping back from each other. Both of you smiling awkwardly as you realized more eyes and turned to look at you and voices cheered. Soon the two of you found out that everyone had been waiting for the two of you to get together, so much so that some started turning it into a bet which you couldn’t help but laugh at.
60 notes · View notes
aj-illustrated · 4 years ago
Text
Tumblr media
*pulls up a 97-slide PowerPoint* I’m so glad you asked
Ben is an OC co-owned by me and @finnoky! The short of it is that he’s an orphan who Varian helps save from a life of crime, and who later gets adopted by Quirin!
Tumblr media
More about him under the cut:
Age: About 12
Birthday: He has no idea, but thinks it might have been sometime in the autumn.
Likes: Quirin, Varian, farmwork, tending to the sheep, his dog (Achilles), the Challenge of the Brave (spectating and later competing), adventure stories, head pats, strawberries, friendly roughhousing, drawing
Dislikes: Cramped spaces (he’s claustrophobic), people hugging him, carrots, books with complicated words, cold weather, any kind of tight or scratchy clothing
Fun Facts:
Ben meets Varian about nine months after the end of the series.
He’s good friends with Kiera and Catalina! They’re the only kids his age who can beat him in a fair fight.
He eventually grows to be taller than Varian, and absolutely uses that fact to tease him.
He’s an excellent pickpocket, though he hasn’t stolen much of anything since Quirin took him in.
He’s got a knack for drawing— he’s not too good with words, so he finds it easier to express himself with pictures. He’s also a leftie!
He’s been almost adopted several times, but Quirin is the only foster parent who kept him around for longer than a month.
Backstory: Ben is an orphan who’s been given a raw deal in life, and as a result is kinda pissed off at everyone and everything all the time. The orphanage he grew up in was lacking to say the least, and he spent much of his early childhood being routinely abused and neglected, often lashing out in aggression at those he deemed to be a threat (which was most people). He eventually starts getting into trouble with the law and is tossed in prison for multiple counts of petty theft and assault, and it’s around that time that he meets Varian, who is helping to reform Corona’s prison system and is disgusted to see that they’re still punishing children as if they were adults.
He gets Ben out of prison, but the orphanage refuses to let him come back, so Varian convinces Quirin to take him in. Quirin agrees for a few factors: 1. Ben reminds him of Varian when he was going through a rough time, and how Quirin wasn’t able to help him then, 2. He’s not getting any younger and could use some help around the farm (plus Varian has been worried about him getting lonely, now that Varian has basically moved into the castle), and 3. The kid deserves a shot at having a healthy, stable home life.
Ben only agrees to go live with Quirin because trying to survive on the streets is no picnic, and also because he’d really rather not stay in prison for any longer than he has to. He figures that it won’t last, anyway— Quirin will lose patience with him and kick him to the curb, just like every other foster parent/guardian he’s been handed off to. He gets very confused (and a little annoyed) when Quirin turns out to be incredibly patient and willing to give him as many chances as he needs. In response, Ben acts out and does everything he can think of to convince Quirin that he’s rotten to the core, but nothing works.
Ben doesn’t want to get his hopes up or let himself get attached. He manages to annoy everyone else: the other villagers, Varian, even Eugene (who visits sometimes), but never Quirin. The most he ever gets out of him is an irritated sigh.
Throughout all of this, Ben is also finding out that he kinda likes helping out on the farm, and he’s pretty good at it, too. He’s very strong for his age, and a fast learner.... except for one thing: he can’t read. The orphanage had tried to teach him, but it never really clicked and they had long since given up on him, so he just never learned, instead relying on pictures and context clues to figure out the meaning of written words. As he continues to grow more attached to Quirin, he starts wanting to be better, to deserve the love and acceptance Quirin is offering him, so his self-consciousness about reading (among other things he doesn’t like about himself) really starts to bug him.
While he's sociable and generally gets along with other children, he does have the flaw of a short temper. So when he's targeted and called out for his apparent lack of academic intelligence, things get ugly, fast, and he gets in a fight. When Quirin asks later what it was about, Ben is reluctant to tell him, and is even less enthused when Quirin later suggests enrolling him in school.
He eventually admits to Quirin that he’s illiterate, expecting to get belittled or even compared to Varian (who is an actual genius and is kind of intimidating to Ben). But Quirin.... he doesn’t care that Ben can’t read, and even offers to help teach him or find him a tutor if he wants to learn. It’s after letting himself be vulnerable and accepting Quirin’s help that Ben starts to wonder if maybe... maybe he has a shot at being part of a real family.
He starts to let himself feel at home in Old Corona, thinking (or rather hoping) he’s found somewhere he belongs... as much as he hates to admit it, he really likes it here. So he tries to keep on the straight and narrow so he can stay longer, even making an effort to be nicer to Varian (who is more than happy to help him with his reading and is the one to introduce him to the Flynn Rider series). For the first time, Ben’s future is looking bright.
Until he loses his temper again.
On a visit to the capital, he passes by his old orphanage and gets in an argument with one of the kids he used to know (and wasn’t on particularly good terms with). The argument quickly gets personal, and then physical, and Ben takes it way too far— by the time the guards arrive on the scene to break it up, the kid Ben was fighting is a bloody, mangled mess, about a minute away from passing out. The guards don’t care what awful things that kid said to Ben; all they care about is that this boy with a history of violence and petty crime just savagely attacked another child, and Ben is swiftly arrested and taken to the dungeons.
At this point, Ben has cooled down enough to realize just how serious his situation really is. Even if they let him out of prison to go back to Quirin, he’s sure this is the last straw and that Quirin won’t want anything to do with him— he’s violent and dangerous, and no matter what he does he can’t seem to stay out of trouble, even when he really does try his best to be good. He hates himself for blowing his one chance at finding a home and family, and consoles himself by thinking that it was only a matter of time and at least the wait is over (boy’s got some raging self-loathing issues if you haven’t noticed).
Varian gets word that Ben’s been arrested and heads down to the dungeons to hear his side of the story, but Ben is too ashamed to even look him in the eye. Ben was told by the guards that, although he won’t be left to rot in the dungeons or thrown onto a prison barge (as per the new regulations regarding juvenile justice), he’ll be sent away to a correctional facility for delinquents— aka, reform school. Ben has no idea what to expect, but based on what the guards have been saying about it (very loudly, just outside his cell), it sounds no better than regular prison.
Varian is having absolutely none of this and contacts Quirin to tell him what’s going on— Quirin is up at the castle within the hour to try and bail Ben out, or at least renegotiate his sentence. However, since Quirin is not yet technically related to Ben— for the past year or so, he’s legally been closer to a parole officer than anything else— the law states that he can’t actually do much to interfere with Ben’s bail or sentence, especially since the boy is a repeat offender and is now classified as a menace to society.
Instead of giving up on the situation, Quirin decides to become Ben’s legal guardian right then and there, whipping out the adoption papers he’s been keeping in his vest for weeks— he’s been wanting to ask Ben if he’d like to be adopted for a while now, but he could never find the right moment. Now seems to be as good a time as any.
It takes a day or two to sort things out (Nigel and Fred both aren’t too keen on releasing a violent criminal for any reason, even if that criminal is like twelve), but Varian is able to pull some strings with Raps and Eugene to give Quirin full guardianship over Ben. Meanwhile, Ben is expecting he'll be shipped off any day now— when he sees Varian come back down to the prison with a guard, he expects it's to say goodbye... not to remove his shackles and lead him back upstairs to the throne room, where Quirin and Rapunzel are waiting beside a stack of paperwork. They only need one more signature to make the adoption official: Ben’s.
Luckily, Varian and Quirin have been helping him practice writing his name, and once he signs, Quirin tosses Raps the bail money (which she had whittled down to like two coins) and they head back home— Ben’s permanent home.
Ben’s story is a result of many many rambles between me and Feen on Discord, and I don’t think we’re gonna be stopping anytime soon— Ben is such a fun OC to flesh out XD
Feen and I are actually running a Q&A for Ben over on Feen’s Instagram story, y’all should go check it out!
102 notes · View notes
xxx-und34d-m3lod1c-xxx · 4 years ago
Text
BIG Anakin x Padme ita bag update!...
This ones a doozy because four of the pins I ordered came in! Also, this might be the last one for a while because I can’t afford pins till I get payed again T. T XD. Anyway, without further ado, onto the pin bag!
So to start off with I ordered these super cool Tsum Tsum pins second hand off Mercari. I’m pretty excited about this because these are my first official Disney Star Wars pins (I think lols). I was happy to get the Tsum Tsum ones because I really loved Tsum tsum when they came out. I have the Elsa, Minnie, and Goofy in the medium size and I’m tempted to get the mini Anakin and Padme plush tsum tsum. Should I? Sorry I get so sidetracked during my posts xD. For simple pins. I think these ones are really cute and make a great addition! ^_^
Tumblr media
So these next ones I was incredibly excited about. I had to buy them second hand but here is a screenshot of the Etsy page you can find them on. They have a ton of other Star Wars pins (their Ashoka one is REALLY cute). But I was so excited to get these cause they are just so beautiful and they were one of the first pins I knew I wanted before I decided I was gonna redo my backpack in the first place! Absolutely in love with them and I like that they can also face each other. Major cuteness overload!!!!
Tumblr media Tumblr media
So here is the bag so far!
Tumblr media
I’ve been thinking about decorating the front leather part because it seems a bit bland. Maybe sewing lace around the heart or sewing some Star Wars patches on it. If you guys have any cute ideas let me know! I was even considering replacing the clear panel with one that wasn’t sparkly but I can’t decide o_o!! Thank you for checking out my post! It means a lot to me and I hope you enjoyed it!! :3
14 notes · View notes
theriverpersonshadow · 4 years ago
Text
Lamia Drama Part 7
As always, the species depicted in this belong to @vex-bittys 
FINALLY TROUSLE IS HERE! >:D The only ACTUAL bitty of the bunch XD
It ends with friendship, but warning, this chapter’s kinda sad at the middle. Poor boy...
< PREV | BEGINNING | NEXT >  
         Trousle was doing circles in the Papython enclosure up from, making sure his scales were extra shiny for everyone who came to look! His armor was polished, his posing practiced, and bones an excellent shade of white! Admittedly he’d cheated a little bit and stolen some whitening toothpaste to roll around in (plus it made him smell minty!), but he had to show off the best he could with his looks!
           Because he didn’t have a voice.
           No, that wasn’t fair to say. The nice people at the shop had gotten him a little phone and speaker so people could hear him, and he had gotten positively great at the art of typing! But he couldn’t quite live up to the chirps and “Nyeh”s of his breatheren…
No, that’s silly! They’d just gotten chosen first! He’d get his time! Eventually! Sure, not many went for Papythons when they wanted a nice, quiet companion, but that just meant he had to work a little extra! Even if he had been here seventeen years already, that surely meant his time was soon! Right? Any day would be the day! It’d never be the day.
           A little girl walked up, eyes wide as she bounced on her feet. The other Papython greeted her with a chorus of “Nyehs” and curious chirps. Well, those that weren’t too busy chasing a little ball around the enclosure or “hunting” a teddy bear. Trousle himself slithered to the front as well, typing on his little keyboard until an electronic “Hello small human!”
           But it was drowned out by a chorus of the rest:
           “Nyeh!”
           “Oh! They small! I small!”
           “We’re all small!”
           “I didn’t know hair could be red!”
           “You match my tail!”
           “So so cute!”
           “Cute cute friend!”
           “Hello human!”
           That said, the little one’s eyes – big, brown eyes – were locked on him and his little keyboard. Trousle’s soul flipped in his chest and he tried again, typing into his phone. “Hello small human!”
           “Oh! She likes you?”
           “Great!”
           “Congratulations!”
           “Nyeheheh!”
           His friends, the other Papython, backed off enough to give him a little space to show off. They knew he’d been here a while, and all but the youngest (who hadn’t gotten the hint and had to be dragged away) backed off a little so he could show off. Trousle pressed to the glass, waving hello and letting out a breathy attempt at a chirp.
           “Hehehe! Mommy look! This one’s got a little computer!” The kid said. She put a hand to the glass and Trousle eagerly pressed his head and hands on the other side. “Can I say hi?” The child said, looking at her mom.
           Chris, one of the up-front workers, came over and smiled, “You’re interested in Trousle? I’m sure he’s happy to hear that, aren’t you?”
           Trousle nodded enthusiastically, trying his best to reach up out of the tank, but of course it was made specifically so they couldn’t just get out and run everywhere during the day time – briefly they had tried that model, but the Mambas complained it was unfair that some bitties could roam free and not others, and when that happened they had to give several shots of antivenom over the next month while they tracked down all the more poorly-behaved bitties; the person who decided that letting all the Mambas and Corals roam free was a good idea was chewed out by Nikolai and promptly fired, but everyone had to stay in tanks while the shop was open after that.
           The child’s mother came over and looked at Trousle. Trousle, hoping to please, puffed himself up and waved hello before rolling onto his back all cute-like, wiggling his tail. A bit infantile perhaps, but there is no harm in a bit of silliness! The little girl giggled and stuck her tongue out. Trousle flicked his out too and she giggled. So cute!
           “Which one is that?” The mom asked.
           “That’s Trousle. Would you like to hold him? He’s very friendly.”
           The mother nodded and Chris lowered his hand for Trousle to wrap around, lifting him so that the mom could hold him. Trousle wrapped around her arm – not too tight of course – in a big hug, nuzzling her hand. “Well aren’t you sweet?”
           “Oh oh oh! You’re sooooo cute! I’m Mia!” The kid, Mia, said, hopping up and down on her little feet and making grabby hands for him.
           “Can you say Mia?” The mother said in that little baby-voice.
           Trousle’s soul sank and he glanced over at his abandoned phone. He couldn’t just say no, but he literally couldn’t say anything.
           Chris came to his “rescue” by saying, “Ah… Trousle’s mute I’m afraid.”
           “Ah. Shame… Poor thing,” the mother said, something cold and disappointed in her voice. She gave that all-too familiar sigh that made his soul run cold. He tried hugging more, but she was already scanning the other Papython.            “Can we keep him?” Mia said, little curls of ginger hair bouncing.
           Trousle uncoiled, trying to reach for her, but the mother was already moving, putting him back with the rest.
           “You don’t want that one sweetie. He wouldn’t make much of a companion, being all quiet and always on that phone. Why don’t you say hi to one of the others? Or maybe the Pygmys, I’ve heard they’re playful!” There was a bit of fuss from Mia, but her mother brought her to the Pygmys, not sparing a glance back.
           “Are you alright?” Chris asked. “Sorry, but…”
           “It’s okay.” Trousle typed, even though it very much wasn’t. But it’s not like it was the first time, just the first in a while for him. He’d been so close. But no one looking for a Papython wants a quiet companion or one that’s on the phone a lot. If they want something more quiet, there are Honey-Bos, Cornies, Chains, and some of the Kings even, but not Papython. But, of course, those looking for a quiet bitty to just play games with probably couldn’t handle his levels of excitement and activity.
           But oh well. There were worse things. The shop was mostly good, and he’d been here so long it’d be absolutely weird to leave at this point.
           The other Papython gathered around him to try to cheer him up, but he just wanted to be alone after that, maybe nap for a little bit. Before he could settle in though, one of the other workers came to scoop him and his little system up, Gracie.
           “Nikolai wants you lil dude,” Gracie said. “I think they’re doing some DnD stuff? A bit of a weird time for it, but the boss man was insistent, and I ain’t gonna tell him no.”
           Nikolai belonged to the owner, but she was getting older. In her absence, Nikolai… Well, he wasn’t officially in charge, but he’d been there longest, knew how it ran, and had venomous fangs and a long, powerful tail, two traits most people wouldn’t argue against even if he’s a caring person at heart. He didn’t quite wear his heart on his sleeve, but it usually didn’t take too long for it to show through. It was more like he wore his heart on his undershirt or something – you had to go through a layer or two, but it wasn’t the best hidden.
           Trousle hid partly in her sleeve as he was brought to the back. While he was used to humans and their general size, something about being surrounded by big lamia he didn’t know was a bit nerve wracking. Nothing was sized for him back here, but his friends would never leave him behind! He just has to get to them first.
           Nikolai was sitting in the break room, sipping a hot cup of extra-spicy chai tea while Keith had a Mountain Dew next to him. Gracie sat Trousle on the table, and Keith slid a shotglass of hot chocolate with marshmallows his way.
           “Where’s Hux and Liam?” Trousle typed, head quirked to the side. If Nikolai had coffee, Keith had Mountain Dew, and he was getting hot chocolate, it was clearly a DnD day, even if it was wildly off schedule – they usually didn’t play during work hours, given that there was, well… work. Also, Keith had some player manuals on the table and his DM screen among them.
           Speak of the devil…
           “Where’s the broad?” Hux huffed as he slithered in, arms crossed.
           “Just listen a second,” Keith said… and then said nothing else.
           Trousle was, naturally, confused, and Hux visibly was too, but then he heard an unfamiliar woman’s voice: “Warlocks are one of my favorites – patrons are basically built in lore – but Druids are a mood and Martials can be fun too. Sometimes you just wanna smash stuff with a big hammer, y’know?”
           “Her voice carries,” Nikolai said.
           Keith chuckled, “She’s just excited I bet. I’m pretty sure you, Mister works with literal babies all the time, are the last person who can’t handle someone being a little loud.”
           Nikolai chuckled, rolling his eyes, “I wasn’t complaining. Just a statement.”
           “Anyways, Glitterass wants to meet her at his enclosure first. Y’know, like a drama queen,” Hux said. “He’s pretending he can’t get out still.”
           Almost in unison, Keith and Nikolai said, “We’re coming.”
           “Me too?” Trousle typed, then made “pick me up” hands.
           Nikolai lowered his arm for Trousle, “You too.”
           “I’m getting my freaking coffee,” Hux said. No doubt he’d get it with half a scoop of sugar, make a quarter of it milk, add two servings of cinnamon, and then a tablespoon of chocolate. It was his favorite.
           “C’mon then,” Keith said, leading the way with his hands tucked in his pockets like he always did when he was either nervous or excited. Trousle wasn’t sure which, but agreed with him either way.
9 notes · View notes