#I'm tired of having problems next one is bye bye

[arttsuka]

[henrioo]

°•*⁀➷ CROCOBABY: CROCODILE

꒰ SYNOPSIS ꒱ : "There is only one person that Crocodile would get down on his knees and fulfill every wish without hesitation, you, his little and only son"

꒰ WARNINGS ꒱ : Dad! Crocodile, PLATONIC STORY! NO ROMANCE! Dad and son's relationship, the reader doesn't have a specific age but he is a small child, Cross guild spoilers, child reader loves circus, just parental cuteness and stuff

꒰ WC ꒱ : 1,2k

꒰ NOTES ꒱ : This another stories of a time I only wanted to write about Crocodile, those last times I only want to write for Killer and him, but since I had more ideas for Crocodile I wrote more of him. My finished stories are ending so I'm back writing again, finishing the ask and seeing what I'm going to do next, maybe I will open my request soon but no promises, bye

You coughed, turned again in your bed and finally decided that you weren't going to be able to go back to sleep. You yawned rubbing your eyes with your small hands as you sat up in bed, you looked around the beautiful room you shared with your father. Although you were the one who spent most of your time in that room, so your father had made the necessary changes so that you wouldn't be bored in a place full of adult things.

You now had your own table to study at, your own corner with toys, even an armchair for your size. Furthermore, there were several books that could distract you, it might not be paradise for most children but you were never very demanding, you had toys and other activities and that was more than enough to entertain you for hours. Besides that, when your father was in a good mood he would let you watch the activity at the circus where you lived, it was always such a colorful and lively spectacle that you were mesmerized by everything. Your father hated the circus, but he had made sacrifices for you for your enjoyment, the truth was that more and more of you two went to watch the shows just because he wasn't able to resist the enchanted face of his little son.

Yawning, you moved through the various scarves, furs and other cloths that were always on your bed. Partly to protect you from the cold and partly because you moved so much that your father got tired of always covering you up again, so he just covered you with lots more cloths to make sure you were still covered even if you tossed and turned all night.

You had a little trouble getting out of bed, but you were soon on the floor, your fuzzy socks keeping you from feeling cold. It wasn't long before several of the circus crew saw a child walking around in green banana pajamas and dragging a huge crocodile stuffed animal with him, of course everyone knew who that child belonged to so it wasn't any problem. All the Cross Guild pirates were very kind to you and were always giving you sweets or doing little tricks, you really liked them but your father not so much, so he always made sure you had as little contact with them as possible. He always said that if you spent too much time with them you would become as dumb as Buggy, you didn't understand exactly what that meant.

Luckily the door to your father's office was just ajar, you pushed it with both hands and entered the room. It was similar to his father's old office but was a little smaller and more minimalist, probably because it wasn't very safe to have so much furniture on a ship that could face huge storms. So even now on land his father didn't have many decorations taken from the ship's office.

Crocodile didn't even look up from his papers when the door opened, it was probably Mihawk or Buggy since they had a meeting scheduled this evening, if it weren't them then it would be Mr.1 reporting to him. However, when no one said anything and the door remained open he was slightly confused, he looked up and found no one, his eyebrows were furrowed as he thought of a punishment if it was a prank by Buggy. But to his surprise, all that happened were two little hands pulling his coat trying to get his attention.

“Daddy, lap, daddy” you called for him softly, you were tired and it was obvious that you had just woken up.

"What are you doing here? It’s past your bedtime” he asked with a slightly more affectionate tone that he used specifically for you. Of course it wasn't even close to an extremely loving voice, but it was gentle and calm, an extreme compared to his harsh and aggressive voice towards others. “You should be in bed.” He blew the hair from your forehead as he let you lay against his chest, he had to hold you with his hook arm but you seemed extremely comfortable sleeping on him. It had been a little over an hour since he had put you to sleep and he definitely didn't expect to see you here.

“I can’t sleep” you yawned as you held your crocodile plush tighter and leaned on him, you were lying half sideways against his chest. This reminded the adult of when you were a little baby, he would always hold you regardless of what he needed to do, you were a very needy baby, always crying when he left you alone... maybe he missed how little and needy of his attention you were.

“Do you want me to put you to bed again?” Crocodile was ignoring that he had a meeting soon, the other two pirates could wait, after all his little sand prince would always be his priority.

“No… I'll be right back… I just want… to stay here for a little while” you yawned and finally closed your eyes and relaxed completely against your father. You were already big, but now curled up in his arms with a face so relaxed you almost looked like a baby again.

Sighing Crocodile couldn't hold back his smile, of course he was quick to hide it not wanting anyone but you to see this. He covered you with the huge coat he always wore and went back to his paperwork, he would take you to his bed soon, he would just enjoy this peaceful time with you a little more.

He only realized that a lot of time had passed when Mihawk, Buggy and Mr.1 were entering the office. The clown was shouting and complaining about something while Mihawk ignored him, Daz was holding some papers and approached his boss's desk more quickly. Obviously he was quick to notice the strange bulge hidden beneath his coat, before he could question it he saw his little hand clinging to his father's shirt, he almost smiled but that didn't suit him.

“Do you want me to take the young master to the room?” He asked as he placed the papers on the table and the mention of another person in the room made Mihawk and Buggy shift their attention to Crocodile.

“No, I'll take him after the meeting” he dismissed the support, even though Mr.1 had been his babysitter for the last few months, there were things that the pirate refused to let others do with his son. These were things that only he, the father, had the right to do.

"I see we will have a little guest today" Mihawk said with a gentler air as he sat down, it was strange but the swordsman didn't hate children. A few times he had even seen the two of you interacting while Dracule told you about some island he had been to.

“Oh, that explains his calmness” Buggy sighed a little relieved knowing that Crocodile would never be cruel or scary in front of him.

“Shut up and let’s get this over with, I have other matters to deal with” the hooked man said harshly. Everyone agreed but deep down it wasn't difficult to realize that your father had a huge soft spot for you... And well, you weren't complaining about that.

[heavyhitterheaux]

“If you roll your eyes one more time.” For First Lady and Jack

From the moment you had woken up, it seemed as if you had an attitude with everyone and everything including your loving husband who was thoroughly confused by the entire thing. The previous night, the two of you had taken a bath together and watched a movie after putting all the kids to bed in their respective rooms. You fell asleep halfway through the movie and cuddled up to Jack the rest of the night. 

He guessed that he could blame it on your pregnancy mood swings, but he wasn't so sure. One minute you couldn’t keep your hands off of him and the next moment, you wanted to be by yourself surrounded by a tower of cheese curls. You were now in month seven of carrying your twins and everything on your body hurt and you were constantly annoyed.

Jack felt like he was walking on eggshells the entire day thinking that you were mad at him and it started when he told you that he was leaving out for a meeting and that he would be back in about an hour or so.

“Baby, I'll be back soon. But if you need anything just call me, okay?” He told you as he reached down to place a kiss on top of your head. You instantly let out a huff and rolled your eyes which made Jack turn up his nose.

“Is something wrong, babe?”

“Nope.” Was all you responded as you then turned on the TV to watch Netflix.

“Obviously there is because of that huff you just let out.”

“Jackman, you have somewhere to be so I suggest you get there. Don't be late on my account.”

“Yes, I will be late on account of you. You're my wife last time I checked and I want to make sure that you're okay.”

“I'm fine. Bye.” You said as you were struggling to adjust the pillow behind your back and Jack quickly did it for you. 

“Not leaving until you tell me you love me.” Jack said and you rolled your eyes once more.

“You know I do.”

“So? I still want to hear it.”

“I love you, Jackman Thomas, now get out of my sight.”

“Um, okay. Not what I was expecting. I love you too.”

It was now ten at night and there you were sitting with your arms crossed against your  chest as Jack walked into your shared bedroom from checking on the triplets and Nova.

“Baby?” He started to say and you instantly rolled your eyes, for Jack that was the absolute last straw.

“If you roll your eyes one more time….” He said and your eyes immediately snapped up in his direction.

“You’ve had a damn attitude from the moment your ass opened your eyes this morning and I’m tired of it. So what the hell is the problem? Are you mad at me? I obviously did something because every time I open my mouth, you roll your eyes at me. I will fuck that attitude out of you. So, out with it. NOW.”

“You got me pregnant…..”

“Um, yes? I know, babe. I was there when it happened the last time I checked. I was an active participant."

“I should roll my eyes again for you saying that. You got me pregnant and my body fucking hurts and I’m swollen and look like Shamu the whale.”

“And you’re mad at me about that? And you do not look like a whale so stop saying that.”

“Well who else can I get mad at? You’re the one who did it. And when you did the laundry last week, you shrunk my fuzzy pink socks that I’ve had since I was pregnant with the triplets and you know that those are the only ones I wear when I’m pregnant! I’m so just fat and tired of this. My belly is so heavy, I crave KFC all the time and I want to throw up at the thought…”

“Not too much on KFC now….”

“Shut up, Jackman and let the pregnant woman finish. As I was saying, carrying a mixture of genders is different than carrying just one. When it was the triplets, I was swollen but not like this. Nova, I didn’t even know about until it was damn near my due date, these boys are kicking my ass. I am DONE after this.”

“Baby, I’ll buy you more socks. I can fix that problem, but I can’t make them come out any faster. They still have to bake.”

“Did you just compare our children to bakery items?”

“They’re in a warm, safe environment, so same thing?”

All you did was stare at him as you sighed.

“Is there anything else I can do for my wife to make her feel better?” He asked as he scooted closer to you and kissed your cheek.

“No, and I’m sorry that I was a brat earlier. I just wanted you to stay with me all day, but I know you can’t do that.”

“Uh, yeah the hell I can. Meetings can wait. I have one wife and if she needs me, she needs me. Not you getting mad and having an attitude because you wanted me all to yourself today.”

“I always want you to myself. I can’t wait until this pregnancy is over.”

“It’ll be worth it, babe.”

"Sooo.... are you still going to fuck the attitude out of me?" You asked as you glanced over at him and he immediately smirked.

"Lay on your back."

[jalicecookie]

Nap Time

It´s Time for your Afternoon Nap, but you don´t wanna stop playing with the Circleleys! Luckly the Square Guard has the perfect Idea - giving you and your fussy, whinny State to the Masked Officer!

···

"…it's time for the Circeleys to get back to work. They can't stay here and play with you forever"

The voice of the higher-ranking Square Guard reached your ears, but was drowned out by your whimpering.

"No by by! Circleleys!" - you whimpered unhappily, wanting to run after the Circle Guards, which turned out to be difficult, as your friends made a brief hand gesture that meant something like "Bye, little princess" - which didn't really lift your spirits. You didn't want your friends to have to get back to work just yet!

"There, there…if I'm not mistaken, it's time for you to get ready for your afternoon nap, hm?" - said the Square Guard, and as the Circeleys turned around and threatened to disappear from the very colorful room, fear rose within you.

Before the Square Guard could react, you tore yourself away from his hand and ran as fast as your little feet could carry you.

You hug the left leg of one of the three circle guards tightly, not wanting your friends to leave yet.

"Keep playing! Hide and seek? Slide!" you say tearfully, pointing with one hand toward the large slide in the room.

"Me alone slide like… big girl," you add, hoping that this convincing argument of your own will achieve your goal. The Circeleys don't have to work anymore, and you can keep playing with them. And maybe you'll dare to go down the big… very steep slide alone (or maybe not, because you're really afraid of it).

What you didn't notice was the square guard giving the circle guards a nonverbal hand signal not to respond. This was difficult for the Circeleys, because they had taken you into their hearts as quickly as you had them.

"Me, no, no, tired! No, nap! Play!"

The square guard's footsteps approach, and without effort, he releases your clinging grip from the Circeley's leg and picks you up.

"S-Q-U-A-R-Y! wanna play! Circeleys too," you say, the first tears of exhaustion and the urgent need for an afternoon nap clearly evident in your behavior.

Luckily, the square guard has experience dealing with you.

The Square Guard positioned you on his hip and made soothing circular movements on your back, murmuring a few quiet, calming words.

"I get it.....You had fun with the Circeleys, but just as they have to work, your afternoon nap is important to you. Or do you want to be a tired little princess who is in a bad grumpy mood?"

You sniffed loudly and shook your head, leaning a little more into the Square Guard's soothing gestures and words, and looked in the direction where the Circeleys had disappeared.

"But… Hug before nap!" you demand.

Now it was the Square Guard who let out a sigh. That was a different problem.

"The frontman is in Seoul and will be back this evening. I'm afraid that's not…"

You gasp, your eyes threatening to fill with thick tears again as your little hands clutch the fabric of the right sleeve of the Squary's pink uniform… but the next sentence stops you from crying out loud and dramatic about this injustice.

"BUT - can we visit 부대장 budaejang in his office and he can give you a hug?"

"Hmmmm….."

You think about it, you also like the Masked Officer with his pink and black uniform…but he is almost as stern and serious as your Daddah when he's wearing the black Front Men mask…was a hug from 부대장 just as good before nap time as from Daddah?

"Big Hug?"

The Square Guard patted you once on the right shoulder and then left the colorful room.

"Maybe if you ask nicely, you could take your nap in the Masked Officer's office? On the big, dark sofa?"

It was an attempt to keep you under the watchful eye of the Masked Officer, even if only for an hour, so that the Square Guard could have a little… peace. He likes having you around… but sometimes you can be a little complicated when you're fussy and whinny before nap time.

"Big hug and cuddles!" you replied, and as soon as you entered the Masked Officer's small office, the poor man barely had a chance to look up before you threw a tearful "huuuug and cuddles" in his direction and made grabby hands.

"She really wanted to see you, Sir, before her nap time. My hands were tied!" - the Square Guard said, and you were passed from arm to arm, not noticing the critical look the Masked Officer—what the hell is this stupid Square Guard?—was giving the other guard, because you gave him a huge hug and then snuggled up to the man who was like your father, In-Ho's, right-hand man.

"Pinky me no nap…..no ti…..tired….pinky….comfy….no sleepy," - you say quietly with a yawn, not noticing the disapproving frown on the Masked Officer's brow at your new nickname.

He instinctively begins to gently rock you back and forth in his arms like a baby.

Soon, you're asleep, even though you're not tired at all and had no intention of keeping your nap time.

And so, you don't hear the warning words the Masked Officer addresses to the Square Guard , as he continues to gently rock you in his arms.

"If you tell anyone about this, I'll make you disappear faster than the dead players at a red light turn green!"

THE END

[willowsnook]

a Whiskey Hawaiian Punch in a Wine glass please🫶🏽

andrei iosivas x burrow!reader

you're mine, end of discussion

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

You first met Andrei when he tagged along with your brother Joe to an Ohio State football game earlier in the year. As a senior at OSU, you’d been begging Joe to visit during his bye week, and since Andrei had never been to OSU, he decided to join. From the moment you met him, his playful personality and easygoing nature had you laughing the entire weekend. Saying goodbye to him was almost harder than saying goodbye to your own brother.

Joe brought it up over the phone later that week, and when you casually mentioned Andrei was attractive, protective big brother Joe wasn’t thrilled. “Find someone your own age,” he had not-so-kindly warned.

Little did Joe know, you had discreetly slipped your number into Andrei’s phone, and the two of you had been texting regularly ever since. It started off casual, just checking in on each other, but the conversations had grown flirty over time.

When fall break rolled around, you packed your bags to head to Cincinnati for the week, planning to spend time with Joe and interview for a job ahead of your December graduation.

"Hey, smalls," Joe greeted, using your childhood nickname as he pulled you into a hug.

"Hey, Joey. Thanks for letting me crash here this week," you said as he grabbed your bags and carried them inside his condo.

“So, tonight some of the guys are coming over to watch college football. That okay? I figured you might be tired and want something low-key.”

“Yeah, that’s fine," you said, casually asking, "Is Andrei coming?”

Joe shot you a look. “Don’t start with me.”

You giggled and went to unpack. After a long week, a hot shower felt amazing, and you changed into one of Joe's oversized Bengals t-shirts paired with biker shorts that barely covered your butt.

When you walked out to the kitchen, the smell of pizza filled the air, and you said hi to Joe’s friends lounging around, watching the game. Joe immediately narrowed his eyes at your outfit, especially when he caught Andrei checking you out.

Andrei smirked, standing up to greet you. "Hey," you said, smiling up at him as he pulled you into a tight hug.

"I'm glad you're here this week," he whispered in your ear, making you playfully push him away.

"Joe’s gonna kill you," you teased.

"I like my chances," he said with a grin, casting a glance over at Joe, who was glaring daggers.

You caught up with Andrei, chatting for a bit, before Joe cleared his throat behind you.

"What are you guys talking about?" Joe asked, his tone pointed.

Rolling your eyes, you replied, "Just telling him about my classes."

Joe eyed the two of you suspiciously. "You’re standing a little too close to just be talking about classes, don’t you think?"

Andrei took a quick step back. So much for ‘I like my chances.’

"I think the rest of them are heading out," Joe said, giving Andrei a pointed look that clearly hinted at him leaving.

"But Andrei can stay a little longer, right?" you asked sweetly, batting your eyes at Joe.

Joe grumbled but reluctantly agreed, grabbing another slice of pizza. You followed him into the living room and happily sank down onto the couch, noticing Andrei sitting right next to you. As the game played on, you half-watched while scrolling through your phone when you felt a hand on your thigh, hidden beneath the blanket you had pulled over yourself earlier. Andrei’s thumb lazily traced circles on your bare skin, sending a shiver up your spine.

You nestled into the couch, content with the subtle touch, and slowly drifted off to sleep, your head resting on Andrei’s shoulder. Joe, noticing the scene, frowned.

"Man to man," Joe said, breaking Andrei's focus. "What the hell are you doing with my sister?"

Andrei froze, clearly nervous, before glancing down at your peaceful face. "We’re just talking," he finally replied. "But if you really have a problem with it, I’ll stop."

Joe sighed, running a hand through his hair. "No, I can tell she likes you. But if you hurt her, I swear I’ll never throw you the ball again."

Andrei chuckled, the tension easing as he shifted his arm around your shoulders. "I get it, Joe. I won’t hurt her."

Joe stood up, looking slightly sickened by the affection. "Goodnight," he muttered, retreating to his room.

As soon as Joe disappeared, Andrei leaned in closer, knowing you were eavesdropping, his voice low and playful. “You’re mine. End of discussion.”

Your heart raced at his words, a mix of relief and excitement flooding through you. You turned your head to meet his gaze, his brown eyes sparkling with mischief and something deeper. “I’ve been waiting for you to say that,” you admitted, feeling a warm blush creep up your cheeks.

Andrei chuckled softly, brushing a strand of hair behind your ear. “I just had to make sure you knew I wasn’t backing down. I like you too much to let you slip away.”

You bit your lip, feeling a thrill run through you. “Well, good. Because I’m not going anywhere.”

He grinned, the tension between you palpable. Andrei leaned closer, his forehead resting against yours, and you could feel the warmth radiating from him. “So, what now?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

“Now?” you replied, your heart racing. “We get to enjoy this week together. And maybe, you can give me a tour of Cincinnati?”

His smile widened, and you could see the excitement in his eyes. “I’d love that. Just you and me, exploring the city. And don’t worry—I’ll make sure Joe doesn’t find out about any of our adventures.”

You laughed, the sound filling the cozy atmosphere of the living room. “I think he might have a little trouble with that.”

[jennay]

I’m losing it

Request: let's say the reader has to stay at home to look after a sick older relative, but she is neglecting her own life, putting her own life on hold; so Noah pays her a surprise visit so they can spend some time together, so she can have a day to distract herself; just to remind her that she can count on him and that it's okay to allow herself to take care of herself.. That everything will be fine, he's there.

Noah master list

Word Count: 3500ish

No Warnings

An: I Hope this is what you were going for. Enjoy 💜

Noah waited for several rings before he decided it was time to hang up the phone. He texted you several times throughout the day, hoping to get your attention, but it seemed like you were busier than usual lately. He didn't want to be an overbearing boyfriend, but he also needed confirmation that you were okay, and he wouldn't complain about having some other company than the men in his band. He loved them like brothers, but even brothers got annoyed with each other, and while they were on tour, it wasn't like he could escape from them.

Noah laid back on the couch as he turned the TV on. He needed something to drown out his worries.

"What's got your feathers all ruffled?" Jolly asks as he sits on a stool by Noah. He hands Noah a beer, and he gladly accepts his offer.

"Can't get ahold of (y/n)." He pops the lid of his drink.

"She's probably fine, dude. It's like midnight there. Isn't she her Grandma's caregiver? Old people get up early."

Noah sits up, crossing one leg over the other, still staring at the top of his can, debating if he wanted the alcohol because he was stressed or if it was because he would enjoy it. "She didn't text me today." He frowns, checking his phone one last time. "It's not normal."

"Call her in the Morning-"

"Hold on." He said, quickly answering your video call. "Hey!" He exclaims, getting up and walking to the back of the bus, leaving Jolly behind.

He saw you yawn in the dim light of your lamp. "Sorry to wake you up."

You shook your head and stretched on the bed, holding the phone above you. "You didn't. I was just about to sleep. Sorry, I didn't text you back. I kept forgetting, and I had so much to do today. It's been crazy here, and I feel like I'm losing my mind." You covered your eyes with your hand, trying not to cry. You didn't want to burden Noah with your problems, especially when he was so far away from you. "I should get some sleep." You whispered, removing your hand from your face.

"Baby…" Noah said softly, noticing the tears in your eyes. You looked different. Your eyes were duller than usual, you had dark circles under them, and your cheeks looked hollow.

"Okay," He said gently; he wanted to talk to you more and listen to your day, even if it was chaotic and stressful, but he felt he didn't know the person on the screen. He wondered if it was the camera angle or if you were losing weight again. He felt anxiety at every thought that crossed his mind. Were you sick, was it stress, or was taking care of your Grandma too much for you? It wasn't like you had any breaks, and even when Noah was around and able to help you, it was only for a few minutes while you showered or cooked dinner. There wasn't enough time to relax and care for yourself.

"I love you." He said sincerely. "I miss you."

"I love you more." You said softly, closing your eyes.

"Are you challenging me?" He joked, trying to lighten the mood. "Because you'll lose every time."

You chuckled weakly, and he was glad to see you smile. "I'm too tired to argue with you right now, Love." You pulled the covers over yourself. "I'll talk to you in the morning. Sleep well."

He nodded in agreement, "I will soon. Bye babe, dream of me!"

You smirked, "I always do."

Noah walks to the other guys' lounging, "Where are we going next?"

Nicholas, who took over Noah's previous spot on the couch, gazes up curiously. "Why."

Noah shrugs, "I think I need to go see (Y/n). She looked rough and I’m a little worried."

His bandmates know better than to fight his ideas; once he was on a mission, Noah was not stopping.

"If you left tomorrow and met us out there. It could work, but you'd have what, less than two days to go there, fly out, and make it to the show?" Nicholas tells him.

"Sweet. Well, guess we're making a pit stop."

Your phone alarm buzzed, and you pressed snooze at least three times before turning it off and getting up. The phone read 7 a.m., and you weren't ready for it.

You weren't the type to complain. You never did, especially in this situation. Even when you felt exhausted, frustrated, or lonely, you kept your mouth shut and your smile on. You didn't want to burden anyone else with your problems or make them think you were ungrateful for what you had.

A part of you guilted yourself every time you thought about what it would be like not to have the responsibility of taking care of your Grandma through her decline.

You loved her with everything you had and didn't regret choosing this path, but you wished you had a better understanding when you offered to help.

You wished you knew how hard it would be to see her forget your name, struggle with simple tasks, or lose interest in life.

You wished you had more support, resources, and time for yourself. But you never said any of this out loud.

Making your way to the bedroom bathroom, you start your routine for the morning. You brush your teeth, wash your face, and comb your hair. You look at yourself in the mirror and try to find some confidence in your appearance.

You put on some makeup and a simple outfit that matches your mood. You exit your room and go to your Grandma's room, knocking on the door and waiting for her to respond. You hear her shuffling to the door, and when she opens it, she stares at you with surprise.

You smile wildly, trying to ignore the signs of her not knowing who you are at this very moment. "Hi, grandma, I was coming to get you for breakfast." You hold your hand for her to grab, remembering your previous training classes.

She smiles warmly and takes your hand. You observe her outfit and note that she dressed herself for the day; that usually meant it would be a good morning.

You take her hand and lead her down the stairs, letting her lean on your shoulder as she descends slowly. You feel her grip tighten with every step and squeeze back reassuringly. You reach the kitchen and help her sit at the table, then go to make some coffee and pop some bread in the toaster.

"What do you want to do today?" You ask.

"I've gotta go to work," She tells you. "That Ranch won't take care of itself."

You bite your bottom lip, knowing she hasn't worked in years. "Well," You say, grabbing her toast and coffee for her to bring to her. "You have today off. Grandpa went and asked that I spend some quality time with you. He said you need to have a girl's day with me." You hated lying to her like this, but you knew it was the only way to help her through these things. She was diagnosed with Dementia a year ago, and you'd been taking online classes and seminars in hopes of learning how to cope and help a loved one with the disease.

"Oh," She says, sipping her coffee. "He's such a good man. You know we've been married for 62 years." She smiles, and you wonder what memories are going through her mind. "We were so young, and he was just as handsome as ever."

You bring your coffee over and sit next to her. "I bet! He'd have to be to score a woman like you!"

She giggles at your remark, "Should we see Betty Lou today?" She asks, referring to her sister.

You must think of another lie quickly before she notices something is wrong, or your mood has shifted. "It sounds like you're trying to get rid of me." You joke.

She smiles, tilting her chin to meet your eyes, "You need a husband."

No matter how far gone she'd gotten or aged, she would never stop giving you a hard time about not having a husband. She often forgot about Noah, and when you'd show her pictures, she would gush and tell you how handsome he was and that someday you'd have beautiful babies; she couldn't wait for that day. She once told Noah she knew a priest who could marry the two of you in the kitchen that day, and when you refused, she scolded you.

"I think we should get some baking done today." You say, changing the conversation. "I love those chocolate chip cookies you make."

Her eyes light up at the thought, and she agrees without hesitation. One of her favorite things to do was bake treats for everyone.

When she finishes her coffee and breakfast, you take her plates, and she follows you to the kitchen. You wonder how this will end; the last time the two of you did this, you nearly lost your cool. You tried to be patient, and you tried to be understanding, but you would grow tired and frustrated just as anyone else would.

You put on some music and start gathering the ingredients for the cookies. You hope the familiar activity will calm her down and bring back some happy memories.

You smile as you watch her hum along to the songs she used to sing to you when you were little. You measure the flour and sugar and hand them to her. She pours them into a large bowl and mixes them with a wooden spoon. You take the time to crack the eggs and add them to the bowl, along with some vanilla extract.

You open the bag of chocolate chips and pour some into a small bowl. You hand it to her and tell her to add them to the dough. She looks at you with a puzzled expression.

"What are these?" She asks, pointing at the chocolate chips. She doesn't remember what chocolate chips are. How could she forget something so simple and delicious? You try to hide your sadness and explain to her. "They're chocolate chips, Grandma. They make the cookies taste good. You love them, remember?" She shakes her head and pushes the bowl away.

"No, I don't like chocolate. It's too sweet." She says, making a face. You stare at her in disbelief. She doesn't like chocolate? That's impossible. She used to eat chocolate every day, sometimes even for breakfast.

She would always sneak you some when your parents weren't looking. She would say that chocolate was good for the soul and that life was too short to deny yourself pleasure.

How could she forget that? You feel anger and frustration. You want to scream at her and tell her that she's wrong, that she's not herself, that she's losing her mind. You want to shake her and make her remember who she is, who you are, and who you were. But you know that won't help. You know that won't change anything. You know you must be patient and understanding, even when it hurts.

You take a deep breath and force a smile. "That's okay, grandma." You say, gently taking the bowl from her hands. "We can make something else if you want." You look around the kitchen and see a bunch of bananas on the counter. You remember that she used to make banana bread with you when you were little. Maybe she would like that better. Perhaps she would remember that.

"Hey, how about we make some banana bread?" You suggest picking up a banana and peeling it. "You used to make the best banana bread in the world."

She looks at you with a faint smile. "Did I?" She asks, taking the banana from you and breaking it into pieces.

You nod enthusiastically. "Yes, you did." You say, hoping that she will believe you. "And I'm sure you still do." You grab another banana and peel it, handing it to her. She takes it and adds it to the bowl with the flour and sugar mixture. Add baking soda, salt, butter, and milk, stirring everything together. You hope that this will work out better than the cookies. You hope that this will make her happy. You hope that this will make you happy too.

She is exhausted after a few hours of work, and you gently wipe her hands and change her into comfortable clothes. You tuck her onto the living room couch with her favorite show, I Love Lucy, playing on the TV. You sit beside her and exhale deeply, feeling mentally drained. You tell yourself you'll close your eyes only for a moment, but that moment turns into a deep slumber; opening your eyes feels nearly impossible. You have been sleeping with your door open at night and constantly listening out for your Grandma. It has been hard to sleep sometimes, and it has only worsened as her condition deteriorated.

It's been hard for you to watch her decline and to be her primary caregiver. Today was a good day, but you still felt overwhelmed. Love wasn't always enough. Your eyes snap open when you hear knocking on your front door. You don't bother getting up at first. It is probably the mailman reminding Grandma to check her mail. He does it almost daily, but you open your eyes and get up when the knocking persists.

"I'm coming!" It seems like whenever you need rest the most, you are interrupted.

You open the door, ready to take the mail from the man, but your mouth drops with surprise. You can't believe your eyes.

Noah stands at your front door, smiling and holding his arms out. He pushes through the door and wraps you in a hug. "Surprise!" He says, kissing you, but you're still in shock. "What?" He says, looking at you with amusement. "You're not excited to see me?"

"Noah," You finally say, tears forming in your eyes. "What are you doing here? How did you…?" You pull him back to you, resting your head on his chest, and hold him tighter.

"I just wanted to surprise you." He says casually. "I was thinking we could go out for a little bit." He pulls back, bringing his hand to cup your face.

You can see the worry in his eyes as he watches you intently. His thumb gently brushes the free-falling tear. "I can't, you know that..." You say, glancing over at your sleeping Grandmother. "I can't just leave."

You close the door behind Noah and watch his eyes curiously bounce around the home. "It smells like banana bread."

"We did some baking...and-"

He cuts you off quickly, "Go shower. You have flour all over your shirt, and your aunt will be here soon, so we can go out for the evening."

You open your mouth to say something, but Noah shakes his head, "Go, besides, Grandma loves me. We'll be fine if she wakes up." He leans down, kissing you again before hurrying you up the stairs.

You felt like you were in the shower for hours, but in all reality, it had been 30 minutes. It must've been the longest shower you've taken in a while, and it felt so nice not to worry about anything while Noah was downstairs.

You take your time brushing your tangled hair, putting on a little makeup, and getting dressed up in a lovely summer dress with cute wedged high heels, nothing too fancy or flashy. You don't want to draw attention to yourself or make Noah feel uncomfortable. He is already doing so much for you by being here.

As you walk into the kitchen, you hear dishes clink together and mentally slap yourself, remembering all the dishes you left in your sink. You had been too busy and stressed to deal with them, but now you feel guilty for making Noah do your chores. He is scrubbing away with a smile on his face while your aunt leans against the counter, talking to him. She seems to like him, which is rare for her. She usually disapproves of anyone of the male gender.

"You didn't have to do that." You tell him. You rest your head on his shoulder, wrapping your arms around his waist.

He freezes briefly and then relaxes against your touch. "It's not a big deal, babe." He leans down and presses his lips against your hair, inhaling your scent. "I wanted to help out."

You smile, thankfully releasing your grip from around him. You say hi to your aunt but not much more. You weren't close with your family, and it often showed. You always thought it should be her caring for her mother, not you. But she had her own life and problems, and you had yours.

"Let's get out of here," Noah says as he dries his hands on the stove towel. Sensing the tension, he turns to your aunt, "It was nice seeing you again. We won't be too late."

When you exit the door, you hand Noah your car keys, "Where are we going?"

"I thought we could go downtown, get something to eat, and see where the night goes." He says, opening the car door for you.

You get in and close the door behind you. "I'm so glad you're here." You say, touching his arm. "Thank you for coming."

He pulls out of the driveway, "You don't have to thank me, babe. These are things you do when you love someone."

Noah glances from the road and at you, wondering what's going through your mind now. "I'm kinda worried about you taking this on by yourself." He admits. "I can see it's taking a toll on you."

You feel a tightness in your chest, "I'm okay, Noah. I just need to get into a better sleep routine." You try to sound casual, but your voice cracks.

He rests his hand on your thigh, rubbing your skin with his thumb. "Babe, it's not just the sleep." He looks at you with concern and love in his eyes.

You groan, not wanting to have this conversation with him, "Can we not do this right now?" You wish he would just drop it and let you be.

Noah pulls to the curb next to all the shops and small dinners. He turns the car off, walks to your side of the door, and offers his hand to you. "Well," He says, pulling you out of the car, "I think it's a conversation we need to have." He says as he guides you to the sidewalk. "You're neglecting yourself." Noah sighs when he sees you shutting down, your eyes staring at the ground, and you're hardly paying attention to what he's saying. "You know I'm happy to help, right?"

That gets your attention. Your head tilts up, brows furrowed, and you look at him, annoyed, "It's not your burden. Your job is touring the world and making music, not helping me care for my Grandma."

Noah stops in his tracks, growing frustrated. He pulls your arm back, dragging you to him. He holds both of your hands in his and leans forward, "My first job is taking care of you." He says, voice stern but calm. He wasn't budging on this. He cups your face with his hands and kisses you softly, "I love you more than anything, and I want you to be happy and healthy. Please let me help you." He pleads with his eyes, hoping you will open up to him.

You know he means well, but you feel guilty for putting him through this. You hug him tightly and whisper, "I feel like I have to do everything by myself."

Noah strokes your hair and kisses your forehead, "You don't have to do anything alone. I knew this was a thing from the beginning. We're in this together. Let me show you how much I care." He kisses your temple, "It's you and me against the world."

You look into his eyes and feel a wave of love, "Okay, okay. You win. I'll let you help me."

Noah beams proudly, "That's my girl. Come on, let's get some ice cream. You deserve a treat."

[elly99]

In The Moonlight

Part 1 of 3. Check here for more details.

Can we go where no one else goes? Can I know what no one else knows? Can we fall in love in the moonlight?

An evening in Milan. Another city that you were dragged along to by your parents. Being expats meant that they had to move around a lot for work. It also meant you were well off, but all you really wanted was to settle down. To have a real home.

You were in Italy for the week for vacation, but you'd return to Korea in a few days, where you'd continue to spend who knows how many years having to make new friends and learn another new language. It was tiring. Forming connections with people only for them to be broken in a few years. Adapting to a new culture only to move again when you were finally getting comfortable.

You also never had lasting relationships as a result. And at this point you were afraid of even trying. But the thought of not having to be alone in hotel rooms anymore always kept you hoping for something. Hoping for a real home. A home in somebody special. Though that was probably always going to be just a dream.

An evening in Milan. Another night with your thoughts running wild. You were out on your balcony watching the lights of the metropolis drown out the stars that you'd much rather see. Only the moon survived. Its light beautiful and comforting.

Then you hear a voice interrupt the drone of the city. It was bright and warm. Sweet. How velvet would sound if you could hear it. It was coming from the room next to yours, through the open balcony door. She seemed to be talking to herself, though you figured it was probably to a phone or camera. You recognized Korean but also English with an Australian accent. An interesting mix, you thought.

"And then there's also a really nice balcony!"

You quickly retreat just beyond sight as she walks out, staying within earshot to still be able to listen to her voice. She reverts back to Korean and, though you'd just started learning, you gathered that she wanted to take some pictures but wasn't very pleased with her skills. The ensuing silence hinted that she was taking the photos now and you couldn't help but sneak a peek.

And there she was. The prettiest girl you'd ever seen to match the prettiest voice you'd ever heard. But with her short stature and her hair in a bun you also found her incredibly adorable. Then you notice what she was wearing. All white and all Gucci. Even for you that was a lot, you admitted. She must have been a model for them, attending the fashion show that week.

You were so deep in thought that you didn't notice you'd walked out onto your own balcony to get a better glimpse of her. She waves at you and says a quick, "Hi!" before heading back inside. You wave back but she was already gone. Blushing and covering your face with your hands in embarrassment, you chide yourself for staring.

You hear her say, "Bye, I'll see you tomorrow!" from inside. You stay out on your own balcony for a while, hoping that she'd come back out again eventually, so you could apologize in case you made her uncomfortable. Not hearing anything for a while, you look back at the moonlight and resign yourself to your thoughts again. But right as you're about to head back she reappears.

"Hey! I'm sorry if I was a little loud. I was just filming a vlog."

"Hey, yeah! No problem at all! Sorry for staring. If I was. I can't be sure because I was lost in thought. I was just so, um, curious? About your accent," you half lie. "You were speaking Korean, right? But also..."

"Oh, no worries! And, yeah, it's complicated," she chuckles. "I'm from Australia but I work in Korea and now I'm here for a few days for the Gucci fashion show."

"I can see that," you say, laughing. She laughs, too, and it sounds just as sweet as her voice.

"What about you? What's your business here on this fine evening?" she asks in a mocking tone, keeping up the humorous atmosphere.

"It's complicated," you reply, copying her.

"Care to explain?" she asks with a smile.

"Well, how long do you have?"

"I have all night," she jokes, but something about her eyes tells you she's half serious.

"Ok, give me a few. I'll be right back."

You rush back into your room with the most absurd plan in your head and you called yourself stupid for even considering it. But there was just something about her. A connection. You wondered if she felt it, too. You spent the whole night cursing the universe for how it always ripped your connections apart. But the way she shone in the moonlight made you want to make a new one. It made you reckless. You wanted to get to know her. You were both away from home, on trips that would only last a few days. This would likely be the only time you'd ever see her. So why not do something dumb? What did you have to lose? It was now or never.

You put on your coat and shoes, left your room, and knocked on the door to hers. She opens the door slowly, peeking out from the small gap in the door frame.

"Hey! It's me. I was just wondering if you wanted to... um... go for a walk with me? I know it sounds stupid but I just felt something. Some kind of connection? It might just be me being silly. But I wanted to keep talking with you. This might be the only time we see each other, so I just thought..."

"Hmm, if my manager catches me... or if I'm recognized out there..."

It doesn't seem like she wants to go. But her door is still open.

"And I'm super shy..."

"Oh, yeah, that's completely understandable! It was a ridiculous question anyway. And it's getting late. What was I thinking?" You chuckle nervously, rushing your words. "I-I'm just gonna go..."

"But wait a minute! I wanna go," she says, eyes shifting, not knowing where to look. "I'll go with you."

Her reply freezes you in place. Stunned at her statement, barely believing what you just heard, you stammer, "A-Are you sure?"

"Yeah! Why not? Let's do this."

"Wow, I..."

"Let me just change into a different coat. Something less... um... conspicuous." She laughs and says, "I'll be right back!" then lets the door close behind her.

It was the second time you'd heard her laugh that night and you catch yourself falling for it. Thankfully the door just closed, because you were smiling like an idiot. Smiling because you were sure you'd just met an angel and because she was really coming with you. None of it made sense. But you figured that angels only came to you in dreams anyway.

She comes back out in a blue plaid coat and her hair down. More subdued but just as beautiful. She smiles at you but quickly looks away when your eyes meet. She was indeed super shy. But so were you.

"Let's go! Did you have somewhere to go in mind?"

"The Milan Cathedral is not far from here. Wanna go see it?"

"That sounds lovely!" she affirms, walking by your side.

Now alone in the elevator with her, mirrors on all sides, it was hard not to look at each other. You both fidget nervously but end up making eye contact again. This time you hold it for a bit longer and in the awkward silence you see that she's thinking the same thing. This was happening. You were committed now. In some strange way you were inseparable for the night.

Out on the street you lead the way to the cathedral, while she leads the conversation.

"So! You were going to explain yourself. What are you doing here? Did you keep it to yourself all this time cuz you're trying to kidnap me or something?" She was kidding but you realize that it could be a genuine concern.

"No, no! Of course not! I'm here with family. Just a short vacation."

"So they were with you in the room? Oh my gosh, did they hear me vlogging?"

"Nah, don't worry. They have a separate room. And what would be so bad about them hearing you? You have a really nice voice."

"Aw, thank you! That's really sweet of you."

"I bet you could be a singer."

She laughs to herself. "Yeah, that would be something." After a pause she backtracks. "Wait, so you have a room all to yourself? At that hotel?"

"Yeah, why?"

"You must be..."

"Rich?"

She laughs again. "Yeah. Are you? You must be."

"Well, my parents are. I'm just the fortunate kid who gets unfortunately dragged around wherever they go."

"Why unfortunate? Isn't it nice to see so many different places? Even I don't get to travel that much except for work."

"Well, that's just it. They travel for work most of the time. That means we're constantly moving and I have to adapt to living in different countries all the time."

"That doesn't sound so bad. Experiencing new cultures is always nice!"

"Oh, yeah! Don't get me wrong. It is nice. But then we move when I start to enjoy and get comfortable. When I start making really good friends at school. Then I end up missing so many people or even losing touch with them. It's just a little hard. I mean, I do realize that I am very fortunate. Just not with people I guess."

Awkward silence again as you wait for the traffic light. She doesn't quite know how to answer you, so she asks a new question instead.

"You ever realize how every person you pass by is living their own, very real life? But we pass by so many, maybe make eye contact, and never see them ever again."

"Yeah, definitely. There's a word for that. It's called 'sonder'."

"That's a word?"

"Mmhmm. In the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows. I'll read the definition to you."

You take out your phone and look it up, somehow proud that you were teaching her something new.

"It's 'the realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own—populated with their own ambitions, friends, routines, worries and inherited craziness—an epic story that continues invisibly around you like an anthill sprawling deep underground, with elaborate passageways to thousands of other lives that you’ll never know existed, in which you might appear only once, as an extra sipping coffee in the background, as a blur of traffic passing on the highway, as a lighted window at dusk.'"

"Wow."

"After all that 'wow' is the only thing you can say?"

She laughs yet again. She could only do that so many more times before your heart melted completely.

"I mean what can you say to that, really? Don't act like you had more to say than 'wow' when you first read that. It's just so real."

"Fair enough. But yeah I think about that all the time. All the very real people you could possibly have amazing connections with but you'll just never know what could have been. You'll never get to know them."

"Yeah..."

"So I'm glad I didn't just leave you as that girl vlogging on her balcony. I'm happy you're here with me now."

As the cathedral heaves into view she looks at you and smiles, blushing slightly.

"Me, too."

For a few minutes you stay silent as you find a place to sit and appreciate the majestic monument that stood before you. You settle for a seat around one of the lampposts.

"So tell me! How did you end up in Korea?"

"Oh, I auditioned for a girl group and then..."

"Wait, so you are a singer! I knew it!"

"Yup! I'm just here as an ambassador for Gucci."

"Sorry, I'm new to all the kpop stuff so I probably wouldn't know your group. Or any group for that matter."

"No big deal! We're called NewJeans. I'll play some of our music for you later if you want."

"I'd love that! I actually just moved to Korea, so I'll probably learn a whole lot more about all that soon."

"Oh, really? Why didn't you tell me earlier? That's so cool! What a nice coincidence. Two non-Koreans living in Korea happen to meet in Italy for a night."

Her statement got you thinking. After pondering it for a while you say, "We're here in front of this huge cathedral, so I might as well ask. Do you believe in a higher power?"

"Mmm, I'm not sure."

"Sorry, that may have been too personal."

"No, that's alright. I do think the universe has a way of bringing people together. The right people at the right time. Like how I met my members. And I'm sure you feel that it can take away those people just as easily. But I'd like to think that even if that happens, they'll always stay with you if you really had a connection. They'll always be a part of you. So don't be sad that it's over, be happy that it happened. Or something like that. That's a Dr. Seuss quote, right?"

"Yeah. 'Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.'" And indeed you smile at that thought. "You're right. I'll smile because the universe brought you to me tonight. And even if we might not see each other after tonight, I'll be glad that you happened."

She laughs softly. "Are you always this cheesy?"

"Sorry. I just really liked what you said. Got carried away."

After a few moments of silence she says, "This feels like a dream. Like this shouldn't be happening, but here I am with you, a stranger, yet it feels right. It feels like this time is just ours. Like tonight is whatever we make it and the rest of the world doesn't matter."

"Yeah, I feel that, too." You pause for a few breaths. "It's just sad that tonight will eventually come to an end. We'll eventually wake up from this dream."

"But doesn't that give it more meaning? Knowing that things eventually end is what makes life meaningful, I think. Like, if we were sure we'd meet back in Korea in a few days, would you even have asked me to walk with you?"

"I guess you're right. I probably would've taken it for granted. So again I'll just smile that we have this time together. No matter what happens afterwards."

"And I'll smile that I took a chance with you."

"Let's just make the most of tonight then. Make this our dream together."

"Let's do it."

You spend what feels like hours watching the crowds come and go in front of the cathedral. She shared her music and you shared yours. As the winter night deepened, the wind grew more chilly, but somehow you didn't feel it. Her company was more than enough to keep you warm.

"I love this song! What's it called?"

"Hype Boy! It's really nice, isn't it? We actually have a meme, where if someone asks you a question, you just answer 'NewJeans Hype Boy'."

"So, like, if I ask you, 'Are you feeling cold right now?'"

"NewJeans Hype Boy."

You chuckle. "Gotcha. I see how that could be funny."

Suddenly she lets out a gasp. "Look! The lady over there is selling roses!"

"Wow. This late?"

"I'll buy you one. Hold on."

"I... Wait!" But before you can stop her she's already gone. And as you watch her run excitedly you knew you were falling for her. It was a simple gesture but there was something about her that made it feel like she was buying you the whole world. You see her point towards you as she makes the purchase before running back just as excitedly as she had left.

"She told me you looked like a star in the night and that you deserved more than one. So I bought you a bunch," she says shyly.

"Wow, I... Thank you!" To say that you were overwhelmed would be an understatement.

"And I agree with her. You do seem like a star somehow. Which is why, to answer your question earlier, I'm not cold."

"Me? What about you? You're a whole galaxy!"

Even in the dim light you see her blushing. "Really?"

"Really," you say with a reassuring smile. "Thank you again for these. I love them."

"Sure!"

Then there's silence again for a while.

"I mean, technically we both are stars. Or at least made of stars. Stardust. With their dying breaths old stars explode and release all the elements needed for life into the universe. I've always found comfort in that thought. That's why I like to look up at the stars."

"Is that why you were out on the balcony?"

"Yeah. Until a different star caught my eye."

"Oh, please!"

You giggle at the way you make her shy.

"Now that I think about it, it's similar to what you said earlier. Even when things end, good things can come of them. Just think: there was a star billions of years ago that exploded and its remains eventually coalesced and formed the earth. And then us. And now we're here together."

"That's beautiful."

Quiet returns as you both sit on those thoughts. After a while longer of watching the tourists snap their last pictures for the night and snickering at the locals who scoffed at them, she breaks the silence.

"I love the way the people dissolve into the background. Against the canvas of the city. You know how when you watch a time lapse the environment stays still while everything else moves like a blur. It's like the environment is more resilient to the passage of time."

"I guess that's just how human life is. Sort of quick and transitory. And I think I can relate to that even more. I feel like my life has just been a bunch of snapshots. Blurring together all the places I've been. All the people I've lost..."

She turns to you with a saddened expression.

"But after tonight, after this time with you, I know to make the most of it."

Her frown turns into a smile. "Yeah. It's not so bad that tonight is our only night. Even if it's just a fleeting moment in our lives. I'm so glad to have met you."

"Me, too. Let's just treasure the blurriness and awkwardness of life."

She nods in response and eventually looks back at the cathedral.

"Hey, you don't even know my name, do you?"

"What if we just don't share our names? We said we'd keep tonight like a dream after all."

"I like that."

You exchange smiles but behind them there was something more. You'd exchanged something deeper. A night together. A connection. A communication between the deepest parts of your souls.

"You wanna head back? We should probably get some sleep. I have a plane to catch tomorrow."

"Oh, you're leaving tomorrow?" A hint of sadness in her voice.

"Yeah."

"Sounds good," she replies. "Let's go."

On the way back to the hotel only a few words are shared between the two of you. But that was ok. There was a certain comfort in the silence. A certain comfort in the fact that although you didn't get to know each other's names, favorite colors or food, or what you liked to do on the weekends, you did get to know each other's hearts.

As you approach the door of her hotel room you feel a weight start to build in your chest. Was this really it? You answer yourself out loud.

"I guess this is it."

"Yeah, I guess so," she says as she opens the door and steps through. She turns back around with a smile that came from her heart. "Thank you for tonight. It was amazing."

"And thank you! You helped me change my perspective on a lot of things and for that I'll always be grateful. Tonight was so special."

She already has her hand on the doorknob but she can't bring herself to close the door. Her eyes dart from the floor, to you, then back to the floor. Finally, she makes eye contact with you and you see something like longing in her gaze.

"You wanna... come in? Stay with me for a while?"

You chide yourself for even entertaining the thought. This wasn't right. How could it be? You'd just met. But you also agreed that tonight would be a dream. A dream you both shared and made together. You weren't going to back down now. All you had was tonight.

"NewJeans Hype Boy," you say with a grin.

She had to cover her mouth to muffle her laughter in case she woke up the whole hallway. "Nice one. I thought we were having a moment there and you pull that one on me. But is that a 'yes'?"

"Of course. I'd love to stay."

For the first time that night she takes your hand and pulls you through the doorway.

You spend the time together on her balcony, talking about anything and everything, continuing to listen to each other's music, looking up at the moon. And with her in the moonlight you thought you felt something like love.

But there was that inevitability. Eventually you had to go.

As you stood at the doorway, preparing to leave, it was you this time who couldn't close the door. You couldn't let her go. Not after tonight.

"Hey, I... I don't want to do this. I know we said we'd keep tonight special, like a dream, but I don't want to lie to myself. I don't wanna lie to you. I can't do this. This can't be the last time. Can we..."

"Meet again?" She holds your hand gently and looks up at you.

You nod in response.

"I was hoping you'd say that. I don't think I could've let you go, either."

Then, to your surprise, she pulls you back in through the door and wraps her arms around you. An embrace so warm, not just because of her coat, but because she wanted you to stay. And from then on your lives were inextricably linked.

"Here's my phone. Give me yours."

As she enters her number you try to catch her name but she quickly moves your phone out of sight.

"Let's stick to the deal. We're strangers for tonight. Don't look until tomorrow, ok?"

You can only smile and nod at her proposition. Whether she was aware of it or not, she had done everything right that night to make you fall for her.

"I'll be quite busy tomorrow and I know you'll be on a plane, but text me when you can."

"I will. Thank you again for tonight. It meant everything to me."

"No, thank you! You made tonight unforgettable." And there goes her smile again. Tugging at your heartstrings.

You open the door for the last time and step out of her room.

"Good night."

"Good night! Sweet dreams!"

Back in your own room you knew you had no need for sweet dreams. She was the sweetest dream you could possibly have had that night. You fall asleep knowing you had fallen for her completely.

And when you wake up the next morning you knew that she wasn't just a dream. She was real. As real as the roses beside your bed. Because her number was in your phone. And her name was Hanni.

[chronicsolasapologist]

"Bog Bodies" in a nutshell, generic spoilers under the cut. Form of this post is heavily inspired by @evanhereonearth summary of Solavellan events because omg it was amazing and I had to do it for my fic.

Solas: plan is fucked, not going well, corypheus alive, random dalish elf with an anchor, ok i can manipulate him into saving this world from being TORN IN HALF AND BLIGHTED BY A BATSHIT CRAZY DARKSPAWN MAGISTER or else everyone is gonna die ok no biggie no pressure

Inquisitor’s twin sister: *storms skyhold, causing havoc bc lil bro needs protection also what the fUCK is happening and why am i not invited to this party*

Inquisitor’s twin sister: yo my name is Pav’ra and am deeply dalishly religious and i’ll be glued to Inky’s side always nice to meet u but not really cause ur sus and idk ill keep my eye on you

Solas: …

Solas: shit alright i can work with that i can work with that why can’t shit just stay on track for a minute tho

Pav’ra: i kinda hate your vibe ngl

Solas: you’re not the first tbh ok and your dalishness is pissing me off so right back at u

Pav’ra: *can’t sleep* ok ig im gonna bother the hobo apostate bc reasons

Pav’ra: *stands in Solas’ room in the middle of the night like a scary victorian child*

Solas: holy shit what the- ok just do this and buzz off u motherless nug

Pav’ra: thanks but you're still suss now bye i need to dwell on my trauma

Solas: …

Solas: ok i'll manipulate her to affect Inky in ways I need

Pav’ra: *prays to Fen’harel so they don’t get cursed into oblivion for disrespect*

Solas: well if this isn’t awkward

Solas: *guilt regret guilt regret guilt regret*

Solas and Pav’ra: *talk about Evanuris, elves and shit and kinda bonding but frequently getting pissed at each other bc they are both prideful and unable to compromise*

Solas and Pav’ra: ok but why are you kinda…

Solas and Pav’ra: nvmmmmm

Alistair: yeaaaah so we have a problem also hi Lavellan twins long time no see

Pav’ra: ALISTAIR!!!

Inky: Alistair :|||

Inky: ig we gotta go to the western approach also i am so tired of this shit why am i in charge i hate everything about this

Pav’ra: *tries to sneak out at night to scout the still ruins for like rift magic thingie and study them*

Solas: what the fuck r u doing also why do we always meet at night can u just chill for a moment

Pav’ra: no but come with me and i can show you smth ;)))

Solas: *sad and lonely and also she’s kinda hot so ok* uhhh yeah sure i am so gonna like, manipulate you for my reasons, ok i go

Pav’ra and Solas: fluff

Pav’ra: *is nosy and actually bad at being sneaky*

Solas: heh ;))) tbh im kinda into that

Pav’ra: shut up and we’ll never mention this again

Wardens: *blood magic demon army shit* hi :))))

Solas: WHY THE FUCK WOULD U DO THAT do you all want to dIE and also i am so mad for reasons i cant explain without revealing who i really am but holy fUCK

Pav’ra: idk i kinda like them also how dare u insult alistair fight me now

Solas: *rolls nat 20 vicious mockery*

Pav’ra: *gasp*

Pav’ra: *bullies Solas* also i fucked around with a spirit in the Fade now bye

Sera: Fade boobies?

Solas: wait what

Solas: *eavesdropping on Inky and Pav’ra arguing* there might be more to it than her just being a fucking asshole ig i need to investigate but first

Solas: hi inky i need help

Inky: sure yes ofc everyone does what do u need

Solas: my spirit friend got snatched away

Inky: ofc they did ok pack ur bags we are going also u owe me a beer for this one

And the rest is in the making~ I'm so excited for the next chapter ngl, hihihi

[hedgiwithapen]

Toph and zuko “I thought we were friends” and “wasn’t I worth a goodbye?”

"Where are you going?" 

Toph can feel the familiar footsteps as Zuko approaches, which is good, considering the way his voice echoes in the open hallway. She doesn't bother to turn around. 

"What does it look like?" she asks, an edge to her voice she's too tired to conceal. 

"Like you're about to walk into a wall," he says, and Toph smirks at the sense of confusion in his voice. 

"Into, through," she shrugs. "Why do you care?"

"Why do I--" Nothing burns, but she can smell the singe anyways. "I thought we were friends. You're sneaking out in the middle of the night--"

"I'm not sneaking," Toph cuts him off. "And it's not my fault you people think the middle of the night is a weird time to be up."

"Did something happen?" she hates the worry in his voice. 

"No. And that's the problem." She frowns. His foot, in a fancy silk slipper, slides backwards on the polished floor, a tiny whisper of noise her bending catches better than her ears. "I can't live like this. There's too many people, and they're all--bustling. Sweeping the floor I'm walking on, acting like I'm going to drown if I so much as step towards your Turtle-duck pond. The Gaang fussing was bad enough till they figured out I'm more competent than any of them, I can't take it another minute of this. Happy?" 

"Why didn't you say something?" Zuko asks, moving to sit. She can hear the silk of his robes brushing against itself in the folds. Someone must have alerted him, and he can running, even though the air was chilly with night. She's determined not to let him pull what his uncle does. But she sits.  The bench is oddly out of place, cooled lavastone, without glaze or polishing to make it seem like something it isn't. She runs her fingers over the lumpy surface. 

"You and everyone else have countries to rebuild," she says. "You've got stuff to deal with. And don't try to say I'm more important than that, because of the two of us, I'm the one who's had parents treat me like the most precious object in the world and it really, really sucks. Also, I'm not an idiot. "

"I wasn't going to say that," Zuko lies. 

"Yeah. So I just figured I'd get out of here for a while. Go explore for real. Who thought I'd miss camping?"

"Toph..."

"And you can't forbid me to go. I don't answer to you, Firelord," she finishes. 

"I wasn't going to. I just.. You were just going to leave? without telling anyone? Wasn't I worth a goodbye, at least?"

"I never say goodbye," Toph says, tapping her bare toes on the polished stone flags. Something's not right with Zuko's heartbeat, with his breathing. It takes a moment for her to place the changes. He's crying. Which...Fuck. "It's not like I'm not coming back. You know that, right?"

"What?" Zuko says, trying to disguise the sound. "I... yes. Of course I do."

That's a lie, too.

"Zuko. I'm not going to flee into the woods forever. I just need some space for a bit. I don't miss camping more than I'd miss you guys. I'll come back. I promise."

"When?"

She sighs. "Couple of days. Okay?"

"...okay. You know Katara's going to kill you."

"Pft, she can try." She grins, and wonders if he could see it. "Thanks,  Zuko. for understanding.  I'll remember for next time."

"I'll see you in a few days," he says, suddenly formal. "Please don't break my palace wall."

"I'll put it back," she says. "Bye, Zuko."

[nyx-knacks-writes]

Sick Night

Alrighty, introducing the OC I made specifically to give Alec an opportunity for post-series fluff, I present to you, Eve Hardy. This started as a way to sort of get a feel for who she is, and apparently she kinda sounds like me. Oops. No one said this wouldn't be messy.

Could I have written this with Tess? Maybe, but I don't feel confident in my ability to write her, which is why she tends not to show up for more than a short time in the few fics I've written so far. Anyhow. Enjoy. And please feel free to rip this one to shreds if I did a bad job. I can't tell if I did okay or if this is hot garbage. I'm not sure about the way I characterized Alec. For real this time: enjoy. Hopefully. Shutting up now.

JUST KIDDING COMMENTS ARE GREATLY APPRECIATED OKAY BYE-BYE MWUAH.

Bong! Bong! Bong!

Eve woke with a start as the grandfather clock chimed in the corner of the room. She lifted her hands to wipe at her eyes, as though attempting to clear the frost from a window pane. What time was it? Clearly the hour had just changed, given that the clock had chimed. Pressing her hand into the couch below her, she pushed herself up into a sitting position. Her legs curled beneath her, a movement that brought with it a wave of prickly pins and needles, like the concept of television static made tangible. It made her shudder. There were worse things to wake up to, sure, but that didn’t exactly make the pins and needles any better in their own right. 

Cobwebs cleared, Eve heaved a yawn and turned her head to look at the clock. Two in the morning. Wonderful. And she hadn’t brushed her teeth before falling asleep, as was evident by the garlicky taste in her mouth. The television was still on in the corner of the room, playing what appeared to be a rerun of The Office. Why hadn’t Alec woken her up to go to bed? Surely at around ten o’clock, he would have realized she’d fallen asleep again and come to collect her, wouldn’t he? An irritated frown worked its way onto her face before the sound of a dying pig reached her ears. Or, no, wait, strike that. That was Alec, snoring away in the easy chair on the other side of the room. No wonder he hadn’t woken her up. It’d be a little hard to do that when he himself was out cold.

As the pins and needles sensation finally faded from her legs, Eve pushed herself up to go to her husband. Boy, he really must have been tired if he’d fallen asleep in the easy chair. Normally he complained that it didn’t support his head well enough for him to sleep. She stared at him, a soft smile playing about her lips. He worked so hard. So relentlessly. Seeing him finally rest, if only so that he could throw himself right back into the case come morning, was a balm to her weary, worried soul. She reached out, not really thinking about it, and brushed the hair from his forehead. However, she quickly retracted her hand upon finding the hair to be wet. Oh, dear. That couldn’t be good. Was he getting sick? She pushed Alec’s hair back again, shuddering at the feeling of the cold sweat on her hands, and laid her hand on his forehead, backside down. Hot. Burning hot. Fire-of-a-thousand-suns hot. Accidentally-ate-a-jalapeño-on-top-of-a-poblano-on-top-of-a-habanero-pepper hot. Oh yeah. Definitely sick. She knew he hadn’t been feeling spectacular that day, but this fever put him on a whole other level of “not feeling spectacular” in her mind. 

New problem: what were the next steps? To treat a person with a fever, one should cool that person down and have them take a fever reducer, but Alec was asleep. Should you wake a person to take fever medicine? Eve patted her pockets and swore under her breath when she couldn’t locate her cell phone. Where was the darn thing when she needed it?

Alec groaned quietly, still asleep, and Eve watched as his body seemed to vibrate. There was no blanket over him, so he must have been cold. Funny, how he could feel so warm to the touch and yet himself feel as though he were freezing. She pushed the hair back from his forehead once again and stepped away. The linen closet was sure to have blankets inside. Washcloths, too. She could grab one of each. The dry blanket over Alec’s body would keep him warm, and she could put the washcloth on his forehead to keep him cool once she’d dampened it. 

Eve carefully ascended the stairs to the second floor and went straight to the end of the hallway at the top, where she threw open the door to the linen closet and pulled out the first blanket she found. It was a pink, fluffy thing that Alec would never touch under normal circumstances. The only reason it had made it into the house in the first place was because it was a well-meaning gift from Eve’s grandmother. It was big enough to cover Alec from toes to shoulders while not being particularly scratchy, so . . . good enough, despite the color that would make even the staunchest pink-lover’s eyes bleed. She tossed the fluffy monstrosity over her shoulder and reached down to the bottom shelf, where the washcloths were kept. Once again, she pulled out the first one she found, colored a nice pewter gray. It would do just fine.

Back to the stairs she went, making sure not to run down them with her typical thunderous footsteps that Alec had told her time and time again were loud enough to wake the dead. Best not to test that theory right now. A zombie rising up from the ground just to tell her to lighten her footsteps wasn’t the first thing on Eve’s list of current wants or needs.

At the bottom of the stairs, Eve pivoted left and went straight back to the living room, dropping all but one edge of the blanket so that it could unfurl as she walked. Upon reaching poor Alec, Eve tucked the corners of the blanket in around his shoulders, almost like the world’s most terribly secured toga. But, as was swiftly becoming her motto, it would do. It was good enough. Following the edges of the blanket, she continued to tuck the fabric in around her sick husband’s body, even to the point of securing it around his feet. His sockless, slipperless feet that she’d told him to cover up a million times because it was too cold to be running around barefoot. But did he listen? Clearly not. Once he bore a striking resemblance to a Barbie™ sarcophagus, she stepped back and allowed herself a moment to smile. Were he well and awake, he’d never have let her turn him into a pink mummy. Not that she was taking advantage of his sick, passed-out state. No, not at all. 

Next was the washcloth, which she’d discarded on the nearby coffee table in order to properly secure the blanket. She picked the thing back up, plodded toward the kitchen, and turned the faucet on, running the washcloth beneath the cool water and watching as the gray cloth darkened with the stuff. Then, she wrang it out, squeezing the excess liquid from the fibers. Poor Alec had enough water-based trauma after finding Pippa’s body in the river. The last thing he needed was a cold, dripping wet cloth on his head in his sleep. Hello, Nightmare City. A damp cloth, she reasoned, would be okay, though. It wouldn’t drip. It wouldn’t cause water to run down his skin, dragging him back to the rush of the river and the weight of the little body in his arms. As long as there weren’t any water droplets running down his skin, he’d be okay, right? 

She headed back to Alec, still slumbering in his chair, and laid the cloth on his forehead, spreading it out to cover as much of the area as possible. Now, back to the problem of fever reducer. Should she wake him to take it? Eve returned to the couch and found her phone tucked between the cushions. Naturally. Where else would it have ended up? A quick search later, and . . . no results. No useful results, anyway. Damn it. A second glance through the given results revealed that it was recommended to let a feverish child sleep, so perhaps it was the same for adults. She’d grab the Nyquil just in case he woke up, but she wouldn’t wake him up herself. 

Back to the second floor Eve trudged, stopping at the first door on the right. Why hadn’t she remembered to grab this on her first lovely jaunt up the stairs? Into the bathroom she went before pulling open the mirror to get at the medicine. Luckily, the compartment behind it wasn’t exceedingly big, so she was able to quickly locate the Nyquil, pull it and its little dosage cup (ooh, and the thermometer, she’d need that later on) from the bottom shelf, and trudge right back on downstairs, where she placed the bottle on the coffee table and settled herself back onto the couch. She’d rest there for the night and take Alec’s temperature when he woke up. She knew he was a grown man, perfectly capable of taking care of himself, but she also knew that under no circumstances could he be trusted to actually do that. “Bastard,” she thought fondly. Her bastard husband who couldn’t be bothered to eat most days and only seemed to sleep when he was physically about to drop. One day she’d successfully nag him into making permanent healthy lifestyle changes, but this was not that day. Night. Time. Whatever.

Just as the warm embrace of sleep finally began to overtake Eve, an ambulance came wailing by, screeching like a fussy toddler determined to avoid a much-needed nap at all costs. Twin groans rose up from both husband and wife as they rose to sit up properly.

“Eve, love, what’s… What’s goin’ on?” Alec asked, slowly waking up despite feeling as though his head were stuffed with cotton and his blood were made of syrup. “What time is it?”

Eve merely shook her head.

“Time to take your temperature and get some fever reducer in your body. How do you feel?”

“Not good. I’m too warm an’ too cold an’ achy to move around.” 

That about sounded like a fever. Once again, Eve lifted herself out of her relatively comfy spot on the couch to go feel Alec’s sweaty forehead. Unsurprisingly, it was still warm, though less so due to the washcloth. 

Standing above him like a tired guardian angel, Eve replaced the washcloth on his head. 

“Now, we can do this the easy way or the hard way. And the hard way does involve me bodily pinning you to the chair. You can walk away from the hospital, but you can’t walk away from me.”

Ellie had told her about that particular incident. How he’d decided, against the advice of every medical professional inside the Broadchurch hospital, to waltz on out of his bedroom and back to the police station where they worked. 

“Hardheaded,” the DS had called the behavior. 

“Boneheadedly stupid,” Eve had called it, dispensing with all pretense of politeness. 

Back in the present, Alec fixed Eve with a steely glare that lasted all of half a second before he went limp in the chair, nodding weakly. 

“Aye, lass. We can do it the easy way. It’s too late at night to be puttin’ up a fight.”

Damn, he really must have been sick to just lay down and let her fuss. She’d have to call in tomorrow and say that he wouldn’t be going to work. Lord knew he wouldn’t do it on his own. 

“...good. Let’s take your temperature and make sure this isn’t hospital-worthy.” 

Alec murmured his assent and opened his mouth weakly as Eve turned to retrieve the little device from the coffee table behind her. It took a moment to turn on, beeping quietly and flashing all eights as she turned back to stick it beneath Alec’s tongue. 

“Close mouth,” she ordered firmly once the thing was secure. Then came the waiting. It took another moment to properly assess Alec’s temperature, and Eve took that moment to tuck the blanket in again, finding that it had come loose sometime after the ambulance had come by. 

“Come morning,” she mused, “you need a shower. Hopefully you’ll feel better by then, but you’ve been sweating like a pig for ages now.”

Alec, apparently not enjoying the comparison, scowled at his wife as best he could with the thermometer poking out of his mouth. Not that he could really say much to the contrary, given how Eve had discovered his fever to begin with. But he could still hold disdain for her analogy.

When the thermometer finally beeped, it read 39°C. Bad. Real bad. One more degree and it’d be a hospital trip. Oh, how Alec hated the hospital. Oh, what an utter pain in the arse it would be to get him there. Oh, what a complete and utter pain in the everything it would be to get him to stay there if that was recommended! Did doctors recommend overnight stays for fevers? Maybe for extreme cases… In any case, DI Indisposed was looking up at her, patiently waiting to hear exactly how warm he was.

“You’re sitting at 39°. If you so much as try to leave this house, I will handcuff you to the bed with the pair that Fred got you last Christmas. I doubt you’ll be able to get out of them in this condition, even if they are meant for kids.” Noticing that his hair had fallen back into his eyes, Eve pushed it away again with a fond-but-exasperated smile. “I only do this because I love you. Someone has to take care of you, and, as Ellie would put it, you’re too much of a knob to do it on your own. Now, fever reducer. I grabbed the Nyquil. Sit up as best you can while I pour it.”

Deciding it was best to just follow instructions for the time being, Alec did as he was told. Happy wife, happy life, and all that. And he really did need the medicine.

Within moments, he was presented with a little cup. The dreaded dosage cup that the dregs of medicine adhered to with a force stronger than gravity. The clear little plastic dosage cup that always seemed to go missing at the most inopportune times. The stupid clear little plastic dosage cup that contained the most vile-tasting stuff ever to be labeled as “good for you” (in the right amount and at the right time, of course). He downed the contents with a sigh and pulled a face. 

“I’ll get you a glass of water,” Eve said as a response to that face. “Hang on.” She took the dosage cup away and set it down on the coffee table with the Nyquil bottle, wrinkling her nose at the pair of items before making her way back to the kitchen. “Have I mentioned you’re not going into work tomorrow? Because you’re not. You’ll infect the whole building. And you’re not going in with a mask, either.”

“Do ye really think I’m that irresponsible?”

“No, but I think you are that stubborn!”

Silence. He had nothing to say to that, apparently. Eve returned to the living room and found Alec with an honest-to-goodness pout on his face. Admittedly, it was cute. She pressed the glass of water into his hand and waited for him to actually grab it before letting go.

“Drink up, you big baby. Do you think you can stand?”

He took a gulp.

“...aye. I can stand.”

“Good. Let’s get you upstairs and into bed. I’ll take the guest room for the night. I’m not risking getting sick any more than I already have.”

Alec heaved a sigh and lifted himself up, still holding onto his glass for dear life. The pink blanket fell away from him onto the floor in a messy heap of burn-your-eyes out-pink fuzz. Taking careful steps, he wobbled his way off to the stairs and up to their shared bedroom, one foot at a time while Eve prayed that he wouldn’t fall. After all, if he went down, she’d be going down with him. Then they might both need a hospital visit. 

In what seemed to be a gift from the gods, Alec and Eve both made it to the top unscathed, allowing Alec to lumber off to the bedroom like a sweaty six-foot-one zombie, with Eve hot on his heels. She lingered in the doorway for a moment, watching to ensure he didn’t just keel over into the bed. Once he was sufficiently settled (in bed the proper way up for him, covers pulled up to his chin, watching her every movement), she nodded at him, blew him a kiss and smiled. 

“See you in the morning, love. Don’t burn to ashes while I’m asleep.”

He tried for a faint little smile. Even with all the threatening she’d done, she really was just trying to look out for him. 

“See ya in the mornin’, darlin’. Love ye.”

“Love you, too.”

[yunjitsu]

It's been fucking tough lately tbh - both creative wise and life wise. I feel like I need to rant a bit, so please do skip this post if you don't want to read that.

So, where I live I need to pass this one huge-ass final exam, write my thesis and (most importantly) do a whole multi-piece artistic project & arrange an exhibition to present it to everyone to get my Master Degree.

I've been working on it all pretty much non-stop, whatever, it's fine. BUT! There is one huge problem - no one knows when the fuck is the deadline. No one knows when the fuck is the exam being held, not even dean's office, not even the director of my institute cares. And if I miss it I fail automatically. So I'm stressed AS FUCK all the time. I'm tired of my own emotions revolving around only this topic. Give me a break.

So I go and search for the answer on my own because I don't even know how much time I have left to work and how much more I can manage to create. And I think, "why not ask my leading professor/promotor then? they are supposed to help me and take care of my thesis after all", so I do it. And I do it really politely. And the answer I get is basically "fuck off I won't help you I don't care. I'm on vacation bye" in the rudest, most pretentious way possible & I'm being blocked by them like a fucking child. Feels like being slapped right in my face. I still know nothing, so do other students.

I get it, everyone deserves vacation and all of that. But the world would be so much better if we people could communicate with mutual respect. I just feel like tossing it all away and fucking rotting in my bed for the next 2 years. I feel so much happier while carelessly creating fanarts rather than when I'm working and studying all of this bullshit.

I just need to sit and breathe like the lil cutie-patootie. Not even Levi Ackerman would fucking tame me now in that state 🫠

[terrapin-might]

Leo really said "is anybody gonna else gonna have a crush on a guy, learn everything they can about street racing and become this guy's rival?" And didn't even try and wait for an answer.

When being some guy's #1 fan isn't enough so you have to become his rival. Many such cases.

But seriously, I've thought more about this and now I know how I want this au to go down. (Strap in, I won first place in the yap-olympics)

It mostly consists of one sided rivals to lovers (my favorite) and happens a bit before the S2 finale and the year between that and the movie. And if wasn't obvious from my other post, it involves street racing (something I know nothing about why'd I choose street racing ugh—)

Pictures are kinda in order too.

Leo sees Usagi race, gets a crush, gets interested in street racing. Has to see every race he competes in from now on.(Top right)

Talks about it to anyone who listens, weirdly only focuses on Usagi hmm, Mikey draws the mystery man. (Don't tell Raph, but the next time Leo called dibs on the last pizza he gave to Mikey so he could have the drawings) (Top left)

Either buys or makes his own merch but I don't think Usagi's the type to make merch or anything like that (doesn't know how, probably wouldn't get the point) tbh so we're going with made. I think April helped. (Bottom left)

And I said they meet because of Usagi saving Leo from some baddies on my last post, that still happens here, it's the first time they meet face to face (or face to Helmut) probably some of Big Mama goons Leo couldn't really fight off because weapons aren't allowed at the races so he and Usagi get to have a romantic bike chase where they try not to crash and die.

Leo deciding if you can't be their boyfriend beat them, be their rival. He trains until he can race Usagi himself. Who is actually happy to have a rival, the weirdo lol. (Bottom right)

I haven't named this AU, so I'll be taking suggestions if you have any (pls give me ideas I don't have any)

After the read more is just an update(?) about my art and posts for people who follow me.

For some reason I've seem to become allergic to digital art, so other than some comics I already planned on posting, this might be my last digital art post for a while. I can draw on paper no problem, I guess drawing on my phone has gotten tiring and my brain hates it for now. We're going traditional baby!

Which is fine because my traditional art is better imo, digital is just easier to color and I'm bad at taking pictures. Like really bad. But I still wanna post art so it'll have to do.

Luckily I was able to finish this but this will be the only nonconic digital art for a while. Had to switch it up though cause I was really struggling the first 30 mins so it's more colorful than my usual art.

Alright that's all bye!

[sam-loves-seb]

wip wednesday

thanks for the tags: @energievie & @mybrainismelted !

Mickey cranks the window open wide, even though it’s November. He stands next to it and lights up a cigarette, his pants hanging loose and undone around his hips, his belt dangling to the side. Ian lounges on the bed, one arm bent beneath his head on the pillow. He’s cleaned up and his boxers are on, but that’s really the very most he’s willing to do. It’s after midnight and he’s exhausted—from the long day and the great sex, though he’s honestly not sure which one wiped him out more—and he has this guy in his hotel room that, for some reason, he really wants to show off his abs to for as long as he can. Mickey takes another drag of his cigarette, smoke curling out his nose and getting lost in the cold air out the window. “You can stay if you want,” Ian offers, scratching at his chest. “I have an early flight, but—” “Nah. It’s cool,” Mickey says, cutting him off. He finally drags his eyes away from the window and they land right on Ian’s stomach—checkmate—lingering on the cut muscles as he takes another drag. “You wanna go again?” Ian asks, even though he’s not sure he could muster up the energy for another round right now if he tried. Mickey shakes his head as he blows more smoke out his nose. “Can’t,” he says, pinching the cigarette between his lips as he buttons his pants. “Got somewhere else to be, remember?” Ian’s brows twitch. “I thought you were kidding about that.” Mickey just kind of shrugs, ditching his cigarette in a half-filled water glass Ian left on the small table in the corner. He shuts the window. Ian rolls his head along the pillow as he watches Mickey make his way across the room, finding his socks and shoes. He snags his shirt off the floor and pulls it over his head. Ian frowns when Mickey’s strong chest disappears under the fabric. “You in Chicago a lot?” Mickey asks almost absentmindedly, checking his hair in the bathroom mirror and running his fingers back through it, smoothing out the strands. Ian shrugs with one shoulder. “Sometimes. Don’t usually stay here though.” Mickey hums, like that somehow makes sense to him. He grabs his coat and scarf from where he dropped them by the door, shrugging them on. He looks around, pats his pockets for his wallet, keys. “Uh, thanks,” Mickey says, his brow pinching after he says it, like he can’t believe he couldn’t come up with anything better than that. “No problem,” Ian says easily, smiling. “It was fun.” Mickey thumbs at his lip. “Yeah.” Ian hesitates for a moment—a beat—but by the time he opens his mouth to say more, Mickey’s already turning the handle on the door. “See ya,” he says, making his quick escape. The door shuts behind him with a loud thud, the way all hotel doors seem to do, and Ian just blinks at it with a tired smile. “Bye,” he says to the empty room, raising his hand in a mockery of a wave. He grabs the blankets from the end of the bed and pulls them up over his shoulders, rolling onto his side. He’s fucking beat. Feels like he could sleep for a week.

excerpt from a new au i'm working on based on this tweet

[dixonsrose]

hello professional-fanfiction writer superdupernova, i hope you had a amazing day!:D I am here and i have Questions!

If Sybilla would be an Song, wich one would she be?

If Sybilla would be an Movie, wich ine would she be?

If Sybilla would be a Moivie quote, wich one would she be?

When Sybilla could meet one Person, dead or alive, fictional or real, wich one would choose?

If Elodie would be an Song, wich one would she be?

If Elodie would be an Movie, wich ine would she be?

If Elodie would be a Moivie quote, wich one would she be?

When Elodie could meet one Person, dead or alive, fictional or real, wich one would choose?

I hope school is not kicking your ass at the moment!! ily bye

Hannah:D

hellohellohello!! you fuel my day with your questions <3

If sybilla could be a song, she would be medicine by daughter. obviously, she's pretty fucked up because of the high alcohol consumption and drug use. and, funnily enough, daryl keeps her on her toes. when she leaves, she just goes down a dark hole. she ends up going to rehab, but it doesn't do shit. she has a crappy life, loses her house. her life, up until the outbreak, is shit. and, yes, she can still be what she wants to be, but she needs daryl for that.

if that makes sense :,)

this next one was pretty impossible to answer because, admittedly, i have watched a very minimal amount of movies. ask me if i have watched a popular movie like beautiful boy and i would tell you no... regrettably.

i have been thinking very hard about this question but my tired brain cannot come up with anything rn so if you have any suggestions, i would love to hear them!! i need to watch more movies it's a real problem.

for the same reason, i have had to look up movie quotes to answer this next quetion (i am so pathetic i know), SO, if sybilla would be a movie quote, she would be: "we rip out so much of ourselves to be cured of things faster that we go bankrupt by the age of thirty and have less to offer each time we start with someone new, but to make yourself feel nothing so as not to feel anything - what a waste." from the movie call me by your name. i don't think i need to explain this one much :p.

now this next question is the one i love the most!! if sybilla could meet one person, dead or alive, fictional or real, she would RUN towards michael jackson. she loves that guy. she would be one of those girls that would start violently throwing up and sobbing and laughing if he even brushed against her shoulder.

ELODIE'S TURN!!

this one took a while to answer because i have so. many. songs. in my playlist. 326 to be exact. that being said, there are a LOT of songs that describe elodie and i'm sure there is a better one that i might have missed, but for now i will answer that 'when memories snow' would be elodie as a song.

she's always thinking. thinking, thinking, thinking. about the past, the present, and future. and, naturally, one day she will break. she will cry and cry and cry because everything she has gone through is simply too much for her small brain to handle.

EDIT: the lovely @great-write-sharkk came in clutch with more songs that reminded her of elodie because i was having trouble choosing one myself!!! here they are:

Growing/Dying by The Backseat Lovers

Hello My Old Heart by The Oh Hellos

Obstacles by Syd Matters

The Yawning Grave by Lord Huron

Wildflowers by Tom Petty

#nova-approved :p.

again, i'm gonna leave this next one up to you because i have barely seen any movies and, at the moment, i cannot for the life of me think of a fitting movie for my girl.

movie quote!!! a quote i think is very fitting for elodie, is "we accept the love we think we deserve" </3. i can only think of her and her mama when reading this because all elodie wants is for catherine to love her as much as she does jamie. so every little ounce of affection she manages to scrape out of her mom, she cherishes.

the person elodie would meet if she could, would totally be someone like santa claus. she would be all about figuring out if he’s the real deal or not. same goes for the easter bunny, the tooth fairy, and religious figures like jesus. she just wants to know if they are actually real. and, more importantly, if they are as superduper awesome as everyone says they are!!!

school is, in fact, very much kicking my ass. it's all blue and bruised. but it's ok.... only a month until my final exams and then i am DONE!!

(some of these answers might not make sense because i am falling asleep as i am writing this so i apologise)

[allwormdiet]

Tangle 6.5

Once more unto the fucking breach, huh?

They're fucking insane for this one, though

Jeeeeesus Christ what a maneuver though, what a stunt

What a fucking entrance! Absolutely legendary for this one, holy shit

Y'know, I guess when you're this deep into the fucking shark tank, you might as well feel some kind of zen, right? Like what's gonna happen, things get more dangerous?

Oh hey Emma, hope this scares the bejeezus out of you,

Aww, Tattletale wanted to do a fun little monologue

Also very clever that they brought the bugs along via Big Dog, way better than depending on the gallery to have enough wasps and spiders

They are clowning on these fucking PRT guys, oh my god this is embarrassing

You're getting comboed to shit by a pack of half-feral teenagers and you can't even use your foam things worth a damn. Like, Tattletale is contributing in this fight, and she doesn't fight for shit!

Right, yeah containment foam. Pretty neat actually, and it makes sense as the weapon of choice for an organization meant to handle parahuman threats. Not that it's working for them rn, but y'know, thought that counts.

I think one day Victoria is gonna make Tattletale pay for that nickname, but good lord today is not that day

Also yeah fuck Shadow Stalker

Yeah, fuck Shadow Stalker!

Hi Assault, bye Assault

Great fucking team move between Assault and Battery, their powers are remarkably complementary to each other, which means it's kind of a shame it didn't work

This fight is still so cool though, god

Yeah you know what I think I get why people would want to stay away from Triumph, that's a power combination that'll do it

Aww but he's such a good boy though, taking down the big shouty man

Not only lol, but also lmao

And here comes Armsmaster to ruin everything. Again.

What's that line from the old Mortal Kombat movie? "I've studied all your moves," but said in like a horrendous fake Australian accent?

Also Jesus Miss Militia who needs a machine gun to subdue a teenager, that's overkill

Anyway haha things can only get better from here right

Current Thoughts

It hasn't even been two weeks since they knocked over the bank, and now they're here, that's fucking ludicrous

Fucking incredible that the Undersiders have managed to put up the numbers they have so far. Four Wards, Glory Girl, Assault and Battery, and Triumph all down and out. They walked into this with like two-to-one odds and have turned the numbers around in their favor. Armsmaster is gonna be a fucking problem of course, and Velocity's gonna put up a fight (Miss Militia is about to get punked in the next chapter so her not as much) but still, that's way better odds than I think anyone would have given them

It's getting late and I'm tired, so I'm gonna leave it here for tonight. Let that cliffhanger sizzle where it stands.

[kauzebridgerton]

Kauze Story.

Chapter 6: Shu.

— Shu! — I hugged him. — Do you want some chocolate too?

He didn't say anything, just placed a hand on my shoulder, as if he was hugging me too, but only with one arm.

— I don't want you hanging out with him. — Shu said in a serious tone to me. — He will certainly cause problems.

— Ha Ha, very funny. — Ren rolled his eyes. — As if you were a good example for him.

I just stared at them, I think Ren really doesn't like Shu, or maybe any Sakamaki.

— Come on Kauze. I am tired.

Shu then grabbed my arm and started pulling me away, with my free hand I waved to Ren, saying goodbye to him.

— Bye Ren!

Shu then stopped halfway, looking at me with a confused look, he sighed heavily and bent down to my height.

— I know what you did. This time I won't do anything, but I don't want you to get into trouble, especially because of other people. — Shu then stood up. — Imagine how seriously problematic if someone saw you, I would have to take responsibility.

He yawned, I shook my head in confusion and followed him, until we finally arrived in a room, there were some musical instruments, but I had no skills with them.

— Shu, I promise I'll never make a fuss again... Could you keep it a secret? Please...

— Hu~ Who knows, if you do me a favor, I promise I won't tell anyone what you did.

— Same?! So what do I have to do?!

— I haven't thought about it yet, but I will keep in mind that you are willing to do something in exchange for my silence.

— Ohh... It just can't be anything too scary... — I said worriedly, not knowing what Shu wanted made me a little uncomfortable. — Huhh...

— This is ridiculous, but don't worry, I'm not allowed to hurt you.

I sighed with relief, but there was something that made me a little curious, why was Shu always alone and sleeping? Mainly sleeping in super weird places. I sat next to him, taking a chocolate out of my pocket and eating it.

— Shu, why are you always alone?

— Because I like my own company.

— Hey! It's not worth it! You have to say something else!

— Hah, you're annoying, why don't you eat that chocolate and take a nap too? Tomorrow you have to go to your school, and Reiji won't like it if you sleep in class.

— You're right... I hope to make friends there.

—Humans are fragile, Kauze. You'd better not get involved with them.

— Hey, is that why you don't like Ren?

— Does not matter. Just listen to me and don't do anything stupid.

— Ren said that if someone was mean to me, he would defend me. Kind of like a super hero!

— You're a vampire, you can defend yourself.

— But I don't know how to use my powers... There's no one to teach me~ A very strong vampire could help me Someone like the oldest vampire~

— Stop this. You're going overboard with your talk, be thankful I'm in a good mood.

Shu was right, he was already being really nice just being with me, I shouldn't provoke him, maybe I should find another trainer. I rested my head on his arm.

— Good night Shu! I hope you have sweet dreams and you could too... Hmmm!

He then put his hand over my mouth, preventing me from finishing speaking. With his free hand, he brought his index finger to his lips.

— Stay quiet.

I nodded my head in agreement and he then removed his hand from my mouth, I smiled awkwardly, I was going to apologize, but as he asked for silence, I preferred not to say anything, I just closed my eyes and sighed, trying to fall asleep, the which was a little difficult to do when you're on the floor, I hugged Shu's arm, as if it were a huge pillow, I stayed like that for a while, until I finally fell asleep.