#SORRY I could just show the foods but I thought explaining the story behind them would be more interesting to read
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morangoowada · 15 days ago
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Natlan Brazilian dishes
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This one is Acarajé/Akara, an Afro-Brazilian dish made using ingredients such as beans, shrimp and onions.
Acarajé is sacred to the Candomblé/Yoruba religions, people offer them as a ritual to Orixás, such as Xangô and Iansã. People from these religions believe that Acarajé has the power to strengthen the spirit and body.
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Acarajé was brought to Brazil by African slaves during colonization, and they can now be found in the state of Bahia, in the Northeast of Brazil.
They're sold by women who are usually called as "Baiana do Acarajé". Both the Baianas and Acarajé are considered to be strong cultural material of Bahia, the capital of the state, Salvador, is known as one of the cities with the largest amount of black people in Brazil.
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This one is a brigadeiro, a very traditional Brazilian sweet that you can find anywhere in the country, it's made using chocolate, butter and condensed milk, you cook it in the stove and then after some time roll them into some small chocolate balls.
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Brigadeiro was originally made for a election campaign for Eduardo Gomes, a Brazilian soldier with the military title of "Brigadeiro". A group of women from São Paulo selled these small treats to gather money and also votes for Eduardo Gomes. It was originally called as "docinho do brigadeiro" but it got so popular that it's only called brigadeiro now.
Xilonen who's a character with Brazilian references has her signature dish as a chocolate using the brigadeiro recipe, but it doesn't look like brigadeiros. Still, it's worth mentioning.
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This is a pamonha, it's a dish made using corn, there's a salty version made using salt fillings with meat and cheese, and a sweet version using milk, sugar and cinnamon. Pamonha is a food with indigenous origins, and because of that, some other countries in Latin America have similar types of the same dish but with different ways of preparing it. The name Pamonha comes from "pa'muñã", a word from the indigenous language Tupi.
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I'm not that sure about this one, but from the ingredients used to cook it, some Brazilians believe it's supposed to be a mungunzá.
Mungunzá is a sweet made using corn, milk, sugar and cinnamon and the recipe to cook the "Fascinating soup" are very similar, still if it really is the same thing, I don't understand how genshin made Mungunzá turn into a potion of some sort...
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This is how a Mungunzá looks like, it's also called different ways in Brazil, some people call it Canjica but Canjica in the Northeast is comething entirely different so I'll stick to the name Mungunzá instead.
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slayfics · 2 years ago
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The butterfly girls trick Inosuke into kissing you.
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Inosuke was out training in the courtyard when he heard some whispering behind him. He quickly turned around to see Sumi, Kiyo, and Naho deciding who should be the one to approach him.
“What’s going on?” He asked. The girls jumped in surprise.
“OH! Umm...” They all three looked at each other. “We were just hoping that maybe you could help us by telling y/n something.” Sumi explained.
“What do you need me to tell her?”
“It’s just that we accidently broke one of their favorite vases this morning... and we thought maybe if you told them they wouldn’t be as upset." Kiyo said and the other two girls nodded in unison.
“Hmm that makes sense they wouldn't be able to take me in a fight.” Inosuke said and puffed out his chest.
“Uhhh right...” The three girls agreed and giggled knowing Inosuke was completely oblivious as to why they asked him to tell you. The girls had noticed you had taken a liking to him.
“Alright I'll go tell them now then.” He said and began to walk off.
“Wait!” Naho called. “You should also give them a kiss if it seems like they might still get mad at us!” She yelled and the other two girls giggled even harder than before.
“Uhh sure.” Inosuke said. He had a vague idea of what that meant but had no idea why that would keep you from getting mad about the vase. He walked off to find you and the three girls followed to watch.
Inosuke approached you while you were hanging clothes up outside to dry.
“HEY!” He called.
“Oh hi Inosuke, what do you need?” You asked.
“I need to tell you that your vase broke.”
“Were you training inside again??”
“What no! I didn’t break anything!”
“Mhm likely story Inosuke.” You said and rolled your eyes. Inosuke took this as a sign that you were still angry and moved closer to you.
“Hu?” You stepped back confused by his movements, but he moved closer still until the snout of his mask was pressed to your cheek. It was then you heard the giggles of Sumi, Kiyo, and Naho. You turned to see them hiding behind a tree.
“Is that good?’ He turned and asked the giggling girls.
“What?” You asked totally confused.
“They said I should kiss you if it looked like you were getting mad about the vase.” He explained.
You felt your face get hot.
“YOU THREE I’VE HAD IT!” You said and ran after them. The three girls took off running.
Inosuke stood in the same spot confused. Had he done something bad?
Later in the day, after you had given the three girls an ear full, you were preparing dinner. Insouke walked in and startled you.
“OH!” You jumped when you turned around to see him standing behind you. “Hi, sorry I didn’t hear you. Don’t worry, the food is almost ready.”
“That’s not why I'm here.” He said. This took you off guard. Food was always on Inosuke’s mind.
“What can I do for you then?” You asked. Still feeling embarrassed about early. Had he realized that the girls asked him to tell you about the vase because you liked him?
“Did I do something wrong?” He asked.
“What do you mean something wrong?”
“Did you not like that I kissed you.” He explained. He was wondering if that was wrong?? Of course not... I mean that wasn’t REALLY a kiss but it was what Inosuke thought was a kiss. Did he think you didn’t want to kiss him? Does that mean that he wanted to kiss you on his own and not just because of the influence of the three girls?
“No that wasn’t the problem Inosuke.” You tried to explain but this seemed to anger him.
“Then what is the problem?? Have I not shown my strength? Have I not given you the prettiest leaves and acorns??”
You found yourself giggling at that last part. You remembered the other day when he brought some leaves to hand to you and ran off, but it didn’t occur to you that it was Inoskue's way of showing interest.
“NOW YOU ARE LAUGHING AT ME!”
“No no no! I’m not laughing at you Insouke!” You said, grabbing his hand to try and calm him down. “I’m laughing because I'm the one that wasn’t understanding. I didn’t realize...”
“Realize what?” He asked. You weren’t sure how to explain in words so you decided to show him instead. You pulled up his mask to rest on top of his head and squeezed his hand tighter. Inosuke watched you intently with frustration still in his eyes. You moved closer to him.
“Is it ok if I kiss you this time?” You asked. He didn’t say a word but nodded and you watched as his frustrated expression turned to curiosity and anticipation. You gently pressed your lips to his and pulled away after a few moments. Inosuke smiled.
“I like your kisses better.” He said. You smiled back at him and had long forgotten about your favorite vase breaking.
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flippinpancakes64 · 4 months ago
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cullens coming in on the reader crying
The Cullens walking in on you crying
Sorry that this took so long, I literally got in a car crash. I guess that's what I get for deciding to write fanfic.
For right now, my requests are closed as I am currently trying to catch up :'(
Anyway here's your story! Thank you for being patient and I hope you like it!
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Edward:
Unless he was away from home, you wouldn't have even been able to think sad thoughts before he was right behind you
But assuming he was away and didn't notice your turmoil until he was close to the home, he is instantly by your side
When he goes up to your room and sees you curled up on your shared bed, he is instantly worried
Frantically scanning your mind for every possible thing that could have made you as upset as you are right now
If it was a person, his first thought is violence
If someone said something to you, he is instantly flying out of the house and hunting them down
He gets so blinded by rage that he doesn't even stop to think that you might just want comfort at that moment
So unless you can call out to him before he can leave, you're gonna have to wait until he comes back
But after he comes back, or if this was never about a person in the first place, he is instantly holding you
Rubbing your arms, petting your hair, whispering words to you
After you've calmed down he's asking you what you need
Your favorite food? Your favorite movie? You want to go out somewhere? You name it, he'll do it
Won't leave your side the rest of the night
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Alice:
I get the sense that she's a bit clingy
So just the fact that you were able to be alone long enough to cry without her noticing is a one in a million chance
Unlike Edward she does not resort to violence, however
In a flash she is by your side, petting your hair, drying your tears, and asking you what's wrong
No matter what the issue is, she will stay by your side
She already has your favorite takeout on the way, your favorite movie on the TV, your favorite drink in a cup beside you, and your favorite pajamas neatly folded waiting for you to change
She will spend the whole night talking to you softly, braiding/messing with your hair (or just running her fingers through it if it's not long enough), and telling jokes she knows you'll laugh at
Doesn't leave your side
She doesn't even make you get up early to spend forever choosing the perfect outfit for you the next day
If it was a person who was making you sad, she goes out of her way to walk you to classes where she knows you'll see them
If they try anything in the future she is not afraid to stand up for you
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Jasper:
He senses your mood change from a mile away
Like literally
He is out on a hunt with Emmett and he feels your mood change and he can feel the tears falling from your eyes
Jaguar or whatever the hell he had be damned he is running home
Wastes no time in going to your side
Asks what's wrong and then calmly listens
He brushes away the tears from your eyes and holds you in his arms as you let it all out
He'll make little snarky comments if this was about someone being mean
Is your 'yes' man
"I just want him to die!" "I completely agree, darlin'"
Again he is your personal servant for the night
Food, movie, drive around town going at least 100 mph
You name it, it's done
He's also not one to get violent, though
He knows his own limits
He is still very sensitive to blood
Is not willing to put their whole livelihoods at risk just to put some douche in their place
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Rosalie:
As soon as she heard the first sob, she was up the stairs and in your room
Instantly cradling you, holding your head, giving you kisses on the cheeks, doing anything to calm you down
Once you finally muster up the words to say what happened, she is shushing you
After you explain, I mean
She doesn't want you just mumbling on and on
Because now she's in 'fix it' mode
Is running you a nice, warm bath with candles and bath bombs and everything
She cooks you something warm and nice
Puts on your favorite show or movie and lays next to you until you fall asleep
But if someone did this to you...
As soon as you're asleep she is up and out of the house
She might enlist the help of Emmett or Edward
Their tires are slashed, all of their shampoo is Nair, all of their clothes have been shrunk in the wash, etc.
She wouldn't tell you what she did
That's her little secret ;)
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Emmett:
He gets a little scared at first
He doesn't really know how to deal with crying and really big emotions
I mean the biggest emotions he's ever felt were hunger and fear
Either way as soon as he hears you crying he is done with whatever else he was doing and is by your side
He sort of just.. sits there
He's rubbing your back and trying to be supportive and a listening ear
He will let all of your tears soak his shirt he does not care
Once you calm down enough you're gonna have to be the one to ask him to do things
Don't be scared to ask, he will do anything you want
He will ask you if you want him to go beat up the person who made you sad (if that's what happened)
But that's only half a joke
If you say no and laugh he'll laugh too
But once you're asleep....
He is out the door
That person is legitimately missing the next day
Police cannot find their body
Or any sign of them at all
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Esme:
Ultimate comforter
She walked into the house after going grocery shopping for prop food for the house when she sees you
I feel like she would try to give you your space first
She would go up to you and ask if you're okay, but if you don't immediately say something she would quietly leave
When she was going through her own human heartbreaks all she wanted was to be alone
But she is on high alert
If you so much as whisper her name from all the way across the house she is there in an instant
Food, blankets, a board game, and maybe some wine if you're feelin it
She will help you make a blanket fort in the living room
(She also told everyone else to go away)
Listens intently and quietly while you explain everything that happened and why you're crying
If it's because of a self esteem issue she could start crying herself if she could
She thinks you are the most perfect person in the world
However if someone else did this to you I feel like she would have all of the tea
"What did you say their name was again? I recognize that last name, their mom was a hoe"
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Carlisle:
He's really quiet about it
He doesn't want to intrude
So when he comes home and goes into his office to see you curled up on his chair crying he just leaves again
He slips a note to come into his room whenever you feel like it
When you get in there he has the bed all set up with pillows and blankets
The TV is on playing one of those YouTube videos of a crackling fireplace
Warm food is sitting on a tray for you
And he is sitting in the middle reading a book as he waited for you
He is there with open arms and open ears
He's really good at reading people
If you just want someone to talk at and complain to, he will happily sit there silently
If you want explanations, someone to bounce ideas off of, or an active listening partner he can do that too
I'm sorry but if you spoke bad about yourself he'd hit you with some bullshit
"Well actually *insert thing here* was very fashionable and considered very attractive in *insert random era here*"
And if it was someone else who said something to you it would also be insufferable
"The way you're describing this person sounds like they might have *insert mental illness here*"
Your best bet is to just tell him to stop talking
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Vampire! Bella:
This girl knows sadness
I mean she was like a stationary rock for three months when Edward left her
She knows it sucked being alone too
So when she hears you crying she is right by your side
She also might have grabbed some tissues on her way
And oh she might have also grabbed the bowl of candy that Esme uses as decoration
And wow that's crazy she picked up your favorite sweatshirt of hers how weird
She is the ultimate yes man
If someone said something to you she chimes in about how she hates them too
If you're crying due to a self esteem issue she shoots that down immediately
If you're crying because of a movie she starts talking about how if she was human that movie would have made her cry too
The queen of yappersville
She could talk you to sleep
And tbh she probably does
The next day, if it was someone at school who made you cry, she gets all up in their face
Like I'm talking middle of the school hallway like "so I heard you had some things to say to my partner here yesterday, why don't you say them to me now?"
People are a little scared of her now
But at least no one messes with you anymore :)
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kiame-sama · 2 months ago
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Can you give us some Human Lore related to the Great Seven? As you mentioned how the Queen of Hearts is very strict about Humans being protected, even making a bunch of rules to protect them (So no doubt if Reader gets bullied while Riddles’ around he’ll instantly collar the perpetrators)
I’m curious as to see if there are any myths about how the other Great Seven treat or view Humans
This AU has me in a chokehold and I can’t wait for more parts! I love every part and your art of the characters is amazing!
I kinda wrote a little idea for the Righteous Judge and how he felt about Humans (You can ignore or change it if you want! Since this IS your AU)
The Righteous Judge was known for being fair towards Humans as he believed they should be treated equally, as he’d saw how Humans could not only adapt, but even help Monsters settle their differences, and they could do it all without magic
As such he made laws to protect Humans as he thought highly of Humanity being the key to improve civilization, as while they didn’t have any magic, their bonds with each other and other Monsters helped accomplish any task or threat thrown at them
He believed Humans were pure because they weren’t born with the savage instinct like many Monsters have, as he saw Humans more likely to show compassion, mercy, kindness and empathy, unlike Monsters who are more prone to use violence, aggression and pure power to get what they want
Legend has it the Righteous Judge wept in sorrow when Humanity went Extinct, as he believed Humanity could’ve helped Monsters learn how to better themselves
It’s also believed that the Righteous Judge’s son was a Human, which could explain why he was so devoted to defend and help Humans
Maybe because of this Fleur City is known for their rituals, celebrations and festivals to honor the legacy Humans left behind, to honor how the Righteous Judge strived so hard to help Humans
Sorry, my brain went ham as I’m prone to overthinking because of my Autism (I love your Autistic Works as they’re incredibly relatable, like with Floyd and his squeezes since I love extra tight hugs)
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Absolutely agree for the Righteous Judge and this would no doubt translate to Rollo's own infatuation and obsession with this little Human. I would bet that if Human MC from the AU visited Fleur city during the Topsy Turvey Day, they would be automatically crowned and honored in the festival as even the Righteous Judge loved the Humans he wept so heavily for.
The Queen of Hearts was known for her love of Humans and had several Human pets that she cherished deeply. She was known to only pardon her Humans from being beheaded as they were such an endearing little species and she couldn't stay angry with her Humans for long. There are no less than 50 rules regarding the proper treatment of humans as The Queen wanted to ensure her beloved pets were kept safe no matter what. All Humans were declared as a protected species in the Queendom of Roses, and harming or abusing one was punishable by death. These laws are still in place despite Humans being extinct for centuries just in the event that a Human could possibly still be alive somewhere.
The King of Beasts doesn't have any mention of humans in any of his stories, hence why many beast men were content to treat Humans as cattle and regarded humans as a delicacy to feast upon. Over the years as Humans became more and more endangered, the Black market for Humans became more than a little cut-throat. Humans were food for so long, that when they were declared extinct, literal riots broke out and what small remaining meat sold for millions. Knock off meat was popular for a while, and Sunset Savana (and various other locations with high beastman populations) admitted to being somewhat at fault for the rapid extinction of Humans. Now there is a global ban on the buying, selling, or trading of Human artifacts/remains.
The Sea Witch's story is deeply intertwined with the presence of Humans, as it was a Human the princess wished to see and marry, leading to her making a deal with the Sea Witch. Many merfolk regard Humans as the peak standard of beauty as a result of this story and see Sirens as merfolk who have been blessed with Human blood. Since sirens look very close to Humans- minus their ever present gills and abnormal aquatic forms- sirens are believed to be the step between merfolk and Humans. Many Human-like monsters are treated with the same kind of awe by merfolk for being so close to a Human in form.
The Sorcerer of the Sands had many tricks and was very knowledgeable, so of course he knew about humans in great detail. Some stories even claim that the Sorcerer sought the council of Humans for their unusual ability to resolve conflict in warring species. Despite their lack of Magic, humans were admirable enough to be in the council of the Sorcerer and were considered to be quite wise for their continued persistence among stronger species.
The Fairest Queen- the most beautiful of all and a wickedly powerful Harpy in her own right- liked the featherless bipeds known as Humans. Though they were clumsy and sometimes pig-faced, she viewed their ambition and tenacity in high regard. Such creatures that held on so tightly to their place in the world despite the other species beating them back certainly earned the respect of the Fairest Queen.
The Thorn Fairy was known for her many boons granted to Human kind. As Humans did not posses magic, they needed all the aid they could get and the Thorn Fairy was all too eager to aid. It is said that any Human the Thorn Fairy blessed became a member of her court, if not in title than in spirit, as the Thorn fairy adored the ignoble little species despite their fragility and flaws. Though she is the spirit of nobility and power, the Thorn Fairy herself smiled kindly upon her little Humans and offered aid to them when she could.
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the-anime-enthusiast · 3 months ago
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today is Iida's birthday !!!! maybe some drabbles/headcannons about what it would be like to celebrate with him :3?
TENYAS BDAY‼️‼️
headcannons and drabbles 😜
for everyone else who has requested stuff and I haven't replied, I'm so sorry 😭 I just moved 4 states away from home by myself and I've been busy ASFFF but I'm finally starting to get some free time again so pls be patient with me, I appreciate it 🙏
GIFT IDEAS 🎁
Okay so this first one is oddly specific, but every time I go on my own personal Tenya Iida bend, I alwaaayyyss think of this. My fav "perfect gift for him" idea is a pair of glasses (stick with my now), but not just any pair, a pair with his hero name
"Ingenium"
engraved in the side‼️ It may seem kinda dumb cause hes got like, idk a bagillion pairs of glasses, but these are perfect for special occasions and we all know he prefers the finer things in life so I think he's love this 😌😌 (possibly sheds tears bc he loves his brother like it's nobody's business and he feels the weight of this gift in his soul, ong)
My favorite gag gift ideas all come down to one thing, oranges. (ifykyk but de I will still explain) So, as a lot of Tenya fans know, his quirk uses oranges/orange juice as the fuel for his engines (no I'm not lying, it's random ik, his family has so many random traditions and small details thrown into the show, I love them sm 💞)
Like many people, I love gag gifts, and I would have a field day with this. I'm talking sunglasses shaped like oranges, bottles upon bottles of assorted orange juice, Sunny D merch, the whole nine yards. While this HC is made to be a gag gift, I think he would actually lose his shit over this, like best gift he's ever received type shit. He'd keep a specific shelf on his bookshelf for all things orange you get him (like a shrine or sm shi 💀) It def weirds ppl out when they don't know the story behind the shelf, but he loves it 😌👍
Another gag gift idea I love 😋 (okay so rq)
fun fact Abt me: I'm in mechanics and I js know bro would eat up auto mechanics related gag gifts Soo much 😭😭
Like cleaner for his mufflers, car oil (strictly for shits and giggles) js dumb shit like that 😭 Again, definitely has a stash/shrine for all this stuff, everytime you tell him he can get rid of it
"it was just a joke tenya, you know you don't have to keep it right?"
"well dear, it could come in handy one day! You never know ☺️"
Spending the Day Together 💞
Bros prim and proper, if your lucky, you wake up before him. It's no secret that appreciates the finer things in life (and the small things, atp he appreciates literally everything. Tenya is an angel sent from heaven and don't you forget it ✋) But if you decide to wake this man up to some bomb ass breakfast, I'm talking bacon, eggs, possibly pancakes, and ofc a big ass glass of orange juice he WILL tear up. I know deep in my soul he's an emotional (or at least dramatic) gift reciever.
I feel like his birthday would actually be a pretty average day, other than the morning and night. He ofc wants to have breakfast with you, whether it's cooking or the two of you going out, but he makes a NIIGHT out of his birthday. Y'all are doing it all don't even play ✋ Anything he could think of that you would also enjoy, is going on the list. (ofc there's a list, this is Teny Iida were talking Abt 🙄🙄)
There happens to be a festival near by? ✅
Oh your in a town known for it's street foods? Take a wild guess where your going. ✅
Open Business Shack street strip? You're walking that thing about 50 times. ✅
Art Museums. Movies. Live Music. Wining and Dining. Walks in a Park. Walks on the beach. Hero conventions. Literally any event near or on his birthday y'all are going to. You can try to plan all you want for him but he's got things mapped out before you ever thought possible. Something to be grateful for though, he doesn't mind it. He doesn't mind planning all of these things for HIS birthday because making you happy in the process is more than enough for him to get by (selfless baddie).
At the End of the Day 🌆
As much as I'd like to think, and we'd all like to think, that Tenya gets in a good amount of alone time with you at the end of his birthday, it just doesn't happen (ikik trust the process 😔)
After a long day of walking around the town, eating great food, spending way to much money on entrance fees to museums, gift shops, and that great food I mentioned, bros pooped (sry guys I'm js a girl and idk how else to word that with equal humor to that phrase 😔)
The second you walk through that door bags are crashing into the ground, shoes are being thrown across the room (not rly tho cuz u leave ur shoes by the front door 👍), clothes are being scattered across the living and bedroom. All bro wants to do is crash into his bed. He barely has time to out his night cap on 😔😔
It's slightly mundane but sweet because trust me ✋ After a day like the one he has planned y'all's bed sounds like heaven. I mean you can swear you hear the angels themselves singing to you once y'all slink into bed together, and honestly he wouldn't have it any other way. Spending an amazing day with his amazing partner, then getting into an even more amazing bed with said partner at the end of his lil adventure 💞
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this is kinda on the short side, but it's late ash where I'm at and I'm tired asff BUT I FINALLY WROTE SMT AGAIN 😍😍 (praise God life was getting so boring) I hope y'all enjoy! I haven't been an iida girlie for awhile now but y'all are bringing it back 😜 (not to mention that one scene from the anime where it's class 1-A vs Deku and bros looking extra yummy) (slay) (pls don't come for me I'm 18 and have been watching this show since I was 12)(I'm also asexual so I'm not being weird I swear)(ik some of my reposts say otherwise but guys good writing is good writing what can I say 😭🙏)
Hope y'all have a wonderful night!
Lots of love 💞
BYYYEE ‼️‼️
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xdarkestdesirex · 4 months ago
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Calamity - Hide x f.Reader
Volume One
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Calamity (n.) a great misfortune or disaster
You think you're just like every other 18-year-old girl: just starting college, living alone, and working at a cute cafe, except you aren't because you're a ghoul. Trying your best to blend into a world that isn't your own, and then you meet him. Hide. He's unlike anyone you've ever met, and you slowly fall for him. But will it ever work between the two of you? He's human, and you're not.
This is a Hide x female reader, and this fanfiction story will be based STRICTLY on the mangas, including the novels.
The plot of Tokyo Ghoul and the characters are not mine. They all belong to Sui Ishida.
I don't allow anyone to copy my story, publish it on other platforms, or alter it as your own.
This writing contains highly sensitive topics like violence, gore, mental illness, talk of suicide, death, smut, and other mature themes. Reader discretion is advised.
word count 10877
“Humans are thought to be at the top of the food chain… But some beings hunt them as food. These monsters feed on the dead flesh of humans. They are called…
Ghouls.” 
-Tokyo Ghoul Volume 1 #001 Tragedy by Sui Ishida
——————————
The sound of the TV lofted through the brightly lit cafe. A news channel was showing an interview with a man named Hisashi Ogura, a ghoul researcher, explaining what ghouls are and how they act. I stood behind the coffee bar, dressed in my work uniform, which consisted of a cream blouse with a gray vest layered on top and a brown tie wrapped neatly under the collar and tucked below the vest. A brown skirt with two pleats in the front that hit my mid-thighs, shear tights covered my legs, and a pair of platform leather loafers adorned my feet. I blocked out the sound of the male voice coming from the screen on the wall and stared at two customers sitting at a table across from me. I noticed the one with dark black hair from his frequent visits to the cafe, but the friend across from him was someone I barely saw. He had short, dirty blonde hair with dark roots and gleamed as a smile crossed his face. The other boy’s cheeks turned dark pink, and I couldn’t help but wonder what the blonde was teasing his friend about when suddenly, the vibrant boy shot out of his seat and yelled out to Touka. 
“Hey! Can you take our order?!” His giant smile grew, and he looked down at his friend and gave him a little shove. 
“Sorry, (Y/n), can you take this?” The plum-haired girl turned towards me and walked away from the beaming boy. I sweat-dropped at the explicit rejection of my co-worker to deal with these boys and then made eye contact with the blonde. He sent me a small smile and a faint blush crept up on my cheeks. From the few other times he made a brief appearance in the cafe, I couldn’t help but be drawn to his bubbly, adorable appearance. I walked out from behind the counter, gripping my notepad, and sent them the best customer service smile I could muster. 
“I apologize for my co-worker,” I bowed, “What can I get for you?” 
“I’ll have a cappuccino!” The bright boy turned to his friend, “What about you?” 
“Oh, uh, I’m okay, thank you.” The dark-haired boy shyly spoke. He was always the quiet type when he came in. 
“One cappuccino coming up!” I said, turning around to walk away, but someone grabbed my hand and stopped me. I looked to see who caught me, and it was the boy I admired from the coffee bar. 
“Can I ask a question?” He looked up at me with beautiful olive eyes and a silly smirk.
“Of course,” I replied. My heart was beating quickly in my chest.
“What is that girl’s name?” He pointed over towards Touka. My face dropped, and I felt a strange knot in my throat. I don’t know this guy, but it’s still a hit to your ego when someone you’ve been silently crushing on asks about another girl. “I think she might be the girl my friend has a crush on.” He gestured to the boy next to him. Oh, that makes sense. I guess I worried for nothing. 
“Her name is Touka.” I directed the answer to the dark-haired boy, “She’s lovely once you get to know her!” Touka would kill me if she heard me talking about her to a boy. 
“O-oh, no, s-sorry!” The poor boy looked like he would burst from embarrassment, “My friend is mistaken! She’s not the girl I have a crush on! Though she is cute.” He trailed off and said the last part quietly, but I could still pick it up. Heh, he thinks she’s cute. I’m so going to tease her about this. 
“WHAT?” The blonde looked taken aback, “I swear I was spot on with my guess.” He turned back to you, “Sorry about that!” 
“It’s okay,” I said, chuckling. Finally, I broke free from the boys and returned behind the bar. 
I grabbed a bag of espresso roast coffee beans and poured a small amount into our espresso grinder. It sputtered to life and poured the coffee grounds into the portafilter. Once it was filled, I pressed the coffee grounds down, compacting them into the portafilter, making sure not to pact them down too much. I placed the portafilter onto the espresso machine, put one of our mugs below it, and started it up. Slowly, the deep brown drops of coffee began to fill the cup, and the smell of brewing beans wafted through my nose. I inhaled the bitter scent and felt my body relax instantly. Coffee is the only thing I can relate to with humans, and the smell of it has always calmed my nerves. While the espresso was pouring into the mug, I grabbed a jug of whole milk from the fridge, poured it into a cup, and then placed it under the steam wand. Once I steamed the milk, I poured it over the espresso, topped it with foam, and drizzled a heart on top with caramel. 
I brought the cup over to the blonde boy and sat the cup in front of him. Once he looked down at the mug, his hands shot up to his face, and he cooed, “Awww, you put a heart on it!” Instantly, my face turned a bright red, and I cursed myself for putting a heart. I was too proud of my coffee art to think about the embarrassment I would feel after bringing it over to him. He turned towards me, “What’s your name!” 
“Oh, uh, I-I’m (L/n) (Y/n),” I bowed, “Nice to meet you.” I mentally facepalmed myself at being so proper. 
“I’m Hideyoshi Nagachika, but you can call me Hide!” He reached out and grabbed my hands. “Do you have a boyfriend?!” WHAT? Did he just ask me that? I think I’m going to faint.
“N-n-n-no,” I stuttered out. I could feel the palms of my hands getting sweaty, and I only hoped he wouldn’t feel it, either. My whole body was on fire, and I could feel the eyes of other customers looking at us. Did he have to be so loud while being this direct? 
“Could I possibly-” 
“(Y/n)!” Touka called me, interrupting the blonde boy, “What are you doing?”
“A-ah! I have to get back to work!” I pulled my hands away from the blonde, ran over to Touka, and lowered my head in shame for getting distracted while working. Touka may be younger than me, but she can be scary. As I got back to work, I could hear the dark-haired male scold his friend for being obnoxious, and the words that fell out of the vibrant boy’s lips shocked me, “She’s cute.” 
Touka stared at me angrily when the door opened, looking like she was also about to scold me. I took this moment to greet the customer and saw Rize walking through the doors. It made me uneasy whenever she came in, but I knew I could do nothing about it. She was a binge eater, and just thinking about the things she does to people makes me sick. But I still greeted her the way I do with every customer. 
A few minutes passed, and I was back to standing behind the counter, cleaning up things lying around. I decided it wouldn’t be wise to go back to staring at the dirty blonde boy after our encounter, and I did my best to distract myself. The sound of a chair squeaking made my eyes snap, and I saw the bubbly boy leave his chair. “Good luck, dreamer boy!” He waved to his friend, sporting a bright smile, then turned slightly to look at me and yelled, “See you later, (Y/n)!” And then he walked out the door.
I patted my hot cheeks, trying to calm them down, and Touka stared at me for a second before rolling her eyes. “Seriously?” She leaned closer and whispered, “He’s a human.” Then, she walked away from me. Yes, he’s a human, and I’m a ghoul. There’s no way we could ever be together, but a crush has never hurt anyone. 
——————————
These past few days, I couldn’t help but worry about Hide’s dark-haired friend, whose name I found out is Kaneki. Once the blonde boy left the cafe, I saw Kaneki interact with Rize and overheard their plan to go out on a date. It was coming up tomorrow, and I struggled to find a way to warn the poor boy. Just from looking at him, I could tell he was pretty weak, and he wouldn’t stand a chance against Rize. If he were at least a bit strong, maybe he would have the opportunity to defend himself, but even then, he probably would still fail. She’s a strong ghoul, and nothing gets in her way of feeding. There wasn’t anything I could do about it either unless I wanted to expose myself or Anteiku, and I would never do that. 
My best course of action would be to follow them. I knew where they were meeting and what time, so I could just lurk in the shadows and ensure Rize didn’t do anything to Kaneki. It was settled then. Tomorrow, I will watch them. 
*
Morning came, and I got ready for my day of spying. I wore a pair of black jeans and a band T-shirt with a pair of black Converse. I threw my (h/c) hair into a bun and tossed a black zip-up hoodie and a pair of sunglasses into my bag. Was I being too obvious? Most likely, but oh well. I didn’t want to stand out; I could blend into the darkness if they hung out at night. Before leaving my room, I grabbed the book on my coffee table and shoved it into my bag. I needed something to hide behind, just in case. 
I arrived at the restaurant they were meeting at a bit after the time they stated to make sure I wouldn’t be seen by the two. When I entered, I got the waiter to seat me in a corner behind Rize’s back so she couldn’t see me. As I watched them talk, they seemed to be having a good time, and I could see the faint dusting of blush on the boy’s cheeks occasionally. Rize was a master disguiser when it came to being a ghoul; she knew how to blend in with humans, and it surprised me that she didn’t touch the food on her plate once. I’ve seen her pretend to eat before, so was she avoiding it right now because she didn’t want to spoil her appetite for later? I still wasn’t sure what I would do if she attacked him. I’m too weak to fight against a ghoul of her strength, and I couldn’t risk him knowing about me either. Maybe I could run into them? Tell her we had an important topic to discuss with her right away. 
After following them around for the day, everything seemed okay. Maybe she wouldn’t hurt him today, and I can warn Mr. Yoshimura about her plans. It was nighttime, and the only things lighting the streets were a few lamp posts. I threw my hoodie on not too long ago and slowly watched them as they came to a stop. It was time to part ways, but Rize made up some excuse of being scared to get Kaneki to walk her home. Shit. She’s going to kill him. I was about to dart out of my hiding spot when I saw a group of girls walking in my direction. I noticed one of them as Touka and panicked, so I threw myself back into the hiding spot and watched as they slowly walked by. At this point, the couple I was stalking, for lack of better words, had disappeared. Once the high school girls were out of sight, I ran towards the alley I saw Rize and Kaneki walk down. Before I could even enter it, a loud bang rang through the area as steel beams came crashing to the ground. I fell backward and covered my face as the debris flung towards me.
This isn’t good. I quickly picked myself off the ground and ran towards the beams to see if the poor dark-haired boy was trapped in the destruction. It didn’t take long to see him poking out from under a beam, crushing him into the ground, and a puddle of blood surrounding him. Fear coursed through my veins, and I could feel the change in my demeanor. My eyes flashed red, and I suddenly felt a pang of hunger. I clutched my stomach and shook my head. Fuck. I did go past my feeding time with how busy I’ve been lately. I can’t let myself lose control now. Not after how hard I’ve worked towards controlling myself. Once I pulled myself together, I grabbed my phone and dialed the police. I couldn’t just leave him here to die.
——————————
After the incident with Kaneki and Rize, I stayed by to ensure the black-haired boy was still alive. I didn’t move him from his spot, scared that if I did, it would be the difference between him dying or not. When the police and ambulance arrived, I gave them my statement and asked to remain anonymous. I know doing that was risky, and I could’ve exposed myself by staying there. Thankfully, they didn’t prod me too much with questions but told me what hospital Kaneki was being transported to, which brought me to where I am now—standing in front of that hospital and questioning why I was even here. I wanted to check in on the poor boy and ensure he was doing okay, but I didn’t want to see him directly. 
I took a deep breath and walked through the hospital doors to the front desk. A lady sat behind the counter and looked up at me impatiently, “How can I help you?” Her voice was monotonous. You would think they’d hire bubbly people to work the front desk at a hospital. This place is already depressing, and people like this lady don’t help the atmosphere. 
“I just wanted to check the condition of one of the patients here,” I said.
“What’s their name?” Her hands were ready to type once I spoke.
“Ken Kaneki.” Her fingers started working her magic, but another voice spoke behind me before she could say anything.
“(Y/n)?” It sounded slightly familiar, but not enough for me to know who it was immediately. I turned around to see the bright, blonde-haired boy.
“H-Hide!” I should’ve expected him to come and check in on his friend.
“You’re here to check on Kaneki as well?” Looking at me puzzled, he scratched his head, “I didn’t know you guys were close.” 
“Are you also a friend of the boy?” The lady behind the counter interrupted our conversation. 
“Yes, I am.” The blonde boy's face settled into a straight line, a more serious look, away from the bright smile he usually wore when I saw him at the cafe.
“Then I’ll tell the both of you so I don’t have to repeat myself. Kaneki is in stable condition and doing well, but he’s asked for no visitors.” 
I glanced over at Hide, and his eyebrows scrunched down. He looked disappointed and sad. I’m sure he wanted to see with his own eyes that his friend was okay. 
“Thank you, ma’am,” I turned to face the boy beside me, “Can we talk?” He nodded his head.
He followed me out of the hospital, and we walked side by side in silence. I wasn’t sure where to start. I knew I couldn’t tell him that I stalked them cause I knew Rize was a ghoul, but I could at least explain that I just happened to be passing by when the steel beams fell. I’m sure he’s suspicious of me, and I wanted to clear my name. 
“I know of a cafe we can go to if you’d like. I’ll pay.” I spoke. 
“Is it Anteiku?” He lightly joked.
A small chuckle fell from my lips, and I shook my head, “No, there’s one right down the road that’s pretty good.”
“Alright, let’s go.” 
The blonde boy seemed deep in thought as we headed towards the cafe, and I couldn’t help but feel guilty for his somber appearance. If I had stopped their date beforehand or pulled Rize away from Kaneki, then Hide’s friend wouldn’t be in the position he’s in, or if I had been strong enough to fight her. I gripped my fist tightly and cursed myself for being weak. Yes, I called the police, but I could’ve prevented him from ever getting hurt. 
We made it to the cafe and were seated at a small table facing the window. I ordered an iced americano (something I could drink) and some avocado toast. I couldn’t eat the toast, but I’m good at pretending to enjoy food. I watch many videos on YouTube of people going out to eat, and I like to stay on top of food trends for people my age. Hide ordered a cappuccino and a piece of cake. Once our food and drinks arrived, I picked up the toast with my hands, bit right into it, swallowed it whole, and pretended to chew. Then, I sipped my coffee to wash away any foul-tasting food I ingested. 
“So, why were you at the hospital to see Kaneki?” Hide questioned.
I sat down my food and dabbed my face with a napkin before responding, “I was there at the incident.” I decided to get straight into it.
“Wait, what?!” I guess what I said was the last thing he expected, given how his mouth hung open in shock.
“I don’t live too far from the area where it happened,” Which is the truth since I live at Anteiku and it wasn’t very far from the incident, “I was out for a late night walk cause I was feeling a bit stressed when suddenly these steel beams came crashing to the ground. I wasn’t close enough to be caught up under them, but the whole thing scared me. Then I remembered seeing two people walk towards where they had fallen, and I needed to make sure they were okay. So I started looking around. It wasn’t long before,” I paused for a second to take a deep breath. It wasn’t like I wasn’t used to seeing people in the state Kaneki was in when I found him. I've seen worse, but the negative thoughts from earlier came crashing back. A pair of solid hands lightly gripped mine, and I looked up to see the vibrant boy looking at me worriedly. 
“It’s okay (Y/n), you don’t-” 
“No, I have to tell you,” I cut the boy off and squeezed his hand in mine, “I saw Kaneki lying there. I recognized him from Anteiku and h-he- there was a lot of blood. I was sure he was dead, but when I checked for a pulse, I felt something faint.  So I called the police immediately but didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t see the other person he was with, so I just sat there and stayed with him till help arrived.” 
Hide rubbed his hands over his face, “I-I’m so sorry you had to witness what you did,” He looked up at me with tears threatening to spill from his eyes, “But I’m so thankful you were there to be with him and call for help.” His voice broke, “My best friend could be dead right now if it weren’t for you, so thank you.” 
Having Hide thank me made all my emotions surface, and tears started rolling down my cheeks. I dropped my head into my hands to cover myself from the gaze of onlookers. Then I felt a pair of arms wrap around me and pull me into a hug. I nuzzled my face into the bright jacket of the dirty blonde boy, and he nuzzled his face into the crook of my neck. We both sat there crying while embracing each other. It felt good to have him be grateful to me, but I still felt guilty and don’t think that’ll ever go away. Hide offered to walk me home when we left the cafe, and I accepted it. We didn’t talk much during the walk, but the silence was comfortable. It was nice to have the company, at least. He tried to crack a few jokes to lighten the mood, and he succeeded with it. I couldn’t help but giggle whenever he said something funny. 
Once we arrived at Anteiku, Hide cocked his head to the side like a confused puppy. “I thought I was taking you home.”
“This is home,” I smiled at the boy, “I live in an apartment above the cafe. That’s how I started working here!” 
“Oh wow! I didn’t realize people lived up there.”
“There are a few of us who live up there. Thankfully, there are only a few apartments, so I have fewer neighbors.” The blonde boy chuckled at my statement, “I guess this is where we part ways.” I whispered.
“I guess so,” Hide smiled slightly.
“Thank you for walking me back,” I said, walking up the steps to the door.
‘Wait!’ he yelled out. I stopped to face him once again. He rushed up the steps and got close to me. A fit of heat crept up my face from the sudden closeness. “Could I get your number?” 
“U-um, sure.” If my face hadn’t been red, it would be red now. I reached into my back pocket, pulled out my phone, and handed it to him. He gave me his, and we swapped numbers. 
“Thank you again, (Y/n), for looking after Kaneki.” He said one last time before leaving. I pressed my back against the wall and slid down once he was out of sight. I can’t believe that just happened. 
——————————
It had been another steady day at the cafe, and I didn’t have any classes today, so I worked an entire shift from opening till 4 pm. Like always, I stood at the counter, waiting for Touka to return from school so she could swap me out. These past few days have been emotional and tiring, not to mention how I had to come clean and tell Mr. Yoshimura everything that happened with Kaneki and Rize. We spent the past few days reviewing the event in detail and ensuring nothing leads back to Anteiku. I felt terrible for putting our group in danger by exposing myself as a witness to the police and other ghouls by being there when Rize got killed. We had concluded that what happened most likely wasn’t an accident since so many people were after her. Meaning we must be extra careful and lay low for a while. 
There have also been rumors floating around that the doctor who performed surgery on Kaneki used Rize’s organs as a transplant to save him. Mr. Yoshimura seemed concerned about this and asked us to watch for him. He feels like it could affect him in a way that we wouldn’t be able to comprehend. So I’ve been lost in thought over everything that’s happened, and my guilt has only grown. Mr. Yoshimura was kind and told me he was proud of me for saving the boy, and even though what I did was a considerable risk, I made the right choice. Even Yomo brought me coffee and an extra meal to spoil and make me feel better.
A small smile spreads on my face after I think of how Yomo cares for me. We’re not family by blood, but he took me under his wing when I was little. I was around 7, and he was only 23. Why did he look after me like I was his own at such a young age? I couldn’t understand, but he’s been like a father to me all these years. Being here at Anteiku has been a blessing; the people here are all my family. Without everyone’s help, there’s no way I would survive in this world. Many ghouls would struggle without the kindness of Anteiku and Mr. Yoshimura. 
  Suddenly, the door was thrown open, and an angry, disheveled Touka came storming through. Many customers glanced at her; some knew why she looked the way she did, while others looked at her with judging eyes. 
“Hey, Koma, can you watch the counter while I check in on Touka?” I asked the male on shift.
“Of course, (Y/n)!” He smiled at me.
I quickly wandered back and headed up the stairs to Touka’s room. Knowing she would tell me to go away, I didn’t even bother knocking, so I just barged straight into her room. She whipped around quickly, looking at me with her signature annoyed look.
“Ugh, how often do I tell you to knock.” She said.
“What happened?” I asked as I sat down in her chair by the desk in her room.
“Why do you think something happened?” She huffed back.
“Because I’ve known you for a while, Touka, and you don’t try to hide it when something pisses you off.”
“Fine, an asshole was trying to push himself onto me on my way here from school, and then another asshole showed up. He was a ghoul as well, so I killed the old fuck trying to grope me, and I offered some of him to the other guy cause he seemed hungry. Then I noticed only one of his eyes was red, and he looked a lot like the guy Rize took on a date. I tried to get him to eat, and he refused. He looked at me with disgust before running away.” 
I just sat there in shock over the fact that she told me all that so easily; I didn’t have to pry it out of her, and holy fuck… Kaneki is a ghoul now?!
“Touka, I’m so sorry some slimy bastard was pushing himself on you. I disagree with killing people, but he had it coming.” I paused momentarily, “As for the boy who looked like Rize’s date, you need to tell Mr. Yoshimura about him.”
“Why?” The plum-haired girl became defensive.
“He might need help.”
“He’ll be fine. If I had to figure out my way in this shitty world alone, he can too.” The young girl crossed her arms and glared at me.
“Touka, please just go talk to Mr. Yoshimura,” I begged the girl.
“I make no promises,” she said, walking towards her door and gesturing, “Now please leave so I can get dressed.”
I sighed and left the room, knowing there wasn’t much I could do. I’ll tell Mr. Yoshimura myself if Touka doesn’t talk to him by the night’s end. I returned to the cafe and let Koma know she was okay. Only a few minutes had passed before she made her way behind the counter, and I was finally free to go to my room. Walking down the hallway, I pulled my phone out of my pocket and dialed a number I had yet to message. The phone rang a few times before a deep voice answered on the other end.
“Hey (Y/n)! This is a surprise.” His voice came through the speaker and whispered into my ear. Even talking on the phone made my cheeks heat up slightly.
“Hide, is this a bad time?” Before I asked the real question, I wanted to ensure he wasn’t busy.
“Nope! I just left class and am heading to a meeting for this school festival. We can talk while I walk!” 
“I just wanted to check in and see how Kaneki was doing. Have you seen him lately?” I’m unsure if Hide knows he’s out of the hospital yet, so I have to see what he knows about Kaneki. 
“Oh, yeah, he got discharged from the hospital a few days ago, and I took him out to eat as a celebration.” His voice didn’t sound as enthusiastic as before.
“That’s good. I’m glad to hear Kaneki is doing okay. How’s he doing… mentally?” I hesitated to say that last word. Dealing with trauma can be rough, but if he’s turned into a ghoul, then he must be going through something even worse.
“He did seem kind of out of it the whole time we were out, and he looked pretty pale. He couldn’t keep down any of the food he ate. I was worried about him, but he said he’s still healing.” So he couldn’t eat the food at the restaurant. I’ll have to tell Mr. Yoshimura this information and what Touka saw. 
“It might take a while for him to feel normal again,” if he can even feel like that after what happened to him. “Thank you for updating me, Hide. I appreciate it.”
Once Hide and I got off the phone, I wandered down the hall to Mr. Yoshimura’s office and knocked on the door. I waited for his okay before I entered and sat in front of his large oak desk. 
“What can I do for you (Y/n)?” He propped his hands on the desk and gave me his undivided attention.
“It’s about Kaneki. I told Touka to talk to you, but I don’t think it can wait.” He looked at me with deep, squinted eyes. “She saw him not too long ago and noticed one of his eyes was red. He looked hungry but refused the meat that Touka tried to give him.”
“So he’s part ghoul and refusing to eat.” The old man paused before continuing, “We need to contact him before the hunger consumes him.” 
I agreed with Mr. Yoshimura, and we sat together and discussed ways to approach the dark-haired boy without scaring him off. We wanted to help him with this new way of life and teach him what it means to be a ghoul—if he’d let us, and maybe he could help us understand humans better. I begrudgingly told him about my encounter with Hide at the hospital and how we swapped numbers. I hoped to keep this secret, fearing Mr. Yoshimura would forbid me from talking to the vibrant boy. He didn’t fully agree with me talking to the human, but he didn’t say I wasn’t allowed to. Which I was silently thankful for. 
We devised a plan for me to ask Hide for Kaneki’s number so I could personally check in with the shy boy. I would then message Kaneki, telling him I was the person who called the police during his incident and that I would like to meet up with him. From there, I would ask him to meet me at Anteiku and invite him upstairs, where I would lead him to Mr. Yoshimura’s office. We would then explain that we understand his situation and would like to offer him help. I wasn’t sure if this would work, but trying didn’t hurt. At least we would know that we reached out and tried even if he refused us. 
Together, Mr. Yoshimura and I made our way down to the cafe. We wanted to gather everyone and meet about our possible new friend. Since it was the end of the day, the cafe should be locked up, and all the customers are gone. The only people left should be the other workers like Touka and Koma, and soon, Yomo would be returning from his patrol of the area. When we reached the cafe, the only person we could see was Koma mopping the floors. He told us Touka was outside taking out the trash. As we got close to the door, we could hear Touka’s loud and clear voice. She was yelling at someone, and she sounded agitated. The last thing I heard before Mr. Yoshimura opened the door was Touka saying, “You can die for all I care.”
Once the door was flung open, I saw the dark-haired boy kneeling on the ground. He had a green hoodie on with the hood pulled over his head. Tears were streaming down his face, and his left eye was red. He looked terrified, and my heart clenched as I stared at the poor boy. I couldn’t even imagine what he was going through. His world has turned upside down, and I could have prevented it. 
“Touka,” Mr. Yoshimura’s voice cut through the tension. Kaneki looked up at the older man, and his eyes fell on me in the background. Without realizing it, I shrunk behind Mr. Yoshimura, trying to hide from the boy’s gaze. “It must have been rough,” The old man shifted his body and opened the door wider to invite Kaneki inside. As he walked past me, I kept my gaze on the floor. I didn’t realize how shameful I would feel for him to find out I was a ghoul. If he knew about my involvement when the beams fell on him from Hide, then I wouldn’t be surprised if he blamed me for what happened to him as well. 
Touka argued with Mr. Yoshimura about letting the poor boy into Anteiku, but the older man shut her up by saying ghouls help each other. The plum-haired girl and I followed quietly behind the two men as Mr. Yoshimura led us to the secret refrigerator where we kept human meat for ghouls who couldn’t hunt independently. The grey-haired man grabbed a wrapped pack of fresh meat and handed it to the troubled boy. Kaneki hesitantly grabbed the package and stared at the raw human meat in his hands. His dilemma of what he would do with it was evident in his eyes, and I could relate to his feelings. There was a point in my life where I refused to kill another human so that I could survive. It drove me insane to the point where the hunger devoured me. I no longer knew who I was, and my sense of humanity disappeared. 
I went on a binging spree, and the amount of blood I spilled that day was enough to last a lifetime. Yomo found me in hysterics and had to knock me out so I could calm down. When I awoke, I was in Mr. Yoshimura’s office, and he offered to help me. He told me that I would never have to worry about hurting another person. I was initially hesitant when they started to give me my meals, and it took a lot for me to finally give in and eat again. Ever since that moment, I haven’t killed another human. 
“Please come back when you need more,” Mr. Yoshimura smiled at the boy. Kaneki thanked us for helping him and left quickly. 
“I-I’m going to head to my room,” I said farewell, leaving Touka to glare at the older gentleman in the hallway. She was pissed, I could tell, but I wasn’t in the headspace to stay and explain what happened along with Mr. Yoshimura. He didn’t need me to help anyway. That old man always knew the right things to say. 
*
The sun had finally set for the night, and I was starting to feel agitated in my room. Since Kaneki came by the cafe, I’ve been throwing a pity party for myself, and I needed to stop. I decided some fresh air would do me good and headed out of the cafe for a walk. I was dressed in sweatpants and a hoodie, with the hood pulled over my head and a pair of headphones shoved into my ears. Loud music blasted into my eardrums, and the cool night air nipped at my nose. My feet took me down the alleyway near Anteiku, where ghouls usually hunted at night, but I stayed clear of the feeding corners. 
Being a ghoul, you knew whose turf was whose, and if you got caught wandering around an area you weren’t allowed in, a fight would break out. I’ve been in this area long enough to know which alleyways I could walk down peacefully and which I should avoid. The area my feet decided to take me was Rize’s old hunting grounds. With her being gone, I knew this area should be desolate. No ghoul lurking in the shadows scared that Rize might rip their heads off for being in her area, and no humans due to the high number of ghoul killings in this section. But my peace was interrupted the further I walked into the maze-like alley. 
I stumbled across a ghoul named Nishiki Nishio holding someone against the wall while he ranted about having his territory disturbed. Gah. This prick. I’ve never liked him since we briefly met a few years ago, and if I ran into him, I would do my best to ignore him. I felt terrible for the hopeless ghoul he was threatening, and then I realized the ghoul he was threatening was none other than Kaneki. I stood there frozen, unsure of what to do, like the date situation all over again. But I’d be damned if I just stood around this time and didn’t interfere, so without thinking, I stepped forward.
“This isn’t your turf, Nishiki. It belongs to Rize.” I used the excuse of this area being Rize’s turf in hopes it would scare him, but when he cocked his head to look at me, all he did was laugh.
“Don’t be so silly, (Y/n). Everyone knows Rize is dead.” His manic eyes stared into mine.
“It doesn’t matter if she’s dead. Anteiku oversees the 20th ward, and if you want a hunting ground, you have to go over it with Mr. Yohsimura.” My voice was stern as I glared daggers back at Nishiki. He let go of Kaneki’s neck, causing the boy to fall to the ground and gasp for air. The tall brunette slowly walked my way, eyes glaring red and hands clenched into fists.
“I can’t stand you guys over at Anteiku. That old shithead pisses me off with his human-loving hippie shit.” He stops a few inches from my face, “This used to be my turf before that binge-eating bitch came into town, and now that she’s dead, it BELONGS TO ME.” He spat. I didn’t want him to see that I was affected by anything he was doing, so I tried to summon my inner Touka and held the meanest RBF possible. 
“And I can’t stand pricks like you,” Maybe I summoned her too well because the next thing I knew, the tall brunette was lunging at me. I quickly dodged Nishiki’s attack and unleashed my kagune. My kagune was a koukaku type, otherwise known as the sword kagune, and it was released right below my right shoulder blade and warped into a sword-like figure around my arm. It almost looked like the kind of sword you would see in a fantasy video game, and not to fluff my ego, but my kagune is really pretty. 
I stared down the angry male and prepared myself for another attack. He might be more robust than me, but I could severely injure him if I time my move right. As he dashed at me, I used my sword to slash a gaping wound from his right cheek down to his right hip. He yelled in pain and collapsed to the ground. Nishiki quickly pulled his body off the ground, cursing under his breath, and sent one last glare before sprinting in the opposite direction.
I let out a deep, shaky breath and fell to my knees. That was scarier than I thought it would be. I’m not the type of ghoul to get into fights or provoke others. Usually, I stick to myself and avoid others at all costs, and if I find myself in a sticky situation, then I’m getting my ass beat. 
“W-what even are ghouls?!” Kanekis voice broke through the silence, “You guys kill humans and your own!” 
  “Kaneki-” 
“YOU’RE SICK!” His yell pierced deep within me, and all the shame I felt my whole life was brought to the surface. He’s right; we’re sick creatures. Tears threatened to spill down my face, but I held them back.
“I-I’m so sorry,” Was all I could choke out. I stayed there on the ground and watched the dark-haired boy scream out in agony. His left eye was beating red, and his veins started protruding through his skin. He was suffering. Not just from the agony of being turned into a ghoul but from the ever-consuming hunger eating away at him. “You haven’t eaten yet, have you?” 
His head whipped to look straight at me, and his face contorted into disgust, “I could never eat human flesh!” 
“Kaneki, I understand what you’re going through, but if you don’t eat-”
“I’ll never allow myself to become a monster like you! I’m a human being!” Tears flooded down his face, and his hands gripped at his hair, “A-and you, (Y/n), better stay away from Hide. I won’t let you ruin his life like Rize did mine!” 
Hide? Did he tell Kaneki about me? Of course, he did. They’re best friends. But Kaneki is right; a monster like me should avoid Hide and all humans. Our worlds don’t mix. I pushed myself off the ground and ran away from the dark-haired boy before he could see the waterfall of tears cascading down my face.
——————————
A loud alarm jolted me from slumber. I rubbed my swollen eyes from a long night of tears, and a deep sigh escaped my lips. I wish I didn’t have to go to school today. The most sleep I got, in total, was around 3 hours. The thoughts swarming my head wouldn’t shut up, and at some point in the night, I let out an anguishing scream. This wasn’t a rare occurrence; unfortunately, I’ve had night terrors most of my life and would wake up screaming. Yomo came rushing in to see the stains of salty tears streaking my cheeks, and he quickly wrapped me in his arms and petted my hair. He whispered that everything was okay and that it was all a bad dream, but this time, everything that had happened was real. The long, white-haired male was able to calm me down and lull me to sleep. Now I’m awake again. If I let every night like this keep me from going to school, I would miss most of my classes, so I dragged my body out of bed. 
I quickly washed my face, brushed my teeth, and beat some concealer into my skin to hide my lack of sleep. I decided to wear a cropped, long-sleeve top with thick stripes going across and torn fringes dangling from the bottom, along with oversized mom jeans and a pair of Doc Martins. My school bag was just a plain black crossbody tote, and I slung it over my shoulder, giving myself a once-over in the mirror before leaving my room. As I made my way to the cafe, I quickly stopped by the fridge and grabbed a few bottles of our nitro coffee. I will need all the energy I can get for a full day of classes. 
I’m studying art at Kamii University, which thankfully means I only have classes for three days a week, and I get to bend my creative mind—sometimes. It was hard for me to focus on anything the teachers talked about or showed us, and I put little work into the lessons during class. By the end of the day, I slowly walked through the campus, made my way to one of the courtyards, and sat on a bench tucked under a tree. I leaned back, letting my eyes flutter close, and listened to all the noises around me. The chatter of people walking by, the chirp of birds in the trees, and cars off in the distance. Every sound flows together, creating a peaceful cadence. For a moment, the muscles in my body relaxed. I could curl up on the bench and take a much-needed nap. 
“(Y/n)?” A deep voice calls out to me. Why, cruel world, must you rip me out of this peaceful moment? I open my eyes to see Hide and Kaneki standing before me. The blonde-haired boy flashed me his signature smile, and the dark-haired boy glared at me from behind his friend. “I didn’t know you went to school here!” His cheerful voice rang through my ears. 
“Oh, uh, yeah,” I shifted my gaze to the ground and did my best not to seem interested in the conversation. After what Kaneki said last night, it felt wrong to interact with Hide.
“Kaneki, this is (Y/n), the girl who saved your life!” Hide’s statement made both Kaneki and me flinch.
“Hide, we should probably get going,” Kaneki tried to pull the vibrant boy away.
“Huh?” Hide’s olive eyes stared at his friend briefly and then drifted toward me. “(Y/n) would you like to join us?” He gazed softly at me, causing my heart to race. I’ve never had someone look at me with such gentleness like the way he’s doing right now. My heart fluttered and hurt at the same time. I wanted to accept his offer but had to turn him down. At least we haven’t grown too close to where doing this would be more painful. 
“Sorry, Hide, but I should head home,” The sadness was evident in my voice. I stood from the bench and re-slung my bag over my shoulder.
“Did something else happen between you that I don’t know about?” The blonde gestured between Kaneki and me. 
“What?” I nervously laughed. “I just have a lot of homework.” He looked at me with a questioning gaze, and I could tell he was developing theories.
“Don’t worry about it,” Hide flashed me a somber smile, “Hopefully, I’ll see you later.” The blonde boy started walking away, but Kaneki, still facing me, looked like he was internally fighting himself. 
I approached the black-haired boy and whispered, “Don’t worry, I’ll stay away from him.” 
“(Y/n),” Kaneki’s deep silver eyes trapped me in his presence. They danced across my face, taking in every inch. I felt exposed like he saw all the terrible things I’ve ever done, and I was just waiting for him to spit another crude comment, but people keep surprising me lately.
“She’s coming with us!” Kaneki called out to Hide. 
“Hu-What?” My mouth was gaping open and closing like a fish out of water. 
Hide turned around to look at me, “Are you sure? You don’t have to join us if you’re busy.”  
“No, it’s okay,” I shot Kaneki a thankful glance, “I would love to go with you.” 
Hide and I walked alongside one another, and Kaneki trailed slightly behind us. I knew he’d stay back to watch me, so I made sure to be mindful of my actions. I wanted to show Kaneki I wasn’t a nasty ghoul like the few he’d encountered. He doesn’t ever have to worry about me hurting his dear friend.
We walked through the campus, and I must admit this is the first time I’ve been to the dorms. They were just as pretty as the main building, and I fantasized about what it would be like to live in the dorms: making friends, having a roommate, going to parties, and getting to be an ordinary college girl. That would be nice. On our way into one of the dormitories, Hide explained that we were going to an upperclassmen’s room to pick up a DVD from last year’s festival. The blonde boy then told Kaneki and me what setting up for the festival was like. It seemed like a lot of work, but how Hide lit up and talked excitedly made me want to join the committee. Maybe I should look into it anyway? Socializing would do me good, and I would spend more time with Hide.   
We made our way in front of a door, and the vibrant boy exclaimed that we had finally arrived and flung the door open, revealing a girl straddling some guy’s lap. Her shirt was unbuttoned, exposing her breasts, and the boy’s lips trailed along her neck. But within the split second of Hide barging in, the poor girl screamed and jumped away from the guy she was sitting on. Quickly, she fixed her shirt and then ran out of the door. I instinctively slapped my hands to cover my eyes from the inappropriate scene in front of me. This is why we knock kids.
“Nagachika,” the two boys blocked my view of the guy in the room, so I couldn’t see who it was, but that voice sounded familiar, making my hair stand on end. “I really don’t like my territory being violated.” 
“Nishiki?!” His name came out of my mouth before I could stop it. Great, why him?
“Oh? (Y/n).” He looked at me with his snake-like eyes. 
“You guys know each other?” Hide asked.
“Unfortunately,” I glared at the brunette boy. He sat unfazed in his desk chair with a bandaid plastered to his cheek. I couldn’t help but smirk, knowing my attack was deep enough and still healing. 
“Oh, well,” the blonde awkwardly scratched his head. “I guess I don’t have to introduce you two.” Hide then pointed towards the black-haired boy, “Kaneki, this is Nishio, Nishio, Kaneki.” 
The tall brunette gets up from his chair and fixes his shirt. He takes a few long strides to Kaneki and stops in front of his face, giving Kaneki a chilling smile. “Nice to meet you, Kaneki,” Nishiki’s voice was dark, and I couldn’t help but tremble along with Kaneki. The poor boy looked like he was going to faint. He already didn’t like me because I was a ghoul and didn’t initially like the idea of me around Hide, so he must be freaking out now that another ghoul is in the equation. Especially a violent one like Nishiki. 
Hide drew Nishiki’s attention by asking for the DVD for last year’s festival. The brunette started delegating areas for all of us to look at, and I felt like I’d gotten whiplash from the sudden threatening aura he gave to this now-normal college student he’s showing. It was weird to be in a room with Nishiki and not be arguing or having to defend myself. We spent about ten minutes looking for this green case that held the special CD that Hide needed.
“Oh, you know what? I took that disk home,” Nishiki said. Like hell, he took it home. He’s up to something, and I don’t like it. “It’s not too far, so we could head over there and grab it.”
“Hide, do you need it right now? Nishiki can always bring it to you tomorrow.” I looked at the blonde boy with pleading eyes, hoping he would understand what I was trying to say. Don’t go with him. It’s a trap. 
“Don’t worry, guys,” Hide flashed us a bright smile, “You don’t have to come along.” 
“I-I’m coming along!” Kaneki quickly responded.
“Yeah, I’m not leaving you alone with Nishiki,” I said bluntly. He already knows how I feel about him, so there’s no point in hiding it. 
“What’s gotten into you guys?” Hide questions.
“I’ve been cooped up at home, so going out somewhere would be nice.” Kaneki’s reply seems legit since he has been home the past few days since he got out of the hospital, but it’s clear that he doesn’t want his friend to be alone with Nishiki. 
“I don’t trust Nishiki,” I flatly said. Maybe Hide will change his mind about going if I’m honest about how terrible Nishiki is, or I could make him believe I’m uncomfortable and would like us all to go somewhere else, which isn’t entirely wrong. I got lucky last night with the hit I landed on him, and I doubt the universe would allow me to be this lucky twice in a row. 
“Aww, (Y/n), after all these years, you still don’t trust me,” Nishiki says. He walks towards me and tries to wrap his arm around my shoulder, but I step to the side, brushing him off. That annoyed him, and he glared at me through his hooded eyes. His face will get stuck in a permanent glare if he does it one more time. 
Hide slides between the brunette and me, an uncomfortable chuckle escaping his lips, “Well, let’s head out then.” 
*
Nishiki and Hide chatted as we walked along the sidewalk while Kaneki and I sulked in the back. Well, Kaneki was the one sulking as I burned daggers into Nishiki’s back. We encountered a Taiyaki stand on our way, and Nishiki insisted we get some. Hide seemed happy to snack on something, and I begrudgingly accepted the treat. I had drunk all my coffee earlier, so I could not wash the vile taste down after eating the Taiyaki. Kaneki watched Nishiki and me with amazement at how we stomached the food. He must learn to eat and look like he’s enjoying it if he still wants to blend in with his friend. 
“Nishio, how much further?” Hide asks the brunette.
“It’s just around the corner here.” The tall male walks up behind the blonde boy. Before I could react, Nishiki slammed his foot into Hide’s back, sending him flying into the wall ahead of us. 
“Hide!” Kaneki and I screamed. 
Without thinking, I released my kagune, and I rushed towards Nishki. He quickly dodged my attack and then slammed his foot on me. The sheer pressure of him stomping me into the ground broke the concrete beneath me. I could feel the snapping of my ribs, and I groaned in pain as I tried to wriggle my way out. He had me pinned.
“I won’t be going easy on you today (Y/n). We’re not by your precious Anteiku, so I don’t have to worry about those shitheads showing up to help you.” I should’ve known I won yesterday because he didn’t want to deal with Mr. Yoshimura or Yomo. “My strength can match Touka’s or even Yomos if I wanted it to, and right now, I’m just using 80%.” He pushes his foot even further into my body. Then he kicks my side, sending me tumbling across the floor. I really shouldn’t have turned down all those sparing sessions from Yomo. They could have come in handy right now. Even with the blinding pain shooting through my abdomen, I pull myself off the ground and take a fighting stance. I won’t give up until I can’t move anymore.
This time, I wait for Nishiki to come towards me, and when he gets close enough to try and kick me again, I swing my sword down at him and slash his leg. “You bitch!” He yells at me, stumbling backward. Oh good, I landed a blow. It wasn’t the leg his kagune wraps around, but it’ll kill his speed with how much he relies on his legs. It won’t give me an advantage, but It might help me. I could see the blood boiling inside him, and I prepared myself for his next move, knowing Nishiki would be full of anger.  But nothing could’ve prepared me for the way he slammed his head against mine, causing the room to spin and taking advantage of my momentary dizziness to kick his kagune straight through my stomach. Blood trickled up my throat, and I choked on the thick fluid, spitting some up onto the brunette boy’s face. 
“You’re so fucking weak.” Nishiki slowly retracted his kagune from my body. With a loud thud, my body collapsed to the ground. My vision was fading in and out, and a loud buzzing rang throughout my ears. I tried to pull myself together but couldn’t determine which way was up or down. The pain was so unreal my body almost went numb, but I could feel the warm liquid coat my skin. I could practically make out two blurry figures fighting against one another and hear a faint scream somewhere in the distance. My sense of self was slowly starting to come back. I lifted my head to see Nishiki hovering over Hide. Nishiki’s foot was lifted over the blonde boy’s head, and he slammed it against his face. I still couldn’t distinguish his exact words, but I knew he was taunting Kaneki. He slammed his foot down again.
“N-No,” I tried to croak out, but the only thing that came out of my mouth was more blood. I couldn’t let him hurt Hide. He could kill him without even meaning to. With the bit of strength left in my body, I hurried to fling myself over the vibrant boy, and once my body was over his, a heavy foot collided with my skull. Then everything turned black.
——————————
When I woke back up, I was lying in my bed at Anteiku, and the pain I felt in my abdomen was nearly gone. I dragged my sore body out of bed and hobbled into the hallway. A slight cramp sprang through my stomach, letting me know I hadn’t completely healed yet. My feet dragged against the floor, and I stopped before Mr. Yoshimura’s office. I tapped my knuckles against the wooden door and waited for the older man’s voice to float through, letting me know I could enter. He seemed surprised to see me out of bed and standing before him. 
“(Y/n), what are you doing out of bed? You should be resting.” Mr. Yoshimura’s voice was strict but caring. 
“H-Hide, what happened to him?” My throat still felt raw, and the words tumbling out didn’t sound quite right.
“Here, I’ll show you.” Mr. Yoshimura held his arm out to me, and I gratefully accepted. He helped me walk down the hall to one of the empty rooms and slid the door open. On the bed lay a boy sleeping, his head wrapped up and tufts of dirty blonde hair sticking out the top. Tears threatened to spill from my eyes, and my lips trembled.
“W-what happened?” I choked out.
“Touka was passing by and was able to stop the fight. She immediately called Yomo to explain the situation, and we quickly rushed to help. Then we brought everyone back to Anteiku.” 
“So Touka saved us. I guess I’ll have to thank her later,” I paused and stared at the serene boy lying on the bed, “Is it okay if I stay in here?” Mr. Yoshimura nodded and then turned around to leave me alone with Hide. I hobbled closer to the bed and kneeled on the floor beside him. “I’m so sorry,” I whispered to the boy, “I’m so, so, s-sorry.” My body began to convulse as the tears came flooding out. I draped my body over the side of the bed and stayed lying there until I cried myself back to sleep.
I was woken back up by the sound of the door sliding back open. I whipped my head off the bed to see Kaneki standing in the doorway, tears also staining his eyes. A look of relief washed over him as he stared down at his friend, who was still alive. 
“Kaneki,” My voice was soft, “I’m so glad you’re okay.” I flashed a small smile at him.
“(Y/n), I-I,” the black-haired male gripped his stomach and then glanced back at Mr. Yoshimura standing behind him. “I don’t feel hungry anymore…” Kanekis’s voice trailed off. “What did you do to me?” He asked the older man.
“There is only one way to eliminate a ghoul’s hunger, and I think you know what that is.” Mr. Yoshimura said matter-of-factly, “If you kept going down the road you were on, you would have killed your friend.” The old man’s usually closed eyes opened widely, and he looked Kaneki straight on, “Accept what you are.” 
The poor boy hung his head, and the tears slipped past his eyes and fell to the floor, “I-I don’t want to hurt anyone.”
“You don’t have to,” I finally spoke, “Here at Anteiku, we get our food without hurting humans.”
“I-I, I just feel like I don’t belong anywhere,” Kaneki cried out, “I’m not a human anymore, but I’m also not a ghoul.” 
“You’re wrong, young man,” Mr. Yoshimura said, resting a hand on Kaneki’s shoulder. “You’re both. You’re the only person who can exist in both worlds. So let us help you. We can teach you about ghouls, and you can teach us about humans.” 
——————————
Hide’s POV
I woke up with an intense pounding in my head, and my body was sore. The last thing I remember was walking with Nishiki, Kaneki, and (Y/n), and then something crashed into me, knocking me out cold. There was a split moment where I remember fading back into consciousness, and something, no, someone, was covering my body. It was (Y/n), but it feels like a fever dream. I’m not sure if that was even real. I took in the room around me, and it didn’t seem like a hospital. Where was I? This is just a regular bedroom, but who brought me here? What even happened? I slowly sat up in the bed, my body aching in protest, but stopped mid-movement when I noticed a (h/c) haired girl slumped over the bed I was lying on.  
Her cheek rested on her arms, and her back rose with a deep breath. Salty trails stained her face, and my chest tightened at the thought that she lay here crying till she most likely passed out. Gently, I reached out to her soft face and rubbed away the marks her tears left. She leaned into my touch, so I left my hand there, cupping her cheek. (Y/n), I can’t help but feel like you saved me today but hurt yourself in the process of doing it. My finger lightly rubbed against her skin, and I leaned down carefully, kissing her forehead. She’s been through a lot these past few days and deserves rest. Maybe I should get up and lay her in the bed?
Before I could do anything, my ears perked up at the sound of footsteps in the hallway and a set of male voices. One sounded more mature, and the other was a soft voice I knew by heart. Kaneki. He seemed worried, but the other male reassured him. The steps approached my room, and my gut told me I shouldn’t be awake yet. So I quickly laid back down and closed my eyes, pretending to be asleep. The door slid open, and a choked sob left the timid boy’s throat. Oh, Kaneki, he’s never been one to deal with hardships well. I could feel (Y/n)’s body jolt off the bed, and her sweet voice broke through the air. She greeted Kaneki and expressed how thankful she was that he was okay. It seems that whatever happened, we were all hurt badly. 
The next few moments were challenging to stay still for, but they confirmed many things I already suspected. Kaneki is half-ghoul now, and in fact, everyone in this room is a ghoul except me. Honestly, it didn’t scare me; I was just relieved to know why my friend was acting differently now, and it killed me to hear him sound so broken. So lonely. He would be dumb if he thought I would stop being his friend because he’s different now. It also makes sense why (Y/n) acted weirdly with me. She’s scared to get close to a human, but I’ll slowly show her it’s okay. 
The older gentleman had left the room to give Kaneki some space after their emotional conversation, and (Y/n) was about to go when Kaneki called out to her. “Wait, (Y/n),” my friend spoke softly. “I just wanted to say I’m sorry for all the harsh things I said to you last night.” 
Harsh things he said? Did he say something rude to her? Was that why she didn’t want to join us when I first asked?
“It’s okay; it wasn’t anything I hadn’t heard before,” Her voice made me want to jump out of bed and pull her into my arms.
“It’s not okay, and I’m realizing that now. You sacrificed yourself to keep Hide safe when I could barely fight or keep myself together. You threw your body over him to protect him from Nishio.” 
What?! So, I wasn’t hallucinating. She was covering me to keep me safe.
“Thank you for keeping my best friend safe,” Kaneki cried. This brought me back to the cafe where the (h/c) haired girl told me how she saved Kaneki. She truly is something else, isn’t she?
——————————
next
AN:
Hey everyone I’m just testing out this story here on tumblr! I’ve also uploaded it on Quotev! Let me know what you think!
I do plan on posting this story on Quotev first before anything else, so look for it there!
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yaeran · 2 years ago
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business trip ★ genshin
how they are after returning from a long leave.
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childe is no stranger when it comes to leaving for a long time so it was just something you had to get used to. it’s not like you minded it yet he always fills a mental jar with sorry’s whenever he leaves.
but he comes back with nothing but piled up love to drown you in. he’d ask what you want to do that day he returns whether it’s stay at home or go out and comply with whatever you want as a way to make up for loss time, at night his grip around your body is tighter than before.
diluc was never the type to travel, furthest travel he makes at best is dawn winery to the city centre of monstadt. so him being elsewhere was weird. he’s the type to write letters at the same time he might forget to send them so when he returns that’s when you also receive the letters—
when he comes home he just kisses you as he puts the body weight of his that you can manage to carry. he’s alot more touchy and vulnerable. he’s on your side a lot more like when you’re doing your work outside he’ll pay visits to you or if you work from home he’ll rest his head in your lap, he treasures your company so much.
kaeya would be so nonchalant when he returns like “hey yn what’s for breakfast today” like? okay? but also the dining table would be covered in gifts he bought from his trip. you for some reason have to bring up how was the trip on your own. “oh yea i went on that.” and then he’d give his opinionated asf opinion while having breakfast, while holding your hand as you sit across from him.
he then gives you a very detailed reasoning to why he bought certain gifts and how everytime he thought of you he’d instantly buy it. “this figure looks funny like you. so i bought it,” and then it’s the most cursed thing you’ve seen but anyways, you guys have matching keychains now.
albedo would reassure his love to you through letters, sometimes he’d just send paintings of the sights he’s seen. when albedo comes back he’d explain the paintings and would talk about the things you both could do if you go there together.
zhongli would’ve convinced you beforehand to go with him but you were always too busy. when he comes back he’d greet you with a kiss on the forehead and prepare some tea so that you two can catch up on each other. he’d then show you pictures of stuff you missed out on, teasing you to the fullest. he’d specifically show pictures of food or cute animals, all to spite you.
xiao would jumpscare you,, accidentally when he comes back. he never gave you an exact date of when he’d come back. before you left you had jokingly told him to bring a souvenir and he took that seriously. he’d bring you home a statue of the archon if you want him to. when you see him tho you just look forward to hugging him and that’s all he needed after a long period of time without you.
itto would forget to bring you a souvenir— and he’d beat himself up about it cause he really wanted to get you something like it was his top priority but a priority that slipped his mind a little too often.
nevertheless the night he came back was a night of him pampering as soon as he’s in the door he carries you bridal style and crashes into your bed that you swear will break the more he does that movement. as you lay in his arms he tells you all the things he did when he was gone.
kazuha counts down the days before he comes back home to you. he tries to make the wait feel shorter but it’s not really helping— but he comes back and he shares all his stories with you even picking up a few tunes he heard while he was there and performs a bit for you. he then asks you what you’ve done while he was gone as he tucks your hair behind your ear.
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i should play sumeru i don’t know shit about it but i wanna write about my baby girls alhaitham and kaveh— plus cyno sounds so funny dude
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itsagirlwithglasses · 1 year ago
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A Shadow’s Tale — Chapter Three
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Azriel x Pirate!FReader
CHAPTER THREE
Summary: Y/N tries to make amends with the inner circle, but some things don't go exactly as plan as some secrets see the light of day
Word Count: +2,400 
a/n: It's insane to me the support I've been getting here, thank you!!
Warnings: none
As you walked into the kitchen the next morning you smiled finding breakfast appearing on the table, clearly for you as no one else seemed to be up yet. As Nesta had explained to you briefly, as she showed you your rooms, the story behind the house you were not as surprised, but still thankful.
You sat down and started eating the eggs, bacon and veggies. You let out an appreciative moan as you ate. 
“You’re a great fucking cook, House.” You laughed to yourself and continued eating and drinking some of the orange juice the house had given you. 
You had found some Night Court attires inside the closet and you decided on a silky tunic and loose pants. The heat from outside could be felt on the inside because of the open windows. You still put your old and worked out boots and your jacket on, as if to give yourself some feeling of normalcy. You were glad to be alone for once since your arrival. Maybe you would try the ten thousand steps and go to your crew. You couldn’t help worry for them. 
You were taken out of your thoughts as a bowl of porridge and a glass of milk appeared seconds before the general entered the kitchen stomping his feet. You exchange glances and he sat down across from you starting on his food. 
You weighted your options while playing with the remains of your breakfast. You would never be able to leave this place if they didn’t trust you, so you looked at him mumbling a ‘good morning’. He took a look at you and said nothing as he continued eating. 
“I’m… sorry, okay?” You blurted and he looked you over, waiting. “I was very on edge yesterday and… I shouldn’t have called you bats…” You saw the corners of his mouth quirking up.
“I’m pretty sure I’ve been called worse.” He smiled finally breaking and you smiled a little. 
“What about a restart?” You held out your hand, “Hi, I’m Y/N, nice to meet you…” 
He looked at your hand, accessing, then took it with a strong grip, and lifted his chin giving you a smile. 
“Cassian,” You nodded giving him a smile back and breaking contact.  
“So… Cassian,” You tested his name on your lips, “Why are you up at the crack of dawn?” 
“Because that’s when his torture, also called training, starts,” Nesta appeared at the kitchen smiling at you, “You should join us.” She offered with a smiling and sitting next to the general. 
“My days of torture and training are behind me I guess…” You chuckled, “But I was wondering if I could go down to the city…” You said tentatively and they exchanged a look. 
“How about this, come to training and then I’ll accompany you to the city, I need to check some stores out anyway.” Nesta smiled brightly and you bit your lip thinking on it. 
“Sure,” you end up agreeing and they both nodded as they finished their breakfast.
Training, you weren’t aware, was more than your bargained for. You had to ditch your jacket and boots and were thankful for the loose clothes. Sweat was beading in your brow already and you had just started with some "basics".
As soon as you reached the ring you met some priestesses very briefly for they didn’t really speak much. Cassian had given them some instructions and they were on it while you joined Nesta and her friends, Gwyn and Emerie, who were very curious about your long ebony hair and the roundness of your ears. You had stopped for a water break when Gwyn made point.
“You look positively human, yet, there’s something about you… Almost…” 
“Magical?” Azriel interrupted making us all stare at him as he strode in. He was late, you realized, clearly he was supposed to be the one training the priestesses, as you had heard Cassian mumbling complaints earlier.
“Yeah…” She replied in almost a whisper taking in he Illyrian who towered over her. 
It occurred to you that he was a spymaster for a reason, however... He couldn’t know… Could he? 
“That’s silly though… Pirates don’t have any magic.” Gwyn said looking directly at him with a confident smile. No one looked at him like that, defiant. 
He didn’t answer, looking from Gwyn big blue eyes to you with a tilt of his head almost as if asking, "Is it?" but you didn't return his look, instead focusing on the sand under your feet.
“Y/N is training with us Az, because you’re late, again, the priestesses were given instructions already,” Cassian chimed in and you looked between the two males. 
“I’ll check on them then,” Azriel spoke to Cassian and Cassian gave him a dark smile. Trouble. 
“Actually, I was thinking we do some work in pairs,” He looked at Gwyn and Emerie, “Eight pointed star,” He looked at Nesta, “Sparring one on one with me,” He finally turned to you, “Sparring with Az, and I expect a full report on how well trained she is.” He spoke to the spymaster and you tried to keep your cool. 
“I just came as a courtesy, I don’t have any intention to join your… army?” Cassian let out a low laugh as you spoke.
“Our deal was you train, you go shopping.” He spoke, laughter gone. “Or are you scared little shark?” You snorted at the nickname. 
“Of your homeboy?” You looked over Azriel. “Not really.” 
“Alright, then you’re in.” He said amused and you narrowed your eyes at him. 
“I’m in.”
— 
He had knocked you on your ass for the third time already. You breaths were harsh as you got back on your feet. 
“Yield.” He purred and you scoffed. 
“Never.” You took your stance once more and went for his ribs but he was inhumanely fast as he grabbed your wrist and turned you flush back against his chest. You snarled as you tried to call on your air magic to knock him out. 
If careful he wouldn’t even notice it hitting him. A gust of wind came strong from behind him and knocked him on his knees, you hit him in the ribs with your elbow and your right foot behind his right one. He fell on his ass as you turned to see his eyes slightly wide. Your legs were around his waist pinning him down and your hands grabbed his wrists as he went to move you. 
“Yield.” You mimicked his word panting heavily as you tried to hold him back from getting a hold of you. 
He smiled making you frown.
That’s when you felt it, he thrusted his hips hard making you gasp in surprise as you jumped slightly, you lost your grip on him and he took that opportunity to turn you over and be the one pinning you down. 
“No magic allowed in sparring.” He whispered in your ear and you could smell the cherries in his breath again. 
“If you wanted to see me naked you could’ve just knocked on my door.” You whispered back and his gaze locked on yours. You saw the flush of his cheeks before he got up and turned away from you.
You smiled to yourself as you got on your elbows crossing your legs. He knows. You thought taking in the information. You waited for the others to finish as you got yourself together. You wondered if he had told anyone yet, Rhysand perhaps... And if did, you were probably in big trouble.
“I’m going to take a shower, I’ll meet you guys up here when you’re done.” You announced to Nesta and Cassian and they both nodded still focused on their sparing. 
You left but not before seeing Nesta getting Cassian on the floor. You wondered if he had let her win or if she was that good. The proud look on the general’s eyes gave you the answer you were looking for. 
— 
After getting ready you met with the mates up on the roof, they were also already showered and changed. You had taken your sweet time. After all your muscles were sore or you hadn't trained in a while and definitely underestimated Illyrians and their intense training.
“So… How do we get there?” You asked looking over the edge. 
“We fly of course.” Cassian said happily and you gave him a look. 
“You can fly with two people?” You eyed Nesta, “Or… Where are your wings?” She laughed. 
“I don’t have wings, I’m just fae.” She put her hand on your arm and smiled widely. “And two people is quite a lot even for my strong boy here.” 
“So we will take turns?” 
“Azriel will take you.” Cassian said simply and you swallowed shaking your hand.
“I rather not…” 
“I know he looks scary but I promise he won’t drop you.” You were about to complain but he grabbed Nesta who yelped happily and jumped from the roof making you gasp and stumble back. 
Your back hit a hard muscle chest and you took a deep breath turning slowly. Realizing that you had been played. They had no intention of bringing you, and the spymaster distaste for you was pretty apparent. He was not taking you anywhere. 
“I get it… I’ll just go to my room.” You talked clearly disappointed and rounded him to go inside. 
“I thought you wanted to see your crew in the city.” He said and you turned looking at him scoffing. 
“Don’t need to mock me Azriel, I know you won’t take me.” Something crossed his face when you said his name but he quickly concealed it. 
“I’m not mocking you, now are you coming or what?” He crossed his arms and you smiled a little trying to contain your grin. 
“Really?” You approached him slowly and he did not react, just picked you up bridal style like last time and jumped off the roof. 
— 
You really loved flying. This time the flight had been shorter. Nesta was waiting for you already and huffing. 
“Mother above, I thought something had happen and you weren’t coming after all” she said exasperated and you smiled a little as she held your hand and started showing you the city. 
Azriel had told you where your crew would be waiting for you and when you told Nesta she got all excited. After was seemed like hours of walking you reach the bar.
A huge smile spread across your face when you spotted Bonny. As soon as she saw you she ran to you almost knocking you with a hug. 
“I’m okay, I’m okay!” You swore laughing as she started asking all kind of questions. 
“Little Captain,” Sebastian bowed as he came closer to the three of you and you smile giving him a big hug. 
“Big bro,” emotions started flowing through you really fast and you had to inhale deeply to hold back your tears. “Is everyone okay? Did Rhysand talk to any of you?” 
“We are okay! His general came and he told us we were welcome to the city, but at the first mistake we would be sailing away.” Bonny laughed, “Like we would ever… but anyway, turns out you did convince him after all! I was scared he would find out the truth but you’re in one piece so…” Bonny cut herself out as your eyes were open wide and she noticed Nesta next to you. 
You looked at her and she had an eyebrow cocked at you. 
“I can explain everything…” you started and she shook her head. 
“I don’t care what your business with Rhysand is, just promise me you will be careful…” She said catching you off guard and you simply nodded. 
You took a look at your closest mates and noticed how Sebastian hadn’t stopped eyeing Nesta. You chuckled gaining their attentions. 
“So you’re all pirates?” Nesta laughed putting her arms through yours and walking you inside the bar. 
Gosh, you needed a pint of ale. It had been an intense couple of days. 
“Is there any bakery close by?” You asked Nesta after you left the bar where your crew was all reunited. 
You crew was made of only eight people including Bonny and Sebastian and yourself. Mr Filch, who had been in your father’s crew as well and he was so old you did not want to stop him from sailing with you, for this could be his last opportunity to do so. The twins, Lobo and Ledo, trouble makers but excellent crew members, extremely smart and great with maps. Theodore, who has as much muscle as brains and also a romantic. And finally Tina, also known as scary Tina, great with a sword and as quick as a rabbit. 
“Actually yes! Morrigan loves to go there, although I’m not sure if it’s because of the pastries or the female behind the counter.” She winked and you snorted. 
“Let’s go then.” 
When you were ready to go back, you walked towards a town house that, that Nesta informed you, was where you were to have dinner with the “inner circle”. So the same people you had dinner the night before. 
You were clutching the small paper bag in your hands and you took a deep breath before going in. You put your hand on Nesta’s arm stopping her. 
“Can you promise me you won’t tell them anything of what you heard?” 
She smiled at you, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” 
You smiled at that and you both walked in. You immediately heard laughter noticing Mor and the female with the brown doe eyes playing with a little boy with little wings on the floor. No one paid a lot of attention to your entrance and you just took in the people in. Everyone was there. Including another female you hadn’t seen before. Short black hair and grey piercing and assessing eyes. She was short and her neck and wrists were adorned with very expensive jewelry. But you noticed the red hair male was not in their midst. 
“Y/N,” Feyre approached you with a wide smile and you gave her a little one.
“Hi,” you said timidly and she looked at your hands. 
“What do you have there?” 
“Oh… it’s… nothing special, just… a gift…” you felt foolish just as the words left your mouth. For Azriel. You didn’t say. 
“Ah! For who?” She was beaming now and you felt more pairs of eyes on you now making your cheeks flush. 
“Uh… you of course!” You said giving her the bag. “A thank you… for.. uh… letting me stay…” 
“You didn’t have to!” She said opening and seeing the pastry inside. “Cherries? I’m not a huge fan but I’m sure I’ll love it!” You simply nodded and she left you empty handed. 
You excused yourself to use the restroom and closed yourself in it. It was supposed to be an apology pastry. However you didn’t want to admit it to the whole room. Humiliate yourself in front of these people who you didn’t even know right. 
As you got your shit together you left the small room and you were overwhelmed by the familiar scent of mint and cherries. 
“Cherry pastry?” His voice was a rumble in the dark and you took him in as he came closer caging you in against the wall. 
Your breaths became shallow. 
“I wanted to apologize…” 
“For what? Not telling the truth? For using us?”
“Is not like that…”
“And with a pastry?” He purred
“It was the only thing I could think of…” You licked your lips, he followed the movement with his eyes, “if you let me explain…” 
“What do you want from us? From me?” 
“Nothing, I—“ 
“Because you’re making me fucking crazy and I’m so close to throw the towel on this.” You gaped like the fish taking in his hazel eyes. Your chest heaving and you feeling hot all over because of the proximity.
Someone cleared their throat making him instantly get away from you. 
“Elain…” you heard him say, his voice full of regret as the female only nodded and left. He went after her. 
Now that makes sense… You thought. 
--
Oh Az... Let me know all your thoughts!! xx
Next Chapter
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melfinawins · 11 months ago
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I originally posted this in a reblog to @melonatures, but I'ma post it here.
Since you posted this, I haven't been able to forget it. I love it, but it took a little bit to figure out why these two gifs are particularly great.
I love your gifset. Let me explain all the ways:
"No, no, no. Fak's not my best friend."
I love how Carmy's face is turned away from the camera for a moment. And he hesitates and looks towards his front door where Syd just left. But then he agrees that Neil is his best friend. Which is totally fine! But I wonder if he was pressed by say, Nat or Richie he'd say the same thing. Fak is best friends to everyone, but is he Carmy's? I dare say Carmy's best friend is Syd, considering we're shown in the show how they are quietly and steadily laying the groundwork for a long, strong and substantial partnership. A partnership that is also a relationship.
We know that Carmy is working with Syd to reach her goal of a Michelin star, stars he thinks are bullshit. This is her goal but he's more than happy to help her reach it, to the point that he's willing to give her hands-on training on how to perfect a dish. Perfection requires fine tuning and precise decisions. Syd is an amazing chef early in her career, and has the makings of a wunderkind on the food scene if she can harness her natural abilities and training. I think Carmy sees that in her and admires it. I think he's attracted to her love of food and by spending time with her on the menu and just hanging out, it's reminding him that, even if he became a chef to spite Mikey, he actually loves it, he just didn't want to do it alone.
In working together to make the menu for The Bear, which will also help Syd get the star she covets, they've gotten close (more close than sitting behind the shop and commiserating), even if it's how they each come to their ideas about menus. In Honeydew, Luca tells Marcus that he experiences life and that's a part of what makes him a better chef. Sydney already does this. We see in Sundae how Syd gets inspiration for dishes, as well as her getting ideas in dreams (shortrib and risotto). Carmy is by the book, but I think he likes the way Syd thinks. That man would have never put chips on Nat's omelette! But I think Syd craves his wealth of knowledge and experience and ability to edit himself. We see in an episode where she realizes she's doing too much to a dish with Tina. Carmy helps her by hearing the ingredients and giving advice; I love Tina and everybody else, but only Carmy can provide that for her. They really do compliment each other, and learn about each other through their cooking.
"I fe- sorry, I feel like I should have known that, or, or- something--"
Makes sense that Carmy was mistaken! I think he's gotten to know aspects of Syd over a short period of time and in this scene he's maybe noticing that Syd holds things close to her chest. Omission plays a big role in her psyche. He can't just assume that she's okay or that she's an open book, because she's not.
Like mentioned above, I think Carmy is learning a lot about Syd through their menu creating. He's listening to her stories and anectdotes, laughing at her humor and learning about what she values through the food she creates. They have such symmetry through food, he assumed (incorrectly) that he knew more about her than he did. Because Syd is bringing back his love of food and the two of them really do communicate their desires through food. Syd loves taking care of people. But so does Carmy! They both don't want to use tweezers on food they don't care about. They want to use tweezers to show how much they love people lol
I love his stuttering in this gif because this man lost the plot and thought he could substitute communicating through food with actual communication. Example: Bro really was confused when Syd wasn't happy about the wall being torn down. By his logic, he tore the wall down for her, like he's working on the menu for her, so what's the big deal? (Someone save this man.) He's very action oriented, so it flew right by him that making a menu with Claire for Syd wasn't it, because he thought doing this action was what she wanted--like he said in that particular scene. But Syd wants communication and hands-on training (😏😏😏), because they're doing this together and if he just wants to put a menu together without her, she can just go somewhere else and make bullshit no-love tweezer dishes. They're supposed to be doing this for the love of food, not to just make money.
And even though they talk to each other via food, it doesn't make up for the other way they can and should communicate: straight up talking.
But The Table ™️ scene shows, in my opinion, that he's learning that. "Say more, please."
Anyway! I love this gifset melonatures. Sorry if this broke any Tumblr edicate. I loved your gifset. Thanks for making it! ❤️
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hauntedparadisebandana · 1 year ago
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141 x drummer!femreader
Tumblr media Tumblr media
Summary: fanboy soap drags the group to a downtown bar to see his favorite band member play live.
Pt 1/2
Warnings: swearing, implied scent kink??, Mentions of drinking, Y/H means your height
[The pov's switch in this story]
*7:00 pm, downtown bar*
The bell rings as the group enters, doors shutting behind them, they stand there, taking in their surroundings. The air is thick with cigarette smoke and cheap perfume, the lights above are dim, giving the atmosphere a chill vibe. The group takes a seat in a booth near the stage.
"Why are we here again?" Grumbles ghost, hands shoved in his hoodie pockets. He was forced to come on the groups adventure downtown.
"We're here to see the band play. They're one of my favorites." Explains soap, being the ring leader of the trip, excitement coursing through his viens.
"Couldn't you just listen to their music back at base?" "But it wouldn't be the same, plus now I get to see 'em live." Ghost huffs at his response, leaning back into the seat. He always ended up on soaps trips, whether he wanted to or not.
"What's the band called? I may have heard of them before." Says gaz leaning in.
"The Deck, a total of five people, each named after a card. They mostly play rock/metal, and a few of 'em can sing. My favorite member is the drummer."
"Hm, never took you for the metal head type, soap." Quips price, coming to set down their drinks, then popping a seat by gaz.
"Well, ye learn something new every day, gaz what time is it?" "It's 7:20, are they playing soon?" "Yep, they play at 7:30 once every week at different bars in town, at the end the drummer gives away her pair of drum sticks she used to play that night, if im lucky she'll give them to me."
This gets a reaction out of everyone, ghost chuckles lightly while price and gaz lets out hearty laughs. At this soap's face flushes red, getting embarrassed, "What's so funny?"
"So the drummers a girl huh, sounds like you're a bit of a fan boy." "Am not!" "Are too! You even know what time they play each week! And that the drummer gives away her sticks, whats next, their favorite colors, foods?"
Soaps flushes more, face red as a tomato as he leans back and turns away, "You know what, gaz, I officially hate you." "So you do know all that! Admit it, you are a fan boy!" "You are such a dick! I only know because they said it in an interview!"
Price laughs at soap and Gaz's bantering, getting a little chuckle out of ghost as well.
"Don't worry soap, it's cute how much of a fan boy you are for the drummer," gaz leans in and starts to pinch soap's cheeks, cooing and babying him; earning him a swift punch to the arm.
"That's enough out of you two, they're coming."
"What? No joke?!" Soap whips his head around to look at the stage. No one's on. When he turns around, gaz is laughing into his hand, and price hides his smirk in his glass of whiskey.
"Captain! I thought we were cool, now yer teasing me too?"
"Sorry soap, couldn't resist, but they're coming on for real this time" as he points to the stage the members bring out equipment, setting up quickly as possible, when they finish and take their places. The singer up front, the guitarist to the right, drummer on the far right. On the other side is the bass and second guitarist to the far left. The group could see the appeal, she was hard to miss.
"Soap, if you don't stop staring so hard, your eyes might fall out of your head." gaz laughs again, placing a hand on soaps shoulder.
"Just look at 'er tattoos! They're awesome. "
You could see ghost perk up at 'tattoos' she has officially piqued his interest, but he didn't want to show it, so he just stared at her intricate ink. Her most visible tattoos are on her arms, one arm is a full sleeve, the other arm has scattered tattoos. There is one peeking above her neck line of her shirt, it goes down between her breasts. Ghost nodded slowly, taking in her appearance. She was special, different, the whole band was, and the group liked that. Slightly extroverted, and bold, ready to fuck shit up.
"Aint she a sight for sore eyes" price mumbles, taking a longer sip, the thoughts coming faster than he can drink. "Ghost I can tell you're thinking, You looking at her too?" Says price quietly, taking another sip of whiskey, it turns out ghost can't hide his emotions from everyone,
"She's different..." "That she is," Price chuckles,
"I told you guys, she's cool,"
Suddenly the main lights turn off, and the stage lights come on, illuminating the band. after the singer gives introductions they begin to play. It seems as if the group controlled the bar entirely, the music was bassy, compelling, loud; and the people seemed to like it, as most sung along screaming. The drums and guitar had a solo part, and soap almost melted, gaz just laughed at him. Soon, the song was over, the last echo of sound was heard and the bar erupted into yells, claping and whistling.
By the end of the songs, the group was tipsy, with soap and gaz almost on the edge of being drunk. The group sits there in awe for a moment. The experience was new. "I'll say, that wasn't half bad, I like their style." Price crosses his arms.
"Yeah, you picked good soap," Ghost nods to soap. "I knew you would come around ghost! They're good, right? The way they play is amazing!" "Uh oh, he's fanboying again." "I'll kick your arse."
*y/n pov*
I wipe the sweat off my forehead, taking a swig of water. Me and my band mates smile and wave taking in the praise, the excitement. "Now it's time for the fun part, y/n, pick the lucky winner for tonight's sticks."
I smirk and quickly look around, I spot a booth close to the stage. A total of four men sat there, all looking at me. They're all cuties at that. The one sporting a mohawk had a twinkle in his eyes; a true metal lover at heart, I assume. I nod to the leader, hopping off the stage quickly making my way to the booth. The guards follow close behind, ensuring my safety. As I got closer, his eyes go wide. I take the guy with a Mohawk hands, giving him my drum sticks, my glossy lips form a grin as he stares at me, like a child meeting santa for the first time.
"You're tonight's lucky one." I smile at him sweetly, nodding to the rest of his table mates. Up close, everyone is rather handsome, their eyes drilling into my face, focus y/n. I make my way back to the stage, putting up my equipment, getting ready to leave.
*pov, 141*
Soap sits there, jaw slack and eyes wide. Gaz busts out laughing for the third time this night, and price smirks. "I-I got 'er sticks, I really got 'er sticks!" He exclaimed
"You sure did soap,"
"I don't know if anyone noticed, but damn she smells good," adds gaz. "Her smell is strong, sweet." "It's intoxicating." Ghost mumbles, rubbing his temple, the bourbon was finally getting to him. Her smell is like a sweet musk, hard to rub off, hard to get rid of. He remembers the way her bracelets and bangles jingled, sweet music to his ears. Fuck. He could feel something straining.
"'er voice is sweet too.... and her smile, shes really cool." "Oooook fanboy soap has gotten delirious." "Am not!" "Are too! Stop denying it!" "Whatever!" Their words slur a bit. Maybe they were a bit drunk after all.
Price sighs, rubbing his head at the twos antics. "I'm grabbing another drink, care to join?"
"Yeah, I'll go, but just to move around. I've been sitting so long it feels like my ass is glued to the seat." Gaz complains, holding his head in his hands.
"Let's go." The entire group gets up to get drinks, soap gasps as he spots y/n. She took her shirt of some time ago, now only in a sports bra, showing off her rad back tattoo. She stands with her hands in her pocket. The second guitarist is also standing, leaning against the booth talking to her, laughing.
"You should've seen the way he was looking at you! It was like looking at a kid seeing gifts under the tree."
"I seen his expression, I thought he was gonna get emotional and start crying right there as I gave him the sticks!"
the guitarist smirks glancing past y/n, "speak of the devil, it's the kid on Christmas and his group."
"Oh hush spade, leave the man alone."
We get closer to hear y/n hush the guitarist, we sit at the bar near where they stand, away from her and the guy, too drunk and weary to make decisions. Plus, the band's guards were close by, best not to piss them off. The guitarist continues to look over at us
"You know you guys can stand by us right, join us, we don't bite....well, I do but y/n doesn't." He pulls y/n in by the shoulder, to which she punches him.
"Don't listen to this jackass, come, it's safe to sit over here." She waves us over, inviting us to join her, those same bracelets and bracelets making the same sweet noise.
*y/n pov*
Theres a bit of an akward silence for a moment, I tap my hands on my thighs. Its then broken as the guy to my right speaks up, his voice rough and deep, smooth around the edges. It sends a shudder through my body, the smell of cigar smoke and cologne fills my senses.
"These are my men, ghost, gaz, and soap, I'm price." Each one nods and greets me as price says their name. Spade always being a dick has to speak up,
"So the kid on Christmas is soap, hm," he takes a sip of his drink, I pinch him after he says this.
"ignore him, so, what brings you guys downtown tonight..." I say, taking spades cup and taking a sip of whatever he's drinking.
"Well, our buddy soap here wanted to come see you guys live." Gaz grabs soap by the shoulders, shaking him.
"See us live hm? You a big fan?" I grin, looking soap right in his eyes, questioning him.
"Well-" "He's a huge fan, he knows the times you play, where you play, he even watches the group interview-" "Yes, I'm a fan," he says, cheeks red. Hand slapped over gazs mouth to hush him.
I put down my glass, "Oh, well we love very dedicated fans, don't we spade." "Mhm, love em'"
I lean back, looking at the two. The big one to my left, ghost, speaks up.
"Your tattoos..."
"Hm, what about them?" I look up at him, fuck he's tall, about 5 inches taller than me, as I'm Y/H. He looks about 5'10-6'2, well built, pure muscle, and oh that accent... he could easily crush me-
"Where do you get them done..." those eyes
"I do most myself, others I get a friend to do. I run a tattoo shop in my spare time."
"You have talent, y/n" price speaks up, smiling at me.
"Oh you flatter me," I joke, placing a hand on my chest. "No really, you play in a band, run a tattoo shop along with doing your own tattoos? That's pure talent that deserves recognition."
"Why thank you price," I laugh, running a hand through my hair, getting it out my face.
He nods down at me, I look at him. I see something shift in his expression, it was dark, hungry, I don't question it one bit; getting that all to familiar feeling in the bottom of my stomach. I squeeze my thighs. His eyes are a deep shade of blue, all of theirs are blue, except for gaz, his are a pretty shade of rich brown
"You smell really good..." gaz perks up,
"Ah, that's my perfume, strawberry poundcake, got it as a gift."
"..." Gaz soon has the same aura price had, hungry, wanting. I catch onto this quickly. Feeling my stomach jump I avert my eyes, looking for a distraction. Maybe he's just drunk...
"Hey y/n we need to head out, ace is tired of waiting and hes starting to bitch about it." Thank fucking god
"Ace is tired of everything" I sigh turning back to the group. "I gotta run boys, but me and the group will be down here tomorrow around 7:00 for an off day, if you wanna join."
"Sure lass, we'll join ya" soap nods eagerly, getting the others to agree even in their drunken states.
"Ok that's great! See you soon." I turn on my heels to run after spade who had started leaving without me. Face flushed and the feeling still in the pit of my stomach. Still feeling their eyes drilling into my back, I slide out the bar doors.
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strawberry-cowmilk · 1 year ago
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I was so happy when I saw that your requests were opened and now I have an idea !
How would each brother and/or datesble react to an MC that used to party like crazy in the human world, I am talking about your perfect teenage party life in those movies ,making out with friends ,funny pictures of you and your girlies chilling in the bathroom ,passing out and all that stuff (the brothers maybe fond out through the MC showing some pictures and explaining tge backstop behind each picture for example)
Omy goodness I hope this request is the slightest bit clear to understand, I am sorry ,and pls don't feel pressured your writings are awesome
Hello! it's clear to me, don't worry. I hope you like it!
the obey me cast with a former party enjoyer mc
mc's gender is not mentioned, not proof read
important note: I feel like this has to be said as somebody who sometimes attends parties and bars, when you attend a party please stay safe and be responsible. Have plans for what to do in case something bad happens and don't do anything that could get you into (legal) trouble. Of course don't touch alcohol if you cannot drink in your country and when you can, be responsible about it. A party is not like it is in a movie.
content warnings: (wild) party stuff (I kept it vague), casinos, implied alcohol use (???), me having no idea how to write for barbatos and belphie and solomon kind of
-----
Lucifer
you and lucifer were at dinner and the topic of you and your early college days just came up
when you showed lucifer the pictures his first thought was he's glad you've evolved (for the better in his eyes)
lucifer also warns you to never go to parties with mammon and/or asmo if you're over that kind of stuff
part of him wonders what it was like though
Mammon
mammon frequents 'wild' parties, especially after winning big amounts of grimm at the casino
he always wondered how you got so much good advice on certain situations related to said parties, now that you told him you're a former seasoned party attendee it makes sense
mammon wants to take you to a party but maybe you're over them
Leviathan
levi never would have guessed, and now he's a little afraid of you because he doesn't like party animals
but you're close so he forgets about the shock soon enough
when you tell him stories about your average campus party at 3 in the morning he says stuff like 'this is why I hate normies'
followed by '...not you, mc' (he's embarrassed)
Satan
he was reading you a book and the main character went to a party so you just told satan about your own party phase
at first he was like 'yeah we all had our phases' but when you showed him pictures from the parties he wonders how you and your friends got a rolls royce in a lecture hall (he wants to know so he can get cars in lucifer's office)
overall, satan doesn't really have a strong opinion on your party phase, as long as you stayed safe
Asmodeus
asmo himself has seen, heard and lived through stuff so nothing you tell him and nothing in your pictures can surprise him
not even the picture of the car in the middle of the lecture hall
he thinks this information is amazing, he's lowkey upset you didn't tell him sooner
if you're up for it he'll take you to one more party
Beelzebub
he's worried for past you when he hears the stories, but luckily you were fine
and he's both scared and lowkey impressed at some of the pictures you show him, how did you get some stuff to happen?
also pictures of the food hurt to look at, your average college party buffet is not a five star place (he still wants to eat it though)
beel is kind of relieved when you confirm you're over this phase in your life
Belphegor
every time diavolo holds a party lucifer basically has to drag him over there so he has no idea why some people actually enjoy parties
the pictures don't surprise him either honestly, he's seen the pictures asmo posts on devilgram during the parties it can't get crazier than that
he does wonder how it was, but he'd never actually want to experience it
Diavolo
when you said you used to love parties he thought you meant ballroom dances and fancy dinners
not 21st birthday celebration-like scenarios
he is impressed though, he goes like 'splendid, so this is how you party in the human world'
but honestly seeing the pictures did make him feel a bit worried
Barbatos
he has been dragged to the fall too many times to his liking by solomon and/or asmo and he kind of hated it every time
so when you tell him you're over the phase he's relieved for you
when he looks at the pictures you show him, his expression remains calm and peaceful
but if you look closely into his eyes there's confusion, worry and a hint of judgement
Simeon
he's happy for you because well you had fun and you were safe, even when he might not completely approve of your former behavior
when you show him the picture he chuckles and tells you to never show these images to luke, he'll shamelessly judge and roast you
he'd like to hear more of your stories sometime, he can laugh along with you to some of them (others are too surprising or worrying)
Luke
you were talking about this to somebody else about the lecture hall car and he overheard
so now luke has gone full chihuahua mode because of your story
'why is there a car in the classroom? the classroom is for learning! I expected this from demons but you?!'
he calms down when you tell him you think it's not very smart too and you've outgrown all of this
Solomon
he just laughs, he thinks it's the funniest thing he's heard and seen all week
but on a serious note, he's super glad things never went extremely wrong
at some point he's actually crying on the floor because of the story from when you attended a beach party where everyone had to be dressed like a shark
and honestly that's a rare sight
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circusmania · 7 months ago
Text
SIN Chapter 10
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𒅒𒈔𒅒𒇫𒄆𒅒𒈔𒅒𒇫𒄆𒅒𒈔𒅒𒇫
Notes: Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 11
⚠️ So, so much descriptive gore ⚠️
𒅒𒈔𒅒𒇫𒄆𒅒𒈔𒅒𒇫𒄆𒅒𒈔𒅒𒇫
I have yet to discuss it with Judy, Marcus always seems to be right next to me. Judy told me that it was already risky for us to be seen together. I don't exactly understand, but soon, I won't need to.
I'll need a distraction, something that will take Marcus's eyes off us. I thought of maybe food poisoning him or giving him sleeping pills stuffed into his food… But if you really take the time to notice, Marcus never eats. Never once did I see him put anything in his mouth… So, I came up with something else.
The old church that burned down a few weeks ago. No doubt that it had something to do with Marcus.
Perhaps with the intent of getting rid of a certain someone that was standing in his way. I'm sure he'd be quite intrigued to know that there's been some “activity” at the church…
I raced through the streets and barged into the school.
“Marcus! Judy! Vanessa! Omar! You'll never guess what I saw!”
They were standing in a group near the cafeteria, Vanessa was showing them the new pocketknife she had gotten. Marcus came up to me.
“What is it?” He asked me in a soft, worried voice.
“You know that church that burned down?” Everyone nodded in unison except Marcus, who was slower.
“As I was passing it this morning, I thought I saw movement inside. At first, I thought it was only an animal or a firefighter but…” I leaned in as if I was about to spill a secret. “It was the priest.”
I watch everyone tense.
“He was all dirty and covered in ash. He also kept saying crazy stuff while grabbing me and shaking me. Ugh… I ran away as fast as I could.” I finished.
For a few seconds, it was quiet… Judy sneaked a glance at Marcus, which I would've missed if I wasn't looking for it.
“That's… quite the news…” Marcus says slowly.
“Are you sure it was the priest and not some hobo?” Omar asked.
“Yeah, he had the robe and everything.”
“Still doesn't prove it was him.” Omar continued.
I raise an eyebrow. “I remember how he looked like cause a few days ago he gave me a pam-”
Crack
I look over at Marcus, who has broken his pencil in half. There was a tense moment where he stared off into space before he snapped back.
“Ah, sorry…” He turned his head to me. “Don't worry about it, love. As Omar said, it could've just been a creep dressed up as a priest. There are some… pretty sick people these days.”
I bit my lip and nodded.
I failed. Not only that, but I was so sure I had gotten Marcus too… I internally curse myself as the bell rings.
I sigh, walking to my class with Judy and Marcus. We walked a bit before Judy leaned into me.
“He's not following.”
I turned back, and Marcus was gone. It had worked! He must've left to go check. I sigh and motion Judy into an empty classroom… the art room.
I close the door behind me and look at Judy. Tears started to form.
“Judy… I… oh god, I don't know how to word this…” She came closer and held my hands.
“I'm going to kill you.”
I wait for any emotions to cross Judy's face. Anger, disgust, sadness, terrified… but she remained with a smile. I opened my mouth to explain, but she didn't let me.
“No time to explain. Marcus will be back soon, do you have a cover story once you kill me?” Judy asks and I nod.
She nodded back, walked over to one of the tables and picked up a pair of scissors. She then broke it, so only one of the blades was sticking out.
She walked over to me and pulled out her hand.
“I… I don't think I can do it…”
“You have to. I can't be the one to end this.” She took my hands in hers and pointed the blade toward her neck. I can't help but start to cry.
Her hands moved quickly, and before I knew it, the blade was lodged in her throat. She started to choke and cough as blood spewed out of her mouth. I tried to jerk my hand away, but she wouldn't let me. She fell, and I fell on top of her, which made the blade go in deeper.
She struggled and… I couldn't stand seeing her suffer so much for freedom. Rage took over as her hands left mine, I took the blade and kept plunging it into her throat.
She had stopped living seconds ago, but I couldn't stop the act. Marcus was watching… I could feel his eyes bore in the back of my head.
I took out the blade, breathing heavily, as I saw the hole I had created in her throat. Bloodstained everything. I got up, sighed and turned around.
“Marcus!” I dropped the blade. “I… I didn't think you'd be back…” He walked over to me and I swallowed anything that was pulling me back.
“I-I… I had to do it! Please don't be mad… She was in the way… The way she kept attaching herself to me… L-like a leach! I-I did it for us-”
Marcus suddenly kissed me and… well, I tried not to gag as he shoved his tongue in my mouth. He broke the kiss and bent down to pick up the blade from the floor.
“Now, we both did it.” He says.
I force a smile. He approached the corpse and looked at her.
“How…how are we going to tell the police? Both of our fingerprints are on the weapon.”
He chuckled.
“I'll take care of it.”
₊✩‧₊˚౨🌃🚔🚨ৎ˚₊✩‧₊
It all happened so fast… Marcus, Omar, Vanessa and I were all standing outside, watching the paramedics loading Judy's body into a body bag.
At first, I couldn't believe that the police bought Marcus's explanation of “self-defence”. But, then I remembered that nothing here is… real.
I looked over at Vanessa who was crying hard, Judy was her best friend… and I could use that against her. It didn't take long for her to run back inside the school to fix herself.
“I'm going to go check up on her.” I turned to Marcus.
He seemed hesitant. “Stay here with Omar, please.” He nodded and I went after her.
I walked through the halls and stood in front of the girl's bathroom. I frowned and went inside. I could hear Vanessa's sobs echo. My footsteps alerted her as she spared me a glance, not questioning what I was doing in here.
“Vanessa… I'm so sorry…” She didn't say anything.
“I…”
“Could you get the tissues from my purse?” She gestured to the bag on the floor.
I nodded and dug through it. I wasn't looking for tissues.
I found her pocket knife, though small, it did the job.
I carefully went behind her as she was still a sobbing mess and slouched over the dripping sink. I raised the knife, prepared to plunge it into her back, but I forgot one key detail.
The mirror.
Vanessa swung back, knocking my hand, which caused the pocketknife to fly out of my hand. Vanessa, since she was smaller and quicker than me, managed to get by me and pick up the pocket knife.
She pointed it at me, her hand was shaking. I put my hands up, however, I knew she didn't have what it takes to stab me. Unlike Judy, Vanessa's mind is more broken than vengeful. She would fold at the slightest insult.
“What… What are you doing?!… Are you crazy?!” Her voice cracked as tears started to form in the corner of her eyes.
“Vanessa… let's calm down…-”
“Was it you!? Did YOU kill Judy!?”
I opened my mouth, but nothing came out.
“Oh… my God…” She looked at me, her eyes wide.
“Are you any different?” My eyes narrowed, and I could see that my comment hurt her.
But then her eyebrows furrowed.
“Just wait until Marcus finds out.” My body stiffened.
No. She can't.
I can't afford another reset.
I won't let Judy's death be in vain.
I spread my legs a bit, prepared if Vanessa was going to run. And she did. She's like a cornered rabbit, predictable.
Her hands clutched the knife, and I was afraid of getting stabbed. But… that would just make it more believable, eh? A struggle.
When she ran, she was also swinging the knife. I managed to dodge a nasty stab, but she did end up giving me a few cuts. The knife was pretty dull, so it didn't hurt, just sting.
I put myself between the door and her.
She came straight at me and, being bigger, I managed to knock her down. With me on top, I saw hope leave her eyes. She threw the pocketknife into a nearby stall, probably hoping I would go after it.
But I am ending it now.
I wrapped my hands around her throat and she started to gasp.
"Marcus!! MARCUS!! HEL-HERKK!" I squeezed tighter.
Sweat started to build up on my forehead. Everything in me was hoping Marcus wouldn't come. Two kills in one day? Maybe my excuse wouldn't be enough.
Vanessa's hands were clawing at mine. She gasped, her voice barely squeezing out.
I squeeze tighter.
She's crying.
Or is it my tears?
Why am I crying?
Could it be because, at one moment in time, Vanessa and I lived peacefully together?
Nothing fake flew among us?
Just me, Judy, Vanessa and Omar.
I felt two hands drop at my sides. My eyes trail to Vanessa's, there was no more light behind them.
Another was laid to rest… and I hope I can keep it that way.
The bathroom door opened and my breath hitched. I stumbled on my excuse.
“Marcus… I…”
“Another one ‘got in the way?’”
I bit my lip. I was on thin ice, I needed to play my cards right.
“She… I went to comfort her… and… and she started to spill insane stuff.” I looked at him with my tear-stained face as my hands shook.
“Time looping… you… being-”
Marcus straightened.
“Judy's death clearly took a toll on her.” He held out his hands and I got up to hug him.
“She scared me, Marcus… how did she know it was me?” He started to caress my hair.
“Stop thinking about it.”
“What will the police think?”
“I'll take care of it.”
I've won him over again, but, I can feel his doubt.
“You're exhausted. You've been through so much in one day…” I felt my eyes grow heavy.
A wave of sleep washed over me and I slumped over Marcus. My whole body was paralyzed, and I could only hope that I would remember today tomorrow.
₊✩‧₊˚౨🌃🏙️🌧️ৎ˚₊✩‧₊
I awoke in my bed. It was pouring rain outside. Marcus must've brought me home last night.
Oh! I remember. But for how long?
Something also feels off.
I got dressed and went into the bathroom. I looked at myself in the mirror, I looked so pale. Oh my god! I'm becoming Marcus.
I joked, although I wasn't feeling humorous.
I walked down the stairs, and I was greeted by no one. My so-called parents who would always be in the kitchen weren't. And although I didn't resonate with them, I couldn't help but feel empty.
I left the house with no more than an apple. The streets were empty and quiet, there were no cars on the streets.
I passed by the burnt-down church, it looked way more thorn down than before…
Something is… wrong.
The school's front was empty as well. Did… did Marcus find out? No… no, something else must've happened.
I quietly but swiftly went inside the school. It was dark, the only light came from outside, which was barely any. I put my backpack in my locker and warily walked toward my class. My footsteps echoed, and my breathing was heavy. I was about to reach the class door, noticing it was left ajar. My hand reached for the knob when I was suddenly catapulted into the door.
Since it was already open, I crashed into one of the front desks.
“Uugh…” I groaned as I looked behind me.
Omar.
Omar?
Omar stood in the doorway, his expression blank. However, I could see a small bling of something… something sharp. A knife. I scurried to my feet and clutched the side that had hit the desk.
“Omar?! What are you doing!?”
He took a step forward.
“You might've fooled Marcus, but you can't fool me. I'm your best friend, we know everything about each other. Well, I sure do.” He kept approaching, and I started to back up, trying not to crash into any desks.
“I mean, I'm surprised at how you didn't catch on. How could someone who ‘geeks’ about this sort of stuff not find a way for faith to fall in his favour?”
“What… what are you saying? Are… are you in on this!? Are you working with MARCUS!?”
He smiled. “Bingo! I'm the right-hand man, as I like to call it. I've learned through resets after resets that there was no point in fighting against it. You know the phrase, ‘If you can't beat ‘em, join ‘em.’ Judy wasted her time coming after a plan for revenge when she didn't see the power she could've held. Oh, and poor Vanessa, she could bend and break with just a simple flick of a wrist.” He was barely a meter close, and I was backed against a counter.
“Where… where is Marcus?”
Omar smirked. “Your ‘distraction’ plan made me think of something. If Marcus was away, who'd be left in charge of making sure you don't wander? All it took was something out of order, and he was gone to check it out. Now…”
Omar flicked the knife and it was unsheathed. It became more of a scythe covered in small red and black rocks with a red eye on the tang, safe for the blade that was left naked. My eyes widened, and I couldn't help but feel defeated. I mean, how was I supposed to kill him when he had that!?
“W-what are you doing!? Do you know what Marcus is going to do to you once he finds out!?”
He laughed. “Once you're dead, there's just going to be another forced reset. Nothing I can't blame on you fuckin' around and findin' out.”
I clench my teeth as he raises the scythe, he starts to levitate.
"Pray that you have another way to remember, 'cause that stunt you pulled WON'T fly by again…"
He dived into me and I barely managed to dodge him. He did rip a bit of my shirt and burn some of it as well… but currently, that was the least of my worries. I started to run out of the class. I opened the door and ran into the hallway. I needed to find something I could defend myself with… maybe in the cooking class-
CRASH
BOOM
The whole classroom wall fell apart, revealing the class to the hallway. Omar was still flying, but he looked more sinister. His eyes were a faint red as if he were high, and I could hear his voice through the school's intercom, taunting me. I ran as I heard him laugh from each direction.
I turned sharp corners, trying to lose him, but he was too fast. Everything the scythe touched crumbled. He would drag the scythe on the ground and the floor would split apart.
“HAHAHAHA, you're just prolonging the inevitable!! But do continue this chase, it's exhilarating!”
I'm convinced that the only reason I was still alive was because of the adrenaline. But, that wouldn't last long, as I slowly started to slow down because of the cramps I was getting.
Suddenly, a hand grabbed the back of my shirt, and I was slammed down on the ground. My breath hitched as Omar sat on my abdomen, raising the scythe.
This is it.
I'm sorry Judy.
I closed my eyes shut…
And then, I felt something splatter on my face, but, no pain. I open my eyes to find a flagpole spear through Omar's stomach. I couldn't manage to scream and neither could he.
Omar gagged and spilled blood, but he was still very much alive. He gripped the flagless pole, trying to push it out. But, the pole was raised, and low and behold, Marcus was holding it.
He (Marcus) grabbed the pole and made Omar slide down it, causing the pole to rupture through his whole abdomen. Once Omar was on the ground, Marcus took out the pole. Omar, with whatever dark power that was keeping him alive-ish was trying to crawl away. Marcus grabbed his hair, flipped him over, tore out his small intestine (which wasn't pretty small and very long) and finished him off by strangling him. He didn't put out much of a fight.
I sat up and tried to crawl away backwards, but Marcus somehow teleported behind me. His eyes were back…
“Oh, my poor dove, I'm so sorry you had to go through that…” He grabbed my left arm in a tight grasp and pulled me up.
“However, I am curious about how you were able to remember. I sure do hope my powers aren't… weakening.” He tightened his grasp and I winced.
“I… I wrote a note… last time and hid it in my pocket…” Marcus smiled.
“Well, I'll just have to make sure I double-check before each reset…” He grinned as the scythe teleported in his hands.
The world around started to tear and rumble. Holes opened up that were in some way… glowing black… or maybe it was some sort of mist oozing out of it. Omar's body fell into one of the holes.
I looked back at Marcus and in a swift but pretty stupid decision, I kissed Marcus.
He kissed back and his grasp loosened just enough so I could squeeze out of it and back up into one of the holes. Marcus tried to grab me again, but I had already fallen.
And so, I was swallowed by the abyss.
𒅒𒈔𒅒𒇫𒄆𒅒𒈔𒅒𒇫𒄆𒅒𒈔𒅒𒇫
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hyperfixated-homo · 2 years ago
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ooh I'm gonna be super predictable but I adore big brother Virgil in any capacity, so if you wanna write that go wild. muah <3
Tired, but never of them
Virgil has a bad day. His little siblings comfort him in their own special way.
Ao3 Link
A/N: This took a while, sorry! Sibling stories are not my strong suit lmao. It’s not even really explicit that he’s the older one here, but you know that he is and I guess that’s what matters. Also I almost got to 2k words with this fic!! Yay me :D
———
He was having a bad day.
Everything had gone wrong from the moment he woke up. He was late for school because he needed to stay up all night to study for a test (which he missed, thanks to his lateness). Then he got a call from his boss and he had to leave his brothers alone in the house because obviously he didn't want to get fucking fired and lose their only source of income. Then it felt like the only customers at their shitty little convenience store were all angry moms and spoiled brats who would take forever to buy their stupid fucking candy and gum and then complain when he didn't give them a discount when they gave him dirty looks. Then in a tiring series of events:
Some kids from his school showed up and started fucking around with the displays.
One of them jokingly asked him out and then called him gay for not immediately saying no.
They all proceeded to laugh at him for being queer for like, half an hour (which he was, but they didn't know that so what was the point?).
A middle aged man yelled at him for five minutes because he wouldn't give him a free beer for an expired coupon that wasn't even for their store.
A kid started crying really fucking loudly in the corner (she didn't stop for fifteen minutes and her parents refused to leave the store. He didn't know if he felt more sorry for them or for himself).
Someone smashed a bottle on the floor trying to take it out of a six pack even though they had a massive sign that clearly stated that they didn't sell single bottles.
And then, to top it all off, one of the kids smoked a cigarette in the bathroom and set the place on fire.
So yeah. In conclusion; Virgil Sanders was having an absolutely horrible fucking day.
When he got home, it was already seven pm and he hadn't eaten since his rushed breakfast (the granola bars at the store didn't count for shit). He was exhausted and stressed out and so sick of everything that he didn't bother to say hi to his brothers when he got back, deciding instead to immediately go to his room and flop onto his bed.
He didn't even take off his shoes or jacket. He just laid there staring at the ceiling and wondering what the fuck he was doing with his life. 
Everything sort of hurt, but not in the sharp way it hurts to get a scrape, or hit your head. It was more like a general soreness that spread throughout his entire body once he laid down. His stomach hurt. It always did when he got stressed or overworked, but it made him feel miserable.
He would need to redo his test. And have to explain to his science teacher why he had to redo the test. Would he need to do it alone? Was that better or worse than having to do that in a room full of people? He didn't know. But he was still thinking about it. For some reason. And probably would be for the entire evening. Fuck.
He stared at the ceiling for a moment and then let out a long sigh. He probably needed to make some food for his brothers. Fucking-
His brothers! Had they eaten anything for lunch? He hadn't had time to come back home after his second morning class, he didn't even check on them when he came home. What if they'd gotten in trouble? What if they thought that he hated them because he was in a bad mood and didn't talk to them? He knew that they got upset when he didn't pay attention to them, how could he just-
A knock sounded at his door. He called out (much more shakily than he would like to admit) for them to come in.
His door opened slowly and two big blue eyes popped out behind it.
"Hey Logan." Virgil croaked out (when did his throat get so dry?)
"...Hi." He sounded small, like he didn't want to say anything. Was he scared? Upset maybe? God they probably did think that he hated them-
"We made you some stuff."
Virgil blinked at him. That was most definitely not what he expected. "You made me things?" Logan nodded, almost shyly.
"Jay and Patton wanted me to give it to you because I'm the most quiet and they didn't know if you had a headache or not." The little seven year old explained, opening the door more and revealing a little tray behind him. Virgil couldn't quite make out the contents from his spot on the bed.
"Can I come in?" He asked. Virgil let him in, sitting up to talk about him better.
Logan picked up the tray and brought it over. Placing it on an empty spot on his bed, he pushed himself up and sat next to Virgil, putting his little hand over Virgil's.
Virgil damn near cried.
On the tray was a plate of pasta, some water, a little box of Pepto-Bismol, two cards and a little blue gem.
The pasta was clearly Patton's, heated warm enough to feel the heat in his stomach but not hot enough to burn. It was sprinkled with sliced ham and Parmesan, which was funny because Virgil was the only one who actually like Parmesan in this house. The ham and cheese combo was simple but it had become a sort of comfort food for Virgil, who had gotten used to making foods like that on a very low budget. When Patton started taking over some of the cooking a the ripe age of ten, he managed to make the recipe even better by adding melted cream (it was legendary; cheap, tasty and made the pasta so much better. Virgil was so amazed at his abilities that he upgraded him to the house chef on the spot).
The water and Pepto-Bismol were probably Janus' doing. Most of his siblings didn't know the difference between it and other over the counter medication like Advil or Tylenol. Janus had helped him do some research on which ones were safer after Virgil expressed concern about how much medicine this family needed (Seriously, between the twins’ chaotic habit of slamming into every possible surface of any place they go—plus Patton's leg injury and Logan's chronic pain, Janus' headaches and Virgil's stomachaches—the drugstore nearby basically knew them by name). Janus had probably taken the time to think about what type of pain he was in and somehow figured out exactly what medicine would make him feel better. He did that all the time, but it never failed to amaze Virgil. 
The cards had so much detail both on the back and front that it could only have been the twins' work. There were drawings and doodles all over the paper, Roman's featuring chibi versions of his younger brothers giving Virgil a big hug, while Remus' showed some more realistic drawings that featured an odd amount of eyes and limbs. They were both equally endearing. What really took Virgil aback was the amount of stickers the two had put on their cards. They loved to collect stickers, but had a general rule that using them was strictly forbidden. They were meant for looking and not using. The two of them using so many made the cards feel really special, as strange as it was.
Opening the cards, Virgil was met with a pop up drawing of himself on Roman's card and a big monster of limbs and eyes and mouths on Remus' that was labeled "the bad day". He was a bit confused for a moment, but then Logan put the two together and he couldn't help but laugh.
When the pages were pressed against each other the pop-out figures it formed a scene where Virgil was a heroic knight, holding his sword out and fighting The Bad Day. It was so thoughtful and creative and them that it almost made Virgil choke up a little bit.
The final thing on the tray was a crystal, small enough to easily fit into his palm. It was smooth on the bottom and jutted out into a natural looking formation, the bumpy pattern giving it a wonderful texture and a frozen appearance. It was slightly transparent, and through it Virgil could see that the edges were a bright cyan, while the middles were a deeper shade of indigo.
It was a salt crystal, one that Logan had made himself at home after a class demonstration left him interested. He'd kept them afterwards and called them his comfort crystals, because the knowledge of their creation made him feel better when he was sad, and the texture was pleasantly stimulating to him.
The crystal on his tray now was one that they had made together. It was one of the first crystals that had ever actually formed (when Virgil realized that the reason they weren't forming was because it wasn't humid enough for it to crystalize). It was also the first one they'd dyed.
It was Logan's favorite comfort crystal.
"Sometimes I feel better when I'm just holding it," Logan murmured when Virgil picked it up "so you can borrow it for a bit."
It really wasn't much, but it meant everything to him. The pasta had too much ham and the glass wasn't filled all the way, and there were spelling mistakes in all the kind words in the cards and there was no way to put the crystal down so that it wouldn't start rolling when the bed moved but it was so, so perfect and oh fuck he was crying-
"Virge?" It wasn't from the little boy beside him, but rather his door. "Are you okay?"
Patton's concerned voice from the doorway was enough to make him sob. He walked in immediately and started going through breathing exercises to calm him down.
Virgil spluttered for a minute, trying to find a nice way to voice his thoughts without sounding like a complete idiot but eventually just said fuck it.
"'I'm not sad." He said in-between sobs "I just really, really love you guys, you know?"
Patton's concerned face split into a grin, and he squealed, pulling him up and into a hug. "I love you too!" He said, squeezing him tightly.
It took a while for Virgil finally calmed down enough to get out of the hug and wipe his eyes. When they broke from their hug, he could see the others standing in his doorway. It seemed that Logan had gone to grab them while Patton comforted him through his sob fest.
He snorted, slightly wetly, and said "Well, what are you waiting for?"
Instantly, he had two little balls of red and green in his arms, loudly asking if he's okay. Janus came over to pluck the food from its spot on the bed and put it somewhere safer, and Logan rejoined him by his side.
It was nice. They were nice. He could feel himself relax and calm down as the twins explained the thought process behind their cards a little better, the background noise doing wonders for his overstimulated mind. Patton and Janus sat down eventually, Janus on his right and Patton holding Logan on his left. They gave him back his pasta so that he could eat while they talked about their days. 
They were so careful to not talk about anything that might trigger him. Every time he thought about it, it made him want to burst into tears again. 
There was warmth on all sides, not trapping but simply surrounding him. And he felt safe.
It had been a bit of a bad day. And he was still a little tired, but he knew at the end of the day he could never be tired of his family.
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mariesakamari · 1 year ago
Text
Chapter 3: Trial and Error
Masterlist
3rd POV…
“Yuu, are you paying attention,” Yuu’s math teacher asked. Yuu was currently looking out the window having a weird feeling in their gut.
“Yes, I am paying attention,” Yuu responded, turning their attention back to the front of the class. The teacher nodded their head at Yuu and continued on with the lesson.
“Hey, you alright,” Yuu’s friend had whispered to Yuu, slightly leaning over the aisle. 
“I have this weird feeling,” Yuu whispered back, turning to look bak out the window. Their attention was brought to a cherry blossom tree that was slightly apart from the others. As Yuu focused more on the tree, the more their friend worried about them. The tree had turned colors and lighting appeared to strike in front of it despite not having any clouds in the sky. Yuu shook their head and went to focus on the rest of the lesson. Yuu had fallen behind in school while being stuck in Twisted Wonderland, and now they have to try their hardest to catch up to everyone else. Yuu was grateful for their friends that shared the same classes with, the group study sessions have helped a lot.
“...And they were really spacey during math class…” Yuu snapped out of their thoughts and saw that they were sitting at a cafeteria table with their friends.
“Welcome back to the land of the living,” one of the friends greeted. 
“Sorry, I was just really out of it,” Yuu apologized.
“See, this is why I said you shouldn’t have come back to school after just getting out of the hospital,” Yuu’s male childhood friend sighed. He’d been taking care of Yuu and watching them since they were cleared to leave the hospital.
“Takeda, I’m fine,” Yuu assured, but they could tell that he wasn’t buying it.
“Henchman, you need to eat some food,” Grim stated with food in his mouth. The hospital had made Grim Yuu’s ‘emotional support animal’ so he was allowed to be with them at all times. Grim got along great with the friend group and tried to keep his destruction down to the minimum.
“Yeah, some food might help,” Yuu agreed and began to eat the food they had gotten.
……
“Good morning, everyone,” Akari called out from outside the sleeping quarters. “Are any of you up? Quite some lighting last night, wasn't it?”
“Why is she so loud,” Leona groaned, barely waking up.
“We have to get up Leona-san,” Epel said. “We have the trial to prove that we can stay here.”
“He’s right,” Silver agreed. “We wouldn’t want to be late.”
“Never thought that you would be awake, Silver,” Leona dryly chuckled as he sat up and yawned.
“I wanted to make a good impression,” Silver explains. “Also I was taking a walk around the village just to get a proper look at it.”
“I hope you are all awake,” Vil pounded on the outside of the door.
“We are all up, Vil-san”, Epel replied. Leona had gotten up and put on his clothes from the day before since no one in the group had any clothes except for the ones they showed up in. Leona’s group was the last to make it out of the sleeping quarters.
Akari gave them a nice smile when she saw them exit the building, “What lovely weather we’ve got!” She turned her attention to everyone, “I hope you all had a nice sleep, even if this land is strange and new to you.”
“I slept like a baby,” Lilia commented and Kalim laughed.
“Let’s get to headquarters,” Akari suggests. “Captain Cyllene is waiting, then after we can go to The Wallflower for breakfast before the trial.”
“Yes, let’s get this over with,” Idia sighed, not wanting to be outside. The group followed Akari to a large fainted orange building. The building was two stories tall with some scaffolding alongside the building, as it was being worked on by some of the villagers. Inside the building, the flooring was a red carpet with the village's logo in the center of the lobby area.
“The Survey Corps’ offices are here on the first fl⎼” Akari introduction to the building was interrupted.
“Don’t give up! Keep those eyes open,” the voice that interrupted exclaimed.
“The wild Pokemon, they…” another voice could be faintly heard. “They were everywhere. Attacking from all sides… I sent out my partner Pokemon, but… against a whole pack… Outnumbered…”
“This is what happens when you go so far afield,” the first voice scolded. “But the Medical Corps will put you to rights.”
“That man’s with the Security Corps… and even with his own partner, he took a beating from wild Pokemon,” Akari explained. “Without a partner Pokemon of your own, you might find this trial…particularly trying.”
“So those little guys from yesterday are that dangerous,” Floyd questioned.
“Maybe, but we don’t exactly know for sure,” Jamil responded. “Maybe it depends on the type of Pokemon.”
“Captain Cyllene,” Akari called out as she moved across the lobby to the open office. “The group is here.”
“You may enter,” Cyllene says as she looks up from her paperwork. Her desk is covered with various books, and rolled sheets of paper. Akari and the group enter the room and Cyllene gets up from her chair to walk around to the front of the desk. “Let us get straight to it. If you wish to join the Galaxy Expedition Team, prove yourself capable by going out into the Obsidian Fieldlands and catching three different species of Pokemon: Bidoof, Starly, and Shinx.”
“Catching three Pokemon from the start,” Akari’s jaw drops. “No one in the Galaxy Team has ever managed that…”
“Did these strangers not catch three different Pokemon only yesterday,” Cyllene countered. “My trial should be simple enough for them⎼if the professor wasn’t exaggerating things, that is.”
“He didn’t exaggerate anything, Captain,” Deuce defended the professor, but Cyllene ignored him.
“The Galaxy Team does not have the means to provide for those who only take without giving,” Cyllene continued. “If you wish to stay, you must prove beyond any doubt that you’ll be an asset to our cause. I will lend you some Survey Corps satchels to carry whatever you may need in the field.” She then passed out satchels that the group had put on.
“That satchel doesn’t exactly match your, er, mode of dress…” Akari observed.
“Well obviously,” Vil mocked. “These uniforms shouldn’t be matched with something so plain.”
Akari,” Cyllene got Akari’s attention. “I’ll expect you to step in if anything goes awry.” Akari nodded her head in understanding.
“Pardon the intrusion,” Laventon entered the office. “New friends, come with me for a moment!” The group and Akari followed Laventon out to the lobby. “Now then, a jolley good morning to everyone!”
“Can we get on with this,” Leona grumbled.
“We need all the information we can get,” Ruggie sighed. “Just suck it up for now.”
“Is something the matter, Professor Laventon,” Akari questioned.
“In order to complete our Pokedex and, well, simply survive in this unforgiving land…” Laventon started to explain. “These guys absolutely must pass this trial! And as a professor of Pokemon, I’ve got just the ticket to help accomplish that!” Laventon tosses up three PokeBalls and the Pokemon the group had previously caught came out of the PokeBalls, “I am gifting you these three Pokemon to help your chances of success during the trial skyrocket.”
“That’s awfully nice of you,” Kalim smiled. The Pokemon looked at the group, recognizing them from yesterday and went towards the three people who caught them. Rowlet flew up and landed on Rook’s shoulder, Oshawott walked up to Azul, and  Cyndaquil ran up to Silver.
“I’ve never seen Pokemon react that way to seeing people,” Akari gasped. She had slightly stepped back from the group.
“I truly have great faith in you all,” Laventon praised. “With a Pokemon partner of your own, you’ll be able to fight off wild Pokemon outside the village! You are also able to give the Pokemon nicknames.”
“Nicknames, huh,” Silver muttered, looking down at the Cyndaquil at his feet. 
“Let’s focus on the trial first before nicknaming any Pokemon,” Riddle suggested.
“A word of advice, new friends⎼,” Laventon paused slightly. “Pay close attention to which PokeBalls are empty and which ones contain a Pokemon when you’re out in the field! By the way, what species has Captain Cyllene charged you with catching?”
“A Bidoof, Starly, and Shinx,” Kalim cheerfully answered.
“Well, that’s smashing! All three of those species can be found in the Obsidian Fieldlands,” Laventon smiled. “Let me give you some PokeBalls to use during your trial, then.” Laventon handed Kalim 20 PokeBalls. “These PokeBalls may be handcrafted, but they work great, as you’ve already seen!”
“I guess you’re all finally ready,” Akari inserted herself back into the conversation. “You’ll have to leave the village for the trial. Turn left after you exit headquarters, then head for the gate.”
“We’ll be there,” Vil said.
“What about breakfast though,” Ruggie whined.
“Maybe she forgot,” Epel slightly questioned.
“I think we should stop at The Wallflower just to get something light to eat,” Ortho voiced his opinion. The rest of the group agreed and left the headquarters.
……
Location: Outlands of Obsidian Fieldlands
“That person Volo was quite strange,” Malleus voices his thoughts. 
“I agree,” Vil nodded his head. “To almost come out of nowhere and demand a battle out of us was not a welcoming experience.”
“Good thing Rook stepped up to take the battle,” Trey sighed.
“Chouette de chasse(Hunter’s owl) and I do make a pretty good team,” Rook petted the Rowlet that was on his shoulder.
“I thought I said to not give the creatures nicknames,” Riddle fumed.
“Ah, but Roi des Roses, I couldn’t help myself,” Rook confessed. “Especially after how well we battled together!”
“It’s incredible though that the Pokemon are able to level up and learn new moves,” Lilia looked at the Pokemon that was happily following Silver. “They do seem to be quite intelligent.”
“Maybe people fear Pokemon since they aren’t able to communicate with them well,” Cater wondered out loud.
“How much longer is this going to take,” Idia complained. He certainly did not appreciate all the walking. 
“Based on the map, we have about 2 kilometers left before we reach Obsidian Fieldlands,” Ortho answered.
“We should find a Pokemon that you could ride on,” Kalim jokes.
“That’s actually not a bad idea,” Jamil muttered.
“The nature is beautiful,” Jade commented, he was looking at the greenery as the group walked by.
“It doesn’t seem like another village is anywhere in distance,”Jack observed. “And I don’t smell any other people around.”
“How old fashioned is this world,” Ace sighed. “We’re lucky our phones still kinda work.”
……
Location: Obsidian Fieldlands
“So this is our base camp⎼the last safe haven before you reach the wilds,” Akari explained not to soon after the group arrived. “For your trial, you must catch three species of Pokemon: Bidoof, Starly, and Shinx! Are you ready to get started?”
“As ready as I’ll ever be,” Leona answered with a yawn.
“Oh, Professor,” Akari exclaimed when she saw Laventon approach the group. 
“Ah, well, you see…” Laveton looked down with a somewhat sad look on his face. “Captain Cyllene got a hold of me after you all left… She impressed upon me that I bear full responsibility for whatever happens to ‘our sudden guests’.”
“That’s our merciless captain,” Akari shook her head, unsurprised. “But what help exactly can you offer out here, Professor?”
“My dear girl, I don’t intend to lift a finger,” Laventon answered honestly and Akari’s eye twitched. “Our new friends’ talents are the real deal. He’ll pass with flying colors⎼you’ll see!”
“He sure has a lot of faith in us,” Ruggie snickered.
“Ah,” Akari dryly smiled with her eyes closed. “So the responsibility for them still lies, in fact, with me, then. Well, I’m sure that they’ll be fine! Let’s begin with the trial!” Akari turns and starts to walk towards a dirt path. The group follows her, slightly concerned for her. She stops at the top of the dirt path and looks out over the land.
“This is Aspiration Hill,” Akari elucidates. “The species of Pokemon you’re meant to catch all live here.” Everyone looked out over the land and some spotted a small rodent-like Pokemon along the dirt path. “And along comes a Bidoof! Time to get ready to catch it. The key is to aim carefully. Not that you seem to need my advice⎼I’m just sharing what I know. Bidoof has a mellow disposition. That means it tends not to run from people, so this’ll be easy!”
“Hey Kalim,” Epel called. “Could you pass me a PokeBall?”
“Yeah, sure,” Kalim gives Epel a PokeBall and Epel walks down the dirt path to where the Bidoof was. Epel took a deep breath and threw the PokeBall at the Bidoof’s head. The PokeBall opened up and the Bidoof went inside. The ball spun a few times before the halo of stars appeared.
“You caught a Bidoof,” Akari cheered. “Well done, Epel! Now it’s time for the next Pokemon.” Epel went and picked up the PokeBall and placed it in his satchel. He caught up to the group who were looking at a small bird Pokemon. “There’s a Starly. They’re skittish little things⎼they’ll run if startled. But you should be able to get close to them if you crouch⎼you’ll be harder to spot!”
“Kalim, toss me a PokeBall,” Cater requested. Kalim tossed a PokeBall to Cater and he went to the patch of tall grass. He crouched down and got as close to the Starly as he could, then threw the PokeBall. The Starly went into the PokeBall and was easily caught. Cater ran up to the PokeBall and picked it up.
“That’s Starly caught as well,” Akari noted. “Only one more Pokemon to go.” They continued down the path. Ace spotted a wild leek that he picked up. “I forgot⎼there’s something I ought to teach you, since you’re still new to this! Throw your Pokemon’s ball at rocks⎼or trees like this one⎼to have it investigate. If your Pokemon finds any berries or other items, it’ll bring them to you! We’ve now reached your final hurdle: catching a Shinx.”
“Let’s go Cider,” Epel says as he throws Bidoof’s PokeBall at the base of the tree. The Bidoof comes out of its ball and climbs up the tree. A few moments later, it climbs back down the tree and gives Epel the berries it found, then it returns to its PokeBall and Epel catches the ball.
“That was something,” Malleus mumbled. He was very fascinated by this new world and the Pokemon that inhabited it. He was also excited to get some Pokemon of his own.
“There. That’s Shinx,” Akari points out a Pokemon a bit further down the path. The Pokemon in question gave out a roar. “Shinx has an aggressive disposition. Could you already tell that?”
“Not really,” Floyd said. “It looks squeezable.”
“Not to worry,” Akari smiled. “These things become clear once you focus on the Pokemon around you. Once aggressive Pokemon get irate, they’ll knock aside any ball you throw at them. Don’t worry, though! I’ll teach you the trick to catching aggressive Pokemon! You’ve got to battle them! Once they’re absorbed with battling, you can throw a PokeBall at them to try to catch them! By now, you’ve got several Pokemon of your own, don’t you?”
“You were there when we got the Pokemon,” Azul sweat-dropped.
“Take your Pokemon’s PokeBall and throw it near a wild Pokemon you want to battle,” Akari continued, ignoring Azul. “I’ve got no doubt you’ll hold your own in battle!”
“I’m gonna take a crack at battling,” Epel said, stepping closer to the Shinx. The Shinx noticed Epel and charged at him. Epel grabbed his PokeBall that contained his Pokemon and threw it at the Shinx. “Let’s go Cider!”
“I thought we weren’t gonna name them,” Riddle shouted in frustration. The wild Shinx had used Quick Attack on the Bidoof. 
“Cider, use Rollout,” Epel commanded. His Bidoof used Rollout on the wild Shinx. The Shinx had used Quick Attack again. Epel had his Bidoof use Rollout again.
“He seems like a natural,” Rook praised.
Ortho had taken a look at the Pokemon’s health bar, “Epel, you can try to catch it now.”
“Thanks, Ortho,” Epel thanked him. Epel pulled out a PokeBall that he had hidden in his satchel and threw it at the Shinx. The Shinx went into the PokeBall and moved a few times before the ring of stars appeared. The Shinx was caught. 
“You all approached those Pokemon without a hint of fear… and caught each one,” Akari exclaimed. “You’re like a gift from the sky dropped to us!”
“We did fall from the sky though,” Cater pointed out.
“With you at our side, I think the Survey Corps has a real chance of compiling a complete Pokedex as we’ve been ordered,” Akari cheered. “This is wonderful! I’m still curious why on earth you came falling from the sky like you did… but for now, let’s tell the professor we’re ready to head back!” The group walked back up the dirt path to the base camp where the professor was.
“I said you’d pass the trial with flying colors, and it seems you all went and did just that,” Laventon praised. “Congratulations, everyone! You’ve taken your first step toward seeking out every Pokemon! This calls for a commemorative photograph.” Laventon pulled out a camera and took a picture of the group.
“With skills like yours, I suppose this was a foregone conclusion,” Akari praised.
“Hey, weren’t you just bashing us,” Ace said.
“Ace, calm yourself,” Riddle scolded. “I see where you are coming from, but the trial is over now.”
“Whatever,” Ace mutters.
“Now then, we’d best report to Captain Cyllene,” Laventon states. “Time to head back to Jubilife Village, eh?”
“Do we have to walk all the way back,” Idia questioned.
“I brought Ponyta drawn carriages for us to ride back in,” Laventon smiled.
“Ponyta…” Silver lets the Pokemon’s name roll off the tip of his tongue.
“Come on, let’s go,” Akari laughs as she runs over to the carriages. 
“This is so cool,” Epel exclaims as he starts to run over to the carriages pulling Jack along with him. Deuce and Ace look at each other and run to catch up to Epel and Jack. The rest of the group walks behind the four first years. Once everyone is settled into the carriages, they take off back to Jubilife Village.
...to be continued
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byunbaekhyunie · 4 months ago
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Okeii🍒
When you finish the season, I wanna know what you thought of all the boxes imagery/metaphors😊
[ed.] so uhmm this is quite long and convoluted, sorry abt that also ?? major spoilers just in case any1 has doubts
so I finished watching episode 10 and then I read your question. and honestly, I didn’t get it. for a second I thought you were talking abt some cinematography that went over my head and then it hit me and I was like ooohhh the cardboard boxes. and as a lover of themes and motifs, I was a bit disappointed because I hadn’t realized that that was the motif of this season. but then I sat on it some more and I thought abt it, and the more I did it started to make more and more sense to me
of course this is my interpretation, I mean they really picked the most ubiquitous object to use as a metaphor this season, so like yea. you could make almost anything fit the idea of those boxes but to me, well the motifs in each season are sort of little allegories that pertain to Carmy and the development of his character, and the funny thing abt the boxes for me like I said was that I didn’t put the pieces together at first I mean yea when Syd and then Carm are in the bins trying to crush them I was like haha non negotiable number whatever tf but it only clicked after, when I read your ask and so like I tried thinking abt how many times they show them [the boxes] throughout the season and, compared to the pasta in season 1 but especially the fridge-guy bit in season 2, it’s definitely not as present right
so at first I thought well maybe they wanted to be more subtle after season 2 where it’s borderline on the nose how much they call back to the fridge guy bit almost every episode, so yea maybe they don’t wanna spoon feed the audience anymore but there’s also this break in continuity in season 3 like so far, except for the Christmas episode in season 2, storytelling has been pretty linear but in season 3 well your start off with the flashback episode but then the story breaks off into … not subplots but like everyone else’s personal journey ? like Marcus, then Tina, then Syd and Nat and Richie and it feels a lot more disjointed but actually to me, it illustrates how every other character is evolving and growing on their own and Carmen is . kind of at a standstill this season
right after finishing the show my first thought was damn this season kinda left me dissatisfied and as it macerated in my brain I realized it’s because there’s no resolution for Carmen this season, it’s really not abt him in a way but like on purpose. like it’s the way that he can’t execute anything that he wants to do, which the Faks do a wonderful job at explaining when they go see Claire, and it’s endemic of his behavior throughout the whole show, when he tells Sydney that he doesn’t want to be hard to keep up with but really doesn’t do anything to fix it, when he tries to call Claire in the walk-in but doesn’t, how anticlimactic his confrontation with chef David is, like there is no resolution for his character this season. at all. none. zero. he almost takes a more secondary role and it’s the same with the boxes (to come back to your actual question lol) they’re not as much as a running thread as the motifs in previous seasons were and they never get resolved like you don’t see a shot of all the boxes neatly broken down in the dumpster at the end of season 3 but it’s foreshadowing all the same
also also one of the moments that made the strongest impression on me this season is when Carm is at the al anon meeting and this guy offscreen is talking abt how he can not just. forgive his mother for being an addict even tho she got clean and apologized and. you think abt Carmen’s relationship with his brother and then with his mom and again it’s that idea that he’s stuck. he’s stuck unable to forgive. he’s stuck in the mud because of all these issues he has, he can’t let go and move on, he hides behind his food, he clings onto the restaurant instead of addressing things head-on and mending the relationships in his life, he’s like fundamentally broken inside and his non negotiables, and particularly the cardboard boxes that were picked as the visual representation of that, amount to that, the fact that he has guidelines that he can’t follow, he knows what to do but he can’t do it
if we wanna go really deep into interpretation, it’s like every box that is being broken down symbolizes how he has to dismantle his own ego in a way, and also how the facade is … kinda crumbling down, like this idea that he’s a genius chef that’s so good at what he does and knows exactly what he’s doing, and that’s why by the end of the show he’s not where he should be or where you want him to be. he’s back where we left him at the end of season 2. he’s all alone in the streets while all his friends are together partying, like he was alone in the fridge and the world kept moving right along outside. of course those two moments have different implications in their context but I think it’s interesting, when you put them side by side
not sure if I got my point across honestly everything is still very fresh in my brain so it’s a bit hard to have a clear overall view but I’m already thinking I’m gonna rewatch because there’s also the recurring theme of dreams with like Donna’s conception dream and whatever Cicero says abt having a bulldog tattooed on his cock was it ??? I mean dreams (and nightmares) are very symbolic in this show so I’m already wondering if there’s not some more stuff that I missed
anyway thank u so much for the ask, answering this was really fun !!
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bri22222 · 1 year ago
Text
Below The Surface
Fnaf fan fiction
Chapter 1: This shouldn't be so bad…. right?
As Bri and Brian walk through the door to rockstar row she can feel her confidence grow. Yet completely oblivious of her surroundings. “ Here is rockstar row! Or as I call them, the Glamrock rooms!" Brian presented. ‘Is this were the robots… er.. Sleep? Can they even sleep? Probably not……. Right? ‘ “ I’ll be showing you their rooms and tell you about them! “ He blurted.
“There are four of them, Chica, Montgomery, Roxanne, and Freddy.” He stated. ‘They have names? Cool! ‘. They both walk over Chica’s Green Room. “We’ll start off with Chica’s room!" Brian exclaimed. ‘DAMN. It looks like a unicorn threw up in there.’ Bri stared in shock at the hot pink walls and kids fan art of the white ‘bird’ and……. The hundreds of pizza boxes. ‘What the hell? ‘. Not gonna lie, just by looking at Chica’s room makes Bri wanna paint her own room pink.
“Chica has a joyful and bubbly personality! And very even-tempered.” Brian started. “ She’s the only Guitarist in the band. And trust me, she plays one hell of a solo.” He claimed. ‘I don't understand how people even play guitar? It looks….er.. Difficult. ‘ “Though she does have good intentions there is one minor thing…" He began.
“She has a certain desire that none of the animatronics have. She…tends to eat garbage from the kitchen. We don't let her in the kitchen because we put the garbage bags in the trash compactor. She also raids the food cabinets in there as well. Therefore, don't let Chica in the kitchen ok? “ He persuaded.
‘ok…WTF…COULD THIS GET ANY CRAZIER?!’. At this point she's more a trash panda than a chicken. It would be absolutely horrifying to find an animatronic chicken/trash panda rummaging through a dumpster. Bri froze in her tracks as the thought rushed through her head. I’ll tell you right now, when Bri applied for this job, she sure as hell didn't expect this. “ Has She always done that!?” Bri cautioned. “Uh.. Yeah." He chuckled nervously. “ It's…a programming bug. But you should be fine! As long as you keep the kitchen doors locked at night, then you won't have to worry about it."
But suddenly then, a beep came from his Fazwatch." Oof, sorry Bri, I gotta go. Uh… You can just finish the tour solo! Here. “ He hands you a watch that looks like the bear animatronic. An orange base with ears and a little black and blue hat. “ It's a Fazwatch. You can contact me and the animatronics! Including the DJ and daycare attendants.” He explained. Daycare attendants and a DJ? Damn they really got the whole bit here. Chloe really wasn't lying.
Chloe is Bri’s best friend. They've known each other since preschool. They used to be neighbors. But, when Bri was 12 her parents got divorced and all four of them. Her mom, dad and younger
brother were all forced to move out.
Long story short, she moved into a new house until at 18 she moved out and got a new job At the megaplex. So did Chloe.
They both applied to be handlers during the day and occasionally do the night shift.
“Daycare attendants? There's a daycare here? “ Bri questioned. ‘ If there actually IS a daycare here, I GOTTA see it. ‘ She proclaimed in thought. “ I'll tell you about them another time. But I really gotta go now. I'll catch up with you later on. See you later! “ He hollered as he walked off. “O… k. This shouldn't be so hard right? “
Before long, a deep accented voice sounds from behind her. “ I wouldn't count on it." She quickly turned to face the monster as she screamed the name of Christ himself as she swiftly turned her body to see none other than the bassist himself, looming over her.
Montgomery Gator
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