#and they eventually get impatient and approach the water regardless

[le-jardin-inculte]

hauling ass, the default oryx response to seeing a giraffe saunter in

[simpscripts]

Steamy and Sweaty (Luisa x Afab!Reader)

Warnings: Porn without plot, Nsfw, 18+

Prompt: Sequel to Working out a Sweat but can be read as a stand alone. After another workout with Luisa you both unwind in the hot springs in her room.

A/N: I am honestly so high on DayQuil that I am not sure if this even came out ok but I hope y’all enjoy regardless!

The door slams shut echoing off the stone walls of the room as Luisa and I enter her room. We just finished up the jog around the village and I stretch my arms upwards, clutching hand in hand as pops cascade down my spine. Glancing over my shoulder I see Luisa stretching out her own muscles, eyes glued to the visual of watching her hands massage into her exposed skin. My head lulls to the side as I turn to watch, always transfixed on her beauty any chance I get. Time slips away as my feet sway backwards to lean against the wall to support my already aching body that is loosing any and all stability I had left. A groans leaves the tall woman as she twists her body around and stops mid turn as she locks eyes with my own.

I am staring wantonly and unabashedly, the second she catches my gaze I lean into it more. Biting my lip and huffing out before pushing off the wall. Taking my time I slide across the distance between us to trail a finger across her back and down her arm, relishing in the slight shivers I feel run across her body. Raising up on tiptoes I nip on her ear lobe before whispering against the shell of her ear.

“Let me help you with that.” I sigh against her.

“I thought you were too exhausted too do anything.” She chuckles against me before leaning back in. The small amount of air I had left after exercising is sucked out of my lungs as I give in to her kisses.

“Never too exhausted to do anything to you.” I internally cringe at my own attempts at flirting but let it slip away easily as I turn to goo under her.

Eventually I huff and push away, longing to stay attached but wanting far more than just some kisses. Interlocking my fingers in hers I tug on her to lead her towards the hot springs in her room.

She lets me lead her easily, her face and eyes seem to show curiosity and enjoying this rare moment of me taking the lead. I am a bit surprised at my own boldness but how could I not be when I look back at the woman following me with complete trust. As we approach the hot spring I shift around to press up against her, leaning up for a soft kiss before pulling away. Her eyes are dilating, shifting and focusing through the soft mist that now surrounds us. I’m sure my own eyes are blown wide but I don’t seem to care.

The mist clings onto the thin layer of sweat already caked onto my skin and I can see beads of perspiration fall off Luisa’s brow line. Her hand starts to reach for my shirts hemline but I swat it away before backing up slowly while watching every single movement of her eyes as she watches me. I want to put on a show for her, want to feel her eyes cling on to me like the heaviness of the room weighing down on me.

Clothes starts slipping down and off, wiping off bits of sweat as they go, shirt fabric swiping the sweaty hair to mat against my head in different swirls. She’s biting her own lips now in anticipation, copying my actions and taking off her own clothes with more impatience than my own slow purposeful movements. My lungs feel full as I watch her shirt slip over her breasts and expose her skin and seeing the little goosebumps prickling over her skin as her sweaty skin meets the air. My gaze breaks away for a moment to finish taking off everything and when I look back up she has closed the distance again, pressing her naked form against my own.

She’s leading me down into the water, moans slipping from both of us as the warmth seeps into our aching muscles. Pushing through the water she sits down on the submerged seat while pulling me into her lap, straddling her. She’s nothing short of beautiful, the mist doing nothing to hide her glowing face as it tilts back in relaxation. My hands travel up her arms, squeezing along the muscles as they go before wrapping back around the nape of her neck. She lets out little gasps and deep whines as I press against her muscles, as my legs grips slightly against her own thighs under the water.

“I can’t keep my hands off you Luisa.” I exhale deeply. It’s not a lie either, every inch of me is yearning to pull her against me, kiss her, trace along her skin, I want everything she is willing to give me and I am desperate for her.

Her head raises back up, eyes squinting through the steam, leaning forward to catch my lips with her own. I’m drunk on her already, letting her suck and nip on my lips as they puff up with blood flow. Sighing against her she chuckles back against my lips, taunting me as she pulls away.

“Then don’t stop touching me, mi vida.” Her eyes are challenging me as she sits back smugly. Her arms are stretched back along the rocky edge, exposing every inch of skin to me while her muscles tense and flaunt in this position. She knows what she does to me with little to no effort whatsoever, all she has to do is sit back in her power pose with muscles flexing and glinting with moisture and I am done.

I don’t need anymore convincing and latch onto her neck sucking little bites and kisses into her skin, desperate to leave little indications of my prescience on her skin. Every little sound of approval and pleasure that leaves her spurs me on more, desperate to watch the poised woman fall apart under me. My focus shifts onto her chest as I shift down to latch onto her nipple. She gasps out as I suck and lick against the nub feeling it stiffen up with every little bit of attention I give.

Her body shifts under mine to give me a better angle and as she does her leg shifts up against my crotch, her knee giving me some much needed friction as I grind against her leg. Even under me, letting me take the lead, she still manages to retain her aura of dominance.

My hand is kneading into her breast, letting the skin roll through my fingers as it glides across and digs in. My other hand falls down her curves down to grab her ass as she lifts slightly out of the water to give me a better grip. A disappointed groan leaves me as she pulls away from my touch to stand out of the water, staring down at me as she sits back on the edge of the spring.

Immediately I spread open her thighs, eyes locked onto hers as I lean in, breath ghosting across her lips dripping with water. It’s a game of chicken to see who will break contact first and I don’t intend to lose this game. Licking up a stripe against her its hard to keep my eyelids from fluttering as I’m drowned in the indescribable taste of her. My fingers trails through her folds, gathering up the slickness and rubbing them across her clit. Her own eyes flutters as she stutters out a breath, and I can’t help but smile up at her as I feel her thighs tense around me.

I shift her legs up onto my shoulders and indulge fully in her, pressing my tongue flat against her lips and sucking lightly on her clit. She’s muttering out soft curses as her hand reaches out to grip in my hair pressing me in further, loosing breath against her. Her taste is intoxicating, a perfect little treat I wouldn’t mind licking up any chance I can get.

“More, please.” I hear her muffled out pleas above me through splashing water as I dig in.

Bringing my finger down through her folds I pause my sucking to watch her face as I press into her. Her thighs are trembling slightly and warmth tingles through me straight down to my core as I watch her. She is so gorgeous like this and I would spend every second making her come undone if I could. Her walls squeeze against me with a grip that threatens to break my fingers but I could care less, adding another digit in to her warmth and moaning out with her as she gasps and buck forwards against my hand for more.

“So fucking beautiful.” I gasp out before sucking back on her clit. The noises are sloppy matching similarly to the wet noises of the water around us. “Fuck, its like you’re trying to break my fingers.”

I’m letting my moans vibrate against her clit, mumbling out praises as I pump into her, taking very brief pauses to breath heavily against her thighs before diving head first back in. I hear her voice stuttering above me, desperately trying to speak but lost in her moans. Every time I think I can hear a coherent word slip through I swipe against her clit with more force to break up her words again, reveling in the harsh grip she is holding my hair in.

“I’m, Ah, I’m sorry, please don’t stop.” Her voice is breaking apart, raspy and heavy with her begging.

I can feel how wet she is getting with every push and pull, my fingers desperately angling and curling up against her to find the sweet spot. Her voice screams out the second I graze against it and immediately I stand out of the water, pressing against her as I lean towards her ear.

“Thats it, Luisa, let go, cum for me beautiful.” I whisper against her ear before sucking on her neck again.

Any and all control she had on her strength was slipping as her thighs clamp down on my frame in between them, her hands swinging out around my torso in a desperate hug as she tries to ground herself. Pleas are leaving her lips with every scream and moan as I bring her closer and closer. My arm and hand are going numb under her grip but I push through everything to keep going and going, she is so close I just need to focus and keep from loosing my pace.

Her fingers claw into my shoulder and back as I feel her come undone under me. It is the most beautiful sight I have ever seen as she gasping and pulling on me in any way she can. Her walls are crushing my fingers together, her cum dripping out of her across our skin mixing with the water droplets gathered on our skin. As she rolls through her waves I guide her slowly back down to the water, setting her back down and letting her floating weightless form finish out the shakes in the water.

Leaning forward I place a kiss along her forehead, her nose, and finally a small sensual kiss along her lips. As I pull away I lean my forehead against hers, watching her take in deep breaths before small laughs bubble out of her.

“I’m going to get you back for this Y/N.” She licks her lips as her head falls back, sucking in more of the steamy air into her lungs. “Once I catch my breath.”

Giggling I slip off her lap and splash some water on her. “You’ll have to catch me first for that.” I laugh out before splashing out more towards her.

She bounces up surprisingly quick for someone who was gasping for breath not even a second ago and my stomach drops before I dive under the water and try swimming away. Her hand easily grasps out and latches onto my foot dragging me through the water back to her. Her hands wrap around my waist and pulls me up into her arms out of the water bridal style.

“Caught you.” Her hand slips down under my ass pinching my cheek as I squeal out. “Now its my turn.”

[megan-is-mia]

I need to tell you that you’ve managed to become one of my favorite twst writers in the span of a single evening. I spent the majority of last night reading all of your twst content. As a monster lover, I feel obligated to say thank you for all of the food. There is a fair amount of monster f*cker content in the twst fandom, but most blogs only have a small handful of monster stories. So when I saw the amount of monster content on your blog, I almost wept.

If you’re still taking requests from the monster prompt, how about 21 “Taking you away from the human world was the only way to save you" with the Mer-trio?

(Wow... I did not realize people considered any of my content to be monster-fucker food. Anyways you wrote Mo21 in your request but the prompt you typed was for Mo20 so I did that one. Hopefully you still like it!) 20. “Taking you away from the human world was the only way to save you” (Yandere! Octavinelle Trio x Fem! S/o)

Stormy nights were (Y/n)’s favorite kind of nights, nothing beat being wrapped up in a warm blanket, looking out her window at the rain falling and the occasional flashes of lightning that lit up the skies. The only thing that could even begin to compare to the wonder of stormy nights were the mornings that followed them, when the earth was still wet from the rain and the sun was just beginning to peek over the horizon. 

You were sure to find something interesting outside after a storm. However, what (Y/n) found in her pool that following morning more than exceeded her expectations of something interesting. The winds from the storm had dropped debris into her pool making it look more like a sliver of ocean than part of suburbia. She began clearing the tree branches and other chunks of flora when something in the water grabbed her leg. A less brave soul would have called an exterminator or animal control at this point but (Y/n) did not, instead she retreated inside for the time being to start thinking up a plan of action. It wasn’t until night had fallen that she approached the pool again this time armed with a broom and a bag of fish she’d bought at the store the day of the storm. She tentatively poked the water with the broom and nothing happened. Then suddenly a webbed hand darted out of the water and yanked on the broom making (Y/n) drop the fish she was holding into the water as she tumbled into the pool with a gasp. As she sank under the surface she locked eyes with something that flashed her a toothy grin before it grabbed her and swam to the surface with her in its clutches. As she broke the surface of the water she was able to see there were at least two things in the water with her.

“Nee Jade the fish the human brought with her taste awful” the thing not holding (Y/n) said with a whine as it bit off the head of one a fish and swallowed it whole without chewing any further. The girl looked frantically between the two creatures trying to make sure she wasn’t just seeing double in the darkness. Nope, there really were two of them yet they looked eerily similar like twins. “Ehhh Floyd, if they taste so bad why are you still eating them?” the thing holding (Y/n) answered with a tilt of its head as its ear fins twitched with curiosity. The girl had to assume that Jade and Floyd must be the creatures’ names, not yet processing the information that there were literal talking fish-people in her pool. That knowledge would take a few more moments to sink in, at which point (Y/n) let out another gasp.   

“You?! You can talk?!” (Y/n) said her words spluttering out like water out of a clogged faucet. Her sudden words drew a laugh from both mermen and Floyd swam closer as he took another big bite of the fish he’d been chewing on. “Of course we talk shrimpy, what did you expect silly?” he said with a toothy grin even wider than the one Jade had given her when she’d been sinking down to the bottom of the pool. “Give her a little credit, Azul did give her quite a scare earlier when she was trying to remove the gunk and almost forced him out of hiding. I don’t think intelligent life was exactly what she was expecting to find after that” Jade said, his tone a mix of condescension and comforting as he hugged (Y/n) closer to his body. The girl’s mind was ready to short-circuit as a third voice joined the conversation. “I only did that so she’d stop digging around while other humans might be around to get involved” this third voice, the aforementioned Azul she guessed, said with only its head poking out of the water and no visible ear fins to be seen. However when (Y/n) looked down she could see masses of tentacles below Azul as well as the long eel-like tails that made up the bottom halves of both Floyd and Jade’s bodies. “I don’t feel so good” (Y/n) mumbled right before blacking out and going limp in Jade’s arms. When she came too she was lying on her side out of the pool with an eel-merman staring at her impatiently. It took her a moment to identify which one it was by which side his black hair streak fell and she finally said “Floyd?” to which the eel-mer grinned and nodded his head at her as she sat up. “Yep that's me Shrimpy, you gave us all a real scare by passing out like that” Floyd said his tone playfully accusing as (Y/n)’s eyes darted down to check if she’d really seen what she thought she’d seen. Yup, the young man still had an eel tail instead of legs and she hadn’t just imagined all of it. “Heeey my eyes are up here Shrimpy” Floyd said with a pout grabbing (Y/n)’s chin and forcing her to make eye-contact with him. “Sorry! I’m still getting used to the whole, merfolk are real, thing. I just wanted to see if you really did have a tail or not” (Y/n) said not liking the way Floyd’s nails pressed her skin making it clear he could crush her jaw like a grape if he put any pressure on his grip. Luckily her words brought a laugh from the eel-merman and he released her jaw before hauling himself up out of the water to sit next to her. “Wanna feel?” Floyd said, gesturing to himself with a grin. Tentatively (Y/n) nodded as she reached over and gently ran a finger down his tail. “Aww Shrimpy I barely felt that, do it again and put a little more elbow grease into it” the eel-mer said with a whine as he grabbed the girl’s wrist and placed her hand flat against his body. Obediently (Y/n) ran her hand down the male’s skin feeling the slightly slimy yet smooth quality of his tail under her fingertips. “You two look like you’re getting along nicely” Azul commented, swimming over to the pair and surprising (Y/n) out of the stupor she’d fallen under from petting the eel-mer so she almost tumbled back into the pool. The girl only just barely kept her balance this time to the amusement of both mermen. “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you…” Azul trailed off, waiting for the young woman to provide her name. “(Y/n), I’m (Y/n)” (Y/n) said quickly. “I know this is an insensitive question but how’d you end up in my pool? I mean I’ve had a few crocodiles thrown in my pool by a particularly bad storm once or twice. That's what I thought I was dealing with before when I brought the fish. Just a few crocodiles, not three mermen and… I’m rambling sorry… This is just weird as hell for me” the girl said looking sheepishly off to the side. “Don’t worry this is an odd situation for us as well” Jade said having swum back over to the group partway through (Y/n)’s rant. “We’re not in the habit of showing up in random human pools, somebody just made a mistake with his potion mixing and accidentally summoned a tsunami that dropped us off here” the eel-mermaid added giving Azul a bit of side-eye, to which the octo-mer grumbled under his breath and pouted. “Regardless we’re kind of stuck here unless we can get the ingredients to make another potion to take us home or we get some outside help to transport us back to the beach and to the ocean” Jade said giving (Y/n) a meaningful look. The girl’s face scrunched up in thought, she didn't know these young men very well and she wasn’t sure she could trust them as far as she could throw them (which wouldn't be far). However, her sense of morality overcame her fear of strangers and she let out a reluctant sigh before speaking. “I’ll help you get back to the sea, I have a car but I don't know if you’ll all fit in it comfortably” (Y/n) said slowly, hoping that her offer might be turned down but that was wishful thinking. The mermen were all more than willing to risk the discomfort of being in her car in exchange for getting home faster. Somehow (Y/n) managed to get all of them into her car (though Floyd was purposely wriggly as a fish on a hook as she tried to set him on the backseat of her car) and began driving out of her quiet neighborhood towards the nearest patch of ocean. During the drive Azul told her about their underwater home, with the occasional comment from the twins, and she had to admit it sounded nice living in the Coral Sea. Eventually, she found a quiet spot of sand by the sea and parked the car before helping the boys out and back into the water. Floyd and Jade went easily enough but Azul seemed to need more help and (Y/n) found herself in waist-deep water before she knew what was happening. All of a sudden the octo-mer’s tentacles were laced around her legs and she was being dragged under as Azul shot forward into deeper water where the eels waited. “Sorry about this Angelfish. I would have preferred that you came to us of your own free will but we just couldn't wait anymore” Azul said, keeping a firm grip on (Y/n) with his tentacles as he swam towards Floyd and Jade who both grinned upon seeing that the octo-mer had been successful in grabbing the girl. Instinctively (Y/n) had tried to hold her breath when she was pulled under only to pass out from oxygen deprivation and wake up breathing water. “What do you think of your new gills? Pretty nice aren’t they?” Azul crooned, his tentacles still wrapped around (Y/n)’s body and tightening when she tried to struggle free of his hold. “Ah, ah, aw Angelfish there’s no need to fight I’m not gonna hurt you” the octopus-merman said in a gently scolding tone before raising his voice to alert the eels that (Y/n) had finally woken up. “Shrimpy’s gills are so cute! I almost wanna pull them and see if she screams” Floyd said excitedly pinching one of the delicate, lacey gill slits that now occupied (Y/n)’s neck. The girl let out a yelp of pain which brought out a laugh from the cruel eel-mer. “Now, now Floyd we can’t go pulling (Y/n)’s gills willy-nilly. Not unless she misbehaves that is” Jade commented running a finger along the other side of the girl’s neck feeling her gills for himself. “We’ve all had our eye on you for a while now Angelfish” Azul said bringing (Y/n)’s attention back on him again as he leaned in to kiss her softly. The feeling of the tweels’ hands over her gills ready to choke her, was the only thing that kept (Y/n) from fighting the kiss from the octo-mer. “The human world… it's just too harsh a place for a sweetheart like you. Taking you away from the human world was the only way to save you” Azul added after a moment. “Plus the fact you’re really cute” Floyd added before smashing his mouth against (Y/n) and biting her lips as he kissed her hungrily. The girl whimpered into his mouth but her protests were all muffled by his tongue against hers until he finally pulled away grinning. “You probably won't see things our way at first but you will” Jade commented before he went in for a kiss softer than his twin’s but still rougher than the octopus’s. “After all we’ll have all the time in the world to change your mind…” THE END

[twink-appreciation-posts]

Absolutely Not - Spencer Reid x Reader

chapter eight of “all bets are off”

do i sense some… possesive undertones coming from doctor reid? whatever. it doesn’t matter. you’re done with him anyway. it’s over.

warnings: SMUT, public sex, unprofessionalism, bondage, daddy kink, degradation, POSSESIVE sex

“Good morning, agents.”

“Hotch… too loud.” You mumbled.

“I agree.” JJ groaned.

You and your party-girls from the previous night were huddled around the coffee machine, grumbling about your hangovers.

“Why did we do that on a Sunday?” Emily asked, pouring herself a cup.

“Because we’re all masochists.” You replied weakly. Your morning had been miserable. You woke up with a pounding headache and you had to put on about a pound of makeup on your neck and chest again.

“Hey guys!” Spencer approached. You saw JJ glance at him quickly.

“Spence. About last night.. I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have gotten that drunk.” She apologized quietly. He shook his head and smiled.

“I already told you JJ, it’s okay. I was more than happy to get you home.” They exchanged smiles and JJ walked away, the rest of the woman following close behind.

“So, you making a habit of going to your female coworker’s houses late at night now?” You asked him. He seemed taken aback.

“What? No. What? Is that how you think of me? I didn’t- I wouldn’t take advantage of her, she was drunk-“ he began explaining frantically.

You felt bad, quickly explaining. “No, Spencer, it’s okay. I know, I know. I was joking. It was nice of you to take her home.” You assured him.

“Good. I don’t… I don’t want you to see me like that.” He sighed. “What did you do after I left?” He asked, moving on.

“Fucked a guy in the bathroom.” You said nonchalantly, testing him.

“Oh, I’m sure you did. Don’t think I don’t remember what you said last night.” He warned.

You found yourself falling into the trap again. Witty banter that would end with you pinned up against some surface and calling him daddy. Nope. Not this time.

“I really can’t recall. I was drunk, remember?” You shrugged, walking away before the situation could get any worse. He didn’t stop you, you noticed, as you made your way to your desk.

“What did you all do last night? You’re walking around like zombies,” Hotch asked you as you passed by him.

“Drank too much.” You sighed.

“And where was my invite?” Derek piped up.

You threw your hands up, a show of innocence. “Don’t ask me, ask your lover Garcia. She made the plans, I was just told to show up.” Spencer was back at his desk now, watching you. “Kid genius over here got an invite, though.” You directed Derek’s attention his way.

Derek walked towards him, giving you the freedom to finally take a seat at your desk. You spaced out almost immediately, mind wandering. What would have been said if you hadn’t walked away from Spencer? Did anything at all happen when he left the bar with JJ? And why the fuck did you give a shit? Self-reminder: you’re trying to let this go, not linger on it for the entirety of the foreseeable future. You were so busy scolding yourself in your head you didn’t realize that a box had been dumped onto your desk. Speak of the devil.

“What’s all this, Spencer?” You asked.

“Files.” He explained. “Files that I think need organizing.”

You looked at him quizzically. “I don’t think that organizing random files is a part of my job,” You stuck your hand into the box. “…This box is empty.” You stared at him blankly. He feigned surprise, causing you to roll your eyes.

He placed a hand on your desk, leaning over, his voice low and quiet. “In 10 minutes Hotch is going to have a meeting with Derek and Prentiss, I overheard them talking about it. JJ and Garcia will be in Garcia’s den going over the info for one of our old cases to make sure there’s nothing they’re missing to help the prosecutor of the unsub. Where do you think we should go?” You narrowed your eyes at him. If he thought he was going to get you to do… this with him again, especially at work, he must’ve been out of his mind. “You want me to choose? That’s fine. I’ll see you in the storage room.”

“No.” You said simply. “Not happening. No Bueno. Nada.”

He exhaled sharply, breath fanning out over the back of your neck. “See you in 10, agent.”

You were making a bad decision. You knew that. So why, then, were you walking towards the storage room when you noticed the bullpen was almost completely empty. Why did you knock on the door? Why did you open it and walk inside when you realized no one was there. Was this a prank? The only things in the room were boxes upon boxes of files and an old desk. Why were you here again? You stood there, confused, until the door opened. Spencer was already tugging the tie around his neck off, meeting your eyes. “You came.” He didn’t sound surprised. You wished he would’ve at least sounded a bit surprised.

“I wanted to know what the fuck you were going on about.” You replied as nonchalantly as possible.

“Strip.”

You froze.

“Y/n you knew exactly what was going to happen when you came here. Don’t make me repeat myself.”

There it was again. The warmth. The innate desire to please him, to follow orders.

“I can do it for you, but I can’t promise your clothes will be in perfect condition when we walk out of here.” His tie was off now. He held it in one hand, the other running through his hair as he observed you. You moved to pull off your shirt, dropping it to the floor. He hummed in approval.

“Good girl.”

You quickened your pace a bit, sensing his impatience, until you were shamefully exposed. Goosebumps rose upon your skin, the cold air a sharp contrast to the heat of your body.

“Look how quickly you give in. You’ve always been eager to please, though.” His eyes were raking up and down your body.

“How is it fair that I’m like.. this. And you get to be fully clothed?” You groaned, embarrassment growing. You should have never walked into the storage room.

“Patience, baby.” He chuckled, a hand moving to undo his belt. “You wanna know how I knew you’d come?”

You nodded.

“Because as much as you try to fight it but your body already knows who you belong to. Already knows that you need me, regardless of how hard you try to ignore it.” Fuck. Fuck. What if he was right? Was he right? Were you just braindead and horny at all times? “Come here.”

You approached him. You were already naked, what point was there in arguing now? You could resent yourself and your actions at a later date. He ran a hand over your body, tracing the outline of your skin. He was breathing heavily, a contrast to how calm and collected he looked on the outside.

“Turn around and give me your wrists.”

When you didn’t reply immediately he opted to grab your waist and spin you around. You were pressed against him now, feeling how hard he was through his pants. “Now for these,” he took your wrists in one hand and you heard the clank of his belt moving around and then, suddenly, the rough texture of leather wrapping around your wrists.

“O-Oh my god, Spencer, what are you doing?” Your face had turned bright red and you were actually kind of thankful that he had turned you so you weren’t facing him.

The leather tightened. You tried to flex against the restraints, testing them, but your hands were now held firmly in place. “You can turn back around now,” he sounded proud of himself. You hated it.

You faced him, hands tied behind your back, and watched with shaky breath as he pulled down his pants. “Why don’t you apologize for saying no to me earlier?” He suggested.

“You wish.” you grumbled, refusing to give in that easily.

“I’m sorry, which one of us is naked and tied up right now? I don’t have to make this easy for you. If you want me to fuck the attitude out of you again I certainly will." 

You gulped. “H-How can I apologize, sir?”

Spencer bit his lip harshly. Maybe he wasn’t expecting that response, but honestly neither were you. "I think you already know how.” He replied, brushing your hair out of your face.

You sunk to your knees, the rough floor already feeling uncomfortable, but you persevered. He stepped forward, a hand immediately rest on top of your head, blunt nails digging into your scalp. You leaned forward, taking him into your mouth slowly. He leaned his head back, exhaling through gritted teeth. Your eyes were glued to him, looking up through your lashes, and you could feel the need inside of you grow. How did he manage to look so fucking good? You found it hard to control yourself considering you had absolutely no use of your hands or arms, but that didn’t bother Spencer. He pushed you forward a bit and you gasped, coughing a bit. You heard him chuckle. You started bobbing your head, your tongue moving in synch. He was still guiding you, gently rocking his hips to meet your movements. Your eyes watered as he began to speed up, though, pressing your face pressing against his skin with each push of his head and thrust of his hips. “Look at you, all tied up and pathetic,” he breathed out. “Is there any question who owns you? You don’t care when or how, you let me use your body without question.” You were struggling to breathe, tears falling down your cheeks, but you didn’t care. Your only thoughts were of Spencer. Pleasing him. Earning his praise. “As much as I’d love to cum in that pretty little mouth of yours, I think I’d rather watch you beg for me.” He slowed down a bit, eventually releasing you from his grip. You almost fell over, losing your balance as you sputtered and gasped. He helped you up, running a thumb over your swollen bottom lip. “Do you want daddy to fuck you?” He asked.

“Yes, please, daddy.” You replied quickly, obediently. He let out a satisfied hum. “We’re still at work, I’ll have to keep you quiet.” He leaned down, picking up his tie from the ground. “Open.” You coyly opened your mouth and he brushed his thumb over your cheek soothingly, shoving the fabric into your mouth. He did it so gently that you almost forgot that he was about to fuck you in the storage room of an FBI office building. “Look at you, actually learning how to do what daddy says.” He turned you around once again and began to push you a bit, walking you towards the abandoned desk, nuzzling his face into the crook of your neck and leaving butterfly kisses down your jawline. His finger trailed between your legs. His thumb played at your clit, running torturously slow circles, and he kept at this for a bit, whispering sweet nothings into your ear, reminding you of your place. Slowly but surely you could feel your climax approaching, but when your moans started becoming louder from behind the fabric he stopped. You tried to turn your head to look back at him but you didn’t have a chance.

“Now you’re gonna be a good girl and take it.” The gentleness of his voice dissipated and he bent you down onto the desk, the cool surface prickling your warm skin. You mumbled against the fabric in your mouth, pleading. He paused, considering, and without warning, he pushed himself inside of you with a low groan. You let out a muffled cry, body trying to refamiliarize itself with the feeling of being so full. You were moaning, spit dribbling down from around the fabric of his tie. “God, fuck, I missed this,” Spencer said through a strained whisper. He fucked you fast, a bruising grip on your hips, and you couldn’t do a single thing but lay there as he did. Eventually, he moved his hand up to your lower back, pressing you further down onto the desk, your face shoved into the smooth wood surface. “You told them last night that I wasn’t your best, huh? Well, I guess I’ll just have to fuck you so hard that I ruin you for anyone else.” He was speaking a bit too loud now, you feared, but there was nothing you could do to indicate that to him. You could only let out muffled sounds of pleasure as he thrusted in and out of you. Your legs were starting to shake, they were still a little bit sore from the weekend, but you were already feeling yourself get too lost in your pleasure to care about the aches and pains. “Who else could fuck you this well, huh?” You couldn’t see his face but he sounded almost angry. “Who else could satisfy a slut like yourself? You need this. You need me to fuck you.” He was too loud. Too fucking loud. And you knew it, but you could barely bother to care. He was fucking you so well you didn’t care if the whole FBI heard you. “You’re so fucking perfect, so hot, especially like this, so helpless, so easy to control.” You were so close, moaning, wishing you could see how good Spencer looked while absolutely ravishing you against the desk. He was close too, you could tell because his movements were once again becoming more erratic. He grabbed the end of the belt that was restraining your wrists, tugging on it hard enough to force you into an upright position, back pressed against his chest. You mewled in pain but he didn’t seem to notice or care. “You’re gonna cum for me, aren’t you?” He growled onto the skin of your neck. You nodded frantically. The hand that wasn’t holding you up by your restraints came from behind, wrapping around your neck and squeezing your pulse. Your eyes rolled into the back of your skull, the only sound that you could focus on being the sound of skin meeting skin. “Cum for me, then. Cum for daddy.” You couldn’t speak before, but with Spencer’s hand around your neck, you could barely make a noise either. Your legs shook as you came, feeling Spencer do the same not too long afterward. His grip around your throat loosened and he gently pulled the tie out of your mouth as pulled out of you. You gasped for air, still suspended in the upright position he was holding you in. After allowing you to breathe he carefully pulled you off of the desk, standing you up straight and undoing the belt wrapped around your wrists. They were sore and you rubbed them gently, meeting his eyes.

“You were loud,” you breathed out, voice hoarse. “What if someone heard?”

He zipped up his pants and wiped the sweat from his forehead, pocketing his tie which has been rendered unwearable.

“No one heard.” He reassured you and you followed suit and redressed.

“I can’t believe that you… that we…” You stared at him, emotions taking hold, and you felt your eyes water.

He noticed, eyes widening in panic. “Are you okay? Did I hurt you?” He asked quickly.

“No, no. I’m fine. I’m fine. Just… randomly feeling emotional.” You dismissed him, eyes directed at the floor.

“Oh. Don’t feel bad, that’s actually quite common. It’s called post-coital dysphoria, or PCD. It’s when you experience intense emotions like sadness or melancholy after sex. It’ll go away in a few minutes.”

There he was, always ready to tell you exactly what was wrong. It was nice to know it was normal, you guessed, but you wished you could’ve gotten some actual sympathy. Oh well. It would be gone in a few minutes, right?

“One of us should probably leave first, you know? Stagger our arrivals.” Spencer suggested. You nodded. “I’ll go first. I’m gonna head to the bathrooms.”

Spencer gave you a small smile and wave as you exited. You made your way to the bathroom, and as you passed by the main office-space you noticed Hotch in a room with Derek and Emily. Thank god, at the very least they hadn’t heard you. You scurried to the bathroom, walking inside to see Garcia.

“Hey babycakes!” She grinned. “You look like you’ve been through a wind tunnel,” she noticed. You laughed. “Long day. Hangovers are a bitch.” You ran into a stall and waited until she left the bathroom to use the mirror and fix yourself the best you could. You smoothed your hair and clothes out, readjusting your lipstick and wiping the running mascara from under your eyes. When you left the bathroom you saw Spencer returning to his desk, his hair still attractively tousled. Suddenly you watched Rossi approach Spencer, and his eyes widened. Oh fuck. Wait. Had Rossi been unaccounted for this whole time? Anxiety coursed through your veins as you walked past the pair, who seemed to go silent as you came into view.

Fuck. Fuck. You were fucked. And not in a good way. In the absolute worst way. You didn’t know what you would do if anyone on the team knew what had happened, but Rossi finding out was for some reason especially embarrassing. He was like a father figure to you. A cool Italian father figure. And now he potentially knew that you were having rough sex at work with your colleague. Great. Fan-fucking-tastic.

All praise Spencer Reid, king of ruining your life.

taglist <3

@101donuts @annestine @spideyboix @babybloomer @welcome-to-hoeville @eldahae @brokenanxiety @andiebeaword @spencerwaltergubler @la-vie-en-amour1 @rainsong01 @taekwinkle @dreamer7black @guessthatswhyiliveinhell @creepingfromthecorners @joyousreid

[quaememinisse]

Apple Of His Eye

Author’s note: I know no one reads anything I post here, but I’ll tell you about it anyway. This is a little vignette based off of my story Secrets Aren’t for Keeping (click for the story). I started watching The Falcon and The Winter Soldier a few days ago with my boyfriend. I love my boyfriend, and he is a sex god. I’ve never cum so much in my life, on God, as they say. I still write sexual stories because that’s my thing and it makes me happy and turns me on. Hopefully it does the same for you as a reader? Idk ‘cause NO ONE reads anything I write here!   ¯\_(-_-)_/¯

Warnings: dirty talk, cum fetish, impregnation, dubious consent, smut

Theme: Romance, Hurt/Comfort

          "God, I wanna cum inside of you, baby," Bucky explains, gazing down at her darkly. Utter lust clouds his vision. He often starts to talk dirty to her the closer he is to climax. 

          "No," Cherise lifts her head to pressure his lower abdomen where he thrusts roughly between her thighs. He moves her hands away, sighing with frustration. 

          "Why, Cherry? Aren't we trying to have a baby?" He slows his motions, anticipating her answer, cocking a chestnut eyebrow. She sighs.

          "I just don't want you to tonight."

Bucky frowns, picking up the pace to get her moaning again. 

          "Don't cum inside me," she breathes, pressing on his abs again as she begins to feel an orgasm approaching.

          "Let me..." Bucky exhales, losing rhythm slightly. She knew he was going to cum.

She shoves at him lightly.

          "Not inside me—"

          "Let me..."

Cherise's orgasm causes her to pause, and Bucky to moan with finality. To Bucky, it always felt good inside her, especially when she would orgasm. Her body spasms rhythmically around him, milking him. He had no choice but to ejaculate. Cherise felt a thick, wet spurt. It was more of a powerful splatter, coating her cervix. It was very hot in temperature, almost uncomfortable. Her eyes widen and she gasps. She could always tell when Bucky came inside of her. The sensation is unmistakable. His loads were always massive and filled her completely. She struggles immediately to start to position herself out from under him. But his weight pins her still as his body writhes in pleasure. As the series of powerful, hot, streams of pressure erupt inside her consecutively, Cherise gazes up at Bucky, his oceanic eyes rolling back and closing. She always finds this part to be such a turn on, despite not having wanted this ending tonight. The soldier would always grow weak all over when he came, falter such that even his bionic arm trembles and whirs mechanically.

          He wanted her to take all of it. He wanted to complete the mission. He always did eventually. Bucky's sperm was otherworldly. Cherise could never understand how there was always so much of it, yet she was still not getting pregnant. She glares up at him and he looks confused.

          "Don't you want that baby? ...Hmmm?" he inquires, cocking his eyebrow again, and this time his head, too. This expression irritates Cherise. It almost feels like he’s talking down to her. As if she doesn’t already know they should be having a lot of sex this week if they stand another chance of trying to conceive. If she hadn’t caught a glimpse of Bucky pulling her phone out of her purse earlier in the week to see where she was in her cycle (she used an app on her phone and diligently tracked her periods), she would have peacefully been sleeping by now. She dreads the coming early morning, knowing she has to catch up with Dr. Cho on some new projects. She moans, clutching at his taut pecks. Bucky's lips on her face cause Cherise to smile, regardless.

          "You're fertile today, remember? I had to," he breathes, clutching the back of her neck in his flesh hand, kissing her forehead lovingly. 

          "Try to stay on your back for a while. It’s worth a try," Bucky prompts when she tries to get up. He hadn't even pulled out yet, and his cum had only just begun to leak out a bit. 

          "I wanna get the wipes—"

          "No—baby, yuh gotta let my sperm travel. Relax for a bit, wouldja?" Bucky presses desperately. She sighs. He physically stops her when she tries to rise again.

          "Hey, I mean it. Maybe this is why you're not getting pregnant, Cherise.” She looks away from him, closing her eyes. He sounds irritated when he speaks again, “You always wanna go grab the wipes right after we finish." Cherise acknowledges this information by stopping her struggle against his bionic arm. He wasn't planning on letting her up. 

          "...Do you not like it when I cum inside you?"

          "I didn't say that."

Bucky sighs, wondering what he has done wrong. Lately, he feels as if he’s constantly bothering his wife. She has become less patient, less interested in making love. It’s unlike her.

           “You’re acting like it,” he explains.

           “…James…”

It had felt good, but she didn't like going to bed full of cum every night. She was tired of sex becoming more of a mandatory experience rather than for pleasure. She was tired of not getting pregnant when she and Bucky fucked like rabbits since the moment they got together. Bucky’s apologetic and confused expression makes her feel badly suddenly. He sighs. 

          "Do you not want to get pregnant?" he asks, "What's wrong?"

          “I didn’t say that, James.”

          “You just told me not to cum inside of you. You haven’t requested that since we decided to try and have a baby.”

          “Well, you did, didn’t you?”

Anger surfaces on his handsome face, the jaw tightening as he bites his teeth hard at the back of his mouth.

           “Don’t speak to me like that. What is the matter with you this week?” Bucky asks sincerely, meeting her eyes and trying to read them. She looks away from him, pushing up on his chest. He doesn’t budge. He removes her pressing hands away from his torso where they had wandered.

           “Can you respect me and just talk to me?” Bucky asks, cocking his head to the side.

          "...I'm frustrated. It’s not working, Bucky.”

He cups her chin, a lot less angry now.

          “It will…we just have to keep trying—”

          “It’s been six months, James. It’s not working! …I’m scared."

          "Scared? Why?"

Cherise closes her eyes. Bucky pulls out at last, but remains atop her, tresses of his thick brown hair falling free of the bun at the back of his head and dusting his chiseled cheek.

          "Scared of what, baby? I'm not gonna let anything happen to you—"

          "What if I just can’t get pregnant?"

Her eyes water. The soldier reaches for tissues on the night stand, keeping Cherise resting beneath his body. He wasn’t kidding about having her lie on her back after sex. Although she knew and had meant to inform him that this added no benefit in attempts to conceive, she gave up momentarily. A few tears escape Cherise’s eyes and he dabs them away, kissing her forehead repeatedly.

           “We went to the doctor last month, babe. They said things can take time and we should keep trying for a few more months…it’ll be okay, Cherry,” Bucky promises. She shakes her head.

           “You don’t know that. You can’t know that. What if I’m just infertile?”

           “Don’t say that, Cherry. We’ll figure it out.” He watches her close her eyes and begin to cry audibly. He sits up and pulls her into his arms. He was beginning to feel like a failure deep down, and it rubbed him the wrong way. Badly. It was part of the reason he would grab Cherise as soon as she got home at the end of the day. He wanted to know he was still virile. In that moment, he finds himself not feeling so. He had never tried to get a woman pregnant before, though he’d had many women. He couldn’t figure out why it was so difficult. He figured all he had to do was not pull out and it would simply happen. Easier said than done. He had seen Cherise cry over this a few times in the past month, but it becomes clearer to him now how much she’s struggling. The previous weekend, she had woken up crying in bed, and he had turned on the lamp to figure out what was wrong. She had recited to him in vivid and precise detail a dream she’d had about having twin girls. How happy it made her. The tears were for joy that something like that could happen, and also for pain, the fear that the crib they had set up in one of their house’s spare bedrooms may never be full.

           “I’m sorry,” Bucky says, meaning it. He was sure it was his fault. There were going to be lifelong effects from the serum Hydra had given him all those years ago. He figured it must have affected his fertility, too. They share silence for a moment. Bucky’s warm chest against Cherise’s ear has a calming effect. She stops crying shortly.

           “It’s just…I’m getting impatient. And I’m sore because we have sex so much.”

           “You’re sore? You shoulda told me,” Bucky explains, looking into her eyes apologetically. He was naturally horny every day. He often woke up like that for as long as he could possibly remember. Cherise’s libido matched his during the right phases of her cycle, but when he’d approached her after she showered and pulled off her robe, he could tell she wasn’t really in the mood tonight. It took coaxing, but he had managed to get her turned on enough to do the deed.

           “I do want a baby, James…it’s frustrating to me,” she admits.

           “I’m getting a little frustrated, too, doll. But I think we should keep trying naturally for a few more months. If you’re not pregnant by Christmas, then maybe we could try IVF—”

           “Do you know how much that would cost?”

Bucky sighs, “Money isn’t a factor, Cherry. You know I have the money from the VA, and what you make working for the Avengers, it wouldn’t be—”

           “I just don’t know if I could go through something like that,” Cherise explains, her voice breaking again.

           “Please don’t cry, babe,” Bucky says sweetly, kissing her forehead more, but she starts, and his heart shatters.

           “If we tried IVF and it still didn’t work—”

           “You gotta stop thinkin’ like that, doll. You’re stressing yourself out real bad…maybe that’s why we’re having so much trouble.”

Cherise shakes her head, not wanting to accept that maybe he’s right. Cherise rarely relaxed. She was always working. If she wasn’t working, she was working out. She liked to be a productive person and rarely ever even took time off.

           “I’ve been wanting you to take it easy on yourself. Stress can really mess with your hormones and your body.”

           “…I don’t know what to do with myself, James.”

He reaches for another tissue and she blows her nose.

           “Please, Cherry, take some time off. You know we can afford it. You don’t gotta be killing yourself with work.”

           “I know…but I’m used to being a hard worker.”

           “You don’t gotta do that, baby. ‘Cause I’m right here.”

Bucky’s hands rubbing her lower back and shoulders cause her to calm down some more. A wetness presents around her bottom and she pulls the covers back to find she and Bucky have made a mess of the sheets. She blushes furiously as Bucky’s eyes follow hers.

           “I’m sorry,” he says, “I just thought it’d be a good time to try,” he explains, gazing over at their calendar on the wall where Cherise started to write a giant star on the days she was supposed to be ovulating. Bucky checked the calendar religiously since she started doing it, peeking at her fertility app a few times a week on top of that. He stands up to grab the baby wipes she kept on the dresser. Cherise casually hands him three before tending to herself. They clean themselves in silence.

           “Have you ever thought about adoption?” Cherise asks. Bucky sits in front of her in bed. He gazes down, his eyebrows clenching, his hands massaging her lower back deeply.

           “It hasn’t really crossed my mind…I want you to have my baby,” he explains. Her heart nearly explodes at the desperation, the longing in his eyes and voice.

           “I—I want it to be ours,” Bucky explains, gripping her hips very tightly suddenly. A moment passes where she finds herself looking up at him. Bucky was territorial of her a lot of the time. He wanted her to be his in every way possible. Down to planting a part of himself within her and watching it grow. Cherise begins to understand how important it is for him to impregnate her himself. He wanted to feel like a man. It would make him feel in tune with his masculinity. It would make him feel as though he’d finally done something good in the past century.

           “I want that, too,” Cherise says dreamily, breathlessly. She kisses Bucky with meaning. His grin against her lips makes her happy.

           “So, speak to your supervisor. Tell them you need to take a sabbatical. We could even just…disappear somewhere nice. Just you and me, Cherry,” Bucky adds, his eyes wide suddenly, excited, his mechanical hand clutching her ankle, “Imagine how un-stressed you’d feel on an uncharted island. Huh, babe?” His arm whirs excitedly. He grins down at her and she nods.

           “Yeah, we could find a place…take a quinjet…I know the team wouldn’t mind. Hell, they’ll even help us find some nice remote place. Maybe just somethin’ like what Barton got for his family. For us. For our son, when you finally get pregnant with him.” The words spilling out of Bucky’s mouth sound like paradise to her. She traces her index and middle fingers down his mechanical arm.

           “Please, Cherise. Just take some time off. It’ll do you some good. It’ll do us some good. I know this is frustrating, and I don’t want us to turn against each other.”

Cherise starts to wonder if maybe she just didn’t listen to her husband often and well enough. He had asked her a few times in the past month to take a vacation. Even if it just meant that they’d stay home together. Bucky hated that many mornings, he would wake up to find Cherise already gone to work, and he himself was getting up as early as 5:30 in the morning to go and teach fitness classes to veterans, the side job he was passionate about doing even though he was technically retired.

           “I don’t know if I want to go anywhere too far…”

           “Why not?” Bucky asks.

           “There’s so much to do—”

           “This is what I’m talking about, baby…you’re always working yourself insane.”

She knows he’s right.

           “Tell me how to get you to relax. Tell me how,” Bucky begs. She realizes that right now, he wants to have a child more than she does. He rarely begged her to do anything.

           “I don’t know, babe. I’m just very type A,” Cherise explains.

           “Boy, I know that,” he explains.

           “What if I’m just broken?” Cherise asks, her voice breaking again. Bucky clutches her face, shaking his head.

           “No,” he whispers, “That’s not true. Don’t say it.”

He spends time comforting her until she falls asleep against his chest. And after gently lying her head on the pillow without waking her, Bucky stares at her, crying quietly. He presses his flesh hand over her flat stomach a long moment, wishing and hoping that maybe he got it right this time…

                                                     PRESENT DAY

           Despite how much she hates being pregnant, Bucky can’t stop looking at Cherise and taking photos of her. He never would have thought she’d be coming to term for a second time. She pushes her hands up to shroud her face.

           “Damn it, James—I said no more photos,” Cherise explains in exasperation.

           “Please,” Bucky begs, “You look so beautiful right now. You don’t even know.”

           “I look like a balloon, James.”

He grins. At almost seven months pregnant with their son, Bucky knew Cherise’s energy wasn’t going to last the entire day, but Christina had really wanted to go apple picking as a family after having done it in school as a field trip, and neither Cherise nor Bucky planned on letting her miss out on that.

           “What about this one, mumma?!” Christina calls ahead of them, picking up an apple that had fallen on the ground. The fall wind whips Cherise’s hair out of her eyes long enough for Bucky to get a perfect shot of her face as she gazes in the direction their daughter had started running.

           “No running, peanut—there’s other people picking apples!” Cherise calls. But she doesn’t bother to run after the six-year-old. She hasn’t the energy. Bucky laughs as the child comes running back to them with a bright red apple in her small hands.

           “Very red, baby girl,” Cherise explains, taking the apple from her, “This one will go very well in a pie.”

Christina claps and smiles up at her mother, very proud of herself. She always basked in the light of Cherise’s approval. It made Bucky smile. Cherise places the apple into the growing bag he’s carrying with his bionic limb. Christina grabs Cherise’s hand and starts to lead her ahead.

           “Don’t forget the bag, daddy,” she explains, pausing to look back at him and make sure he still has it. Bucky laughs, “I got your apples, baby. Don’t worry.” Christina flashes her father a smile and he whips his phone out of his pocket again to photograph the trio walking together. The true apples of his eye.

[groundnul]

Hello, hope you're having a great day ^_^ Can I request an angst to fluff fic with Giyuu and S/o's relationship (like at first giyuu told her to go away but then he slowly opens up and yeah) thankss ^-^

Hello! This is my first time officially writing for a few characters, so I hope everything is decently in character! Let me know what you think! Also, sorry this ended up so long, haha. 

Pairing: Giyuu x Pillar!Reader 

Word Count: 3767

Warnings: none 

A Love Pillar’s Plan

The day started out well enough. 

You, along with the rest of the pillars, were instructed to meet at the Butterfly Estate to provide a routine update Oyakata-sama on your progress as slayers, as well as triangulate on future objectives. 

Somehow, you ended up travelling to the estate with none other than the Water Pillar, Giyuu Tomioka. He happened to be passing through the town you were staying in for a few days, and very awkwardly proposed in passing that you two travel together to “save time.” 

Of course, you agreed. Though you two didn’t talk much, you considered Giyuu a valuable friend – even if you wanted to be something more in his eyes, you refused to let that cloud your judgement. More than anything, you wanted to be someone he could rely on. His withdrawn nature doesn’t seem to respond well to more outgoing attempts to break past his walls, so you settled for something much more gentle and slow-going: simply being there. 

In truth, you weren’t really sure what else you could do. You can’t make someone open up to you if they don’t want to, and this seemed especially true with Giyuu. So, in recent months, you’ve tried your best to seem like someone he could talk to if he ever needed to. Not in so many words, of course, but Giyuu did always seem to favor actions anyway.

You always tried to listen to whatever it was he had to say. You knew all-too-well how some of the more exuberant members of the elite would speak over others in meetings, drowning out any voice but their own. In moments of quiet, you’d pipe up from somewhere to the side: “Giyuu, were you trying to say something?” Often, he’d nod, and repeat whatever it was he was thinking. And though it rarely happened with how busy you both were, if the two of you were in a public setting, you’d try to do the same thing. 

It was such a small gesture, but you hoped he would get the point. If only you were so lucky. 

Now, you’re gathered at the estate, awaiting the arrival of your fearsome leader. You stood near Mitsuri a Uzui, per usual, chatting about your recent missions and whatnot. You were more for listening than talking, and the two happily obliged. Uzui’s “flamboyant” descriptions died down almost instantly as Oyakata-sama entered the engawa with Kiriya and Kanata. 

For the most part, the meeting went well. Each of the pillars were kind to each other and attentive to their leader when they spoke, hardly speaking out of turn. But when tactics about finding their next target arose, that’s when everything fell apart. Not until Oyakata-sama was out of the room, however. 

The problem was everyone had different, conflicting ideas. Some wanted to go with a more direct approach, others wanted the mission to be entirely covert, and a few even abandoned both ideas entirely in favor of their own plans. Though you had an opinion, you decided to keep it to yourself, mostly. Giyuu seemed to favor the same course of action, standing quietly off to the side. From what you could tell, he was getting fed up with the arguing. You’d be lying if you said you felt any different.

Rengoku eventually corralled everyone back in with his cheerful and dominating words, quieting the small “discussions.” Ultimately, the decision on how to proceed was brought to a vote. And as the line finally reached Giyuu, the Pillars were evenly split into three teams of three. So, Giyuu was the deciding vote. You knew whichever way this went, it wasn’t going to be pretty.  You sighed, crossing your arms over your chest as you waited for the fireworks to start. 

One team held Sanemi and Obanai, both capable of being nasty to others, while the other held Shinobu, the sharp-tongued critic of the Water Pillar. Your team of three consisted of you, Mitsuri and Gyomei.

Somehow, Giyuu made the worst decision of all. 

“I don’t agree with any of these plans,” Giyuu said flatly, his expression betraying no emotion other than his slight irritation at his predicament. “I abstain.” 

A chorus of over-dramatic groans sounds from the remaining pillars. A few voices are louder than others, though. 

“You’re kidding, right?” Obanai asks, lazily gesturing with his wrist. 

“I see you’re on a mission to make yourself even more disliked,” Shinobu says cheerily, eyes crinkled with that passive-aggressive smile of hers. 

“Way to ruin it, shit for brains,” Sanemi spat out, adjusting the sleeves of his uniform. 

You sighed, stepping out of line to look at the three in question. 

“Would you guys knock it off?” you ask tiredly, putting a hand on your hip. “There’s no reason to be mean. Plus, I think he’s got a point.” 

A harsh laugh comes from further down the line, none other than Sanemi. 

“Ha, so what, now Giyuu needs his little girlfriend to stand up for him? How pathetic!” Sanemi says, antagonizing you. You swear you feel your blood pressure spike. 

“What’s with you?” you ask incredulously, genuinely befuddled at his constant maliciousness. “Why can’t you have a discussion without throwing around insults?” 

“I’m not going to hold hands and prance around a fire like the rest of you morons,” Sanemi adds, smirking to himself as he looks down the line. “Especially not a bitch like you.” 

“Why don’t you watch your mouth, Sanemi?” you ask scathingly, glaring unapologetically in his direction. You’re not sure what’s got you so fired up – you’re usually not quick to anger. But the feeling is there, nonetheless. “Or, better yet, keep it shut.” 

It’s like a switch flips in his brain, and in the blink of an eye, Sanemi is in front of you with his sword drawn. You instantly bring your hand to the hilt of your sword, ready to draw it if necessary. 

“Say that again and I’ll–” he shouts, only to be pushed back by the sturdy arm of Rengoku. 

“There is no need to fight!” he reassures, smile beaming despite the uncomfortable situation. He adeptly redirects the discourse. “(Y/n), why do you agree with Giyuu?” 

Your moment of confident anger falters, and as Sanemi steps back in resignation, you exhale deeply and try to regain clarity. 

“Well,” you start, looking down the line of pillars. You hand fiddles idly with the fabric of your uniform. “It’s not that I think none of the plans will work, it’s just that if we can’t confidently move forward with a plan we all agree on, it’ll hurt our teamwork.” 

“Well said!” Rengoku agrees, folding his arms in front of him. “Then what do you suggest?” 

Despite knowing he was genuinely interested in what you thought, as opposed to mocking you, you felt knots tighten in your stomach. 

“I-um, well, I’m not sure, but-” you hear Sanemi scoff, and after sending him a dirty glance, kindly look back to Rengoku. “I think our best bet is to come up with some kind of compromise.” 

Rengoku nods his head vigorously, his voice booming in encouragement. 

“That is an excellent idea!” he says, looking to the rest of the pillars. “What do you all think?” 

You turn to look at the rest of them, only to see Giyuu pointedly avoiding your glance. It’s a little disheartening, but you try not to think too much of it. The rest of the pillars, aside from Shinobu and Sanemi, seem to agree as they shrug and nod along. 

Eventually, with the approval of Oyakata-sama, the pillars agree to break for now and reconvene first thing in the morning. Whether that’s good or bad, you’ve yet to find out, but you’ll be staying at the Butterfly Estate regardless. 

As the rest of the pillars clear out, only you, Mitsuri, Giyuu and a distant Obanai remain. It doesn’t take long for your conversation with Mitsuri to fizzle out, and before you know it, she’s over by her favorite Snake Pillar instead. So, that just leaves you and Giyuu. He’s still awkwardly standing off to the side, looking irritated. You tread carefully towards him.

“Hey-” you begin, just as he turns to face you. His eyes look sharp, unyielding. Maintaining the distance between you, you decide to let him speak first. 

“Why did you do that?” he asks quietly after a moment, eyes focused on you intently. 

You don’t mean to sound oblivious, but you’re just trying to understand. 

“Do what?” you ask just as quietly, eyebrows furrowing in worry. He remains unmoving, eyes glued to your steadily reddening face. Why is he looking at you like that? 

“When you spoke up against the other pillars. Why?” he asks shortly. 

You feel a rock in your gut at his apparent anger, confused and hurt at your obviously ill-received intent. 

“Well, I just thought…” you trail off uncertainly, trying to choose your words carefully. Evidently, he was feeling impatient. 

“You thought what?” he prompts, his tone grating on you. It’s almost… condescending. You try to figure out where his anger is coming from, but you have more questions than answers. 

“I thought that you don’t deserve to be spoken to like that,” you offer, swallowing harshly. Your hands grip the fabric of your uniform tightly, trying to stay calm. You feel your hands shaking. 

“I didn’t ask you to do that,” he states simply, face returning to its normal placidness. He’s still looking at you, but right now, it almost feels like he’s looking through you. 

“I-I know,” you stutter, ignoring the tightening in your throat as you exhale in an attempt to calm down. “I should have-”

“I don’t need your help,” he cut you off, eyes lingering on yours just a moment too long before he turns back to the engawa. You ignore the involuntary stinging in your eyes. As he begins to walk off to another part of the estate, he pauses in his stride, not bothering to turn and look at you as he speaks over his shoulder. “Next time, stay out of it.” 

Though he can’t see you, you wordlessly nod your head, eyes glued to the floor as small droplets land on the dirt beneath you. Furiously scrubbing the tears away, you find yourself trying to monitor your breathing to get it under control. 

Ultimately, you’re a demon slayer, so a couple of harsh words aren’t anything new to you. But hearing them come from someone you considered a friend – and a person you have feelings for – is entirely different. 

Wiping your eyes discreetly one more time, you take a look around to make sure no one saw you. Mitsuri still looks occupied with Obanai, and none of the other pillars seem to be lingering around. Sniffling once for good measure, you swiftly make your way to the guest rooms of the estate. A pair of green eyes follow your figure worriedly, but you’re too caught up in your head to notice. You choose a room at random, and close the sliding door. You catch a glimpse of yourself in the mirror as you move to put away your cloak in the closet.

You feel pathetic, and you don’t look much better. Your eyes are puffy and red, and your face looks drained of color. Your slumping shoulders and shuffling feet hardly make you look like a young adult, much less a pillar. So many times has the thought crossed your mind that you don’t deserve to be a pillar. But somehow, some way, you remain. Maybe it’s pity, you think, as you scoot over to the tatami mat on the floor. 

As you crawl under the soft fabric of the blankets, that’s when the dam breaks. You finally let the tears run free, slipping down your face and onto the white pillow beneath your head. Clutching the blankets tighter, you cry about anything and everything, muffling your sobs under the covers. Questions circle endlessly, asking “what did I do wrong?” and “why did I do that?” You don’t have answers to any of it. But it’s here, in this wet, snotty mess of blankets, that your mind finds a little peace. 

But somewhere down the hall, a very nervous Mitsuri stands outside the Water Pillar’s door. What’s she up to? 

***

The next thing you feel is the sweat dripping from your form as you startle awake, sitting upright on the tatami. Foggy memories of the dream you had moments ago flitter out until all you’re left with is the sound of your breathing. As you try to regain your senses, you take in details from the room. The darkness of the window catches your eye. Your tired mind tries to fit together what happened. 

You aren’t sure when you fell asleep, but you must have been out for a while. Remembering why you fell asleep to begin with made you feel dreadful. You covered your head with the blanket, staring blankly into the darkness. 

Why did you do that? Why stick up for him? You know he’s perfectly capable of taking care of himself. So, why? 

Truthfully, Shinobu’s harsh words towards Giyuu were never something you particularly enjoyed. Her otherwise kind demeanor betrayed her sharp tongue, and though you valued her as a fellow pillar, there were clearly some issues she needed to work out. 

Obanai’s pessimism isn’t something you look forward to, either. His apparent annoyance with everything and everybody leaves a sour taste in your mouth, and while he’s much less abrasive than some of the other pillars, he can still be brutal. 

Sanemi is a different story entirely. You’ve spent most of your time as a pillar scared of him and the unhinged look he gets at the prospect of violence. Today, you managed to bring that look upon yourself, but you normally tried to avoid it at all costs. 

You groaned, peeking your head out from under the covers to stare at the ceiling. That still doesn’t answer the question of why, though.

Your little outburst must have been building in the back of your mind for a while, your surmised. Perhaps their insult to Giyuu was just the final straw. 

Sitting up, you pouted quietly to yourself, tucking your head into your knees. It didn’t really matter, honestly, because now you’ve just got one pissed off friend and a hurt heart. You stared blankly at the wall in front of you as the quietness of the room came rushing back in. 

As a chill ran up your spine, you decided you were in the mood for something warm. Standing caused all the bones in your body to crack in time, like some kind of melody. You would have laughed at the idea if you had the energy. You slowly slug your way over to the closet to grab your shoes and cloak, wiping the tiredness from your eyes as you gave yourself a once-over in the mirror. Ruffling your hair a bit, you figured this was the best it was going to get, and headed for the door. 

Right outside your doorway, though, was a tea kettle on an ornate bamboo tray. Leaning down to take a closer look, you saw a small piece of paper. “Feel better soon!” was all it said. Turning it over, there was no name on the back, either, just a small heart. You wonder who it was from. You didn’t really recognize the handwriting, not that that really meant much. Maybe it was from one of the healers at the estate? 

Regardless, you lean down to pick up the tray, contemplating your next move. You peer into your guest room, but ultimately, it feels too stuffy and sad in there to enjoy anything right now. Roaming the empty halls, it seems everyone else is either fast asleep, or nowhere to be found.

That’s how you end up at the engawa. You sit on the edge, tea cup in hand, sipping along as you look out at the night sky. The warmth of the tea in your cup soothes your senses, grounding you in the serene atmosphere of the night. Until a cough from behind you startles you to your feet, that is. 

Squinting back into the darkness of the engawa, the grip on your sword loosens as the mysterious figure came into view. Standing before you was Giyuu, still clad in his usual attire. You exhale a quiet laugh at your overreaction, relaxing into a normal standing position. From your position on the ground, Giyuu looks about two feet taller than normal. Part of you wants to join him on the engawa again, but most of you thinks that’s the last thing he’d want. You settle for pushing a stray lock of hair behind your ear and shuffling your feet. 

“Hey,” you nearly whisper, eyes darting from his still shadowed figure. An uncomfortable silence passes. You play with the empty teacup in your hand before setting it back down on the tray. 

“Um, sorry, I didn’t realize you were-” you ramble, cutting yourself off in favor of escape. “Uh, I can just – go.” 

Your hands grip both sides of the bamboo tray as you lift it to your chest, turning on your heel to abscond. 

“Wait,” he interrupts, stepping closer to the edge of the engawa. You come to a stop, turning back to face him slightly. The moonlight softens his generally stoic demeanor, and his eyes lack the harshness they held earlier. You wait for him to speak. 

“I’ve been looking for you,” he adds, coming to a stop on the edge of the bamboo flooring.

At that, your stomach drops. What could he possibly still have to tell you? You would have guessed he got it all out earlier. Perhaps he could see your apprehension as he kneels down, taking a seat on the edge of the porch.  He stares at you expectantly, almost, eyes switching between the tray in your hands and your face. 

Cautiously, you approach him, sitting down several inches away from him. The tea tray is to your left, while he was to your right. Your feet dangle awkwardly, while his touch just fine. You tuck your hands under your legs to prevent their fidgeting. When he felt you settle in, he finally said what was on his mind. You didn’t dare to look at him. 

“I wanted to apologize,” he says, eyes trained straight ahead. “What I said earlier was out of line.” 

Your eyes snap to him in shock. His soft-spoken words were full of regret, and for a moment, it felt you’d seen past that stubborn wall of his. You weren’t sure what to expect, but it certainly wasn’t that. 

His ocean eyes turn slowly to meet yours. Under the moonlight, they shine like diamonds. It takes your breath away. Shyly, you avert your eyes, shuffling in your seat. 

“… Why did you say it?” you ask after a moment of silence, eyes returning to his form for answers. His head turns back towards the center of the estate, eyes trained on something you couldn’t see. He hesitates. 

“Your kindness almost got you in trouble,” he says honestly, hands readjusting themselves on the floor. “And it was my fault.” 

You nodded silently, unsure of what to say.

“I understand,” you eventually say, eyes still trained on him. “But I don’t think it was your fault.” 

His head turns back to face you. You try to ignore the pink hue rising on your cheeks as his eyes stare into yours. 

“Why?” he asks simply, head cocking to the side ever-so-slightly. Your ears are beginning to burn with how hot your face is. Why does he have to be so cute? How are you supposed to focus? You only hope the moonlight obscures your obvious flush. 

“W-well, I mean…” you start, eyes glancing anywhere but him. “People shouldn’t say such rude things to each other to begin with. Sanemi and Shinobu, I mean. And if anything, I jumped the gun with my reaction… so… I’m sorry for that. I don’t really know what got into me.” 

You laugh a little helplessly at yourself, swinging your feet a little. As his head turns outward again, you almost miss the small quirk of his lips at your words. Fortunately, you manage to look over just in time to see it, but it’s at the cost of your sanity. For a moment, it feels like your brain shorts out. 

Did you somehow move closer to him? Is this all just a dream? Why is it suddenly so hot out here? 

When you manage to get it up and running again, his eyes are back on you, his smile gone with the wind. He’s looking at you expectantly, like he’s waiting for an answer. Did you miss something? 

“Hm?” you ask, eyebrows raised. 

He repeats himself, probably louder and clearer than before. 

“Did you order tea?” he asks, eyes glancing to the tray behind you. 

“Oh, no,” you say, shaking your head. “Someone left it outside my door for me… do you want some?” 

He nods his head, as if saying “sure,” and you turn to pour him a cup. It’s surprisingly still warm. You scoot over to hand him the cup carefully, which he accepts with a quiet “thank you.” When you settle in again, you’re much closer to him this time. As you move to rest your hand on the bamboo flooring, your fingers accidentally graze his. You pull back as if he shocked you, sensing his automatic stiffness at the contact. 

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to-” you start, but his quiet words stop you. 

“No, its… that’s… okay,” he says, eyes pointedly averted to the side. Your eyes grow wide at his implication. Does that mean… does he want you to… ? 

With a shaky hand, you rest your palm back on the floor, fingers hesitant. He looks like he’s waiting for you. With a deep breath, you place your fingers gently over his. You’re both quiet for a long time. 

“Is this okay?” you ask worriedly. You feel your palms growing clammy, and pray he can’t tell. 

He nods almost imperceptibly, and you tighten your fingers around his ever-so-slightly. Much to your heart’s surprise, his fingers squeeze back. The almost silent “thank you” from beside you makes your head spin. It takes you a while to come down from the high. 

For the next while, the two of you talked about anything and nothing, just enjoying each other’s company. In a faraway building, pink and green hair twirls excitedly, while a snake-clad boy rests nearby, his hands behind his head. For the Love Pillar Mitsuri, everything had gone according to plan.

[kcostanz]

disclaimer: I’m going to be existential & sad before I turn it around

As 2020 wraps, I find myself increasingly absorbed by understanding the practices that I’m newly drawn to. The things I’ve chosen to connect with to get through what has certainly been the most unexpected year of my life, and perhaps that of billions of others. Even making such a grand statement still boggles my mind. Taking a moment to step outside of my life to acknowledge this global reality always gives much needed perspective. Life has been altered in wholly unforeseeable ways for billions of people this year. 

Exactly how our lives and worlds have been reshaped certainly looks different for each and every one of us. Our realities are constructed by so much: where we live, who we live with, what we do each day, our job, or the roles we play in society as a whole. Every life looks different, but the pandemic’s impact on these answers (and many more) is ever-changing and harshly felt. 

Reflecting on my own journey that has been navigating covid-19 and its impact on the world centers upon my age. Being 22 years old right now feels like constantly being stuck at a major life inflection point. In many ways I’m at the height of decision making- important ones at that, that will guide (the beginnings of) the rest of my life. Existential and perhaps a bit dramatic I know, but the pandemic exacerbates these emotions, so throw me a bone. 

I spent the first 21 years of my life on a set path, a regulated track that unknowingly provided an absurd amount of comfort. I went to public school K-12, graduated high school, and attended a 4-year institution, long awaiting the fantastical graduation year that for so long existed as a far-off fantasy: 2020. 

That momentous final semester was different than expected, but I can’t complain. I spent the last 3 months of college with a small handful of my closest friends, attended classes from the comfort of my bed, and graduated in my tiny apartment with two of my closest friends who hung around until the end. 

I procrastinated packing and cleaning my apartment until the last possible moment as my disapproving landlord approached to conduct the final walkthrough. Unsurprisingly, I left with a fraction of the security deposit, and the hard learned lesson that expo marker writing does not always come out of refrigerators (as the All Purpose spray, Oxi-Clean, bleach, hot water, soap, and eventually, shamefully, white paint can attest). 

With a egregiously packed car and zero rear view visibility, I was off. I blasted oldies with a twinge of liberation- I think I recall Born to Run (don’t worry, I am indeed embarrassed). I left all four windows down until I could no longer stand the sound of garbage bags flapping. Five short hours later I pulled into the driveway of my childhood home in Rochester, NY (with a broken mirror in the trunk no less- unsure if I’m superstitious but it felt like bad luck). 

The latter half of 2020- from June until now, has been full of unknowns, decision making in the dark, and hard fought self motivation. Vivid mixes of emotions old and new. 

First the dread of moving back in with parents as a young adult, and the stubborn resistance to fully unpack, so as to not get “too comfortable” at home. I now know such a thing is impossible for many reasons, one being that regardless of the lighting, art, and design, the girly pink walls of my childhood bedroom have proven immutable. 

Following this initial shock were extreme levels of self-induced pressure to find a job, do nothing but apply to jobs, and then bask in dejected feelings of never being able to get a job. While in the process, fully isolating myself from others, because I simultaneously felt I had too much to do, but yet was never really doing a thing. That concept has been fun to sit with. It comes with the realization that the carefree bliss of not having a single thing to do- say for a month long winter break- is officially gone. The list of things you could (and probably should) be doing is endless- welcome to the real world, Kate!

August was a blessed, beautiful month that, at the risk of (again) sounding dramatic, I am eternally grateful for. During this sweltering month I lived out of a car for nearly 3 weeks, camping with two pals throughout Utah and Wyoming. Even hitting a deer at 9pm, in a no-cell service zone, in the middle of a State Forest in Wyoming was a welcomed adventure at this point. A broken transmission, impromptu camping, two-hour tow truck ride, countless insurance calls, hostile car dealership conversations, two rental cars later, and we were back on track. This (incomplete) list of challenges provided beautiful life experience however, imparting lessons I could never fully know until I lived them. 

Returning home was as expected, a difficult transition back to monotony. Did I apply to vineyard jobs vaguely “out west?” Absolutely. Did I have it in me to go through with such a spontaneous life choice? Unfortunately not, though to my credit I did realize important goals that stood in the way of a dreamy vagabond existence. 

The fall has been a blur, and now there’s snow on the ground. I’ve found myself living for the future, and rarely ever for the moment, which is entirely antithetical to my personal philosophy. I have proclaimed my personal soundtrack to 2020 to be the loop of traditional Lebanese music that plays on repeat at my job as a server at Sinbad’s Mediterranean Cuisine (now as a takeout extraordinaire. And yes, despite the lack of in-person customers we are indeed instructed to play the CDs as per usual). This work, or my role as a part-time nanny is far from fulfilling (though the kids are darn cute), but that’s not the point for now. “At least I’m saving!” has been my most reliable source of positive encouragement, nearing personal mantra. 

I write this from my childhood bedroom, sitting at my desk, which was once our kitchen table circa 2002. It is as wobbly as it is sentimental, and I love it. The desk faces a window, the sill littered with glassware and candles because I have a thing against artificial light. I have a total of five notebooks, half opened, each containing swirling levels of thoughts, drawings, organization, calendars and to do lists. An orange caricature of a topless french woman sunbathing sits in front of me, reminding me that “TOUT VA BIEN!” (that everything is fine). And in minutes I will be dancing to the Moana soundtrack or drawing christmas trees and unicorns with 3 and 4 year olds. A snapshot of my life, at 22 years old, in 2020. 

Despite my life not being what I expected, or what I wanted it to look like as I embark on what’s supposed to be the most adventurous, spontaneous, and simply well-lived decade of my life, it is what it is, and as the french lady says, everything is fine. I have two part-time jobs, unforeseen savings, quality family time (both for better and for worse), my mom’s cooking, and a roof over my head. In a world with inconceivably high death tolls, rising unemployment and homelessness rates, and the constant, precarious fear of general loss, I have infinite blessings to count.

Life does feel like a giant waiting game though. How can one strategically plan out what comes next in their individual life when the entire world remains a massive question mark? In a time when we feel trapped, impatiently waiting for opportunities, experiences, and adventures to reopen, waiting feels hopeless. Because it is. If you’re unhappy with the opportunities before you, create your own.

I’m not saying I’m doing a stellar job at this myself- and as you can see I certainly struggle with my fair share of existential pessimism (day in and day out). But doing things has a certain electrifying feel that ignites and empowers you to build a meaningful life. I’m producing a web series with a group of similarly listless 20 somethings who are also doing their best to be creative and productive from the confines of their family homes. I’m practicing yoga and meditation really to cope with my own stress and internal anxieties, but in doing so am creating new habits and mindsets that will certainly outlast the pandemic. I’ve connected with a group of strangers by dancing to shamantic and electronica music in various outdoor locations throughout Rochester. Whoa! Never would I have imagined finding such deeply liberating peace through ecstatic dance of all things, but hey 2020 is full of surprises. 

This position I’m in is both uniquely my own through my personal experiences, and also shared by more people than I could imagine. Maybe only bits and pieces resonate with you, or maybe you are living your best life in the city of your dreams with a fabulous career in a lovely home with the world’s best roommates. But even if that’s you- you’re missing out on something too. The whole world is. We feel disconnected, disjointed, digitally controlled and consumed, and despite who we surround ourselves with- isolated. We’re stuck living in a world of “once this is over I’ll….” and no matter who you are it feels damn weird to spend so much time in your head dreaming of a future rather than living it out in the now. 

So… solutions? As we all know, you only have so much control during a global pandemic (very little to be exact). But what you can control is how you live your life during it. I certainly won’t preach to what works and pretend like I’ve figured it out- that work is no one’s to do but your own. But I do feel that so much comes down to mindset, perspective, mental health and ultimately finding ways to seek inner peace. 

Potential solutions are abundant, and have been explored by more people now than ever before. Though there is no recipe to conquer the inevitable fears, concerns and anxieties that accompany the pandemic and this phase of life, I’m interested in further exploring some of the ones that work for me. How is something as simple as breathing so helpful? 

Finding inner peace is a sought after skill in 2020. I have endless gratitude to all of the incredible humans who have served as a source of learning, and have helped me to tap into positive internal energy. My intention is to look into some of the causes of (my personal) covid-realted inner turmoil and the solutions that have brought some serenity into my life. Though they may not always be long lasting, some answers are better than none. Here’s to writing for no one, and thank you for listening. <3 

[ducktracy]

152. porky the wrestler (1937)

release date: january 9th, 1937

series: looney tunes

director: tex avery

starring: joe dougherty (porky), tex avery (man mountain), mel blanc (porky screaming)

boy, these voice actors have some weird names. what kind of name is “mel blanc” anyway? that’s right, the moment we’ve all been waiting for: mel blanc joins the scene! many (myself included for awhile, always forgetting this cartoon) consider picador porky his first cartoon, where he supplies the voice of two drunks in a bull costume, but this is the first cartoon he does voices in. his part is minor, just porky doing daffy’s shrieks before daffy existed, but it was enough to confuse the hell out of me the first time, thinking that joe dougherty somehow perfected the Mel Blanc Daffy Shriek before mel or daffy ever came on board. so, this is a big, big deal! mel wouldn’t voice porky until porky’s duck hunt, but he’d supply his voice in picador porky, the fella with the fiddle, and porky’s romance. welcome home, mel! pertaining to the plot: porky is ecstatic to see the local wrestling match, but he gets much more than he bargained for when he finds himself in the wrestling ring instead.

there’s a rather tasteful opening that reminds me of the techniques frank tashlin would use in his cartoons: a printing press is busy printing a hefty stack of newspapers, with overlays of the papers flipping by as an offscreen voice declares “EXTRA! EXTRA!” we get a glimpse of the headline: CAPACITY CROWDS TO WITNESS CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING TONIGHT. as if CAPAPCITY CROWDS wasn’t enough of an indicator, tex totes his love of typography as the words EVERYBODY’S GOING zoom into view at the bottom.

the next shot is a collection of eager hitchhikers, awaiting a ride to the big fight. a wiener dog extends his body back and forth as he jabs his thumb out, a lounging man signals with his toe, a dog with crossed eyes signals in opposite directions, another man droning “calling all cars, calling all cars, give me a ride, please,” a line that would be delivered in the same monotone voice in a number of shorts. the transition sweeps across the scene break up momentum slightly, but it’s not supposed to be a quickly cut urgent scene in the first place, so it works.

included in the interminable line of hitchhikers is our star porky pig. “the fella with the fiddle” would temporarily be his theme song for 1936, but “puddin’ head jones” would continue to be a theme song for him from 1937 onward, even used as far as 1946 in bob mckimson’s daffy doodles. it’s a catchy song for sure, with amusing lyrics, essentially insinuating that porky’s a bit of a dope (which isn’t too far off). he too works his best hitchhiker’s thumb, but doesn’t receive much luck. a man drives right past him in his jalopy, which falls to pieces, the man still suspended in mid-air. he stuffs his broken car parts into his suitcase, now joining the hitchhiker line. another car screeches to a halt for porky, a man asking “where ya goin’, sonny?” porky approaches the car, lugging his suitcase. “why, i’m goin’ to the wrassling match.” lovely comedic timing as the man inside the car declares “so am i,” slamming the door shut and screeching away, leaving porky in the dust.

no matter—the sound of honking signals porky’s attention towards a long, pompous limo, “THE CHALLENGER” emblazoned on the screen below. inside the limo, the portly challenger spots the hitchhiking pig and signals for his driver to pick him up, by grabbing the driver’s head and extending his neck over to him. a lovely visual gag that’s enhanced by its nonchalant nature. that’s what i love about tex’s gags, they feel so natural and nonchalant. there’s never a feeling of “LOOK! LAUGH AT THIS!”, they just happen so offhandedly that it makes the joke all the funnier.

screeching to a halt (the tires skidding and turning into shoes to halt), the limo picks up porky, who happily steps inside. the challenger says in a thick, russian accent, “hello, what’s your name, kiddo?” “my name’s porky pig! what’s yours?” thus spawns a reoccurring gag. even here it isn’t pronounced correctly, as the challenger stumbles on his own name (i’m going by one of the pronunciations in the cartoon that feels the most correct): “my name is hugo yakinowskiokiwoskioski.” he tells porky that he’s going to fight the champ—lovely animation as he gets up in the camera, eyeing the audience to assert his dominance.

outside of the wrestling arena, two men pace around impatiently, one groveling “looks like this guy yakinowskiokiwoskioski has stood us up, chief.” just then, the limo crawls into view and turns around the corner, the limo extending and then the rest of its “body” catching up like an inchworm, a very popular gag in the looney verse. yakinowskiokiwoskioski marches out of the limo, but for reasons unknown, falls straight through a trap door in the sidewalk. porky crawls out of the limo next, trap door now closed, when the two men spot him and heckle him. “you’re late, yakinowskiokiwoskioski!” they grab porky by the arms and drag him away.

inside the arena, the crowd is clapping and whistling along to the underscore of “parade of the animals”. one of the assistants pops his head up to the ring, addressing the burly, bearded champ. “yakinowskiokiwoskioski just came in, champ.”

the referee, a gangly man armed with a megaphone, addresses the fighters. i love the animation of the ref, a literal rubber hose character as he sticks his head through the megaphone. “in this corner at 406 and 7/8ths, man mountain the champion!” man mountain shakes his burly fists as he receives his applause. “and in this corner, the challenger hugo manowskiowskimoski... oskimawski... brrroskioski... awww, him.” he jabs his rubbery finger at an empty corner.

below the ring is a little hideout for the wrestlers to get ready. an anxious porky sits perched on a stool, an assistant pulling a lever. a pedestal in the floor rises up and propels porky out onto the ring. thus sparks mel blanc’s first ever lines in a looney tunes cartoon: pseudo daffy shrieks. man mountain growls and bares his saliva riddled teeth, and a man sitting outside of the ring hits his knee. the reflex causes his leg to swing up and ring the wrestling bell (very clever), and a terrified porky shrieks and hoohoos as he desperately attempts to claw his way out of the ring, tripping on the ropes, but to no avail. the animation combined with blanc’s shrieks make for a hysterical scene—a good one to debut with.

man mountain slams his back into one of the wooden posts behind him, and the impact propels porky right into MM’s grip. MM bounces porky like a basketball, tex avery providing his husky vocals as MM tauntingly sings, bouncing him around through his legs. there’s a slightly jarring transition as MM tosses porky offscreen and rushes to meet him, the next cut having them already engaged in action, MM crawling on top of porky. porky manages to weasel his way out of MM’s grip, and MM spends the rest of the time tackling himself and growling, pinning his own foot down and flipping over himself. what makes the scene even better is that there’s a bystander in the crowd shouting “GIVE IT TO HIM! GIVE IT TO HIM!”

what launches next is probably one of tex’s best scenes during his looney tunes tenure, especially for his porky cartoons. while MM pounds in agony against the floor, the impact causes a spectator’s tobacco pipe to fly out of his mouth and directly into MM’s throat. MM pauses, and presses his stomach. a chuff of smoke bellows from his mouth. another press, another puff. soon, he begins to chug like a train, smoke pouring out of his mouth. attempting to escape him, the referee and porky both end up grabbing hold of MM, and they all form a train.

even better is the suspension of disbelief in the entire scene. instead of stopping there, tex pushes it to the limit. a man moves the wrestling bell to the top of the corner post, the bell ringing and swaying back and forth like a railroad crossing signal as the train passes the corner. now inside the crowd, a man offers snacks, pillows, and magazines like a train attendee. even better, a spectator goes to fetch some water from the water cooler, but the floor sways and buckles beneath him as the roar of the train rushing on the train tracks grow louder. a man even looks out a WINDOW, and we see telephone lines and a rolling countryscape zoom past. the man is shocked—not because the wrestling ring has been transformed into a train cabin, but because he’s due for his stop. he grabs his hat, suitcase, and departs.

it’s certainly a nonsense scene, but that’s what makes it so good. remember, this started because the champ swallowed a pipe. anyone could make a gag about the champ billowing smoke from a swallowed pipe, but only tex avery would think to stretch the gag out of bounds, turning the entire wrestling ring into a train cabin, complete with moving scenery. suspension of disbelief is key to appreciate the gag, and boy, is it a good one. very similar to the wild horse chase in the village smithy. funny how the strongest gags in the porky cartoons hardly involve porky at all. i love porky, he’s one of my favorite characters, but he certainly does fare better as a sidekick than front and center. regardless, there are plenty of funny moments that involve his own doing, as we’ll see later on.

porky finally distances himself from the train, when man mountain barrels into him. he takes great offense: “so you don’t wanna play choo choo, huh?” words flash on the bottom screen advertising THE AEROPLANE SPIN as MM twirls porky above his head in an aerial spin, both of them turning into a literal flash of an airplane in the process, zooming around the arena and eventually crashing into the ring.

snapping out of his momentary daze, porky gives an uncharacteristic “WOAH!” in a deeper man’s voice—definitely not dougherty’s—and rips a patch from the flooring, crawling underneath the tarp on the ground as man mountain crawls after him. he punts the pig shaped bump to one of the corners, where porky’s head pops out of the corner post. MM whacks porky in the head, which sends him propelling down through the post and out of the other diagonal post, knocking right into the perpetrator.

man mountain is seemingly down for the count, tiny porky perched on his giant physique. the referee and the crowd all count in a rhythm of twos, man mountain interjecting “uh-uh!” after the “five, six!” regardless of man mountain’s protests, porky is declared the winner. MM lifts his head up slightly, the referee placing his hand on the ground to catch him. instead, MM slams his head to the ground, and the referee now pulls out a giant, flattened hand. iris out.

this is certainly one of tex’s better porky entries, and one of his last—he’d only make 4 more after this in his entire career at warner bros. that train sequence is too wonderful for words, and i encourage everyone to check it out. it’s entirely nonsensical, but that’s the POINT, and the fact that tex sticks to it so staunchly really brings the gag to life, so you don’t care that the wrestling arena is now an entire moving train. stick to your vision and don’t give up, because these are the results that you’ll get! no matter how absurd it is, go for it. this is about as absurd as you can get, and it’s wonderful. furthermore, this short has the historical significance of being mel blanc’s cartoon. who doesn’t want to hear porky shrieking like daffy? and the reoccurring plight of yakinowskiokiwoskioski’s name is another wonderful aspect of the cartoon. watch it! it’s a great one for sure that’s worthy of your attention. go check it out for yourself!

link!

[imaginedanganronpa]

Hi! I only recently discovered your blog but I really love your imagines! I was wondering if you could write the V3 boys (+Souda and Fuyuhiko) with their fem S/O’s on their period? Thank you in advance :)

Hello and welcome!! And thank you very much! :) I hope you like it!

V3 Boys + Kazuichi Souda & Fuyuhiko Kuzuryuu with Their Fem!S/O On Her Period!

Saihara Shuichi

You wake up with a long yawn and seeyour sleeping boyfriend’s peaceful face beside you, then quietly pull yourself out of bed while being careful to not wake him.

You must not have noticed the bloodstain on the bed because you didn’t feel any period cramps or notice the signs that it was your time of the month, so you start making breakfast for the two of you, blissfully unaware of your body’s internal clock.

When Saihara woke up to see that you were no longer beside him, and only a dark bloodstain was left where you slept, he jolted out of bed in a panic and started to storm through the house, desperately trying to locate you. His experience as a Detective clouded his judgement and automatically caused him to assume the worst.

He rushed by your side, into the kitchen, still half-dressed and not wearing a shirt. His face was flushed and sweat pooled on Saihara’s forehead as he pulled you into a relieved hug. 

“Don’t scare me like that… I thought something happened to you!”Confused, you shook your head at him and he guides you back to the bedroom where you finally see the bloodstain and your eyes widen as you run towards the bathroom.

He could sense that something was wrong and knocked on the door, asking if everything was okay from the other side. Eventually, Saihara puts two and two together and then sits down at the kitchen table in ahuff.

“Oh, it’s just her period,” he says, thankful, and collapses. Whew.

From that point onward, Saihara did everything he could to make your week more tolerable and comfortable. He coddles you when your cramps start to become more prevalent and painful, holding you and rubbing your back to support you through them while softly whispering that everything was going to be okay.

He asks if you needed anything from the store, and even if you say no, he stocks up anyway. He buys your favorite brand of pads/tampons, anything he knew you usually craved, a heating pad, and pain relievers. 

Saihara cooks for you and does all of the usual work around the house to alleviate your stress and movement. He does everything in his power to make this week a little bit less terrible. When you lay beside him, he rests his warm hand on your stomach and rubs small circles into your skin after placing a heating pad underneath you for your back-pain.

And even when you have mood-swings, he remains calm and doesn’t mind too much. Saihara knows that it’s nothing personal and will hold you when you’re irritable, shushing and humming as he tries to relax you.

When he has free-time, he cuddles up beside you and turns on one of your favorite movies to get your mind off of your period, and although he always treats you like royalty, he is even more sensitive and loving during this time of the month than any other time.

Ouma Kokichi

You’ve never really talked aboutyour period with Ouma because you weren’t sure if he would make fun of you ornot. You honestly wouldn’t put it past him, so you always keep that to yourself.

After all, you love him dearly but you know how childish your boyfriend can be. You hope that he would be a bit more mature than that, but…

It was an early Saturday afternoon and you were spending the day with Ouma, having a lazy weekend together. You must not have felt the oncoming cramps, or maybe you weren’t officially ‘starting’ your period so the pain had yet to come, but regardless you didn’t notice the small dots of blood on your shorts.

When you stand and Ouma sees the red spots, a smile twists on his face that he can’t contain. You glance at him and return the smile until he says, “Hey, (Y/N), you might wanna take care of that,” whilst pointing at your waist.

You follow the direction of his finger and your face changes into a horrific, pale expression. You shield yourself and rush towards the bathroom, becoming overwhelmed with emotions of embarrassment.

Ouma taps on the door and apologizes. Though he teased you at first, he gets serious and starts to become more protective over you, switching into his genuine parental, loving mode that not many people get to see.

While he does laugh at first, he starts to draw a hot bath and helps you get undressed, then sits on the side of the bath and helps clean you up down there. He holds your hand as you soak and let the hot water do its magic and alleviate some of your pain.

Ouma will do everything he can for you, but sometimes he runs his mouth which results in a one-sided argument. He knows that you’re moodier during your period but he doesn’t hold back when it comes to teasing and jokes, so you become frustrated with him easily and snap.

He just finds it amusing and only teases you ‘out of love.’ You know he loves you, though, because he’ll hold you when you’re in pain and try to rub where it hurts, as well as fetch any pain pills you may have in your cabinets.

To your pleasant surprise, Ouma is more considerate when you’re on your period than you thought he would be and does his best to help. He also likes having an excuse to kiss around your stomach and thighs, but you don’t mind. 

And he tries making you laugh to bring a smile to your face since he knows how hard this week can be. Plus, he has so many questions so expect him to pester you with all kinds of strange remarks about your time of the month. You do your best to answer as he stares at you, wide-eyed.

He likes resting his hands on your lower abdomen, where the cramps are concentrated, and gently caress your skin. He’ll also surprise you by bringing home some of your favorite pleasure-foods and cravings.

If you ever ask Ouma to buy you pads/tampons, he’ll scoff at first but he eventually gives in. You think that he’s just trying to get on your nerves, and you knew he would end up doing whatever you say, because he loves you and he really does hate to see you in so much pain.

But he still brings up your accidental bleed-through almost every time you get your period afterwards…

Rantaro Amami

When your eyes fluttered open, youextended your arm to reach for your boyfriend, instead finding an empty bed. Once you werefully awake, you realized that Rantaro wasn’t beside you and you furrow yourbrows.

Suddenly, a wave of pain washes over your body and you pull your knees to yourchest due to the cramps, curling into a ball as you whimper and impatiently wait for the cramps to surpass.

Finally standing, you notice the small drops of blood on your pajama pants and groanwith frustration… it must be that time of the month again.

You hurriedly rush towards the bathroom but had to run past the kitchen to doso, where you saw your boyfriend cooking breakfast. Glancing over his shoulder,he smiles and waves you over. “Good-morning, love!”

But Rantaro could immediately tell that something was wrong and approached you cautiously. “Is everything okay hun?” He wedges his foot in the bathroom and peeks inside, and realizing that you had no other choice, you tell him everything.

“I got my period again…” You normally told Rantaro when you got your period because he always knew what to do. He nods with understanding and helps you change out ofthe bloody clothes and uses a warm washcloth to clean you up.

After he finishes breakfast, he asks what you needed and then promptly heads to the store where he stocks up on pads/tampons, your cravings, and everything your heart desired. After returning, he sets a heating pad on your stomach and a warm washcloth on your forehead.

Then, Rantaro takes his place in bed beside you and cuddles you gently. By now, he was a pro at this - he has twelve sisters after all, so he has plenty of experience with taking care of them during their times of the month and knows everything he should do.

He softly massages you and goes out of his way to care for you. He will rub anywhere that starts cramping and even knows the ‘hot water-bottle on your abdomen’ trick. He also makes sure to buy plenty of chocolate and sweets to satisfy your cravings and carries pads/tampons on him so that you always have them if you need it.

Rantaro was so used to periods by this point that it was no big deal and he never breaks a sweat, even when you’re acting irrational due to your hormones and mood-swings. After all twelve of his sister’s cycles synced up and he had to manage all of them being moody at the same time, he can handle anything. 

He simply keeps a level-head and quietly listens to you whenever you were feeling angry or upset, being your shoulder to cry on.

But he will definitely wait on you hand and foot, and gives you plenty of cuddles and kisses to get you through the week. He is patient with you and is the best caretaker you could ask for.

Honestly, Rantaro is the best person to have around when you’re on your period. He even downloads a period app on his phone so he can track it and know when it’s coming, just to make sure that he has everything you needs when it arrives.

Kiibo

You weren’t really sure how totell Kiibo that you got your period. You didn’t technically have to tell him,but you bled through the night and when he saw you washing the bloody sheets hewould definitely have questions.

You were in the middle of doing laundry when your boyfriend walked into theroom and lovingly wrapped his arms around you. Of course he walked in as soonas you started stuffing the sheets into the washer, and you freeze in place.

It takes Kiibo a moment to notice the bloodstains and when he finally does, hejumps back and lets out a loud cry. “Ah! Holy… what happened?!” he exclaims, taken back by surprise. You whirl around and hold up your hands defensively, insisting that,“This isn’t what it looks like!”

He started berating you with questions and gave you little to no time to answer so you abruptly cut him off. “I got myperiod, Kiibo! That’s it!”

A bit embarrassed by your sudden outburst, you blush and lower your eyes to the ground while avoiding looking at him directly. His silence felt heavy as he took a step back and quickly apologized.

He started to rattle his brain since he’s never actually had to deal with this situation before and has absolutely no idea what to do. Kiibo hasn’t had any experience with women on their periods so he starts to panic.

“Uh… well, what do I do? Do I need to do anything? H-how can I help?” He offers you a sheepish grin in response.

Once he calms down, he’s very good with you. You tell him that it would be nice if he helped you out around the house so Kiibo does everything he can to assist you, though he is a bit rusty and ignorant since he’s never had to deal with this before. He has plenty of questions about your period and hopes he doesn’t come across as rude, just… curious.

He often starts to freak out when you’re on your period, especially when you get mood-swings. He always thinks he’s doing something wrong after you snap at him but he does his best, and he forgets that you’re a lot moodier during this time of the month. He always feels like he’s stepping on eggshells because he doesn’t want to upset you now.

And whenever you get emotional, he shuts down because he doesn’t know what to do… but trust me, he’s trying his damnedest.

Truthfully, Kiibo goes a bit overboard when you tell him what you need. He buys too many pads/tampons and comes home with a ridiculous amount of sweets and pain relievers, but he didn’t know how much girls needed! At least you wouldn’t run out for awhile, though.

He also uses his internal hard-drive to track your cycle, quickly adjusting to your period and gets the hang of it after a couple months.

Using his some of his functions, he turns himself into a heating pad and literally warms up to you to take away some of your pain, while Kiibo constantly asks you how you’re doing. He is a lot more careful with you when you’re on your period, treating you as if you are like fine China.

And Kiibo does a lot of Googling to try to learn more so that he can prepare next time, and be the best boyfriend he can be!

Kaito Momota

Kaito always manages to forget about yourtime of the month and still hasn’t gotten used to your cycle because you onlyrecently started dating.

Somehow, it always slips his mind. You didn’t know how he could possibly forget about it, but maybe he was just more blissfully oblivious since he isn’t the one who has to put up with it.

Regardless, you were feeling a bit moody and under the weather due to your fluctuating hormones. Now really wasn’t the time to bother you, and you unintentionally lash out at Kaito when he accidentally spooks you by coming around the corner too quickly.

He gets defensive and snaps, “Jeez, I wasn’t trying to scare ya, (Y/N)!” Then, your lip quivered as tears formed in your eyes. “I’m sorry… I just got my period and it’s my emotions…” you couldn’t finish your sentence before bursting into an emotional fit.

Kaito goes into a full-blown panic because he hates seeing you cry. “Uh… what am I supposed to do?!” He trulywanted to help but he looked like a bull in a China shop, storming around the house frantically trying to be of assistance.

He grabs every single pill bottle in your house and all of the sweets in your pantry which causes you to giggle. His arms were full as he drops them all on your bed and says, “Here! Take whatever you need!”

You also ask him if he’ll run to the store to buy you pads/tampons, but Kaito gets a bit defensive. “W-what? But… I’m a guy, and plus I don’t even know what to get!” He exclaims and you sigh, then tell him your favorite brand and write down exactly what he needs. He remains defensive and says that he didn’t want people to see him buying that, and you snap.

“They know it isn’t for you! And ladies love and appreciate when their partners buy them period products! Plus, if you’re embarrassed then imagine how I feel! It would mean a lot to me!” 

Kaito blinks in disbelief, “Really?” He realizes how stubborn he was being and then promptly ran to the store.

After that, he is determined to make this week as comfortable for you as possible to make up for his stubbornness. He starts to ask you constantly how you’re doing to an almost annoying degree, but you can tell it’s because he has a golden heart and pure intentions.

Kaito becomes frustrated because he hates seeing you in so much pain and wants nothing more than to take it away. Being unable to do anything makes him feel weak, but he does his best to just be there to support you as your shoulder to cry on and alleviate some of your stress.

After he is able to relax and calm down, Kaito is a lovely partner. He quickly get used to your period and starts reminding you to change your pad/tampon frequently. The two of you also pig out and indulge in your guilty pleasures, as you satisfy your cravings.

He is a lot softer with you after awhile and becomes more parental over you. Kaito does everything he can for you to help you get through this difficult week.

Korekiyo Shinguuji

You knew that Korekiyo was more open and understanding than most men, so you never really hesitated to tell him when you got your period. He was never grossed out or seemed uncomfortable by the situation so you never saw an issue.

It happened one evening while you two were preparing for dinner, and you were in the midst of cooking. Korekiyo was your ever-so helpful assistant.

Then, your legs started trembling. You’ve been having warning-period cramps lately so you knew it was coming, and it usually sets on over time and doesn’t happen this unexpectedly. 

He immediately notes you fumbling with the cooking supplies and furrows his brows. “Is everything alright, dear?” He tilts his head to the side kindly.

You ask him to take over and excuse yourself to the bathroom to take care of your business. When you return, you tell Korekiyo that you got your period out of nowhere and he nods sympathetically but wordlessly.

Overall, he was very calm. He instructed you to wait for him to finish cooking and that he would do the rest, asking you to simply take it easy for the time being.

Afterwards, he turns all of his attention to you. He is very level-headed and understanding of your mood-swings. He is always good to you, but even more-so when you’re on your period.

Korekiyo takes very good care of you. He was already a very patient and relaxed person so that doesn’t change, even when you’re irritable and snippy. It does hurt his heart to see you in so much pain, knowing that he can’t do anything to take your cramps away.

But he does make the week as bearable as possible. Korekiyo will run a steamy bath, with rose petals, candles, and a bath-bomb if you want, and then help you get undressed. He also often asks how you’re doing and checks up on you more frequently during your period.

It’s like he knew exactly what to do. He is gentle with you and listens to all of your vents and rants about your period and how you wish you didn’t have to deal with it, and Korekiyo tries relating to you.

Of course he buys you anything and everything you need. He also keeps pads/tampons at his house for emergency purposes, and so you don’t have to worry about carrying them around or forgetting them.

He will serve you hand and foot and do everything to ease your difficult week. There is no judgement in your relationship and nothing you say or do during your period makes him think any less of you. He is extremely understanding and knows what it’s like, so even when you’re emotional he’ll calm you down and rub your shoulders, and none of your complaints about your cramps or the blood is ‘too much information’ or could make him uncomfortable.

Korekiyo thinks that women and people with a uterus are so strong for enduring this painful month, and thinks the reproductive process is beautiful, despite its hardships at times. You just shake your head because you don’t understand.

“If you like it so much then you can take it.”

Gonta Gokuhara

Since you started dating, you’venever really talked about your period with Gonta. Why would you? It’s not likeit was extremely important to him; plus, you didn’t want him to worry about you.

Clearly you can’t hide things forever, though.

You didn’t even feel the first cramp or pick-up on any of the signs that it wascoming so you must have started bleeding without realizing it. Thinking nothing of it, you start pushing your way to the front of the fairly empty classroom to go to the restroom.

When you stand and brush past him, you apparently bled through. Gonta sees thebloodstains on your pants and lets out a loud cry.

“(Y/N)! Dying!” You furrow your brows and whip around to face him, then askwhat he was talking about. He twirls you back around and looks down, and you finally figure out what he must be looking at.

You knew you were supposed to be getting your period soon but didn’t know it would be today. Your facepales and you start to apologize frantically, then start working on calming your boyfriend down.

“It’s just my period.” Gonta looked confused and tilts his head to one side, so you explain, “Girls get their period once a month where they bleed from… down there, it’s totally normal… I’m not dying,” you say that last part with a small giggle.

However, he looked terrified, his eyes widening with terror. “Every girl? Every month?!” He looked at you in awe as you nod your head, then he quietly glanced around the room at your female classmates.

Gonta just couldn’t imagine it. He freaked out, but started to calm down. Then, he vowed to protect you or… at least take some of your pain and stress away. The symptoms of your period got stronger and that’s when your boyfriend got serious.

Anytime your period starts to roll back around, he makes a trip to the store and picks up everything you need. Gonta keeps extra pads/tampons in his home and carries them on his person just in case you need one, or even one of your female friends or classmates.

He does his best to be there for you when the cramps become unbearable, using his strong hands to deeply massage your skin and the tightened areas all over your body, taking away some of the cramps. Then, Gonta gets a hot compress to alleviate the pain even further.

He sometimes treats it as if you’re sick and will help feed you and insist that you stay put while you’re on your period. You lightheartedly chuckle and say, “Gonta, it’s just my period. I’m not sick and I can still walk!”

“No!” He responds, “Gonta want (Y/N) to take it easy!” His warm smile comforted you and you knew he was just doing his best. You didn’t mind him waiting on you, though, and tending to all of your needs. Your comfort and happiness were his top priority and he would do anything to make you feel better during this week.

All he wants to do is help, like a real gentleman would. He isn’t grossed out by your period at all and instead becomes fascinated. Gonta does a lot of research and Googling to try to find answers and ways to help you out even more, and makes sure to do all of the basics.

He gives you plenty of kisses, cuddles, and chocolate to make your period more tolerable, drowning you in even more love than usual. He always asks how you’re doing and promises that, “Period no big deal!” 

Ryoma Hoshi

When you and Ryoma start dating, you are very hesitant to open up about your private life. He was such an aloof individual that you weren’t sure how he would feel if you suddenly started to ramble on about your issues.

But it happened when you were in public. You’ve had the warning signs that it was coming so you knew that you were going to get your period very soon, but you thought you had more time than this… or, at least, that it would wait until you got home; especially since Ryoma doesn’t go out very often and you wanted to enjoy your time together.

You were walking around the mall together when suddenly, you feel cramps starting to arise in your abdomen. They got worse and worse until you were doubled over in pain, sinking your nails into your boyfriend’s skin which caught his attention.

Ryoma is immediately concerned and sits you down at the nearest table he can find, then starts examining you.

When you tell him that it’s just your period, a faint blush appears on your cheeks. But to your surprise, Ryoma wasn’t bothered at all; his face remained neutral and he pressed his lips together tightly.

He was more-so worried about getting you the feminine products that you needed and alleviating your pain, so his mind immediately switched into a protective mode as he scanned the mall for the nearest exit.

He was quite calm and didn’t really care that you talked about it, seemingly unbothered. He even added, “That’s a normal thing that fifty-percent of the population has to deal with… why would it bother me?”

As he insisted that you didn’t have to worry, he drove you home, cutting your adventure short.

Then, Ryoma tends to all of your needs in the only way he knew how. He does what he can, though it may not be a lot. He shows little interest in your period and nothing changes to him; he was just the same old Ryoma.

But he does go out of his way to make you feel at ease. He is quite blunt and asks you, “You got pads/tampons, right?” You were a bit surprised by his sudden straight-forwardness. When you shake your head, he sighs, “well, tell me what kind and I’ll go get some.”

From then on out, he remained pretty blunt but you could tell that he cared. He checked up on you often, but his demeanor didn’t really change. Ryoma was more affectionate than usual, more concerned with your well-being, but his attitude wasn’t really altered.

He could handle your mood-swings and did his best to calm you down, bribing you with chocolate or other cravings you had to get you to relax. Ryoma just… didn’t know what he was supposed to do or what was expected of him, so he sometimes came across as a bit uninterested.

But he did really love you and hated seeing you in so much pain. He just didn’t want to stress you out anymore by showing signs of weakness, so he did the basics by rubbing the areas where you cramped and making sure you were taken care of, kissing your stomach and telling you that this week would pass soon enough.

Kazuichi Souda

You normally give Kazuichi a headsup that your period was coming but this month it sneaks up on you.

You wake up beside his smiling face and he presses a kiss against your foreheadlovingly. “Hello, beautiful,” he says as you smile into the embrace he pulls youinto. Waking up beside him was one of your favorite things and you were in such a peaceful mood that the warning signs flew over your head.

You both get dressed and pull yourself out of bed. As Kazuichi starts making thebed, he sees the bloodstain you must have produced overnight. “Oh, my God!” He exclaims before patting himselfdown. It wasn’t coming from him so he turns to you with an expression of complete shock and terror.

“(Y/N), are you bleeding?!” He panicked, his face contorting into a horror as he started examining you thoroughly. You were alarmed at first until you patted yourself down and put two and two together.

“Oh, it must just be my period.” You say calmly and nonchalantly, sounding a bitirritated. By now, you were used to getting it once a month but it neverceased to annoy you, especially when it surprises you like this. Plus, you feel bad for scaring your boyfriend.

Kazuichi breathes and calms down, collapsing on the bed as he clutches his heart, “I was really worried there for a second.”

He can’t really handle your mood-swings or outbursts so almost all of your fights happen when you’re on your period and he does his best to calm you down, although you can sometimes both lose yourselves in the irritability and heat of the moment.

Other than that, having Kazuichi around is a dream. He keeps you in a positive attitude and does his best to keep your mind off of the stress and pains, and take care for all of your needs when you’re cramping; his favorite thing to do is massage your skin to try to minimize your pain.

He’ll trail butterfly kisses down your stomach and hold you tightly, then place a hot compress to the areas where you are in pain. Kazuichi, somehow, is very good at this and you wonder where he must have learned all of these tricks from.

And if your cramps are particularly bothering you, he’ll run a hot bath and help get you both undressed, and hold you in his torso as your muscles relax and he places kisses on the crook of your neck.

This also gives him an excuse to eat as many sweets as he wants, satisfying both of your cravings, so it’s a win-win.

Kazuichi is always a bit embarrassed when he buys you pads/tampons, but it’s all for you and you’re worth it. He becomes a bit more bossy than usual but that’s just him trying to help. He’s constantly asking you how you feel and reminding you to change your pad/tampon. But even with your mood-swings and pain, he showers you in affection during this time.

Your period always seems to catch him by surprise so Kazuichi is a force to be reckoned with, but once he settles down he will take very good care of you. That’s his job, after all, and he’d do anything for you.

Fuyuhiko Kuzuryuu

You and Fuyuhiko have only beendating for a few months so you haven’t really talked about your period. It’s just not something that you want to bring up yet, unable to find an appropriate opening to do so.

But one afternoon, after school let out, you seemed to have no other choice but to bring up the subject.

While cuddling with Fuyuhiko, you feel an all-too familiar stomach cramp sneak up on you. Suddenly, your body becomes hot and you feel a sensation in your lower-regions… and you instantly know what was happening.

Flustered, you excuse yourself abruptly. Fuyuhiko sits up and extends a hand out to you, calling for you as he does. “Hey, (Y/N)! Wait up!” But you have no time to waste and instead hurry into the nearest restroom.

Of course, as hot-tempered as he is, he followed you and knocked on the door; but he wasn’t angry, just concerned and not sure how to express it. You could hear him on the other side and insisted that everything was fine, but he wanted in.

You crack the door and he gently pushes it open to find your blushing, embarrassed face. Fuyuhiko softens and tilts his head to one side, “Are you okay?” He asks as he rests his hands on your shoulders.

You groan and realize that there’s no way out of this. “Well, I… I got my period…” and then his already-rosy cheeks turned into a deeper shade of red as he realized his mistake by intruding.

“O-oh, fuck, my bad…” then, he started rummaging through the bathroom while saying that he thought his sister kept her own feminine products in here somewhere, but he wasn’t sure where.

After finding them, Fuyuhiko hands you the box of pads/tampons and steps out of the room as you do your business. He waits outside the door and pulls you into a hug once you step out, kissing your forehead and apologizing for his intrusion, emphasizing that he should have waited. 

He then guides you back to a more private area and wets a washcloth as he helps you clean up and dampens your face, then gently asks if there was anything he could do to help.

The blood doesn’t bother Fuyuhiko one bit and he was used to being around this sort of thing, since his sister and Peko were both major people in his life. Perhaps that’s why he’s so good at tending to your needs.

While on your period, Fuyuhiko insists that he wanted to help in any way possible. He brings you your cravings and will run you a hot bath in an attempt to alleviate your cramps.

When you get moody, he can be a bit hard to deal with. You’re both more irritable when you’re on your period but he tries to keep a level-head and calm both of you down, being your voice of reason. He does his best to minimize your moodiness and tries being patient with you, bringing you into long embrace and holding you until it passes.

Smirking at your boyfriend, you tease, “Wow, I knew you had a soft side but I’m impressed, Fuyu.” This prompted him to shoot you an intimidating glare. “Don’t tell anyone about this…” he sounded a bit embarrassed, but you giggle and kiss him.

He really was just a big teddy-bear who loved you dearly after all.

- Mod Rantaro

[mushroomminded]

The Wishing Pond PART 2

Story by @creative-lightbulb​

​Illustrations by myself.

WARNING: MAY CONTAIN MAJOR MICOVERSE SPOILERS. If you are a new reader/follower to my account and the micoverse story, please proceed with care! Old followers, you know all this already. ;)

“You’ve been taking this whole ‘magic pond’ thing pretty well.” Huni commented out of the blue, turning in Cody’s direction. “Why’s that?” 

“Well, it’s kinda my hobby?” Cody replied, shrugging. “Milo and I kinda made a habit of poking our noses where they don’t belong. The results are always mixed.”

“I’d think that’d turn you away from these sorts of things.” Huni said, shoving his unbandaged hand into the water and feeling around.

“Nope, only made me wanna know more.” Cody watched him curiously. “Speaking of, whatcha doing there?” 

“Sometimes, people make wishes as a joke cuz they don’t believe the pond works.” Huni seemed to find something, pulling his hand from the water and examining the coin he’d retrieved. “Their wishes sink to the bottom of the pond, so I like fishing around for cool things.” 

“So … when will I make my wish?” Cody asked impatiently.

“In time.” Huni answered, flipping the coin in the air and watching as it glimmered before splitting in two. “You gotta think on the wording, to prevent loopholes. Besides, we may find something useful here.”

Cody sighed, watching Huni flip the identical coins and marvel at their divisions. He eventually pocketed them, reaching his hand back into the pond. Cody stood.

“I’ve gotta go, it’ll be dark soon.” He said, a small frown on his face.

“Oh.” Huni’s expression was sympathetic as he took a moment to stand “Well, I’m sorry about the wait.”

“It’s fine.” Cody said, beginning to head towards the hill “..Bye.” 

“Take care, Cody.” Huni replied, waving him off.

The sky was grey, thick clouds hanging overhead as Cody walked up to the house. Dominic was waiting in the doorway, arms crossed. 

“Where were you?” He asked. Cody shoved his hands in his pockets.

“The pond.” He answered. Dominic sighed.

“Didn’t we have this talk yesterday?” He said as the two headed inside. “You could get lost in those woods, especially near dark!” 

“I’ve gone twice and come back fine, haven’t I?” Cody mumbled. Dominic glanced back at him.

“That’s nothing but luck.” Dominic dismissed. “One of these days you’re gonna get stuck in there after dark and I’m not gonna wait around until that happens.” 

“You don’t have to talk to me like I’m stupid, y’know?” Cody snapped. “I know what I’m doing!” 

“You should know I don’t appreciate that tone, young man.” Dominic warned. Cody glared.

“I don’t appreciate you treating me like I need be monitored every second of the day!” Cody spat, pushing past and marching into the hall.

“Hey, we’re not done talking here!” Dominic raised his voice as he followed him. Cody ignored his shouts as he slammed and locked the bathroom door.

“Cody.” Dominic took a second, letting out a breath. “Cody, open the door.”

Cody ignored him, his back to the door as he sat. 

“You’ve got five seconds to come out here, or you’re grounded.” Dominic threatened after a pause. Cody stared at the ground.

“Five.” 

Cody remained silent, listening to him count as the anger bled from his body 

“Four.”

He glanced at the doorknob, arms crossed as another round of knocking ensued.

“Three.” 

The impatience oozed from his voice, the doorknob wiggling once more 

“Two!”

Cody stood, hesitating as his hand reached for the lock.

“One-” 

Dominic stepped back as the door creaked open. Cody stared at the floor in defeat.

“The phone, hand it over.” Dominic sighed, holding out his hand. Cody narrowed his eyes, avoiding looking at him as he dropped it into his hand and trudged towards his room. 

Dominic followed, lingering in the doorway as Cody kicked off his shoes and sat on his bed.

“You know I don’t like doing this either, right?” He asked, Cody remaining silent.

He sighed, hand resting on the doorknob “Goodnight, Cody.” 

~

Milo awoke to a wonderful smell. He yawned before deciding to get up and investigate. 

The sound of clinking dishes was coming from the kitchen, the smell only growing stronger as he grew closer. Peeking inside, he smiled at the sight of Sumney hovering over the kitchen counter and the countless ingredients piled upon it.

Sumney continued to hum, stirring the batter as he continuously glanced at an open book resting against the wall. 

“I didn’t know you cooked.” Milo said, rubbing at his eyes as he announced his presence.

“I’m an adult, aren’t I?” Sumney laughed, smiling warmly. “Who do you think kept Jake and Dan afloat before you came around?” 

Milo grinned, taking a seat at the table as Sumney went back to skimming the recipe book. 

Milo rested his head in his hands, watching Sumney work for a few moments before speaking again.

“So … do you just do it because you have to or is it a hobby or something?” He folded his arms on the table, resting his head on them. 

“You sure are full of questions.” Sumney pointed out. “And no, I don’t think I did …do? My memory’s still fuzzy.” 

“Oh.” Milo tapped his fingers against the tabletop idly. Then Sumney set a loaded plate in front of him “Thank you!” 

“Anytime.” Sumney placed a kiss on his forehead. Milo sniffled quietly, a wide smile spreading across his face.

Sumney returned to the kitchen, grabbing a knife and going about dicing some fruits. He hissed when he accidentally cut his finger.

The cut wasn’t very bad, but water slowly began to escape from the wound. He started, eyes wide as a drop hit the countertop. 

“Dad?” Milo spoke up, voice muddled due to his mouth being full but the concern shining through regardless.

“… I’ll be right back.” Sumney said, voice shaky as he rushed to the bathroom. 

Everything felt distant and foggy, his gaze constantly shifting back to his leaking finger. 

He entered the bathroom, breathing erratic as he held onto the sink to steady himself. He didn’t know what was going on. the mere sight of his weeping finger caused his very skin to crawl but his gaze never wandered from it for long.

Suddenly, he felt a hand on his shoulder.

Jake’s expression was full of concern. Dan and Milo crowded in the doorway.

“Hey— Hey, breathe.” Jake instructed. Sumney’s hands were trembling.

“Let’s put down the knife, okay?” Jake continued, patting his back gently.

Sumney released his tight grip on the handle, letting the knife clatter into the sink. 

Jake led him out to the couch. Sumney closed his fist, shielding his wounded finger as he tried to focus on his breathing as Dan and Milo following the two out.

“What happened?” Dan asked. Sumney looked up at him.

“I… I don’t know.” He admitted, voice quiet. 

Dan took a seat at the other side of him, Milo squeezing into the remaining space. 

Sumney leaned into Dan’s side and Jake gave him a light side hug. 

The four sat in silence for a bit before Dan stood, giving Sumney’s shoulder a squeeze.

“Take it easy, alright?” He said as he nudged Milo along to get ready for school. 

Sumney exhaled shakily, continuing to focus on his breaths. Jake gave him a sympathetic look.

“Do you need me to stay?” He asked, the worry still evident in his tone. 

“Nah… I’m good.” Sumney assured him, folding his hands in his lap.

“Well…I’ll be in my room if you need me.” Jake said, rising from the couch and glancing back one last time before disappearing down the hallway. 

Sumney sat in silence, gaze once again drifting downward towards his hands. They were damp, droplets of water seeping from between his fingers. He frowned deeply.

He wasn’t sure how much time had passed, his thoughts scattered and in blurred together, but before he knew it Dan and Milo were in the front doorway saying their goodbyes.

“Hope you feel better, Dad.” Milo told him, holding onto the straps of his bag.

“Thank you.” Sumney replied, a faint smile tugging at his lips “Have a good day you two.” 

Dan gave him a single nod of acknowledgement, waiting for Milo as he ran up to give Sumney one last hug before shutting the door behind them. 

Sumney’s smile fell not a second after. 

He tried to distract himself. Slapping a bandaid over the cut, he tried to return to the kitchen. The cutlery glimmered in the sunlight that shone through the window. 

He took to cleaning up, his eyes following the occasional drip that came from the sink faucet. 

He shifted uncomfortably.

He returned to the couch, picking up the book he’d neglected to finish. He read a few pages, having to constantly reread as his focus kept drifting from the words. He shut the book in frustration.

Returning to the bathroom he sighed, staring into the mirror with a restless expression. The knife was still resting in the sink, taunting him. 

He leaned out into the hall.

“Hey, Jake?” He called out.

“Yeah?” Came a distant response.

“I think I’m going to head out for a bit—” Sumney said, “— Just need some fresh air, y’know?” 

There was a pause, Jake hesitating for a moment before replying.

“Alright! Be careful!” 

The front door shut soon after his response. He frowned.

~   Sumney was hardly paying attention to where his feet where taking him. His pocket felt heavy. 

There were puddles on the ground. The entire sidewalk was damp from last night’s rainfall. Sumney tried his best to avoid them, eventually stepping off the main path entirely. 

The grass was fairly muddy. Sumney outwardly cringed when his shoes would sink at a particularly moist part of the ground. Still, he pressed onward. 

There was a tree line fast approaching, the closely gathered trees only leading to a deeper forest. 

Not once did he pause. His feet went on autopilot as he made his way through the thicket. His eyes were unblinking, steadily trained ahead as he pushed through into a relatively small clearing. 

There stood a familiar hill. 

His pace slowed to a walk as he approached a small pond in the center of the larger clearing. 

It gurgled curiously. 

He stood at its edge, staring at his reflection in the water. It stared back. 

“Oh, it’s you again.” 

Sumney didn’t flinch at Huni’s voice as the man strolled over to his side.

“What am I?” Sumney said out of the blue, staring down at his hands.

The question seemed to catch Huni off guard, his expression slipping into a mix of concern and fear.

“…What do you mean?” He asked.

“I’m not supposed to be here, that’s been made more than clear.” Sumney continued, his voice oddly hollow “..I’m not normal.” 

“I mean, what is normal really?” Huni chuckled awkwardly, trying his best to salvage the conversation. Sumney let his arms fall to his sides.

“Clear blood isn’t normal.” Sumney concluded, voice filled with disillusionment “Is it?” 

“Who’s to say?” Huni replied with a shrug. 

Sumney suddenly turned his gaze on him. His pocket only felt heavier as his hand inched ever closer towards it.

“What color do you bleed, Huni?” 

~

“So that’s why you haven’t been answering my texts?” Milo said. Cody nodded with a bitter expression.

“No phone, no pond.” Cody replied, resting his head in his hand as he glared at nothing.

“You actually went?” Milo asked, his brow knitted as his tone became accusatory. Cody’s glare only intensified. 

“Yeah, I did.” Cody answered “Isn’t that what you wanted?” 

“I didn’t think you’d actually do it, that’s all.” Milo defended “…What did he say?” 

“He said exactly what I knew he would.” Cody replied. “We shouldn’t have tried messing with the dead.” 

“Dude, messing with the dead is our entire thing!” Milo exclaimed. “I was even extra careful with my words like you asked, why are you still hung up about this?” 

“Because that’s not your dad, Milo.” Cody spat. Milo went silent as Cody focused his glare on him. “Because maybe I don’t want you to get so torn up over this when it all inevitably goes wrong!” 

“Well If you’re really doing this to protect my feelings..” Milo said, voice oddly quiet “.You’re doing a shit job. 

Milo stood, grabbing his lunch tray and wandering off to join another table. 

Cody’s expression softened as Milo furiously wiped at his eyes with his sleeve. 

He wasn’t very hungry anymore.

~ Cody hopped off the bus, grumbling to himself as he began to walk home. Sumney was in the front yard of Milo’s neighboring house, sitting on the steps with a vacant expression. His shoes were soaked and his pants were damp to the knees. He gave Cody a chilling stare. 

There was red on his fingers. 

Cody took off in a sprint, heart pounding in his chest as he ditched his bag on the sidewalk.

The forest was oddly quiet, wood damp from the rain and droplets clinging to the leaves. He pushed further inward, glancing around frantically. “Huni?!” He called out, pushing his way into the clearing. There was no response.

Cody made his way to the hilltop, freezing at the sight below. 

Patches of grass were strained a dark red, all leading up to a still body. 

Huni wasn’t moving, the lower half of his torso submerged in the browned water. Cody nearly tripped over own his feet, rushing over to his side.

“No, no, no …” Cody nudged his shoulder. Huni’s eyes were glassy, his skin gray and sickly. He was unresponsive. 

Cody’s reflection wavered in the water, he turned to the pond.

“Please…help him.” He begged “That’s all I want.”

The water remained still, a quiet breeze passing through the clearing. There was a single bloodied kitchen knife bobbing the water. Cody sniffled. “Cody!” 

A voice echoed through the forest, Cody tensing at the recognition of Dominic’s voice. He stood, wiping at his nose. He glanced back at Huni’s motionless body. 

“Dad!” He called out, voice shaky as he stumbled back up the hill. 

Dominic had his school bag slung over his shoulder, the anger on his face fading at Cody’s clear distress.

“Hey… what’s wrong?” He asked, resting his hands on his shoulder. 

Cody grabbed his arm, leading him down the hill and towards the pond. 

Huni was up, limping towards the tree line and trailing bloody water along the way. The side of his shirt was torn a stained a deep red, his hand gripping the fabric tightly.

“Hey!” Dominic called out, Huni froze. His hair was soaked, face almost entirely obscured. His eyes were wide and wild when he glanced back towards them. He turned and shambled into the tangle of trees, disappearing from sight.

“Who was that?” Dominic asked, glancing at Cody’s shaken expression “What are you even doing back here?”

“He was bleeding…” Cody replied, gaze downcast. 

“This is exactly why I didn’t want you coming here..” Dominic grumbled, leading him out of the woods. Cody avoided looking at him.

“I need to talk to Milo.” He said after the two had crossed the street, Dominic frowned.

“You are still grounded you know, even more so for running off like this.” Dominic replied “Why do you need to talk to him?” 

Cody struggled to explain, Dominic sighing. 

“Let’s go.” He said, the two heading towards the house. 

Cody reflexively glanced at Milo’s yard, frowning at its emptiness. ~

Jake watched as Sumney washed his hands as instructed, having peeled the soiled bandaid off of his finger long ago.

“You need to be more careful with the kitchen knives..” Jake began, a deeply worried frown on his face.

“I know…I’m sorry.” Sumney replied, his face weary. 

“That was quite a bit of blood, are you sure you don’t need anything more than another bandaid?” Jake asked. Sumney nodded “Alright…Let me know if that changes.”

Jake lingered in the doorway for a moment before disappearing back down the hall.

The front door opened and Sumney immediately heard Milo practically shouting his name.

He peeked out into the hall, smiling weakly at Dan and Milo as they entered the living room. 

“Hey!” Milo’s face lit up as he headed down the hallway and hugged Sumney’s waist “…Are you okay?” 

“Yeah…just tired.” Sumney dismissed, ruffling Milo’s hair. “Don’t worry about it.”

Dan’s expression soured, but he quickly shook it off and smiled reassuringly.

“C’mon, I’ll put a movie on.” Dan offered. “You look like you could use a distraction.”

There was a pause, Sumney blinking slowly before finally replying.

“Oh— sounds great.” His voice lacked enthusiasm, Milo frowned. 

The three wasted the afternoon away, sprawled across the couch with takeout as they watched an assortment of shark-related films at Milo’s request.

Well into the second movie Dan stood, throwing out an explanation of wanting to get out of his uniform before continuing. 

Milo was leaning on Sumney’s side, the man now staring at him intensely.

“…Something wrong?” Milo asked when he noticed the staring, faint discomfort on his face as he awaited an answer.

“I died, didn’t I?” He asked. Milo tensed at the question.

“..Why’s that important?” Milo deflected.

“How am I here if I’m dead?” He continued, never breaking his stare. Milo avoided his gaze.

“You remember that pond..?” He asked. Sumney nodded in response. “Well—this is gonna sound crazy but just hear me out— you can make wishes at it and I kinda… used it to bring you back? Please don’t be mad!” 

Sumney gave him a puzzled look, fiddling with his hands.

“The pond brought me here?” He asked, Milo nodding quickly. 

“Oh…” He shut his eyes for a moment before letting out a breath “Okay.” 

There wasn’t any more to the conversation. Milo sat up uncomfortably. 

Dan hesitated before making his presence known, he took a seat beside Milo who scooted over. 

The three continued to lounge about, Jake occasionally glancing at the screen when he passed through. Sooner than later, Dan was nagging Milo to get ready for bed. 

Jake entered the living room, falling back onto the couch with a relieved breath.

“Work running long?” Sumney asked, staring ahead at the TV blankly.

“Yeah.” Jake answered “You feeling okay?” 

“I dunno..” He admitted, standing and beginning to clear off the coffee table “Been thinking a lot lately, about what happened to me.” 

Panic hit Jake’s features, a nervous laugh ensuing.

“Really?” He asked, Sumney nodding.

“I’m really happy to be back, don’t get me wrong..” He clarified, heading into the kitchen “I just wanna know what happened.” 

Guilt overcame Jake’s expression as Dan entered the living room. When Sumney came back from the kitchen, Dan motioned for him to take a seat beside him.

“Well, if you really want to know .. I suppose it’s only fair.” Dan began “But please, just keep this between the three of us.”

“Doesn’t Milo deserve to know?” He asked. 

Jake shook his head rapidly.

“We just don’t think he’ll be ready to face the truth, at least not now.” Dan explained.

Sumney gave him an understanding nod. “Alright.” He agreed.

Dan took a breath. “You didn’t die.” He said, Sumney giving him a puzzled look.

His voice had dropped to a whisper, his gaze darting towards the darkened hall every so often.

“It was about ten years ago.” Dan continued “You’d gotten a hold of a really nice looking shark hoodie and things were fine … until you put it on.” 

Sumney was listening intently, trying his best to connect his fragmented memories with Dan’s retelling.

“It turned you back into a kid.” Dan attempted to explain. “It was a really weird freak accident and we going to turn you back but..” 

“Dan got attached.” Jake chimed in “Took one look at your baby face and decided he wanted to be a dad.” 

“We got attached, excuse you.” Dan corrected. Jake smiled faintly. “Anyway— by the time we’d actually came to a decision… it was too late to change you back.” 

“..And?” Sumney prompted him to continue, his expression full of confusion.

“And we just sort of settled.” Jake replied “We got jobs and committed.”

“It was really odd for a while but.. we grew to like it.” Dan admitted.

“So you.. raised me???” Sumney ran his hands through his hair, the distress clear in his voice “That doesn’t make any sense, if you turned me into a kid how am I here?? How are we having this conversation.” 

“Hey.. calm down.” Dan began. “You wouldn’t want to wake Milo, would you?” 

“That’s me..isn’t it?” He asked, brown furrowing.

“Technically?” Dan replied.

“So … that’s me, and I brought myself— my old self— back into existence and that’s how I’m here right now, but I’m not actually me?” Sumney didn’t seem to believe his own words, clutching the sides of his head.

Dan took his hands in his own.

“It’s a lot to take in, I know..” he assured him “It’s confusing and complicated and really really weird but .. you’ll learn to take the chaos as it comes sooner or later.” 

“Sometimes much..much later.” Jake sighed as the two rose from the couch. 

“I mean— you didn’t have a complete break down the last time Milo got himself into trespassing shenanigans so.. I’d say that’s a step up.” Dan replied, the two bickering amongst themselves for a bit more as Sumney stretched out across the couch.

Jake headed down the hall, Dan pausing in the doorway before looking back.

“Just try to sleep on it, alright?” He said. Sumney gave him a weak thumbs up. “Goodnight.” 

“Goodnight.” Sumney stared at the ceiling, exhaustion weighing on his features as he attempted to wrap his head around the buckets of information just dumped on him.

Part of him wanted to disregard it all, brush it off as some kind of joke and go on with his day, but it lined up. He could vividly recall the shop they’d entered that day, the old woman at the front desk, the cryptic warnings she spewed. Sleep was definitely out of the question. ~ Cody tossed and turned in his bed, clenching and unclenching his hands as he tried to shake the feeling of cold skin that clung to his fingertips. 

His grounding had been extended, that being the least of his worries as he tried to figure how to bring up the day’s events to Milo the following school day. He rolled onto his side for the third time, grabbing his glasses from off of the nightstand and rising. 

He made his way into the kitchen, navigating carefully in the dark as he didn’t want to wake Dominic with turning on the hall lights. He pulled back the curtain on the kitchen window, moonlight helping illuminate the room. 

He grabbed a glass, turning on the tap and watching it fill idly. 

He glanced out the window, doing a double take when he noticed a figure in the window of the neighboring house. Squinting, he tried to get a better look as they continued to stand motionless. He could practically feel their unwavering gaze. 

He quickly shut the tap off when his glass overflowed, remaining at window as he drank.

The figure was slow moving, Cody watching intently as they went out of his view. The house was silent, Cody eventually making his way back down the hall.

He paused at Dominic’s door, hesitating for a moment before slowly cracking it open. 

Dominic was fast asleep, snoring soundly as Cody crept about. He quietly sorted through his nightstand drawer, pushing past crumpled papers and an assortment of writing utensils before he reached what he was searching for.

He froze when Dominic stirred, the man grumbling sleepily before turning onto his side and resuming his stillness. 

Sighing in relief, Cody grabbed his phone from the drawer, shutting it and slipping out of the room shortly after. 

Flipping it open, he entered his messages. 

He read through Milo’s texts from the night before. They were a mix of justifications for his behavior and weak apologies.

His thumbs hovered over the buttons.

[notveryglittery]

a walk in the park (1)

summary: “It was almost too good to be true. I'd never find another pair like that, not if I looked for a hundred years.” ships: romantic royality, platonic moxiety. platonic logince, eventual romantic analogical. platonic lamp. / words: 2,800 notes: here it is !! i’ve been working on this since may with help from @euelioi!! literally, this au would not exist without jack. i hope y’all like it!! keep an eye out for updates on sundays, if all goes according to plan <3 

@fandersfic-royality @fandersfic-moxiety // read on ao3

ch. 1 | ch. 2

Early morning light filtered into the lobby. Sunrise was especially lovely on Thursdays. It was Pastry Day, and Sanders Day, and Jeopardy Night, and Sleepover Night. Thursdays, for the last year, had been consistently the Best Days Ever. Patton sighed dreamily, staring out the windows to the empty parking lot. He leaned against the desk with his chin resting on his palm. He was looking forward to lunch, since he would get to go to his favorite bakery with Virgil. He was looking forward to that evening, because the lovely, handsome, charming nice Sanders man would be by to pick up his dogs. He was looking forward to that night, for the weekly sleepover and Jeopardy marathon with his parents.

Patton snapped out of his daydreaming quite suddenly at the sound of a bell ringing. He jolted up and snatched a clipboard off the desk, clutching it to his chest. Not a moment later, the door behind him swung open. Virgil was yawning, mouth wide open and eyes squeezed shut. His hair looked like it’d only been half brushed and his shirt was inside out. Patton giggled and Virgil groaned, already knowing what he was going to say. It was routine, after all.

“Good morning, kiddo!”

“What’s so good about it?” Virgil asked, right on cue.

“I get to see your smiling face!” Patton replied excitedly, just like usual.

“I know you want to scold me for staying up until 3am on Tumblr.”

“Who, me? Scold you? Never!”

For a moment, the two were silent. Then they both snickered and met for a hug. Virgil held on a little longer than normal and Patton made a note to ask him later on if he was feeling okay. They pulled apart and Virgil seemed to have drawn some energy from Patton in their brief embrace.

“Alright,” he said, clapping his hands. “Let’s get started, then.”

In the hour they had before opening, a number of things needed to be finished. For the most part, Virgil took care of the behind the scenes tasks. He got together all of the personal items for the boarding dogs that would be picked up sometime during the day, as well as setting up the food and water bowls for today’s daycare dogs. Patton took to cleaning, making sure that each room sparkled as best as possible; he tried to fix up the laundry and groom rooms so they were prepared for when they’d be used later on. Catching up on paperwork went to Patton, too, which is what he liked doing the most. Thankfully, he had extra time to spare to do so. Knowing that he and Virgil would both be working doubles today was daunting but if Patton just focused on all the stuff he had to look forward to, it made it bearable! By the time they finished, the clock was chiming 7am. Virgil sighed, loudly and over the top for Patton’s amusement.

“I guess we ought to open the doors.” Despite his pretend exasperation, there was a bounce to his step as he plugged in the Open sign and propped the doors open with stoppers. A breeze came through, curling around the wind chimes in the corners of the room. Virgil rapped his knuckles on the desk as he walked by it. Patton was counting the money in the till.

“I’m going to fix my shirt,” Virgil told him. Patton giggled and nodded, waving him off.

For a little while, it remained quiet. The sound of cars driving by on the street beyond the parking lot added to the soft ambience of the empty lobby. Throughout the rest of the building, Patton could hear muffled barking as Virgil went through and checked on all the dogs they were currently taking care of. It was what Virgil preferred to do; the less interaction with people, the better. Patton’s dad would be by any minute now to get started on paperwork and then his mom would be in later, no doubt bringing snacks for them all. Slowly, more employees would trickle in, until the business was running like a well oiled machine.

It was just another reason Patton loved Thursdays so much. For whatever reason, these mornings tended to be more calm than most. Still, customers had busy lives to lead, and no one to pet sit, and so that’s when they turned to Foster Dawg. The establishment had been owned by Patton's family for roughly a decade (in fact, they’d be celebrating ten years in the fall). The Foster came from their last name and the Dawg from a television show Patton’s father had watched growing up. Patton thought it hilarious and not a day went by that he didn’t laugh over the name. He loved explaining it to customers that asked why it wasn’t spelled “dog.”

Sure enough, David Foster arrived the same moment that their first customer did. He patted his son on the head as he made his way to the office, where he’d take care of any accounting that hadn’t been finished the night before.

“Good morning, Mrs. Dungey!” Patton chirped, waving from his spot behind the counter.

“Good morning, sweetheart,” the woman responded kindly, with Madison trotting along patiently at her side. She may very well have been the biggest dog they took care of; Virgil, standing at a full 6’2” when he wasn’t slouching, weighed about the same as she did (170lb, no matter how much Patton fed him). He was sure that if Virgil wanted, he could ride the bull mastiff into battle like a war pony. The image had him giggling helplessly and when he shared it with Mrs. Dungey, she too found it very amusing. After some back and forth chatter, Patton updated Madison’s file for today’s stay, and handed Mrs. Dungey her copy of the form.

“We’ll take good care of her,” Patton promised, wrapping the leash a few times around his hand. He allowed Madison plenty of give, though; it was something he tended to do with all the dogs, even if they tugged Patton along faster than he could keep up. Virgil kept telling him he had to be better about having them heel, but Patton couldn’t help it. He got just as excited as they did.

“I know you will,” Mrs. Dungey said sweetly, patting him gently on the cheek. She headed out to go have brunch with her friends before she’d go play bingo with her mother at the senior home.

Patton gently led Madison out of the lobby, down the hallway, and into the back of the building. Passing the kitchen and laundry room on the way to Big Pawz, he made a mental note to double check that the meals for their boarding dogs were all sorted. Nudging the door open, Patton peeked into the room.

“Virgil?” He called, when his best friend was nowhere to be found.

A couple seconds later, the door leading outside slid open, and Virgil squeezed through. Bella Martens was at his heels, trying to follow, but he patted her on the head, and shut the door carefully before she could get in.

“Yeah, Pat?” Virgil responded, wiping sweat from his brow. His face lit up when he saw who Patton had with him. Crossing the room and kneeling in front of her, he cooed, “Hey, Maddie. How’s my big girl doing?” He scratched her ears and along her neck before standing up again.

At the fond expression on Patton’s face, Virgil’s cheeks flushed hot.

“Shut up,” he mumbled, undoing her leash. Patton took it and made to zip his lips shut but the sound of his father calling him from the front distracted him before he could. Virgil continued leading Madison away, knowing exactly what time it was, and exactly who Mr. Foster was getting Patton’s attention for.

Shutting the door behind him and hurrying back to the lobby, Patton dropped Madison’s leash off in the closet, and ducked through the groom room, as if that would be faster. At the front door stood Declan Sanders, looking incredibly frustrated. He had four dogs with him: a husky, pompoodle mix, corgi, and British golden retriever. Patton almost squealed at the sight of them, all so well groomed and well behaved. Regardless of their manners, Declan was still irritated, and that simply wouldn’t do.

“Good morning!”

“Is it?” Declan snapped, approaching the desk. Despite his mood, he didn’t drag the dogs along with him, or pull harshly on their leashes. “My stupid brother can’t even drop his own nuisances off. I hope he’s perfectly on time for his audition. Hope he breaks a leg.”

Patton’s hand went to tuck his hair behind his ear, even though there weren't any loose locks. It was more of a nervous habit. “How… how is Roman?” he asked hesitantly, busying himself with the paperwork Declan would need to give to his sibling later.

“Oh, right,” Declan drawled, eyebrows raising and disappearing behind his bangs. “I forgot about your little… crush, on him.”

That… seemed unlikely. Patton, according to Virgil, was pretty transparent about his feelings for Roman. Deciding he’d worry about it later, Patton slid the clipboard across the desk to Declan, who snatched the offered pen out of his hand, and signed at the bottom of it.

“He’s terrible, by the way,” Declan finally answered. “Woke up late, couldn’t find his favorite pair of sunglasses.” He rolled his eyes. “Picked the lock on my door and went searching through my dresser as if I’d stolen them.”

Patton couldn’t help giggling. He hadn’t had very many interactions with Roman but that sounded like something he’d do. Declan’s glare sharpened at the laughter. Patton went quiet.

“Sorry,” he offered, smiling sheepishly.

“Whatever.” Declan took the pink colored page while Patton filed the yellow and white ones. He was tapping his foot impatiently, waiting for Patton to come around the desk, and take the dogs off of his hands. Patton did so with grace, handling four leashes as if it were the easiest thing in the world. Declan didn’t say anything else before turning and leaving.

“Bye! Have a nice day!” Patton called after him.

Declan gave him a rather rude gesture in return.

Patton only let it bother him for a second before shrugging it off. Sure, he wished he could help everybody, all the time, but some people didn’t want to be helped, and Patton had to respect that… For now, anyway. Patton gave each of Roman’s dogs equal love and attention as he took them to their rooms.

The husky and the British golden (Walt and Shadow) were left to Terrence in Medium Pawz. He passed the pompoodle and the corgi (Cooper and Einstein) to Talyn in Small Pawz. The two had arrived during Patton’s short interaction with Declan. They were both incredible employees, who really loved their jobs here; then again, Patton thought, any career working with dogs was pretty good. The morning continued much the same: customers arrived, signed their paperwork, left their dogs. Patton would take them to the appropriate room (sometimes, it wasn’t the physical size of the dog, but the size of their attitude) before returning to the lobby to do it all over again.

He was in the middle of a very complex coloring page when someone behind him cleared their throat. “Working hard or hardly working?”

Patton jumped and shoved his book away.

“Working hard!” He yelped, only to turn around and find Virgil snickering behind his hand. Patton pouted at him.

“Virgil,” he whined. “You know I startle easily!”

Virgil shrugged, only partly sorry. “I know. It’s lunch time. Ready to go?”

Patton lit up like a child on Christmas morning.

“Pastries!” he shouted and even though Virgil winced at the volume, he couldn’t help but to feel just as excited.

They clocked for lunch and let Patton’s father know they’d be back in an hour, before heading out the front door and into the parking lot. The daycare was located conveniently within a shopping center. There was a speciality groomer just two storefronts down, and Foster Dawg often partnered with them to offer deals for their customers. On other days, Patton and Virgil would stop in at Subway or Chipotle. On Thursdays, though, they made the short trek across the street to the Porto’s Bakery & Cafe.

The California-based bakery had a line out the door, but this wasn’t anything new to the pair. While they waited, they talked about all the dogs that had come in today, and new video game releases, and what show they wanted to start watching next. By the time they were inside the building and cooling off in the air conditioning, Patton felt it safe enough to ask if Virgil was feeling okay.

“How come you up were so late last night, kiddo?”

Virgil visibly stiffened, eyes going slightly wide in alarm. He hoped to play it off as nothing but Patton had always been very observant. He tried, anyway. “Tumblr, remember?”

“Virgil.” The Dad Voice was in full effect.

Virgil sighed. “Ugh, fine. I had a nightmare, okay? I went to bed at an actual normal time and had a nightmare and couldn’t fall back asleep after it.”

Patton frowned. He linked his pinky finger with Virgil’s. “Do you wanna talk about it?”

Virgil swung their connected fingers back and forth, humming. “Not… really.” His gaze had gone distant, as if remembering, and when he shuddered, Patton fully took his hand, lacing their fingers together. Virgil gave him a shaky smile. “I’m fine, Pat. Thanks for asking, though.”

Patton nodded and squeezed his hand. Virgil returned it. “Just let me know if you want to, okay? You know I’m always here, even if all you need is for me to listen.”

“Next!” The employee at the counter called, interrupting their moment. Virgil pulled Patton up to the register and looked to him, knowing he had the list of what their coworkers had requested. It was a lot of turnovers and strudels, but a few savory treats made the cut as well. They obviously ordered a dozen of the infamous Potato Balls, as well as enough drinks to warrant two carriers. They grabbed a table at the outdoor seating area to spend the last half hour of their lunch before heading back. Patton sipped at his Jamaica Strawberry iced tea.

“How was dealing with Declan earlier?” Virgil asked, picking at his sandwich.

“How’d you even know it was him?" Patton returned instead of answering, tilting his head curiously. “You were on the complete opposite side of the building.”

“Oh, you know,” Virgil said vaguely, waving his hand.

Patton waited for him to elaborate. When Virgil went back to his lunch, Patton just huffed an amused sigh, and resumed silently eating his tuna melt. Fifteen minutes later, they were waiting at a stoplight. They carried a drink tray each and both had a to go bag looped around their wrists. Patton was bobbing his head to the music playing from a car with its windows down.

“Excited to see lover boy today?” Virgil asked abruptly, shooting Patton a knowing smirk.

Patton startled so suddenly, he nearly dropped his goods.

“Virgil!” He squeaked, cheeks coloring. The crosswalk sign switched over and they stepped carefully into the street; Virgil looked right and left despite them officially having the right of way. Patton remained resolutely quiet though he was starting to get that dreamy, far off look in his eyes. Virgil transferred the carrier to one hand and caught Patton by the elbow before he could trip on the curb.

“Pay attention!” He laughed, too amused to fret very much. “I really should know better than to mention him unless you’re sitting down.”

Patton groaned, wishing he could hide his face in his hands. “Do you have to tease me so much?!”

“Yes,” Virgil answered immediately. “It comes with being best friends.” He flicked his wrist as if to prove his point; the sleeve of his hoodie slid down to reveal the friendship bracelet Patton had made for him. At this point, the drink carrier and bag of food were both in one hand, and Virgil decided it was for the best. It’d make watching over Patton easier, given his clumsiness.

Patton scowled at the outerwear. “Aren’t you hot, by the way?” He asked, intentionally choosing the more shaded walkway back to the daycare. “It’s, like, 80° out.” He lifted the tray closer to his lips and sucked up the last of his iced tea.

“Eh, you know me,” Virgil shrugged. He was always perpetually cold but Patton never did fail to ask him how he managed to wear jackets and sweaters in the sun. They arrived back at work with five minutes to spare. Handing the food and drinks out to their coworkers, they clocked back in right on time. Before Virgil returned, however, he threw an arm around Patton’s shoulders, hugging him.

“By the way, don’t think I didn’t notice you avoiding my question.”

Patton swatted him away, spluttering. Virgil shot him a wink as he disappeared into the back.

[clacolu95]

Don’t Want to Let You Go Chapter 11: The Date

Previous Chapter: Chapter 10: Newfound Resolution

Next Chapter: Chapter 12: The One Where Gladion Finds Out

Wicke finds out there’s something going on as soon as she catches Gladion taking off his lab coat and choosing to wear a black jacket on top instead.

The clock placed over the President’s office door has barely positioned itself to strike 5:00 p.m. when her boss announces his leave, even though it’s still around five hours too soon compared to his usual non-busy day schedule.

“You’re leaving early” She comments, not really expecting an answer but not wanting to let the chance of getting one slip away from her grasp either.

Gladion freezes in his place, his hand already over the doorknob though still not bringing himself to open it. He considers all possible answers, excuses or ways to get away from his assistant’s scrutiny. “Yeah I’m… going on a date” He surprisingly settles for the truth, the last part of his statement coming out as more of a murmur than what he had intended, but Wicke catches it regardless.

“Oh?” The assistant questions surprised, a small smile already forming on her lips as an idea of who he was going on a date with comes to her mind. “Then good luck!” She encourages, her soft voice and evident good wishes managing to get him to smile to himself.

“Mhm...” He simply mutters, finally opening his office’s door and traversing the finely lit hallways of the Aether Foundation’s building.

Just saying Gladion was nervous would be an understatement to the situation: his chest felt pressured with impatience, his head heavy as anxiety grew inside of him.

He assures himself everything’s going to be fine as he makes his way across the private docks on the artificial island, consequently boarding the ferry that would take him towards Ula’Ula.

He takes a seat as he watches several Aether workers doing the same, some of them even recognizing him and taking their time to bow their heads a little towards him in a polite greeting.

As the ferry starts advancing he lets himself relax a little at the sound of the working engine, emptying his mind in an attempt to shove all of the nervousness away. A light blush plagues his light skin once he thinks about what he’s about to do, his right hand travels towards his face, covering his mouth to avoid showing this side of him to the Aether workers that are traveling along him on the ferry, he doesn’t want them to think he is weak or something... Yet, he has to admit he is actually kind of weak when it comes to Moon. He had ignored her for years, cut ties with her, avoided every attempt at a conversation, cast her aside, buried himself in his work… It was hard to think that just that drunken conversation at Lillie’s party had released all of his inner feelings, unleashed his imagination and actually made him think maybe there was still a chance for him. For them.  

He fails at erasing the blush from his face, when the ferry gets to Ula’Ula the pink in his cheeks is still slightly evident.

He gets off the boat as the feeling of butterfrees on his stomach grows so intense he feels the need to run away from the docks, the meeting point they had agreed on that same morning.

Once he spots Moon, though, his brain stops working and the butterfrees start feeling more like Guzma’s Golisopod nibbling at his stomach. Gone are all of the plans for the night, the sleek strategies he was planning to pull out his sleeve.

His gaze lingers over her carefully combed hair crowned by a pair of small braids that are joined at the back of her head, her cherry red dress that’s casual enough to be used on a regular day but at the same time makes her look delicate and elegant. He catches the light pinky makeup on her milky skin. He’s out of breath, yet he lets out a gasp once their gazes finally connect.

He wants to run away. No. He needs to run away. Still, his feet stay glued to the ground as he watches her advance towards him with a hint of a smile.

“I said I’m going to make you fall in love with me again!”

The memory of his own words comes to him as if pushing him to try harder and suddenly his legs start moving as well. He shoves his shaking hands inside of his pockets and forces himself to ignore his pounding chest, still, once the Champion is in front of him his heartbeat intensifies.

“You’re not wearing your lab coat today” The raven-haired girl mutters, making an effort to start the conversation. Her gaze meets with his, struggling to not get lost in her companion’s hypnotizing emerald eyes “I like it” she coyly mentions, her eyes sparkling in a fashion that makes Gladion’s stare shift from her eyes to the floor.

“I don’t look nearly as good as you…” He speaks, interlocking their gazes again and enjoying the sight of her porcelain skin suddenly matching her crimson dress.

“Oh shut up…” She utters, her order quickly followed by a heartfelt giggle. She smiles at him, laughing nervously, and watches his serious expression fade away into a warm smile of his own. God had he missed seeing her laughing.

“Did I make you wait for too long?” He asks a little worried, though relaxing a bit once he watches her head shaking in denial.

In retrospect, it would have been much easier for Gladion’s plans for the night to meet up with her at the skirts of Mount Lanakila and then call a ride pager’s Charizard. Getting to the skirts of the Mountain would just represent a few minutes walk for her considering she worked at league that day, and flying towards the spot he had planned for the date was obviously faster than walking, but it was still pretty early and he didn’t mind taking the long way if it meant getting to walk alongside Moon for a longer time. There was plenty to talk about as well, he thought, and strolling across the island would probably be the best way to get through all of those unspoken conversations they had evaded for a long time.

They walk together across Malie City, both of them earning some curious glances from the people around them that they couldn’t say they didn’t expect, both of them had managed to acquire celebrity-like status in the region, and it has already been years since the citizens of Alola last saw their Champion and the President of the famous Aether Foundation together, after all.

In the brief messages they had exchanged that morning they had never mentioned the need to make the date a secret, still, that doesn’t make the indiscreet glances they receive as they walk across the city any less uncomfortable.

“We can fly if you want to…” Gladion offers, but she rejects the proposal with a quick hand gesture.

Her mind drifts off for a moment, wondering if, perhaps, it is the right moment to start the conversation she promised Lillie she would eventually have with the blond. To bring up the fact that she’s leaving Alola and give him proper time to react to the news. She decides not to, though she’s not entirely sure why she’s so scared of touching the subject.

Once they enter Route 10 and the noise of the city decreases they find themselves relieved that they’re not the center of attention anymore, as well as deeply submerged into a shared silence that is actually rather comfortable.

They both gaze at the charming scenery as the sun sets, making the sky tint of a stunning gold and ultimately leaving behind the clean nocturnal sky that’s so different from any other region’s. She stares for a moment, contemplating the stars and internally comparing them to the polluted sky of the cities she once used to live in.

“The sky is beautiful today, isn’t it?” She softly mutters. He agrees with a nod.

“The Moon looks particularly stunning” He answers, making her stomach flip at the combination of both his choice of words and his lingering gaze over her. She blushes at the realization of the double meaning in his words... and at the sight of his hand approaching hers, brushing her fingers with his as if asking for permission to take her hand into his.

“Moon I…” He mutters, gently caressing the tip of her fingers.

“Mhm…?” She asks, hypnotized by the way his emerald eyes shine under the moonlight.

A cold water drop falls over her nose, then one over her bare shoulder.

“Fuck…” She hears Gladion curse quietly, her own mind quickly getting to her own conclusions as the amount of water drops increase in intensity.

He grabs her hand swiftly, his quest to obtain her permission long forgotten as he struggles to think of what to do.

It’s not like they can use a ride pager’s Charizard now, as the service is not available in this kind of weather and they’re pretty much past half Route 10, so going back to Mallie City would take them at least half an hour. He curses again, tightening the grip on her hand and running towards Mt. Hokulani.

Moon doesn’t resist, she follows him as the rain falls heavily over them, internally wondering where he’s taking them, but also secretly feeling the warmth of the touch and admiring the marginally bigger size of his hand compared to hers. She’s not sure when his hands became so large, but she can’t say she doesn’t like it. Or that she’s not enjoying the feeling the connection causes in her.

They get across the second half of Route 10 in record time as Gladion guides their path, Moon’s clothes are completely soaked by now, and the only thing that’s stopping Gladion from being in the same state is the impermeable leather jacket he had conveniently chosen to wear instead of his usual lab coat that evening. She thinks he’s guiding them both towards the exeggutor express’ stop so that they can at least have some kind of shelter on top of them, but the blond surprises her deviating from the path and going in the opposite direction instead.

“Gladion where are we…?”

“Trust me” He requests, their eyes connecting for less than one second before their attention is back to running towards - in Moon’s point of view - Arceus knows where.

Once they get to the skirts of Mount Hokulani her sight finally catches a cave. It’s sort of hidden between the thick grove near the mountain, and she can also tell it’s not a very large place, still, she rejoices at the discovery of shelter and a place to dry herself and wait for the rain to cease.

The blond guides them through the entrance, and as they finally get inside she feels the cold wind crashing against her damp clothes and pretty much-exposed body.

The blond lets go of her hand, heading alone towards the back of the cave, though she’s not exactly sure just how deep the place is. He disappears in the dark for a second, only to come back to the entrance with what seemed to be firewood.

“We’ll make a bonfire” He explains, placing the logs over the floor and sitting beside them, his eyes quick to look at her as he invites her to do the same.

She follows obediently, looking at him as he grabs the only pokéball attached to his belt and presses the device’s button. Silvally emerges almost immediately, waving its tail at the sight of the female trainer and jumping towards her with ecstasy.

“Silvally...!” The Champion blurts out in surprise, but she can’t say the joyful licks of the artificial pokémon don’t make her heart flutter with nostalgia.

“Silvally!” His trainer screams with authority, its name now sounding more like an order than a greeting. The chimera quickly reacts, jumping away from the champion and instead focusing on the young president. It walks towards Gladion, who takes a small red disk out of his jacket’s pocket.

“I managed to make them smaller…” He clarifies as he places the device on his pokémon and causes its tail and crest to turn of a crimson red “I can help with yours if you want to…”

She smiles once she watches him petting the chimera’s head, she nods. “That seems very convenient, thank you”.

Silvally spits fire at the logs without the need of an order, the burning trunks in front of them manage to make her body feel warmer, though it doesn’t stop her shaking.

The blond recalls his pokémon and places the spherical device right back on his belt, he stands up, catching the sight of the shivering woman in front of him as he offhandedly takes off his jacket, placing it over the champion’s shoulders.

“No, your jacket…” She complains, her hands already traveling towards the piece of clothing before the blond stops her.

“Take it” He almost orders, sitting beside her as the bonfire warms them both slowly “My shirt is still dry so I’ll be fine…”

She ultimately accepts the chivalrous gesture with a thankful, yet embarrassed smile. She couldn’t deny that the thin - now wet - fabric of her dress was not helping her body feel any less close to hypothermia. She plays with the jacket’s fabric and enjoys the cozy feeling it causes, and when she gazes at Gladion she realizes he’s quietly looking back at her.

Their eyes lock for just a millisecond, after which Gladion’s stare is back to the rainy Alolan sky in front of them, a light blush now slightly noticeable in his pale skin.

She laughs a little to herself and chooses to fight the nervousness away by combing her damp hair with her fingers, feeling the soft heat radiate from her own cheeks.

She stares at Gladion as if wondering if he’s not feeling cold himself. Thanks to the protection of the leather jacket, that’s now in her possession, his long-sleeved shirt appears to be dry and intact; his pants on the other side look heavy with the impressive amount of water they managed to absorb. She can tell he’s trying his best not to shiver at the feeling of the chilly wind of Ula’Ula island, but his expression is blank: No signs of discomfort, no traces of annoyance.

She feels guilty out of nowhere, obviously aware that she, by taking away his jacket, is the sole source of his inconvenience. She’s also aware that even after all these years of not speaking to each other Gladion is, most likely, still the most stubborn person she knows to date and won’t take the piece of clothing back from her even if it means freezing to death himself, so she settles for the next best thing she can think of: She approaches him carefully. She looks at him as if asking for permission, but when all she gets out of the blond is a confused glance she stops waiting for his approval. She closes the gap between their bodies, sitting the closest she can to him in an attempt to share her recently acquired body heat. It seems to work much faster than what she had anticipated, cause her body feels warm from her toes to her head - And she can feel her face burning -.

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[rurulaura]

Chosen Children ZOdiac

Here is my own headcanons about the Chosen Children and the Zodiac signs they are. I know most people like to put one zodiac sign per kid. But I just couldn’t do that. 

Taichi - Aries - 

Strengths: Courageous, determined, confident, enthusiastic, optimistic, honest, passionate

Weaknesses: Impatient, moody, short-tempered, impulsive, aggressive

Aries likes: Comfortable clothes, taking on leadership roles, physical challenges, individual sports

“ Aries rules the head and leads with the head, often literally walking head first, leaning forwards for speed and focus. Its representatives are naturally brave and rarely afraid of trial and risk. They possess youthful strength and energy, regardless of their age and quickly perform any given tasks. “

Taichi was shown  a lot in Adventuer to be reckless and go head first into things without a second thought. Like when Sora is kidnapped by Nanomon, only then does that start his journey to think things through. But he still has the determination to finish things. Like in the latest movie, Symbiosis, he came to the decision to save Meicoomon, eveen if that meant killing her. Because he  trusted Meiko’s word. Despite protest from Yamato, he was driven to accomplish that. 

Yamato - Scorpio 

Strengths: Resourceful, brave, passionate, stubborn, a true friend

Weaknesses: Distrusting, jealous, secretive, violent

Scorpio likes: Truth, facts, being right, longtime friends, teasing, a grand passion

Scorpio dislikes: Dishonesty, revealing secrets, passive people

“ Scorpio-born are passionate and assertive people. They are determined and decisive, and will research until they find out the truth. Scorpio is a great leader, always aware of the situation and also features prominently in resourcefulness. “

Taichi and Yamato commonly butt heads because they are so passionate in their beliefs. Yamato always tried to be rational and more realistic, while Taichi thought more emotionally what was best for everyone. 

Yamato was shown to get so jealous of Taichi that it caused a rift between the team later in Adventure. Yet, it was what brought them together.  Yamato still looks to take care of everyone when Taichi ‘dies’ in the end of Symbiosis. He is very much leader #2 in the group. 

Sora - Cancer

Strengths: Tenacious, highly imaginative, loyal, emotional, sympathetic, persuasive

Weaknesses: Moody, pessimistic, suspicious, manipulative, insecure

Cancer likes: Art, home-based hobbies, relaxing near or in water, helping loved ones, a good meal with friends

Cancer dislikes: Strangers, any criticism of Mom, revealing of personal life” As children, they don't have enough coping and defensive mechanisms for the outer world, and have to be approached with care and understanding, for that is what they give in return. 

“ As children, they don't have enough coping and defensive mechanisms for the outer world, and have to be approached with care and understanding, for that is what they give in return. “

Sora is a hard person to read. She keeps all of her feelings to herself and it eventually consumes her, via the dark cave. As she grew to understand her Mom and Piyomon, she was able to help others in return. Even in tri. she is seen helping others get through their hard moments (Meiko and Mimi) and making sure everyone is happy, making food for everyone in the Digital world. Also calling everyone in Confession to make sure everyone is taking care of themselves. 

Mimi - Aquarius 

Strengths: Progressive, original, independent, humanitarian

Weaknesses: Runs from emotional expression, temperamental, uncompromising, aloof

Aquarius likes: Fun with friends, helping others, fighting for causes, intellectual conversation, a good listener

Aquarius dislikes: Limitations, broken promises, being lonely, dull or boring situations, people who disagree with them

“ The biggest problem for Aquarius-born is the feeling that they are limited or constrained. Because of the desire for freedom and equality for all, they will always strive to ensure freedom of speech and movement. Aquarius-born have a reputation for being cold and insensitive persons, but this is just their defence mechanism against premature intimacy. They need to learn to trust others and express their emotions in a healthy way. “

In Adventure, Mimi hated having to fight, watching comrades die one after another. She even needed to leave the group to clear her head. But in the end she found her will to fight and even brought an army with her to help fight the Dark Masters. 

In tri. she is much more carefree and expressive. But it comes off as selfish because she’s not taking everyone’s thoughts into consideration. Feeling like she was being constrained bothered her to the point she wasn’t motivated to do the cafe anymore and didn't want to  trust her instincts to fight to get Meicoomon back. 

After realizing it’s ok to be a little loud, she continues to wow the group with her food creations. and wild bikini  party ideas

Koushirou - Virgo 

Strengths: Loyal, analytical, kind, hardworking, practical

Weaknesses: Shyness, worry, overly critical of self and others, all work and no play

Virgo likes: Animals, healthy food, books, nature, cleanliness

Virgo dislikes: Rudeness, asking for help, taking center stage

“ Virgos are always paying attention to the smallest details and their deep sense of humanity makes them one of the most careful signs of the zodiac. Their methodical approach to life ensures that nothing is left to chance, and although they are often tender, their heart might be closed for the outer world. This is a sign often misunderstood, not because they lack the ability to express, but because they won’t accept their feelings as valid, true, or even relevant when opposed to reason. The symbolism behind the name speaks well of their nature, born with a feeling they are experiencing everything for the first time. “

Koushirou has always been lost in his own thoughts, continuing to ramble on even if no one was listening. He takes pride in being able to find the answer to any solution. But loses face when he couldn’t find one. 

He is also very loyal to his friends, even putting himself below them. He calls everyone with “-san” even if they are younger than him. He has grown out of this and learn to even see people’s emotions and react to them more. But in tri., it was evident he struggled with giving himself some credit. 

Jou - Taurus 

Strengths: Reliable, patient, practical, devoted, responsible, stable

Weaknesses: Stubborn, possessive, uncompromising

Taurus likes: Gardening, cooking, music, romance, high quality clothes, working with hands

“ Practical and well-grounded, Taurus is the sign that harvests the fruits of labor. They feel the need to always be surrounded by love and beauty, turned to the material world, hedonism, and physical pleasures. People born with their Sun in Taurus are sensual and tactile, considering touch and taste the most important of all senses. Stable and conservative, this is one of the most reliable signs of the zodiac, ready to endure and stick to their choices until they reach the point of personal satisfaction. “

Good ol’ Reliable Jou. He is the papa to the group like Sora is the Mama. Taking people’s health and safety into consideration, and even more so when he’s the oldest and must take responsibility. 

In tri. especially, he struggled to not see things from a realistic stance. Why couldn’t the other Chosen take care of the Digimon? Why did it have to be them again, when it was time ot be an adult? Jou learned to not be so strict with materialistic views. 

Takeru - Strengths: Generous, idealistic, great sense of humor

Weaknesses: Promises more than can deliver, very impatient, will say anything no matter how undiplomatic

Sagittarius likes: Freedom, travel, philosophy, being outdoors

Sagittarius dislikes: Clingy people, being constrained, off-the-wall theories, details

“Sagittarius is extrovert, optimistic and enthusiastic, and likes changes. Sagittarius-born are able to transform their thoughts into concrete actions and they will do anything to achieve their goals.Like the other fire signs, Sagittarius needs to be constantly in touch with the world to experience as much as possible. The ruling planet of Sagittarius is Jupiter, the largest planet of the zodiac. Their enthusiasm has no bounds, and therefore people born under the Sagittarius sign possess a great sense of humor and an intense curiosity.“

Takeru may be young in Adventure, but it didn’t stop him from being maniplutive and playful when he had to. To get away from Puppetmon, it was a great show of his quick thinking and playful behavior. Then in 02 he disliked Daisuke’s ideas that they couldn’t possibly hurt MetalGreymon. Takeru understood there was no other way.

In tri. his sense of humor and teasing is showcased. He always says inappropriate things at inappropriate times. It’s to change the subject, but let’s be honest, he’s a little shit. Even so, he is still to help and give a hand. Still trying to protect Hikari all these years. 

Hikari - Pisces 

Strengths: Compassionate, artistic, intuitive, gentle, wise, musical

Weaknesses: Fearful, overly trusting, sad, desire to escape reality, can be a victim or a martyr

Pisces likes: Being alone, sleeping, music, romance, visual media, swimming, spiritual themes

Pisces dislikes: Know-it-all, being criticized, the past coming back to haunt, cruelty of any kind

“Pisces are very friendly, so they often find themselves in a company of very different people. Pisces are selfless, they are always willing to help others, without hoping to get anything back.”

Hikari has always been the one to harbor bad feelings onto herself. Even when it’s not her fault, HIkari always blames herself. Something that Taichi knows of and destroys him knowing he almost killer her once. 

Her soft and altruistic is what causes her to be so vulnerable, so much so that it’s taken advantage of in tri. to create a monster and target the real world. Her vulnerability in 02 led her to the Dark Ocean, and her anguish escalated in seeing her brother die, creating a fusion to destroy the real world. 

Daisuke - Leo 

Strengths: Creative, passionate, generous, warm-hearted, cheerful, humorous

Weaknesses: Arrogant, stubborn, self-centered, lazy, inflexible

Leo likes: Theater, taking holidays, being admired, expensive things, bright colors, fun with friends

Leo dislikes: Being ignored, facing difficult reality, not being treated like a king or queen

“People born under the sign of Leo are natural born leaders. They are dramatic, creative, self-confident, dominant and extremely difficult to resist, able to achieve anything they want to in any area of life they commit to. There is a specific strength to a Leo and their "king of the jungle" status. Leo often has many friends for they are generous and loyal. Self-confident and attractive, this is a Sun sign capable of uniting different groups of people and leading them as one towards a shared cause, and their healthy sense of humor makes collaboration with other people even easier. “

Daisuke strives for Hikari’s heart and Taichi’s admiration. When the group gets beat down, it’s him that picks the pieces up and comes back stronger than before. He knows how to cheer his friends up and cheer them on. He does have his down times, losing face when people ignore him  and laugh at him. But it doesn’t take long her him to make a come back. 

He learned to be patient with Ken, that trying to force him into the group wouldn’t work. That Ken needed time. There were times that he refused to listen to anyone else, that his way was the only way. His stubbornness has been good and bad. He almost got Vmon killed because he didn’t want to fight an infected MetalGreymon, but on the flip side. He refused to back down against BelialVamdemon, which led to victory in the end.   

Miyako - Gemini

Strengths: Gentle, affectionate, curious, adaptable, ability to learn quickly and exchange ideas

Weaknesses: Nervous, inconsistent, indecisive

Gemini likes: Music, books, magazines, chats with nearly anyone, short trips around the town

Gemini dislikes: Being alone, being confined, repetition and routine\

“ Expressive and quick-witted, Gemini represents two different personalities in one and you will never be sure which one you will face. They are sociable, communicative and ready for fun, with a tendency to suddenly get serious, thoughtful and restless. They are fascinated with the world itself, extremely curious, with a constant feeling that there is not enough time to experience everything they want to see. “

Miyako quick witted mind has saved the kids in several situations. The Big House Episode with Arukenimon is a great demonstration of that. She was able to use a big computer to switch the audio around to make the Digimon go back to normal. 

But she has had her moments where she got a head of herself and almost got herself killed. She had to learn to slow down a little and think things through. She wasn’t sure how to feel about Ken after he turned good. Or even to beat him when they found out Ken was the Kaiser in the first place. ]

Iori - Capricorn

Strengths: Responsible, disciplined, self-control, good managers

Weaknesses: Know-it-all, unforgiving, condescending, expecting the worst

Capricorn likes: Family, tradition, music, understated status, quality craftsmanship

Capricorn dislikes: Almost everything at some point

“ Capricorn is a sign that represents time and responsibility, and its representatives are traditional and often very serious by nature. These individuals possess an inner state of independence that enables significant progress both in their personal and professional lives. They are masters of self-control and have the ability to lead the way, make solid and realistic plans, and manage many people who work for them at any time. They will learn from their mistakes and get to the top based solely on their experience and expertise. “

Iori was always the serious one even at such a young age. Determined to follow every word that his late Dad taught him and follow his lead. He saw the world as black and white. All good was good and all evil was evil. 

But he grew to learn there was a difference. That even though Ken once did so many awful things, he could still be a good person. Or that his dad was friends with Oikawa who was now doing terrible things. It showed him there was a lot of grey in that world of black and white. 

Ken - Scorpio 

Strengths – Although it can sometimes be hard even for Scorpios to accept this fact, their greatest strength is their sensitivity. While many Scorpios hide from their own emotions, not knowing what to do with their intensity and depth, when they find a way to regenerate and forgive those that hurt them, they become amazing healers, psychologists, partners and friends.

Weaknesses – Once they do get hurt, this pain goes too deep and they have the urge to turn to vengeance, often becoming filled with hate and anger. These emotions can get destructive, to others and themselves, and their true challenge is to accept them as normal and usual, in order to set free and turn to the future instead of staying buried in the past.

Ken was faced with hatred of his brother when people constantly praised Osamu, but never recognized his accomplishments. He soon grew vengeful and wished for his brother to disappear, when it actually happened it affected him greatly, to the point the dark spore and influence from Oikwawa made him into a different person. 

After Ken comes to his senses, he is greeted with such grief that he even wants to end his life at one point. The whole second half of the series is him learning to forgive himself and not let his past ruin him. 

Meiko - Virgo

Strengths – Virgo is considered the most intelligent sign in the zodiac, as the place where Mercury is exalted. They are in fact truly practical and smart when it comes to everyday issues. Analytical and deep, their greatest strength is their mind at they should use it to resolve matters of life that obviously present to them for a reason. Clean and thorough, a Virgo will make everything that was broken, tainted or spoiled, clean, fixed and working again. This is why they are often found as healers, for some Virgos have a talent to fix broken hearts, souls, egos or bodies.

Weaknesses – the greatest weakness of any Virgo hides in their emotional world. While they rely on their mind to give them all the answers they seek, lack of understanding can lead them to hurtful, irrational experiences that they simply don’t understand. They need to accept their fragility, sensitivity and approach matters of the heart as valid, important and sensible. The other weakness these individuals have to face is lack of awareness of their self-worth, shown through their need to always think less of themselves, as if they cannot do anything that is satisfying enough.

For years Meiko had been hiding shame and resentment of herself under a veil of shyness. She thought she could control Meicoomon, as long she was there, Meicoomon wouldn’t go berserk. 

When she realized Meicoomon was the source of the infection that caused her friends so much suffering, she kept blaming herself, even running away. She felt she had no right to be around the DIgimon or her friends. 

Even with the reassurance of the others, it was hard to have faith in herself and to think good things about herself. To see what was good in her. 

Meiko has shown to use what she learned from everyone else to help in her goals. Reiterating SOra’s words back to her, and having to come to the conclusion that ultimately, her partner would have to die in order to save both worlds. Despite the harshness of the decision, Meiko still very much loves Meicoomon 

Daigo - Sagittarius

Strengths – Sagittarius is an adventurer, both physically and mentally. People born in this Sun sign have a broad mind and they are able to change perspective with ease, until they find the right version of words spoken, events or reasons for anything they want to examine. Highly adjustable and with a deep understanding for different people, nations, countries, governments and in general – ways of life, they blend in perfectly with the natives, wherever they are. They need enough space, don’t want to be contained in their home, by their partner or in any other way. Movement will fill up their batteries, energize them and make them confident and strong. Independent, optimistic and sincere, this is a friend you want in your life, especially if you need someone to help you find hope or a purpose to anything that troubles you.

Weakness – The greatest weakness of Sagittarius is their inability to find focus. With such a broad vision, it is not easy to pay too much attention to details, be practical and narrow down their sentences to be understandable and unambiguous. As a consequence of their faith in the goodness of human kind, these individuals will often end up disappointed or challenged, and their faith has to be built up from a point of deep understanding, or they have a tendency to turn into inflexible, grumpy people who had high hopes, once.

Daigo is very laid back and cares deeply for the people around him. So deeply he doesn’t see the big picture and how destructive Maki’s suffering actually was. He tried to be the hope she desperately needed, but couldn’t help her. 

As his time as a Chosen Child, he was the leader of the group, and probably was their hope in many desperate situations.  

He teaches Calligraphy as his part time job and helps Taichi to find a good career path for him to take. 

Maki - Capricorn

Strengths – The greatest strengths of a Capricorn are his ambition, discipline and patience. With their ability to plan ahead and think of all necessary steps in their chase for a certain goal, they are often successful in their career path. Reliable and dedicated, these individuals often have trouble opening up to other people, but become trustworthy and stable in a relationship once they decide to be a part of it. With their endurance and patience, there is hardly anything that seems impossible.

Weaknesses – While they set extremely high goals for themselves, they often do so without the proper basis in their hearts. If they separate from their emotional needs and stay focused mainly on the image they will show to the rest of the world, they easily become unsatisfied, grumpy, and even angry at their circumstances, however successful they might get. The lack of compassion that comes as a product of their own, personal lack of satisfaction, leads to them becoming cold, distant and detached from others, while selfishly pursuing their goals with no regard to other people along the way. Their direction needs to be founded in their true personality, creativity and their hearts, in order for the rest of their life to have true quality.

Maki had plans of a reboot since University years and saw an opportunity to turn her plan into action with Meicoomon and eventually “Gennai’s” help. She carefully thought of the plans and actions in hand in order for the plan to work. 

But one thing she didn’t foresee was what the reboot could mean other than reviving perma dead Digimon.  Bakumon not remembering her then running away caused her to snap.  The circumstances caused her to have an emotional break and end up in the Dark Ocean, begging for Bakumon to come back to her. 

[pocket-anon]

The Long Way Home (3/10)

The journey begins!  Thank you so much to all of you who have expressed your support for this story.  Your reblog tags and comments on AO3 bring me so much joy.  I deeply appreciate the time you're spending with me, especially right now, when there’s a plethora of good stuff out there to read!  I would love to keep hearing your thoughts and reactions to what I have in store for you. XOXO

As always, thanks to my beta, @captainstudmuffin, and to @lifeinahole27, @clockadile, and @ladyciaramiggles for their additional feedback.  Additional thanks to my wonderful CSBB artists, @waiting-for-autumn and @giraffes-ride-swordfishes for providing some gorgeous artwork to accompany this fic!  Links to their illustrations of certain scenes (*) will be in the text - go show them some love!

Find it on AO3.  Nautical term glossary here.

Missed a chapter?  Get caught up here.

Summary:  After an unnaturally long life fraught with personal tragedy, Killian Jones has become known throughout the realms as the infamous Captain Hook, an opportunistic ne’er-do-well and one of the most formidable pirates to ride the waves.  When he crosses paths with a mysterious young woman with no memory of who she is or how she arrived there, he recognizes the chance to claim a monetary reward that will constitute his biggest score yet.  But a journey across the world to get her home leads to a series of adventures that reveal that her value lies in far more than gold and jewels.  A Captain Swan Anastasia AU - sort of.  (Captain Swan Enchanted Forest AU.  Romance, Adventure, & Eventual Smut.  Rated E.)

Warning: Brief but graphic depictions of violence, peripheral character death, and smut.

The following morning is hazy, the rising sun just beginning to burn off the thick harbor fog when Hook first sets foot on deck.  He fills his lungs with cool, damp air and surveys what he can of the surrounding water before turning his attention to the wharf and the port beyond.  The sight of a hooded figure walking down toward the dock through the backlit mist causes him to do a double-take, and a broad grin splits his face.  She wears the same blue cloak and green skirt as the day before, but a large, gathered burlap sack is tossed over her shoulder now, and her step is more purposeful.

She strides in the direction of the Jolly and sights him as she draws closer.  Taking his cue, he moves down the gangplank to intercept her, schooling his features so as not to betray his excitement.  Only a subtle smile remains on his lips by the time he meets her emerald gaze.  “’Morning, Swan.”

“Hi.”  She surveys the ship behind him, squinting in the reflected sunlight but appearing suitably impressed as her eyes drift across the gleaming white hull, the bright blue and yellow gunwhale, the polished wood bowsprit, and the neatly furled sails.  “So this is the Jolly Roger.”

“She is indeed,” he says, gesturing proudly.  “Finest ship in all the realms.”

Emma makes an agreeable noise, admiring the ship a few seconds more as they listen to the early calls of the sea birds and the soft slosh of the water.  She takes a deep breath.  “I have some conditions,” she informs him.

“Oh?”  His eyebrows and chin rise a touch.

“I sleep separate from the crew.”

“I’ve already made arrangements for a private berth.”

“And you’ll have to forgive me for not loving the idea of being trapped on a ship with a bunch of men, much less pirates,” she continues, her face still critical.  “Can you guarantee my safety?”

Hook nods soberly. “You have my word.  My men follow my orders or they regret it. Severely.  You will be safe under my protection.”

She’s silent for a moment as she studies him with that penetrating stare of hers.  At last her shoulders relax, and she tosses her head a little.  “I’ll need a weapon.  If your ship falls under attack, I will not be helpless and unarmed.”

A quiet laugh filled with admiration bubbles from his chest, and he bobs his head again.  “Of course.  We can find something for you in the armory once you’re settled.  A ship is not an ideal place for longswords, but perhaps you’ll find something else to your liking.”  He dimples playfully.  “Under my instruction, we might even turn you into a better swordsman than your father.”

Emma finally cracks a small smile, the apples of her cheeks pinking with amusement.  “Humility becomes you,” she deadpans.  She cocks her head and narrows her eyes shrewdly. “Returning a missing royal has got to be worth some gold.  What if it turns out I’m not the Princess?  That there’s no money in this for you?”

“Ah.”  Hook glances at the sky and searches for the right words, both unsurprised and chastised that she’s deduced his potential for profit in this situation.  “The Jolly does not stop being a pirate ship simply because we travel north with you, Swan. We’ll make this trip worth our while either way, and forgive me for saying that you will not be allowed to interfere in those activities.”  He keeps his voice firm, though inwardly he cringes at the way her eyes widen.  “But we will not take unnecessary risks with you aboard,” he adds, his expression softening.  “We will do everything we can to deliver you safely to Misthaven, and, in the unlikely event I am proven wrong about you, the pleasure of your company aboard ship will be payment in full.”

“And by the pleasure of my company, you mean…?” she asks, her tone bordering on a warning.

“Why, your delightful conversation, darling,” he responds breezily.  “Unless, of course, you had something else in mind.”  He smirks like a scoundrel at the deep flush that washes up over her face.

“I did not.”

His eyes sparkle.  “As you wish.”

Emma huffs in a way that befits her regal pedigree, recovering from her ruffling admirably and fixing him with a look of cool scrutiny that actually causes him to hold his breath.  Relief washes over him when her hand finally juts out.  “Deal.”

Hook beams as they shake on it, and he sweeps his arm sideways to invite her to climb the gangplank. “Who knows?” he declares cheerfully as her cloak swishes softly past him, “Perhaps you’ll make a useful addition to the crew.  I get the feeling there’s a little pirate in you.”  Her dismissive laugh makes him grin even wider.

 *             *             *

 Swan can feel every pair of eyes on her as she stands at the rail behind the ship’s wheel while the Jolly Roger pulls farther out to sea, her gaze fixed on the little port town that grows smaller and smaller in the distance.  Her grim face disguises the tumultuous emotions swirling in her chest as the features of the coastal hamlet grow less and less distinct, fading into the greater landscape of the peninsula until the town is nothing but a smudge in the early afternoon sunlight.  Vicarstown never really felt like a home, but it’s the only place she can ever remember being, the only world that’s familiar, and she’s melancholy not knowing if she’ll ever return to see it or Maggie again.  As it has since she set foot on the dock, anxiety also ebbs and flows in her veins today, priming every nerve to be on edge, and she wonders for the hundredth time how foolhardy it is to try to journey halfway around the world in the company of pirates.  

Upon maneuvering out of harbor, Hook had called all hands to attention in order to present her formally to the crew, most of who had clearly not been expecting her presence aboard their ship.  She’d withdrawn her hood and seen recognition cross more than one face as the men remembered her from the tavern and perhaps even recalled her altercation with Blackbeard. Surprised looks had abounded when Hook had explained that she was being transported to Misthaven as his personal guest. Interestingly, he’d made no mention of her suspected identity or of any reward for her return.

“She is the Lady Swan, and you will treat her as such,” he had called, his jaw set in a determined scowl. “I know most of you bilge rats do not have a lot of experience with true ladies, so I will be clear.  She is to be addressed as ‘milady’ or ‘ma’am.’  The deal is that she will not interfere with our ship’s activities, and you will grant her every courtesy within reason. If she asks you to leave her alone, you will do so immediately.  Any harassment or insult to her person will be met with consequences at my hand.  And her safety is our top priority.  Is this clear?”

Sideways glances had been exchanged, but heads had bobbed, and though some had muttered while others had responded more heartily, all had voiced their understanding without protest. The steely glimmer Hook had had in his eyes and the unforgiving harshness in his voice – her first glimpse of him as the dreaded pirate captain – made her breath catch, but the pure obedience it appeared to inspire in the men did leave her feeling more secure by the time he’d dismissed the assembled back to their posts and begun barking orders in various directions to get them properly underway.  

Now, however, her anxiety flares anew.  The crew moves in a flurry about her, and she bristles as the pirates openly gawk and leer, staring at her with varying levels of fascination, awe, contempt, and desire.  Swan takes a deep breath and holds her head high.  She wants nothing more than to try to forget about them, to focus on the sea and the sky or to close her eyes altogether and savor the sound of the waves and the breath of the wind on her skin, but prudence demands she keep her guard up around these men regardless of the Captain’s guarantee.  She swallows, wondering if she’s to spend the entire voyage feeling eyes on her back.  Hook estimates their journey will take them five or six weeks if conditions are in their favor.  Five or six weeks.  She sighs, impatiently pushing her windblown hair out of her face.  A long time to spend looking over her shoulder.

Footsteps approach, and she whirls to see Hook strolling up.  He responds to her skittishness with a hand held aloft to stay her and a small smile. “Relax, Swan.  It’s only me.”

She blinks sheepishly. “Sorry.”  Her eyes flick over his shoulder toward the rest of the crew. “Being the only woman on a pirate ship takes some getting used to, I guess.”

She swears there’s a little tinge of sadness in his eyes as he momentarily bows his head.  “Aye, I suppose it does,” he says, more quietly than she expects.  He looks back up at her, his smile restored.  “Come.  Allow me to see you to your cabin.”

Glad for something to do, she picks up her sack and allows him to guide her down a hatch, his hand poised just behind her back as they navigate the narrow passageways that run below deck. They arrive at a nondescript door mid-ship, and he pushes it open before standing aside to reveal a small but serviceable private berth.  Swan enters, looking around with interest as she examines the small bunk, built-in washstand, and empty locker shoehorned within.  Though the wood surfaces are all well-worn with use, the room is clean and shipshape, and she recognizes the boon of having such a space on a vessel like this.

“Who normally sleeps here?” she asks, impressed with his generosity.

“My first mate, Mr. Smee.” Hook scratches behind his ear. “He’ll bunk with the rest of the crew for this voyage.”

She sets her sack down on the bed and lays a hand softly on the edge of the washstand.  “I should thank him for giving this up.”

Pleasant surprise flashes across his features, but Hook shrugs.  “He does so on my orders, but I’m sure he would appreciate the gesture. You’ll know him by his red hat. Only he and my quartermaster, Mr. Roberts, know that you’re the Princess.”

“Alleged Princess.”

His handsome face breaks into an amused grin, and he nods indulgently.  “Very well, Your Highness.”

She rolls her eyes.

He gestures out the door. “I believe you saw the mess on the way here.  The crew eats just before noon and just after sundown.  One of the men, Thomas, does most of the cooking.  The fare can’t rival Maggie’s, but it’s passable.”  He registers the nervousness on her face. “Are you alright, love?”

Swan tries to force a grin, even as her stomach clenches at the idea of sitting at a communal table with a group of unfamiliar and potentially unsavory men twice a day. “Uh, yeah.  Fine.”

Hook considers her for a moment.  “Would you prefer to dine with me in my cabin?”  When she blinks and relief writes itself across her features, he chuckles. “Private meals are a captain’s privilege.”

Swan folds her lips and manages a tiny nod.  “If it’s not too much of an imposition,” she stammers.  There’s a flutter in her chest at brilliance of his smile.

“On the contrary,” he says, “it would be my honor.”

 *             *             *

 The day is marvelous fun for the Captain.  He invites the Princess to hover at his elbow while he explains the ins and outs of the ship, spending more time than usual behind the wheel and pointing out the goings on about the deck to her.  He familiarizes her with the structure of the Jolly and with the various members of his crew, and despite her initial guardedness, he wins her smile by interspersing his explanations with the occasional dry commentary, particularly with regard to the latter.  The way her dimples flash and her eyes twinkle when he tells her about Smee’s attachment to his hat or about the cooper, Martin’s, propensity to warble loudly and badly under the influence of too much drink tempts Hook to grin like a fool, something he hasn’t done sober in recent (or even distant) memory.  She seems to relax a little as the hours go by, her uneasiness lessening in fractions in the comfort of his shadow, and she even goes so far as to voluntarily introduce herself to the crewmen that come up to speak with him, taking an extra moment with Smee to thank him for the loan of his cabin.  The expression on his first mate’s rounded face – surprise followed by bashful enchantment – makes Hook wonder how long it will be before Emma has even the most hardened of the men wrapped around her little finger.

There’s something soothing about her presence at his side, her chuckle is music in his ear, and more than once he has to force himself to stifle a smile when he catches a member of the crew watching him knowingly.  He swallows hard after the third time it happens, well aware that some of them are comparing this to the last occasion he brought a woman aboard, the woman who became his first mate in every sense, the woman who died because of her decision to follow him.  His eyes fall to the deck, the muscles of his jaw tightening.  This isn’t the same thing, he reminds himself.  Swan – Emma – the Princess – she isn’t like Milah. She isn’t here for him, and she isn’t staying.  She may be smart and fiery and bloody beautiful, but she’s a temporary distraction, just a lovely means to a well-paid end.  He glances up to see her tracking a pair of gulls over the starboard bow, her eyes wistful and her hair tossed on the headwind in golden ribbons, and he sighs. Bloody hell if he isn’t going to earn every copper of that reward money exercising the self-control it’s going to take to remember that.

“So what did you think of your first day aboard ship?” he asks as they retire to his quarters to await the arrival of their dinner.  The sun is just below the horizon now, the sky still glowing with the last bit of its light like a burnt ember.  Emma waits, braced midway down the ladder that leads from the hatch above, while Hook moves about the shadowy room, using the flame from a lantern to kindle the brass oil lamp hanging above his table and the two wall-mounted lamps over his berth and near his desk.  They flicker to life and cast glimmering light across his belongings, and he turns to see her descend the last few steps hesitantly, her eyes darting this way and that as she takes it all in.

“There’s a lot more to sailing than I ever realized,” she admits, her boots landing softly upon the floorboards.  

“Indeed.”  Hook chuckles and gestures with a small bow. “Welcome to my humble abode.”  He turns his back to her to shrug out of his coat and strides over to the corner to her left to hang it on a peg on the back of the door.  “Sounds like you haven’t spent much time at sea.”

She continues to hover at the foot of the ladder almost shyly.  “I don’t know,” she reminds him.  “It doesn’t feel like I have, anyway.”

He hums.  “Well, all due respect, Misthaven’s never been known for its seafarers,” he points out, unfastening his sword belt and hanging that over the same peg.  “As I understand it, its wealth lies more in its forests and mines.”  He flashes her a smile.  “Never fear, love.  You’re a fast learner.  If you desire it, I wager we can turn you into a more than adequate sailor by the time we reach your shores,” he says with a wink.

He motions her toward the table, rolling out a map.  “Care to see our course?”  Hook feels a small swell of gratification when at last she ventures forth from the ladder, hiding his smile beneath his bowed head as he runs his hand over the parchment, the stones from his rings catching the light.  “Now, we’re here…”  

Emma becomes engrossed as he talks, some of the stiffness in her spine dissipating while he traces the stages of the Jolly’s anticipated path with the tip of a finger and points out their options for making port along the way.  She sweeps the veil of her hair back and tucks it behind her ear before tapping a small drawing of tentacles emerging from the waves.  “What’s this?”

“That,” he says sagely, “is a region of increased krakken activity – best avoided unless you care to meet an enormous beast with lots of arms and teeth who wants to have you for dinner.”  A knock causes him to glance up.  “Speaking of which.  Come!”

The door swings wide, and his crewman, Thomas, a lanky young man with auburn hair, appears, balancing a tray laden with two plates, a pair of goblets, and a small bottle of wine. “Dinner, Cap’n, m-ma’am,” he announces, sounding a little nervous.

Hook beckons him to approach, hurriedly rolling the map away and relocating the other items on the table to the shelf beneath the bank of windows behind him.

Thomas clears his throat as he sets the tray before them.  “I found the wine you asked for, sir.”

“Excellent.”  Hook swipes the bottle from the tray to examine the vintage and gives a small grin of approval before dismissing his man with a nod.  

Thomas sneaks a shy look at Emma and takes his leave, shutting the cabin door quietly behind him.

The Captain sets the bottle aside and moves to pull out a chair for her.  “Milady.”

Emma looks a little embarrassed, clearly unaccustomed, within recent memory at least, to such a courtesy.   Her cheeks bloom red as she slides obligingly into the seat and allows him to scoot her in.  “Thanks.”

He unseals the wine. “I’ve been saving this for a special occasion,” he says with a wink, pouring them both a liberal glass.  “It seemed like an auspicious way to begin our journey.”

Emma reaches out to peer at the year on the faded label, and her eyes widen.  “You didn’t have to open this for me.”

His grin reaches his ears. “Nonsense, Swan.  Fine wine is meant to be shared with the perfect company. And I assure you, you’re the first person I’ve had the pleasure of sharing a meal with in a long time on whom it would not be wasted.”

She chuckles and looks down into her goblet, giving the straw-colored liquid a little swirl. “Really?  You don’t think your men would appreciate getting to taste this?” she asks, bowing her head and sniffing delicately.

He snorts.  “Enjoy it, yes.  Appreciate it, no.  I know the swill many of them will settle for.  I’ve drunk a fair amount of it myself.”  Her little laugh makes him feel a bit giddy before he’s even had a sip, and he toasts. “To finding home.”

She clinks her glass against his with a slightly apprehensive smile.  “Home.”

Between the wine, a meal made from ingredients all fresh from port, and Emma’s company, dinner is nothing short of delightful, though he’s fairly certain the latter is the greatest contributing factor.  Emma prompts him to tell her more about the locales they’ll pass through on their way north, and though she clearly makes a point of not overindulging in the wine, she seems to enjoy herself as he entertains her with descriptions of the soft white sand beaches of Glowerhaven, the rolling green hills of the Southern Isles, and the dramatic Cliffs of Evensbrooke.

Only crumbs remain by the time they finish, and Emma rises from the table with a soft rustle of her skirts in order to peruse his extensive collection of books.  She drags her fingertips lightly across the spines of the volumes lining the shelves near his bed, examining the titles one by one while he watches her over his second glass of wine.  A sizable tome with foreign script stamped across it in fading gold leaf catches her eye, and she carefully pulls it free to inspect it further.

“Odýsseia.  The Odyssey,” she observes, admiration in her voice.  She freezes, blinking.  “I read Greek.”  She stares at the shiny worn calfskin cover in awe.

Hook rumbles with satisfaction at having stumbled upon more evidence of her royal upbringing.  “It would seem you do, Alleged Princess.”

She narrows her eyes at him and purses her lips in the barest of concessions before flipping the book open and scanning a few of the dog-eared pages thoughtfully. “Hmph.  Not nearly as well as you, it seems,” she concludes.  “This looks like it’s been read a hundred times.” She arcs a brow at him in silent question.

The corner of his mouth crooks upward, and his gaze grazes the beams above them.  “You’d be surprised what they teach you in the Royal Navy,” he tells her.  “And perhaps less surprised to know that a pirate enjoys reading about adventures at sea.”

“No offense, but I’m a little surprised to find a pirate enjoys reading,” she admits.  “All the pirates I’ve met seem to prefer less… intellectual activities.”  She folds the book shut with a soft whump and returns it to the shelf.  “Poetry and literature were not exactly common topics of conversation at the tavern.”

Hook flashes a muted smile. “We hail from all walks of life, love. It’s hardly fair to paint us with the same brush when it comes to our interests.”

Emma shoots him an appraising look over her shoulder as she goes back to her meandering tour of his books and other knickknacks.  “Are you telling me you don’t also love rum and dice and cards and easy women?” she challenges.  The spark in her eyes is pure intelligence and boldness, and, gods, it calls to him like one of Homer’s bloody sirens.

His tongue feels pleasantly heavy as he swallows.  “I take pleasure in many things,” he manages, watching her raptly from his chair. “Though I admit that diversions that offer a challenge tend to be much more… rewarding.”

“Hmm.”  She sounds unconvinced, but he doesn’t miss the tiny twitch of the corner of her mouth before she resumes her survey of his things.  “So. The Royal Navy?”

His grin fades. “Aye.  Speaking of ancient tales,” he murmurs.  He reaches for his wine goblet and lifts it to his lips.

Emma turns at the change in his tone, eyeing him curiously.  “Not a happy story, I take it.”

He sighs as he drains his glass and sets it down.  “Not in the end, no,” he answers flatly, his expression somber as he slowly rotates the stem between his fingers.  “Let’s just say every man has his reasons for turning pirate.”  He should change the subject or stop talking now, he thinks. There’s nothing to be gained by revealing his emotional soft spots to anyone.  But she approaches and reseats herself next to him, folding her hands unassumingly in her lap and remaining silent as she waits for him to elaborate, and he realizes that part of him wants to tell her.  To be known by her.  Several long seconds go by.

“We served a corrupt king who sent us to Neverland in search of a plant we were told was medicine,” Hook begins at last.  “It turned out to be poison meant to be used as a weapon of war.  My captain wouldn’t believe it at first and dosed himself with it to prove it was a lie.”  The muscles in his jaw flex with tension and grief.  “He was my older brother, Liam,” he says quietly, his gaze fixed on the table. “He died.”

Emma’s expression transforms into one of horror.  “I’m… I’m so sorry,” she stammers.

He nods, his features pained as he chances the briefest of glances up at her before letting his eyes fall back to the worn wood table.  “I took command, and this ship hasn’t served a monarch since.”

Her eyes widen.  “This ship.  This was a naval vessel.”

Hook’s mouth pulls into a half-hearted smirk.  “Not just any naval vessel – the pride of the King’s fleet,” he corrects.  “She’s special – made from enchanted wood they say. It makes her the sturdiest and fastest ship in all the realms.”  He glances around looking nostalgic.  “We’ve weathered many a storm together, seen many strange, glittering shores.”

“Like Odysseus.”

“Indeed.”

Emma hums.  There’s a moment of hesitation.  “Your brother must have been quite an officer to have been appointed captain of the naval flagship,” she ventures kindly.

Hook’s brow wrinkles, his smile slipping away.  “Aye,” he mutters with a bittersweet huff.  He stares distantly at the floor by the bookshelf, the spot where Liam last drew breath, and his voice grows thick.  “That he was.  He was the best of men.”

She shifts in her seat, her face written with sympathy.  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bring up a painful subject.”

He glances up and catches her gaze with the shadow of a polite smile.  “It’s alright, love.  It was a very long time ago.”  He brushes the side of his nose with his thumb before clearing his throat.  “Feel free to borrow any of the books you like,” he offers, rising with a grunt.  “I should fetch you a lantern for your cabin.  Wait here.”

He registers Emma’s grateful nod as he takes up his own lantern and exits his quarters, pausing in the corridor as soon as the door closes behind him to try to shake off the fresh ache  - the guilt, sorrow, and loneliness – that resurrecting his brother’s ghost always brings to his heart.

 *             *             *

 A weary sigh escapes Swan’s lips as she retires to her cabin, hanging her lantern above her berth and settling on the edge of the utilitarian mattress with the Captain’s copy of Customs of the Frozen Lands. She runs her hand over the smooth black cover, her thoughts swirling as she replays the day in her mind and feels the steady rock of the ship beneath her.  The soft, rhythmic creak of boards and the faint footsteps of the night watch overhead sing to her, and Hook’s voice echoes in her thoughts.

Every man has his reasons for turning pirate.

What is that like?  To not have any memories?

She remembers the deep weariness that had crossed his face and the way his eyes had darkened when he spoke of his brother, and her lower lip disappears between her teeth.  She’s heard Captain Hook described as many things, seen the swaggering rapscallion and the hard-nosed commander, but it’s these facets of him that she’s never heard a word about – the worldly thinker, the thoughtful host, the mournful survivor – that give her the most pause.  None of the tales, even from Maggie, have prepared her for the honesty she hears in his words and the glimpses of vulnerability he allows her, and it makes her wonder even more at the hard life that twisted the Captain, a man in whom she sees more than a kernel of good, into a figure of such dark reputation.

Swan rises and sets the book on the washstand.  She studies her murky reflection in the dimly lit mirror and half-heartedly tries to finger-comb a few of the innumerable tangles out of her hair.  Since her appearance in Vicarstown, she’s only been afforded the luxury of seeing her own reflection a handful of times, and the face that looks back at her is still disturbingly unfamiliar.  Alleged Princess.  As many questions as she has about Hook, it’s really her own story that she should be worrying about.  She doesn’t know which possibility terrifies her more – that he might be right about her or that he could be wrong and this could be a fool’s errand that will end with her meeting some unspeakable fate at sea or abandoned in yet another unknown land.  

She locates the laces on her corset and tugs them loose with a sigh.  Killian Jones has apparently sailed the realms for over a hundred years, she reminds herself, tossing the leather aside.  The questionable nobility of his intentions notwithstanding, she believes his expressed determination to get her safely to Misthaven, and, like it or not, she’s left herself with no option but to trust in that and in him.

She reaches for the lantern to turn down the light, lowering the wick and staring into the dancing flame as it shrinks down to nothing more than a thin glowing stripe.  The cabin transforms into a room full of shadows, and Swan shucks off her boots and crawls into bed, electing not to strip down to her shift even in the supposed privacy of her berth.  The gentle sway of the ship is soothing, but after several long, sleepless minutes, she frowns, realizing that she misses the chirp of crickets and the chorus of frogs that always filled the night air of the little port town in the wee hours once the bawdiness died down.  She wonders what the night sounds like in the world she used to know.  Swan curls up on her side, cocooning herself beneath the slightly rough wool blanket and clutching the ancient pillow beneath her fingers, and as she closes her eyes to the uncertainties that loom over her like the dark, distorted shapes on the walls, she tries her best not to feel like a wayward, lonely child who misses a home she can’t even remember.

Thanks for reading!  Ready for the next chapter?  Click here!

[tekka-dan]

Driving tips for minors—or even seasoned—during bad weather.

So hey everyone, with the winter months approaching rapidly, I kind of wanted to address this post for my newcomer/young drivers during bad weather, because I haven’t seen something like it yet.

*I am going to be talking in favor southern states. For the mere fact that I’ve lived in the south my entire life, I know freezing temperatures in the south are comparable to walk in the parks in the northern states. With that being said, the same tips could still be useful.

1. Driving a Comfortable Speed

a. I can’t stress how important this is to you if you’re driving in bad weather. People are going to be impatient driving behind you and that’s on them. Do not go any faster than you are comfortable. Some people are used to driving in the rain, snow, ice, however if you are someone who is not do not I repeat do not go any faster than you’re comfortable with.

b. This could save your life and quite possibly everyone else’s. As I stated in my last point that some people are used to driving in bad weather, a large percentage of people remain cautious anyway. You need to be one of those people. Your destination is not going anywhere, take your time, arrive safely.

2. Car Maintenance

a. If you’re a new driver, you’re probably aware of the basic things you learn from your parents/guardians. Like; changing your oil, how to change a tire, checking your headlights—etc. However, something pretty extreme you need to understand is that when the temperatures drop, your car is susceptible to “frequent” issues. This could range from your engine light coming on all the way to your car reading low tire pressure (*I want to note here that if you’re driving an older model vehicle, say prior to 2000, those vehicles do not come with fancy desktop warnings, so in that case please do frequent check ups for those) which is normal during freezing weather.

b. When you are getting ready for work/school you need to make sure to start your car up at least twenty minutes prior to leaving. This will allow your engine to warm up, the windshields to defrost. If someone woke you up at below freezing temperatures, you’re not likely going to just hop out of bed and immediately take off, correct? Treat your car the same way.

c. Your tire pressure is subject to fluctuate. Air shrinks when it is cold. Your car tires lose pressure, but have enough volume that the tires don't entirely deflate. This will give your car that whacky reading of low pressurized tires, this in turn is a safety measure for you, check your tire pressure frequently during cold weather. Recommended pressure is usually between 30 and 35 PSI.

d. I’d say do this habit frequently, especially if you’re having your tires rotated you need to also ask them to bounce your tires, all that means is that it will accurately measure the weight of your car that sits on those tires. If your tires are not balanced you will notice a difference—constant vibration when you brake/step on the gas. It’s your tires trying to compensate for the weight of the car sitting on them.

3. Tread

a. The term tread comes from basically the layer of coating on your cars tires. Tread wares over time, so just as you would rotate your tires every 7-10,000 miles, your maintenance people need to also inform you if your tread is wearing thin/needs to replaced and quickly.

b. The thinner your tread is, the more likely you are to lose control. The reason this is dangerous in bad weather (for obvious reasons) is that because your car relies on being able to grip the pavement it is cruising on. You know that loud vibration sound you hear and feel when you’re drifting too far into to the emergency lane? That’s tread. That noise and feeling is what’s keeping your car from sliding off the road. Thin tread is a death wish in bad weather, because if it’s pouring down rain, the roads are slick, so if you’re driving at speeds of 40-60 mph, your car isn’t going to have the grip it should have to bring you to complete halt as it would on dry pavement/with better tread. Weak tread will allow water to get into the groves of your tires, this creates friction that will in turn loosen the grip your tire has on the road. So if you slammed the brake (DO NOT do this in rain) your tires are going to spin viciously but will lose their balance because they aren’t gripping the pavement which will throw you out of control. Weak/thin tread is by far the most dangerous situation you could subject yourself to (next to riding without a seatbelt).

Now that I’ve gone over a few safety/maintenance tips with you that they (probably) don’t teach you in drivers ed class, I want to cover points of actual road dangers, that could cost you your life or someone else’s. So please pay attention.

1. Black Ice

a. In grade school, you’re taught that water freezes at 32 degrees F (0 degrees C). With that knowledge in mind, you’re also taught that 32 degrees F is also severely damn cold. In souther states that’s considered freezing. You can drive in cold weather, in fact you can even drive in snow (*If you’re comfortable and absolutely experienced) however if it’s 32 degrees F and it is also raining, roads will freeze over. If your local news station/channel gives you the warning of Black Ice you need to cancel your plans for the day. Black Ice is not “I’m late to work, I’ll take it slow.” Or “My kids really need to get to school.” Black Ice is literally: https://youtu.be/x3w7awkBwmo (report to your local police station that an iced over area is a collision course so they can take proper measures to warn/aide people)

b. The reason this road hazard is so dangerous is because most people have 2WD (2 Wheel Drive) meaning that they have control over only the front tires. When those two tires encounter black ice, they lock in a fixed position, similiar to what your legs would do walking on ice, as seen in the video above. The BEST thing you can do in this situation: DO NOT BRAKE. This not something they teach in drivers ed, because immediate basic human reaction to losing control of your vehicle is to brake and I cannot stress to you enough DO NOT BRAKE ON BLACK ICE. YOU WILL LOSE CONTROL. What you CAN do is take your foot OFF the gas and turn your steering wheel WITH the way you’re sliding. IF you turn AGAINST the turn you are prone to flipping your vehicle or even tail spinning out of control, that’s called an overcorrection, this is usually what results in fatalities. When you turn WITH the glide, your car will eventually straighten out to correct itself.

c. If you’re driving 4WD (4 Wheel Drive) you’re prone to being able to correct this quicker than 2WD mainly because you have control of all four tires. If control is lost to the two front tires, it automatically engages the back end tires which is your power steering. However over exerting this force could also lead to a casualty. Your best bet is to also take your foot OFF the gas and turn with the glide, letting it correct itself.

2. Hydroplaning

a. This is by far the second most dangerous form of a road hazard, mainly because it is the one thing that’s hard to “warn” against. The only way you’ll really know what to do is by experiencing this firsthand yourself. However, I’m here to help ease that for you. Hydroplaning is basically the scenario I explained above in having weak tread, the difference being that it could also apply to having tougher/thicker tread too. Basically, it’s going through a flood of water that your tires don’t have the balance to withstand, so it loses all traction entirely which causes the car to lose control. This is why they stress to you not to brake in the rain, because your tires are prone to hydroplaning, when water works it’s way into the grooves of your tires and makes you lose traction. This is even more dangerous in puddles/trenches of water because it could also flood your engine.

b. If you or anyone is in the dire situation of hydroplaning, DO NOT BRAKE. Once again—this is actually where the fatality rates come in from over correcting. What you CAN. do is hold tightly onto the wheel, DO NOT turn with the spin, let your car glide whatever direction it is going. Reason being is that your wheels are literally off the ground during a hydroplane. (*Notice the word Plane in the term) In this situation there is nothing you can really do, except hope for the best. Your car will eventually come to rest if you are able to avoid hitting something. When that is the case, gradually ease back onto the road and by all means go as slow as you possibly can.

c. A way to avoid hydroplaning if it all means possible is that if you are approaching an intersection, start coming to a gradual halt miles back. Do not wait until you’re bumper to tail of another car to slam your brake. Hydroplaning is avoidable if you’re cautious mainly because it’s a mix of going too fast and stopping too quickly. If you avoid doing either of those in the pouring down rain, you should be safe. However, you still need to be cautious regardless.

3. Hail

a. I am going to assume that you’re aware of how hail is formed but if not: http://www.answers.com/Q/How_is_hail_formed here you go. This weather is particularly dangerous for the main reason that it’s literal balls of ice falling at 10-20 mph, 6 inches in diameter pelting against your car/windshield. If you’re caught in a hail storm while driving, your initial reaction needs to be finding cover. Most gas stations are safe to park under, some overpasses might prove safe as well—just find somewhere quickly. However if by chance you’re driving in an open area and there is no cover, your best bet is to shield yourself. Your car might be totaled but your life could be saved. It’s been documented that hail could reach large amounts of density and fall at quicker speeds, which could shatter the skull of a human. (yes, hail can actually kill someone: http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/explainer/2006/04/how_dangerous_is_hail.html )If that is the case your safest bet is to stay inside of your car, ducking so if the glass layer breaks, it won’t fly into your eyes or mouth. Even if the hail was enough to shatter your windshield, being inside of your car is still safer. Why? Because that’s still a layer—a pretty thick layer too—protecting you as well as the roof above your head. Hail should not penetrate the roof of a vehicle, so if worst luck is it busting your windshield, as long as you keep your head down and covered, you should be okay. Here’s an example of bracing while in a vehicle: https://youtu.be/KiKaOHdkP9o That video gives a pretty good reaction of staying calm and also shows just how strong a windshield actually is. They are made to withstand hundreds of pounds of force, even if hail penetrates it, you’re still roughly safer inside the vehicle than outside if coverage is not available/an immediate option.

I did not include on this last Tornadoes, Hurricanes, Wildfires, Earthquakes or Tsnuami’s because those are natural disasters and in your average life span you shouldn’t need to risk your life driving through any of those frequently.

I want to stress to young/new or even seasoned drivers that these weather conditions are no joke. I don’t want to hear about a follower of mine losing their life to dangerous road conditions. Neither does your family. Please be safe and vigilant. If weather conditions frighten you by all means find other means of transportation. My first wreck on December 7th, 2013 nearly claimed my life. I was not taught any of this while in Drivers Ed when I was 15, in fact the program was removed shortly after my semester concluded. I want my followers to be safe during the holiday seasons/year round.

[beautifulramblingbrains]

Deception - Chapter 3

Fandom: Divergent. Pairing: Eric/OC Rating: M

With a Father in power and a past based on rumors, a story of deception entails.

Find the second chapter here.

A/N: Thank you as always. And this will eventually be updated to FF.net when they sort their shit out.

@murmelinchen  @beltz2016  @tak3th3sh0t  @singingpeople@frecklefaceb  @equalstrashflavoredtrash  @pathybo  @tobiasbebrave @xxrubyredrosexx @maan2442 @ariwolff14 @kenzieam @lauraaan182

For the third time, Kate hits the ground. Harvey’s knee is somewhere between her shoulderblades and her left arm forced behind her back. “Alright, alright, alright!” she grunts and Harvey gets up.

“Good,” Eric praises him as Kate pushes herself up from the ground, dusting out the dirt from the street. There was no mats or the safety of the gym room, it was a wide track not far from Dauntless and Eric had decided this was the perfect place to learn better ways to restrain potential opponents.

And it was safe to say Kate was failing miserably. She’s angry when she stands up, more with herself than anything, and swipes at her water bottle that’s to one side of the group. With a hand on her hip, she curses herself, an overwhelming tiredness mixed with the unpleasant feeling of self-loathing.

“Whatever is affecting your lessons today, you need to sort it out.” Kate had heard Eric coming up from behind her from the sound of his boots on the turf but doesn’t bother facing him. “I never put you down for someone so easily defeated. Maybe I was wrong. And your grapple is quite possibly the most pathetic thing I’ve ever seen.”

“Okay, I get it!” Kate suddenly snaps. “I suck, I know. ...There’s just a lot on my mind.”

“Stupid. When at work, your mind is here, not elsewhere. Now go and take Harvey down.” She glances at Eric in disbelief, him only frowning at an electronic pad in his hands with a finger swiping across the display. His nonchalance was more annoying than his words. “Harvey, again, with Kate,” he orders, this time briefly lifting his head as Harvey prepares himself in front of her. Eric pops a brow with impatience. “Go…”

Kate’s face is red with embarrassment, and as Harvey apologizes, pivoting forward to restrain her, she knocks his arm out, their bodies off balance. It’s somewhat flukey that she manages to get behind him as he falls, almost scruffily as they scrabble on the dirt street. But regardless, she lifts his arm, pushing him down to complete the assigned move.

She gives Harvey a shove and walks off to cool her mind. Eric grins to himself over the rim of the pad.

After an agonizing afternoon where Kate had managed to freeze the device she was listing her debrief to, she was more than grateful the day was over with. The group filters out of the locker room, Kate just shutting and locking hers when Eric appears in the doorway. He’s got a piece of paper in his hand, glancing at her as she all but sighs. “Kate, can you wait here for a minute.”

She readjusts the strap of her bag across her shoulder and patiently waits until they are alone. “I’m not going to commend you, today was bad,” Eric continues. “You want to tell me why I shouldn’t hand this report over to Mick?”

“Please, don’t…” The words come out rushed and only the slightest flicker in his eyes prove he is a little interested. She moves back to the wooden bench and slumps down. “I don’t need him interfering more than he already does.” She swipes at a piece of her hair in front of her face, her shoulders sagging. “I’m just tired.”

“That’s not an excuse,” he mumbles, narrowing his eyes at her.

“No, I know.” She thinks long and hard for a moment. Blinking up to him strolling into the room, she continues as he comes to a stop in front of her, “I spoke with my dad last night. It didn’t really sway in my favor.”

“About?”

Her eyes snap to his as she recalls their conversation and somewhat skeptical of his interest. “Well, first of all, why you didn’t turn up...” Eric nods his head a little, stepping closer as her voice had dropped purposefully so no one could overhear with the locker room door still slightly ajar. “Then the living arrangements. It didn’t go down well.”

“I could have told you that.”

Kate places her palms flat on her thighs, gripping them. “It sounds stupid said out loud. Stupid, childish problems and reasons...”

“They can’t be brought to work with you. If suspicion arises on a trainee's mental compatibility, they have to be dealt with quickly before general productivity is endangered.”

“It’s not that, Eric,” she almost groans at his animosity. But she should’ve expected not an ounce of empathy from him. “Can’t people just have an off-day?” His face falls into thought and she gathers she particularly doesn’t want him to reply to that. “Nevermind. Can I go now?”

“Yes.” But he doesn’t move as she approaches, standing straighter. “Kate, it’s protocol that I have to ask. That wasn’t me just being a jackass.”

Just before leaving the room, she turns to him. She wanted to say that he was a brave man, and how she admired him for it; that she was glad he didn’t submit to Lorraine, and that she was impressed he’s not afraid to voice his opinions so freely to Mick. But, avoiding his gaze, all that comes out is: “Are you coming to dinner later?”

“Do you want me to?”

She smiles for the first time that day, and he watches her leave.

Kate can tell Eric is in their apartment from the amount of mumbling voices from outside of her room; more specifically Lorraine, and she could almost imagine the terrible onslaught happening right now

Since having a shower, she had gone back to her room and dozed on top of her bed, drifting in and out while waiting for dinner. The twins weren’t here and apparently, Lorraine was going to leave at some point to meet them and have a drink with one of her friends that lived in another living complex. Kate thought she’d only decided to have the night out to show her dissatisfaction with Eric, and probably for the fact he gotten away with it.

But that was what Kate was waiting for. Once Lorraine was gone, only then would she bother leaving her room.

After a few more minutes, her step-mother's voice is no longer audible and Kate has no idea how long she had been lying on her bed in her loose sweats, almost starfished. Rolling up with a groan, she stumbles with a rushing head to the door, pushing back her stray hair into the bun quickly.

She slides her hands inside her overly large sweatshirt cuffs and walks down the hall, approaching the table. As much as she wanted to moan about Mick and his attitude towards her personal life, he was definitely meant to be a father and husband. He’s placing two serving dishes on the table with his back to her. He doesn’t notice her until she pulls out her usual seat, reminding herself not to pay any huge amount of attention to Eric as she does so

“Ah…” Mick smirks at her. “She smells the food and she rises.”

“I wasn’t asleep.”

“Whatever, darl’. Get some food in you. Help yourself, Eric.” It’s some sauce covered chicken and rice meal that does indeed look delicious. Once served and happily shoveling the first few mouthfuls, Mick hums in satisfaction. “If anything, that woman can cook.”

Kate wonders if Lorraine poisoned it, and peering up to Eric who seems to be simpering to himself, she wonders if he thinks the same.

“Beats the food in the canteen,” Eric speaks up.

“Why? Is that where you ate last night?” Mick asks, pausing to take a sip of his usual whiskey poured into his favorite set of glasses. She notices Eric has one too, but none for her.

“Sure as hell wasn’t going to be eating here,” Eric scoffs.

“Yeah, Lorraine ate my ass last night because of you.” Mick laughs loudly and suddenly, making Kate jump. “Not in the good way, either!”

“That’s disturbing,” she mumbles.

“Speaking of eating ass. Eric-”

“Well, this doesn’t sound good,” Eric breathes and Kate snorts.

“You got any news for me? Any news on Harry’s girl, Jennifer?”

“Jolene, dad.” She smiles at his mistake, catching Eric eyeing her.

Politely, Eric puts down his cutlery, scooping up his glass and spins the alcohol inside. “Like I said, I’m not interested in that at the moment.”

“You’re not gay, are you?” her father asks bluntly with a straight face, causing her to almost choke on a forkful of rice.

Eric drops his eyes to the table. “You sound exactly like Kate.”

“Not that that is a problem or anything. I guess, I just want to know whether you got a crush on me that stops you seeing past to all the ladies.” Mick nudges her hard in her ribs.

“No, I know what I want. And that’s not it.”

“Mmmm…” Her father growls exaggeratedly. “Eyes set on the prize.”

“Something like that.” Eric sips his drink.

Kate can’t help but frown at him, wondering what was going through his mind and why he was being so utterly brazen. Suddenly a boot hits her foot under the table and Eric seems rather coy, “Eat up, you’re looking a little pale there, Kate.”

“You not feeling good?” her father asks and the attention is all on her as she tries to cover the blush creeping up her neck.

“I’m fine. I had a horrible day. No thanks to you…” She tips her head towards Eric.

“We had a breakthrough today, though. You just needed a little encouraging,” he says, the corner of his mouth lifting.

She arches an eyebrow at him, “You mean, you coerced me into using my anger to take down Harvey.”

“Who’s Harvey?” Kate and Eric glance at Mick, having forgotten he was there for a moment.

“A guy who is on the same course as me,” Kate explains, rolling her eyes.

“A real fucking idiot,” Eric adds, stabbing at his chicken and chuckles to himself.

Mick is reserved, tilting back in his chair. “I see.” But the moment he says it, his phone begins buzzing. He dusts his hands off, swallowing his remaining mouthful and answers quickly. “Yeah?” There’s a pause, and Kate can just make out his PA’s voice on the other end. “Alright. Keep ‘em there, I’m on my way.”

Eric tries to stand but Mick waves him off, “I got this. See yourself out. Darl’,” Mick kisses the top of her head. “Hair smells delightful. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Night, dad.” After watching him leave in silence, Eric finishes his food, breathing in with obvious contentment. “You want anything else?”

“No.”

“Okay.” She gets up to gather the dishes and cutlery, that being the only noise in the entire apartment. Feeling awkward, she glances at Eric over her shoulder and says, “You don’t have to stay. You can go whenever you want.”

“I know. Don’t you like my company?” Kate rolls her eyes to herself as she walks to the sink in the kitchen, preparing to wash up. With the taps running, she doesn’t see more senses him walking up to stand next to her. “Never took you for a domestic.”

“One thing I hate is the expectation that women should be in the kitchen.” She smiles, beginning to clean the dishes. “And I’ll be damned if any man ever expects that of me.”

“I didn’t say I expected anything of you. I’m just pointing out that it’s rather strange to be watching you clean a plate…” He steps back so she can place a clean dish on the rack. “...rather than reloading a gun.”

“Hmm, I think I could still kill you with a plate.” She notices his hand as he leans up against the counter next to her.

He chuckles to himself. “You could try.”

“I’d be more afraid of making a mess and Lorraine coming back to find it,” she huffs.

“Wow, so you’re actually contemplating my attempted death by dishes.”

She nudges him with her side while her hands are still occupied in the water and laughs. “I’m contemplating it every second you stand there and do nothing. The least you could do is dry up.”

He gives a quick nod in affirmation and finds the dish cloth, rolling up his sleeves fractionally. She scoffs, watching him. “Okay, I see what you mean, it’s weird.” He raises an eyebrow in question. “...Seeing someone being domestic...”

“One thing I hate is the expectation that I do anything other than make orders and drink my coffee black. I’ll be damned if-” Kate splashes him with water, laughing loudly as she pushes the cloth he’s holding towards his chest to dry him.

“I’m sorry,” she says but she can’t stop herself from giggling, even when he dips his hands into the soapy bubbles and stubs her nose with it way too fast for her to respond

“I’ll make you eat the-” Kate gives him a long and slow swipe across his chin as he groans in displeasure. She giggles, admiring the bubble beard.

“Ah, that’s better, now you look pretty.” She scoops more up and lifts her hand to swipe some more onto his face. “I think… a little extra here-”

But before she can touch him, his hand flies up and grabs her wrist, gently coaxing her arm down. Huffing to himself, he moves closer and his touch lingers against her exposed skin. His posture changes the air around them as he leans, a frown on his face. “Kate…” he murmurs, his thumb caressing up the most delicate part of her wrist. She allows it for a moment before pulling away.

“Eric…” she says as a slight warning, not fully understanding where the conversation was going or could go, and turns away from him. She doesn’t want to hear what he was about to say. Whatever was happening, or had been happening as their friendship grew over the last week, was wrong, and particularly dangerous after everything she had gone through with her father. But it doesn’t mean that she can’t feel the slight off-balance; her world shifting recently from his small acts and advances. She was old enough to recognize flirtation, and more importantly coming from a person who never would unintentionally.

“Look, just let me finish.” He waits until she slows, glancing at him. “Back in the locker room… the other day...” His eyes linger down to the counter in front of them, his stuttering is unusual, and in irony Kate’s smile is brittle. “I wanted to say that I have never thought about your sisters in that way and would never speak to Lorraine over something so ridiculous. The whole thing is ridiculous…” Eric grimaces to himself. “But I forgot the details because-”

“I’m really not…” she scoffs trying to appear blase but against her own will she scrubs the cutlery harder than necessary. “..I’m not interested in any of that. You don’t have to explain anything to me.”

“I know, you’re right, I don’t. But I want to.”

“I think you are a brave man, Eric.” She watches his eyebrows knit together, his jaw ticking back and forth like he knew what was coming. Speaking the words freely from what she was thinking earlier, was a strange sense of relief. “You’re smart. You’re undeniably strict because you have to be. You’re admired... Don’t ruin it.”

“‘Ruin’ wouldn’t be the term I would use,” his voice raises defensively like she had just insulted his entire being. But then again, she had just subtly turned him down.

“Don’t waste it, then.”

“Waste? The only thing I’m wasting is time. Things have changed, Kate.”

“For you, maybe. Nothing has changed for me.” Her quip is more aimed at her situation; being bolted to stay at the family home, her career path still set, her personal life still as caged. “Please go.” She lets her eyes close, a tightness in her chest while time seems to stand still with the words lingering. “Please.”

The air rushing past on his exit is an awful sense when what she truly meant was the opposite. But she had to put herself first. And that meant that she didn’t want to defy her dad or potentially cause a difficulty for her job, or Eric’s.

Then why was a heavy feeling of regret still smothering her?

The peaceful, serene atmosphere in the early morning before Eric had to go to the Public Sector, is interrupted from about fifteen feet down the hall. He can hear Mick’s overly loud and pretentious voice boom, distorting the small and brief notes he was jotting; a long line just scrawled through half a sentence. He breathes in deeply, calming himself.

“Eric!” He appears in the doorway of his office, holding his hands out as if he was some miraculous spectacle, and it takes every effort for Eric not to roll his eyes at him. “Did old Bess out there give you the update of last night?”

“We have two extra criminals confined until we can push the records on Candor. Yes, I saw it.”

“Okay, smoKAY…” Mick strolls into the room, falls into the spare chair opposite Eric and crosses one of his legs. “Give it to me.”

“Nothing to report.”

“So, it’s ultimately worked?”

“Kate is just as Dauntless as the next. I have no qualms she will pass and make it as an outstanding visionary officer.” He lets himself continue on with his work in distraction. He only had fifteen minutes until rushing to the Public Sector to meet the small group and he was certain he had enough time to write off some paperwork so he didn’t have to later.

“I see PC has lost his charm.”

“Rather boring, Mick.” He barely looks up from the desk.

“What’s got in your bones today? You’re acting the freak.” Mick leans further back, loosening the muscles in his neck.

Eric’s gaze is simmering as he finally lifts his head and puts down his pen. “She should know the truth.”

Mick doesn’t like it. He sits up straighter, gripping his hands together. “Almost a week ago you had your sights set on progression and progression alone. Now you’re stirring up shit like ‘I should tell her the truth’.”

“If she knew the truth, a lot of this wouldn’t be a problem.”

“I know for a damn fact that she can’t even handle half of the truth!” Mick almost shouts and Eric all but stares at him. “You know, it’s kind of neat that this is all coming from the same guy who said, let me think… ‘Love makes you weak.’ Seems you got a little dose of that.” Mick growls, pulls out his phone and begins skimming through the menus. “Let me show you a little something.”

Eric keeps himself as still as possible when Mick turns the phone to him and shows him a bird's eye view of the dining room and kitchen, clear enough that they could see every fine detail. And right now, the twins were at the table eating, Kate just passing with a bag slung over her shoulder, heading for the front door.

“Cool, huh?” Mick smirks at him. “I feel like I’m at home. Home away from home when I look at that.” Eric knows where this is going and lets him have his moment. “So, it was mighty surprising to check in on my family and see you touching my Kate last night.” He pouts as he shrugs. “But I’m old and ugly enough to put my hands up when I have a little play in something and admit shit. SO, okay, I may have had a little part in this; thinking if she was looking at you, she weren’t at anyone else. But I did not, indeed, give a single piece of permission to you to reciprocate such actions. In fact, I warned you, son. That was a direct order, in the nicest way possible of course.”

“So, you were testing me last night…” Eric confirms, nodding his head with the new knowledge. He should have known.

“I trust Kate. But with you, I’m not so sure anymore.” He turns the phone off, leaning back. “She shot you down quick though, can’t say I’m not proud.”

“Because she is loyal to you, as am I.”

“Damn right. But I am doing, and will continue to do what I think is best.”

“You’re holding her back.”

Mick scoffs, leaning onto his knees and shakes his head. “From what? You?”

“You’re blowing this out of proportion, Mick. And through your insecurities, you can’t see the damage you are causing. If she knew her test results perhaps it would help her discover why she has always been different; why everything has always been challenging so that she can help herself.”

“You fucking blue-nosed prick! Keep your fancy thoughts to yourself. You don’t even know half of it-”

“No,” Eric speaks calmly. “You’re right, I don’t. But I know some of it…” He takes a sharp intake of breath and rolls back in his chair to stand. If he didn’t walk away now, he was afraid of what he might do. “And if you’ll excuse me, I got a job to do.”

Mick glares daggers at Eric’s back, mumbling, “As long as that ain’t my daughter… prick.”

Eric marches them furiously to the magnificent sight that is Erudite. The main structure of gleaming glass was easily awe-inspiring; something Kate couldn’t keep her eyes off in the distance. Scattered around the structure were living complexes, smaller and rectangular but also clearcut versions of the mothering building. The pathways were kept, grass brightly green and evenly lined. The practice of such upkeep making way for their prospect of wealth and knowledge of a clean life and mind.

The only thing, however, that greatly let the image down, was the six-foot high fences encircling the whole vicinity. Barbed wire skimmed the tops in coils, the intricate weave of the body no bigger than a finger’s width.

Kate wanted to admire Erudite longer but with the perimeter they took on their round, pushing them to walk the length of the fence, it forced her to track the factionless on the other side instead.

The factionless were different here, they were more reserved, unlike at Abnegation where they were begging. Here, it felt like they were waiting and it brought a strange sense of hostility. Kate pulls her gun closer on the thought.

“Factionless…” Harvey mumbles quietly beside her, wary of the prying ears around them. “...I’d rather be dead.” His words hit something hard in her chest, thinking of when her father was threatened with being factionless, the realization of exactly why he left her mother so hastily.

She replies, “Me too,” without specifically meaning it. She trails off, her march faltering as she spots a group of men and a woman with a child speaking with one of the men, puffing a cigarette. He seems angry, hissing something quickly to her and grabs her arm, the child not even batting an eye. He shakes her and Kate turns to the fence, reaching out to bash on it to at least distract him.

“Kate.” Eric’s hand grabs her wrist. “Ignore them. It may not appear it, but these people are more desperate than the factionless at Abnegation. These people rely on narcotics and medicine, and they are unafraid to express their opinions of Erudite or the other factions freely.”

“It’s sad,” is the only thing she manages to say, staring out to the messy groups of people without one strict law between them. The only laws they seemed to abide by were reinforced ones, from the factions they so greatly despised. The odds were never going be in their favor.

“Don’t pity them.” Eric watches her as she reaches out and touches the fence.

“Are they fenced out, or are we fenced in? I can’t figure out which one is more fitting.”

“We are divided. And to answer your question, we are all technically fenced in.” It takes a minute for Kate to realize he was talking about the wall surrounding the entire city.

“Do you ever wonder what is beyond it?”

“Some say nothing. Some say death. Factionless say a new world.” Eric juts his jaw out as he watches the argument between the man and woman evolve.

“I said do you ever wonder, not what other people think.” Kate turns her head over her shoulder just as he looks at her, and he flickers between her features, almost coaxing her to blush.

“I’ve been conditioned to compress my thoughts on certain subjects, but it doesn’t mean I have never questioned the possibility that we may not be alone.”

It’s almost exactly what she wanted to hear. If it had been another drawl of protocol again, she would have turned coldly, rightfully justified of her once harsh thoughts that he was a minion of her father’s; that there was nothing interesting but a sharp suit and predicted image. Instead, she stares at him a minute too long. “Last night, I didn’t mean what I said.”

It seems to take Eric by surprise and he barks a laugh. “What? So I’m not brave or admired? Are you insulting me now?”

“No, I… I didn’t want you to go last night.” Perhaps her own bravery was coming from being in an open and public place, that she momentarily felt that words said out here were different than if said in privacy.

The wind seems to pick up as he doesn’t reply, shifting from one foot to the other, a frown forming on his face. “That’s what you should have said last night then.” With his chin pulled to his chest, only his eyes dart up, probably to gauge her reaction. He breathes a long sigh as she bites her lips. “I wanted you to say that, last night,” he reiterates.

Her mouth goes slack and her eyes widen at him. “I didn’t upset you?”

The corners of Eric’s mouth flicker upwards at her surprised expression. “My forward approach can be a little overwhelming.” Kate doesn’t really know how to reply, so he takes charge instead. “...Just like my tutoring. So, if you’d get back with the others, that would be great.”

She needs a moment to compose herself, before she says, “Yes, sir!” Her equipment clutters when she walks away, but she’s happy that it’s not left awkwardly. She marks that as another thing she was beginning to like about Eric. He may not be empathetic, but he was sensible.

“...There are five established buildings, holding up to 60 families or more at Erudite,” Eric explains, walking ahead of them now as each, in turn, gawp at the clean infrastructure of the mother building from the inside. They had been cleared access, and only Eric was permitted inside still equipped with his rifle. As they were on training, theirs had to be secured before being allowed further into Erudite’s complex. “What we don’t see…” They come to a large door that he swipes his visitors pass to. “Is the product warehouses.” The doors bleep green and slide sharply open with a hiss. It’s a long, glass-roofed, and paved track, and off of it, Erudite workers were stationed behind booths in front of each individual opening from the track.

“Here…” Eric continues. “We have the the birth of generic items, produced for the five factions as a whole.”

“Generic items?” asks the young girl Kate had helped clear the ladder from before.

“For example, on a very low level, toothpaste, deodorant, everyday household items. This is where it is created and packed. The productivity has been the same for years. You may have heard of the history of ‘The Great Debate’ which was a time where each faction had their own council and paid extensively into Erudite to share the produce. Of course, the outcome was settled, the council promoted to one faction, and the items are now dispersed equally.”

“Abnegation being that new council and their views on communism,” Kate talks just above a whisper as they pass by the great rooms with machinery robotically humming through their quota

“Exactly. Maybe it is one thing we can thank Abnegation for, they abolished our taxes.” He stops to address them face to face. “Basic items aren’t the only thing produced here. Underneath our very feet is a hive working on pharmaceutical, serums, and weapons. Our presence is requested from time to time, but Erudite have their own security and officers replicating your very positions. It is essential that there is no disruption, and security details are only passed between Dauntless and Erudite marked highly classified.”

“Then why do we concentrate our efforts on Abnegation and not here?” Harvey asks.

“Erudite’s security is limited and solely concentrated. Our authority, however, touches all of the factions.” Eric peers over to a man in a booth concentrating only on the machine in front of him. “So take a good look now, because this may be the very last time you will ever get a chance to. A debrief into emergency situations regarding Erudite will be provided on the day you pass and sign strict confidentiality to.”

“What if someone infiltrates the information?” Kate asks, worried over the relaxed atmosphere when in reality, the convenience to their small world laid not far beneath the place she stood.

Eric grins sadistically. “The penalty of death.”

Kate is only just handed back her rifle when a buzz through the crowd captures her attention. She’s quick to sign her name, turning to find a few Erudite in the lobby parting ways to the sound of clicking heels. Shortly after, Jeanine and her personal entourage appear, a sleek smile on her face as she approaches, and instantly her eyes settle on Eric.

Jeanine holds his stare until she is within reach and she greets him politely. A few words are passed until Kate can overhear what they are saying. “I’m glad to see the future of our society still take a great interest in our productivity center. It is essential-” Suddenly, Jeanine’s sleek expression changes when she glances at Kate, hindering her speech but not enough to draw attention. “-that the small conditions we ask are abided by. I look forward to hearing of your advancement to full officers.”

Kate’s small group of rookie guards thank her and the atmosphere relaxes somewhat. That’s when Jeanine approaches, and Kate begins to stiffen. “I feel you are familiar.” Jeanine looks her up and down, leaning closer as she tilts her head. “But I can’t place you.”

“I’m Mick’s eldest daughter, Kate Jones.”

“Ah…” she drawls for a long moment. “Of course you are.” In Kate’s peripheral, she sees Eric shift closer. “It’s great to see you again.”

“Again?” Kate questions before she could even think about it.

Jeanine smiles. “Why, yes. But you were only a little girl the last time I saw you. Dauntless suits you. Say hello to Mick for me.”

Kate’s eyebrows are pinched as she watches Jeanine bow her head and toddle off with her swamping groupies.

“Kate,” Eric calls her, but she can’t help turning back to watch Jeanine further down the hall, stumbling to keep up and almost knocks into Eric holding the door for her. “You alright?” he murmurs.

She ponders for a moment, looking up to the building as they exit, the glass shimmering as something whispers in the back of her mind - a strange sense of familiarity of the same view. “...I’m fine.”