#and when those blue snowflakes start falling

[powerstarpony]

What's troubling you, Ms Powerstar?

Did you not have a Happy Hearth's Warming or Christmas etc?

How could I?

[talesofesther]

a touch of emotion

Connor x Reader

Summary: After the meeting with Kamski, Connor feels conflicted and lost, luckily you're there to hold his hand through it.

A/N: DBH is one of my main comfort games, and it was about time I wrote a little something for my favorite boy from it. If anyone would like to see more of Connor here, let me know. <3

Masterlist

"Why didn't you shoot?" Hank inquires, narrowing his eyes inquisitively.

"I just saw that girl's eyes… And I couldn't…" Connor answers back, his voice edging on desperate. "That's all."

A howling wind prickles your skin like tiny needles. It was such a cold day, no wonder you hadn't been keen on coming out here today. Leaning back on the hood of Hank's car and pulling your coat tighter around yourself, you watch from afar as Connor tries to justify his choice, even if it had been the right one to make.

He intrigues you. Because for someone who keeps saying he's just a machine trying to accomplish a task, he acts way more human than a lot of people you know. Even on the day you'd met him, he was already all curious and talkative, you couldn't recall meeting any android like him before.

Connor has changed ever since you started working together, you realize it now more than ever. He's becoming softer, personality starting to shine through the cracks as his decisions become increasingly emotionally driven.

"Cyberlife's last chance to save humanity, is itself a deviant."

Kamski's words echoed inside your mind, as did Connor's panicked and distressed expression when he promptly denied it. Ironic, you think to yourself; he shouldn't feel as troubled as he does if what Kamski said is not true.

And that same feeling now lingers. Once they were done talking, Hank took a few steps away to make a call, most likely to the precinct judging by the scowl on his face; and Connor can't stand still, he's pacing around, fidgeting with the cuffs of his blazer as the snow shifts under his feet. There's a permanent frown on his eyebrows, he looks almost… lost, his LED with an insistent yellow color and gaze unfocused on the distance.

You worry your lower lip between your teeth, torn between reaching out to him or keeping to yourself. The snow falls heavier now, and you can feel the tips of your fingers slowly going numb. You've always liked the cold, yet it seems the cold doesn't like you.

Between the snow, the frozen lake, and the white horizon of the frigid weather, Connor stands out. He's holding onto his own arms, hugging himself, and you find it endearingly human, as if he's subconsciously trying to find a way to comfort himself.

You lay your palms flat on the hood of the car and push yourself away, walking up to him before you can think things through. The snow crunching under your feet doesn't seem to call his attention. "Connor?" You say gently, reaching out to him with your hand but stopping short of actually touching him. You hesitate. When did he start making you nervous?

"You okay?"

Those warm and tender brown eyes of his regard you with curiosity, lips half parted as he struggles on what to say. The LED on his temple switched from blue to yellow and blue again. "I- yes. I think I'm fine." Snowflakes are clinging to his hair and falling softly onto the skin of his cheeks; they compliment his features, always so gentle.

You offer him a small, comforting smile. He's still figuring himself out. It was okay, you were patient.

"I'm… sorry," Connor begins again, avoiding looking you directly in the eyes. He purses his lips and closes his eyes for a moment longer, and you doubt you've ever seen any android be this expressive.

"I compromised our investigation," he pauses, "I should have been more efficient." And reprimands himself.

You're shaking your head before he's even done talking. "No, don't say that," you take a step closer to him as your heart holds your reasoning hostage, one hand wrapping around Connor's wrist to keep him with you. "Don't say that when you've made the right choice, Connor."

There was a beat, Connor's face does something complicated that you cannot read, and when he looks up at you again, his gaze is almost too much. The amount of emotion he looked at you with nearly made you choke on air.

"But… we didn't learn anything." His voice is quiet, barely there, as if he doesn't care for his own argument and is only looking for an excuse to hear more of your voice.

"I don't care," the words fall from your lips before you can debate if you should even be saying them out loud at all.

Connor seems surprised, caught off guard as his eyebrows raise just slightly at how fast and true you spoke. His eyes keep searching your face for… something. You couldn't be sure of what exactly he was looking for. Maybe even he doesn't know yet.

Your heart stumbles on your chest when you see Connor gulping and his eyes avoiding yours again. Only then do you realize that the hand you held his wrist with had drifted lower, your fingers now gently grazing his palm. His skin feels comfortingly warm and soft, a pleasant touch sending goosebumps down your spine.

It was all foreign territory to him, you knew it, felt it in the way he tried timidly closing his fingers around your own. His movements are slow, uncertain, and tentative, bordering on afraid.

How naive of you, to be having such feelings for an android. Yet when he's the most caring, honest, endearing, and gentle person you know, how could you not?

Hank told you once; "I think you're breaking our android huh." He'd said it right after Connor had gone through the trouble of finding an umbrella just so you didn't have to stand under the heavy rain, even if you tried telling him you didn't mind. And you'd taken it as a joke back then, not really understanding the hidden meaning behind your older partner's teasing look.

Yet as you hold onto Connor's hand now, feeling the way his thumb shyly brushes your skin, you wonder if he feels it too, if he's willing to feel the same as you do. If you could dare to hope.

"All I care about," you speak slow and careful, syllables heavy on your tongue. You clear your throat so your voice doesn't sound as tender as you feel. "is that… that you didn't let him manipulate you, that you followed your heart." You bring your free hand up to his chest, right on top of where you can faintly feel his thirium pump working overtime.

Connor looked to be about to speak, perhaps to try and correct you about your choice of words, yet all he does is open and close his mouth, eyes trained on yours and LED swirling with a permanent yellow color. For a moment you wonder if he's analyzing you, and worry about what he may find. His hold on your hand tightens ever so slightly; you don't think he realizes he's doing it.

"I'm glad you didn't pull the trigger, Connor. I'm proud of you."

It's barely a second, his LED flashing red before going back to yellow and eventually, slowly, blue; but you see it. He blinked a couple of times as if processing your words or how to feel about them.

"I-" Connor's eyes seem hazy, their tender brown only a thin ring around his blown pupils. His fingers now tangle with yours. "I feel-"

"Alright kids, let's go." Hank's voice sounds all too loudly as he unintentionally breaks the bubble that cocooned you and Connor. "Fowler wants us back in the precinct." The lieutenant speaks with an annoyed undertone as he stuffs his phone back in his pocket.

You're still caught up in the feeling of Connor's skin on yours, in how you're now so hyper-aware of just how close he's standing to you. Connor, it seems, isn't much different.

When there's no answer, Hank finally looks your way and gestures you over; "come on, get a move on, I don't wanna hear another lecture about arriving late," he insists, before plopping himself into the driver's seat, murmuring something about damn love-birds.

Despite the cold, you can feel a warmth coming up to your cheeks. Without mustering the courage to meet Connor's gaze, you focus on the way his hand fits so perfectly with yours. His fingers are awkwardly intertwined with yours, holding strong and gentle at the same time.

Connor seems reluctant to let go. It hits you that perhaps he won't. You could dwell on a thousand reasons of why, or not think at all and simply bask in the feeling. But right now time isn't on your side.

You take a deep breath, and risk a glance up at him.

Any words you were about to say suddenly feel clogged up in your throat. Oh, Connor tilts his head in that endearing way you're so fond of, yet the look in his eyes is one you've never caught before; you can't name it, it feels dangerous to try, but he looks as if he just realized something.

"Come on," you tug on his hand, just about managing the timid words, "we have to go."

Connor follows quietly, his hand steady on yours until you reach the car and are forced to part.

As Hank drives, you watch Connor through the rearview mirror; there's a newfound lightness to him, a warmth to his eyes that makes you feel fuzzy inside. And when he catches your gaze, and smiles, you know he feels it too.

⋆* ☾ ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ

Thank you for reading this little story. Feedback and reblogs are literally what keeps me motivated to continue posting here, so I’d appreciate it if you could take some time to reblog and comment. <3

You do not have permission to repost, copy, or translate my works on any platforms (even with credit), please respect.

Connor’s taglist: @milkiane@v1ci0us

[tartagliove]

EASY ON THE EYES, EASIER TO HATE. tartaglia x reader ✧ 2.7k words

when the fae raid your village to take humans into their realm, you think you’ll be safe in the woods. but you run into a fae who introduces himself as tartaglia and realize it might have been safer for you to stay at home.

tags and warnings ✧  fae!tartaglia, gender neutral reader (no pronouns used), reader sews and tailors clothes for a living, the fae are pretty brutal, mentions of violence, (ajax licks) blood and tears, chasing (predator prey dynamic), manhandling, all enemies and no lovers (only tension oops). note ✧ this is a darker fic compared to most of my writing; please let me know if I need to tag anything else! title inspired by the song "psycho" by taylor acorn. a gift for @cruel-hiraeth for teahouse's secret santa! happy new year, kae! i hope this fic helps you start off the year right by loving hating tartaglia >u< this was lots of fun to write hehe and got a little long because the au ran away from me... i hope you enjoy! love you lots <3

The snow falls thick and fast, yet the village continues to burn. Screams and shouts of villagers, mixed with the clashing of metal, rise above the roar of devouring flames of blue.

The fae are here.

They pull people out of their beds, pushing them into the streets. Turn their faces toward the light of a burning house—looking for the beautiful humans, still young and nimble. Or searching for evidence of skill in the arts; a pretty face matters little if one can produce beautiful things in ways that the fae cannot. Those who fail to meet the fae’s standards are left alone, shivering and watching in the cold. 

The humans the fae deem acceptable meet a much worse fate. They are picked up and thrown in the back of carts, drawn by horses with ears too long and manes too wild, their coats unusually glossy and vibrant. The chosen who try to escape are bound with rope that cruelly digs into skin. Those who try to fight are taken down brutally, then laughed at as they writhe on the ground—though the fae make sure no permanent damage is done, for that would defeat the purpose of the raid.

A fae bearing a torch of blue flames brings it up to the walls of each house of those who have been chosen. The blue catches on the wood unnaturally quickly, spreading with a voracious hunger despite the wind and snow. Within the hour, nothing will remain besides a pile of ash. 

But by then, the fae and the chosen villagers will be long gone.

You are lucky that sleep is so elusive tonight.

Earlier, after tossing and turning in bed for ages, you give up on trying to fall asleep. It is hard to leave your dog who has curled up beside you in a ball of white fluff, but you press a kiss between her ears before changing into some warmer layers. You sweep a thick winter cloak over your shoulders. It is the most luxurious piece of clothing you own; a beautiful dark green cloth lined with fur, decorated by unfinished hand-embroidered leaves and flowers and bunnies—a project you’ve been chipping away at this winter. Putting on boots that have long since been molded to the shape of your feet, you leave your house to catch some fresh air and possibly tire yourself out along the way.

The blanket of pure white is beautiful. The full moon makes everything glitter as snow stretches from the outskirts of the village into the forests beyond. Snowflakes continue to fall, decorating your hair and eyelashes with diamonds, while the shoulders of your cloak become dusted in sugar. 

It is so quiet out here. The whistling of the wind and the thoughts in your head are the only sounds you hear. You are used to this, though. Every day you sew and tailor clothes in the back of the village’s clothing store, often alone for hours on end with nothing but your thoughts for company.

A strong gust of wind rocks you on your feet. Clutching your cloak tighter and tossing the fur-lined hood up over your head, you turn your back on the forest to face the trail of footsteps you’ve made through the snow. You should head home.

Still, you take your time approaching the village. The snow dances around you and you can’t help but indulge in a spin, cloak sweeping out around you in a swirl of deep green. Your huff of laughter is stolen by the wind, but the delight within you remains.

Then the first scream rips through the night.

You freeze. Scanning the houses on the outskirts of the village reveals no dangers.

Another cry follows the first and you know something must be terribly wrong. 

You start running toward the village, kicking up snow as your mind races. Perhaps someone is getting robbed—but no one in town would dare. Or based on the growing amount of cries and shouts, maybe something happened that has injured a lot of people. A fire?

As you make it to the buildings, you see that you are right. Fire engulfs one of the homes on the far side of town, the flames reaching for the sky. A shudder runs through you at the sight, for the flames are unnaturally blue, and though this is the first time you’ve seen such a thing, you have heard of the stories and warnings about the cyan fire and those that accompany it.

You will not let the fae take you.

Whirling around, you sprint for the woods. The screams of the other villagers ring in your ears, but you know it is impossible for you to take on a single fae, let alone an army of them. They are here to steal humans away. For what, you’re not sure, but it can’t be for anything good. Though you doubt they would choose to take you, the best way to make sure you can see the sunrise tomorrow is to hide in the woods and avoid them all.

Reaching the treeline seems to take ages. You keep looking over your shoulder as you run, half expecting to have been spotted, but you only see more and more flames of blue burning houses to the ground.

Your heart skips a beat at the thought of your home being set ablaze—your dog!—but then you remember the fae only burn the houses of the humans they take and relief washes over you.

With your thoughts consumed by the safety of your dog, you don’t notice that you have slowed, trying to catch your breath in the midst of the trees. Nor do you notice that you aren’t alone anymore, until the newcomer starts speaking.

“My, my. Where are you off to in such a hurry?”

Dread sinks like a stone in your stomach. You spin, eyes wide as they land on the source of those playful and teasing words, leaning against a nearby tree with his arms crossed.

You know he is fae right away by his unnatural beauty. His hair glimmers a coppery orange under the light of the full moon, all windswept and dusted in snow. His eyes seem to glow as they scan you from head to toe, a blue just a shade darker than that of the flames destroying the village. Ears taper into a fine point and from his left one dangles a deep red crystal that only makes you think of blood. He smiles, then, as you observe him. His canines are sharp and long, like that of a fox, and you are frozen with wide, shining eyes of a bunny.

He hums and tilts his head. It is then that you remember he asked a question, and your throat works to find your voice to answer him. “I was out for a stroll,” you manage to say, words somehow steady despite your fluttering pulse.

It’s a half-truth, but half-truths are half-lies, and there’s the slightest hint of bitterness in the back of Ajax’s throat that always accompanies humans’ lies. “Oh, really? And was that before or after we made our presence known?”

“Before, actually,” you tell him honestly. “I couldn’t sleep so I decided to take a walk. The snow is beautiful and the moon is bright—it’s pretty, is it not?” If you talk enough, maybe he’ll lose interest so you can make a run for it. You don’t know much about fae, but with the way he’s dressed in nicer clothing than what most men in your village wear, surely he won’t care for running through the snowy forest.

He smiles. “It is pretty.” His eyes refuse to leave your frame, and a shiver runs through you. You don’t think he’s talking solely about the snow. 

Pushing off the tree, he takes a few steps forward, nearly silent despite the boots he wears. He stops when you stiffen, clutching your cloak tighter in your hands. “Where are my manners? Allow me to introduce myself. I’m Tartaglia,” he says, picking one of his many names to give you. “And you are?”

You press your lips together and force a smile. Even you know not to give the fae your name, no matter how much of a gentleman he is pretending to be. Your stomach rolls, unease making your heart rate pick up again. “I’m-” You see the way he perks up in interest, expecting a name. “I’m leaving,” you spit out, turn on your heels, and run.

Ajax watches you leave, the green of your cloak billowing out behind you like a rabbit’s tail inviting him to chase. He laughs, throwing his head back as the sound erupts from his throat. “Oh, you shouldn’t have done that,” he says, his breath beading in the winter air.

He had not intended to take you back to the fae realm, but then you had to go and run. And he wouldn’t dare to let all your hard work go to waste—so he’ll participate in the delightful hunt you’ve set up for him.

The ground is uneven beneath your feet. It is hard to tell where the tree roots are under the thick layer of snow and each breath of air feels like tiny needles stabbing your lungs. But you push on, feet pounding as quickly as you can force yourself to go.

You want to be as far away from that fae as you can get. He had not looked like he was going to chase you when you last saw him, laughing as you ran away, but there was a look in his eyes that pushed you to keep running.

When you toss a quick glance over your shoulder, your breath hitches and terror rushes through you.

He’s there. In the distance, but you can see him, weaving through the trees at an inhuman pace, his long legs carrying him far. He is gaining on you and you fear what he will do when he catches you.

You push yourself to run even harder, but your legs burn and your throat feels tight. In your haste, you fail to see the lower hanging branches of a nearby tree. A cry tears from your lips as a thin branch slices through the skin of your cheek, but you barely feel the pain with your face nearly frozen from the cold.

“Ouch,” the fae calls after you. His voice is loud and clear, and you know he’s only getting closer. “Don’t hurt yourself too much trying to escape, okay?”

Through your huffs for air, you manage to shout back at him. “Piss off! Leave me alone!”

Ajax grins, closing the distance. “I don’t think I will,” he says.

He lunges forward and grabs a fistful of your cloak. You stumble from the pull, tripping over your feet. He uses the momentum to spin you around, pushing you backward until you hit a tree, forcing the air from your lungs. His body presses against yours right after, caging you in with one leg wedged between your own.

“Let go of me!” you shout, slamming your fists into his chest. You try shoving all of your weight into him but he simply presses back harder until his chest is flush against yours. 

He laughs—laughs!—as you struggle against him, kicking and yelling and throwing your weight from side to side. He does not budge at all under the onslaught. You do everything you can, but only wear yourself out, leaning back against the tree to catch your breath.

“Are you done?” he asks, amusement coloring his tone. “If not, I can do this all night.”

His reaction makes your blood boil, most of your fear buried beneath anger. You glare down past his arm that still grips your cloak and catch sight of a sliver of pale skin peeking through the folds of his clothes. Moving your gaze back up to his face, you spit out, “I hope you die.”

And then you dig your nails into the exposed skin of his stomach, sink your teeth into the arm holding onto your cloak, and shove with all your might.

Ajax stumbles backward. 

You rip yourself out of his hold, twist your body to the side, taking one step forward, free-

Arms wrap around your waist and throw you back toward the tree. Your feet catch on his boot, making you lose your balance, perfect for Ajax to maneuver your body as he wills. This time, he pins your hands above your head, one large hand grasping your wrists, while his other arm presses as an immovable bar across your collarbones. One leg forces its way between your own, and you realize you are at this fae’s mercy, pinned like a prized butterfly in a collection; all pretty and helpless, on display for him to study.

You look down. You don’t want to see the anger on his face before he retaliates for your actions.

The arm across your chest shifts and you flinch as gloved fingers grab your chin, firm but not painful as he tilts your head, forcing you to look at him. You’re taken aback by the grin on his face, canines bared and bloodthirsty, but his eyes are amused.

“Try that again, I dare you.” His voice is rough and yet it doesn’t sound like a threat.

Your eyes grow wide. This kind of a creature is not one you will be able to escape, at least not now—unarmed except for your teeth and nails.

Ajax lets go of your chin, pulling back slightly. He’s delighted by the fire within you. When he first saw you, running toward the woods, he simply thought you a pretty coward. But oh you dared to fight back, using what little defenses humans naturally have, and you even broke skin. Though his fae blood allows him to rapidly heal, the sensation of your nails digging into his abdomen is not one he’ll forget anytime soon.

As he looks away from your face to take you all in, now that you’re not struggling to escape, his gaze catches on your cloak. His eyes light up, tracing over the exquisitely stitched leaves and plants of various green threads, mixed occasionally with lively bunnies of soft browns. There’s a rabbit still unfinished, just a cute head and perked ears, awaiting its body to bring it to life. 

“Did you make this?” Ajax asks, thumb brushing over the embroidery.

“No,” you gasp, heart sinking.

He tastes the lie and grins. “That’s not true now, is it?”

It’s over. Now that he knows you are skilled at sewing, he has all the reasons he needs to bring you into his realm. Despair is a heavy weight, mixed with frustration and anger. Tears well in your eyes and slide down the curves of your face. A few droplets spread into the cut on your left cheek, mixing with the beading blood that stains your skin.

Ajax is enchanted. Has he ever seen a human so beautiful?

He can’t stop himself from leaning in even closer until his nose nearly presses against your ear. There’s a moment where you hear him inhale. Then his tongue swipes up your cheek, lapping up tears and blood. His groan of delight is overlapped by your whimper, the cut on your cheek stinging as fear flows through your veins.

His fingers grip your chin again and he turns your head to the other side. Warmth travels up your cheek as he licks your tears, before pulling away with a satisfied smirk on his lips.

As you gasp for breath, he takes in the sight of more tears streaming down your face, shed in mourning for the loss of your life in the human world. Shudders run through you until your tears slow, giving time for your heart to harden. Slowly, you open your eyes to meet his gaze, yours now blazing with fury and hatred.

Ajax grins, taking in the vision before him. “You’re perfect.”

note ✧ ajax makes you point out your home and he gets to dig through your stuff as you collect a few things to take with you. don't worry, doggo gets to come with and is treated very well (fae like animals more than humans, usually).

this is not quite the type of thing i usually write, but i hope it was still an enjoyable read! i'd love to hear what you think c:

[rafesslxt]

Hii, could you please write a Mattheo x reader fic where the reader has raynauds disease? It’s where your hands are basically just red/purple and painful/swollen and super cold during winter. Ty! x

sorry for the late answer, I‘m answering all my requests right now 🫣

COLD HANDS | m. riddle

summary: you‘re on a walk with your boyfriend and forgot your gloves

warnings: raynauds disease ( something like red hands that turn white on some parts and then red/blue on the hand? I tried to google <3 ), mattheo being a cute boyfriend and caring for you

words: 850

Mattheo always looks out for me and my hands, knowing that they need a little more care than others.

He told me to meet him outside in the yard after his last class. I was there a little too early so i sat down on a bench when it started snowing, the little flakes falling down on my hair and shoulders, slowly melting on there after a while. When Mattheo came walking towards me, a big smile was spread on his face.

"You look so beautiful with all those snowflakes in your hair." he says when he finally stands in front of me, pulling me up from the bench and against him. He leans down and gives me a loving soft kiss, placing a hand on my cheek which was still warm from just coming out of the warm walls from our school.

" Come on let's walk a little before we go back in, shall we?" he asks me and gives me his arm to intervene, which I do. We always did this at least once a week even tho it's cold outside. We meet outside in the yard and walk over to the big black lake which was frozen now, and walked around it in the snow.

After a while he let's go of me and leans down towards the snow on the ground, forming a snowball in his hand. "Mattheo.." I say in a warning tone when I see his cheecky smirk. I start laughing and run away but still get hit with the snowball on my back.

"You arse!" I yell from afar, now also taking snow into my hands and forming a ball with it. When I throw it, it lands right on the back of his head, making me laugh even louder at his shocked face. "Oh just wait until I get you baby." he shouts and starts running towards me. I squeak and run into the opposite direction but he was way faster than me and when he finally catches me, he pulls me down into the snow with him.

I gasp at the feeling of the snow against my hands and bare neck after I forgot my scarf today. "Gotcha." he giggles when he pulls me on top of him, wrapping his arms around my jacket. "You started this war." I answer him smiling, placing my hands on his chest.

He looks down at them, his eyes going wide. "Y/n, why didn't you tell me you forgot your gloves?" he asks now with a more serious tone. I bite down on my bottom lip when I see parts of my fingers and hands turning blue. "Uhm - I don't know.. I didn't think about it I just had so much fun." I tried to explain but he shook his head and grabbed into his pockets.

"Here take these." he hands me a pair of warm gloves, way too big for my hands but still doing the job. " But these are you-" "No debate, you will put them on okay? You need them more than I do, please, for me." he says now, putting on his best puppy eyes.

I roll my eyes but can't hide my smile either when I kiss his cheek. "Thank you for always taking care of me Matty." I whisper, this time giving him a soft kiss on his lips, making him smile. "Always, princess."

After that we went back inside, into our common room. When we arrive he sits down next to me on the couch in front of the fireplace we have. "Show me your hands baby." he demands in a soft tone, nodding towards my hands which were still inside his gloves. I pull them off slowly and see how the blue skin is a little lighter but still not back to normal. He grabs my hands and puts his over and under mine, warming them with his heat.

I smile at him, looking at him and realizing again just how much I love him. "They're not getting warm enough.." he sighs after a few moments. "Here I have an idea." he says before pulling me closer and pushing my hands under his thick hoodie, placing them on his burning hot skin. " Oh my god why are you so hot?" I ask him, not thinking about my choice of words. "I alway am." he winks.

I chuckle and slowly trace his abs with my fingers. "Aren't my hands too cold on your skin?" I ask worried now but he just shakes his head and kisses my forehead. "I'd do anything for you, you know."

After a while I pull my hands back again, looking at them with a happy smile. "Look!They're normal again." I let out a quite giggle before he pulls me onto him, still on the couch. He takes my hands into his and starts to kiss every finger of mine. "I promise I'll always take care of you, no matter what." he whispers against my ring-finger.

"I know, Matty. I love you, thank you." "Love you too, princess."

thank you for reading and requesting 🫶🏻

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[s4toruz]

chapter 1 - unexpected vacation

tags: megumi x reader, forced proximity, opposites attract

warnings: swearing probably

word count: 1K

masterlist

there was snow in your hair and a warm, thick scarf around your neck when you arrived to the small town gojo sent you to.

you arrived by a train, you had to walk a little bit from the station, but it was just enough to freeze every fiber of your body, making you shiver a little as the wind blew into your face. you closed your eyes for a moment, then tried keeping your face towards your shoes, watching as some water splashed with every step you took.

everywhere you looked, blinding whiteness looked back at you, from the sky, from the small forest next to the house you'll be staying in. the only black spot in sight was standing next to you with his arms crossed like a pouting child who got told no.

megumi was standing next to you, looking everywhere but your eyes. he was clearly unhappy – to say the least – with the fact that you two will need to spend a whole month here in the middle of nowhere.

he was holding his, and your stuff in his hands as he lead the way to the house. you fiddled with the cast on your right hand. you felt a slightly guilty that he had to hold your bags too, due to your arm being useless at the moment. not too guilty tho.

on a quite unfortunate mission you got badly injured, even breaking your arm. the doctors managed to help most of your wounds, but you still needed a few weeks to heal properly.

at the same time, megumi was no better than you; constantly getting his ass beaten overworking himself, coming back injured from every single mission he went on, then wanting to go on twice as many to 'improve', and – this one irritates you the most – he was still not getting along with you well.

you were well aware of the fact that he didn't like you since the beggining of the year but you never understood the reason why. you were trying to be kind to everyone you could – at least when giving first impressions – but he just kept being so frustratingly cold towards you.

sigh.

this whole living together thing probably won't help you two either. you could already imagine all the arguements that were about to happen during those long weeks. hell, you were sure that even today, he'll find something to hate about you.

glancing at his frame walking beside you again, you noticed the way the little white snowflakes were falling on his black hair, contrasting it as they slowly melted away. his hair looks kinda soft if you look at it from closer.. would he be mad if you touched it? probably.

"what are you staring at?"

he glared at you with his sharp blue eyes, pulling you out of your thoughts. did he really never smile?

"i wasn't staring!"

"then?"

you shrug (then regret it as you feel the stinging pain in your body, basically everywhere), playing it off nonchalantly with more or less success.

"just happened to look in your way."

you walk up the one or two stairs, then open the door with your good hand, letting him in before following.

you look around the house for the first time and...wow! just wow. it was a wooden building but the cold couldn't sneak in anyways. old looking paintings decorated the wall, and a soft rug spread on the – also wooden – floor. except for the front door, sliding doors were everywhere.

you take off your shoes and coat quickly and start exploring the house, megumi simply rolling his eyes at your overly excited nature.

"if you fall while running i will even laugh at you!"

he would say as he's putting down your bags in the bedroom.

"and i will be surprised that you're even capable of such thing!"

you say with your eyes narrowed challegingly at him before wandering off somewhere else. preferably where he isn't there.

he didn't bother to answer, just stayed in the bedroom, observing it as he had nothing better to do. it was designed to be one big room, but there was a sliding door in the middle if the room needed to be separated. and in his opinion, it needed to be.

your irritating giggling filled the whole house, making him groan. have you never been to a town, or what? have you never seen a house? what the hell are you so happy about.

you were the one with the broken arm, yet he was suffering so much more already! he put his hands in his pockets, standing infront of the huge window in the bedroom, staring at the way the snow is gently falling on the trees and ground outside, wind blowing away a few stray leaves.

"this whole place is so pretty isn't it??"

you barge into the room, disturbing his peace.

"would be prettier if it was quiet."

megumi mumbles, glancing at you over his shoulder, to which you just tilt your head with a small laugh.

"what do you mean, it's already so quiet! it needs a little more life!"

oh my gosh. he is holding back the insanely strong urge to facepalm right now. were you stupid, or just trying to annoy him? why did you always needed to be where he was?? it was already getting too irritating. all your stupid habits. all the unstoppable blabbering, the loud laughs at every dumb joke you ever heard, the cute little hand gestures all the time- wait what? nevermind.

"aren't you supposed to rest?"

"why are you sooo boring? i wanna look around the town!"

he shook his head, starting to unpack his stuff.

"no."

"please!"

"no."

"pleeeeease!"

the begging continued the whole afternoon, and when he said no for the 25th time, megumi knew, this is about to be a very, very long month.

and you knew that you won't make it any easier for him. you're already here anyways. he will like you; whether he wants it or not.

© s4toruz 2024 , do not copy , modify or translate my work

aaaand here's the first chapter!! wohoo!! i can't believe i'm starting my first series here. i wrote on wattpad a few years ago, but i never got so many support as i got here, and i'd like to thank y'all for that here! i don't know when the next chapter will come, i'm not good with keeping scedules but i'll try to bring it as fast as possible! also, this chapter was only proof-read once so sorry if there are any mistakes. this is so short omfg i'll try to write more in the future!!!

reblogs and comments are appreciated!!

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[child0feden]

LITTLE SNOWFLAKES

sebastian vettel x wife! reader x ( platonic! ) oc daughters

♡ how valerie and valentine vettel / little snowflakes came to be!

୨୧ this can kind of be any era but i think it works best with retired sebastian <3

♡ view my formula 1 masterlist here

reading music recommendations: lisztomania by phoenix - blue romance by black honey

♡ when you guys found out you were having twins… oh boy… that day was a day to be remembered

୨୧ the second the nurse performing the scan said “ oh… hold on a second, looks like you’ll be needing two cribs ” with a soft chuckle, the room went so quiet you could hear a pin drop

♡ but then sebastian spoke…

“ yep… yeah, i guess we will, huh? jesus christ! two babies… that’s… oh, that’s so exciting ” ( it took a couple seconds for it to really click in his head before a huge, goofy smile spread across his face and he started laughing )

୨୧ when you guys get home, he’s straight to his computer, looking up online stores to buy things for twin babies

“ oh! look here liebling, a twin pram! we’ll probably need that, hm? ” ( okay, now it’s really really beginning to click in his head that he’s getting not one but two babies and he couldn’t be more excited )

♡ he goes on quite a shopping spree that afternoon, ordering things like another crib, cute matching twin plushies and WAY more bottles…

୨୧ your babies arrived on valentine’s day!

♡ the birth went fine! except for the fact you had to push out TWO babies…

୨୧ you had a moment filled with nothing but hatred for sebastian for putting two babies inside of you, cussing him out all while he holds your hand

♡ he gave a slightly freaked out look towards one of the nurses who simply told him it was “ totally normal ” and you didn’t mean what you were saying

୨୧ so he doesn’t say anything, just keeps brushing your hair back from your face, cheering you on and praising you for how much progress your making <3

♡ it just felt right to name one of your babies valentine… your greatest gifts made from love arriving on the day of love and the second would be called valerie

୨୧ sebastian is a natural at cradling both of them at the same time almost immediately, you swear just about everything comes naturally to him!

♡ he nicknames them his little snowflakes because whilst from afar snowflakes may look identical, when you really look at them, they’re actually always unique and it’s the same for his babies! his girls may look the same but they’re their own person, they’re both so unique and special in their own different ways <3

୨୧ since they sleep in the same room, when one of them wakes up crying, so does the other…

♡ sebastian is always the first to jump out of bed, telling you to go back to sleep, claiming you need it more than him since you just went through the birth and hey, you’re not going to fight him on that

୨୧ but often times, you do stay awake, waiting for him to come back to bed, more often that not with both of his little snowflakes cuddled in his arms

♡ he slips back into bed next to you, being extra careful with the twins before gesturing for you to cuddle up into his side

“ they’re so perfect, liebling… thank you, thank you for giving me such perfect girls ” ( his voice sounds slightly choked up and before long, you see small tears dripping down his cheeks, you spend the rest of the night cuddled up together, whispering words of love towards your husband and your babies as he falls into a deep sleep )

୨୧ sebastian LOVES teaching his little snowflakes all about animals and bugs, making sure they know how important it is to take care of their planet

♡ because of this, valerie and valentine don’t really want a lot of toys and similar things when they’re children! they’re incredibly aware and smart for their age which is something you both take a huge amount of pride in

୨୧ the only thing his snowflakes really want is those monthly subscription wildlife magazines! y’know the ones that come with a plushie and other little knick knacks like plastic bug containers?

♡ sebastian had already signed them up for it when they were old enough to read a lot and showed an interest in wildlife like he did and they’ve become OBSESSED with receiving them every month <3

୨୧ he has to hold back a huge smile everytime one of the twins asks him when the end of the month is, so happy that his little snowflakes care about the planet as much as he does

♡ the twins LOVE bugs and always try to bring them into the house, yelling for their papa to come and see what they’ve caught this time

୨୧ it can be slightly daunting for you to see them walk through the back door, one of them holding a bug in hand, knowing they’ll probably drop it in the house and it’ll be weeks before you find it…

♡ which is why when sebastian hears them yelling, he’s speed walking towards them and gently steering them right back outside with a hand on each of their backs, throwing a wink your way as he walks out the door

“ what’ve you got there my little snowflakes? come, outside, show me outside on the grass ” ( you let out the most relieved sigh, thankful you won’t be moving your couch to try and find some bug )

୨୧ the twins absolutely love going on bike rides with sebastian too, it’s one of their daddy daughter activities, leaving you once a week for around an hour or two to have some me time

♡ when they get home, they’re talking your ear off about EVERYTHING they saw, no matter how mundane it may seem, sebastian’s little snowflakes find beauty in everything around them

୨୧ sebastian built a tree house for the twins in your backyard!

♡ not only did he build a treehouse, he decked it out inside with SO many books about bugs and wildlife and shelves for them to put their little bug containers on…

୨୧ safe to say they spend more time in the treehouse than they do your actual house! it’s hard for you guys to get them out of there, even just for lunch and dinner

“ will you come down from there, my little snowflakes? please? your lunch is ready… okay, well you know, i just found this really cool spider and i wanted to show you guys before lunch but i guess you’re not interested- ” ( they come barrelling out so fast sebastian yells at them to “ please be careful ” and extends his arms, fully prepared to catch them if they fall )

♡ you guys take the twins out for ice cream a lot! it’s one of their favourite sweet treats

୨୧ which is probably because you ate it a LOT whilst pregnant with them…

♡ sebastian goes in to order with the girls whilst you sit at one of the tables outside, watching them through the glass windows of the store with a soft smile on your face

୨୧ you chuckle as you see sebastian have to hold valerie up on his feet so that she can see the flavours, she’s always been the smallest of the twins which makes him especially soft with her

♡ when he comes out, he gives you a cone of your favourite ice cream with two chocolate flakes stuck in it, you didn’t think he forgot your favourite did you?

୨୧ sebastian makes them tuck a napkin in their shirt, no matter how embarrassing they think it is, he doesn’t want you having extra laundry that could’ve been prevented

♡ they already get so many clothes dirty from sitting on mud in the garden, you should really get around to buying them more overalls!

୨୧ as you all sit in the sun, eating your ice creams ( some faster than others ) sebastian can’t help but admire his little family! his gorgeous wife and his perfect little snowflakes

♡ oh, how lucky he feels…

sebastianvettel and ynln: merry christmas from the vettel family ⛄️ 🦌 🎄

sebynforever: the vettel twins are so big now, oh my god

> loveyouseb: sebastian’s snowflakes in the snow 🥹

lewishamilton ✔️: merry christmas to you two and the girls! hope they liked my presents ❤️

> sebastianvettel ✔️: they loved them, thanks lewis! - sebastian

[frankenstein-ate-my-left-shoe]

@steddiemas Day 7 - Mall and/or Job

pairing: steddie | word count: 1,884 | rated: G

“Munson Residence, wha'd’ya want?” Eddie groans into the receiver.

Whoever this is better be someone super fucking important to have woken him up with their damn ringing. He’s surprised Wayne didn’t wake up too, but it’d be kinda hard to hear the phone over those snores.

“Eddie! Thank god,”

Oh. Steve! Very important, actually.

“Oh, hey Steve, what’s up?”

“Eddie, can you do me a huge favor?”

“Yeah, of course, what’s wrong?” he immediately spirals into what all could have gone wrong, what could be going wrong. Everything dark blue and cold, vine-y and the flashing of red lightning—

“Nothing, nothing–well, something.. Can you please run to my place later today and grab my lunch? I forgot it this morning and I know I’m not going to be able to run back and get it and get back in time to eat it before my break is over.”

“Your lunch?” “Yeah, I packed one this morning but left it on the counter. There’s a key under the mat and everything.” Eddie barks out a laugh, “Tryin’ to get robbed, big guy?”

“I don’t care about any of the shit in that house.” Steve scoffs. He shrugs even though Steve can’t see him. “Fair enough. Sure Stevie, I’ll bring your lunch; when do you want me there?” “Dude, you’re the best; My lunch break is right at noon, can you be here just before then?”

“Got it. Five to noon at Family Video.” he drawls out as if he’s writing the information down.

“Uh, actually…not Family Video..”

A short two hours later, Eddie finds himself among a throng of people inside Melvald’s. He has to fight his way forward at first, but the crowd thins out as he gets closer to the registers.

Damn, he’s not even that far into the store and he feels like he’s ran a mile.

“Ms. Byers!”

“Oh! Hello Eddie, what brings you here?” “Steve called and asked if I could drop off his lunch to him. Do you know where he is? I didn’t even know he was working here.”

Joyce just grins at him. It’s weirdly mischievous. “Only temporarily, he’s near the back of the store. Just head back there and I’m sure you’ll find him.”

“Uh..thanks. See ya later Ms. B.”

He wanders toward the back of the store through the aisles, but stops up short when a fake white picket fence blocks his path.

The whole back corner of the store has been covered in fake felt snow, a couple of those fake plastic trees like Steve’s (though these are a normal size), a candy-striped ‘North Pole’, and dozens of paper snowflakes hang from the ceiling between what seems like hundreds of string lights.

And there, sitting in the middle of it on a throne that looks suspiciously like the one he used to use during Hellfire, is Steve. Dressed in a Santa suit. With long white beard, big ol’ belt and buckle, shiny black boots..

“Psst!”

He’s got something stuffed into his Santa jacket to give him the right shape, and even some small half-moon glasses, but those sparkling eyes, the freckles, that one swoop of brown hair stubbornly sticking out from under the fuzzy brim of his hat, that’s all Steve.

“Eddie!”

Santa Steve is fully enraptured by whatever story the kid on his knee is telling him, their hands waving every which way but somehow missing smacking Santa right in the face. Steve just continues to nod along, then gives them a hearty “Ho Ho Ho!” when they try to squeeze their tiny arms around his fake belly.

“Eddie!!”

He glances over at the sound of his name, and sees Robin waving frantically at him from her spot at old school music stand-turned-podium. She’s got on some sort of outfit that honestly looks like it was supposed to be a jester costume, where’d she even get that from?

His feet start toward her, but his eyes fall back on Steve Claus, now posing for a picture with the kid who’s smiling so wide it looks like his face will split in half.

Managing to take his eyes off Steve for a moment, he sees Jonathan behind the camera, and that Argyle kid is crouched in front of Robin, talking to the next kid in line to see Santa. All three of them are wearing matching jester costumes.

Eddie steps up to her podium after Argyle and the new kid pass in front of him to see Steve, “Family Video not paying enough, Birdie?”

She rolls her eyes, “Well, the extra cash doesn’t hurt. Joyce asked us to help out.”

He nods at her, and finds his eyes drifting back to Santa Steve.

This kid is much more shy than the last one, tilting her head down and taking short glances up at Steve’s face.

Steve is saying something to her, a low comforting sound that Eddie can only make out the tone of. His one hand covers the entirety of her upper back, and his thumb is moving up and down to try and soothe her nerves. His head is ducked down to be more level with her, looking at her over those half-moon glasses.

Suddenly, the girl’s head snaps up and Steve leans back a bit. “Yeah?” he hears him say.

The girl grins, nodding her head like crazy, then she too is squeezing Steve into a hug. It’s so unfairly endearing, he can actually feel his heart swelling in his chest.

Robin speaks up then, “So..?”

“So?” he repeats dumbly.

“So wha’d’ya think, Munson?” 

“Does he need a Mr. Claus?”

He regrets the words as soon as they’re out of his mouth.

“Uh, wait, I mean Mrs.–Do you have— is someone going to—”

Eddie chances a look over at her…she’s wearing a smug, shit-eating grin. She leans toward him conspiratorially and mumbles out “I wouldn’t mind a Mrs. Claus myself.”

She leans back, still looking smug, but there’s a note of panic in her eyes.

He lets out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. “So would he.” he mumbles out himself, jerking his chin towards Steve.

Robin only shrugs “You never know.”

“You never—what do you know, Buckley?” he asks, stepping closer and pointing an accusing finger into her still smug face.

“I know that there’s some mistletoe hanging above the breakroom door.”

He’s confused for just a moment, then understanding floods through him, “You little—”

A short whistle interrupts his incoming tirade, and Eddie can see Steve Claus moving out of the corner of his eye.

“Sorry folks, it’s time for Santa’s Cookie break!” Robin calls out over the long line of people. “He’ll be back in 30 minutes though, don’t you worry!” the smile falls off her face as soon as she turns her back to them.

Eddie follows her, Jonathan, and Argyle toward the back rooms, “I’m gonna take a nap.” She says, “Tell Santa to grab me before he goes back.” She waves toward a door as she passes it and from the sprig of greenery hanging above it, this must be the breakroom. 

Robin takes a right down a turn in the hall, and Jon and Argyle push out the back door of the building.

He expects more of the same when he opens the door to the breakroom, for Steve to huff and grouse about the kids or the parents or something, but when he does, Steve is grinning ear to ear as he combs through his (now removed) fake beard.

“Hey Santa Stevie.”

“Eds!”

“I’ve got your lunch.” he holds up the brown paper bag for Steve to see. Steve nods, and lays the beard out on an empty chair, taking off his hat and glasses too and setting them both on top before stepping forward to grab the bag. “And you have hat hair.” Eddie laughs.

Steve’s free hand jumps to his head and scruffs up the long hairs, making them stick up every which way instead of just being plastered down on his forehead.

“Better?”

“Sure, big guy.” Eddie pokes Steve’s fake belly.

Steve chuckles, then heads to a table in the corner where he dumps out his lunch bag.

“So what’d Past Steve pack for Future Steve?” Eddie asks, plopping down in a chair kitty-corner from Steve’s. “Bologna and mustard sandwich, Doritos, and half of a leftover Hellfire cookie.”

“And a Coke,” Eddie says, taking a can out of his jacket pocket, “I grabbed one for you from your fridge.”

“Thanks, Eddie.” Steve smiles warmly at him. “You want some?”

“No way dude, you gotta get your energy back after dealing with all those kids, right?” Eddie says, waving him off. 

“Eh, some of them are little assholes, but most of them are really well behaved.” he’s ripping his sandwich in half, “Gotta impress Santa, right?”

He offers him one half, and Eddie takes it.

“It’s really not a bad gig, though the beard is itchy as hell…”

Steve starts talking about some of the kids who have come by in the last couple days of them doing this, having started on that past Monday, the 1st.

There were the kids asking for baseball bats, Lincoln Logs, Malibu Barbie, Rockstar Barbie (“Barbie’s a rockstar now?”, “Barbie can be anything, I guess.”), all the usual things.

Then there were kids that asked for actual Santa stuff, “I don’t want my mom and dad to get a divorce.”, “I wish I had some friends.”, “I want my grandpa to get better.”

“Makes me wish I actually was Santa, y’know? Then maybe I could actually help them.”

Eddie’s heart is definitely getting way too fuckin’ big for his chest.

He puts his hand on Steve’s forearm where it’s resting on the table between them. “You are a good man, Steve Harrington.”

Steve’s face flushes nearly as red as his suit. “Thanks, Eddie.” he glances above Eddie’s head then, “I better go wake up Robin, if she naps too long on top of the potatoes, she gets cranky.”

Eddie snorts out a laugh, “Yeah, better get on that.”

Steve stands up and tugs on his hat, not bothering to put on the beard and glasses yet. The fuzzy white band smushes a lock of his hair onto his forehead. 

“Hold on,” Eddie stands as well, reaching forward to tuck the hair under the bottom of Steve’s hat. “Now you’ll be ready to see your adoring public.”

“Thanks,” Steve laughs, walking with him toward the door.

And of course, Eddie forgot all about the damn mistletoe until Steve’s arm stops him in the doorway.

‘Jesus H. Christ…’

He glances over at Steve, then up at the offending plant.. 

Eddie looks back down, out toward the rest of the store where they’d be clearly visible in the doorway.

“I guess you owe me one, huh big boy?” Eddie chuckles, ‘Stupid plant, stupid Robin, stupid Ed–’

His thoughts are cut off when Steve tugs him back into the breakroom, moves him against the wall, and leans down to press a kiss to his cheek. The opposite to the kiss he’d given Steve three weeks ago.

Steve leans back, a smirk on his lips and a pink flush on his face. “Now we’re even.” he winks, then turns out the door to wake up Robin.

i may have actually kicked my feet and giggled about this one lmao

also, rockstar barbie mentioned here is from the 1986 Barbie and The Rockers set

also, also, i'm getting rid of the 'pre' before the steddie up top, you all know what's happening and where this is going lol - it's steddie.

other parts! Pt. 1 (Day 1) | Pt. 2 (Day 2) | Pt. 3 (Day 5) | Pt. 4 (Day 6) | Pt. 5 (Day 7) [YOU ARE HERE] | Pt. 6 (Day 11) | Pt. 7 (Day 13) | Pt. 8 (Day 18) | Pt. 9 (Day 21) | Pt. 10 (Day 25) also on AO3! this year

[smoooothoperator]

Die With A Smile

04: Wake Me Up

Bucky Barnes x mutant!OC (Astrid Rowan)

HYDRA victims, found family, "strangers" to lovers, emotional scars, first love

Masterlist

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a/n: Hey guys how are you doing?? Did you all watch the new THUNDERBOLTS* trailer???👀👀

The night was cold and dark. I would have casted a small flame to warm myself, but I knew it would put us in danger. The only thing that kept us in disguise were the snowflakes. My breath was heavy and my heart pounded against my chest violently. I could feel him behind me, his warm body and warm breath hitting the side of my face.

“Stay close” he murmured, with a deep and raspy voice, but there was a softness in it too, something that always made me feel safe and protected.

I turned my head slightly, watching that black mask that covered half of his face and those blue eyes that always knew what I was thinking.

He moved slowly, and I could feel his right hand on my shoulder, squeezing it softly as a sign of reassurance. His touch was rough, but careful, protective. I always wanted to lean into it, trying to find a safe space, as if he was the only thing keeping me sane and safe. My gaze shifted down to where his hand was and without thinking, I reached out intertwining my fingers with his on top of my shoulder.

“We go in three… two…” he whispered, his lips brushing my ear.

With goosebumps all over my body I focused on what we had in front of us, and the fire in my hands started to tickle me, knowing that I was ready to attack.

And then, we moved as one.

I followed his pace, slipping through the shadows, following his lead as we moved through a dense forest. Our movements were silent and calculated.

When we arrived at the main door, he gave me a slow nod, making me raise my hand. I let my fingertips brush the cold metal of the chain, and the heat started to radiate through my arm. Flames came out of my hand, melting the metal and making the chain fall to the ground, melting the snow with it. 

Inside, guards showed up, alerted by the opening of the doors. My partner sprinted in front of me with precise and lethal movements, and I followed him, feeling how my left arm tickled with ice in my veins while my left hand still felt on fire. A subtle movement of my left arm sent a silver of frost racing across the floor, trapping one of the guards inside of a block of ice.

The man that came with me took advantage and moved to the next guard, stabbing him and shooting him with a gun. 

His hand found mine, grounding me as we paused in a doorway. I felt my powers lower until they were harmless for him, paying attention to his movements.

“You okay?” he whispered, looking down at my hands, one of them cold and the other warm. “Together we’re unstoppable, huh?”

I nodded and smiled, and then we focused on the next room. Flames danced around me, burning whatever my mind wanted. I moved my left hand and I searched for it, for blood. I made a fist with my left hand and immediately I saw how the guards in front of me stopped moving, with eyes full of panic watching how my partner moved towards them and cut their throats. 

As we moved deeper into the building, I sensed a shift. We had completed the mission, but I didn’t want to leave. I wanted to stay beside him. 

He paused by a broken window, moonlight casting a silvered glow across his form. My hand reached out instinctively, finding his shoulder, fingers pressing into the hard muscle beneath his coat. His hand rose to cover mine, and for a moment, we stood in silence, listening to the world go quiet around us.

“We’re going to be okay” he whispered, as if he was telling me a secret.

I nodded, unable to respond with words. My throat was tight, and my heart hammered with a beat that felt less like adrenaline and more like fear. He pulled me closer and I let myself lean into his warmth, inhaling his scent, that faint hint of metal and leather. My arms wrapped around his waist pressing my body pressing to his, feeling his heartbeat against my own.

“I don’t want to go back” I whisper, feeling panic, knowing what will happen next.

His silence speaks, and I knew he was thinking the same. Instead, he pulls me closer, his forehead resting against mine.

“I won’t let them hurt you”  he whispered, taking off his mask. “They won’t touch you”

“But…”

“It will be okay” he whispered, pressing his lips against my forehead. holding me tighter. “I will be okay, Aetheris”

And after that innocent kiss, everything turned black, like I was a machine turned off, fainting and falling into his arms.

“Wake me up, Aetheris” that voice said. “You know how to fix me. I’m ready”

A loud gasp broke the silence of the room while I woke up from the dream. My body was drenched in sweat and the sheets were twisted around me as if I had been fighting something in my sleep. 

The memory of his voice was still echoing in my mind, hearing that familiar deep and raspy voice filled with both danger and warmth. I could feel his presence as if he had slipped through the walls between dreams and reality.

My hands were shaking as I ran them over my face, trying to calm my breathing. That face that had been a blur before during all the training I had with Okoye, that one hidden behind a shadow and a black mask, was now crystal clear. The strands of brown dark hair falling against his forehead, the way his lips curved into a slight smile whenever he called with that name. The same hair and lips I have been seeing all over a week.

I swung my legs over the edge of the bed, pressing my bare feet against the cold floor. I looked at my room, watching the things that now decorate it. In the ledge of the window there are a few plants I bought yesterday in the market, as well as some animals carved in wood. On top of the desk there’s a small box with food for cats just in case I cross paths with another one of them.And in the wardrobe there are plenty of clothes Shuri ordered for me and the uniform Okoye gave me.

Without thinking much, I grabbed a simple dark violet dress and slipped in it, looking at myself in the mirror. The last few days I noticed things about me, since it was the first time I saw my reflection. The beauty mark under my left eye was something I always looked at, as well as the scar that crosses my lips. And my bright blue eyes somehow always matched with the clothes I wear.

I tied my hair in a braid and walked out of the room, adjusting the Kimoyo beads around my wrist. My heart pounded as I made my way down the hall, my footsteps nearly silent in the early morning stillness. The palace was alive, with the servants and the guards walking around the corridors, all of them greeting me with the now familiar Wakandian salute.

I couldn’t explain the urgency I felt, so when I saw one of the women that works in Shuri’s laboratory walking into one of the jets I didn’t doubt it and walking behind her, smiling awkwardly at her and sitting in one of the chairs. 

As soon as the jet landed, I made my way into the building. Moving on instinct, I headed to the cryo room, the lights of the hallway lighting up with every step I made further into it. The door opened slowly as I stood in front of it and the light inside of the room turned on.

The room was cold as always, making me shiver as I walked closer to the capsule. I rested my forehead against the glass, my breath fogging the surface in small clouds. My fingers pressed against it, and suddenly a rush of images filled my mind.

The cold night. The heat of flames dancing on my fingertips. His hand on my shoulder, steady and reassuring. The two of us moving through a forest, in sync, silent, deadly. 

His quiet laugh as he whispered my name.

“Aetheris”

His face was fully clear now, unmasked and open. The lines of his face, the blue of his eyes, the way he looked at me as if I were his entire world in the moments we were together.

It had been real. We had been real.

I closed my eyes, and more images surfaced, each one sharper than the last. Him and I in that dark, a snow covered forest, sharing a quiet moment between missions. The way he held me, like I was his anchor, something grounding him in a world of shadows. The way he always kissed my forehead before everything went dark.

With a shiver, I opened my eyes slowly, grounding myself in the present, but my hand remained against the glass.

“Soldat” I whisper, my voice a soft whisper in the quiet room as I pronounced the way I used to call him. “Oh, soldat…”

I looked at his face and the memories started to come into my mind slowly, making me feel dizzy and nauseous.

“All this time… They erased you from my mind” I whisper. “Everything, all the memories, our missions… Why?”

It had been two days since those memories of the soldat, of Bucky, came to me fragment by fragment, each of them leaving me more confused and yet more satisfied in a way I hadn’t felt before.

 I hadn’t told anyone. Not Shuri, not T’Challa, not even Okoye. It felt like I was standing on the edge of something I couldn’t control, a deep abyss between what I remembered and what I didn’t. Each day, the memories came in as pieces of a puzzle I wasn’t sure I wanted to complete.

I couldn’t ignore that pull, that link between him and I.He was alive, waiting for something I wasn’t even sure I fully understood.

“Astrid, are you coming? I need your help in the lab” Shuri’s voice sounded in the bracelet. “Astrid?”

“Y-yeah, I’m on my way”

I hadn’t expected it, but there was something about the urgency in her tone that made me drop everything. It wasn’t often Shuri asked for help directly, especially not from someone like me. She was the genius here, the one who fixed things, who found solutions.

I didn’t speak as I walked down the hallway of the Wakandan lab, nodding slowly to the people that crossed my path. My mind was still spiraling. The weight of the last few days pressed down on me, but I didn’t know how to talk about it. How can I explain everything? How can I explain him without sounding like a traitor?

“You’ve been avoiding me the last few days sShe looked up as I entered and her eyes narrowed slightly as she observed my hesitation.

I didn’t know how to answer her. I wasn’t sure if it was because I was afraid or because I was too confused by what I had started to realize. I had no control over the memories that kept slipping through the cracks in my mind.

“I’ve just been thinking” I finally said, my voice low. “About... About everything. About the sargent, too”

“You’ve been here long enough. If you’re going to tell me something, Astrid, now is the time” she said, raising an eyebrow, stepping closer to me.

“I… The last few days, some memories came back” I sighed. “Not only during the lessons with Okoye. In my sleep I have flashbacks. And… When I go to the cryo room”

She looked at me, tilting slightly her head to the side, listening to me. She crossed her arms in front of her chest as she sat at the edge of a working table. I could see some of the workers in the room leaving, making me take a deep breath to continue.

“He’s…. he’s not just someone I fought with” I started, feeling my breath quicken. “Bucky... was my partner. We-” I stopped, swallowing hard. “We were... together, I think. I remember our missions, how we worked together, and we were… Perfect. But I think HYDRA erased everything from him in my mind, like he never existed. I don’t know why… I hear him, Shuri. In my dreams, he was the voice that kept me awake all the time, the voice that guides me through Okoye’s lessons, and the voice that leads me to the cryo room”

“So that’s why his brain activity spikes whenever you’re near him” she murmured, almost to herself.

Her expression softened and stepped closer to me, placing her hands on my shoulders. My breath started to be normal again and I sighed smiling weakly at her.

“Tell me everything, Astrid. I’m here to help” she said, squeezing my shoulders softly.

I hesitated for a moment longer, but then I let everything spill out. I told her about the missions, the shared moments of warmth in the cold. I explained how I remembered the connection between us, the pull I felt toward him. I spoke of how I thought I could wake him up, that the link we shared was something more than just memories. 

“So, you’re saying you can trigger his awakening? That you have some kind of connection to him?” she asked, looking back at the screens. 

“I think so, yeah” I nodded. “I don’t know how exactly, but I feel like if I just… if I could touch him, really connect with him, maybe it would be enough."

"We’ll bring him out of cryo, and if this connection between you is strong enough, it might be exactly what he needs to recover.” she nodded, moving to the control screen.

Together, we walked to the cryo room. My heart was going fast, beating against my rib cage hard like a drum. Shuri walked towards the screens next to the capsule, working in it.  I saw the capsule’s glass slowly lifting, the chill of the cryo vapor swirling out into the room. I took a step forward, my pulse quickening as I approached him, unable to take my eyes off the man who had been a ghost in my mind and was now real and right here in front of me.

“Alright, Astrid” Shuri said gently, watching me closely. "Try to reach him. Trust whatever that instinct is inside you.”

With a trembling hand, I reached out and laid my fingers on his chest, just above his heart. His skin was cool beneath my touch, and I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. I closed my eyes, reaching for that energy, that strange warmth I had felt before with my fire.

But as I poured my energy into him, my hand tingling with the familiar warmth, his body remained still, his eyes closed. The seconds stretched painfully, and I started to feel tired and weak.

 “Sometimes it takes a while for people to come back after cryo,” Shuri said softly, though I could sense the uncertainty in her voice. "Maybe he needs time, or maybe it’s something deeper that’s holding him back”

I pulled my hand away reluctantly, fighting against the helplessness that threatened to overwhelm me.

I failed.

"What now?" I whispered, feeling that I was on the edge of something fragile, that one wrong move could shatter everything.

Shuri looked down at Bucky and then at me, taking a deep breath while she played with the rings on her fingers.

“There’s a small house by the lake, not far from here. It’s quiet, peaceful. It might be a better place for him to rest and recover, and for you to… continue trying, if you feel that pull again.” her expression softened, her understanding of my connection to Bucky more profound than I expected. “I’ll arrange for him to be moved there. If there’s any chance this bond you share can reach him, maybe the calm surroundings will help.”

I nodded slowly, playing with the tip of my braid. I looked at him and sighed.

He has to wake up. I need answers.

taglist

@alltoomaples @jadeofspadesxp @leptitlu @deliciousfestsalad @mendes-bae

[andreilscat]

Neil was running through the empty streets when the first snowflake landed on him. He tilted his head back, taking a deep breath in, and watched as the fog formed when he exhaled. The morning was cold and peaceful, without a soul in sight. He closed his eyes and thought about the warm bed and Andrew who was still sound asleep. He thought of Jean who was probably already up and making the breakfast for them.

He thought about what they were going to do during the day. Andrew would wake up and complain about the cold. They would eat and go out. Jean and Neil would drink tea and Andrew hot chocolate. He would taste sweet when they kissed afterward. Andrew would drive them around and they would call Kevin. They still weren’t used to traveling anywhere without him but he insisted they should go since he was trying to spend more time with Wymack. ****************************************************

“Just how stupid are you, Josten?” Jean said the moment he heard the front door open. “Did you not realize how cold it was outside, or did you acknowledge it and just decided to ignore it?” he continued, turning around to look at Neil who had just walked into the kitchen, wearing nothing but a hoodie and sweatpants.

“I needed some fresh air.”

Jean looked him up and down, before softening his voice, “You should have woken me up to go with you, you know I don’t mind.”

“Sure you don’t,” Neil laughed walking over to him, “But you just love to complain after. Besides, I wouldn’t want you risking getting sick.”

“Is that because you suck at making soup, or because Kevin would kill you?”

“Oh, let’s not get into details,” Neil tried to sound annoyed, but his eyes were filled with an entirely different emotion as he got closer, looking up at Jean until he was bending down, and letting Neil give him a quick kiss.

“Drew still asleep?”

“Yeah, you should go check on him though, he is going to suffocate under all those covers.”

****************************************************

Andrew was curled into himself, his figure barely visible with all the pillows and heavy blankets.

“Jean is afraid you might suffocate under all that,” Neil whispered, sitting at the edge of the bed.

Andrew’s arm emerged from under the covers and wrapped around Neil’s wrist, pulling him closer.

“Better this than suffocating in the cold,” he said, eyeing Neil carefully. “At least wear something warmer.”

“Worried about me?” Neil smiled, leaning in.

“Fuck you,” Andrew muttered, closing the distance between them with a kiss.

****************************************************

“Stop running,” Jean yelled after Neil.

They were running round the park, despite it being so late at night. They could scarcely see each other under the street lamp that barely gave out any light.

Earlier that day Neil had asked them to play in the snow, but of course, he knew that Andrew would just roll his eyes at that. That meant that his only other option was Jean who wasn’t particularly fond of snow but was very fond of the blue-eyed boy who had kindly asked them, and he just didn’t know how to tell him no. That was a big mistake.

“Your problem for not being able to keep up,” Neil said, stopping suddenly and causing Jean to crush into him, almost falling on his ass.

He grabbed a hold of Neil’s arm to keep him in place, “Can you please stop running away, I can hardly see you.”

“Really? You threw a snowball directly at my face!”

“Not on purpose,” He whispered, “It’s so dark and I couldn’t see properly. I’m sorry,” he continued, standing up to his full height, wrapping his arms around Neil and kissing the top of his head.  ”I’ll be more careful next time. Forgive me?”

“Oh, don’t try to sweet talk me,” Neil started, but before he could say anything else, a shiver ran down his spine and he yelped as Jean showed a handful of snow down his jacket, laughing as he did so.

“You will pay for that,” Neil said, grabbing Jean around the waist and tackling him. They both hit the ground hard. Jean groaned when Neil climbed on top of him, settling himself on his lap.

“So fucking tall,” Neil mumbled as he leaned down to kiss each of his cheeks. His nose was so red and Neil couldn’t resist giving it a little peck before taking his face between his hands and kissing him senselessly.

Jean smiled as he deepened the kiss, pulling him impossibly close. When Neil finally pulled away, they were both breathing heavily and holding tightly onto each other.

“You know, as much as I’m enjoying this, I do think we should head back if we don’t want to get hypothermia.”

Neil giggled, letting Jean pull them both off the ground.

“Andrew would actually kill us if we did.”

They were still giggling and as they made their way down the street, hand in hand, their fingers intertwined.

[miumura]

Moot game: random things that remind you of your moots

MOOT GAME!! hi anon tysm for sending this in! i only did it with the moots i’ve been talking consistently to / closer with … so with that, the lengths of these will be long to make up for the lack of mooties on here!

SO, IN ADVANCE, sorry if this sounds too sappy/corny/clingy LMAO i wanted to be able to be clear with my explanations…

@macapunoz ♡ my soulmatez !!

starting off with the obvious, i think it’s very noticeable that if you take a chance to get to know rhin, the very things that pop up in your (my) head are: hair clips, bows (specifically those long white and pink ones), and as well as chiikawa (chiikawa gang!!). those three things combined is literally the epitome of rhin. hair clips and bows all have several different designs and i feel like rhin could be all of them.. from cute to silly, i think the variety of those things resemble rhin’s easygoing and bubbly personality! like something cute and things that are always fun to collect, you know? it’s similar to the feeling of wanting to talk and getting to know her more, which resembles the fun aspect of collecting!

now, if i were to get into something more personal or specific, to me, i would simply compare her to the moon. it’s something that no matter what place i could be at, i will always be able to see her at least once everyday, like the moon! and the moon is really pretty too, just like her! with that in mind, her presence is soothing & it gives me a message that she will always be there for me & i will always be there for her. so, without rhin, life wouldn’t be or feel the same as she is a main aspect of mines. she is something that will forever stand out and someone i could never EVER forget !! i feel like if you get to know rhin, she will become someone you can’t seem to forget either!! safe to say, we are inseparable 🫶! she will forever be one of my favorite girls, so thank you rhin for entering my life,i will forever cherish you and our friendship 🤍

@juyeoz ♡ my baefy !!

starting off with the obvious, with alya, you (i) can’t help but be reminded of cats, strawberries, and usagi (chiikawa gang!!!)! alya just might be one of the biggest cat lovers i know, given how she keeps sending pictures and posting stories about them LMAO. but i feel like it’s such a alya thing so it correlates well (there’s a reason why i included a cat pic for one of her themes)! and strawberries because if i felt like strawberries were human, they’d be alya… crazy comparison but the fruit just gives off sweet and outgoing Oh yup do you get the vision?? no…? okay but either way its one of the best fruits so that makes her one of the best people i know <3

now, if i were to get into something more personal or specific, to me, she reminds me of snow. if alya is reading this, no, this is not simply about you consistently talking or sending videos about some huge snow storm brewing up in your area (maybe a little…), but also about the beauty of it all that seems to connect my thought of snow to you. snow is something delicate and it’s able to just simply make the world look more prettier and brighter. it’s something peaceful and you can’t help but take a moment to admire the snowflakes that fall. with that picture in mind, i would say that replicates what i feel like around alya perfectly! anything she says or does, specifically about what she’s been doing regarding works or life in general, i honestly (and forever will say) admire her dedication and her as a person overall. she’s just something i always want to see and always willing to look forward to be with, similar to how i feel as i wait for the next snowfall :] <3

@htaesan ♡ my fatez / other half !!

starting off with the obvious, things that appear in my head when it comes to lili are four leaf clovers, the color light blue + cream combo (if that counts?), and han tatpung! clovers are already a given since i am truly a lucky individual to be able to be one of her friends :’) !! and the blue+cream combo is very pleasing to the eye and i just feel like those SCREAM lili… it’s just really appealing and ngl i think i only chose this because the color palette suits han tatpung, which leads to me associating him with her too ^^ and that he’s a cutie and so is she!!!! in conclusion, lili&taesan are fatez i (do not) fear!

now, if i were to get into something more personal or specific, to me, she reminds me of stars. stars are rare to see, at least for me, so whenever i do, it’s just a sight that instantly mesmerizes you. it’s something that you can’t get out of your head once you see it & you always look forward to it the next time. that’s me with lili since ever since i saw her on my feed… i was very much hooked! like when she followed and reblogged back… oh yeah i was pretty much fangirling… so, stars portray a bright light that’s very difficult to look away from, leaving you simply just looking in awe. there’s a sense of comfort of simply looking in the night sky and that’s what i feel whenever i’m with lili. it’s almost as if there’s an energy there that creates a sense of trust and calmness if that makes sense? it’s like lili is one of the very few stars that i was granted the ability (and honor) to see & hopefully she sticks around me (and in my mind) for many years to come ><

THE END ♡ sorry for how much i wrote again… i needed to write a lot for my favorite people in the whole universe 🫠 (now this is becoming really sappy….) so if you ended up reading this, thank you ,, i love you <3

[mrprettywhenhecries]

Stranger Things | 2.09

And when those blue snowflakes start falling, that's when those blue memories start calling. You'll be doing all right, with your Christmas of white, But I'll have a blue, blue, blue, blue Christmas.

[five-rivers]

Season of the Skies

I started playing a game called Sky: Children of the Light recently, and although this isn't a crossover, it's definitely inspired by the vibes of that. It's a cute game!

Also, based on the feedback I got on AO3, there seems to be a significant overlap between the Phandom and Sky: Cotl players? Is that the case?

.

Reality had broken a month ago, and Danny was having the time of his life.  

He leaped lightly from rooftop to treetop and back again, gravity a dreamy afterthought.  The tiles and bark were rough beneath his bare feet, but not so rough he regretted not wearing shoes.  His impacts shook loose pollen, glitter, and a few stray petals, but did the trees no harm.  On the roofs he was silent, and no one came out to yell at him, but the window glass chimed with flashes of light.

The colors around him were bright and soft. Easy to look at, easy to fall into. The sky above was marbled with dawn-colored clouds and stars caught among distant nebulae.  Light and color were some of the first things to break, and Danny wasn't sorry to see light pollution go.  Most Everything glowed, now, and stargazing would have been terrible if eyes still worked the same way.  

At his next jump, this one taking him up a good ten feet, the feather-soft edge of the shawl he was wearing flared out behind him, brushing his arms.  The shawl was huge on him.  An old project of his great-grandmother's, it had been made with the typical Fenton girth in mind.  Honestly, it fit him more like a cape than a shawl, but he liked it that way.  

He landed safely and straightened the cape.  His dad’s needlepoint hobby had been inherited from her, so the dark blue fabric was covered in fine embroidery, lace, and tiny glass beads in shades of clear, pale blue, and white.  Great Grandma Fenton hadn't been into ghosts the same way the current Fentons were, but she'd been into something, so the patterns were strange.  Icicles, snowflakes, stars, clouds, and trees competed with lightning, runes and sigils, and strange, spirit-like creatures.  

“Hey!” shouted someone from the street below.  “Hey, Fentwerp!  What the hell do you think you're doing?”

Ah.  Dash.  Charming.  Danny leaned over the edge of the roof.  “What does it look like I'm doing?” he asked agreeably.  

“Getting your dumb nerd self killed is what it looks like,” said Dash, glowering up at Danny, his face turning red.

There.  See.  That's what Danny didn't understand.  No one else seemed willing to experiment with how the world was now.  They were all operating under the old rules, or, worse, looking for ways to fix things, as if the new world wasn't better than the old.  

Sure, it had been scary the first few days.  The suddenness.  The uncertainty.  The way systems they had relied on for so long had stuttered or failed outright.  Danny knew people had been hurt, that, in some places, they were still getting hurt.  He had been one of those people, having been in the hospital when the change rippled through the world, a result of an equipment malfunction in his parents’ lab.  

Maybe his opinion would be different if he was still getting hurt.  But as it was… why would he ever want to go back to how things were?  Why would he want to leave this world, where the colors were soft and bright, and the light sang?  Why would he want to leave this world where the air itself seemed to bear him up?  Where the possibilities seemed limitless?

There was so much more potential for good, with the world as it was than as it had been.  So much less potential for harm.  This was a more finished version of the world.  All the rough edges were gone, and filled with wonder.  He could feel it.

“Get down here!” demanded Dash, when Danny didn't respond.  

“No,” said Danny.  

“Get down here or else.”

“Or else what?” asked Danny, genuinely curious.  Dash couldn't get up here.  No one else could, as far as Danny knew. They hadn't taken the time to work out the new rules for gravity. 

Dash clenched his hands into fists, then stooped to grab a fairly large rock.  Danny, seeing no reason to just let Dash throw it at him, left.  

“Hey!” shouted Dash.  “Hey!  Freakton!  Get back here!”

Names like that were a lot less distressing when the people using them had no power to hurt you.  

Danny continued on his path upwards, touching on higher and higher buildings.  It was tough to get the proper amount of momentum to make some of his jumps, especially since he'd stopped to talk to Dash, but he managed to make all of them, and soon he was standing on top of the tallest building in Amity Park.  

In the center of the roof was a small tree, a sapling.  It hadn't been there the first time Danny had made it up here, and it had grown rapidly since then.  Next time he came, it'd probably be taller than he was. 

For now, though, Danny knelt to check the roots where they grew through a widening crack in the building's roof.  He'd warned the people in the building (he had warned everyone in buildings that had suddenly found themselves with roof trees), but he hadn't heard that anyone had done anything about it, and the roof trees felt friendly to him, so he hadn't pushed the issue.  From the descriptions and pictures Sam had given him, this one seemed healthy enough.  

He pulled a bottle from his backpack and gave the tree a generous sprinkle.  Then he stood up, gave the crown of leaves an affectionate ruffle, and made his way to the edge of the roof.

The city spread out in all directions below him, vibrant and changing.  Towards the edges of town, some buildings had lifted off their foundations, becoming floating islands.  Across the viridian, iridescent forest to the north, he could see blue-bright-gray flashes of Lake Eerie.  Fentonworks was easily visible off to the west, silver dishes and spires chased with green halos.  The parks bloomed with flowers both alien and familiar, vines trailing up into the air, trees growing explosively fast.  A breeze from behind turned his attention south, and he saw high clouds letting down shimmering curtains of rain.  

It wasn’t like Amity Park had been drab and horrible before, but why would anyone want to go back?

He looked away, back down at the street far below him.  Steeling himself, he grasped the edges of the shawl, he spread his arms wide.  

“Time to lift off,” he said, quietly.  “T-minus ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two–” Where he would have said one, he instead inhaled deeply.  Where he would have said zero, he jumped.  

For a heart-stopping moment, he wondered if he’d made a terrible mistake, if he’d made an error in his calculations, if reality had chosen that moment to reassert itself and he was about to drop like a rock.  

The moment passed quickly.  He was flying.  Or, at least, gliding.  

He laughed, and flapped his ‘wings.’  The shawl snapped behind him and gave him a small amount of lift.  

He was doing it.  He was doing it.  

And now that he was doing it, it felt as natural as breathing.  All that planning, all those calculations, all that running, climbing, and jumping–

He could fly.  

Oh, maybe it wasn’t as impressive as it would have been in the old world, where gravity was a cruel mistress.  But it was still flight, unpowered, human flight, and no one he knew of had done this before.  

He laughed, and banked to the side, flying in spirals.  He wasn’t brave enough to try a loop, yet, but he would, eventually, when he learned more about this.  

His spirals took him over the park, the school, the mall, even the Nasty Burger.  But he was losing altitude, his arms were getting tired, and he knew that if he got too close to the ground, gravity would get him again.  Not to the point of hurting him at all, but he didn’t want to land just anywhere after all this work.  

He tipped his wings westward, and started gliding home, pumping his ‘wings’ as infrequently as he could get away with.  He didn’t quite make it all the way back to his front door, but he got close, just a few houses down the street.  He rubbed his shoulders.  That was going to leave him sore.  He’d have to work out and practice more if he wanted to fly any real distance.  He'd also need a way to take off that didn’t involve climbing the tallest building in town. 

The front door of Fentonworks slammed open, revealing a pale Jack and a furiously pink Maddie.

“Daniel James Fenton!  What do you think you're doing?”

Danny looked down at his bare feet, then back up at his parents.  “Walking?”

Maddie sucked a breath in between her teeth.  “Inside,” she said

Danny hurried to obey, taking the steps up to the door two at a time and squeezing past her and Jack to get into the house.  Maddie closed the door behind him. 

“So, um,” said Danny, shuffling from foot to foot.  “What, um.  I thought you guys were going to be working all day today?”

“On the Ops Center,” said Jack.  “Not in the la– Not downstairs.”

Danny made note of the near-slip but didn’t comment on it.  He was already in trouble.  He didn’t need to remind them that the lab didn’t exactly exist anymore and make their mood worse.  

“Oh,” he said.  “What were you–?”

“Never mind what we were doing.  What were you doing?  What were you thinking, jumping off a building like that?  You could have died?”

“Or been seriously hurt!”

“But I wasn’t!  I’m fine.  I planned it all out, and it worked.”

“And it shouldn’t have!” shouted Jack and Maddie at the same time.  

Danny blinked up at them.  “What?”

Jack explained.  “We’ve been tracking the changes to gravity, too, Danny.  We’ve been measuring it, measuring all the changes, to see what those darn ghosts did.”

Danny held back a sigh.  There still wasn’t any sign that ghosts had done this, or even that ghosts existed.  

“Gravity might have changed a bit,” continued Jack, “but not enough to keep a human being airborne like that.”

“There are whole buildings floating,” said Danny.  “I’m a lot smaller than a building.”

“The rules seem to be different for different masses, as well as different altitudes,” said Maddie, making a face.  

“Yeah!  It’s really exciting.  We’re trying to measure the ectoplasm levels– It has to be related, but we haven’t been able to detect any yet– Those ghosts are tricky, son–”  

“Well, yeah.  But the rules are also different for things that are alive.”

“Really?” asked Jack, leaning close.  

“Uh, yes?  Otherwise I wouldn’t have done, um.  That.  I tested it.”

“You tested it?  Did you write it down?”

Danny nodded, cautiously.  Jack swept him off his feet.  “Our boy has been doing science, Mads!”

“He’s been jumping off of buildings!”

“Putting his research to practical use!”

“He’s been jumping off buildings without being peer reviewed!”

“Oh, yeah, son, you should have had someone check your work.”

“You never get peer reviewed,” said Danny, scowling.  

“That’s different,” said Maddie, quickly.  

“If anyone else believed in ghosts, you’d be sure we would be!”  

Hanging limp in Jack’s arms, Danny grumbled.  

“Danny,” said Maddie.  

“Yes?” he mumbled.  

“No more testing theories without checking in with us first.  Safety first.  You should know this by now.”

Danny hunched his shoulders and tried not to think too hard about his scars.  They weren’t very visible, and the doctors had said that they’d fade away, probably entirely, eventually, but they were still there now, if you knew where to look.

A month ago, reality had broken.  

A few days before that, Danny had almost died.  Lab accident.  It turned out that his parents thought portals to other dimensions which may or may not exist needed a lot of electricity and chemicals to function.  Danny had been curious.  He’d wanted to explore, to investigate.  He’d stepped on a loose wire that had led to a capacitor.  He’d been horribly electrocuted, and then exposed to a chemical cocktail.  Sam and Tucker, who had been in the lab with him, had called for an ambulance, and he’d been brought to the hospital.

At least, that’s what he was told, later.  He hadn’t woken up until he’d been in the hospital for a few days.  Of course, when he had woken up, he did so because a bunch of the medicines going into him had started to do weird things while reality restructured itself, and that had been… incredibly unpleasant.  Everyone had been grateful that only a very few things - like whatever Danny had been on to take care of the chemicals he’d picked up in the lab - had acted like that.

Later, Jazz had told Danny that for a brief period of time between the accident and reality breaking, Jack and Maddie had sworn off ghost hunting.  Presumably forever.  But once the laws of physics, chemistry, and biology started to rebel and twist, they’d taken it back.  Well, to be fair, apparently they didn’t take it back until the lab disappeared.  And the Fenton Stockades.    

Although, to be fair in the other direction, it was more a case of everyone’s basements disappearing and being replaced by weird misty caverns than ghosts specifically targeting his parents.  It was a whole thing. 

(Personally, Danny was glad to see them go, although it had sounded like Sam was mourning hers.)

“Danny,” said Maddie, “tell us that you understand.”

“I understand.  I don’t test theories without you,” said Danny, grudgingly.  “Not even about cool things like flying.”

Maddie scowled.  Jack beamed.  

“Great!” shouted Jack.  He whirled Danny around again.  “Let’s go see your data!  Where is it?”

“Upstairs,” mumbled Danny.  “I’ve got a notebook.”

“A notebook, Mads!”  

Maddie sighed.  “Alright, let’s see the notebook.”

[jeminie-rising]

A Silent Christmas

[ Inumaki Toge x Reader ]

link to AO3: [ A Silent Christmas by JEMINIE ]

summary: "If he can't have Christmas at the Inumaki Clan then let's bring it to him!"

or, Toge gets called in from the Inumaki Clan for the holidays while the others, quite family-less, decide that trying to bring Christmas spirit to their friend is better than spending it doing normal Christmas activities in Tokyo.

warnings: a little tiny angst, more fluff, toge and reader being complete idiots in love, no smut!, toge thinks he’s not deserving :(, angst with comfort, afab!reader, they're both so in love but can't admit to it (yet), Toge says more than just rice ball ingredients, there might be slight mischaracterisations, found family, Christmas carolling, Not actually unrequited love (they just shy).

characters: inumaki toge, The Inumaki Clan, Fushiguro Megumi, Itadori Yuuji, Kugisaki Nobara, Zen'in Maki, Panda, slight Satoru Gojo, mentioned Yuta Okkotsu

word count: 5,117

authors note: hii! i am absolutely new to JJK. Literally only started it but I had this inspiration from a Christmas song for Inumaki and I got so excited to write about it even if I still haven't finished watching it. So I apologise already if there are mischaracterisations!! I swear I will review this after I finish it to polish it up.

Other than that, as usual, enjoy and happy holidays!

Won't be the same dear, if you're not here with me, when those blue snowflakes start falling. –Blue Christmas by Elvis Presley

Because of the negative feelings throughout the year, sorcerers don’t exactly have days off, even during holiday season. But fortunately for the students of Tokyo Metropolitan Curse Technical College (with the name so long to distract the general public from having the word ‘curse’ in it) they were, in fact, just students. That means, they at least would get days off from their academic life.

“Finally winter break!” Yuuji screamed in cheer the moment he stepped out of the building and into the snow.

Nobara, with a hand on her hip and the other holding a hot pocket, joined in the cheer for the breaks, “we should all go do something!”

Megumi wasn’t quite as enthusiastic as the two but he too relished in finally having more time to practice his shadows techniques. You, on the other hand, were torn.

“Won’t you guys go back to your families for the break?” You asked fidgeting onto your long long scarf. You lost your family not so long ago. This would be your first Christmas without them. Surprisingly, it wasn’t because of any curses, just a tragic car accident. Goes to show that the world was filled with evil spirits, and sometimes they hid in plain sight as drunken drivers.

Itadori sat up from his newly formed snow angel, the cold didn’t seem to bother him as much as it did you. Maybe the flow of his cursed energy helped in that matter.

But it was Megumi who answered her first, “I don’t have parents, and my sister —well, if I visit her or not it won’t make any difference.”

His tone was not that of a traumatised teenager who clearly has gone through too much, he rather spoke casually of it. 

Kugisaki shrugged her shoulders and decided to not explain herself further, “same here.”

You didn’t have to wait for Itadori’s answer. He too, just lost his last family member not so long ago. That was how you two became so close after all, he once showed a side of him that seemingly did not show others.

“You’re speaking of families?” A new voice interrupted them. 

The second years walked out of the building too, seemingly just having ended their last class as well. Panda, the most outgoing of the three, was the one to greet with a question, curiosity in his voice. But as Panda was the one who talked, your attention was already on Inumaki. The boy stood quietly by Panda’s side –the two seemed to be two peas in a pod. 

Perhaps because Maki was quite the introverted herself, but you’ve never seen him be as clingy to anyone else other than Panda. Perhaps the mysterious fourth second year, but he hasn’t been around since you arrived at this school.

“We were just making plans for the break since everyone seems to be staying around for the break,” Itadori explained, patting away the snow from his uniform. 

Maki observed the first years, she didn’t have to ask, she herself wouldn’t and didn’t have any family to go to for the holidays. Having no missions assigned either she sighed and, uncharacteristically decided to join in on her own.

“If Maki is going, I am too!” Panda clapped his paws together, a fluff sound came from it. Made you wonder if those fluffy paws were the same ones that could punch through a wall during training.

With a smile, your gaze fell, once again, on Inumaki, hopeful he’d join in, as Panda did. You didn’t feel the need to shy your stare as everyone was awaiting for his answer too. Salmon. You hoped.

A few beats passed before the surprised look on his eyes turned down apologetically. From his hidden lips, one of his ingredients fell out, and it was not one you wanted.

“Bonito flakes…” he said, putting his hands together and bowing his head. “Tuna tuna…”

“Your family called you in?” Panda said in surprise, “When were you going to tell me?”

The boy couldn’t even reply before Maki interjected, “that seems logical. Every clan has their traditions, as one only Cursed Speech User, Toge must have been called to go back home for the holidays.”

“Salmon.”

Maki must have known this, you thought. You knew of her past, superficially. You knew she came from one of the three biggest clans of this world of sorcerers. So she must understand the responsibilities of a clan member, especially of Toge as the sole known inheritor of the Snake Eyes and Fangs.

Of course you were more than grateful to spend your holidays with wonderful friends, but you had to admit you weren’t as happy as you were earlier on the prospect of it, knowing that the one you secretly wished to spend it with, couldn’t be there. And both Nobara and Panda seemed to have taken notice. Sure you didn’t try to hide your disappointment, but after a few months around you, they knew better.

“When will you be leaving?” Panda asked your unspoken question.

“Tuna,” he answered quite immediately. His departure seemed to have been planned for a while now.

“So soon?” Itadori fully pouted as he neared towards his shorter upperclassman.

This gained him a pat on the head as Inumaki giggled. Aw, maybe I should have made my disappointment obvious too. You thought, as envy for Inumaki’s pat ran through you. A sigh left your mouth as it formed a condensed cloud in front of you.

Inumaki’s eyes fell on you for just a few moments, but you were sure he gave you a smile hidden behind his collar. Your upperclassman was quite the limited person. With rice ball ingredients as his vocabulary and half of the face covered by his collar, it wasn’t a surprise you were intimidated by him at first. It took a speaking giant panda to comfort you and reassure you of his situation to finally understand him better.

“Tuna mayo,” he said, already stepping away from the group, a hand up to wave. He must have had to go prepare his stuff, you thought, as he walked his way to his dormitory.

“It’s quite a pity Toge won’t be with us for Christmas,” Itadori sighed as soon as he left.

“It’s not like he will be celebrating it anyways,” Maki said. “From what I know, the Inumakis have an end of the year tradition to just dinner together quietly –something to not make the bearers of the Cursed Speech feel left out– it’s not like he will have an actual Christmas up there.”

The others hummed in silence, it was you who broke it as you spoke your thoughts mindlessly, “it would be nice if we could bring Christmas to him.”

“Let’s do it then!” Itadori cheered, his enthusiasm back on track. The others only blinked at him. “Come on! How can we make him pass Christmas without Christmas –[name] is right, we should bring Christmas to him!”

“Clans are quite secluded from society, they have their own little towns,” Panda explained, “it will be hard to get to him, let alone get in without being invited.”

“He’s right, Inumaki clan may not be one of the Big Threes, but they’re not going to let us in just because we popped up…” Megumi continued. “Plus the Inumaki clan is an outlaw clan –they will be far more alert than the rest.”

“Outlaw?” You asked confused, “Inumaki-senpai is a criminal?”

“Not quite,” Maki shook her head. “Cursed speech is a very powerful cursed technique. Even among kind hearted people like Toge it is dangerous, the most minimal of words and one may get very hurt –that’s why he really limits his vocabulary to ingredients. Won’t even say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ in fear he might hurt someone.”

“So the entire clan is considered an outlaw based on their cursed technique? I thought the Jujustu world needed powerful sorcerers to fight curses?” You felt more confused by the second.

“The Higher Ups are quite complicated people,” Maki grumbled, knowing quite well how personal it actually gets for them. “Perhaps because the Gojo Clan is part of the Big Three, that’s why they don’t bat an eye at Gojo, but I know they must be biting their nails behind his back as they can’t have full control over him right now. The Inumaki clan, because of their inherited techniques, would prove to be an even more fearsome problem to deal with in terms of control and hierarchy power.”

“Yeah, Toge is a special case,” Panda explained at the end. “He is the only Cursed Speech user left. In a world where his kind has been nearly wiped out of existence –he was born.”

“That’s quite…” you couldn’t find the exact words to say. Devastating? Heartbreaking? Allarming? 

“Bullshit!” Itadori exclaimed.

You couldn’t help but agree. It was bullshit. You already knew how isolating it must be for Inumaki to live such a life with such limited vocabulary, who knew he also had to experience such sorrow with the events that were happening with his clan –his family.

“Then it’s decided!” Nobara clapped, “We are going to bring Christmas to Inumaki-senpai!”

They were all there when they said their farewell to the silver-haired boy. As a man of few words he learnt to read and express through the heart, and sure he wasn’t hoping for them to shed tears, but a bit sad for his absence was a little bit expected. Instead, he somehow felt like they were all quite excited too. Was it possible that they were happy for him to leave?

How was it that the group were planning on doing such a feat, was still not sure.

“I heard from a little bird that some other birdies were planning to save another bird from its nest,” Gojo spoke as he waved goodbye to the car that took Toge away from their school.

The others looked at their teacher.

“If you’re speaking to birds now, then you should get checked up, sensei. Even among sorcerers that’s quite weird,” Nobara shook her head.

Itadori wished he could laugh but he didn’t want to get them caught with their plans, “Yeah, sensei. You’re giving a beat to Mei Mei.”

Gojo didn’t want to bust them, in fact part of him wished he could join them. But he had better plans for the holidays –not better, but definitely more important, that required his presence. Instead, he left them with some vague points.

“Well if any bird does wish to enter another bird’s nest, one bird must really consider doing so during the eve of Christmas. A very handsome blue-eyed bird heard that the imprisoned bird will be having their dinner at the eve, so everyone in the nest must be very busy to notice anyone climbing the tree.”

After a beat of silence, he greeted them with his own farewell, “I’ll be waiting for your Christmas cards!”

Everyone waited until he was quite far for him to hear them before speaking. Megumi was the first to break the silence, “he is so weird.”

That, he definitely was. But they all loved him for the little help. Because when they found themselves at the gates of the Inumaki clan, there were definitely no guards around. It was your first time there, and although you’ve been on many a mission already, you felt as nervous as you usually do when you go on curse hunting. You were not sure what you were expecting, your school was on the top of some mountains, in the middle of nowhere, of course the clan of some old family of sorcerers was going to be as secluded and old too. 

The Inumaki Clan, as outlaws, surely did not look like the part. Well-kept bonsai and plants decorated the property. Each rock seemed deliberately placed to perfectly harmonise with the rest. The walls that outlined the estate were quite intimidating and the only entrance seemed to be the main gate. Fortunately for them, they were trained sorcerers and could handle a little hop of the walls. 

Another stroke of luck was the lack of alarm systems. Not that it should be surprising given the traditional look of the place. Some cameras and cables would ruin the entire experience. You could imagine that normally there would be guards going around, but just as Gojo-sensei said, not a soul was present roaming around.

Despite the place seemingly being deserted, you and the others were still crunched down behind bushes and in the shadows. Everyone took the situation quite more seriously than their normal missions. Nobara did not speak a word of how she wanted to get home early for her skin care. Itadori made no jokes. Even Megumi, who one would think would find this entire situation stupid, called for one of his divine dogs to pick up Inumaki’s scent.

Not that it was needed. Every minka in the horizon was closed and no light shone through the windows except for one. The big one that led to the main road had lights and shadows flickering throughout the entire house. It didn’t take them long to reach it, but now it was a work of how to find their Inumaki among the rest of them.

✦•······················•✦•······················•✦

Toge was still in his room when the others were already celebrating, in their own quiet way, in the gathering room. He knew this event was reserved only for him –they had it every year since he was born. A way for his family to show solidarity to him –the only cursed speech user in existence– and be quiet. But Toge didn’t exactly enjoy that, he preferred it when everyone was blatantly chatty and lively around him. He adored his classmates, Panda and Yuuta, the company of the two was always guaranteed to have some interesting lively conversation. Maki, in her own way, always ended up filling the silence for him. He loved listening to her rants about her family and her plans to get stronger and better –an inspiration. 

Even his teachers, all so chatty –his favourite had to be Gojo. His soul was so spirited and child-like, despite the burden of such a powerful and dangerous cursed technique. He admired him, and often wished he could be as carefree as him. Maybe one day he will find a way to control his powers at will and be more like him. Unapologetically himself despite the burden of potent cursed technique.

Megumi was quite the taciturn one, but when the new freshmen came around, he opened up quite a bit and it turned out to be nice speaking with him. The three new freshmen were also good company for Toge. Nobara never stopped talking. Even if he could, Toge wasn’t sure if he could let a word in. While Itadori was, without question, the most positive and enthusiastic one out of any person he has ever met, it was a joy to be able to have a conversation with him. And you? You were all of that packed up in a little package. 

Speaking to you brought Toge a joy he could not begin to express. You were chatty, a yapper, no dull moment could be present. But there were rare moments where silence reigned between you two, and it was the kind of silence that was not demanded like that Christmas Eve, but the kind that rested like a pillow below your neck under the bright blue sky.

How he wished he could bask in that, instead of the eerie cold wind from his window. With one look out of the window, and a wish upon a star, he let himself believe for a moment in those Disney-like beliefs you often told him about. All the fairytale-like stories you often dreamt for, and he wished he could give you. But how could he swoon you with a duet song if he could not even say “hello” without being scared of hurting you?

He swore he saw one of the stars twinkle and that made him chuckle a little. Maybe, just for that night, his wish would come true.

However, that seemed to not be the case.

Maybe it was due to the sense of security he felt within the confines of the Inumaki Clan’s property but he shouldn’t have let down his guard. As he suddenly, he felt the presence of not one, but multiple sorcerers surrounding the house. He swore he recognised them, but it couldn’t have been right. Besides, their energy also felt too faint to get a proper read on. 

With a quiet and swift jump from his window he landed on the garden that gave view from his window. He didn’t want to cause a commotion for the clan. He knew that being outlaws, this incident might cause them more trouble than anything. If he could, he was going to handle this by himself and, in the true spirit of the Inumaki tradition, quietly.

He really wished he wasn’t there that night. He wished to just spend that evening listening to some Christmas songs while his friends and family chatted around him. He wished to watch one of the cheesy hallmark movies you adored for the Christmas season where he could clearly guess how it would end up like. He wished he didn’t have to fight intruders. But, perhaps with standards so low, he at least wished he didn’t have to fight wearing a Montsuki, instead of his usual uniform. 

He walked closer to where he could feel the faint energy of the closest sorcerer. His footsteps were just as quiet as he was. His movement, if not for the rustling of the long wardrobe he wore, light and faint. But he was not worried, if this was an ambush, it wasn’t from the smartest of individuals. He didn’t even have to heighten his senses to feel the presence of someone behind the rose bush. The slight rustling of the leaves only made him tilt his head.

“Come out.”

The moment he saw your head budding out of the bush, he wasn’t sure what to feel first. He was happy, surprised, aghast and at the same time he cursed himself and wished he didn’t use his speech technique on you. But how could have he known? 

He had so much to say, so many emotions. So much of everything whenever you were around, but as usual, it was only his widened eyes and his limited vocabulary that could express his everything.

“K-kelp?!” 

“Surprise…!” you said bashfully, stepping out of the bushes and closer to him. You weren’t sure on how to handle the situation. You had plans with the others once you’d find him, to surprise him all together. You could swear you tried your best to lower your cursed energy to hide yourself, until the others would reach you. But you weren’t expecting he’d use his cursed speech on you to ruin said surprise. 

“Well, it was supposed to be–” you stopped yourself. He still hasn't discovered the others. You might yet surprise him with everyone else. But not that Toge was thinking of that anymore. He did sense the presence of more sorcerers earlier, but that thought was fast gone from his mind. Each of his senses were now focused on how the warm lights from his house warmed up your face, how the melody of your voice sounded better than any Christmas carolling, and how the faint scent of your perfume reached his nose –the hot chocolate you probably drank on the way there.

“It was supposed to be a surprise… me, visiting you. I hope that my intrusion isn’t a bother… of course I am not expecting to attend your dinner,” you giggled nervously at the thought of meeting his family, “just wanted to bring you some Christmas spirit!”

You rambled on as Inumaki only listened with a smile. It was only then that he realised he didn’t have the usual cover he used to hide the sheepish smile he wore whenever you talked to him. He quickly shook his head to bring himself down to Earth. Hopefully you’d think the blush forming on his face would be from the cold and snow that was starting to fall down on you.

“Mustard leaf?” He asked.

It wasn’t too long that you started to learn his ingredients, but you were certainly getting the hang of it. At least you were doing better than Nobara, that’s for sure.

“Oh, t-thank you but I’m okay, I really don’t want to impose on your event… I merely wanted to wish you a happy Christmas.”

At that, even your charmest smiles couldn’t hypnotize him from your statement, “Tuna…?”

“Uh–” you were caught, but you tried to pass it off with a laugh. “Yeah, you’re right I could have just texted… but you know, words carry more weight in person, don’t you think?”

Of course he did. He was the master of words after all. His smallest tiniest words could affect anyone who heard him speak. Choice of words, tone, volume, pitch, frequency; those were all things he was hyper-aware of. So it was not a wonder he still hasn’t confessed his feelings to you when Panda kept pushing the two of you since the day you met.

“Salmon,” was, once again, all he could say.

He looked up at the sky, partly because if he looked at you for one more second, he feared he might not hold himself up anymore, and another was in search of the star earlier. If his wish really did come true to have you there, then maybe he could wish again to have his cursed speech removed for just a few minutes. Just enough to be able to say everything he ever wanted to say. 

Please twinkling star, I beg of you. 

“Merry Christmas, Inumaki-senpai.”

Toge looked down again, and upon seeing your shy smile and blushing cheeks, he cursed himself once again. How dared he pray to a star in the sky, when he had one right in front of him. Toge thought for a while, calculated all his risks, all the possible scenarios, the weight of the words he picked, all the self-inflicted tortures he would endure if he messed up. But decided it was worth risking it.

“Merry Christmas, [name].”

Perhaps you didn’t receive an actual gift from Toge, but hearing him say your name was quite possibly the best gift you could have ever asked for. Needless to say, Toge too thought the same. Having you there was much more than a gift, if not a Christmas miracle in itself. The little gasp that left your lips was only the icing to the cake.

“T-Tog–”

“Hey! Say my name too!” Panda sprouted from nowhere. Following him, the rest of the students of Tokyo Metropolitan Curse Technical College.

“Me too! Me too!” Itadori jumped up and down.

Nobara jumped with him with more vigor, “Me first!!”

Megumi and Maki calmly came out of the shadows too, silently hoping for their name to be spoken too.

Despite being interrupted, you couldn’t help but giggle at the group. Until you realised that they were all there, “How long have you guys been eavesdropping?”

“A while,” Maki quickly admitted. “We started betting who would actually conf–”

“We only didn’t want to interrupt,” Panda interjected. Yet his words did not match the fact that he was technically the one who interrupted them first.

Inumaki, though still a little bit stunned, was slowly growing more and more fond of his friends. He observed them with love and warmth filling him up. Their loud presence filled in the silence that deafened him previously. Like a bright warm light on that dark winter night.

“Tuna mayo?” Inumaki asked.

“Oh right,” Panda grabbed everyone and pulled them in a hug, “guys, one, two, three–”

“Surprise Toge!” Everyone exclaimed together in chorus.

It was a far cry from the actual surprise they wished they could have given him. But it mattered not to Inumaki, as his heart was starting to feel so full of love that it held no more space for the tears that came out instead.

Inumaki was already quite content with their presence, and nothing could have prepared him for the santa hats they all wore at once as Panda counted once again. All broke in a chorus of, not quite in tune, but lovely nonetheless singing.

“We wish you a merry Christmas, We wish you a merry Christmas, We wish you a merry Christmas, And a happy new year

Good tidings we bring, To you and your kin, Good tidings for Christmas and a happy new year!”

Itadori quite enjoyed prolonging the last note with his jazzy hands.

“Mentaiko!” Toge laughed for a bit before asking them, “Tuna?”

“Oh it was [name]’s idea,” Nobara explained.

Panda, quite suggestively, added, “She wanted to bring Christmas to you~”

Inumaki could only see you blushing. He was quite aware of your feelings for him. He wasn’t stupid, and he definitely was not blind. But it still surprised him how adorable you looked when someone would almost catch your little ‘secret’ crush on him. 

Panda only mentioned it once or twice before in privacy to Toge. First to ask what his type was and, the few more times after, was to point out how curious it was that you categorised into his type. However, Toge never admitted out loud his feelings for you, not to you nor to anyone else. Not that he was hiding it, but he was content with selfishly keeping it for himself. He would have told Panda, after pushing on the topic so much, but he never directly asked and he never had a reason to say. Besides, there were no words in his available vocabulary that allowed him to express the big emotions he held for you as he wished he could.

“We don’t exactly have presents though…” You admitted to him quite sad about it. “We didn’t have time to prepare anything except for the caroling.”

“We actually weren’t even sure we’d make it this far,” Megumi pointed out.

“Speak to yourself, I always knew we’d make it,” Nobara nodded proudly.

Inumaki laughed, “Bonito flakes!”

“Well, for the gift, we do have it,” Maki pointed out.

Inumaki looked at his classmate and tilted his head, “tuna?”

She did not reply, though with a friendly, yet quite powerful, push on your back, you found yourself in front of Toge. Who already put his hands forward on instinct, in case you tripped. 

“Maki-senpai?!” You groaned looking back at her.

She only shrugged.

You didn’t want to look at Toge anymore. You were quite aware that you haven’t been the most nimble person with your secret. But at this point, things were starting to turn out a bit too forward for your liking. 

Toge tapped your shoulder, a silent demand for your attention. He was not bothered by the presence of an audience, this was quite evident. And both of these were, again, too forward for your poor heart to deal with. You couldn’t ignore him though, not even if you wanted to. I mean, how could one ignore their crush?

You slowly turned back to look at him, only to find him smiling at you. His teeth visible, his tattoos by each side of his pretty smile almost framing it. How sweet was it to be able to see his entire face apart from the quick glances during missions. All her nervousness quickly melted away.

“Salmon!”

“Y-you’re welcome,” you cleared your throat. It was only a lump left from your nerves, but Inumaki was quick to bring out his throat medicine. A small cough was nothing to take lightly for him. “Oh, no thank you. I am quite alright.”

“Mustard leaf?”

“Yes, don’t worry!” You reassured him.

Inumaki was starting to worry you were getting cold, along with everyone else. He was about to offer you all to come in, but you were quicker to talk.

“We should get going anyways… don’t want to keep you further from your family thing.”

Toge wanted to object, he was shaking his head already when Megumi added, “Yeah, we bothered you enough.”

“Bonit–”

“You look so good in that Montsuki, senpai, you’ll have to tell me what store it is from when you come back from the holidays!” Nobara was already stepping away.

You couldn’t help but agree. You wished you had the guts to say it first, but you didn’t want to look like you were trying to flirt and shoot your shot. Toge could only hope you did.

“Merry Christmas again, senpai!” Itadori sprinkled around the few snow on the floor with his hands as he greeted him farewell once again.

Maki was nearly already walking away when you were waving at him. That was his last straw, he would feel bad about this later on, but he also felt quite desperate enough to resort to this.

“Wait…” he begged, in his softest tone and barely a whisper.

They heard it though, because everyone stopped on their tracks compelled by his command. Not that he wanted to command them, he merely wished they’d stay. He only wished for one last thing. A few more minutes.

He took the few steps that he needed to place himself in front of you. By then, he could feel the power of his words already fading from everyone. Perhaps it was the volume he used or the tone, but he was glad it didn’t last long. He never wanted to use his powers on his friends, he vowed never to do it. But this one time, he only needed to express what he couldn’t in the months he spent.

Maybe he wasn’t going to be able to truly say everything that is in his heart at the moment. But if not during Christmas then, when else? His bravery might be coming hidden behind the surge of the holidays, and the promise of a new year, but it was bravery nonetheless.

His words may be limited but his actions were not, because in a swift pull of the arm you found yourself in the warmth of his arms, and in your ears you heard yet more non-ingredient words from him.

“Thank you, [name].”

Your heart warmed up, enough to get you home in the snow unbothered that night. It might not have been the exact feelings that you wished he expressed, but hey! There was still new year’s eve for that.

[bajistadiamond]

Yuu and the Magical Power of Songs

Yuu Singer, 🎶💎Ramshackle💎🎶 (We wish you a Merry Christmas - Phineas and Ferb Version)

I couldn't think of a better idea for this Christmas than to use "We wish you a Merry Christmas" that they used in Phineas and Ferb… Well. I will do the same for this New Year... This story takes place after the OverBlots; After the near destruction of NRC, Malleus and Yuu combined their magic into a time spell that returned them all to the entrance ceremony to start things off without disaster.

The holidays are the funniest and happiest time of the year for many.

When Yuu first arrived at Twisted Wonderland he didn't imagine the seriousness with which they prepared for each celebration… what he discovered in spring and fall.

And that's not to mention the events that occurred randomly.

Anyway, at this moment the 8 dorm leaders were in a meeting.

"So we agree to decorate everything?" Yuu asked those present, who nodded at his words.

Since for some reason the entire student population wanted to celebrate the holidays at NRC, they needed to vote on whether they would decorate just their dormitories or the entire school.

Azul already had many ideas for the most fruitful season for Mostro Lounge.

"I have many selected items to order." Kalim said excitedly as he showed his cell phone to Riddle.

"Send me the links, I have my contacts so shipping will be cheaper hehehe~". Idia said with a giggle, who was present forced by Ortho.

Leona looked at the largest of the Shroud inquisitively, but he did not want to know.

"And who will pay for everything?" Vil asked, adjusting his Santa hat.

Yuu smiled and the others could swear that demon horns appeared on his head. "The director of course."

The others looked at Yuu strangely; Crowley was a cheapskate no matter how much he said otherwise, they highly doubted that he would pay for Christmas decorations.

"The director is so kind that he gave me his credit card." Yuu said taking said card out of his pocket. "Besides, when he realizes it, it will be too late."

Everything was silent for a moment before everyone laughed like "villains."

These holidays would be expensive for Dire Crowley…

The light music club was preparing to practice; they would have a lot of work performing at Mostro Lounge and the Christmas and New Year party.

"So what should we play today?" Cater asked looking at her cell phone for ideas.

"How about it, all I want for Christmas is you~." Lilia suggested doing a riff.

"It's already widely seen." Kalim commented, much to Carter's surprise.

Kalim had been using a lot of internet tutorials to be more independent, so he also updated himself on trends on the web… Jamil still couldn't decide if Kalim being addicted to MagiCam was good or bad.

"And a classic?" Ortho suggested with a smile. The young man with the shrouds had become a member of the club shortly before the Malleus OverBlot.

At that moment, Yuu entered. "Sorry guys, the decorations arrived and I wasn't going to risk leaving Grim alone with the glass things." He explained, leaving his coat on the coat rack.

"Don't worry Yuu-kun, we're still thinking about what to play." Cater said to the white haired one.

Yuu thought for a moment; He had managed to listen to Ortho's suggestion and thought it was a very good idea.

"And if we sing, we wish you a Merry Christmas?" The others looked at Yuu, it wasn't a bad idea.

"We can use a classic, with a little tweak." Yuu explained to them grabbing a microphone.

"Alright, you're in charge Yuu." Carter said to the aforementioned before turning on a LIVE for everyone to see. Yuu smiled mischievously as Kalim started playing the drums...

We wish you a Merry Christmas ~

We wish you a Merry Christmas ~

The "voice of the gods" was instantly present. Everyone's clothes changed to a unique Santa Claus outfit for each one. For Kalim it was with two shades of red and round gold glasses, for Ortho it was blue with white and a tulle cape with snowflake embroidery, for Carter it was bright green with black and pearls in her hair, for Yuu it was the typical red and white and cool ski goggles.

We wish you a Merry Christmas ~

And a Happy New Year ~

The song was heard throughout the campus; filled everyone with joy. They organized themselves in the patio to decorate. Many were singing or humming with their hands full of golden tinsel.

We wish you the best day ever ~

And hope all your Christmas endeavors ~

At Heartslabyul, Trey watched in barely concealed horror as Riddle pulled out the fruitcake the aforementioned had made. Riddle cut a piece of the cake from him and then looked nervously at the green-haired man. The one with glasses forced a smile before trying the cake… It was because of the magic of friendship and the miracle of Christmas that Trey didn't have stomach pains.

Are super-fun, amazing and clever ~

And that your New Year's rocks too! ~

Many were using their brooms to fly around NRC and decorate it. The white already contrasted the black and gray of the building beautifully, but with the gold and green tinsel it looked much more impressive. Inside the building there were white LED lights as far as the eye could see and pine trees were added in the largest rooms. Meanwhile, in the teachers' lounge, they were enjoying a good eggnog… The principal was just crying in a corner because of the receipt of everything.

Oh, come, tell me what'cha doin' ~

All my relatives just flew in ~

In Pomefiore, Vil was reflecting on his life choices. The salon was in chaos with many enjoying to "let their hair down" and enjoy themselves. Epel led the party wearing an ugly sweater with lights while he sang about his family's traditions.

From Harveston and Shaftlands ~

For the holidays! ~

Neige had been included in the party. It had been a shock to have discovered that he was distantly related to Epel and now the two got along very well. Vil had no problems with this, after meditating and having Yuu with a therapist, he was able to come to terms with himself and accept that he and Neige were unique.

Both Christmas trees and menorahs ~

It can be confusing for us ~

Strangely enough, Epel managed to bring out the most sarcastic and stubborn side of Neige. The two always ended up arguing whether it was about musical tastes, food or clothes. And now they were fighting over which decorations were better. Luckily for Vil, Rook managed to calm things down by saying that both decorations were beautiful together; and he also brought cocoa, which Vil was happy about.

When we break into a chorus ~

Of olé, Olé ~

And oy vey, Oy vey ~

In the NRC cafeteria, many were preparing a magnificent Christmas dinner; Many were grateful that Lilia was busy and not in the kitchen.

Delicious meals I will try~

Groceries A through Z ~

Leona sang before taking a big bite out of a turkey leg. The lion was in a dream when the taster of the dinner was selected, to the jealousy of many. And Leona enjoyed teasing the others with moans of satisfaction at how delicious the food they brought him to try was.

Ruggie, get away from that punch bowl ~

Ruggie pouted as he was caught drinking the fruit punch while pocketing a couple of cookies.

I'm saving that for me ~

Hyena Boy, offended that his lazy friend wouldn't share punch, threw some figgy pudding into the punch bowl.

Sorry, sir ~

Ruggie sang mockingly because he knew that of all the fruits, Leona hated the fig the most. In the yard, Silver was sleeping peacefully among a small mound of snow. No one wanted to bother the boy during his nap, but they couldn't help but decorate him; They put a headband on him with reindeer antlers and shiny spheres in his ears.

We wish you a Silver Christmas ~

We wish you a Silver Christmas ~

Yuu had changed it from "Perry" to Silver as a joke, but when he sang it he realized that the phrase was not so bad, a silver Christmas.

We wish you a Silver Christmas ~

And a (ZZZ~ Silver´s snoring ZZZ~) New year ~

Azul seriously needed a calculator; His had broken strangely shortly after Jade told him she needed to rest. Now, the lens guy was in her office doing the math by hand and with an abacus.

I want a calculator ~

Slash-Earnings-English Translator ~

"At this rate I finish in the new year." Azul thought tiredly as the music from the music club's LIVE was what kept him sane. The boy was also grateful that Yuu's magic decorated his office; he hadn't had much time to do it.

To find a common denominator ~

In all my tongues! ~

Mostro Lounge was enjoying free time with good music. Some were dancing dressed as elves and others were enjoying a good coffee or hot chocolate.

I will give you good hugs ~

To all you shrimps ~

Floyd with a big smile was trying to hug whoever he could, but everyone was avoiding him because of the mistletoe that the boy had hung on his head. Everyone knew how strong the hug and joking kiss they would receive from Floyd would be.

That's how I say "Merry Christmas" ~

I ain't good with words! ~

Floyd was finally able to grab someone to hug him and kiss him on the cheek, poor thing was Jamil. The one from Scarabia walked out calmly, still in shock, to go to the bathroom and wash his face with bleach.

I wish you would let me rule you ~

I'm going to teach you about anime ~

In Idia and Ortho's room, the oldest was dancing around the room while programming the lights, preparing the gifts he had for his brother, and turning on all of his monitors for the special Christmas events in all of his RPG games.

I won't sugarcoat or fool you ~

Your New Year's looks grim! ~

The oldest of the Shroud danced in the comfort of his chair, for him it was very noob to start singing at Christmas. Although he will deny to death that he sang Christmas songs from his favorite anime in the shower.

We wish your every endeavor ~

Makes this the best Christmas ever ~

The music club put the best of their voices into the final part of the song. Carter, Kalim and Ortho could tell that this was the best version of "we wish you a merry Christmas" they had ever heard. LIVE had ranked #1 in trends and throughout Twisted Wonderland they were dancing no matter what.

And we're all so glad that we will never ~

Mention figgy pudding ~

"Pudding?". Many people asked themselves when they heard the lyrics. Although they didn't give it importance; It was the best one of the best Christmas songs. And needless to say, they enjoyed the chorus at the end.

"Merry Xmas!". Yuu, Carter, Kalim and Ortho exclaimed into the cell phone before the LIVE ended...

Night Raven College had a good day that day and the decorations could be seen from the town on the island. And they were better than the other academy, to the envy of some in the RSA.

...

...

... As for Crowley, he stayed in his nest for the rest of the holidays…

[helltownfms]

Hell Hath Frozen Over

PROLOGUE A few weeks ago, a sudden drop in temperature befuddled the residents accustomed to the constant and unwavering mild Arcadian weather. Breaths became visible and a heavy cold seeped into the bones of its residents who donned on multiple layers of clothing to compensate. Now the residents have become accustomed to the change in temperature, adapted to life in the chill and its impact on resources, and kept their residences as warm as the lack of central heating allows. But gone is the safety of the environment, gone are the blue skies and greenery of trees, replaced instead by colourful and decaying leaves that fall with ease at the slightest breeze.

It's perhaps the first sign of something more serious, the strong gusting wind that bulldozes through the trees, rendering them bare and nearly knocking many of them over. It’s a wind that bites through the air with unrelenting fury, that halts Arcadia to a near standstill. Those brave enough to brace through the cold do their best to continue to be productive, to continue to spin the wheel that keeps Arcadia rolling.

JANUARY 11 – EVENT START PART 1 It starts out innocently in the early morning rays; speckled snowflakes falling in the brief respite of the wind. For many who have gone years without snow falls, the first couple hours of daylight feel like Christmas morning before reality kicks in. As the snow thickens, panic sets in about planted crops and animal husbandry in the cold weather. Most of Arcadia springs into action to preserve the few precious resources, ignoring the biting cold that claws at unclothed skin and the barriers between town, settlement, and common house. By noon a thin layer of snow covers every inch of Arcadia and its surroundings. That’s when the nightmare starts.

The wind picks up again — and with it a flurry of snow that reduces visibility to the ends of your fingertips. The lack of visibility and the diagonal whipping of snow creates a confusing whiteout that forces the residents to seek shelter nearest to them. The carnage of this winter storm spreads across numerous buildings in Arcadia.

PROPERTY DAMAGE The door and some of the windows of the Greenhouse (town) crack and shatter due to the weight of the snow. The wind forces snow in and wreaks havoc on what little could have survived the cold, blowing shards of broken glass and clay pots like weapons. AKAMI SAKURAI has temporarily lost their home.

Across from town, the elevation of the Radio Station makes it prime grounds for violent winds that rip the door off its hinges. Efforts to fix the door are seriously hindered by the weather and soon abandoned. CHARLIE CLAYTON & ROUX CHASE have temporarily lost their home.

Most concerning for the town perhaps is the enormous collapsed tree that blocks the entrance and exit to the Clinic, trapping whoever happened to be inside, in, and whoever happened to be outside, out.

At the Docks, water freezes over, locking boats in with a screeching groan that terrifies its occupants. Those who were at the docks at the time of the storm can choose to stay sheltered in the freezing cold or risk the trek into town in poor visibility and below freezing temperature. Either way, the odds look grim.

At the Common House, heavy snowfall has put pressure on the roof near the back door. The already frail wood of however many years collapses under the weight, taking away a storage room, two bedrooms, and the backdoor of the house. Sealed in by snow and the back hallway door, no one can get in or out that way as long as the door remains closed.

The Settlement has called all of its people to the central hall where a fire fights to keep warmth in the high ceiling location. Windows have been boarded up and electricity flickers in and out intermittently. Outside, the storm rages against the huts, gardens, and other fixtures of the settlement, causing unknown damage. As it is a small hike from the town, whoever was on site is trapped at the Settlement. Whoever happened to be assisting town members with resource preservation find themselves forced to seek shelter with potentially hostile town members in the center of Arcadia.

The Ranch has also been damaged though livable for the night (please see partner specific drop for damage caused to the ranch).

The following residences are safe for now:

The Settlement Main Hall

The Common House

The Church

The Gas station

The Cinema

The Diner

The Vintage store

The Bar

The Library

This all happens before the first nightfall, and no one in Arcadia is left unaffected. MOVEMENT RESTRICTIONS – going outside is strongly discouraged, however can be at times necessary. The storm will make outside conditions extremely unfavorable until the night of Sunday the 12th.

RULES INTERACTIONS We have paired people up, so please make attempts to interact with your prescribed partner in the situation outlined below. However, with that said we encourage people to play around in the developing situation we have created so please feel free to change the circumstances your character finds themselves in to facilitate plots with other characters.

TAGGING Please tag any threads happening in this event as helltownevent1

CHARACTER/PARTNER SPECIFIC PLOTS:

Please see below for plot drops by searching for your character and partner. Let us know if your name is missing from the list ASAP.

At the start of the day the prospect for a light snowfall but otherwise mild weather seemed high, and due to the growing concern for resources, Roux Chase and Paz Moseley-Kaius were sent as a hunting party. The storm took both by surprise and trapped them in the dense forest. Luckily, they were able to stumble their way to a hunter’s cabin, the same one a guard most recently lost his life at. There is blood all over the front door and in the entryway, a stark reminder that this storm will most likely have no effect on monsters. A window will have to be boarded up before nightfall and the two will most likely have to find a way to get a fire going without any firewood as both are freezing.

Emmett Alsford was quite content to stay inside the cinema as the storm howled outside but as the wind picked up, his handy work from a few days ago was ripped clean off. He went up to make an attempt to fix it but another errant panel sends him careening off the rooftop and down to the ground below. The snow softens his landing only slightly. He would have been sure to die in the snow if he hadn’t fallen right across the path of Reyna Hendrix, who drags him back inside the cinema to ride out the storm and deal with his injuries (UTP). While dealing with Emmett, Reyna sees a small boy sitting in a theatre seat. If Reyna talks to this boy, he will explain that the answers to leaving are in the past and requires a sacrifice, that by the time the snow melts again many lives will be taken but none given. Where the conversation or the boy goes from there is UTP.

Rain Montgomery happens to be in town when the storm breaks out, attempting to help re-secure damaged buildings like the greenhouse. However, unable to see past the end of her nose, she ends up lost in the snow. She’s lucky to run into Baby Crier who ushers them both to the safety of the police station. As they cross into the back room of the police station, they both trip over the freshly deceased Sheriff’s body. His injuries look like they could have been caused by a human or a beast. Bloody footsteps lead out through the back door into the white snow, though they are quickly covered up. In any case, both are stuck with the body as the storm rages on.

Directly halfway between the settlement and the common house lies a little underground wood/storage cellar. Unfortunately, at the peak of the storm both Nika and Nicolas Barra were getting wood for their respective houses. Now the storm rages on and traps them both in the cellar, the singular light bulb flickering intermittently in and out, two wolves circling each other.

Charlie Clayton had been out near the outskirts of the settlement when the thickest of the storm hits. Her options are certain death or finding shelter somewhere in the settlement (and honestly, she considered death). The first building she stumbles into is the settlement greenhouse. Surprisingly, and perhaps due to the shelter of the much larger settlement building, the greenhouse is still standing. The wind howls and shakes the windowpanes but it seems that it will most likely hold. Charlie sneaks inside, desperately hoping no one will be present. Too bad Juno Carmichael preferred bracing the storm in the comfort of the greenhouse.  

The situation at the ranch was rapidly unfolding as the blizzard began, with Jude Carrow doing her best to secure the animals and ensure the barn was safe enough to withstand the snowstorm. Then, through the screeching wind, the sound of cracking wood like thunder pierces through as a massive pine tree falls onto the ranch cabin, breaking the roof of Jude’s bedroom right where Shaw Liebowitz had been sleeping. The cabin is still livable if the bedroom door is kept shut. Shaw has been seriously injured (UTP) and Jude must find a way to keep them alive until the storm eases enough to take them to the clinic.

Dayn Thompson had gone to the clinic at first light to get a gash above his head looked at. It had been caused by a drunk patron at the bar the previous night who had smashed a beer glass over Dayn’s head. Ariadne Fernsby takes care of his injury. Shortly after sitting down, the sound of something heavy banging against the door startles both. They investigate to find a large tree has fallen in front of the entrance and exit of the clinic, effectively trapping them both in. UTP to find a way to get the clinic operational again.

In the year she has been at Arcadia, Cara Turner has never seen snow or cold temperatures. And judging by the reaction of everyone around her, this lack of snow goes back several years at least. A strange phenomenon indeed, and it could mean something important and so Cara hits the books. Meryl Silverburgh also happens to be at the library when the worst of the storm looms and causes a brief power outage. As the two women sit in the library (in silence or not: UTP), a strange creaking noise comes from one of the back rows of the library. If the players investigate, they will find that one of the bookshelves doubled as a door to a dusty staircase that leads down beneath the library. UTPs if they go down the tunnel. If they do, they should do their best not to get lost exploring the mazes of tunnels down there, especially before nightfall…

It was decided that all respective leaders would meet at the church to discuss how the cold weather and snow would affect already limited resources. Yet Nika and the Sheriff are no shows, and so Emery Fernsby and Leandro Contreras are alone when the storm traps them inside. The lights in the church begin to flash on an off violently. Emery has the following vision: blood in snow, bodies from the common house all over the front lawn, in the back the house burns, a thick black smoke rises, creatures walk during the day and the priest walks with them, blood drips on her face and she looks up to find Ari dead, hanging in an upside down cross from the tree branch above her. The tree continues to rise as the ground bellow her falls and she gets swallowed up. While Emery has a vision, Leandro hears a noise coming from the confession booth. If he chooses to investigate, he will find the ghost of his wife sitting in confession. She will admit that everyone in this town has sinned, will tell Leandro that the sheriff is dead, and then the ghost will make every attempt to convince Leandro that Emery wants to kill him.

Freshly homeless Akami Sakurai needs a place to crash and fast. Unfortunately for her, the common house has experienced structural damage, restricting the beds available, and Emery is nowhere to be found. The safest and warmest place is going to be the main hall of the Settlement, a place Akami has no interest in being. Especially when her assigned proxy is Seraphine Fallacia. But, with no chain of command present in the settlement, both women have the opportunity to explore the rooms of the settlement usually heavily restricted. If they investigate Nika’s office, they will find a human skull on her desk and journals detailing bizarre and surreal visions. If they investigate the attic, they will find human remains (bones) covered by dusty tarps, and if they investigate the basement, they will find a locked door leading to tunnels. Surely the key is around here somewhere…

In the panic to collect as many crops as possible, a lot of the town’s people had been caught off guard by the sudden violent snowstorm. Zoa Oliveira had been sent to ensure equal distribution of the crops and gets stuck in the storm with Sunny Honeywell. Both women stumble into the abandoned and hardly visited train station where they are able to set up safe shelter due to Zoa’s amulet. While the station is warm enough shelter, strange noises are heard reverberating against the wall, and visions come to both of them. Zoa sees a vision of the tree, roots and branches penetrating the people she cares about, Marisol, Nika, Charlie. She hacks desperately at the root with a knife only to find her hands come back up covered in blood. She looks down and finds Juno, gasping why. For Sunny, the vision is eerily similar, an upside down tree with its branches in the ground and roots seeking through the air, bodies underground wrapped in branches. Her brother stands before the tree, he attempts to scream but no sound comes out. As they come out of their vision, they hear a noise coming from the train boiler room, it sounds like whispers of people they knew… UTP to investigate.

It’s all hands on deck at the Settlement when the storm sets in and Loren Sedano is doing her best to organize their food ration in the event the storm lasts long. Teja Mehta had just come to the settlement to pick up a few vintage items as part of a trade but now storm conditions prevent her from leaving so she decides to help out. Loren and Teja are both in the cellar when the ground shakes and part of the floor collapses into underground tunnels. The tunnels whisper Loren’s name and beckon her to come closer. Teja might feel like she’s seen these tunnels before in a dream (UTP). Whether the women investigate is UTPs.

We hope you enjoy the event and will both be around to answer any questions that you may have or if you’re feeling stuck. If you don’t like the plot you have been assigned or feels that it is not in your character’s nature, please let us know ASAP so that we can rectify with you. Happy writing.  

[shadowro64]

Apparently AuraMetis counts are rare enough for @aaholidayrare so here's a small thing I put together for Day 8: "Changes/Traditions"