#but at a later time perhaps. i'm exhausted right now lol

[nocturnalserenade]

my first entry for @senshixshitennouweeks!

Rei x Jadeite Week - day 1: Pride

For this first prompt I give you art and a headcanon to go with it!

So I think that in the Silver Millennium, Jadeite had a very hard time trying and getting closer to Mars. Even in the midst of all the plans and efforts to strengthen the bond between the Moon and the Earth, while the Moon people and the senshi were generally welcoming of the Earth people and doing their best to promote good relations between the two Kingdoms, Mars would mantain an unfriendly and detached attitude towards them. She would refuse to interact with them in any way except for the bare minimum courtesy, even in formal circumstances—she wouldn't accept a dance at a party, she wouldn't make small talk during meetings etc. Just to remind them that the favour and friendship that was being extended to them weren't to be taken for granted. So Jadeite had to think about something less conventional to approach her. Lucky for him he's the Knight of Perseverance (and bad ideas) so he wasn't going to give up easily! :D

She was the Princess of Mars, so her domain was battle and war. He thus started to boast about his exceptional and unmatched fighting techniques whenever she was close by. Making sure to be extra pompous about it. Being the prideful warrior that she was, of course she took the bait. She had to teach this arrogant man from Earth a lesson. So she challenges him to show her his supposedly amazing fighting prowess, planning to thoroughly humiliate him and put him back in his place. They start sparring occasionally, and he finds out that she is in fact much more inclined to communication and to physical proximity in a fighting context. She is not completely unapproachable anymore. So he obviously uses these opportunities to try to impress her (which mostly fails—he's the one more and more impressed) but most of all to at least start a conversation (even if it's mostly snarky little banters at first) and of course to be a little flirty now and then.✨

I was planning to make a second piece from a different perspective so that the pose and dynamics of the scene would be clearer but couldn't make it. I was never fully happy with it and I didn't want to waste any more time on it and decided to just post this and be done with it. ;_; I'll just link the music video I used for reference so you can check it out to have a better idea (the fighting sequence is at around 2:40)!

[vodika-vibes]

I feel you with being sick lately, I’ve been sick all week plus I got the ol’ red tide happening so I’m not having a good time T-T. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about the A-17 & Fordo combo, so if you want and have time and feel able could you please do another Alpha-17xReaderxFordo fic where the boys comfort and care for a busy reader who won’t stop to take care of herself? Thanks for your time and i hope you’re feeling better and having fun!

Take A Break

Summary: As a post war Senator, you've been working hard to make sure that the clones remain safe...perhaps too hard.

Pairing: Alpha-17 x Reader x ARC Captain Fordo

Word Count: 719

Warnings: None

Tagging: @trixie2023 @n0vqni

A/N: I am feeling a lot better, thank you for asking, I'm just tired, so my brain doesn't want to make words work today, lol. I also do have your other request! Thank you for your requests, and your patience.

You’re exhausted. Down to your bones.

You feel as though you’ve been going non-stop for years now. And at this point maybe you have been. And now that the war is over, you should be able to rest and relax more, not less.

But for every person who supports your Clone Rights Bill is another person who opposes it, which means that you’re working just as hard now as you were when the war was at its height.

You haven’t even managed to go home in the last three days. Though, at least, you’re not alone. None of the other Senators who are working on this bill have been able to leave either.

You caught Bail staring at a blank wall earlier today with a cup of caf in each hand and a straw in each cup, allowing him to drink both at the same time. Personally, you think it’s brilliant, but the look on Commander Thorn’s face when he gently escorted Bail back to his office makes you think that maybe you’re too exhausted to really judge that.

You thread your fingers through your hair, and you stare at the datapad laying on the table in front of you. You’ve been reading the same argument for the last hour, and you haven’t managed to retain a single word of it.

You drop your hands from your hair and press the palms of your hands over your eyes. They’re burning from exhaustion and strain, and you really should dig your glasses out of your desk to help with at least some of that, but that sounds like work and you’re so tired of work-

For a moment, just a moment, you consider taking a break. And then your datapad dings as a new message crosses the screen.

It’s from Padme. The subject line simply reads, “!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

You open the message and it’s a message forwarded from Senator Burtoni. The basic idea being that she’s claiming that the Clones are Kaminoan property and so they should be returned to Kamino for repurposing and decommissioning.

And that sends a shot of awareness through your exhausted mind, and you start typing rapidly. And you note, absently, that you’re not the only one.

About an hour later, you notice that Bail is no longer online. And then neither is Padme.

And then your office door slides open and you blink, blearily, at the two men that enter your office. Alpha looks unimpressed, and Fordo doesn’t look much happier, actually.

Alpha folds his arms over his chest, “Do you have any idea how long it’s been since you’ve been home?”

That’s a silly question, of course you do. It’s been…uh…

You blink at him, and decide that it’s a dumb question and ignore it, “This is important.” You finally say, “Senator Burtoni wants to decommission-”

“That’s normal. Senator Burtoni has always wanted to decommission us.” Alpha says with a roll of his eyes, “Have you slept at all in the last three days?”

“Uh…I closed my eyes for an hour yesterday while listening to a speech?” You offer as an answer, and then you squeak when Fordo crosses the room and gently pulls you from your seat, only to pull you into his arms.

You slump into his embrace, the exhaustion becoming almost overwhelming now that you’re not actively staring at your work.

“Have you eaten, cyare?” Fordo asks, his voice soft.

You nod mutely, because you have. The Senate Droids have been bringing you meals, which is part of the reason that the senate has droids, honestly. 

“You just haven’t been home…or sleeping.” Alpha says, and you can feel his fingers against the back of your neck, rubbing soothing circles there. 

“...’m sorry.”

“Shh. We’re not mad. We’re worried.” Fordo lightly squeezes your hips, “This isn’t healthy, cyare.”

“You need to take a break.” Alpha interjects, “It’s time to go home. You can take a bath and curl up in bed and sleep until you’re not tired anymore.”

“And maybe we’ll cuddle with you.” Fordo adds with a small smile.

You sigh softly, and rest your head against his chest, “What did I do to deserve you both?”

Alpha chuckles and presses a light kiss to your shoulder, while Fordo drops a light kiss to your forehead. “Come on, cyare. Time to go home.”

[m00nsbaby]

Hello :3

I hope I'm not bothering you and I hope this is okay to request, I don't want to push boundaries and make you uncomfortable because I know that I'm asking for a lot right now, but I was listening to Spotify and the song "We'll Never Have Sex" by Lieth Ross came on (it's a very good song and it really gets me in my feels, I really recommend listening to it) and my first thought was the Moon boys with reader who struggles with past SA and thinks of themselves a ruthless monster since the reader is an active mercenary (I don't know if you write for male readers or not but I'm politely asking if you can make the reader male please and thank you 🥺👉🏻👈🏻 it's okay if not)

Sorry for rambling so much and asking for a lot of things from you, please don't feel rushed to make this and be sure to take care of yourself

The Nerve.

Moon system x M! Reader.

Tags & warnings. Mentions of death, hints of SA, violence, blood, abuse, inaccurate representation of DID.

Sorry for the amount of text on this writers note, lol: Hi!!! So, this is my first request!! :) And I have a lot to say lol.

To whoever sent me this request I want to thank them for trusting in me and my writing to make something that feels somehow personal and for being the nicest ever! <3 Don't say sorry for asking for certain stuff, I really from the bottom of my heart hope that this fulfills what you wanted to read <3

Word count. 2.9k

Summary.

Oh, you kissed me just to kiss me, Not to take me home. It was simple, it was sweetness, It was good to know.

It had been a long time since the idea of death had ceased to matter to you.

When Bushman took everything from you and slowly immersed you in a world you never wanted to be a part of in the first place, you began to understand that perhaps whoever ended your life would be doing you a favor.

So when your mission turned into breaking into one of the neighborhoods protected by the vigilante in white to 'dispose of' some random person, you accepted without protest.

And that was basically the context of how you ended up like this, underneath him with his hands on your neck. You had put up a good fight; in fact, you could see how his chest rose and fell heavily with fatigue. In the end, your training was nothing compared to whatever was protecting him.

The air escaped from your lungs, your vision was blurry, and you heard him growl beneath the mask, your body was about to give in.

You were almost happy to know that this was finally the day. You stopped fighting, and in less than 10 seconds, the ceremonial white suit turned into an ordinary white and cream-toned tuxedo. The mask disappeared as well, and his startled expression filled your entire field of vision.

"Marc?" you whispered with a hoarse voice, and his orbs widened even more in surprise.

"Do you know him?" the vigilante murmured to himself, his hands trembling as he moved them away from your neck.

As much as you tried to hold on, your body gave in just a little while later, from exhaustion, shock, or perhaps the lack of oxygen in general.

The punishment for failing had been worse than you remembered.

It had been a long time since you had failed a mission.

Still, as you tended to your wounds, there wasn't much on your mind other than the encounter with Marc. Your Marc.

For several months now, you had come to accept the idea that he was dead, even if 'accept' for you meant crying in his name during the nights or using all your strength to pound your fists as a way to vent your anger for losing him.

Was it really him, or had your mind gone to him immediately when it thought you were about to die?

And if that was Marc, had he recognized you, or had the mask done its job well?

It was foolish of him to assume that you hadn't felt his footsteps behind you. He had been following you from at least four blocks away, and even though you knew it was him, you had no desire to confront him.

You were angry, of course, the rage at the thought of him trying to excuse his disappearance flooded you every time you stopped to think, but probably the word that would work best right now would be 'tired.' It was your day off, probably the only one in the week when you didn't stain yourself with blood and didn't have to deal with work.

And there he was, reminding you of every horrible detail of your life with his mere presence.

When your body pushed his against a wall in the nearest alley, both of you remembered that although he might be stronger, he would never be smarter.

He raised his hands in a sign of innocence, and you took the liberty to study his face in detail after so long. The same mischievous curl of hair always ran across his forehead, and his brow was furrowed, not out of annoyance or surprise, that had always been Marc's lifelong expression.

"What are you doing here?" You spat out the words with more bitterness than you would have liked.

He didn't respond. Apparently, he was still the same as always. When you let go of him, his body seemed even more tense.

"Oh, you're not going to answer, I get it," you nodded to yourself. You could swear you were going crazy. "If your plans don't involve killing me or attempting it like the other night, or maybe speaking and using your damn mouth for once, I want you to stay away from me."

He was not able to say anything or to follow you.

Unfortunately, what Marc didn't anticipate was that your encounters wouldn't be solely with him, as there were two other individuals in his head waiting to come out at the slightest provocation.

The second time around, Jake was in charge, and somehow, he had even less control over his punches.

"Who are you, niño bonito?" (Pretty boy.) You groaned in pain as his foot on your chest forced you to stay on the ground, catching your breath. "Why is Marc so interested in you, huh?"

You didn't respond; in fact, you didn't even believe you had processed his questions. Instead, you pulled on his foot, the same one that was on top of you, and brought him down in a thud. You felt the hint of a smile on your face.

"Mierda." he muttered under his breath, and without giving him a chance, you escaped from him.

You had a million theories in your mind. With all your time in that world, you knew inside and out every kind of torture imaginable, and the idea that Marc's memory was failing didn't seem so far-fetched.

That, or he simply wanted to pretend he didn't know you, although that made much less sense. Either way, he was an idiot for injuring your shoulder tonight.

Then you had an encounter with Steven, and it was much more enlightening than the previous three. You almost killed him when you saw him in front of your apartment, with those puppy-dog eyes and soothing himself with a hand game. You noticed that his sleeves were longer than his arms.

Hah.

"What do you want, Marc?"

"I don't…" A funny accent. You caught it in the first few seconds. "I'm not Marc."

That led to a conversation that the mentioned one probably wouldn't have enjoyed because Steven took it upon himself to tell you in detail everything that had happened in the months when you hadn't been in contact with your ex-best friend and former mission partner.

You knew about his mother, you knew Marc's tumultuous past and how all of that had led him to belong to one of the largest and most terrible groups of mercenaries and thieves on the continent, but it turns out the idiot never told you another result of the trauma.

Dissociative Identity Disorder.

You had a faint understanding of how it worked, and Steven seemed so nervous that you were afraid to ask for a deeper explanation. The whole situation gave you an exceptional headache, but the real story was nowhere near as crazy as half of the theories you had in mind for days.

Oh, and you also understood that he didn't seek you out by his own choice.

"I can understand why he can't stop thinking about you," Steven said as gently as he could after a few prolonged minutes of silence.

It was surprising how he managed to make his voice not sound like he was flirting with you, just a sweet confession, accompanied by a nervous smile.

"He wants to talk to you but doesn't know how." It was the next thing he said, understanding that it was time to leave and leave you alone; you had a lot to think about.

Your feet dangled at the edge of a building's ledge as you sipped your beer as if you'd been thirsty for days, Marc was doing the same beside you. Both of you laughed at nonsense, so close that your shoulders brushed against each other. "We're heading back home," you murmured with your eyes closed as you enjoyed the cold breeze hitting your body. Marc was looking at you, he always did. Over time, you understood that returning from your missions was never really coming home; Marc was your home. "If you let yourself get shot again, I'm going to kill you myself." You laughed with your eyes closed; your leg still hurt. After long minutes of silence, the other's hand found its way to your chin. And you opened your eyes, looking at him with confusion. His fingers gently pressed against your skin, and you obediently leaned in. He was so close. You could smell mint and beer on his breath, his eyes seemed to shine brighter than the stars that night. The daydream lasted briefly, before you could react, your entire body was pulling back, rejecting him in the full meaning of the word. Marc didn't insist after that day; he understood well what your expression of fear meant.

You woke up drenched in sweat, your breath ragged as if you had run a marathon. You no longer had to bear the idea that Marc had left without knowing that you felt the same way he did, but things had changed so much that you weren't even sure if he had come back.

Marc began to let Jake take charge when you played this little game of the cat and the mouse.

You weren't going to yield, and it wasn't out of a passion for the job; you knew what failing meant to Bushman. You had experienced it more times than you would have liked since Marc had disappeared that night in Cairo.

Jake was more… aggressive than usual; you could feel it in the force with which he struck.

In a moment of distraction, you stopped his fist with your hand, and although you couldn't see his face, you knew you had taken him by surprise.

"How long are you going to keep this up?" He growled. His accent allowed you to recognize him, just like with Steven, who had told you all about the two of them.

"Until you give up," you squeezed his fist between your fingers, "or kill me."

You felt him suddenly stop pressing when you said that. The mask disappeared in front of your eyes, and he tilted his head slightly to the side as he examined you with his eyes.

You rewarded him by removing your mask, letting him see your face. You heard him gulp.

"¿Quién eres?" (Who are you?) He whispered, and both of you let your guard down in seconds.

You didn't answer, just as Marc would've done, and the truth was, you didn't even know who you were. His now-enemy? An old friend of Marc? Now a stranger?

It turns out that one of the many nights you crossed paths, Jake and you were able to talk. In some other circumstance, you would have joked about how you liked him better than Marc.

He was more friendly when he wasn't trying to break your ribs.

"What happened?" You feared the question, but maybe it would be fair to let it out for once in your life.

"He was…" You cleared your throat, searching for what to say. "He was very special to me." You didn't have the strength to say he was your everything. "My best friend."

Both of you had met while working for Bushman, and the connection was undeniable for both.

And although you adored him, you thought you were crazy when you felt him brush his hand against yours, or when he hugged you as if he wanted to squeeze the oxygen out of your lungs when he found you alive at the end of a mission.

Jake understood why he felt so drawn to you, where that strange feeling of nostalgia came from when he saw you.

"Do you miss him?" The question hurt more than the blows, and you realized that you had never talked about this with anyone, as if Marc were only a product of your solitary imagination.

Of the three, Jake was the one who had lived through and seen the worst things as Marc and Steven's protector, so it wasn't hard for him to understand what you had faced throughout your life.

And the truth was, he was afraid to ask. He was afraid to go too far because his mind sent him to something as personal as it was terrifying.

He realized it in probably the least reasonable way for both when your late-night conversations gave him the idea that maybe you felt the same way he did, even though he wasn't Marc. He leaned forward, and his lips collided with yours. It felt right, a strange feeling of 'finally.' You reciprocated, your lips gently brushing against his in a gesture as intimate as it was delicate.

The problem came when he rested a hand on your thigh for stability as he leaned forward. Your heart stopped.

The fear was almost paralyzing, almost. Not enough for you not to push him away, and Jake obeyed without exerting force, although he did look at you confused, worried.

You had to blink many times to try to clear your vision. momentarily, it was as if Jake's face merged with someone else's. Your eyes filled with tears, your body suddenly rejecting his before running away.

You didn't see them for the next two weeks, and you continued to move in the shadows, this time without interruption. At least they wouldn't get you into trouble.

Although the rule didn't apply to Steven Grant, who was trying to get your attention with his ridiculous white tuxedo while you cleaned a wound on your cheek.

"What's up, Steven?" Your voice was so soft that even he was surprised. To Jake's panic, he could swear you were disgustingly upset with them.

"Jake feels sorry." That was the first thing he said.

And you laughed.

"Why?"

"For not asking for your permission." Well, that was new.

Did anyone ask for it?

You took longer than you would have liked to confront Marc, he was probably as reluctant to these encounters as you were. He visited your apartment and didn't even greet you.

But you understood. You understood as you had been understanding for a long time, and you let it pass.

You spent the evening with your head in his lap, and he touched your hair delicately as if he were going to hurt you. Quite ironic after the number of blows you had received from him.

Or from his body, rather.

You had never been with him… like this. The closest had been that night on the rooftop.

Marc ran his hands through your hair as much as he wanted to, but he never went beyond your neck; he could feel your body tense when his fingers grazed your skin. He understood it, and from the darkness, Jake did too.

The issue wasn't him, and it wasn't you either.

Do you ever think about them?" Jake looked at you, curious.

"Them?"

"The ones affected."

Ah, them. He pressed his lips together as he thought about what to say; if Marc was bad with words, he somehow was even worse.

"I try not to."

You nodded slowly, satisfied with the answer. He had stopped chasing you a while ago; he had other methods to distract you from your missions, although you never told him what that resulted in. Maybe he already imagined it, or he was so focused on you that he never noticed.

He placed his hand over yours and looked at you intently for a brief moment, as if confirming that you were okay with it. You moved your hand to entwine your fingers together.

He gave you a squeeze, catching your attention.

When you looked at him, he gave you a smile.

"I'm here." Just what you wanted to hear.

Your invitation surprised Steven, who, although he understood that there was something between you, didn't know to what extent because of how volatile you were.

Thankfully, Steven was the most careful and innocent person you could know, so your invitation to sleep together was taken just as that, with no jokes involved.

You spent the early hours talking about everything, and somehow, although the four of you spent more time talking than you thought, the conversation never seemed to end. And as expected, you got to that topic.

You were crying, as you had started doing for some time now.

"I don't deserve you."

"What are you talking about, love?" He laughed in genuine confusion. One of his arms was around you, and you felt his warm breath on your neck.

"I'm not… I…" You mumbled, taking a breath. "I'm a bad person."

You felt him tense behind you; suddenly, he was holding you tighter against his chest, and you didn't feel fear. In fact, you could swear you felt a deep need for more contact from him.

"M-Marc, he's…" Another sob from you, why was it physically painful to express your feelings? "He's fixing the things he's done, you know?" You had to take a breath to continue. "The people I've hurt, the things I've done…"

Steven moved his hand up your body, and his hand pressed against your chest as if he needed to feel the beats of your heart for comfort. He didn't know what to say.

"You're not a bad person." He made you cry even more, if that was possible.

"I, I don't…"

"Shhh." He exerted more pressure on your chest to make you feel your own ragged breathing. "You're not a monster."

Steven had thought something similar about himself; he knew well what you were feeling.

And Marc, and Jake.

That's all you needed to hear to know that you were in good hands, even in this moment when you felt nothing but the urge to cry.

He got you.

The number of scars on your body already exceeded the space you had in your memory to remember all the horrible stories they told. And yet, Steven kissed them all.

Hii, i'm not doing tag list on this one because of the themes I talked about :)

[seriousbrat]

For now I exhausted my marauders questions, I need time to come up with some more! But I love your blog so here’s a new spin:

Snape or Lily!

- Most likely to be good with animals

- Most likely to be good at drawing

- Most likely to play an instrument (Squidward Snape playing oboe?)

- Most likely to be good at cooking (how transferable are the potioneering skills?)

- Best music taste (goes out of their way to discover new music)

- Who learned the patronus first?

- Best at keeping secrets

- Most likely to develop any kind of adiction (and what would it be!)

- Who swears the most?

- Who can handle their drink the most?

Yesss I love the snily version of this just as much, so thank you!

- Most likely to be good with animals: Well obviously Lily. Snape is good at dissecting animals perhaps.

- Most likely to be good at drawing: Sev. He's just very technical and precise and also I feel like Lily would be pants at drawing lol

- Most likely to play an instrument (Squidward Snape playing oboe?): you're 1000% right, it's squidward snape playing the oboe.

- Most likely to be good at cooking (how transferable are the potioneering skills?) Okay here's the thing. If it was following a recipe precisely, it would be Sev. If it was an intuitive, taste-based experimental thing, Lily.

- Best music taste (goes out of their way to discover new music) DIFFICULT question. Sev probably has the most pretentious, niche, intellectual taste. Lily is a little bit more open-minded and varied. I'd say they're on equal ground with this.

- Who learned the patronus first? Lily. I actually think Sev had some trouble with the patronus charm at first. Bro has no happy memories :(

- Best at keeping secrets: clearly Snape, master of lies and subterfuge.

- Most likely to develop any kind of adiction (and what would it be!): I think it's Sev, he has an obsessive personality. As for what it would be, probably just alcohol..... but I could see Sev developing an addiction to some kind of magical drug equivalent.

- Who swears the most? At first Snape, then later Lily. They're pretty evenly matched on a lot of these tbh, but I think as Sev got more involved with pureblood society he'd probably make an effort to tone it down a bit.

- Who can handle their drink the most? I'm going to say Lily! In the sense that I think Sev would become a pretty unpleasant drunk very quickly lol....... whereas I feel like Lily could down a fair few pints and remain standing.

[piningpercussionist]

... first and foremost, I would like to apologize for any discomfort I've caused you, Kim. now, I'm not the most... socially apt person. but I really, sincerely, do *not* mean you any harm. I'm not intending to come off as creepy, I can, however, understand why you'd be uncomfortable or perhaps concerned by these gifts and all. (I mean, shit. if somebody mailed me a painting of me dancing with them, I'd be weirded out too, flattered, granted. but weirded out.) I never really expected anything to happen, I guess I just... felt the need to tell you how I feel about you, get *that* off my chest, at least. even if you don't feel the same way that I do. (which is fine, and understandable! I get it.) as for why I've sent you gifts... I suppose I just wanted to show you how I felt with something other than a note or whatever. *just* a note feels kinda cheap. I'd rather give you something that's at least a bit useful to you (hence those custom made drumsticks.). I hope you find success in whatever future endeavors you do. and I hope that you don't find this note too off-putting. enclosed is something that I hope you and the rest of Sex Bob-Omb like. -sincerely, the guy who said he had a crush on you. *enclosed is a folded, custom made Sex Bob-Omb poster, it's actually quite well made. it's an homage to the album 'Ramones', by The Ramones, featuring Sex Bob-Omb's lineup leaning back against a brick wall. unlike the original album cover, it's in color and not black-and-white.*

ooc: answering this as though it is in the nebulous but near future! I just didn't want to leave this lingering any longer; sorry for the delay! Hopefully I have left things vague enough for myself to wedge it back in the timeline of the blog later lol

Kim lets out a long, weary sigh as she finally gets back to the relative peace of her room, taking a moment to rest back against her shut door and scrub at her face. The energy and emotional exhaustion of everything that had happened between the last time she'd been here and now seemed to be sinking into her bones, and she wanted little more than to sink to her knees right there and just be comatose for a while.

She knew from experience, however, that the floor was cold and miserable like that, especially this time of year; so, instead, she opts to shrug off her coat and toss it blindly in the direction of her desk, trudging towards her bed. She closes her eyes and lets herself fall forward into it, ready to finally, properly rest, maybe even unpack her thoughts about everything- but then, she hears the crinkle of paper as she makes contact with the sheets, and her eyes fly open while she rolls to the side and, thankfully, off of the object.

She blinks down at an envelope that had been tossed haphazardly on the bed, probably by Hollie, and after a moment recognizes the style of it. Oh, that one guy... how long has this been here? Did I miss this before I left? She hesitates briefly, mostly just in resistance to the idea of having to continue actively thinking, but sighs and sits up anyway. She won't be able to relax if it's just sitting there, tempting her.

Propping up her pillows, she leans back against them and opens it, pulling out both the letter and the folded poster. She looks over the letter first, and after a moment, lets out another sigh, this time a short, guilty thing. The words feel genuine, so she can't help but feel slightly bad about her previous response, but... Well, if they knew anything about her, they might've expected it. She tries to take comfort in that fact, glancing over in the general direction she left the drumsticks. Then, she pulls out her phone and snaps a picture of the letter, opening her blog to begin her reply.

Hey, sorry this too so long to get back to. Life and things; with how people talk, maybe you've heard about the party by now? Julie's ragers, am I right? The apology is appreciated... and accepted. I think I believe you, especially given you're acknowledging the creep factor there. I'm not really a big gift person, I guess, so it was a little off putting just to begin with, anything else aside. I think you've already given me more than my parents got me for Christmas, and I don't even have a name for you beyond "Crush Guy." But, hey, it's far from the most uncomfortable I've been in these situations, so you're actually doing fairly alright in that regard. Thank you for the well wishes; I'll probably be needing them, ha! And no, I think you've quelled the fires against you, for now. (Joking- this is why I do the stupid videos...)

She pauses briefly, looking over at the newest gift and carefully unfolds it, trying to work out the creases as she goes. Once it's unveiled, she stops to look at it for a long while, a bit surprised by how much she genuinely likes it. She sets it aside with a mental note to hang it up later- ideally before their next band practice. She wouldn't be attaching a photo of it to the post, to help keep the surprise til then.

And again for the gifts. I think the rest of the band will really dig this one, honestly- especially Stills. It's very nice.

She gives it a once over before nodding to herself and hitting send, content. Then, setting the letter and the poster further aside, as to not crumple them, Kim moves to curl up at the top of her bed in a tight ball, eyes sliding shut peacefully. I'll think about things later. Ball time, she thinks idly, and then thankfully, blissfully, proceeds to continue thinking nothing at all.

[yellowspiralbound]

Okay so for a while after The Lightning Thief musical release I really wanted them to keep making musicals (now I'm glad they didn't) but to this day I want songs based in HoO. Here are my favorite ideas, some with more thought than others:

A Nico reprise of Good Kid sung to Percy where the premise is basically "Hey remember how no one ever wanted you and how if anyone should have understood me it should have been you but instead you pushed me away and dismissed me as a bad kid?" It could be during when he told Percy he had a crush on him too - one of the lines could be something about someone you loved from afar seeing you as just another enemy when you're just a "good kid with a bad run."

A duet between the crew of the Argo II and Nico in the jar would be phenomenal - Nico starts, begging someone to save him and he slowly gets drowned out by the crew wanting to abandon him. Hazel has a cadence part that calls for saving him and she could do like an operatic high note to get them to shut up and listen to her. Just,,, the possibilities for an absolutely heartwrenching song in that scene are basically endless

Hazel could have a song while she dies. It ends in not-quite-silence. Like, horror movie silence where they use a high pitch or a tune specifically designed to inspire fear. There'd be a reprise when she comes back to life but it still ends the same way because she just went from one war to another.

A song that Sammy sings to Hazel about "undying [insert word here: love, devotion, etc.]" that Leo has a reprise of later.

Frank has a song about the Stick called St(ick)yx or something where he compares the Stick to Achilles' heel because it both keeps him alive and is his greatest weakness.

Idk what it would be about but there would definitely be a song called Panda Pillow Pet. Possibly with some sort of chorus like "I don't know who I am but I'll be okay as long as I've got my panda pillow pet"/"It's just me and you, my panda pillow pet"

Leo has a song as he flies Gaia into the explosion. It starts with him talking about how he's burned everything he's loved to the ground. Gaia reveals his mother's death was her doing (I know its not book accurate timing wise but ✨️drama✨️) The song ends with a verse along the lines of "Do I even want this cure to work?" followed by a bang a la Dead Girl Walking Reprise from Heathers. Perhaps even a line about how he's "had two lives already; do I even deserve a third?"

Thalia and Jason have a duet - think The Mother We Share by CVURCHES

A HERA & ANNABETH DUET

A percabeth duet that starts in Arachne's web and ends in hell

Hypothetically, there would have already been a song about Zoe's death in a previous musical and Bob would have a reprise of it ending in "tell the stars I say hello" this is immediately followed by a poorly recorded version of Escape by Rupert Holmes. Not the full thing, but just that and nothing else as the elevator rises.

A Last Day of Summer reprise following the final battle - Dionysus gets Percy's name right this time. He sounds exhausted - borderline sorrowful, not angry.

A duet between Reyna and her father's ghost

I want a solangelo song because I love them. I'm thinking Will has a few lines in a song during the Battle of New York and there's some kind of call back. "I've lost more lives than I've saved - don't make yourself the first blood shed today" Nico has no idea how to react to being cared about and his verses reflect this. [spoken not sung, interrupting Will's verse about keeping Nico alive] "why do you care?" "...why wouldn't I?" "You need a soldier ready for action. Right. Stupid question." "No!"

You can probably tell I'm bad at comedy lol. Anyway feel free to share your song ideas because I LOVE THEM.

[jslittlebirdie]

Here Without You

Pairing: Soft!Ledger!Joker x Reader

Summary: Your last days have been really bad and exhausting. There are always new problems you have to take care of, you feel tired and burnt out, and on top of that, J hasn't shown up for several days. That was until today.

Word count: 1,344

Genre: probably a bit angsty / fluffy comfort / self-insert

Warnings: Reader has a bad day, low self esteem

Notes: A very big thank you to my dearest best friend @fan-of-pretty-much-2-much for encouraging me to post this fic. What would I do without you, your support and love? I own you so much🥺😭 Also, thank you so incredibly much for this simply beautiful title💜

Well, this fic is a total self-insert😅 I basically wrote it for myself as a comfort. So it's probably too cheesy and my characterization of J is way too soft and ooc. But maybe someone will like it anyway, I don't know. So read at your own risk lol🙈 Also, the text is unedited and English is not my first language, so I apologize for any mistakes.

Taglist: @ajokeformur-ray @sacredempressnatlyia @rommies

It had been days now since you last saw your clown. News reports were your only clues as to his whereabouts and well-being. You didn't blame him, he was a busy man - a free man who came and went as he pleased - and you wouldn't keep him from his business. Even though, if you were honest, you would love to not let him leave your apartment ever again, and instead keep him with you where you knew he was safe; not that he couldn't take care of himself.

But you missed him terribly. And on top of that, your doubts and insecurities were getting worse with each passing day. You probably weren't good enough for him, too boring and annoying with all your worries. Would he ever come back to you? Was he tired of you? Had you perhaps upset him without knowing it?

And today... Today was a particularly bad day. Already early in the morning the day had started with bad news, new things you had to take care of. Problems kept coming up, there just seemed to be no end in sight. Once you had taken care of one thing, two new things popped up. You felt overwhelmed, burned out and tired. You longed for a break. You longed for him.

A familiar noise. But you only heard it very distantly. You were far too lost in your sad and gloomy thoughts. You sat on your bed and stared at the wall. Your eyes hurt because you tried to hold back your tears as hard as you could, even though you knew it was wrong. But you wanted to stay strong, not show any weakness.

The noise came closer, heavy footsteps. The door to your room cracked open and a face painted with makeup peered in, looking for you. When J spotted you, he grinned mischievously. But his good mood soon changed when he saw you in this miserable state. He immediately noticed that something was wrong, even if he didn't quite know what it was yet. So he entered your room without waiting for you to give him your permission. And even when J stood right in front of you and looked at you with his beautiful dark eyes, which actually showed a hint of concern, you hardly reacted, which admittedly only worried him more. Because you normally ran up to him at the first sign of his presence. But today was... different. And he didn't like it at all.

"What's the matter, toots, hm? I'm back, I'm here."

You stared at him, but you couldn't see him. You hadn't quite realized yet that he was truly standing in front of you. It seemed more like your mind was playing a trick on you - an evil trick to torture you even more. "I'm so sorry, J," you finally uttered. It wasn't so much directed at him as you were talking to yourself.

"You're sorry for what?" He frowned thoughtfully. He couldn't remember anything you had done that you needed to apologize for. But it wasn't a surprise that you apologized in the first place. You apologized for the smallest things, sometimes even for apologizing. But this time, he was a little bit confused.

"I don't know. That I annoyed you with... with me being the way I am. I don't know, okay?!" That was the moment you snapped back to reality. You saw him. Standing in front of you, in his usual slightly bent posture, his head tilted to one side as he tried to figure things out. And that's when you couldn't hold back your tears any longer.

Intuitively, J leaned down towards you and reached out to cup your face with his gloved hands. But you flinched away from him, too ashamed and insecure. "No, J. Don't!"

But he didn't let that stop him. Even though you had said the exact opposite, he could tell by the look in your eyes how much you wanted him. And it caused a strange feeling to rise in his chest - he wasn't sure what to think of it, so he just shrugged it off and focused all of his attention back on you. He sat down next to you, wrapped his arms around your body that was trembling with tension, and gently pulled you to him. This time you let it happen; the second he touched you, you were like putty in his hands. Moments later you found yourself on his lap and you couldn't help but cling to him as tightly as you could, your tear-streaked face buried in his broad chest, inhaling his scent between heavy sobs - a mixture of burnt rubber, gasoline and sweat (he had been out there for days, of course, he hadn't had time to worry about such trivialities) and something so specifically J that your heart ached. Oh, how much you had missed him. All you wanted and needed was him. Your J. It was kind of ironic. While others ran away from him in sheer panic, you longed for him. You had never been like others, you saw so much more in him than just a criminal. To you, he was your charming, sometimes pretty grumpy, but still in his own special way caring and loving clown - but you better not say this out loud. You just loved him. This realization hit you so hard that a new wave of emotions washed over you.

"Shush. I'm here, I gotcha." He shifted beneath you, loosening his grip around you, causing you to sigh in frustration. Rustling of expensive material and then suddenly you felt all warm - he had wrapped you in his royal purple coat and then put his arms around you again like a vice. You were in the warmest, safest embrace you could ever think of. Immediately, your body relaxed, your trembling finally subsided. You listened to his steady heartbeat and mimicked his breathing. J hummed and smiled to himself as he noticed your reaction.

When you finally felt calm enough, you lifted your face off of him so you could look at him; your eyes were bloodshot and dark rings stood out beneath them. He hated to see you like this, but he said nothing; he waited until you were ready to talk. And you were ready. You took a deep breath and finally murmured, "Today was just a shitty day. There's so much to do and it seems to never get any less. Everything is too much. And I... I missed you so much... I thought you weren't coming back."

"But here I am, right?" He squeezed you a little tighter to put emphasis on his words. "I know you've got a lot going on right now. But ya got this, toots. You're tougher than you think you are. Aaand..." A huge and devious grin formed on his lips. You could literally see him thinking about all the things he had done in the past few days. "I need to lay a little low for the next few days."

"Yeah, I picked up something like this on the news. What is it this time?" You're no longer able to suppress a weak giggle. And a yawn. You were so very tired and exhausted, you hadn't slept well since J left, when he wasn't by your side. But now that you were cocooned in his protective warmth... Your eyes grew heavier and heavier. "So does this mean you're staying home, J?"

"I'm not going anywhere, sweets." He moved you both on the bed until you were in a lying position, you still on top of him wrapped in his coat. Even though he would never admit it, he had missed you too. And holding you in his arms like that - feeling you, knowing you were safe and relaxed - made him aware of his own exhaustion. He pressed a sloppy kiss to your forehead, leaving a beautiful reminder for you when you woke up in the morning, and then closed his eyes himself.

[anamoon63]

Still Around, Coming Back Soon!

Hi everyone, I want to tell you that I'm not gone, but I might not be able to update my stories for a while, at least not right now, because, as I said before, my family and I moved out. The moving already happened, but we are still finishing unpacking and settling in, we have been living here for a week and just today we got the internet installed, besides there are still some repairs to do and some things to bring from our old house.

The plan was to move before Christmas, but the holidays and their preparations got in the way, then, at the beginning of January, my son's girlfriend came to visit and stayed with us for a week, (yes, in the middle of the move, lol). She is back home now, but we still have a lot of work to do here, so I haven't had the peace and energy to sit down at the computer, open the game and take the pictures I need to continue with my stories. But in the coming days I will try to catch up, I promise.

Another thing that keeps me distracted is that my son gave me Assassin's Creed Odyssey as a Christmas present and as you may know, every time an AC game falls into my hands I just can't stop playing it 😋. With AC Odissey I'm taking it slow, I only play for half an hour in the evenings to relax, because every day I end up exhausted from all the work.

But as I can never forget my sims for too long, nor the pleasure of sharing their adventures, here are some pictures of Tony Langerak, of whom I have a lot of material in my picture folders, and whose story I also promised to continue early this year (and I will). I hope you like the previews! 😊

My beloved Tony, from The Travels and Adventures of Tony Langerak.

Tony, during his recent trip to Starlight Shores, where he visited his brother Mike to tell him about his recent marriage to Jeannine, and ask him for advice on everything that happened with Cassandra.

Mike Langerak and his wife Miranda Cho at the Elixir Store, because he is a Level 10 Alchemist. Miranda is a Singer, level 10 as well, a celebrity in Starlight Shores, born in Hidden Springs and aunt of the famous Cho Brothers.

That's all for now. Later, perhaps early next month, we will know what happened with The Crane Legacy and The Cho Brothers. Just give me a few days to rest and conclude the move.

Anyway, even though I haven't been able to post anything (until now), I continue to read you guys and your wonderful stories, which I try to keep up with.

Again I wish you an amazing 2022 and I hope your start of the year has been spectacular. Hugs to all of you and see you soon! 😉

[vanderlustwords]

After You

Pairing: Steve Rogers x Fem!Reader

24) You're my ex, but I think I still have feelings for you

Summary: For you, there were two important timelines in your life. There was before Steve and after Steve. Except it was complicated. Before, after, it doesn’t matter. It’s always been Steve for you. 

Warning: a n g s t

Note: I was in a mood LOL there will be a part 2! And YES, I’m still working on the requests in my inbox :)

Part I of II

Count: 2085

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Things tend to fall apart before coming together. 

It had been that way when you met Steve. You've known him for quite some time, nearly all your life, really. 

You had watched him fall in love with Peggy Carter, date her throughout high school and into university. You had watched him clumsily navigate his way through his relationship, eager to please, eager to commit, eager to propose, and have children one day.

And then you had watched him fall apart when Peggy Carter left. 

Steve was a mess. 

He couldn't eat. He couldn't sleep. He was...lost. 

It seemed like Steve would never recover from the emptiness Peggy left in her wake.

He says Peggy Carter was the woman who saw him before he had a massive growth spurt and started working out.

You don't know how to tell him you were--are too.

Even before Peggy Carter. 

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It had started with nothing more than casual hookups. 

The first time had been a drunken mess when you were out with Steve again for the umpteenth time at the bar.

It was Bucky's only idea left on how to get Steve out of the house, and you weren't opposed to it if it got him to leave the house, but you knew this couldn't continue on forever. 

And while he was having another drunken rant about Peggy Carter, you watched him with your own heavy-lidden tipsy eyes before grabbing the front of his shirt and smashing your lips to his.

"What are you-"

"Stop," you hissed as you bit his bottom lip in warning, "stop talking about her."

It took him a second, but he wrapped his strong arms around you, pulling you close as he kissed you with renewed passion.

Casual hookups turned to friends with benefits. 

There were parts of it that gave you both relief and pain. On the one hand, Steve was starting to seem like himself a little again, slowly, but surely. But on the other hand, this wasn't exactly what you had wanted either.

He was looking at you, but not really.

But the small moments you got were what you couldn't afford to lose now that you've experienced it. 

And somehow, miraculously, casual hookups turned into a cautious, timid relationship.

"What?"

"Will you?" Steve asked as he swallowed visibly as dawn settled slowly, light flittering through his curtains. "Be my girl."

You slowly turned on your side, a little exhausted after the bedroom activities you've just done with him.

You were unsure; it showed in your eyes, and Steve tensed.

"Why?" 

Perhaps it was the way you asked it, but Steve blinked, putting the question and the unsureness in your eyes together. He tentatively pulled you closed to him, relaxing slightly when you didn't push him away. Steve traces your bare spine, warming when you shiver slightly.

"I didn't think there was anything for me after," Steve spoke softly and slowly. 

He can talk about Peggy Carter in vague terms now, it's small, but you feel like it shows he's moving on. 

"I don't know what any of it really means, but there's you. I see you."

It's not an 'I'm in love with you,' but you still want to cry as you feel the butterflies in your stomach.

Steve holds you close, rubbing your back as he smiles. 

"Besides, it's not proper of me to keep sleeping with you like this, I gotta make an honest woman outta you," he jokes, making you laugh as you slap him playfully.

"You're my girl," Steve says after the laughter dies down, almost as if he's testing the words himself.

"Yeah, I am," you smile. 

⊶⊶⊶⊶⊶✞⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷

What you have with Steve is frail. It's shaky, careful, and shy. 

It's new for both of you. 

Steve's only dating experience is Peggy, and sometimes it feels like he's being overly cautious in watching for signs that you might leave him.

And you're nervous because Steve Rogers is finally yours. You didn't ever think this day would ever come. You were so sure you were going to have to swallow your feelings while you watched Steve and Peggy get married and live their happily ever after.

The first time you had a fight and survived it, you felt like everything was going to be okay. 

"I'm NOT upset," Steve firmly insisted. 

It was probably the long hours at work the both of you had to endure, meaning less time together.

There were reschedule dates, rushed good mornings and good nights, and sometimes the silence of missing the other person was too loud.

"You clearly are," you rolled your eyes because Steve's hands were clenched in a fist, his lips pressed together in a thin line, and brows furrowed.

"I'm not," Steve repeated. "Nobody likes someone who can't understand that life happens." 

He said it so fast that you almost missed it, but you didn't.

It only takes you a second to understand, and you flare up at him with a clenched jaw.

"I am not Peggy Carter," you say through gritted teeth. The name itself seems to make Steve brace himself, but you don't care. "Of course life happens. That doesn't mean it doesn't affect us."

Of course, you understood why Steve was unwilling to show unfavorable emotions.

After all, Peggy had left him for an opportunity somewhere in Europe. Understandably, Steve had been upset when she told him. Steve told her that she should have talked to him about it because he couldn't just uproot his life currently. Peggy said she didn't need his permission to go.

But Steve wasn't asking that she ask for his permission, he was asking where did he stand in her future. 

You grabbed his hand in your own, sighing as you pressed your lips to his knuckles.

"Steve, I am not Peggy Carter," you repeat. "If you're upset, then you can say so. I'm not going to leave when we're trying to build a life together. And life isn't just about everything working out without any issues. I want you to tell me if something is bothering you."

Steve stands there, staring at you while you stroke the back of his hand gently with the pad of your index finger while his hand rests on top of your other hand.

And suddenly he's pulling you into a tight hug, his head buried in your hair as he inhales the scent.

"I really missed you," he mumbles.

⊶⊶⊶⊶⊶✞⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷

Building a life together turns out to be lovely. Knowing you can survive a fight seems to place the two of you in a better place. 

Steve hasn't said he loves you, but he sees a future with you. And for now, that's enough. 

"You're just glowing, doll," Bucky teases you while the two of you are going to house openings. 

Steve couldn't take time off work today, so Bucky offered to go with you.

You laugh bashfully.

"Why? Can you tell?" You smile, and Bucky just smiles softly for a second. 

"You're basically wearing a giant neon sign on your head," he smirks. "Lord knows your forehead could fit it."

"Bucky!" Your jaw drops with a hint of a smile as you slap his arm. 

He shields himself dramatically, and the two of you laugh, waiting patiently for the realtor to return.

"But, you're happy?" Bucky asks after a moment, soft and serious. 

You can't help the smile that forms on your lips. 

"Very much so."

⊶⊶⊶⊶⊶✞⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷

But, like all good things, they eventually come to an end. 

And you wonder if the end was beginning when Peggy Carter returns. 

She returns, and it's like she's never left. Peggy is still clever, headstrong, witty and sarcastic, charming, and appreciative. 

It's like she never left because she still wants Steve. 

Peggy is a no-nonsense woman, but she had no qualms about telling Steve she was still in love with him, wanted him back, and was willing to wait for him. 

Even fully aware that he was dating you now. 

The entire thing had shaken Steve up. He didn't come home for a couple days, but when he did, he was red in the eyes as he pulled you into a hug. 

And he had chosen you. 

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For a while, things are okay.

Different.

But okay. 

This was obviously was something Steve still struggled with because it didn't seem like Peggy was going anywhere.

When things feel too overwhelming, you sit at the bar where you first kissed Steve, downing shots like it's your job. 

Things only go downhill when Peggy is there too, but seemingly picking up food rather than drinking. 

"Do you feel no shame at all?" You glare at her in your drunken haze. "You know he's clearly with me, and yet, you're still pursuing him. Where's your morality now?"

Peggy quirks her brow at you, turning to you as she waits for her food. 

"Steve is the love of my life," Peggy tells you, "I'm willing to do what I must to be with him."

"He's mine!" You nearly scream at her.

"But he doesn't love you," Peggy says calmly, and she knows she hit the nail right on your head when you're silent.

Peggy sighs as if she's tired of this conversation--of you. 

"Look," she tells you, "no matter what you may delude yourself into thinking, I am Steve's greatest love. I'm going to tell you what I told him."

Peggy runs her hand through her hair. "Sooner or later, he'll come back to me because I came back for him. That opportunity for me in Europe was nowhere close to being done, but because I love him--I can't stop loving him, I came back. If this were a movie, I'm his leading lady. And that makes you the side character."

The bartender comes back out with Peggy's food, and she takes it and leaves, not even sparring you another look. 

And like a side character, you can only down another shot.

⊶⊶⊶⊶⊶✞⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷

It comes as no surprise to you when Steve, after all that turmoil, returns to Peggy Carter.

You sit alone in the dark of your apartment, texting the realtor at an ungodly hour to back out of the bid for the house. 

Still, that doesn't stop you from showing up at the house--your dream home that was supposed to be with Steve.

You stare up at it, eyes empty as flashes of the future that will never be come. 

Hours pass, but your feet are rooted there, a stupid, foolish hope that Steve will appear.

But when you feel a jacket slip over your shoulders, and you turn to see Bucky standing there sad for you, you know Steve isn't coming. 

"What are you doing standing out here, doll?" Bucky asks. 

You turn your head to look at the house before looking back at him, blinking. 

"He left me," you say like you're in disbelief. 

"Doll..." Bucky whispers, but he doesn't know what to say because Bucky can't say that isn't true. 

"It's like all this time, it was just a dream. A dream that Steve was blissfully passing the time with until he reality hit him. And that reality was Peggy Carter," you chuckle hollowly. 

But the tears come suddenly, overflowing quick and down your cheeks, even when you wipe them away, so you hide your eyes away in your hands. 

Bucky reaching his hand up toward you but freezes before they can touch you. 

"He left me," you choke, stuttering on your own breath. "He left me, and I can't breathe."

And Bucky throws out all his thoughts, pulling you into his arms as he holds you tight. He grips the back of your neck through your hair. He holds your head close to his neck as if to hide you from the world.

You feel him swallow, but Bucky doesn't say anything as he holds you while you fall apart in his arms.

⊶⊶⊶⊶⊶✞⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷

It's easy for you to leave.

Pack everything in your apartment and move to another city. 

There's no goodbye letter, no goodbye text. You delete your social media and change your number. 

It takes months, but eventually, the new city air feels refreshing, and you feel like you can breathe again.

The only person who may know where you are is Bucky, who visits frequently. And although he is Steve's best friend, he won't open his mouth about you to him. 

And you don't ask about your former boyfriend.

You're learning to live your life after Steve. 

PART II

[stitch1830]

Seeing Yukka as one of your main ships😭 I need a moment <33 okay I'm good now

So tell me something about them I'm too happy right now and can't think of anything specific but I trust you (And I'll send more later)

Thank you, Stitch💜 have a lovely day. Can't wait to see your doodles

Purple! Hello I'm so sorry I didn't respond to this sooner 0_o

But yes! I really like Yukka, and they definitely could use some more attention in the ATLA fandom, and not just for the angst lol ;)

As for headcanons, let's go! :D

I feel like Sokka and Yue are homebodies when they're older. They like to stay close to home and the Water Tribes (perhaps they switch between the Northern and the Southern one?), but they always make time to visit their friends. They are always down for reunions and parties (because usually there's lots of food involved LOL).

When Sokka and Yue start having kids, Sokka seems like the typical super-protective incoming parent that is like "Yue no, I got this, please rest" and Yue is like "Sokka I'm fine—" He's up late at night reading all these baby books he got from Katara and he's wound up pretty tightly. But the second Yue tells him that the baby's coming, a switch flips and he's all cool under pressure and Mr. Impromptu Plan Guy when things don't go according to their original birth plan. He's Yue's rock, and after the baby is born, she's so so grateful that she had him in her corner.

Speaking of parenthood... They're great parents. Amazing. So fun and loyal and thoughtful, it's amazing. They're on cloud 9 for a while because they just love it so much. They're exhausted, but they love it. And idk why, but I feel like Yue is the 'fun' parent, and Sokka is the 'strict' one. Very loose terms, but Yue can be mischievous when she wants, especially with the kids :)

I feel like Yue is an introvert in most public situations, and so she relies on Sokka a lot when they're at different functions. She likes following his lead with conversations to give herself a break from controlling the situation (I imagine she's in a high power position for her career so she's always in the spotlight at work and she prefers going home and unwinding with her family as opposed to a party or public function). Whenever they're separated, she can handle herself, but her whole demeanor changes and her eyes get so bright when she sees Sokka across the room smiling at her.

If Sokka or Yue have to travel alone for whatever reason, when they come back, the other person just immediately swarms them with a hug. They miss each other so so much that they can't do anything until they've hugged and kissed lol.

Okay! I think that's all I have right now, but please feel free to stop by with more asks if you'd like! Thank you so much for the ask, and I hope your day is as fabulous as you are, Purple!! :')

......

Send me asks about ATLA, or anything, really! :D

[undergrounddweller89]

(look you don't have to like this, I'm not expecting anyone to, I just needed to write and if there's the possibility that even one person was hoping I'd write more and enjoys it then that's cool, just don't be a dick about it, it's more house mate au stuff, don't hope for continuity by that I mean it's just all over the place and nothing makes sense , just expect what ever came to my head at the time lol)

Walter was sat at his work table, fiddling with one of his new devices working on to perfect it, no I can't think of anything specific so I'll let you fill in that with your imagination.

The day had been long, his lab assistant Timothy Lawrence (Yea that Timothy if you know him because reasons) had been pretty quiet but done as told so at least that made it easier.

He was tired as the day had gone on his mood had sunk, what was he doing teasing Killian like that, honestly spanking him with the hair brush, he knew some of the things Killian had been up to.

But it was more likely a sign of marking territory or just because he had needs right and it was exciting to do things where you shouldn't.

The blade he was handling slipped and ran across the pad of his index finger, he hissed in pain, seeing the blood smear under the blue latex, pooling to drip, focusing on the red colour he hadn't even noticed Timothy running to fetch the first aid kit.

Pulling his gloves off he discarded them and popped open the box that had been set on the table.

"Thanks Timmy."

Walter smiled a little as he tended to his finger, he hated how the skin felt parting every time he flexed his finger.

Cleaning up and applying what was needed, thankful it wouldn't need stitches.

He wondered what Killian was up to, watching TV, reading maybe, did he eat, did he have enough to drink, was he in a depressive mood, was he mad that hed spanked him, he really should send a message.

Pulling his phone from his lab pocket he texted him.

'Hope you're day has been good, hope you're well, sorry if I upset you this morning.'

He shifted and rubbed a shoulder, he didn't realise how stiff his back had gone, being in charge of a division meant he'd somewhat lost track of self care making sure to do his stretches.

Timothy stood here watching his boss, lot better than the last one, this one was kind and genuine, always looking out for people, honestly Beckett made him feel safe and relaxed, he wasn't looking for anything serious but even he could see that furrowed bow and the lean that spelt hey I'm exhausted let me die.

Walking around and behind him he slowly massaged his shoulders, they were small and rather petite for someone Walter's age but it was more lean muscle and just body build, he just hadn't seen many men like Walter where he'd come from, he was rather pretty.

Walter had considered telling him to stop but when his fingers pressed into that one perfect spot in his shoulder blades he melted, ooooh that just felt so damn good and shit when was the last time he'd had contact, had someone be closer to him...he liked Killian...wondered if they could be more, but he didn't believe for one second that they could be lovers or bed fellows for one moment...not that he wouldn't be interested in finding out but Killian had been there a month, like he wasn't going to make him uncomfortable and feel like that the only way he could stay was if he dated him.

(I keep forgetting times or how many days set shrugs just don't expect like decent continuity, I write these because I need to just write things and moments)

Walter leaned forward arms folded and face buried in them

"Sorry sir, am I doing that badly?"

Timothy's enquired nervously, his hands going still.

"No, please don't stop, I literally didn't realise how stiff I was, you have good hands, I'm just so tired Timothy, I could really use it if you don't mind that is."

"Not at all sir."

Tim smiled happy to know he was helping, yes much nicer than his last boss, Walter was smart but he was also fragile, like him he loved his mother and when he'd heard Walters mother had died when he was small he wanted to scoop him up and just hug him.

A talk with Lance at one point and he'd learned that was a natural reaction for anyone with a heart around Walter who didn't have their head up their ass.

Which had practically been the last tech department Beckett had worked in, that totally wasn't cool that they'd done that to such a brilliant mind, it was so much fun working on items that didn't kill people and actually helped them!

Walter was imagining the fingers loosening the knots in his back were Killian, wondered what that would feel like with those pretty metal claws, but he never forgot it was Timothy, after all Timothy deserved more respect than that.

Looking over his shoulder at him, auburn hair flopping off to one side, Tim's hands on his waist he noticed the subtle blush.

"You wanna go grab some dinner or something in a minute there's a corner café I know, makes steak sandwiches and baked potatoes with a perfect crispy skin, a warm meal sounds pretty nice don't you think?"

Tim in the angle he was in was trying not to think about how suggestive this looked, he would absolutely lean down and kiss Walter if he thought it was an option, it really was a casual thing he felt, but Walter just looked so pretty and like he needed someone to carry him right now.

Continuing to rub his back Timothy nodded

"Yeah that sounds pretty nice actually."

---

At home Killian had found plenty to do, he'd read, watched tv, all in Walters bed of course, just to feel close to him as he could, he did wonder after handling himself, if Walter could see him as anything more than a friend, someone more than a few passing jokes between the other...turning his head and taking in his scent as he buried his face into a pillow again, looking forward to seeing those blue eyes...he should really get out of Walter's bed and get the covers washed.

Beckett brought comfort to his mind after his years of suffering, the sunrise after the storm.

He'd talked to Lovey, wondering if she could understand him, she was surprisingly responsive to his rambling as he worked on his arm, updating the tech and keeping up with maintenence.

Living here with Walter and slowly working past things with Lance and seeing he had genuinely started changes of his own, it made it easier with how Walter talked about him on the job, that he considered all options before violence and discussed the situations with him...it was good to know Beckett had helped Lance to.

He was glad to know Walter's field partner was a good one, though his lab partner, this Timothy Lawrence seemed to be pretty chummy didn't he, he'd seen a picture, thick brown hair, heterochromia eyes, blue and green to be exact and a chiseled jaw, in other words a damn pretty boy and he didn't want him around Walter.

He huffed folding his arms, yes he was jealous he was going to be pouty, before his injury he had thick black hair and had been known to be a very handsome man, now he looked like he'd been put through a grinder when he took off his holo mask and this Timothy Lawrence just had to be Walter's lab partner, he'd be around him alot and-

His phone buzzed, it'd been put on the side table and he read the text that'd come through and there was another one.

'Going out to dinner with Timothy, don't know what time I'll be back, have fun you probably need a break from me anyway lol 😂'

Killian's eye twitched, he nearly threw the damn phone, but how would he explain that, honestly he couldn't, Tristan sighed, shoulders drooping a little and answered his questions

'It's been a relaxing day, did work on the arm, Lovey' s surprisingly easy to talk to, watched a little television but perhaps you could suggest something to watch, it's rather hard deciding with all these options and no Walter you didn't upset me, though you left in a hurry, you do not need to avoid me. You're not a bother. Are you alright?'

'I'm so happy you're warming up to her! That's awesome! Also it's good you have time to relax, ten years of hectic stress you're more than overdue! I...well I was more embarrassed than anything, I reacted on instinct, last boyfriend liked that well that's probably more than you needed to know, but yeah I'll help you pick something to watch see you later!'

Last boyfriend? Spanking, Walter had, he had...Killian shifted well the blankets were starting to tent, the idea of being put over Walters petite lap and being told he was a very bad man came to mind.

He liked it.

A lot.

He looked at his phone as it pinged again.

'And god damn it, make sure you eat something for dinner, don't just go picking out the cupboard!'

Killian snickered and replied

'Yes Daddy, I'll make sure to eat something.'

After sending the text he realised what he'd written and wished he could take back that text, wincing as he managed to look at the response

'Behave, eat dinner or I'll put you over my knee young man.'

Killian stared and stared at that answer, he knew Walter was just teasing but, his cheeks were warm and he was...was he blushing.

----

"You all set to go Timothy?"

Walter smiled, his back was feeling a hundred times better after Timothy had dug into the knots, it wasn't a surprise that he was good with his hands, you had to have nimble ones to work with the tech they used here.

"Yeah, just coming boss!"

He pulled his satchel over his shoulder after pulling on his old brown leather jacket

"Please Timothy don't call me that, call me daddy."

Walter laughed at how silly that sounded

"I'm sorry, pfffft don't call me that god please, no, Walter's just fine."

Tim had paused a moment a slight fear he might have a streak like his last boss after all but that laugh was too warm and giggly and just shook his head with a smile

"Wouldn't dream of it Walter, you're more of a kitten anyway."

Timmy felt his insides tighten a little and there was that hint of Jack Dna surfacing.

"So shall we go?"

Beckett enquired looking up at him, huh he kinda looked like Killian, just a little.

"Ready when you are."

And with that they were off.

(Alright end of this ramble, Timothy has been thrown in because I needed the gasp drama of prolongation and shit and didn't have the energy to create an oc and honestly I'll mash anything from anywhere if it's convenient bleh)

[synchronmurmurs]

Prompt #13: Oneirophrenia

For FFXIV Write 2021 again! This one is quick and definitely dirty, so bear that in mind before diving in. It's also more or less a direct tie in with the previous prompt! I'm happy I got to do something like that for this challenge. 😌🙏

God I feel bad that I've only written Puchianger for this challenge, but I deserve some indulgence, as a treat. 😔 Also my fear of using Punchy's name is showing LOL. I've been calling her that for so long now that calling her by her actual name feels so damn bizarre and somehow wrong. 😭

———

Urianger stumbles into the Bookman's Shelves, worn and weary. He'd held himself together remarkably well during his trek back, afraid to show the pixies any sign of weakness that they might later exploit, but even though he'd spent his fair share of days back in Sharlyan forgoing sleep in his endless quest for knowledge, one whole week spent indulging the pixies to gain their favour was a bit much even for his infamous sleepless streaks.

It pains him to admit it, especially when he really really isn't, but he's getting too old for this.

The door shuts behind him, and at last, he allows himself to deflate, his shoulders sagging, his eyes closing, and a long sigh expelled between parted lips. By the gods, he's going to let himself sleep for the next three days and not even Titania themself will be able to rouse him from his slumber. The entirety of the First could be overtaken by the Light, and still he doesn't think he would awaken.

Bit by bit, with each heavy step towards his private chambers he takes, more of him unravels. His star globe is the first thing to drop from his back, landing ungracefully on the floor with a loud clang that would have made him cringe were he alert and awake. Alas, at present, he's just too tired to care; what scuffs he may find will be the problem of the Urianger who has awoken from a deep and hopefully restful sleep. His adornings are the next thing he pulls off; the choker, the paldron, one arm cuff… but he freezes before the second one comes off, fingers poised over the golden piece of jewellery, his eyes widening at the sound of his name being called in a voice he has been longing to hear.

His head snaps up in the direction of his chambers, where, somehow, he already knows she's waiting for him. Could she be here already? How did she know where to find him? Urianger's body moves before his mind manages to finish processing what he's hearing. Maybe if he weren't so exhausted he'd have realised it strange, but he opens the door to his chambers and stops short at what he sees, his breath catching in his throat.

It is her. The Warrior of Light. His champion and his love and his life. Yet it isn't only the sight of her that leaves him scrambling for an explanation; it's the fact that she isn't alone. Myra is with him. Another Urianger. He still wears his old robes, but perhaps not for much longer, given how she tugs and pulls to get at his skin, to mark it with her teeth. The sight is familiar to him, painfully, maddeningly so, for he had lived it long ago now. He remembers it with a fierce and crystal clear clarity; that day in the Waking Sands where at last, at long last, they acted upon feelings that had built and built until neither side could tolerate it any longer. She had shoved him backwards into a chair and climbed right into his lap, the heat of her body near scalding to his demure sensibilities. She tasted of something sweet then, he recalls, the flavour on her tongue overloading his senses long before her wandering hands had. But then she had been called away.

And this is what he watches unfold before him now. A continuation that he has—with only a little shame—expanded upon and fleshed out in his mind's eye to a myriad of pleasing conclusions. This seems to be the one where she mounts him and rides him to completion several times, until he is empty, and she is full, oh so full. Her movements are forceful and thorough and so deep that as he watches the relentless roll of her hips, he can't help but utter a quiet groan, hiding his shame and a light flush in his cheeks behind the back of his hand. Yet he continues to watch her fuck his own phantom, incapable of tearing his eyes away.

He knows what he's seeing isn't real; the final scraps of his rationale telling him that he's merely overtired; that he is seeing things. But there's no denying the effect it has on him. On both of him. His phantom is certainly enjoying himself, being ridden so thoroughly until he forgets his 'thee's and 'thou's. Why can't he?

Urianger fumbles with the front of his robe, a hand sliding into the decorative slit up the seam and pulls out his cock, giddy and nigh delirious.

It has been too long since he'd seen stars, but with his hand alone, entire galaxies burst behind his closed eyes as he pumped himself to his end.

[nachotrash]

EVEN MORE INCORRECT QUOTES

ft: me, my best friend (ISAMU, not osamu), and an online friendo (scarlett)

Suga: What’s your name? Tendou, whispering to Yamaguchi: Can I tell them my real name? Yamaguchi: No! Tendou: I’m… Yamaguchi. Yamaguchi, whispering to themselves: The ONE TIME they get my name right…

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

Scarlett: Bonjour, Suga. Voulez–vous coucher avec moi? Suga: No, I don't want to sleep with you. Scarlett: Is that what that means? Oh, man, I had a really gross tennis instructor.

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

Tendou: I was born for politics. I have great hair and I love lying.

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

Isamu: Man, they look like a real handful. How do you deal with them? Iwa, watching Tendou screaming, Lev trying to set a sleeping Shiyu on fire, and Suga choking on air: I don't know either.

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

Shiyu: honk. Tendou: WHAT. Shiyu: HONK. Tendou: WHAT DOES HONK MEAN THIS TIME YOU WHIMSICAL PIECE OF SHIT?????

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

Scarlett, as a child, reading their school assignment out loud: I love my library because... Scarlett, mouthing words while writing: I love reading, fuck you.

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

Shiyu: Uh, I think I got your lunch. *Holds up a note that reads: ‘I am very proud of you. Love, ’* Scarlett: Oh yeah. I didn’t think this was for me. *Holds up a note that reads: ‘Be good. For the love of God, Please be good.’*

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

Lev: Between Suga, , Tendou, and Scarlett -- if you had to -- who would you punch? Iwa: No one! They're my friends. I wouldn't punch any of them. Lev: Tendou? Iwa: Yeah, but I don't know why.

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

Shiyu: What if the person who named Walkie Talkies named everything? Shiyu: Pregnancy tests are Maybe Babies. Tendou: Socks are Feetie Heaties. Yamaguchi: Defibrillators are Heartie Starties. Iwa: Nightmares are Dreamy Screamies. Scarlett: Stamps are Lickie Stickies. Lev: I hate you guys so much.

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

*Everyone is giving adive to Tendou* Iwa: It's okay to ask for help. Scarlett: You're not a burden. Suga: Murder is okay. Yamaguchi: Your feelings matter.

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

Yamaguchi: Noya... Noya: Oh no, 'Noya' in B flat. Noya: You're disappointed.

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

Yamaguchi: We’re kind of missing something guys. Suga: Cohesion? Scarlett: Teamwork? Isamu: A general sense of what we’re doing? Lev: And Shiyu is not here. Suga: Oh, and that, yeah.

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

Scarlett: Croissants: dropped Suga: Road: works ahead Tendou: BBQ sauce: on my titties Iwa: Shavacado: fre Noya: Miss Keisha: fuckin dead Isamu: Isamu: ...I didn’t understand a single word of that and I hate every single one of you.

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

Lev: You don't think I can fight because of my gender! Isamu: I don't think you can fight because you're in a wedding dress. For what it's worth, I don't think Scarlett can fight in that dress either. Scarlett: Perhaps not. But I would make a radiant bride.

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

Yamaguchi: I personally don't think it's possible to come up with a crazier plan. Isamu: We could attack them with hummus. Yamaguchi: I stand corrected. Isamu: Just keeping things in perspective.

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

Iwa, planning a group disguise: You cannot be Blake Bortles. Tendou: Fine! Then I’ll be Jake- Yamaguchi, under their breath: Don’t say Jortles. Tendou: Jortles! And I work at the molotov cocktail department.

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

Noya: Isamu is taking credit for Lev's work, getting them to deal with everything, and making fun of them! You know what they sounds like? Tendou: You? Noya: No, I meant... You know Lev. In spite of being clever and sarcastic they’re also... fragile and weird and they have trouble fitting in. And Isamu is taking advantage of their weakness! You know what that’s called? Tendou: A Noya? Noya: ...Yeah, but I’m the only one who should be allowed to do that, okay?!

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

Iwa: So, did everyone learn their lesson? Tendou: No. Lev: I did not. Isamu: I may have actually forgotten one. Suga: Also no. Iwa: Oh good, neither did I. Yamaguchi: *Exhausted sigh*

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

Iwa: That’s illegal, right? Lev: Why do you care? Are you a fucking cop? Iwa: No- Lev: Then shut the fuck up.

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

Shiyu: Are you sure Isamu's even gay? They barely even looked at me.

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

Isamu: What does “take out” mean? Shiyu: Food. Iwa: Dating. Yamaguchi: Murder. Suga: It can be all three if you’re brave enough.

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

Yamaguchi: There is no future. There is no past. Don't you see? Time is simultaneous, an intricately structured jewel that humans insist on viewing one edge at a time, when the whole design is visible in every fact. Suga: ...All I asked was if you wanted to cut your birthday cake first.

-----------

Scarlett: I'm usually that person who has no idea what's going on.

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

Isamu: But what about Noya? They were my SOULMATE! Yamaguchi: You said that about a ball of yarn once!

(oop- yams jelly)

----------

Suga: What time is it? Iwa: I don’t know, pass me that saxaphone and we’ll find out Iwa: *BLASTS the saxaphone* Scarlett: WHO THE FUCK IS PLAYING THE SAXAPHONE AT TWO IN THE FUCKING MORNING Iwa: It’s 2 am

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

Noya: Your smile? It makes my day. Scarlett: Your happiness? I live for that. Lev: A room? Get one. Tendou: Hotel? Trivago.

(LETS GOOOOOOOOOO)

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

Suga, about Shiyu: They're speaking some kind of French. Lev: Let me handle it. I speak Spanish. It's the same thing.

(when im speaking dutch)

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

Scarlett: I give up. I am so tired. Tendou: Get the emergency supply! Shiyu: *carries Noya and places them in front of Scarlett* Noya: *smiles* Scarlett: AND I AM BACK BABY, LET’S GOOO

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

Isamu: I never said I was gonna get back together with them. But I was thinking, they're in town, would it be the worst thing in the world if I gave them a call? Yamaguchi: No. No, Isamu, it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. It would be the fourth worst thing. Number one: a super volcano. Number two: an asteroid hits the Earth. Number three: All the Evel Knievel movies are lost. Number four: Isamu calls Tendou. Number five: Suga gets eaten by a shark. Suga: I’m Suga, and I approve the order of that list.

(oooo isamu and tendou---)

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

Isamu: From now on we will be using code names. Isamu: You can address me as Eagle One. Isamu: Scarlett is “been there done that”. Isamu: Suga is “currently doing that”. Isamu: Noya is “it happened once in a dream”. Isamu: Shiyu is “if I had to pick a dude/gal/enby”. Isamu: And Iwa is.. Isamu: Eagle Two Iwa: Oh thank god.

-----------

Iwa: *points at Lev* A human turtleneck, *points at Suga* a narcissistic monster, *points at Yamaguchi* and literally the dumbest person I’ve ever met. Yamaguchi: And who am I? Describe me now.

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

Yamaguchi: Fight me! Shiyu, standing behind them and holding a knife: *mouths* Do not.

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

Iwa: Isamu... How do I begin to explain Isamu? Shiyu: Isamu is flawless. Noya: I hear their hair's insured for $10,000. Tendou: I hear they do car commercials... in Japan. Lev: One time they punched me in the face... it was awesome.

(ok but like, they aint wrong tho. also samu punches lev in the face the whole time)

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

Lev: If I say I love you, will you say it back? Isamu: Yes. Lev: I love you. Isamu: It back. *Later* Scarlett: Why is Lev crying face-down on the floor?

(cuz he tried to bond with his cousin but failed)

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

Iwa: Suga is a perfect cinnamon scone who’s never done anything wrong in their entire life! Yamaguchi: Never done anything wrong?! They set a city block on FIRE!

(fanon suga vs canon suga)

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

Shiyu, in the hospital: Will you visit me when I get out? Scarlett: Lol nah, I hate graveyards.

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

Iwa: If you put 'violently' in front of anything to describe your action, it becomes funnier. Iwa: Violently practices. Shiyu: Violently studies. Scarlett: Violently sleeps. Tendou: Violently shoots pictures. Isamu: Violently boxes. Noya: Violently murders people. Scarlett: Violently worries about the previous statement.

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

Noya: You know, when Iwa comes over, Suga can get a little… Tendou: Psycho? Shiyu: Scary? Scarlett: Drunk? Noya: All three.

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

Shiyu: Love makes people do stupid things. Yamaguchi: I love everything! Shiyu: That explains a lot.

[joyisntyoj]

04: LETTERS TO NOBODY OR MAYBE MAYARI

Seal stamps, stamps with whatever designs, papers and pens, stickers, pictures, dried flowers, heartwarming messages, and a lot more.

When was the last time you wrote something on a literal piece of paper for someone?

Have you ever personally given someone a handwritten letter or sent it from the post office?

Is writing a letter still a thing today, or you just use whatever app you have because what is the point if other ways are more convenient, right?

Maybe, you are more the vocal type of person and, you just say what you feel instead of writing it down?

Perhaps, you are none of the above because what is important is your presence in their lives and, that is more than enough?

Still, how lovely it is to keep something that has sentimental value. It unnecessarily means that you are hoarding something because what's to not treasure from precious memories in a small piece of paper in an envelope?

This story is for those who never get tired of expressing themselves in whatever form they know, but most especially to those who write.

May you never run out of papers, inks, and thoughts to compose. to more unforgotten memories preserved in letters.

^^^

To: Mayari.

How are you? I wish things were getting better, just like what I always pray. These days, sleeping at night suddenly became serene as well as waking up in the morning. Sometimes my days are dull and typical...I believe? But most of the time, it's either I'm feeling blue or extra sad, or was that the same? I kept on blaming the pandemic, but for real, I'm just a mess. Silent battles are truly tough. I wish I had the courage and strength just like yours. Be safe. Stay sane. I'm really trying my best to be legit all right.

With so much love and kindness always and all ways,

Liway.

Liway is the name, exhausted with life. Mayari, someone out there, maybe a supreme being or plausibly not always receives Liway's letters. Sometimes Liway writes 10 messages at once and sometimes none at all. Mayari is the only recipient of such letters that even Liway never knew they were received by the random recipient it thought was just nobody. It all genuinely started on having a recipient written on the "To:" part at the post office. Though seriously, it doesn't even have any home address. It's super weird that it's for Mayari and no address, and were received.

HOW?

^^^

To: Mayari.

The night has come. This time, it feels heavier than usual. Tears are suddenly falling. I noticed that an unwelcome visitor came. The familiar pain is hugging me again, so tight that breathing is getting harder. I hate everything. Yet, I came to realize a lot of things. Afterward, I'm feeling blessed and grateful. Am I getting crazy? Before I went to bed, at the dinner table, I felt uncomfortable with the conversation we had, my family, about myself back then. I really hate it when they keep on bringing up what happened in the past. I already moved on... I think... so can they stop mentioning those moments? Honestly, whenever anything from the past is introduced again and remembered, I tend to feel like it just happened yesterday. Everything is coming back so fresh and new; fun, pain, sweats, and tears. I hate it.

PS. Mayari, can you send me some courage? Preferably in capsules, So I can have it in my intakes and be sure I'll be really having it in my system literally.

With so much love and kindness always and all ways,

Liway.

Continues writing so many letters filled with how living is like. Liway felt tired and exhausted. A few days ago, it was super overwhelmed that crying is unavoidable. Then this morning, Ms. Walmy called for a little chat and checking up because it's never too bad to check up on somebody, most especially when you're a counselor. It's your job, so uh? Anyway, though Liway was out of focus on the call, it was able to be accomodating and warm in return. It reciprocated the thoughtfulness with a sweet smile.

^^^

To: Mayari

Hey! Today I was mad because firsthand, I experienced that thing I usually hear from other people. The "don't-post-something-revealing-on-social-media-but-love-yourself-but-that's-not-appropriate". Well, I don't even know why I'm reacting super outrage towards it. Because knowing that my family is just concerned for me since the internet is frankly scary. I mean, I did nothing wrong, so why? Maybe deciding to be confident on the internet is not necessary for them. But for me, it is! So how should I deal with this? A friend consoled me, and I feel better. Still tho, my mood is already ruined. Oh gosh.

With so much love and kindness always and all ways, 

 Liway.

Welcoming a new week, the usual Liway is busy with the household chores. Some may find it stressful, but this one is pretty different. Scrubbing the floor, washing the dishes, brooming on the side. Later on, folding the clothes, fixing the bed, and a lot more things. It looks like it'll be tiring its body out until the nose bleeds, and passing out is the last resort to rest. How come it's easier to clean an actual mess than the one inside the head and heart?

^^^

To: Mayari.

Beloa visited me today. My childhood and the only friend left I have up to this day from elementary school. If you get what I mean? It's been a long time since we had a chat, especially that things are super complicated these days. She's doing really well, and I couldn't be more proud. I'm still amazed at how we manage to be friends because we both don't like each other to begin with. It's so funny that we even pulled each other's hair in the 4th grade while the class is taking the annual picture for the school year remembrance. What are the odds in this even, right? HAHAHA. Today was warm and bright.

With so much love and kindness always and all ways,

Liway.

Dates suddenly don't vary in these letters. Even the concept of time is somehow gone. What's important is regardless of not having these "important details" like the usual, Liway can keep up and be consistent in sending its letters. Liway never missed a chance to send a letter to the address less recipient, which left the post office staff to ponder with it. But as time goes by, Alle, the clerk, is no more surprised 'coz she's used to everything now. The envelopes unfailingly vanished the moment it was dropped inside the mailing box. Indeed, a magical mailbox.

^^^

To: Mayari.

I never knew how amazing pretending could be. You know that thing where someone usually says I'm okay, but really not? The inner saboteur that was triggered by their trauma is real-real-real. A car is useless when it's not moving if you wanted to travel to faraway places. Does that make sense?

PS. It sucks that our bathroom is the only "semi-safe space".

With so much love and kindness always and all ways,

Liway.

Polar bears are really fascinating. They get to hibernate. Then, after the time being, back on hunting and living their lives. Ligaya was one of Liway's hero. A lot knew Ligaya for being a superhero, although she does not have that fantasy powers. Just like the polar bears, too, Ligaya has been hibernating for quite some time but kept on saying that she was not. Liway saw it all. Maybe a bear's hibernation is different from a human-being, hmm?

^^^

To: Mayari.

IDK what to say, but I just wanted to be consistent at the very least in sending you letters.

PS. The radio was broken, but in my head, it's working. It kept on playing nonstop music. Is this a poetic way of saying I'm overthinking things?

With so much love and kindness always and all ways,

Liway.

^^^

To: Mayari.

A lot happened lately. Somebody lost a precious one, and here I am, having a renaissance moment. It's a crazy ride, but for all it's worth, the pea has grown into a beautiful plant. Hope it made sense coz finally, everything is making sense to me now. Little by little, slowly and surely.

With so much love and kindness always and all ways,

Liway.

^^^

To: Mayari

Hey!! I hope you are doing great!!! These days, everything felt surreal. I get to be active everywhere. It's draining, yet I feel so alive than ever. I had this thought that time is indeed just a concept, hmm? I mean, anytime is the right time to do what you want and whatever it is. Nothing is too late, most especially when it comes to growth. OH, being late in class still counts but FOR REAL RIP TO THE ONLINE CLASS SETUP -_-

PS. May we never run out of time to be the best versions of ourselves. LOVE WHOEVER YOU WANT. fck the situation, but SOON, GO ANYWHERE YOU WANT. SPEND FOR YOURSELF AND FOR YOUR LOVED ONES. FEEL EVERYTHING.

PSS. May we leave this world with fewer regrets and more amazing memories.

With so much love and kindness always and all ways, 

Liway.

Quite a lot of letters were already sent. The post office is getting more and more letters, as well as Mayari. Still, NO REPLY. Maybe some other, Liway will be able to hear Mayari's words.

^^^

To: Mayari.

*here's an envelope just in case you want to write me something*

With so much love annd kindness always and all ways, 

Liway.

'Tis the season to be jolly. LOL Nah. Liway has been out for the past weeks. By out, means on a hibernation mode. A L O T R E A L L Y happened. It's hard to put it into words. I guess Liway will end these letter-sending shenanigans or just lazy and trying to give out some excuses //

^^^

To: Mayari. 

Ever since I was taught how to move around the kitchen, I've been assigned to be Mom's assistant while cooking for the feast every event/occasion we'll be celebrating. It's tiring but super fun. Getting your fingers bleed and while unaware is cool LOL~ 

PS. Why does it feel so good to overthink things while doing the dishes? What's with that scenario.........

With so much love and kindness always and all ways, 

Liway.

Tireless hands, heart, and mind with countless thoughts and feelings, papers, and pens everywhere—WRITING; it surely is one of the best ways to vent. Though letters can’t hug and wipe one's tears, witness waves of laughter, ease the pain, and such, the comfort from every word written is more than enough.

Suddenly time barge in and reminded me that this is enough. THIS IS ENOUGH FOR 2020...

A new chapter has arrived, and maybe it's time to move forward. Maybe this is where it all gonna stop for a while. I mean, writing is somehow tiring, literally. Probably, Mayari might reply with the number of letters sent anytime soon, so maybe waiting is all that needed.

No rush in moving on.

MAY YOU GET THE REPLY YOU LONG FOR SO LONG.

PRIORITIZE YOURSELF AND HAVE COURAGE.

BE KIND ALWAYS AND ALL WAYS.

💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜

Little did nobody know, Liway is writing a letter to her "ideal" self.

The letter-sending-to-nobody thingy of Liway is really mind-boggling, right?

Mayari is Liway. Liway is Mayari.

The things that Liway wanted to say but cannot articulate well were always sent to Mayari. Mayari is the version of Liway it wishes to become in the future. 

The weak Liway longs and hopes to have "that" someone by her side to look up to. That's why she always writes letters and keeps them in the memory box.

The post office thingy was actually her shared room at home: the table at the corner with no lights but so much mess. It's that post office.

It's pandemic, so how can a post office be open and how brave she is to go out, right?

That saying, "be the hero you wanted to have when you were little", is the best explanation of Liway's way of venting and expressing.

Nobody knows when Mayari will come to life because it's no certainty that we can be the ideal self we all wanted to happen. 

For now, Liway is fighting her battles and screaming louder to the universe,

UNTIL WHEN DO I HAVE TO FEEL THIS WAY?

To be continued...

Happy New Year, Mayari. ✨💜

This is like an excerpt from my quarantine shenanigans for 2020 LOL.

[neoarchipelago]

Lisbon Lights (John Wick x Reader) part 3

Word count : 4 708

AN: i need to finish my series so I can start a new one LOL so I think there will be 1 or 2 chapters of Lisbon lights after this one! I advise you to re-read the last chapter if you don't fully remember it, and idk... This might not end with a 'happily ever after' we'll see... ENJOY ❤️ ps: OUTFIT at the bottom, with the 'show' she put up, the gif didn't want to stay up here...

Warnings: Violence, kidnappings, abuse, curse words

------

"I-I'm not undressing him!" You half-yelled. 

"So that's what you were doing? Your question about tattoos? You wanted to see me shirtless" John spoke innocently, making you gasp in indignation. 

"Of course not! Idiot!" You yelled, throwing him a pillow, which he perfectly dodged while grinning at you. 

"I see that you two get along so well. And I was worried you might find it bothersome that there's only one bed." Amalia said, a devilish grin on her lips.

"What?" John's voice and yours melted into the same tone of shock. 

Amalia was already leaving, as John turned to the bedroom door. You quickly jumped up from the couch, following him half running. You stood at the entrance next to John, watching in almost horror the queen bed. 

"You gotta be kidding me." You whispered. 

You sighed looking up at John. He looked as taken aback as you. After all this hasn't been on your mind. Sure sharing a suite with Wick was already printed in your brain, but the same bed? You sighed again, closing your eyes for a second. You felt tired and honestly, it didn't entirely matter to you. 

"Whatever I guess…" you simply let out as you turned back to the living room. 

You heard John sigh as well, but shrugged it off. You took a glance at the entrance where your things had already been brought to you. You looked through it and grabbed your toothbrush. You walked to the bathroom to brush your teeth, closing the door behind you. You felt exhausted and you were dying to just lay in bed. When you walked out you noticed John sitting on the couch, looking up at you. You smiled softly before walking to the bedroom. This whole scenery felt weird but it would have been much worse if it had been without John. You were almost a bit a glad that you were staying with him tonight as you smiled to yourself. You decided to keep your pajamas on, your shorts and the tank top. You threw the covers down on one side of the bed as you heard John walk in a few seconds later. 

"This is my side of the bed Mister wick." You say smiling. 

"I've noticed." He simply answered walking to his side of the bed.

He sat down and you watched him as he took off his shirt, his back muscles rolling under the fabric. You blushed slightly and bit your lip, turning away as soon as you saw him glance at you. You unhooked your bra and threw it on a chair. 

"What are you?!" You heard John say.

You were already slipping under the fluffy and comfy covers when he spoke. 

"I don't like sleeping with my bra. I'm not used to it." You simply said, humming softly. 

"Can't you get used to it tonight?" His voice was slightly lower and you shivered a bit.

"No mister wick. Good night." You spoke in a playful tone but feeling your eyelids fall already. 

You must have been really tired because you dozed off while John put himself into bed to sleep as well. Maybe an hour passed or two when you woke up again. You blinked a few times getting used to the darkness of the room. Only the light coming from the windows lit up the room, just enough for you to see the shape and dim color of what surrounded you. You spun around facing John's back. You were suddenly in trans in front of the view. You were able to see John's back perfectly, the covers reaching only his waist and he was shirtless. You took in his appearance and the tattoo's design with a bit more focus this time. It was beautiful, and fit him perfectly. It was extremely hot and sexy and it made you want to run kisses all over but John wouldn't really appreciate that. His back, just that, was beautiful, lit by the lights of the city, Lisbon lights. You let your hand wander closer to him, but froze a few inches from his skin. Maybe was it better not to wake him up… but your entire being was begging to feel his skin again. 

Your fingertips ran over the cold skin of his back and you mentally took note to cover him right after your little exploration. It was old definitely and you could notice some scars here and there over it or on his back in general. You lightly traced the design, taking in every detail and you felt compelled to lay a kiss there, in the middle of his back, right between his shoulders. Feeling brave or perhaps just driven by a feeling you had yet to fully understand, your lips placed a soft kiss on that spot. When you realized your action you pulled back, lips and hand from his skin. You were slightly shocked of your own movements but sighed of relief when John still looked like he was sleeping. 

However. Not everything is always as it seems and you watched wide eyed as John turned on his back, fully awake and glancing at you. The hand that had caressed his back a few seconds ago was now on your mouth and you looked at John, blushing a bit too much. John's expression was entirely blank, there was no way to know if he was furious or if he enjoyed it. Your heart was racing and none of you made a move. But when time seemed to stretch and the seconds felt like hours you finally spoke, in a voice that you almost didn't recognize. 

"S-sorry.." you whispered. 

John seemed to process your apology, perhaps was he not fully awake or maybe he didn't even know what you've done. 

"Why did you do that?" He whispered too, with his dark and low voice.

Ok..he knew what you've done. Of course he did! He felt it!

"I.. I don't really know. I'm sorry mister wick…" you tried, truly meaning it. But the frown that appear on his face made your heart skip a beat as you watched him turn to you fully. 

"Don't call me that after what you did." His voice sounded cold and it hurt. 

"I'm sorry John.." you spoke again looking at him in the eyes, truly feeling sorry. You were being clumsy, acting like a stupid teen in love, and that wasn't you. That wasn't the girl you were proud of being but something about him made you want to let your walls down and let him in. Perhaps he had even read all of those thoughts in your eyes exactly at that moment because you weren't prepared to feel his arms wrap around your back and pull you closer to him. The feeling of his chest and his smell made you close your eyes. 

"Just tonight, right?" He whispered.

The sound of his voice made you shiver and he pulled you even closer. You nodded in his arms, agreeing to those terms as if allowing yourself to be weak just tonight. 

It didn't took long for you to drift back to sleep. 

----

The morning sun felt hot against your face. You wanted to move away but you felt trapped. It took a few seconds to get adjusted to the light, and you had to blink away the blurriness a few times. You took note of the strong arm locked around your waist, trapping you against a broad chest. Your mind was a bit of a mess and you thought back to every event of last night. The attack, John saving you… you losing entirely control and… this. You had cuddled up during the night after you had caressed his back and… kissed it. You laid in bed thinking. It wasn't like you to act like this. You couldn't deny how John made you feel, he was handsome, mysterious, he could be entirely rough and soft as well. You couldn't deny either, the way your heart jumped when John came to save you. You didn't remember the last time you let a sob, a real one, escape you in front of someone. You couldn't stop yourself from touching his skin and not only his back, you wanted to leave a trail of kisses all over him, the way he groaned at every touch… 

You shook your head groaning. 'wake up! What the fuck is wrong with you?!' you mentally scolded yourself. You were the one who tempted targets and killed them. Not the one being tempted. It was maybe just because you thought of him as interesting. A child is always obsessed with a new toy but it never lasts. No. Somehow even that metaphor was annoying. You couldn't possibly think of John as a toy. You hid your face with your hand softly whining. The soft chuckle coming from behind your back however made you freeze. 

"What's wrong? Did embarrassment hit the mighty goddess?" His voice was rough and slightly sleepy and you wanted to melt on the spot, but you put up your walls again. 

"Oh… I'm a goddess huh? That's flattering…" you joked in playful tone, earning a groan from the man.

The vibration that rose through his chest made your breath hitch and you felt too hot at the moment. You needed to escape his arms. Even if you were begging to stay like this all day long. Silence fell and you were almost surprised it didn't feel awkward at all. You sighed, closing your eyes for second. Every dream has to end, and this one had just reached it's sad ending. You cleared your throat and softly sat up, pulling away his arm. You still softly smiled at him, hiding all the confusing feelings he made you feel.

"Being in bed with you is wonderful sir, but we have a plan  to put up in action…" you let out, a devilish smirk on your lips. 

John chuckled at your sudden energy, as you jumped out of bed and walked into the living room, leaving him in bed. You took a bit of time to breath away from him and his tempting person. You sighed as a knock on the door was heard and trotted to the door to open it. You grinned at the waiter who had brought breakfast for you and john. 

"G-good morning miss… the director is offering you breakfast, as an apology for last night's… inconvenience." 

You giggled like a child, opening the door wide open. The waiter walked in, as you followed him, attracted to that wonderful smell of toast, cappuccino and 'natas'. You leaned over the food grabbing a hot one, and taking a bite of it moaning sinfully as you closed your eyes. Yes being in Lisbon was like being in heaven to you. However you opened your eyes as you felt a presence behind you, glancing back at a glaring John. You frowned as you followed his look, falling into the lost gaze of the waiter who was gazing hungrily at you and particularly your chest. You hadn't put on a bra, and your nipples were visible underneath the white tank top. You wanted to laugh at the situation, but before you could react, John spoke in a tone that sent shivers down your spine. 

"If you're done. Get out." 

The rough and low voice woke the waiter from his trans,as his eyes filled with shame and fear. You've rarely saw men running out so fast. 

"What was that for?" You asked Innocently earning another glare from John. 

'now now… are we being protective of me mister wick?' you thought to yourself, unable to stop a bright smile from escaping you. John simply groaned, grabbing a mug behind you, before walking away to get coffee. You felt particularly happy at the moment, John's little demonstration of attention had put you in the greatest mood. However, you froze once more remembering that it wasn't your role to be this happy of someone's attention. Actually. You shouldn't be giving a single shit. You felt trapped once more against the evidence that something was going on with you and all in all it had to be because of John. 

"(y/n). Are you even listening to me?" 

John's annoyed voice rang making you fall back into reality. Batting your eyes Innocently, you walked to the couch where John was sitting, sat down next to him, and looked at him as innocently as possible, all the while sticking your chest out just enough to drag his attention there. 

"I'm sorry sir. Could you repeat, I'll be a good girl now." 

You were living for the look of slight shock on John's face. You did warn him you'd be nice only for one night, and time was up. Going back to your usual self, you almost chuckled out loud, but managed to keep an innocent look on your pretty face. John looked pissed but kept going. 

"The plan. Tell me what is it." His voice was grumpy and you honestly wanted to hug him. 

The plan. You almost forgot about that. Your brain was really too overwhelmed by John. 

"Oh.. yes. Well. I thought about the situation."

"You can think?" John asked sarcastically. 

You glared at him, but resumed your explanation. 

"If she gets to us before we do, it's over. We have to make her so angry that she'll make a mistake and we can get to her." You spoke seriously. 

"So your plan, after having me killing her father, is to make her even more angry?" John asked looking at you confused. 

You smiled sheepishly at him as he just managed to frown at you. 

"Are you suicidal? Masochist?" He asked. 

You grinned even more, making him roll his eyes. 

"No seriously John. I know where she keeps her… 'product'. The people she kidnaps are kept in an abandoned warehouse in the docks, in the desert part of the city. During the day they aren't unable to 'ship' them. We go there, we free everyone, maybe call the cops. She's gonna get away with it obviously… BUT! We'll ruin her business and she'll be too angry to even think properly on how to act, and then, we'll hit her." 

John seemed to ponder the idea. You kept looking at him hoping he'd agree. It wouldn't be fun to do it on your own. 

"How are you expecting to even enter the warehouse?" He asked once more. 

The devilish grin that spread on your lips made John wondee if he wouldn't regret the idea. And to be honest.  You knew he'd regret it. 

----

Walking out of the room once more, your gaze caught John's as you spun around, making your red skirt flow around you and show maybe a bit much. You were living for the shock on John's face as you put up a show for him, but quickly regretted it when he rose from the couch to walk to you. 

"No." He spoke immediately. 

"Excuse me?" You asked. 

"We're not doing it." He spoke again walking away. 

The plan was simple, you'd use the fact that you were like a ghost to everyone to enter the warehouse without being recognized, act like one of the prisoners while John enters in the back. After the signal, all that was left to do, was to kill all of Luana's men and call the cops. You might have to use a bit of your charms to keep them busy while john enters, but nothing you weren't used to. You had even dressed accordingly, a red skirt, a white shirt, some thigh high socks and some heeled boots. You had obviously a small knife hidden in your boot.

"You mean you're not coming? Cuz I'm doing it Wick." You spoke, pretending to head to the door. 

You felt a powerful grip on your wrist that made you spin around. Falling face to face with an angry baba yaga, you shivered of delight. 

"I won't be there to help you. Do you understand?" His tone was threatening and it made your heart pound loudly. However, as it is common with you, you always had something to throw back. 

"What makes you think I need your help Mister Wick?" You whispered to him, leaning as close as possible without touching him. 

Staring at each other for a few seconds, you suddenly had lost your voice, losing yourself in his deep brown eyes. You were glad he didn't throw another piece of dialogue your way because you didn't think you'd be able to fight back this time. He simply stepped back and walked away to the door. You felt highly dissatisfied and almost pained, but you shrugged away the feeling, running behind him to exit the room. 

----

Hiding behind a shipping container, you listened to the sound of guards speaking. John had changed of behavior, he was focused, his shoulders were more tensed and he was much more aware of everything. You were enjoying this. Even if you were in a dangerous situation, overall, working with John and being able to witness how he hunts, was… fascinating. You smirked as you watched him take a better view of the surroundings. As he grabbed the gun he had kept on his waist you swallowed dry. He was handsome and he looked dangerous. 

"Are you ready?" 

His low voice made you fall back into reality. You nodded, watching him walk away, as you, walked in the opposite direction. You disheveled your hair a bit, as you walked, and ripped a bit of your shirt off. You couldn't look that pretty after all. You had to play the perfect little victim. Now all was left to do was being caught. They'd think you were one of the girls that tried to escape and they'll bring you back to the warehouse. 

You pretended to hide, very badly, around the shipping containers, and soon enough your little plan worked. 

"Oi!" 

Turning around, you faked the perfect scared look you could pull off and ran, but not too fast, the opposite direction. You quickly got caught by another dude, as you let out a yelp and a piercing scream. After all, you had to pretend  not wanting to be caught. You quickly got surrounded, grabbed and lifted up into someone's shoulder. Looking around, you almost wanted to grin when you saw they were taking the direction to the warehouse. But again, that's not what a scared pretty girl does. So you started to cry, letting your mascara run a bit. You closed your eyes listening to the sound of metals doors being opened, the sound clearly echoing through the open space of the warehouse. A few steps in that echoed again, and you were thrown to the floor harshly. Well that'd leave a few bruises. You groaned but managed to sit up. Looking around your eyes fell into much more frightened ones, and for a second you wanted to throw up. 'poor girls'.

It didn't take long before they pulled at your arms to tie them behind your back. You wanted to grin again but you stayed stoic. After a rough push to bring you back to the ground, you mentally noticed the stupidity of the men surrounding you. What, they found you running outside and they didn't tie your legs? Well that would be easier for you. Pretending to look around desperately, letting out a sob for good measure, you tried to catch a glimpse of your… partner? A flash of black above made your heart jump. 

John. 

Damn he looked hot in that black suit, his hair plastered back. You unfortunately had to take your eyes off the handsome figure. Now was time for the real act to start. You had to keep the three men in front of you as busy as possible until John got rid of the others, all the while keeping the girls next to you as safe as possible. 

"P-please…" you let out, faking a heavy accent, again, for good measure. "I'll do anything…" you added, curling up, enough for your chest to stick out a bit. 

Putting up an innocent look, you knew you'd won as soon as they grinned. That grin, was disgusting. You knew it too well, but you've learnt to be unfazed by it, and moreover, to make sure to erase it. 

"Anything?" One of them asked, kneeling down. 

You nodded innocently, a frightened look still plastered on your face. You shivered feeling one of his hands run up your leg. You had to pretend to look even more scared. Making you realize how fucked up your mind actually was. You'd been tempting targets for so long, you couldn't feel fear out of it anymore. You had to pretend it. Brushing off that moment of pondering on your own fucked up mind, you threw back your attention to the three men in front of you. The hand that roamed over you passing over your chest, you let out a yelp that honestly sounded a bit too much like a moan, earning yourself the full attention of the guards. 

Looking up behind them, letting your eyes fall into John's ones, you gasped at the sight. You had perhaps rarely seen such anger into someone's eyes. And the gunshot that echoed through the entire warehouse made you jump. There was no signal. He had just moved on with the plan. That asshole! 

You groaned, forgetting all about your act, taking opportunity of the distraction to headbut the man on top of you, breaking his nose and making him fall back. Jumping on your heels your arched your back, reaching for your boot with your hands tied up. The cold metal of your knife made your confidence rise. You quickly pulled it out as more gunshots ran through the warehouse, mixed with the screams of the scared girls. You quickly cut the ties that bound you. You threw another kick at the man in front of you, in the nose again, before letting yourself fall back into your back, your legs rising up, and pushing yourself up with your arms and the balance of your legs in one move, falling right back into your heels, like a cute little cat. Grinning at the two men… two ? John had apparently already shot one of them, you decided to throw your knife at the one standing a bit further away from you. It reached his throat and you watched him fall down before putting back your attention to the man in front of you. 

But before being even able to do anything, the man got shot in the head. You gasped, looking up at John. He truly looked furious but honestly you were even more. You were no princess needing a knight in white armor. You glared at him, kneeling down to quickly grab the knife the man had. Turning around you quickly saw another dude trying to reach for one of the prisoners. Throwing the knife once more you killed your target as the knife planted itself into his temple. You were angry now. Walking to the body, you pulled out the knife, and scanned the room quickly to find another target. There weren't many left. Actually, John just shot the two last ones. You groaned to yourself once more. This had been the most boring job you've been to. 

You sighed, the silence filling your ears. Well silence, wasn't the best word, the girls were still crying. You looked at them, throwing them a warm smile as you tried to sush them. Some seemed to understand the situation and tried to calm others. You smiled, grabbing the phone of one of the guards. Typing a phone number of a 'friend' who worked in the police you texted the address and the situation to them, without signing of letting any evidence of who it was. Letting the phone fall to the ground you smashed it with your heel. Kneeling down next to one of the girl who seemed to be having a panic attack you tried to calm her down. 

The sound of shoes made you look to your left. John stood there in all his glory. He seemed less tensed but just as angry. You glared at him, rising to your feet, your knife still in hand. It took a few seconds before you threw your knife, making John duck down, the knife hitting the man that stood behind him. John looked even more furious now, but you made sure to show the exact same emotion to him. Walking past him without saying a word, you rearranged your hair. The sound of your heels echoing through the warehouse contrasting with the distant sirens. John followed you but kept a certain distance. You felt the need to run back to the continental, shove yourself into the bed and not move for the rest of the day. 

----

The trip back to the hotel was entirely cold. No words were spoken, no glance exchanged. The air was tensed, even in the elevator. It felt like you could hear the ticking sound of the bomb that was going to explode. It didn't even take that long. As soon as you both walked into the suite, and the door slammed shut behind you, you snapped. 

"Ok John. What's wrong with you?" You asked, folding your arms on your chest. 

"I beg your pardon?" He let out, in a low, threatening tone. 

It made you regret to even ask. He stepped closer to you, reaching you.  

"It's Mister Wick for you." You frowned. "I'm going to go ask for another room." He finished, walking to the door. 

You gasped, not fully understanding the situation. Running to him, you grabbed his wrist. You didn't fully understand his actions or yours, but you didn't wanted him to leave. You decided to act on it now and think about the consequences of it later. 

"John, what's wrong?" You asked. 

Turning to you, frowning, the look he sent you made your heart drop. 

"I'm not your toy. I won't let you play me too." His tone was cold, making you let go of his wrist. 

"I'm not playing you John." You frowned, speaking coldly as well. 

"No? What was that last night? You're so good at pretending after all.  With guards or with me." 

The words reached you, and you felt truly hurt. You suddenly realized your own feelings on this. Perhaps have you grown attached to him… no. It was sure. You've grown attached to him. You haven't been playing him one second, you couldn't have been, he was the one who had your heart the entire time. And you'd let him. Unaware. You seemed to look for your words, making John speak again. 

"After all, you truly are the best at what you do, it's easy when you're a cold hearted bitch." John mumbled. 

Looking up at him in slight shock, you felt your eyes burn. The tears were getting your vision blurry as you stared into John's eyes. His expression seemed to soften for a second, but you spun around, not wanting to look at him. You didn't think it would matter what he thought of you, but you didn't remember last time you felt this hurt. This wasn't you, you weren't the damsel in distress. You weren't waiting for your prince. You didn't fall in love so stupidly...

"(y/n)..." 

"I'm sorry Mister Wick." You interrupted him, coldly, turning back around to look at him. The tears gone from your eyes, a cold expression forming on your face. If you couldn't show him how awful he made you feel, you'd pretend. You were good at it. "If you expected me to cry for you, you must have me mistaken for someone else." You added, walking past him. "Think what you want of me." You reached for the door knob and glanced back one last time, unable to hide your pain this time. "I shouldn't have helped you John." 

And on that final saddening note you walked out, the image of John's regretful expression on your mind, melting with your own sadness. The day was however not anywhere near its end.

---

Tags: @cap-just-said-language @92lnbr @crystalcrysalis19 @thatbemyhouse @magdazwolska @coloursunlimited @baphometwolf666 @tomhardy41

Hope I didn't forget anyone...

[thechaoscryptid]

For @mrssakurahatake ❤️❤️ I took a little liberty with this one, and it got a bit longer than expected lol

"Your car slid into a snowbank and I'm the mechanic that comes to tow you"

“Fuck.” Shizune’s heart races as she hits the steering wheel once, twice, three times in anger. “God damn it!”

She knew better than to start a trip during a snowstorm, but no matter how many times her boss had assured her that it was fine if she wanted to be on the safe side, her conscience won out and now here she is, in a ditch because other drivers can’t be trusted--

There’s no blood anywhere, no injuries other than a bruised chest and sense of pride. Well, perhaps a bit of whiplash, but that’s another problem for later. For now, she’s already getting cold and has barrelled so far into the ditch she doubts there’s any chance of getting herself out.

“Dammit,” she says again for good measure, so the blanket of snow knows very well it’s displeased her. “I’ve got to--” 

She should calm down, before anything else. It won’t do to be hysterical on the phone for a tow or god forbid Tsunade, who’s sure to give her an ass-chewing anyway after she’s done worrying. 

“So close, too,” she groans, letting her head tip back against the seat as she fumbles around the passenger side for her phone. There’s a desperation in the way she hopes she’s still in service range as she digs out the device, only to find it’s in vain.

Nothing.

Still, busy enough road, she reasons, struggling to keep the panic in her throat from rising. Someone’ll be along.

She takes another minute to get her feet under herself before struggling out the door, stumbling toward where headlights whiz by on the snowy road. It’s not their fault exactly, she knows--it’s not like any of them are the idiot who ran her off he road--but she grumbles anyway as she sticks a hand out and waves wildly in the hope that someone who’s not a psychopath will take pity on her. 

Snow and ice crunch beneath her shoes as she paces, hood up and attempting to keep herself from being pummeled by the wind whipping across the asphalt. Cars come and go, trucks race past, and as the minutes wear on, she becomes progressively more sure she’s not going to find someone before she goes mad or freezes.

It’s cold, and every whistle of the wind reminds her exactly how stupid it was to start out in the middle of a snowy night.

Eventually, she begins to walk in earnest towards the nearest town. It’s a way away, but she figures if she can keep a brisk pace she’ll make it there by morning. Keeping moving is key, right? She hopes so--it keeps blood circulating, at least, can’t be too bad.

She continues to grumble as she walks, because it’s the holidays. Busy, yes, but where’s the generosity? Where’s the kindness?

“Nowhere near here, that’s for sure,” she growls. Her fingers and toes ache with the cold, but she soldiers on for god knows how long until finally, finally, a beat-up pickup truck pulls to the side and puts its hazards on. Breath clouds in front of her as she shuffles from foot to foot, watching warily as a man gets out and walks toward her with his hands up.

“You lost?” he drawls. “Sort of a shit night to be out and wandering.”

“My car’s ditched,” she says. “And I was tired of waiting for someone to take pity on me and pick me up, so I decided to walk back to town. Is that all right with you?”

“Hey, hey,” he says, and when he’s come close enough to stand in front of her, she realizes he’s got a scarf draped over his shoulder. “Yeah, you picked the wrong town to wreck at.” He rubs at the back of his neck with a hand before realizing he’s got the scarf and shoving it at her unceremoniously. “You look like you’re freezing.”

Shizune’s teeth chatter as she winds the fabric around herself, warmth settling into her cheeks as she sighs in relief. “And your truck looks nice and warm.”

“Oh, fuck, yeah, of course.” The man gestures to the cab and Shizune’s on the offer in a heartbeat, climbing up and setting the heater to full blast. When he gets in after her, he sticks a gloved hand out. “I’m Genma, by the way. Any clue where your car is?”

“D-d-down tha-that way,” Shizune says, pointing shakily. “I would’ve called someone, but--”

“Service sucks around here?” Genma finishes for her.

Shizune nods.

“Figured as much.” Genma puts the truck into drive and pulls out onto the road, scanning ahead through the drifting flakes. “I usually try and make a round during every storm because everyone else around here is usually more concerned with where they’re going to help.”

“Such a gentleman,” Shizune mutters.

“Better than leaving you walking, isn’t it?”

Shizune sighs then, letting some of the tension bleed out of her shoulders. He’s right, of course. She would’ve been screwed without him. “Are you going to pull me out, too, I suppose?”

She doesn’t expect him to say yes, not without seeing the accident yet. When she tells him it might be too much, he shrugs. “I can call one of the guys back at work and have them come out with the big truck. Not like they’re doing anything but playing cards anyway.”

“Not even helping out other damsels in distress?”

Genma chuckles. “Yeah, you’re probably right,” he says, pulling to the side when she points out her car. “But at least I have the right cell network for out here. Do I get to know the damsel’s name?” 

Shizune gives it, but doesn’t get the chance to say anything more before he hops out, walking down to examine where her vehicle is well and truly stuck. It’s a miracle she didn’t hit any of the trees, she thinks now as his headlights illuminate the roadside. 

He echoes this sentiment when he comes back, rubbing his hands to warm them. “Sure you’re not hurt?” he asks, brow furrowed in concern. “We should get you checked out, just in case. That looks like it could’ve been pretty nasty.”

“Are you offering to check me out?” Shizune asks dryly.

“Yeah. I mean no! No, not like--” Genma’s eyes widen, head shaking as he makes the absolutely not gesture, and Shizune can’t help the giggle that bursts out of her at the sheer absurdity of the night. “I swear, PG thoughts only.”

“Oh?” Shizune arches a brow.

Genma tries a smile. “I mean, I’d be an idiot if I didn’t see you’re clearly stunning, but I didn’t come out to pick up women tonight. Well, didn’t come to pick up pick up women.”

“Just save them from certain death, right?”

“See, you get it,” Genma says. He pats her shoulder before pulling out his phone and dialing, tapping his fingers on his thigh until the other end picks up. “Hey, Raidou, it’s me. I’m here with someone who went in the ditch. Have a spare truck?”

Shizune can’t hear what Raidou tells him, but by the way Genma’s mouth sets in a line, it can’t be great.

“All right, thanks. Be there in twenty.” He ends the call and leans back against the seat with a sigh before tipping his head to look at her. “You cool with going back to the shop? Apparently we’re short-handed, but I can come back and get the car. It’s somewhere warm, at least.”

“I--” Shizune wants to protest, but then logic catches up and she realizes that really, that’s her only option for now. She nods again. “That’d be great,” she says.

“Excellent. Now, if I get you coffee, are you going to drink it? Or are you a hot chocolate person?”

“Tea, actually,” Shizune says, though she’d probably take anything warm tonight.

Genma’s nose wrinkles. “One of those people, I see,” he says, though his voice is light and teasing as they pull back onto the road. When he looks over, he’s got a smile on his face as he taps her thigh. “I’m one of those people too, actually. I think I’ve got some stashed away at the shop.”

“Such a gentleman,” Shizune says. She sinks down in the seat as they drive, watching the snow fly by the windows before trees transition to houses, and then to businesses before Genma pulls into a small parking lot. Everything’s mostly thawed by this point, but she rushes to the door just the same, Genma following close behind. 

A redhead looks up from his perch behind the desk. “Evening.”

“Rai, this is Shizune. Shizune, Raidou,” Genma says, gesturing between them. “He’ll be taking care of you while I rescue your vehicle. Where’d you stash my tea?”

“Cabinet,” Raidou says, thumbing toward the opposite wall. “Aoba was going to toss it, so you’re welcome.”

“Tell him I’m putting that trash coffee he drinks in the garbage where it deserves to be,” Genma murmurs. He points to the chairs by the window and Shizune sits, pulling out her phone and delightedly realizing there’s service here. It’s only one bar, but it’s service.

“You don’t mind if I call my boss, do you?” she asks, watching him rip open the bag.

He shakes his head. “Of course not. You can use our phone if you want. Probably should’ve offered that first.” 

“Thank you,” Shizune says. “Seriously. For everything. Though, you wouldn’t happen to know of anywhere to stay the night, would you? I, uh, probably shouldn’t drive after that, at least not until it’s light out.”

“I mean, you’re more than welcome to stay here,” Genma says. “There’s a cot in the office, as well as blankets, and it’s free. And you get to wake up to this.” He gestures down the length of his body. “But I imagine the snowsuit will make it a little less appealing.”

Shizune smirks, then rolls her eyes. “Doubtful,” she says. “I’m sure you’re not so bad.”

“Hear that, Rai? I’m not so bad.” Genma grins wide and leans on the desk with an elbow, pointing at the other man. “Not. So. Bad.”

“She didn’t say you were good either,” Raidou says.

“You wound me.”

“My job to keep you humble,” Raidou says, flipping a page in his book. “How am I doing?”

“Just fine,” Shizune says, walking to rest beside Genma as she glances over. “I’ll stay, if it’s all right, Raidou.” The adrenaline and anxiety is fading and suddenly she’s exhausted, nearly swaying on her feet when she presses off of the counter. “Point me in the right direction, Genma? Or, wait, I should probably pay you fir--”

“We’ll worry about it in the morning,” Genma assures. “For now, it’s your job to rest and let us--well, me--take care of you, all right? Save the ‘what do I owe you’ for later. Just lay down and sleep, come back with a clear head. I promise things will be easier come sunrise.”